Constance let out a heavy sigh as two cadets came running passed her, one coming around the corner a little too fast and nearly running into her. She was too tired to shout at them for doing so, simply letting it slide.
She walked up the stairs out of the living quarters, grabbing one of the cadets abandoned training gear from off the floor with a huff of annoyance before walking into the courtyard.
She found Sylvie sat by herself at the table at the bottom of the stairs, back to the courtyard and book in hand yet she was staring up at the balcony above her.
"Thinking of him?" Constance asked as she came up behind Sylvie, the woman dragging her eyes away from the Captain's office and towards her friend.
"Missing him," she simply said as Constance sat down, dumping the training gear onto the table. Sylvie turned down the corner of the page before closing her book, placing it down on the table to give Constance her full attention. "You haven't slept," Sylvie more stated than asked.
"Have you? Has anybody?" Constance questioned and Sylvie had to admit that Constance had a point. There seemed to be a dark cloud hanging permanently over the garrison, everyone moving with a little less life in them.
"They'll find him," Sylvie said, her hand going to take Constance's that rested on the table top.
Just as Constance was about to reply, wanting to ask about Sylvie's book to change the conversation, a man came galloping into the garrison dressed in a musketeer uniform.
He glanced around, his eyes landing and settling on Constance.
"Letter for you Madame D'artagnan," he said, jumping down from his horse and walking over.
Constance stood and took the letter, thanking the man who nodded before climbing back on his horse to deliver the rest of the letters he was carrying.
Sylvie slowly pulled herself up to stand, moving over to Constance's side as she saw the woman freeze.
"Athos," Constance said, recognising the writing and the seal. "I can't do it," Constance then said, glancing up at Sylvie who simply smiled at her softly.
"You can, I'm here for you," she said and Constance took a breath before ripping the seal and opening the letter.
Tears formed in Constance's eyes the second she read the first line and Sylvie suddenly thought of the worse until a huge smile formed on Constance's lips.
"They found them, they found him. He's alive," Constance rushed to say and Sylvie let out the breath she had been holding, eyes briefly closing in relief.
"Thank God," Sylvie said before she was suddenly pulled into a hug by her friend.
Constance was filled with a sense of over joy, barely able to keep her relief and happiness under control.
He was alive. D'artagnan, her husband, was alive.
"Told you they'd find him," Sylvie smirked and Constance couldn't help it but let a laugh escape her lips.
"It doesn't say when they'll be back though," Constance said with a small frown, pulling back from Sylvie and glancing at the letter.
"The war isn't over yet though Constance," she said, saying the hard truth. "Plus, D'artagnan or one of the other's may be too injured to travel, I'm sure they'll be back soon," she said with a smile and Constance let out a breath, closing her eyes and trying to control her racing heart.
"What's with all the hugging?" Elodie asked as she walked down the steps from the balcony, a small smile on her lips. She glanced at the letter in Constance's hand and paused. However, she had no time to think of the worst as Constance smiled happily at her.
"They found him," Elodie more stated than asked, glancing towards Sylvie who nodded. Elodie let out a sigh of relief before a smile appeared on her lips.
"I think we all need a drink," she said and both Constance and Sylvie hummed in agreement.
Athos entered the tent and bowed his head slightly in respect to the General, who sat at his table surveying the papers that laid in front of him.
"General, you wished to speak with me," Athos said and the General waved him in, Thomas turning and leaving them to talk business.
"The Spanish are retaliating," the General began, looking up from the papers to lock eyes with Athos. The Captain didn't speak, simply waiting for the General to continue with what he needed to say. "After your little rescue mission which evidently led to the capturing of the Spanish Captain, they haven't taken it so lightly. Neither have they taken the successful ambush on their supply party lightly," the General said and Athos frowned slightly.
"You're angry that my men and I are doing our jobs?" Athos questioned and got a glare from the General in return.
"You're mission was to follow the trail not go wondering off on a rescue mission, breach the Spanish camp and kidnap their Captain," he replied with a stern expression which simply didn't faze Athos, he had gotten better ones from D'artagnan.
"I was doing what I thought, what I knew, was right. I was saving my men," Athos replied, anger rising to the surface but he kept his face a neutral mask, conveying to the General that this conversation was wasting his time... Which in fact it was.
"Against orders," the General corrected.
"Coming back here and organising a proper rescue mission would have ended in those musketeers deaths," Athos explained, his voice steady and calm as always but carrying a hint of danger within it.
"I hear it already got one of them killed," the General said and Athos mentally slapped himself to stop him retaliating with punching the man in the face.
