A/N: Thank you SnidgetHex and pallysd'Artagnan for reviewing the last episode! And a shoutout to my beta 29Pieces!
Chapter 1
Aramis clapped his hands together eagerly as he, Athos, Porthos, and their three dragons gathered in the main yard of the royal dragon compound. "Well, this is a momentous occasion, isn't it?"
"Introducing a new dragon to the fold?" Athos replied drolly. "It happens every few years or so."
"Have you no sense of ceremony?" Aramis sighed.
"I can't believe you waited this long to do this," Porthos complained to d'Artagnan.
Their young Gascon quirked an affronted look at him in return. "She was too small before. One of them could have easily squashed her. No offense," he added quickly to Savron, Vrita, and Rhaego.
Savron and Vrita merely waited patiently to meet their newest member of the group whereas Rhaego was flicking his gaze about rather impatiently. Aramis was curious about how this was going to go. His dragon wasn't exactly known for getting along with others, and the fact that he would no longer be the baby among them could prove…interesting.
D'Artagnan waved to Constance who was over at the dragon pens, and she proceeded to open one of the gates and let out a small white dragon. Ayelet was the size of a hound dog now, still sleek in build with paper-thin wings that didn't yet support flight higher than a few feet off the ground for short leaps and bounds at a time. Her pearly scales shimmered with hints of teal, rose, and lavender in the morning sunlight.
Constance led her over to them, the young dragon scampering alongside her in excitement. Ayelet caught sight of the three grown dragons waiting for her and perked up in interest.
"Ayelet, this is Savron, Vrita, and Rhaego," Constance introduced. "I'm sure you'll all grow to be close den mates."
Ayelet crept closer, bobbed her head, then retreated, then scuttled a few feet closer again, nervous energy vibrating her small body. Vrita lowered her head first and extended it toward the young dragon, waiting patiently as Ayelet sniffed her. The little dragon let out a small squeak in Vrita's face. Vrita let out a puff of air back at her.
Ayelet danced over to Rhaego next, rearing up on her hind legs and hopping to get a look at him. He jerked back, gazing down at her with the most dubious look Aramis had ever seen on his dragon. He tried to smother a laugh into his glove.
Not put off, Ayelet bounded closer and started practically climbing up Rhaego's leg to get his attention. He scrambled backward and around behind Aramis, growling low in his throat.
"Hey," Constance chided. "She's just being friendly."
"A foreign concept to you, I know," Aramis said over his shoulder as he watched Savron lean down and snort softly, inviting Ayelet over.
The baby dragon scampered over to him, sniffing wildly all over his face and snout as the sage creature held still until she was finished. He then sat up again and she squawked indignantly at him being out of reach. She then tried to climb him as well but Vrita gently nudged her off to stay on the ground, curling up so she was eye level with the young one.
"Two out of three ain't bad," Porthos said smugly, crossing his arms.
"Rhaego will come around," Aramis protested. He threw his dragon a pointed look where Rhaego was still hiding behind him. "The cowardly dragon, really?"
Rhaego narrowed his eyes and snorted hot breath into Aramis's face.
"We don't have to push things," d'Artagnan interjected, ever the protective parent. Aramis grinned at him.
"They're fine," Constance said firmly. "Besides, introductions are taken in stages. This is just the first meeting. After a few more we can do some training sessions together, get Ayelet used to working with others."
"She's a little small for language development to have begun," Athos commented.
Constance nodded. "She knows her name and tones of voice."
They lapsed into silence, all of them more or less enraptured by the baby dragon. Constance and Athos may have grown up keeping dragons, but the rest of them had never seen one so young and small before. She was rather adorable.
D'Artagnan suddenly made a startled noise. "I have to report for duty," he said reluctantly.
Constance went and gave him a farewell kiss. "I'll see you later."
D'Artagnan nodded, cast one last anxious look at Ayelet, and then headed off.
"You have your hands full with both of them," Aramis remarked with a wry grin to Constance.
She smirked. "D'Artagnan is learning. It is his first dragon rearing after all."
"It's hard to imagine her gettin' as big as Vrita," Porthos said.
"And then d'Artagnan will have his own dragon to ride with us," Aramis added with a smile. He turned and elbowed his sulking dragon in the side. "Come on, make nice with your new baby sister."
Rhaego smacked his jaw grumpily and shuffled away from them to pout.
"Your own hands are full," Athos said with a wry quirk of his lips.
Aramis sighed. As always.
.o.0.o.
D'Artagnan rode behind the royal carriage as the King, Queen, and Cardinal made the trip back from morning Mass. Pierre rode at his side while Captain Treville and Joubert rode at the front and the royal carriage runners sprinted ahead with some red guards to clear the streets. Commoners lined the road, cheering and crying, "God bless Your Majesty!"
These journeys were always fraught, in d'Artagnan's opinion, despite the mostly favorable support the people were showing their King and Queen. It was just that there were so many bodies pressed together and they were so close to the road. It felt like riding through a bottleneck.
And then one of the bodies broke away from the rest, pushing forward toward the carriage careening down the street. D'Artagnan saw a flare of skirts flying toward the coach but that was it. Then there was a scream and the carriage jounced, and d'Artagnan and Pierre pulled back sharply on their reins before their horses could trample the body that came rolling out from the underside of the carriage wheel. People in the throng screamed.
D'Artagnan leaped off his horse and rushed to the girl, rolling her over. Her face was covered in cuts and she was as limp as a rag doll.
"Stay there, Your Majesty!" Treville shouted, riding back toward them. "It's not safe. Ride on. Now!"
