Chapter 38

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"You never had any intention of handing over the cipher!" The Captain yelled at Alaman.

"I really hope for your sake that you have a really good explanation for this." I glared at him.

"I had my reasons." Alaman answered.

"Five innocent people dead. A Musketeer held hostage!" Aramis threw the table away. "And you still think that you have the winning hand?!"

Alaman stood up but the Captain and Aramis forced him back into his chair.

"I was once a man of status. A respected figure." Alaman started. "Now I am hounded out of my country. Believe me, I have no hand to play."

"Then why gamble with your daughter's life?" Athos asked him.

"Because I had no choice!" Tariq answered.

"More games…" Athos said.

"I had no choice because I do not have the cipher." Tariq revealed. "Samara does." We all stared at each other, we weren't expected this. "I am sorry I lied, I put your friend in danger. I didn't do it lightly."

"You didn't do it lightly?!" I exclaimed. "People have died, our friend has been taken and your daughter is not here. And you didn't do it lightly."

"I humbly beg for your help." Alaman looked at me. "I don't know where they've taken Samara. Help me find her and I will give you what you want. The cipher and with it the formula for the gunpowder."

Athos exhaled deeply. "There's one sure way to find her. We do exactly what the Spanish want." I furrowed my eyebrows. "We hand you over." He said to Alaman.


Athos, Aramis and the Captain went to court to hand over Alaman to Perales. D'Artagnan and I waited somewhere nearby.

"Now, tell me, what is the matter with you?" D'Artagnan asked me.

"Really, what is with everyone wanted to know what's wrong with me?" I grumbled.

"Nellie?"

"Everything's fine, D'Artagnan." I sighed looking if Alaman and Perales were coming.

"I know you're lying, Nellie." D'Artagnan replied.

"If you insist, Milady is what is wrong with me, happy now." I snapped. I saw Alaman and Perales getting in their carriage. "Get ready, they're coming." And this conversation was over for now.

When they carriage reached us, we ran after it and jumped on the back. We sat behind it and hid under our cloak. The carriage went through the street of Paris, D'Artagnan and I made sure to remember the way from the Palace to where they were holding Porthos and Samara.

The carriage stopped and D'Artagnan and I get down. We went to the side where we won't be risked to be seen. Balthasar appeared and went to welcome Tariq.

"Ah, welcome, Tariq. My house is your house." He greeted Alaman. He then punched the man in his guts. "Get him inside."

The carriage was leaving, I caught the door on the side just like D'Artagnan. My feet hung in the air, when we reached the portal we both jumped down. And we waited there all night, watching the doors.

"Hey!" I called for a man who was passing by. I showed him a coin. "Go to the Musketeers Garrison. Ask for Athos and Aramis and lead them back here." I put the coin in his hand. "Do this and you'll get more." He nodded and left.

We must have been there for two hours at most before any of us spoke. "You know he loves you, right?" D'Artagnan said to me.

I kept my eyes on the house. "I don't doubt his love for me, D'Artagnan. It's just…"

"What?"

"I think he still loves Milady." I said in a whisper. "And I'm not sure I can be with him knowing this." I looked at D'Artagnan who stared at me silently with an apologetic look on his face.


The man came back in the morning with Athos and Aramis behind him. "Well done. Now, go." I said putting three more coins in his hands.

"Middle-door. No one's moved since they arrived." D'Artagnan told the two musketeers.

"Any sign of Porthos?" Aramis asked.

"No." I replied.

"It's been hours. Alaman might be dead by now." Athos said.

"They want to put him on trial." Aramis shook his head. "And make a show of the traitor's downfall."

"He knew the risks." D'Artagnan stated.

"Treville is on the way." Athos informed us. A shot rang in the house.

"Let's hope, he'll arrive soon." I said drawing my pistols out and running in the house.


D'Artagnan kicked the doors open, he took him a bit of time before succeeding. When finally the door opened Balthasar's men were already there waiting for us. We got rid of them pretty quickly and rushed up the stairs.

Balthasar was holding Samara at gun point, Alaman was sitting in a chair, pretty beaten up and Porthos was near the stairs by which we arrived from. We pointed our pistols at the Spanish in the room.

"One more step and I shoot her." Balthazar warned us.

"Put down your weapons." That was Ambassador Perales who just stepped in. "This man is under protection from the Spanish crown. Once again, you, Musketeers have lied about your true intentions."

