Chapter XLVI

Aramis woke up to soft cries becoming louder and louder the more he tried to ignore them. The room was still dark, it was too early to be properly called morning. Groaning, he rolled on his side, the bed sinking underneath him as Elise stood up. Being away in Fontainebleau had managed to make him forget what it was like to be awaken by a fussy or hungry baby. He would never complain about how uncomfortable sleeping on a campbed could be again.

There was no point in trying to fall asleep now, not until his son had settled. The Musketeer dressed hastily donning a shirt before crossing the corridor to join his wife. One month was a long time for a baby, and Aramis stood in awe in the doorway when he realized how much the child had grown while he was away. He was still crying his lungs out as he used to be, still eating as hungrily as he used to, but he looked taller in his mother's arms. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, stifling a yawn to concentrate on Elise's lulling voice.

"Look who is back, Mathieu," she whispered once the baby seemed to have had enough and instead was looking at her with big eyes. She looked as sleepy as Aramis was, but there was a smile on her face as she walked close to him. "Papa's back."

His heart would never tire of being called this way and he knew it would be years before he could manage to smile less at the mention of his new title. Besides, when Mathieu would actually be the one using it, it would be impossible to hide the pride and joy.

The baby barely fussed when he was passed from his mother to his father. The soldier held him close to his chest, taking in all the small changes he could notice. It was not long before he was rocking the child back to sleep, his lips humming softly until Spanish words filled the room, much to Elise's delight.

"I have missed that."

"You should have told me before. I could have sung to you even when he was not born."

"It would have helped if I had known you could sing."

"Ah, well, it is not something I could do at the Garrison without being mocked for it."

"I guess not."

Aramis resumed his soft singing until the baby's eyes closed completely and his breathing grew steady. Even then, he did not let go. The small weight in his arms felt good, he had missed it, so he was not ready to be deprived of it yet. Focused on his son's features, he winced in spite of himself when Elise's put her arms around his waist, squeezing his side where Porthos had hit him. It was one of the blows that had been more powerful than the others and it still hurt.

"Can I ask what happened, now?" Aramis sighed heavily because even though he wished to delay the conversation to a more appropriate time that would not spoil his happiness at being reunited with his family, he was aware such a moment would never happen unless provoked. He gazed down at Elise. He saw the worry in her eyes and hated himself for being the one responsible for it.

"Porthos figured it out. About the Dauphin."

"What happened?"

"You must believe me when I say that I stayed true to my word and did not seek to see him."

"I trust you."

"But...Porthos has been spending so much time with the child, teaching him how to ride. I should have known he would come to understand it all."

Elise's body was shaking next to him, despite her best attempts at staying calm. Careful not to squash the baby, Aramis put his arm around her to hug her close.

"He will not say anything. We're family and we will protect each other no matter what. You do not have to worry about that."

"Is he the reason you look like you do?" She felt him nod against her shoulder.

"You should see what state he's in."

"What got into you? You are supposed to fight side by side, not one against the other."

"He's more furious at me for hiding the truth than for what actually happened, and I have no idea how to fix this."

Although she could not see him, she heard the despair and pain in his voice. Stepping back from his embrace, she grabbed his face with both hands, forcing him to look at her. No matter what Aramis said, that his three friends were like his brothers, there would always be one of more importance to him. It seemed that this one was holding a great grudge against her husband. She would comfort her beloved Musketeer because she hated to see him suffer, but it also sickened her to realize that Porthos was right in being angry at Aramis. Elise had had months to see how close they both were, brothers by friendship if not by flesh and blood.

"I was angry at you as well, do you remember? He will not stay mad at you for too long. You said it yourself, you are family. He would miss you too much, much like you do. And if he doesn't, I'll make a scene."

The last comment made Aramis chuckle, his chest vibrating and the baby making a small noise at the disturbance. Elise tiptoed to kiss her husband's cheek then her son's. There was a quiet moment between them, and gazing at his wife, Aramis could see that she was right. She was too stubborn to let his friendship with Porthos go to waste, even if she somehow had to agree with the other Musketeer. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"I've made a decision", he eventually said.

"Should you even make decisions when you feel so troubled?"

"I probably shouldn't. Nevertheless, I don't want to be assigned to the Palace anymore."

It cost him to utter the words out loud. There was this slight fear that if he did not voice his decision, his resolve would dissolve. If he could only know that the Dauphin was fine by gathering news from his friends whenever they would see him, he could manage to be content with the situation. The child in his arms was everything he needed. Besides, loving him would trigger no danger.

"You know how much I would appreciate it, especially for him," Elise breathed out, her fingers smoothing the hair on her son's head. "Would the King allow it, though? He is quite attached to you, after all."