There was a thwack of reins and the carriage horses neighed as they surged forward to carry the royals to safety. Red guards swarmed the area, creating a barrier between the rest of the people and the scene. Treville dismounted and hurried over to where d'Artagnan and Pierre were crouched next to the girl. D'Artagnan looked up and shook his head regretfully.
Treville's expression was tight. "Was she armed?"
Pierre pulled a piece of rolled up parchment from her clenched fist. "Only with this." He passed it up to the captain.
"What is it?" d'Artagnan asked after Treville had scanned it.
"A tragic accident," he replied stiffly, rolling the paper back up. "Pierre, Joubert, see her body is taken to the city morgue. D'Artagnan." He cocked his head and d'Artagnan gently laid the dead girl on the ground before rising to follow. "We need to identify this girl. See if anyone in the crowd knew her."
D'Artagnan nodded and went to where the red guards were still holding back the throng of pressing bodies. "Does anyone know this girl?" he shouted over the din.
No one responded. He walked up and down the line calling for anyone who knew who she was.
"Please! Do any of you know who she is?"
A woman pushed her way toward the front of the crowd. "I know 'er name."
D'Artagnan spun quickly. "Let her through," he directed the guards and held out his hand to take hers and lead her away from the masses. "You knew her?" he asked urgently, gesturing to the body that Pierre had covered with his cloak.
"Not well," the woman quickly corrected. "But she'd come into my husband's shop to buy thread for 'er mistress."
"What's her name?"
"Therese Dubois."
"And her family?"
The woman shook her head. "Ain't got one."
"What about her mistress then?"
"I'm afraid I never got 'er name."
D'Artagnan sighed. "Okay, thank you."
He released the woman and went to retrieve his horse to ride on to the palace.
Treville was in the main foyer of the east wing, having not yet gone in to report to the King. He was reading the note again but rolled it back up when d'Artagnan arrived. "Anything?"
"Her name is Therese Dubois and she has no family," d'Artagnan reported. "I couldn't find out anything more, though apparently someone should be missing a servant soon."
Treville simply nodded and the two of them headed further inside to one of the libraries where the King, Queen, and Cardinal were waiting. D'Artagnan hung back a few paces as the captain went to make his report.
"Was it an attempt on my life?" Louis asked, looking shaken by the event.
"The young woman merely wanted to present this petition to the Queen," Treville replied, holding up the parchment.
"To me?" Anne said incredulously. "Why?"
"She was an orphan from a humble background. It has something to do with a plea for women's education."
Richelieu strode over and snatched the petition from Treville before the Queen could take it. "If she was an illiterate orphan, she could not have written this," he said, looking it over. "It is misguided, but not unintelligent."
"You don't favor women's education?" Anne challenged.
The Cardinal tossed her a sardonic look. "I admire learning wherever it is to be found, but this amounts to an attack on the authority of Church and State," he said sharply.
Muffled shouting drew d'Artagnan's attention to the doors behind him just as they swung open.
"Stay out of my way!" a woman demanded. "I will address the King."
D'Artagnan eased his grip on the hilt of his sword as the finely dressed courtier swept forward.
"Comtesse de Larroque!" the King exclaimed. "To what do I owe the honor?"
"Your Majesty," she said tartly. "I want to know why this tragedy happened. If your guards are to blame, I want them punished." She shot a scathing look Treville's way and d'Artagnan automatically bristled at the unfair accusation. It had been an accident, brought on by the girl's own actions, not a failure on the part of the Musketeers.
"You knew this lunatic?" Richelieu asked incredulously.
"She was sane as you or me," the Comtesse snipped. "Well, me, anyway," she amended with a derisive look.
D'Artagnan did have to give her points for disparaging the Cardinal so boldly.
"She was the daughter of a servant of mine," the Comtesse went on. "She had wits and ability. I decided to give her an education."
"A ser- servant girl? An education?" Louis spluttered. When no one else laughed at the joke he faltered. "Sorry, I don't follow."
"It seems you educated her too well," the Cardinal said snidely. "She wrote this and then was killed trying to give it to the Queen."
"Don't be ridiculous," the Comtesse snapped. "She didn't write it. I did."
D'Artagnan's brows rose.
"Did you tell this young girl to give her petition to the Queen?" Treville asked, his tone the most neutral of the bunch.
"I merely told her that the Queen is a woman of wisdom and kindness, who might sympathize with our cause."
"I shall read it," Anne promised.
The Comtesse inclined her head graciously.
"Walk with me in the garden, Ninon," Louis said then, abruptly changing the subject. "I've often found your company so stimulating."
"Another time, Your Majesty," she replied stiffly. "I am too distressed at present." With that, she gave a small curtsey before turning and walking out.
"Did she just refuse my company?" Louis said dubiously.
"I believe she did, sire," Anne replied, biting back a smug half smile.
Louis looked truly gobsmacked by the notion. "Is that allowed?"
"Apparently, the Comtesse de Larroque believes herself above the normal laws and conventions of society," the Cardinal put in.
D'Artagnan waited inconspicuously for the royals to dismiss the captain now that the matter had been addressed and solved.
"Seems such a trivial thing to die for," he commented quietly on their way out.
"That surprises me, coming from you," Treville replied.
"Don't get me wrong," d'Artagnan quickly backpedaled. "I don't share the Cardinal's views on women's education. I just meant…dying just to give the Queen that petition… That girl had her whole life ahead of her. An educated life. It's such a tragic waste."
"Indeed."
"Do you think the Queen will act on the Comtesse's request?"
"She would face a lot of opposition from the Cardinal," Treville answered. "As you just saw, he's ready to make it an act against God."
D'Artagnan snorted in derision. He was pretty sure nowhere in the Bible did God condemn a woman having an education or, heaven forbid, thinking for herself. Honestly, how low was that pompous man willing to stoop just to get his way?