Chapter 13
Thanks to all the followers and the one favourited this story. Hope you still like it. Back to the court of miracles, though. I promise it's the last time, you will hear about it. Unless, you want to still write about it. It's up to you.
Anyway, New Chapter, read, enjoy and review.
PS: Two in a row, I know it's because I don't know if I will be able to update, next week. I'm leaving England to go back to my little tiny island.
Beauvallon was now in jail and I was free and alive. It was already time for our next mission. We were now celebrating Porthos' birthday at the garrison. We were all having fun and some of my dear friends were already drunk. Aramis placed a watermelon on his head and Porthos took his musket out.
"Don't worry he made this shot a hundred times." Athos assured D'Artagnan and I. I wasn't worried; I was too drunk for that. Maybe he wanted to reassure D'Artagnan.
"He's drunk." D'Artagnan replied.
"Like me." I sing sang and Athos took my glass from me.
"He's never made it sober." Athos added. The men started to count backwards. When they reached one; Porthos fired and hit the watermelon. We all cheered.
"Can I have my drink back?" I slurred. Athos steadied me and led me back to my bedroom. "Athos you are such a gentleman."
"Thank you, mademoiselle." He took my boots off and tucked me in. "Sleep tight, Emma."
I'm not sure he called me Emma. He never really says my name. But if he said it, I do love how it sound coming from him. The next morning I woke up with a horrendous headache. No more wine. I will not drink wine anymore or any alcohol of any sort. I made my way downstairs to join Athos and D'Artagnan at our usual table. I sat down groaning from the pain. D'Artagnan was laughing at my expense. Serge brought a strong beverage called coffee to help me. It did help but it was a bit disgusting. Aramis came in at this moment out of breath, telling us that Porthos was arrested for murder by the Red guards this morning. We immediately went to the prison to talk with him. Aramis asked him if he knew the dead man from somewhere. Athos was sure Porthos didn't kill this man as we all were. Porthos needed a good lawyer and we needed time to prove his innocent. In the court I had the terrible feeling that the judge was against us since the beginning. Porthos told him what he did the night of his birthday after the party was over. So after the party he took a walk to admire the beauty and the serenity of Paris after dark. He talked with a woman in the tavern and after this he doesn't remember a thing. Except from the fact that he woke up beside a dead man. The Captain was next to talk—describing Porthos du Vallon as the finest man and a good musketeer. The judge was now insulting Porthos. He wanted to make an example of Porthos.
"Porthos Du Vallon" He spat "I found you guilty and I sentence you to death. The sentence is to be carried out immediately."
"This is irregular, sir." The Captain was seething. "I will ask an appeal to the King."
"That is your right, Captain." The judge smiled. "Take this man to the gallows."
D'Artagnan wanted to join and help Porthos but was stopped by Aramis and Athos. I was too shocked to do anything. They ripped his musketeers blazon off his jerkin. The Captain asked us to delay his transfer. But someone has the idea before us. We were making our way out when we heard muskets being fired. We drew our muskets out and I followed the men outside. When we arrived the cart has already been taken away. D'Artagnan shot one of men that were sitting in the back. We reached the men and took his mask off only to see that he was wearing the mark of the criminal; fleur de lys.
"I know where they're heading." Aramis announced.
"Don't tell me, please." I grumbled.
I had an idea too. I love this place, I really do. It feels like home everytime I go there. Nevertheless, I went too many times to that place lately, too many times for my liking. As soon as we arrived, the people started to warn us by using different tools as drums.
"Home sweet home." I said sarcastically.
"Why are they doing that?" D'Artagnan asked.
"It's a warning." Aramis answered.
"That's what they meant last time, you know. When they said they can get in the court without being warned." I added.
"That explains a lot." DArtagnan replied with his hand on his sword. I slapped his hand away.
"If you want to be attacked, please be my guest and unsheathe your sword—otherwise do nothing." I chastised him. We kept walking.
"That's it, then, the infamous Court of Miracles." D'Artagnan commented.
"Welcome, D'Artagnan." I replied.
