Morning, all. This chapter comes to you from Whistler, Canada via Seattle and Vancouver. I might be able to post one more but then I may be silent for just over a week, depending upon internet - or lack thereof.
So, what seems to be the trouble with Louis?
CHAPTER 3
The King was in his night robes and pacing the library, remonstrating loudly with Richelieu when Tréville and Athos were admitted.
"This cannot be happening, Armand! I will not stand for it."
"Of course not, Sire, and every effort will be taken to ascertain the veracity of this information," the Cardinal said, his silky measured tones intending to calm the excited monarch and failing. "I have no doubt that Tréville will have a suitable suggestion."
"Suggestion for what?" Tréville asked, crossing the room with Athos a pace behind in deference to his rank. "Your Majesty," and the two Musketeers bowed low.
"There you are, Tréville! Where have you been? What kept you? I could have been murdered in my bed for all any of your care!" Louis was close to tears and totally irrational in his fear.
"I followed hard on the heels of your messenger, Sire; the only delay being the saddling of our horses, I assure you. Please sit, Your Majesty, calm yourself and tell me what has happened. What is this about being murdered in your bed? Have intruders gained access to the Palace? Did you not call for my Musketeers or the Red Guard? There are plenty within the Louvre."
Louis allowed the Captain to guide him to a chair and ease him down upon it, protocol pushed to one side for Tréville was responsible for the King's safety and comfort and the situation would have been far worse if the monarch had been left to collapse upon the floor.
Louis buried his head in his hands and moaned. "Questions! Questions! All these questions! I am fortunate to be alive and all you can do is ask me many questions!"
Tréville's brow furrowed and he looked to Richelieu for some assistance, but the man stood impassively watching on.
"My apologies for distressing you further, Sire, but I need to know specific information. If any of my men have been remiss in their duty …."
All this elicited from Louis was another loud groan.
"Will Your Majesty partake of some brandy?" Desperately, Tréville surveyed the room and when he saw none, he turned to Athos. All that was needed was a raised eyebrow and the younger man turned on his heel and was gone, either in search of the spirit himself or else a servant who could fetch some.
Reassured that the King was not going to pass out and pitch forward from the chair, Tréville took two steps back to give the man space.
"Perhaps we could begin at the beginning?" he suggested, frowning at Richelieu who had not, up to this point, been of much help.
The Cardinal sighed as if he were about to bestow a huge favour upon Tréville.
"I received word earlier this evening of apparently mounting unrest amongst the nobility. Whilst it is primarily south of Paris, there is the suspicion of nobles joining from a wider area. This depth of feeling is being exacerbated and fuelled by a Vicomte Menier who hails from an area just south-west of Troyes," Richelieu explained.
At the same time, Athos returned, bearing a bottle and glass upon a tray himself. Setting it down on a table in one of the bay windows, he poured a generous measure and took it to the King.
"How dare he fuel anything. He does not have the right. Much of the land down there is crown land. I can and will rescind permission for him to hold an estate and add it to my own. He will be arrested and thrown into the Chatelet and everyone else involved in this wretched conspiracy," Louis complained, downing the brandy in one go and holding it out for a refill.
Silently, Athos moved to retrieve the bottle and replenished the King's glass; only Tréville noted what the Musketeer had done and nodded his own thanks at the deed.
"With all due respect, Sire," Richelieu began, "we need to have verification of the account and, if it is true, we need to learn the identity of all those who are prepared to participate in this treasonous act."
"How did you come by your information?" Tréville asked.
"One of my intelligencers based in the region and yes, before you ask your next question, the person has proved very reliable on other occasions."
"Has he?" Tréville pressed for he had noted the Cardinal's careful avoidance of revealing whether or not his informant had been male or female and the Musketeer Captain was still trying to discover the identity of the mystery woman who had contributed to the potentially catastrophic chain of events surrounding a Treaty with Spain.*
But Richelieu, ever alert, was not to be drawn and carefully constructed what he said next.
"I was also advised that there was to be a meeting of all like-minded nobles on the twentieth of this month at Menier's chateau in Rosières-près-Troyes, no doubt to plan the finer points of their nefarious scheme."
"The twentieth," Tréville repeated as he considered what he had been told so far. "That's ten days from now."
"How very observant of you."
Athos' head snapped round to glare at the Cardinal for the caustic comment directed at the Musketeer Captain but if Richelieu had seen the reaction, he chose to ignore it - as did Tréville.
"Two more things. Do we know the reason for such unrest or what they intend doing?"
"To kill me in my bed, of course," Louis whined. "Why do you think I sent for you so quickly, Captain."
"Is this so?" and he looked directly at the Cardinal.
"There is reason to believe that the plan is to launch an attack upon His Majesty's person," Richelieu went on.
"Where? When?" Tréville's mind was already working on ways to increase protection for the King.
"That is unknown as yet," Richelieu reluctantly admitted. "My informant has, unfortunately, their limitations but it would be beneficial if we had someone else who could, perhaps, be in a position to learn more."
"What do you mean?" Tréville demanded. Somehow, he did not think he was going to like the suggestion.
"Well," Richelieu began slowly, "this idea has only just come to mind and I have yet to think of the finer detail but it would be to our advantage if we placed a man there who claimed to be a disgruntled nobleman and who could discover the more vital information." As he finished speaking, Richelieu finally seemed to remember that Athos was in the library with them.
Fixing the Musketeer with a piercing stare, the Cardinal smiled, but it was without any mirth.