Happy Tuesday! Thank you for reading and leaving comments yesterday.
Well, the big confrontation is over. Can life start to quieten down now for Athos and his friends?
CHAPTER 118
I
Aramis finished wiping down the table where he had been stitching wounded men and threw the bloodied cloth into the bucket of water by his feet. He would deal with it later. It was early evening and he had been hard at work since the battle ended tending to injuries. There were not as many as he had feared but then the fight had been very one-sided. For that, he knew he should be thankful, and he had already sent up grateful prayers that those he knew had been spared, but he could not ignore the sense of sadness he felt. A great number of the rebels had perished and from what he had witnessed, many of the dead should never have set foot onto a battlefield.
He walked out of the room where he had spent much of his time and looked through the open doorway of the adjacent one. Men were sleeping, some of them having been given a draught to help them, whilst others rested quietly and in reasonable comfort. Fingers occasionally picked at visible bandages. A Musketeer and member of the Red Guard, both with a modicum of common sense when it came to tending those who were hurt, moved quietly between the beds, offering water, pain draughts that Aramis had already prepared and smoothing blankets, their quiet words providing comfort and reassurance.
He moved onto the third room and rolled his eyes in annoyance.
Athos was sitting on a chair beside Grenouille who slept on, oblivious to his company.
"And who said you could get out of bed?" he asked quietly , coming up beside his friend.
"I took that decision all on my own," Athos answered. "I will take full responsibility for any subsequent setbacks I might experience."
"Did you sleep at all?"
"A little," Athos admitted, "but my mind would not let me relax." He looked at the silent Grenouille. "Will he be alright?"
"Oh yes," Aramis reassured him, moving round to sit on the edge of the next bed, the one Athos had vacated. "It was easy to stitch, no other complications and I cleaned it thoroughly, so I anticipate no risk of infection."
"He will have full use of his left arm?"
"He should do." Aramis smiled. "You are concerned for one of Richelieu's men."
"I am. When all's said and done, he is a good man. Perhaps life has not been kind to him."
"Fortune is a fickle mistress," Aramis agreed. "She brings difficulties to us all at times. I think as you do, though, where Grenouille is concerned, particularly when he saved Porthos' life. I will forever be indebted to him for that."
"As will I," Athos added with sincerity. "Where are Porthos and d'Artagnan?"
"After they helped move the two of you in here, they went back out to assist Tréville; I haven't seen either of them since."
Athos sighed heavily and rose. "I must find the Captain but first, I should go to the Red Guard and speak with them. They conducted themselves well today."
Aramis stood with him. "Are you sure? Must you deal with this right now? I worry for you, my friend. You confess to having had little sleep and so much has happened today."
"You mean L'Hernault."
"The whole battle but yes, him in particular." His eyes searched Athos' face for any clue as to how he was feeling. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No!" Athos' answer sounded more brusque than he intended. "My apologies but I need time to myself to think about what happened."
Aramis nodded his understanding. "Just do not leave it too long. I shall always be willing to listen."
Athos grasped his upper arm in grateful thanks and would have walked out had it not been for Tréville's unexpected appearance in the doorway.
"Ah good, you're awake," the Captain began. "I am sorry, but the King wants to see us. I tried to delay him, but he will have none of it."
"There is no problem," Athos reassured him. "I was about to come and find you anyway. Aramis." He dipped his head in farewell to his brother and departed with Tréville.
II
The corridors leading to the King's apartment had already been stripped of their makeshift barricades, the rooms set to rights and the more usual guard detail in position. As he walked beside the Musketeer Captain, Athos reminded himself that he had been out of action for several hours and much had been achieved in restoring order.
He was strangely unprepared for the meeting and felt the first stirrings of guilt at not having done the rounds of his men, either as they worked or back at their camp. His men – how quickly had his perception of the Red Guard changed! All he had managed to do, without Aramis' knowledge, was visit the handful of injured Red Guard who were in the room adjoining his, at the same time acknowledging his Musketeer comrades who were also recuperating. He had not disturbed Aramis in the room where much of the treatment was happening, for he knew that even if he stood out of the way, he would have been banished back to his own bed. Fortunately, none of the men's injuries had been life threatening or changing and he was delighted to learn that Grenouille would make a full recovery in time.
Louis was ensconced in his own apartment once more and pacing distractedly as he awaited the arrival of the Captains. As soon as he heard the door open to admit the two men, he smiled warmly and crossed the room, hands outstretched. He caught the Musketeer officer by the shoulders in an unexpected gesture of warmth.
"Tréville! My dear man! I cannot find the words to say just how pleased I am to see you and that you are unhurt. What a victory! And you too," and here he reached for Athos' hand and gripped it. "My two Captains and your gallant men; Musketeers and Red Guard together, so brave and without equal." His eyes filled with tears. "Now I would hear your report. Hold back nothing, I implore you."
"Sire, you must calm yourself." It was Richelieu; he was standing silhouetted against a window and had been so still that Athos had not noticed him. "There is much to discuss and decisions that have to be made, important ones."
"You are right, Cardinal, as always. We have to decide what must be done about my brother," Louis moaned as he sank down onto the nearest chair.
Athos eyed the seat longingly, his mind wandering so that he was not fully concentrating on the conversation being conducted around him. All he had done was walk up a flight of stairs and along a corridor and yet he might as well have walked from Paris to Versailles, such was his body's level of complaint. What good was he to anyone at this moment? He was still so tired that he was experiencing an unwarranted level of light-headedness and he wondered if he were about to disgrace himself by collapsing in the presence of the King.
He must have looked as bad as he was feeling because, suddenly, a firm hand gripped him at the elbow and the edge of a chair touched the back of his legs.
"Sit!" a far-away voice ordered and then its owner set a glass of water into his shaking hands.
He had drunk half of it before he was convinced that he was not about to pass out and could focus once more upon the occupants of the room. Tréville was close at his right hand, Richelieu nearby to his left. The Cardinal had been responsible for providing the chair whilst the King sat opposite, staring hard at him and wringing his hands in concern.
Athos was mortified, his face colouring as he tried to struggle to his feet. "Your Majesty, I am … so sorry, I …"
Tréville pinned him to his chair with a hand on his shoulder, it required very little effort for he did not think he had the energy to stand at that moment.
"My dear man, you must not think of moving!" Louis insisted. Both officers were apparently very 'dear' to him at the moment, a strange expression of gratitude and concern that was to be savoured. "It is remiss of me that Captain Tréville has to remind me of your recent injury. You have done so much, including taking command of the Red Guard, that it is easy to assume you have made a full recovery. It is clearly not so. Should you retire to your room?"
"No, no, Your Majesty. I am much better just for sitting, thank you," Athos assured him, still burning with embarrassment.
Louis clapped his hands together as something occurred to him. "I know! The Cardinal and the Captain will also pull up chairs and sit and I shall send for refreshments whilst we discuss how to proceed."
"It is not necessary, Sire," Richelieu began but the King would have none of it.
"Nonsense, I insist. Besides, I am feeling more than a little hungry myself. With everything that was happening earlier, I was not in the mood for food. Now we must change that."