Equals

Chapter 6

"What's wrong?" Aramis asked as he and Athos made their way back towards the garrison.

Athos' troubled eyes found the marksman's as they always did when he was plagued by his own guilt and doubt.

"The Baron's son. I feel as though his death is my doing," he said. Aramis' eyes grew round as he listened with concern.

"I had grown angry. I asked the Baron if his notions of purifying the nobility applied to his own home as well. I did not mean for him to target his son," Athos said sadly.

"You cannot blame yourself Athos. You had no idea that the boy had a common lover," Aramis said sadly.

"But I drew the man's attention to the boy. I provoked him," Athos said.

"It would have only been a matter of time with a zealot like that. These men were maniacs. Eventually one of the others would have pushed the Baron to act. This is not your fault," he said, his dark eyes burning with compassion and understanding as he looked at his brother.

Athos smiled grimly. "I cannot wait for this to be over. Hopefully Porthos and D'Artagnan were able to apprehend that monster."

Treville had entered the garrison not long before Athos and Aramis rode through the gates. Athos dismounted and handed his reins to a stable boy.

"Anything to report?" Treville said as he turned to face his men.

"We have rounded up most of the madmen involved in this travesty. The Comte de Coulombe decided to take his own life rather than face the King's justice," said Athos gravely.

"Hopefully his son will be able to repair the damage he did to the family. i pray that Marius will one day be able to move past this," Aramis said sadly as he pulled the heavy saddle from Bella's back and handed it to another stable hand. He ran his hand down the mare's neck.

"Any news of the Baron?" asked Treville, the clouds beginning to form again in his eyes.

"No," said Aramis, "And it has me worried. He seems to have been the instigator of these gruesome acts."

"It appears he and Christine have been clashing at court of late. Porthos and D'Artagnan are in pursuit. She may still be a target while he is at large," said Athos.

"Where is she, by the way?" Aramis asked, looking to the Captain.

Treville's heart plummeted at the marksman's question as he realized his error in judgement immediately. Their walk and conversation had been so pleasant that he had not even considered the situation as he left her alone on the stairs of her home. He had assumed that she had been safely delivered to her bustling household.

Aramis saw the Captain's face drain of blood, the blue eyes bulging under the reality of the situation. Panic took Aramis' heart as he swung his mare around and took off on her back through the garrison gates without a saddle.

oOo

"What do you think you are doing here," Christine said to the Baron, summoning all the haughty power of court she could muster.

"You know exactly what I'm doing here," the Baron said as he slowly advanced towards her, stepping around the furniture in his path. "It's better to have your title die out than to have it further polluted and disgraced by your love for the people and that Spanish musketeer."

"The musketeers will find you. Aramis will find you," she whispered venomously.

"It doesn't matter," he sneered. "Others will take up my call to purge the nobility of your kind, your filth," he snarled and he pulled a blade into his other hand.

"All you have done is shown the horror and ignorance of the old ways. You have made a monster of the noble class. How could you…Your own son," she hissed and swung the book of poetry with all her might into the hand clenching the pistol. He howled as the gun flew away.

He pulled back the dagger and made to plunge it into her, but she grasped his wrist in her hands and forced it away. They fought for the blade. Roughly he pushed her into the side of the desk, but she still held on. He pushed her up against the bookshelf, her arms still fighting the hand holding the blade; his spare hand made for her throat.

Her eyes bulged as she felt his grasping fingers and she managed to push him away enough to bring her knee up into his midsection. He doubled up dropping the knife and she broke away from him and ran for the door just as Aramis burst into the room. She ran to him and he pulled her behind him as the Baron retrieved the fallen pistol.

The Baron's face was bleeding; Christine had managed to scratch him as they fought. A cruel mania glowed in his eyes. Aramis held out his hand trying to quell the irate Baron as he held Christine behind him.

"Please," said Aramis as they slowly moved along the circumference of the room. "It's over. The rest of your group is either dead or captured. Surrender and the King may still yet be merciful."

"Silence musketeer. She dies!" he screamed.

"Take me," Aramis said. "Take my life instead. I was the one who dared reach above my station. Take my life for hers."

"Aramis," she hissed as she grabbed at his shoulder. "No," she said.

"Your life is meaningless to me musketeer. She is a traitor to her kind. Hers is the life of value."

"You're wrong," she said coldly and as she pushed forward to stand in front of Aramis. "Kill me," she said, "Because I will never let you hurt him."

Aramis pulled her to him wrapping his arms protectively around her. "Then kill us both," he snarled. "But know that you will beg for death before the end once our brothers have found you."

The Baron stood now with his back to the door. He laughed maniacally. "You're both fools," he screamed and raised the gun to fire.

"BANG!"

The blast of a pistol went off and Aramis dropped to the floor pulling Christine with him, his body sheltering hers. The silence that followed seemed to go on forever

"Aramis! Christine!" called the anxious voice of Treville, a spent pistol falling from his hand.

Aramis exhaled the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He gazed into Christine's eyes as she brought her hands to cradle his face. Her eyes sparkled and she beamed at him, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

"We're fine," he said with a relieved laugh as he dropped his head to her shoulder and she tightened her arms around his neck.

Treville smiled in relief and turned away so they couldn't see his joy.

Athos walked towards the Baron who had dragged himself into a corner. The blood poured out of the gaping wound on the man's chest. He gurgled on his own precious blood as his life slowly drained away from him. He found Athos' cold eyes and his own widened.

"You are a disgrace. Your house is ruined. Your lands are forfeit, and by your own hand, your son is dead. You are nothing and your name, your family's name, will be wiped from all memory. Your patents of nobility are forfeit. You have shamed your ancestors. May they greet you with scorn when you meet them in hell," Athos whispered viciously. The former Baron's eyes bulged in fear at these words as he struggled through his last breath and stilled.

"Oy! Athos! Christine! Aramis! Everything ok?!" cried Porthos as he and D'Artagnan burst through the door.

"We're fine," Christine laughed in relief as Aramis pulled her into a seated position on the floor. She threw her arms around him again and held him tightly. He pulled away and cupped her face in his hands. He locked onto her smiling blue-grey eyes and kissed her.

"Marry me," he said as he kissed her again.

"What?!" Christine gasped as she pulled away, ecstasy written all over her face.

He beamed at her. "Will you marry me, Christine?" he said, his eyes sparkling with joy.

She laughed and clasped him to her. "Yes," she gasped as she pulled back for air. "Yes, yes, yes!" she cried as his face grew even more jubilant than was previously thought possible.

Porthos cried openly as he cheered. D'Artagnan wiped at his eyes as he smiled so broadly it looked as though his face might crack. Treville beamed at them. The clouds of his eyes banished as sunshine took their place.

Athos stood there smiling. His lips parted and he, loudly, laughed for joy, the noise a perfect soundtrack to the joyous moment.

Christine and Aramis gazed at each other and they kissed each other again, surrounded by their dear ones.

oOo