"I've yet to talk to your uncle. Perhaps I can convince him to let me train young recruits or give me mainly out-of-town missions. If I never refuse hunting trips, his Majesty might allow it. After all, he praises my skills so much that he could not argue if I decided to put them to the excellent use of training the next generation of his Musketeers."

"Will it make you happy?"

"I think I could be rather content, yes. I would still have the opportunity to fight, and I would not put the two of you in danger anymore. It would be the perfect compromise."

"Let's hope the King agrees with you, because believe me, I would like nothing more. You should take some more time to think about it, though."

"I've been thinking about it for the past days."

"Still. You should sleep on it, simply to be completely certain it is what you want."

"Are you saying this because you mean it or because I've been yawning ever since he woke us up?"

"...Both." Elise grinned and Aramis laughed. Despite the importance of the conversation, he could feel his eyelids close against his will. He fell asleep soon after, his wife's body pressed against him, his son in his crib, but so close to the bed that he could still touch him.

Captain Tréville raised a quizzical eyebrow at Aramis' request when it was made. The soldier never complained about keeping watch at the Palace before, unlike other Musketeers. Aramis could not explain to his commanding officer why he was making this decision, so he had had to come up with lies. There were so many lies accumulating lately that he hoped these would be the last ones he would have to invent. Wanting to look out after Christophe for Elise was the main one, because it was potentially the one Tréville would be more receptive to. The Captain had always said that Aramis was an excellent teacher and as long as he was willing to carry on all his other missions without complaining, his commanding officer did not see why he would go against his wish. Convincing the King proved to be more complicated.

"Your talents would be wasted if you stayed at the Garrison," he stated a few days later after Aramis and Tréville had asked for an official audience.

"I can assure his Majesty that Aramis is one the most fitted trainers I have ever been given to command. Your future recruits would be fortunate to benefit from his advice."

"Even so, Tréville. Monsieur Aramis has more to do here with us." It seemed that he had hardly listened to the Captain's argument, swatting his hand to show that he did not care about it. "Besides, we intend to go to the countryside very soon, whenever these matters are dealt with." The King shot an annoyed glance in the direction of his Council's members in attendance. "It would displease us to have to do so without you."

"His Majesty can be assured that wherever he will go, I will gladly accompany him. My brother-in-law is on the right path to become a good soldier so I would hate to abandon him in such an important moment." Aramis bowed once more, hoping the lie would be convincing enough.

"Are you saying that your family is more important than your king?"

"Absolutely not, sire. I merely wanted to express that it would be a great honour to teach such valuable men how to keep his Majesty safe at all times." Aramis bit the inside of his cheek. Louis XIII had to understand the Musketeer was doing this with his best interests in mind. This time, the explanation appeared to make some impact on the monarch.

"Monsieur Aramis is a great fighter, indeed. You may be correct in your judgement, Captain. I suppose we could agree to him being stationed at the Musketeer Garrison as long as he is ready to report to our side whenever it is needed."

"His priority will always be to readily stand by your side whenever you require it. I can assure you that I will look out for it."

"As it should be expected from my Musketeers."

Aramis and Tréville curtsied as soon as they understood that the King was willing to comply with the Musketeer's demand. His heart was lighter when they stepped outside in the gardens. It was almost autumn, the weather was growing unstable, the sky was becoming full of heavy clouds, and the temperature was not as unbearable as it used to be a couple of months ago. It may be long before he could walk in these alleys again.

"Never mind the reason why you have asked such a favour as long as it makes Elise happy."

"It does, Captain. I swear it is only for her sake that I'm doing it."

"Don't expect to receive more special treatments such as being allowed to report late at the barracks."

Aramis took off his hat and brought it to his chest, as if offended by such an idea.

"I would not dream of it!"

Tréville glared at the soldier, annoyed by the cheeky attitude. He would never change. On the other hand, he was glad to see how much Aramis had changed in the past year, and he could not help but wonder how much his niece had contributed to it. No matter how dramatic their first meeting had been, some good had come out of it, and the officer could not thank God enough for it.

Training Christophe and the others would have to suffice. Aramis knew it would take some time before he would truly be satisfied with it. He was still grieving the loss of the Dauphin, but forcing himself to step aside for the well-being of his family was all the motivation he needed. He could not afford to be selfish anymore. Elise reminded him of it every night he came home from his duties.

The remainder of September passed under heavy rain. Summer was definitely over and the hunting trip his Majesty had hoped would be possible had to be postponed to an undecided date. None of the Musketeers felt sorry about it. Athos did not comment on Aramis' latest decision, but his looks said he approved of it. D'Artagnan supposed it meant he would be assigned to more dangerous missions that his friend could not cover if he had to stay with the recruits. It seemed to be a rather pleasing prospect for him.

