Chapter 7 is up for you guys hope you like it.
Again thanks Niagaraweasel you are simply the best.
Queen Anne entered her husband's rooms.
„Your Highness, I urgently need to speak with you," she said carefully.
"What can I do for you?" King Louis asked, looking out of the window to watch Milady de Winter in the garden.
"It's about Rochefort. You need to have him put in jail or at least remove him from your service."
Louis turned around and gave his wife an incredulous look. "What for? Rochefort is the only man I trust."
"He is in love with me and he wants you out of the way. He's working with Milady de Winter. Constance overheard them talk, Rochefort caught her and hurt her pretty badly. Thank God the musketeers found her and took care of her." Anne looked at her husband imploringly.
The king of France was remained silent for a moment, still looking at his wife aghast. "How dare you? Rochefort is the only one I trust since the cardinal. Are you jealous of Milady? Unlike you she's good for me. You are only preoccupied with our son, although you have three nurses who could take care of him."
Anne was fighting tears. "I am not jealous, I expect justice for Constance. She will return to the palace and I don't want Rochefort to be here then. He frightens her and me, too."
"I won't send him away. Send your nurse away and find a new one."
"No, I won't. I have ordered the musketeers to stay at the palace for the safety of my son. And for the safety of Constance and myself, too. With respect, you have changed, Your Majesty, you are no longer ruling with your heart and your mind, you let yourself be led by other people." Anne turned away before the king could say something.
The door closed slowly behind her and for a moment Anne leaned against it, closing her eyes to keep the tears from falling. When she opened them again, she startled at seeing Rochefort before her.
"Your Royal Highness, I need to speak with you in an important matter," he said formally, but with a smile on his face.
"But I don't want to speak with you," the queen answered, disgusted.
The captain of the Red Guard became serious. "In that case, maybe I should inform the king that the heir is not his child."
The queen was shocked, but quickly recovered. "Whatever gave you that absurd idea? How dare you spread such lies?"
Rochefort grabbed the queen's arm and pulled her into a corner. "I know that you have feelings for Aramis and that the two of you have kissed."
His hands wandered from her face down to her decollete. "I have loved you from the first day, and I would still love you and raise you son as my own if you send Aramis away and leave the king."
Anne looked at him with wide eyes. "Rochefort, you are sick. I don't love you, I belong with the king."
He grabbed her shoulders. "No, you belong to me, let us go to Spain together, where we belong."
"Let go of me! I don't ylove you, you disgust me," Anne answered, her voice cold as ice.
Rochefort took a step back and removed his hands from her. "You will love me or I will take everything away from you that is important to you – your son, the man you love and your friends."
The queen of France slapped Rochefort's face. "Do that and I will have you hanged, with or without the king's consent."
"I will make you love me," Rochefort promised sharply and left.
Anne couldn't hold back her tears as she fled back to her rooms.
As soon as Aramis saw her, he put his son back in the crib and hurried over to her. "What happened?"
Anne wrapped her arms around Aramis, her whole body trembling.
Aramis held her tightly. "Shhhhhhh, calm down…. " He led her slowly over to the bed. "Sit down and tell me what happened."
"Rochefort intercepted me outside of the king's rooms. He told me that he knows the child is not the king's son but yours. He said he loves me and that he will make me love him or he will take it out on the people I love."
Without a word, Aramis took her in his arms and kissed her. "Nothing will happen to you, I promise. I will let no one punish you or our son. I will take all of the blame myself."
"I don't want that. I try to keep my distance from you, Aramis, but it's wrong. My heart tells me it's wrong."
Aramis' heart filled with warmth. How much had he wished for these words. She had ruined him for all other women. The liaison with Marguerite had been a mistake, he had only done it to be closer to his son. Seducing women held no more pleasure for him, he wanted only Anne.
The queen looked at him with big, tearful eyes. "Please say something, Aramis. Do you feel the same?"
His lips turned in a smile. "Yes, I do and we will find a way to stop Rochefort."
Constance and D'Artagnan were eating at the table in the garrison, when Porthos came galloping up, stopping his horse only in the courtyard. "Constance, the Queen has sent for you," he said, dismounting.
D'Artagnan was the first to say something. "She said Constance could stay here until her ribs have healed. She can neither ride nor walk all that way."
"It's the Queen's order. She said she can trust no one at the palace any longer and that Marguerite doesn't take good care of the heir," Porthos replied.
Before the youngest musketeer could say anything else, Constance spoke up. "I will pack my bags while you saddle the horses."
"Constance, you can't ride like this."
"It will be alright, I can manage. The Queen needs me and I need you. Could you come with me?"
D'Artagnan smiled softly at her. "I promised you I would."
Both of them packed a bag and mounted the horses. While the three friends slowly rode towards the palace, D'Artagnan kept glancing at Constance, who had pulled up the hood of her cape to hide her bruises.
Constance tried to hide it, but her ribs still hurt and the fear of running into Rochefort had her stomach tied in knots.