Chapter 11

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After the event with the Duke of Savoy I was back at the Court of Miracles to visit my best friend, Emilie. She has long, curly and blond hair and her eyes are blue, not as blue as mine, though. She is a strong head woman and if it wasn't for her I would have never been the person I am today. I was a shy girl when I met her and thanks to her I came out of my shell. She is quite violent when she wants to and I am sometimes the peace maker. So, I was visited her. The musketeers and D'Artagnan don't need me for the time being. So, I was visiting her and telling her about my numerous adventures with the musketeers and D'Artagnan and telling her everything that occurred with Beauvallon. She just listened to me and never commented once.

"So, you are working with the musketeers and this D'Artagnan?" She asked once I finished my story.

"Yes, I already told you that." I replied.

"You abandoned your life as a thief and work with the King's musketeers?" She asked again

"Yes! What's wrong with that?" I replied

"Nothing at all." She retorted "Apart from the fact that you used to dislike them."

"I know but they are different. They are my friends." I defended them.

"Never mind. Happy to see you did not forget your friends of your past life." She said.

"I will never forget you. You are more than a friend. You are my best friend." I smiled.

I spent some days with her. Laughing like the old time and talking about Di Carlo the man that she is in love with. I really don't like that Di Carlo. He is a horrible man and only thinks about himself and no one else. Emilie was being jealous of the musketeers. So I decided to bring her with me at the musketeers' garrison to meet them. She has never been in any other places than the Court of Miracles. She was impressed by everything she saw. When we arrived at the garrison we were greeted by the sight of musketeers training. My four friends were sitting at our usual tables, joyfully conversing. I grabbed her hands and dragged her after me.

"Greetings, gentlemen!" I beamed. "Let me introduce you to my very good friend, Emilie." They all stand up. Well, the three people that didn't stand when I arrived. Athos always stands up when he sees me arrive in a room. They all greeted her with smiles and bowed their heads to her.

"You are right! They are different fellows." She whispered into my ears.

"So, what can you tell us about our common friend, Emma, here?" Aramis asked.

"Apart from the fact that she is extremely generous and way too kind for her own good. Not much. I'm pretty sure you know almost everything about her by now." Emilie answered.

"Come on! There must be something that you can tell us." D'Artagnan insisted.

"Surely, if you insist." Emilie smirked. "Did you know that your dear friend here, hated the musketeers more than anything else."

"Really?" Porthos asked raising his eyebrows.

"That's not true." I protested. "I didn't hate you. I just profoundly disliked you."

"Why did you dislike us?" Athos asked.

"My father used to tell me how honourable and noble the musketeers are." I explained "He used to go on and on about that. He never wanted to be one but he admired them. One day one of those so honourable men came into the court of miracles. My mother was a waitress then and he tried to force himself on her. My father intervened; obviously the musketeer won and left my father for dead. I really thought we were going to lose him then but he recovered. You know the first thing he said when I proclaimed my hatred for the musketeers. He said: 'not all the musketeers are the same'" I explained.

"Well, that's fair enough." Porthos answered "Your father was a wise man."

"I know." I smirked.

We spent the day together, Emilie and I, while the musketeers and D'Artagnan were off on a mission. Constance cooked for us two and joined us for dinner. And it was a good day. Only if I knew what my friend was really up to. Emilie went back to the court of miracles the day after. I didn't know then that the new mission of the musketeers was related to my best friend and her infamous Di Carlo.

"Emma, we need you to find information about taxes collection." The Captain informed me once I was in his office. The musketeers and D'Artagnan were all here.

"Taxes collection? You have to give me more information than that." I demanded.

"It's illegal." Athos supplied "It started a few weeks ago. Most of the money raised never arrived in the King's possession."

"We discovered a few days ago that they all arrived in the court of Miracles." D'Artagnan added.

"As you may know, we musketeers can't really walk into the court of miracles without being warned." Aramis explained.

"But I can." I sighed. "I'll see what I can do. You need a name and a location I presume?"

"Exactly. " The Captain answered.

"I will leave for the Court of miracles, immediately." I informed the men. "I will let you know as soon as I have any information that is worth to be shared."