"This is too dangerous, we should turn back." Aramis voiced his worries. We turned back.
"What about Porthos?" D'Artagnan asked.
"Do you actually listen when we talk?" I retorted raising my eyebrows. "He'll be safe for now."
"He has friends here." Aramis added. We made our way out of the Court of Miracles.
"I knew Porthos was from around here." D'Artagnan pouted. "But he never really talked about it."
"Little touchy about it." Aramis replied.
"So, why do they call it the Court of Miracles?" D'Artagnan questioned.
"Because entering it open the eyes of blind men." Athos answered taking the eye patch of a beggar. "and gives more cripples the use of their legs than our lord ever do." He cut off the rope that was holding the leg of the beggar to his hip. "Buy an instrument, you have the hands of musician." Athos said giving him one sou. "I'm going to find him."
"I'm coming with you. You will have more chance with me around." I agreed.
"Look, Porthos was drunk." D'Artagnan started. "I'm sure it was an accident but…what if he's guilty?"
"This is Porthos." Aramis pushed him against the cart behind him. "You understand?" D'Artagnan nodded.
"Go to the Wren." Athos said to them. "See what you can find out."
We went our separate ways. Athos threw an old rag on his back being careful to hide his musketeer blazon. He asked me to do the same which I did even if I have nothing to hide.
"You have to remind me, why are we wearing those stupid things again?" I asked him while we were trying to go unnoticed.
"It is our way in." Athos replied. And he started to walk again which notified me it was the end of the discussion. I followed him. We arrived in some sort of corridors. We pulled our hoods off. We weren't alone. Way to go unnoticed. One man attacked Athos while the second one attacked me. I threw a punch in his face, grabbed his arm and threw him into a wall. I heard a gun being cocked and I saw it behind Athos' head.
"We are looking for Porthos." Athos said as explanation. Two men pinned Athos against the wall with a dagger against his throat. I was held by another man with a dagger against my throat too.
"He is safe." The man answered.
"Then take us to him." Athos replied.
"He doesn't want to see you." The man retorted.
"See, I don't know you and you look like an honest man but I don't believe you." I argued. "Please be a good lad and take us to him."
"You heard me: he doesn't want to see you." He insisted.
"Give him a message. Tell him his friends will clear his name." Athos said.
"You left him to die. We saved him; his true friends." The man countered.
"Friends don't mean anything in the Court of Miracles." I retorted. "You will kill each other for the sake of a coin."
"Escort them out of there." He ordered to his men. "Forget about Porthos. He's with us now." They escorted us out of the Court of Miracles.
"Remind me to never follow your plans ever again." I told Athos on our way to the garrison. "This is the worst plan you ever had." Athos just looked annoyed. We entered the Captain's office. He was sitting at his desk with Aramis and D'Artagnan.
"No trace of Porthos but we run into a friend of his." Athos said taking his gloves off.
"He thinks we left him to hang that we abandoned him." I added.
"Porthos fought harder than any of us to become a musketeer." The Captain argued. "He won't give us up that lightly. Start by making a call on Monsieur de Mauvoisin. Find out what kind of company his son kept." The Captain dismissed us.
We left to visit the victim's father; Monsieur de Mauvoisin. We announced the sad news of his son's dead. He was distraught. We asked him the usual questions. If he could think of any reason as to why people would want his son dead. According to his father; Jean de Mauvoisin had no enemy. After telling us that his son lived in the rue Clabert a few months ago, we left him to mourn. I felt sorry for him. A parent should never have to bury their child. It is not natural. The right order of things would be for the child to bury their parents and not the other way around. When it happens it's unbearable for any parents. We arrived to rue Calbert, the landlord indicated us his chambers. D'Artagnan tried the key he had found among the victim's belongings. The key didn't work. Aramis took his gun and shot the lock and the kicked the door open. The room was mess. Someone has been here before us and burn every pieces of evidence that we could use. There were pieces of paper scattered on the floor. We wandered around the room, trying to find something that we could use until I heard someone fired his musket.
