Chapter 29
Thanks for reading this story. Thanks to NicoleR85 and to Fangirl007 for their reviews. To Fangirl007, believe me I would like to update more often but I can't. I'm doing other stuff on the side. Anyway, I'm glad you love this story so far. Thanks to all followers and the one who favourited this story. Now, you're probably going to hate me for this but until series 2 of the show, this story is going to be on hiatus. Well, actually I think it might have some chapters in between; but nothing really important. Don't hate me, please.
New Chapter, read, enjoy and review.
Easier said than done, indeed. The day has arrived for the meeting with Grimmault. And we were hiding behind the bushes. We were minutes away from the rendezvous. Catherine was in the middle of the clearing waiting.
"Lady Catherine!" Grimmault greeted her when he stepped in the clearing behind her.
"Grimmault!" Catherine greeted back.
"How's the little bastard?" Grimmault snarled.
"The little bastard, as you so gently called her, is still in bed. We're not sure if she'll live." She answered sombrely. I smirked. She sure has some sass.
"Sorry to hear, she's not dead yet." Grimmault replied. "You know, your daughter has always been an obstacle to me. Before she was even born, she ruined my chances to marry in this family." Grimmault started. "In fact, if it wasn't for Marcos, she could have been my daughter."
"Stop fooling yourself, Grimmault. Madeline has never loved you." Catherine retorted. "Not this way. To her you were just a good friend."
"She was in love with me, Lady Catherine. She told me she loved me." Grimmault snapped back.
"Yes, she did but she wasn't in love with you." Catherine replied softly. "When you brought Marcos in our home, she was instantly drawn to him." Catherine explained.
"That wasn't love that was just curiosity." Grimmault yelled back.
"At first but the more time they spend together, the stronger their feelings for each other became." Catherine has her back to Grimmault by now. "My daughter knew what I have ever known in my whole life, true love. And I hope my grand daughter will know this too."
"If she lives." Grimmault countered. "Let me guess, you expect her to live this kind of romance with one of those musketeers?" Grimmault stepped closer to her. "I am pretty sure they are all enjoying her presence in their rank. I mean one woman in a group of man, she must really be good at entertaining them." I looked pointedly at D'Artagnan next to me and shook my head. We needed to finish this today. Catherine faced Grimmault again and seeing his closeness to her. She took a step back.
"Think what you want. I, on the other hand, know my grand daughter better than you do. Enough to know that she has the qualities of both her father and mother. She has honour, one thing that you don't have." She snarled.
"Oh, really? You let her and her mother live in that court of miracles in Paris. You knew that they were living in poverty." Grimmault shouted at her. "You knew that Marcos was making them miserable. You went to take them back but you let them there."
"You didn't see what I saw that day, did you?" She questioned him. I was still shocked to learn that she actually visited us before. "Emma was eight and dressed as a boy." She chuckled. "Even then she wanted to be a soldier. Madeline was hanging the washing and Marcos was playing with Emma. I did see the poverty, the difficulties they were living in. I did see the criminals lurking around their house. But I also did see the happiness, the love but most of all I saw how close they were to each other." Catherine explained to him. "They were living with each other and for each other."
"Nonsense, love doesn't make everything in life." Grimmault laughed in her face. "Look, what love brought to them: Death."
"Maybe you're right, my dear sir. I offered them the money, a house, everything. Marcos refused it all, in spite of what might happen to his family. He was too proud of a man to forgive me for what I did a few years before they fled to Paris." She told him. "Emma, shouldn't have to pay for her parents' mistakes or mine. You didn't have to shoot her." She drew her musket and pointed it at Grimmault. That was definitely not in the plan.
"Did you really think I came alone?" He asked as other men stepped into the clearing.
"Did you really think she came alone?" I said as I stepped into the clearing followed by the musketeers.
"So, you're alive; I see." Grimmault said as his men were all pointed their musket at us.
"Alive and kicking." I mockingly bowed to him.
"Not for long." Grimmault promised me. "As you can see you're outnumbered."
"It wouldn't be the first time." Aramis shrugged.
"We've seen worse." Porthos added.
Grimmault's men sprang into actions and attacked us. I grabbed Catherine by the arm and pulled her next to me. Two men came at us and attacked us. Caatherine drew her sword and both of us fought them together. I didn't know that Catherine learned how to fight with a sword. But seeing her now, I know from who I got my skills at swordfight. She might not approve of it but she also can be a swordswoman if she wishes to. We were able to fight off our assailants. More came and Catherine and I were fighting in synchronisation. It was almost we had fought together in the past and it was as natural and graceful as a dance. We were fighting back to back, as a team, together, as if we've already done it before. When I duck, she'll stop the strike with her sword. When she dodges, I'll pulled her behind my back and attack her assailant. It worked pretty well. Soon enough there were a few men left, most of them were already on the ground and the others that weren't have fled. Athos was holding his sword against Grimmault's throat.
"Catherine, are you alright?" I asked her before joining my friends.
"All fine." She smiled out of breath. We walked together and stopped next to Athos.
"What are you going to do, now?" Grimmault asked us. "Kill me?"
"Do you want me to kill you?" I returned him the question. He didn't answer. "I'm not going to kill you. You didn't kill anyone and when you tried. You failed twice."
"What do we do with him, then?" D'Artagnan asked.
"Well, I'll follow the example of the Count de la Fère and I'll let you live." I said to Grimmault. "I, the Baroness of Bordeaux, let leave the country. And if I ever see your face again I'll let the King decide of your fate. And I don't do it out of pity. I do it because it seemed that my mother felt a great affection for you and I'll respect that."
"You let me go?" Grimmault asked as Athos and Aramis hissed him up.
"Yes, I do. So, go before I change my mind. Go wherever you want but don't come back into France." I said to him. He turned his back on me and left with no words.
"You'll be a great Baroness, my dear." Catherine exclaimed.
"Yes, about that. I don't want to be a baroness." I declared. "I love being a musketeers. Plus, I think we already have a baroness."
"Who is she?" Catherine questioned.
"You." I replied. "I mean I don't want all of this. I'm just happy with what I have." I told her. I started to walk towards our horses. "I was actually thinking about wages. Maybe once a month. I could use the money." I heard her chuckled.
"Who's the Count de La Fère?" She questioned. The musketeers and I chuckled.
"A really good friend. He's an old acquaintance of ours." I replied.
