May 14, 1610 was the beginning of the end, as my father used to say. Jaques De Fleur, was once a count, but that was many years ago. I was 4 years old when King Henry was murdered by a renegade musketeer on that date.
Then began what my father always called the end. The new king, Louis XIII, was 9 years old at the time and not yet ready to rule a country. So his mother took over the rule for 7 years, but Cardinal Richelieu began to spin the threads that should bring France into trouble. At the age of 16 Ludwig ascended the throne and Richelieu asserted his influence, so that after his mother he also advised Ludwig. So far we have been regular guests at the Louvre and I loved the pomp and beautiful clothes, and even then I ran into one or two musketeers.
I admired the beautiful uniform and sometimes watched their training sessions instead of embroidering with the other ladies at court or things like that. I always thought that was boring. I would have preferred to have become a musketeer too, and have often tried to imitate their exercises. But when Richelieu became a minister, my father spoke openly about how the cardinal made the common people suffer and starve in the name of the Lord.
As a result, my father was stripped of the Count's title and we were chased out of the Louvre as if we were felons.
We had to start from zero. My father moved with me to a hut on the edge of a forest near Louches. He worked as a carpenter in town while I was selling flowers in the market, whatever the weather. It was often tough, as we sometimes had little money to eat, and the landlord was always chasing us because of the rent arrears.
The older I got, my father was asked more and more often why I wasn't married. We would certainly have had an easier life with a rich man, but I didn't want to. I didn't want to marry any stranger just for the money. For the others it was incomprehensible, but I had my own mind. Father always said that I came after my mother who had died of puerperium.
It began before my 20th birthday in March 1626. I heard gunshots echoing from the forest. I was just out on the edge of the forest looking for fruits and mushrooms that were suitable for eating. A young man came rushing out of the forest on a white horse. He rode on without looking back, but the shots in the forest continued to echo. I hid behind a tree and carefully felt my way closer to the source of the gunshots. My father would probably be worried that I put myself in danger, but I had the feeling that the rider had not been alone. And I should be right. Crouching against a tree for cover was a young man with blonde, shoulder-length hair who tried to defend himself against the attackers.
After we had to leave Paris, father had trained me to use weapons. So I got the crossbow that hung around my shoulder and aimed at the attackers. I turned them off one by one until the shots stopped. Then I slowly stepped up to the blond-haired man. He looked up at me and was clearly out of breath.
"Thank you, whoever you are."
"Can you get up?" I asked, holding out my hand to him. He took it and got up a little bumpy.
I supported him on the way to our house.
"Father, a glass of water!" I called when we walked in the door.
My father exclaimed and hurried to the well. I dropped the man down at our table.
"Thank you." he said when father handed him the water.
"What happened?" asked father.
"I saved him from about 10 attackers. I killed that many," I replied.
"Who are you? An outlaw?" Asked father.
"I am Athos and I was on my way to Calais to prevent a plot against the king."
"That sounds exciting!" I said. "Did you have another rider?"
"Yes, we were originally 4. But had to part when the pursuers caught up with us.", Athos explained.
"Take a rest, I'll saddle you my horse Raoul in the meantime. He's very fast and will have brought you to Calais when night falls," I said and went into the stable. While I saddled my black stallion Raoul, I wallowed in thought. There was something about Athos that fascinated me. I could feel like I had but couldn't really describe it. It was new to me.
When I came out of the stable, Athos was about to go, but sagged under a painful moan.
"Not so fast, Athos.", I said, you must have injured yourselves. ", I said.
"Not that bad, just a sprain," said Athos.
I decided to free him from it with a special grip, I fixed the sprain again. It wasn't so comfortable for him because he groaned in pain. But otherwise he would hardly be able to ride.
"Try again now.", I said and Athos got up visibly pain free.
"You seem to have healing hands," said Athos with a smile.
"Now go if you want to stop the traitor," said my father.
"I will show my gratitude on my return," said Athos as he stepped out the door. Raoul stood next to her, ready to leave.
"I was free to pack some bread and brandy in the saddlebags for you. The nights are still quite cool. Good luck!" I shouted when Athos said goodbye with a nod and Raoul spurred on. Hurried in a cloud of dust away.