He knew the General was a hard man but never thought he would be that cold. Maybe Porthos was right at the beginning of the war; there was something different with the way the General was acting and it was very suspicious.
"Philippes' death hasn't got anything to do with my two musketeers and I," Athos replied, his voice slowly getting lower and harsher as the General's words got more annoying and infuriating.
"Of course, nothing ever is your fault," he replied and Athos took a breath. "Their General has sent more soldiers out across France and they are closing in on our men here," he suddenly said to change the conversation, moving some of the papers on his desk to reveal a map of the land he was talking about.
Athos stepped in closer to look at the map, the General indicating the place the Spanish soldiers were heading into with his finger.
"I will not stand to lose that piece of land to the Spanish," the General said as he sensed Athos' uneasiness about the whole thing.
"My men there are more than capable of handling the situation," Athos said, having faith in his men. "And besides, I have no doubt that you already know that there are talks occurring between Spain and France for the hopes of a peace treaty being reached?" Athos said and the General looked at him with a slight frown.
"You talk as if I'm not the General Athos, have you forgotten that," he said, using Athos' name instead of the man's title to further state his power over the musketeer.
"I have not forgotten Sir, but you talk as if my men aren't good enough and as if the war will go on," he said with more force than he had meant to. It most have gotten on the Generals nerves the way Athos was speaking to him, as the man straightened up and set a harsh glare at him.
"I am the General here, if you talk to me like that again I will have you court-marshalled," he said and Athos straighten up, taking a silent breath to calm his anger that was boiling up towards the man. "Do I make myself clear?" He then asked and Athos gave a blunt nod, words failing him in his angered state. "Good," he said and Athos took a breath.
"What is your plan Sir?" Athos then questioned to move the conversation along.
"We shall wait until further news from Treville," he said and Athos nodded. "If a peace treaty is not reached then… I guess you know what I will be wanting of men," he continued.
Back to the front, Athos thought; he couldn't go back to the front, not with D'artagnan still needing their help.
"Of course," Athos replied, the general looking him up and down.
"You are dismissed," the General then said as he glanced down at his papers. Athos nodded, turning sharply on his heels and stalking out of the tent.
He walked through the camp with fury, his hands balled up into fists from the General's stupidity and arrogance.
How dare he question the ability of the musketeers, how dare he blame Philippes' death on him and how dare he say that they shouldn't have rescued D'artagnan and the others.
Athos violently threw open the flap to his tent minutes later to see Beaumont had left, leaving his three brothers sat at the table laughing together about something Aramis had just said. He paused, allowing the moment to ease some of his anger, just thankful to have all his brothers back together before everything suddenly snapped back into reality.
They all looked up at Athos' heavy footsteps on the hard ground, frowns forming on their faces once they saw Athos' harsh expression. He looked like he could kill someone twice over.
"What did the General want?" Porthos asked lightly as Athos walked over to the wine at the end of the table. He pulled the cork out before drinking from the bottle, taking three large gulps before placing the bottle back down and restraining his need to drink more.
He let out a heavy sigh, his grip on the wine bottle relaxing slightly.
"His stupidity and arrogance knows no bounds," Athos simply told them all before sadly placing the cork back in the wine bottle; he had to keep a clear mind.
"That bad?" Aramis asked. The Captain ran a hand through his hair, tugging hard at the knots.
"The General threatened to have me court-marshalled," Athos said and they all fell silent, letting Athos' words sink in.
"Wait, what?" Porthos finally asked, anger suddenly rising within him. Athos raised a hand to calm the larger man, simply shaking his head as he sat down next to him.
"I spoke ill to him after he criticised our rescue mission," Athos said, closing his eyes and resting his suddenly throbbing head in one hand.
"You have to be kidding right," D'artagnan said and Athos lifted his head up to look at his injured brother with a serious expression.
"When do I joke?" Athos asked him and Aramis hummed.
"Fair point," the medic said with a smirk before shaking his head. "The General's stupidity and arrogance knows no bounds," he simply said, repeating Athos' earlier words.
"Soon the war will be over and we can all go home," Porthos said and Athos simply hummed, knowing that they had a lot more difficult challenges ahead of them before they could even step foot back into Paris.
So I had a lot of fun writing the talk between Athos and the General, just hoped you guys liked it. Thank you for the reviews, I can't tell you guys how much I appreciate them. Thank you for the follows and favourites, next chapter will be up sometime this weekend.
Had to throw in a Hamilton reference with the title, I couldn't help myself :D