From where they were hiding, D'Artagnan and Ellie could see where Porthos and Aramis had been dragged off to. They'd been forced against a wall with four Red Guards standing opposite them, two loading up their pistols.
Ellie had clambered up high, crouching down behind a door in the building above where the guards were standing.
"What happened to the last wishes of a condemned man?" Aramis asked, holding at his hands.
"Don't listen to him," Porthos replied. "He'll only want to pray. Shoot!"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Aramis exclaimed. "I was thinking more of a hearty meal."
Ellie jumped down from the building above, D'Artagnan emerging from below her. She silently tackled one of the guards to the ground, slitting his throat with her dagger.
Aramis and Porthos both jumped forward and fought off the other two as D'Artagnan took the fourth one out.
With all four men down, Ellie stood up, dusted her hands off and wiped the blood from her dagger.
Aramis took Porthos' pistol off him and raised both into the air, firing them one after another to trick Grimaud into thinking they'd been executed.
Ellie kept herself hidden as she snuck around the corner to where Sylvie and Athos were being held. As soon as she spotted them, she fired her pistol at one of the guards, hitting him in the chest.
Seeing their back up arrive, Athos and Sylvie fought off the men holding them, Sylvie shoving Grimaud into the wall behind her before running out the way as D'Artagnan quickly took her place.
Ellie caught sight of Marcheaux as he shoved Athos out of the way and ran over, slamming him into the wall and punching him in the stomach. Marcheaux shoved Ellie into a crate, causing her to lose her balance and fall backwards.
Seeing his chance, he ran away from them, towards the middle of the settlement.
Ellie stood up, unsheathing her sword and shoving her hair out of her face.
"You good?" D'Artagnan asked as he finished off the last guard.
"I will be," Ellie growled, running after Marcheaux.
"Follow her!" Athos yelled at D'Artagnan as he chased after Grimaud.
Ellie weaved her way through the settlement, following Marcheaux as he tried to escape. Ellie came to a halt in the centre of the settlement as the refuges surrounded Marcheaux, pointing their rakes and axes at him, cutting off any escape.
"Surrender, Marcheaux," Ellie panted, pointing her sword at his back. "But, if you don't it means more fun for me."
"Surrender, to you?"
Ellie smiled sinisterly. "Who else?"
"How many of your cadets did we burn in the fire?" Marcheaux asked, finally turning to face her.
He lunged but Ellie met his sword with hers, swiping it to the side. She pushed him up against the stairs, pointing her sword at his neck.
"Perhaps it was for the best," Marcheaux said. He lunged again, swinging Ellie's sword to the left, causing her to stumble.
Ellie regained her footing, swiping back at Marcheaux.
"Those cowards would never have made Musketeers," Marcheaux continued.
Ellie lunged forward, meeting every one of Marcheaux attacks at her. "They were all Musketeers, Marcheaux," she growled.
She side stepped towards the wall and swung her sword at Marcheaux's arm, slicing it.
Marcheaux swore in pain, turning around as he cursed.
"You forget, Marcheaux," Ellie called, watching him, aware of her audience of refugees, D'Artagnan and Aramis. "I've been here longer then you. I know your type and what you are!"
Marcheaux made a feeble attempt to lunge at her but Ellie met every single stroke, pushing him back against the wall.
"You can no longer hide behind Feron," she said, swinging her sword and swiping Marcheaux's out of his hand. "Or Grimaud! They all abandoned you to save themselves yet you're still here."
Ellie threw her sword to the side and stood in front of Marcheaux, panting. Marcheaux threw himself at her but she blocked him easily, stepping to the side and shoving Marcheaux into the crates behind him.
She reached up and pulled down a chain, wrapping it around her hand.
"See, Marcheaux," Ellie called as he stumbled to his feet. "I've lived with people like you. I've been with people like you. They all tried to take me down, yet I appear to still be alive."
Ellie whipped Marcheaux with the length of chain as he stumbled around. Marcheaux groaned in pain, holding his arm to him as he struggled to stay upright.
"That was for Sylvie and the hell you've put her through," Ellie yelled, kicking Marcheaux out of the way as she stumbled. She swung the chain again, hitting him on the leg. "That was for Clairmont and my cadets!"
Marcheaux was struggling now. He was stumbling all over the place and Ellie knew she'd won.
But she wasn't finished yet.
She swung the chain again, hitting Marcheaux across the face. "That was for Treville!" She yelled, stepping backward.
Marcheaux lunged at her one more time but Ellie was ready, catching him and turning so she had the chain across his throat.
"And this?" She chuckled. "This one is for me."
She spun Marcheaux around and pushed him. Marcheaux lost his balance and fell onto the rake in the middle of the yard. He weakly lifted his head up before it fell back down. Ellie chucked the chain onto top of him, panting heavily.
She looked up at D'Artagnan and Aramis, both of whom were wearing satisfied smirks on their faces as they stared down at the body of what used to be Marcheaux.
"I cannot believe you knew and didn't tell us," Aramis pouted, glaring at Ellie.
"Sylvie asked me not to!" Ellie exclaimed, smiling.
