Greetings from Kent. I flew home overnight and landed this morning so now I am staying with family until Saturday. Almost midnight but as I slept 4 hours this afternoon (not a minute's sleep on the plane) I am now very wide awake so I thought I'd upload this, written yesterday during the flight. Apologies for any errors that have crept in.

CHAPTER 34

I

Tréville stood in the yard in the grey, dawn light as he watched the three friends saddle their mounts and attach various bags containing food, extra clothing, medicines and their thick cloaks. He glanced skyward and eyed the clouds warily; the August heat and humidity were finally giving way to the threatened storm and he knew it would rain before the day was out.

He shivered in his shirt sleeves and wrapped his arms around his body in a vain attempt to maintain the warmth he had felt in his bed. Not that he had slept much. He still nursed a vague hope that the friends would ride out of the city and meet their brother along the road after a minor delay. Perhaps the weather had already broken to the south and stretches of the route had been rendered temporarily impassable.

In his heart, though, he feared the worst. Athos was a good horseman and he carried valuable information – always assuming that he had arrived near Troyes to begin with and that he had gained entry to the meeting. If L'Hernault had managed the journey to arrive the evening before, then Athos should have succeeded too.

Finishing their preparations, d'Artagnan and Porthos grimly swung up into their saddles; there had been little conversation if any as they had readied themselves for their journey. There had been a muted thanks for Serge when the old cook emerged from his kitchen with supplies for them and then he had retreated to the doorway to watch their departure.

It was Aramis who stepped up to the Captain to say farewell.

"You have the map of the route I discussed with Athos?" Tréville asked for the third time.

Aramis patted the pocket in his long coat.

"I have it safe." He sensed his Captain's unease. "We will find him," he declared, as much for his own benefit as that of the older man.

Tréville managed a weak smile. "I have no doubt about that." He grew serious once more, "But I can only give you ten days. You must be back by the twenty-seventh. We leave for Versailles two days later."

Aramis nodded, "I understand." The Captain had already explained everything to him and the others about Gaston's deception and the impending threat to the royal couple at Versailles. He had even imparted news of the arrival of the Duc's man when he had tried to maintain their optimism for the imminent arrival of Athos.

That same optimism had withered and died as the hours of darkness passed and there was no sign of their friend.

"We will be back by then," Aramis stressed.

The implication was clear. If they did not find Athos within ten days, they were never likely to find him and almost certainly not alive. Tréville knew that the friends would move heaven and earth to bring their brother back to Paris, even if it were his body. It was inconceivable to have Athos laid to rest anywhere but in the garrison's cemetery.

Tréville shook his head to dispel such melancholy thoughts. Realistically, Athos was only a few hours overdue and, as Captain, he would not usually instigate a search until men's whereabouts were unknown for two or three days. Anything could delay the return from a mission if the Musketeers had been sent far from the city's outskirts.

However, the Captain had had qualms about this mission from the moment it was mooted and, as circumstances had become more twisted, that feeling had not dissipated. It had merely worsened and it had been a constant struggle not to communicate the extent of those fears to Athos' brothers or why the young man was at a greater risk in the company of nobles; Tréville could not, and would not, divulge his true identity.

"Are you alright?" Aramis asked worriedly.

Tréville nodded wearily. "It seems that you are always asking me that at the moment. I am fine – just a little tired with all that's going on. I have not been sleeping well of late."

"Do you want me to prepare something before I leave to help you sleep tonight?"

Tréville laid a hand on Aramis' shoulder. "Thank you but no. If I need something, there are others I can ask. I am not willing to detain you any longer. Besides, the best remedy for my sleeplessness is when you come back through that archway with Athos. Now go, and God's speed."

They made their farewells and he watched them ride out, just as he had done with Athos fifteen mornings earlier. Turning, he was about to ascend the stairs to his office when he caught sight of Serge still standing there and raised a hand in greeting.

The only response from the old man was a sad shake of the head before he, too, disappeared.

Suddenly, Tréville felt very alone as he stood in the empty yard.

II

Later that morning, he was back at the palace in the presence of the King and Richelieu as they listened to Gaston 's account of what he had learned from L'Hernault who had attended the meeting. When Richelieu asked if the man could be summoned as he had some questions of his own, Gaston blustered some excuse about him already having ridden on to his own estate.

"That is a little convenient if you ask me," Richelieu broke the silence that followed Gastoh's retiring to his rooms.

"Too convenient," Tréville agreed staring at the door through which Gaston had left.

"Do you believe him though?" Louis asked, looking from one man to the other, his eyes portraying his hope that they had been given the truth.

"I believe that the nobles are wanting to petition Your Majesty but I do not believe that is all they want to do. Why else would Gaston have seen fit to move a force into position north of Versailles? He is expecting support from the nobles or he would not have made his move but I fear that he is withholding that gem of information from us," Tréville answered.

Louis fixed his gaze hopefully on Richelieu.

"I concur with everything the Captain has said. I am sorry," he added when he saw the King's crestfallen expression, "but your brother has told us only that which he chooses us to know. He has gone to great lengths to infiltrate their meeting if they are merely intent upon presenting you with a petition. We must presume the worst."

Louis turned to Tréville. "Then everything rests upon your man getting back with a list of those involved and details of their plot. Is there no word from him yet?"

"No, Your Majesty. I had hoped that he would have returned yesterday as expected but he has failed to do so. His friends departed early this morning in the hope of intercepting him on the road."

"He had better get back," Richelieu grumbled. "It would be a great inconvenience to us, Tréville, if he went and got himself killed."

Tréville bit back what he wanted to say and ground out another response instead. "I have no doubt that Athos would find it of great inconvenience too!"