I left for the court of miracles immediately. I let my friend Emilie know that I was here for business and not for a visit. I went back to my home. Where I grew up, all my mother's dresses were still there. So beautiful, she looked like a princess every time she wore them. As a little girl I couldn't wait till the day I would be tall enough to wear them. Things changed, and I don't want to wear them anymore. They are all I have left of my late mother. I dropped all my things at my home and went to the nearest tavern and started my investigation. I have one of my old partners working there. I asked some questions. Actually if you need information it's him you have to see. He knows everything that it's to be known in the court of miracles. His name; Roberto; and he is good looking man but simply not my type. Plus, he's already married. He surely knows about that illegal business and needed some conviction to untie his tongue. Conviction in form of money. He gave me a list of name, on which Emilie's and her infamous lover's names were. I needed to be sure that it was the truth but you can be sure once Roberto gives you information of such, it is always true. One last piece of information that Roberto gave me. Guess who's behind all of this? Beauvallon. Yes, Beauvallon is back and one of my friends might work for him. Talk about history repeating itself. I was supposed to give that information to the Captain and the musketeers, but I just kept it for myself.

"How stupid can you be?" I asked her bursting through the door. She was sitting by the table with Di Carlo sitting next to her.

"What are you talking about?" She asked me.

"Don't act as if you don't know." I yelled hysterically "Don't you dare treat me like an idiot. You know better than that."

"Since when do you care if we respect the laws or not?" Di Carlo asked me this time with a smirk.

"Since it can be seen as treason to the King." I seethed. "What were you thinking about, really?"

"Please! You think that since you work with the musketeers you have the right to judge us." My so called friend replied scoffing. "Not so long ago, you were a thief just like us."

"Yes, I remember. That doesn't mean that I would have done this." I retorted

"You've always been too honest even for a thief." Di Carlo laughed. "That's why you get caught. That's why your little filthy friends get killed." I jumped at him and punched him square in the jaws.

"Don't ever talk about them ever again." I snarled. "Beauvallon is going to do the same to you. He let his right hand man take the blame for him."

"Lazarus? Yes, we know but he was willing to. He did it to protect his father." Emilie told me. René—Lazarus was Beauvallon's son. My head was now spinning. Apparently it is my fate to be betrayed. I finally discover the true nature of my so called best friend. Maybe there is an explanation behind all of this. I'm not saying that all of the people of the court of miracles are honourable. No, there are honest people but you will die of starvation if you are honest. Sometimes you do what you have to do. You don't really have a choice. Maybe I was too honest for my own good. Maybe my friend really has a bad bone in her body. Maybe she was influenced by her lover. There were too many maybes and I had to be sure before talking to the musketeers. "You are thinking about it, aren't you?"

"Thinking about what?" I replied.

"Running to your dear little musketeers and tell them the truth about us." Emilie explained "I can see it in your eyes. But you are hesitating. You want to be sure. Well, let me help you see things clearly. I am working for Beauvallon and you are going to stay silent. You want to know why?"

"Why?" I replied

"The musketeers and this D'Artagnan are not your friends and will never be. You are just someone who is doing their dirty works that's why they sent you here. You are nothing more than a tool to them. They are using you." She retorted. "And you remember your true friend don't you?"

I don't know why but her words hurt me. I don't know why but I believed her. I was scared that her words might held some truth in them. Honestly I doubt that they saved my life many times in the past. They consider me as friend so why was I afraid to tell them the truth? Well, it's because Emilie was my first and only true friends for many years now. I was afraid to lose that. I closed my mouth and never said a word to the Captain or the Musketeers or even Constance about my friends' involvement or Beauvallon's. I lied to them all. I betrayed them. I hated myself for that and they will hate me for that. I stayed with them at the court of miracles.

A few days have passed when I saw a glimpse of Porthos in one of the taverns. I walked to him and sat at his table with him. I asked him why he was there. He answered that they were all worried that something might have happened to me. I reminded him that I would contact him as soon as I will have any information worth sharing, to which he nodded. He stayed a bit and we conversed quietly as to not attract attention to us. I never told him once what I was dying to tell him. I wanted to tell him that Beauvallon was involved again and it was probably our last chance to catch him. I wanted to tell him everything but I couldn't. I just kept my mouth shut. I will come to regret that later.