"I wasn't sure how to tell him," Sylvie admitted.
"I'm terrified," Athos said quietly, shaking his head. Ellie chuckled, nudging him. "And elated," he added looking at Sylvie fondly.
"We're all elated," Aramis replied, smiling, "for both of you."
"All three of you," Porthos added.
"No child could wish for better parents," D'Artagnan said.
"Or uncles," Porthos replied, smirking.
"Hey!" Ellie exclaimed. "No child could wish for a better aunt, either."
"And if it's a boy we'll teach him how to fight," D'Artagnan added.
"And if it's a girl?" Sylvie exclaimed.
Athos smiled. "We'll teach her how to fight off the boys."
"And I'll teach how to fight off her uncles," Ellie added, winking at Porthos, D'Artagnan and Aramis as they squawked indignantly.
Sylvie sighed happily, still smiling. "I've got to get the supplies to Constance."
"You need to rest," Athos replied, putting a hand on her stomach protectively.
"I'm with child, Athos," Sylvie reminded, grabbing his hand. "Not without use."
D'Artagnan chuckled. "I'll come with you."
Porthos chuckled, patting Athos on the back.
Athos grabbed Porthos' shoulder. "Thank you," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "Your plane saved their lives."
Porthos nodded, putting a hand on Athos' neck and hugging him.
"Athos getting emotional, that's new," Ellie muttered, picking her sword up and beginning to walk away. "By the way, when I say aunt, I mean the cool aunt who shows up with presents and slightly drunk."
Athos shook his head, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I thought you didn't like children."
"I don't!" Ellie replied. "So, don't expect me to be of any use other than for providing wine and relief to you and Sylvie when it all inevitably goes downhill."
Athos shoved Ellie to the side, the woman bumping into Aramis as she giggled at Athos.
Ellie turned the corner to Christoph's tavern and stopped suddenly, staring at Brujon. D'Artagnan and Aramis bumped into her, both frowning.
"Ellie?" Aramis asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Ellie just stared at Brujon as he nodded once, confirming what she had already figured out from his face.
D'Artagnan looked up, glancing between Ellie and Brujon, realisation dawning on him. "Oh, Ellie," he whispered, putting a hand on her waist.
Ellie just stared, not wanting it to be true. She felt D'Artagnan's hand on her waist, Aramis grabbing her arm, but didn't register them walking her inside the tavern.
Someone forced her to sit down on a chair and she felt D'Artagnan sit next to her, hand on her knee.
"Here," Aramis said, crouching down in front of her and handing her a cup of wine.
"He wasn't meant to die," Ellie whispered, gripping the cup tightly. "None of this was meant to be happen. He was meant to…" Ellie broke herself off with a sob and D'Artagnan pulled her into his side, holding her tightly as she cried.
"Ellie and Clairmont had planned to travel to New England in a few years," Brujon said quietly, standing behind Aramis. "When he got commissioned, they were going to buy a boat with whatever money they had and go." Brujon sighed. "I guess now that'll never happen."
Aramis sighed, turning to look at Ellie as she sobbed in D'Artagnan's arms, no longer caring who saw. "No," he muttered. "No, I guess it won't."
Ellie looked up as Brujon walked into their room, giving her a tired smile.
With Marcheaux dead, the Red Guard disbanded and Grimaud nowhere to be seen, the cadets who weren't injured had moved back into Ellie's house. Aramis, Porthos, D'Artagnan and Athos had all also moved into the back room, Sylvie, Elodie and Constance joining them, until they found somewhere else to stay.
"Are you alright?" Brujon asked quietly, sitting down next to her on the bed.
Ellie shrugged. "I don't know," she whispered.
Brujon nodded to the letter Ellie was holding. "What's that?"
Ellie handed it to him. "The Queen. She got word that my sister's passed away, naming me in her will as her next of kin."
Brujon looked up at her. "What?"
Ellie nodded. "I'm now, technically, a Lady." She sighed. "I own this stupid house in the country, this house, another one in Saint – Antoine and I have a stupid amount of money."
"What are you going to do with it?" He asked, folding the letter back up.
"I don't want the houses," Ellie replied. "I'm tempted to just give them away." She paused. "Brujon, there's enough money to buy a ship. Not a crappy one either but a good one. One that would get us to New England."
"Would you do it?" Brujon asked, looking at her. "Leave Paris?"
"Paris was never truly my home," Ellie replied, smiling. "That was the Garrison…and my brothers. Given that they're probably all going to be leaving soon…there's nothing really keeping me here."
Ellie stood up and sighed as she walked up to her bedroom window. "I've always dreamed of leaving Paris and seeing the world beyond it, Brujon. But now I've got the means to, I almost don't want to."
Brujon stood up and wrapped his arms around Ellie's waist, kissing her head. "They would still be here. Paris would still be here."
"I know." She turned around to look at him. "Would you come with me? If I did go, I mean."
Brujon nodded. "Of course, I would, Ellie. I'm with you until the end of the line, you know that."
Ellie smiled, standing on her tip toes as she kissed him. Brujon lifted her off the floor and she wrapped her legs around him, still kissing him.