The three Musketeers were having dinner with Elise one night in late September. The baby was sleeping upstairs, and Constance had joined them as well. Her friend's son was her newly-found excuse to escape Monsieur Bonacieux as much as she could. If incidentally it meant that she could spend more time with d'Artagnan, then, it was only an agreeable coincidence.

"When do you suppose we became their accomplices?" Elise asked her husband after the two lovers had disappeared in the kitchen for too long. They could hear occasional giggles and none of the others wished to go see what was happening in the other room. Aramis and Athos both shrugged at the question, in perfect synchronization.

"I mean, they do what they please, but it's not very good for her reputation." Elise scowled, more worried about this than by her friend's actions. The men shrugged again.

"She does not worry about it. You should not either. It's been going on for so long anyway, that if she had wanted it to stop, Constance would have done so by now."

"Don't you know that socializing with Musketeers can often render your behaviour quite questionable?" Athos' question was purely rhetorical. Elise, of all people, knew it was true. Musketeers did not have the best life conduct, and people close to them tended to take on some of their bad habits. She did not mind too much and Constance was well past questioning the morality of what she was doing.

"As long as you don't follow her example and find some other man than your husband..." Aramis' unvoiced threat combined that his grin made her laugh out loud.

"How could such an idea even cross my mind?"

Elise leaned over to kiss his cheek, glad to see he was smiling more and more these days. Athos busied himself with his food, washing it down with wine. He may be happy to see that his friend seemed to be finally settling down completely in his new life without the Dauphin being a part of it, yet it still hurt to see the married couple so content in each other's company. There was a knock on the front door, and despite not being the host, he stood up to open it.

"Have I been gone for so long for things to change so dramatically? Do you live here as well now?"

Aramis straightened up, his body tensing when he heard Porthos' voice. His friend shook off the rain from his hat and his clothes as he stepped inside, Athos muttering something inaudible. Porthos' eyes found the owner of the house in a second, boring a hole in his face. There was still anger in them, and the soldier wondered if he had come in only to fight again. The four of them stayed silent, Elise wishing they would not hit each other again, Athos ready to pounce on the first one who appeared to look belligerent.

"I brought more wine. 'didn't want to arrive empty-handed," Porths eventually said, holding out the bottle to the young woman.

"Thank you. It's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you, too. How's the baby?"

"Very well."

There was an awkward silence again after she had put the bottle on the table. The only sounds they could hear were Constance's giggles and d'Artagnan's sweet words. Aramis had stood up to stand by Elise's side.

"Will you stay for dinner?" Porthos rolled his eyes at his friend's question.

"Why do you think I brought alcohol for? I'm not going to sit by and watch you drink it by yourself. The countryside was a bore without the lot of you. I need to erase it from my memories."

"How many Red Guards survived your boredom?"

"Much to my surprise, all of them."

"You are growing soft. The old you would have sent a couple to the surgeon."

"The old me did punch three or four after I was accused of cheating."

"A false accusation, of course."

"What do you think?"

"That you most certainly deserved it."

"Yeah, well, so did you."

The look was stern and the words bitter. They all knew they were not talking about Red Guards anymore.

"I know."

"Idiot."

"Cheat."

Elise was startled when all of a sudden, the two men stopped insulting one another to share a quick but powerful hug. Aramis was as surprised, he had not expected this turn of event.

"No more secrets or this time, I swear I'll rip you apart."

"I'll probably let you do it."

"Good."

Porthos clasped the Musketeer's shoulder, smiling broadly. Then he looked around, rubbing his hands.

"Are we all going to stare or are we going to actually eat something? D'Artagnan take your hands from under Constance's skirts and get in here!" he shouted, Elise wincing. It was only seconds before wailing was heard from upstairs. Aramis sighed, shooting an annoyed look at the culprit who at least had the decency to look sorry.

"Ooooops. Sorry."

The young woman left the men to themselves, disappearing to calm her son. Aramis was still gazing at his friend as he settled at the table, piling food on his plate.

"What are you staring at? Have you never seen me before?"

"Are we good?"

"Of course we're good. You're a fool and I promise I will go through with my threat, but you're my brother."

Athos gave him a look that probably meant "I told you so" and Aramis' heart was suddenly lighter than it had been in months. His best friend seemed to have forgiven him, his wife was upstairs taking care of his son, all his closest friends were around, making quite an odd but reliable family. As d'Artagnan and Constance joined the three Musketeers at the table, he could see that his life would be quite fine, despite having let go of the Dauphin. He had come to realize it was a small prize to pay to truly enjoy happiness; a consequence he was now willing to accept to live a serene life, as serene as a soldier life could be.

This ends this *little* story. I have to end it somewhere or the only other course possible would be for someone else to discover Aramis' secret and I don't want to break your heart as much as the last episodes of Season 2 are doing it.

I enjoyed writing this story and I hope you enjoyed reading it as well!