"It was the only way to find out where you were holding the hostages." Athos explained.

"I suggest you leave. Unless you intend to shoot me as well." Perales said.

"We'll leave." I replied. "But not without Alaman and his daughter." Balthasar took something from the table. "And the cipher."

"I will return to Spain of my own free will." Alaman spoke. "And explain how the cipher works. But only if you release my daughter."

"General Alaman and the cipher will stay here." Perales declared. "The girl can leave. King Louis wishes to avoid a public embarrassment, does he not?"

"I won't go without my father." Samara said strongly. I groaned, it felt like it will never end.

"You must go." Alaman told her immediately. "As long as you are free, I will always be at your side." Samara hugged her father with tears in her eyes. "Samara, listen to me. The world that we knew is dead. You have to build a new one where our people can live in dignity and with peace." I knew he was bidding farewell with his daughter but I couldn't help but think that it was more than that. "That is your task now. Now, go, go!"

"Get the girl to safety." Athos ordered. "We withdraw for now." I took Samara's arm and we walked down the stairs.


"Glad to see you alive, my dear Porthos." I smiled at Porthos as I put another bandage around his injured leg.

"You were late." Porthos joked.

"Sorry about that. Things got in the way." I countered.

"Surround the building." I heard the Captain ordered. I got up and joined D'Artagnan's side as Aramis explained the situation to Tréville.

"…Just Tariq and the Spanish." Aramis finished when they reached us.

The Captain stopped a few feet away from the door with Aramis and Athos by his side. D'Artagnan and I stood behind them. Porthos was by the fountain holding his pistol. The door opened and Perales' agent got out.

"Any assault on Spanish citizens will provoke a diplomatic incident, Captain." He declared. "Is that what you want?"

"What I want is the cipher." Tréville answered.

"Then I suggest we have a stalemate." He stepped toward us.

"Prepare to enter the building." Captain Treville ordered us.

"Please, my father is in there." Samara pleaded.

"I warn you. If you lay hands on a Spanish citizen, there will be dangerous consequences." Perales' agent stormed angrily towards us.

A pistol being fired was heard. "Father! Father!" Samara called frightened.

I wasn't prepared for what happened next. The building exploded. The blow of explosion hit us hard and I was projected in the air. I landed hard on the ground and pieces of the house covered my body.

When I emerged from the debris, a hand encircled my arm and pulled me up. It was Athos. He was holding his side. "Are you alright?" I questioned him worryingly.

"I'm fine." Athos replied. "You?" He asked his eyes roaming over my face.

"I think." I nodded unsure.

Apart from a few scrapes, I was fine. But during our audience with the King, I felt less fine. All I wanted to do was to snap at him but see, he's the king so I couldn't open my mouth. I just bit my tongue to stop me from talking.

"I wanted that gunpowder, Treville." The King started. "Now the machine is destroyed. Alaman is dead and the secret is lost forever."

"But at least the Spanish do not have it either, Sire." Tréville replied.

"Yes, that is some compensation." The King nodded. "But I am disappointed." The King moved towards us. "Your musketeers have let me down again. It keeps happening, doesn't it? Walk with me, Rochefort. We have affairs of state to discuss."

I would lied if I said that doesn't hurt. I mean once we're the King's favourite and now, we're just, well…a disappointment.


The moment I dreaded the most finally arrived. Athos and I were in my room. Athos was looking out of the window and I was standing behind him, near the door.

"Athos?" I called, he turned his gaze on me. "Know that I don't doubt for one second that you do not love me. I know you do. But I also know that you loved her first."

"Do you not trust me?" Athos asked me.

"I do." I answered immediately.

"I repeat, Anne and I are strangers to each other. You are the woman I love, Emma." Athos placed his hands on my shoulders and stared right into my eyes.

"But I need to know, though. Do you still love her?" I asked him.

His silence told me more than I wanted to know. And I would lie if I said it didn't hurt. And now, I can say that I was stupid to do what I did then. As I said before, Milady was his first love and I don't know much about love, but I think it's difficult to forget your first love. Especially when it ended so badly. Especially when it has hurt him deeply.

What did I do? I did what I thought was the right thing to do. I kissed him goodbye and told him that I needed some time to think. I pack a bag and left the garrison. I went to the only place where I knew I could find a friend. I went to the palace and there I stayed with Constance.

I fled the garrison, only to run into Milady. How lucky I am.