The street outside Notre Dame was packed to the brim with people all wanting to see the Queen. Notre Dame itself was even fuller, every inch of space filled with people wanting to hear the Queen's blessing speech.
Ellie walked at the back of the group, in between Porthos and Aramis, guarding the Queen and the King.
She tried not to look at all the ships lining the river beside her as she walked, instead trying to focus on her job and not her wishful thinking.
She glanced at Brujon who was behind her and he raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly what she was thinking.
Ellie sighed quietly, turning back to face the Queen. She frowned as she saw Constance trying to make her way through the crowd, pushing and shoving everyone out the way.
"Constance?" Ellie asked, stepping around Aramis and meeting her friend as she ran up to her.
"Constance, what's wrong?" D'Artagnan asked, catching his wife.
"Grimaud," Constance replied, pointing to Notre Dame.
"Where?" D'Artagnan asked, signalling for the parade to stop.
"In there," Constance replied.
"We're missing half our gun powder," Ellie said quietly, looking at Athos.
"If he's got it," Porthos added.
Athos sighed. "We need to get everyone out of here."
"Everyone?" Constance asked, looking at them in horror.
"Do it, now," Athos ordered, ushering Constance and Porthos towards the cathedral.
Ellie gave Brujon a quick glance before she followed after Athos and D'Artagnan.
"Don't even think about it," she replied as she saw both of them about to object. "I'm coming."
The three of them ran through Notre Dame, dodging the fleeing people. They turned a corner and ran down the stairs to the catacombs below.
"He's here," Ellie said, pointing to the pile of clothes on the floor as she quickly dumped her cloak and hat on the floor.
"Athos!" D'Artagnan yelled, catching sight of a burnt-out fuse on the floor.
Athos' eyes widened and he pushed both of them. "Quickly."
They ran off in different directions, following the burnt-out fuses.
Ellie skidded to a halt, ripping one out the barrel of gunpowder just before the spark hit, swinging the fuse around to blow it out. She turned around and found another, ripping that one out as well.
With the fuses defused, Ellie pulled out her pistol and began searching for Grimaud.
The catacombs were dark, making it near impossible to see anything that was happening.
Ellie quietly walked down the stairs, grabbing a torch off the wall as she passed, and using it to lit the room a little more. Athos and D'Artagnan quickly caught up with her, both flanking her as they walked down.
Ellie split off from Athos and D'Artagnan, turning down a side passage through the catacomb. She had a pistol raised, resting it against the handle of the torch for balance.
Everything echoed down in the catacombs which didn't help Ellie's nerves as she walked down the never-ending corridor.
She paused at the end of one corridor, trying to figure out if she'd heard something or not.
Ellie swung around, firing her pistol as Grimaud snuck up behind her. She waved the torch at him, causing Grimaud to stumble back before he re-gained his footing and shoved her up against the wall, hand going around her neck.
Ellie choked, frantically trying to free herself from Grimaud's grasp. She kicked his side and Grimaud yelped, dropping her too the floor.
She scrambled over to her sword, coughing violently. Ellie turned around as Grimaud recovered, picking up his sword and charging at her.
Ellie couldn't grab her sword and turned to face Grimaud as he raised his sword up to swing down at her.
He stopped suddenly as Athos and D'Artagnan ran in. Grimaud turned and fled down the corridor, D'Artagnan and Athos following after him.
"No," Athos said, stopping D'Artagnan from following him.
D'Artagnan frowned. "What?"
"I need this," Athos said quietly. "I need this."
D'Artagnan sighed but relented. "I will not raise your child, Athos," D'Artagnan warned as Athos turned to go.
Athos looked back and nodded before he ran after Grimaud.
D'Artagnan turned around and spotted Ellie leaning against the wall, still trying to gain her breath back.
"Ellie," he muttered, kneeling next to her. He grabbed her face and titled her to face him. "You alright?"
There were red marks where Grimaud's hand had been and D'Artagnan could tell that it wasn't going to bruise prettily. He put a hand on her cheek, stroking her face gently as she coughed again.
Ellie nodded as she cleared her throat. "He got you good," she said, nodding to the cut along D'Artagnan's cheek. "At least it highlights your cheekbones."
D'Artagnan shook his head, chuckling. "You're fine, then," he said, pulling Ellie to her feet, supporting her with a hand on her waist.
"Oh, I'm peachy," Ellie replied, smiling at him. She looked behind at where Athos had gone. "Should we go check on him?"
D'Artagnan nodded. "He'll hate us if he hasn't killed him."
"I'd rather Athos hate me then Sylvie," Ellie replied quietly, picking up her sword and turning down the corridor.
Athos was sitting against a wall next to a large pool of water, soaking wet, Grimaud's dead body lying at his feet.
"It's done," Athos said tiredly, looking at them.
Ellie slid down the wall opposite him, looking at Grimaud's body.
"Are we sure this time?" She asked quietly. "You did hold him under there for long enough? He isn't about to jump up and stab you?"
Athos chuckled quietly. "I'm sure."
Ellie nodded. "Good."