CHAPTER FIVE
How to make a musketeer blush
Last time…
"Don't even think about it," I snarled at her. She just rolled her eyes and stepped out of the water. She was ringing her hair out, about to start another yelling match with me I think when she looked past me and paused. I turned to see what had caught her attention and realised that we had a captivated audience.
"Would someone like to explain just what the hell is going on here?!" Aramis yelled in our direction.
Selene
I was cold, my clothes were soaked and Athos had got the last laugh. Basically I was well and truly pissed off and ready to give Athos a lashing.
With a grumble I took the hand in front of me and stepped out of the water. Holy hell it was cold! I could feel my hands start to shake as I squeezed the water from my hair. Oh Athos was going to get an ear full from me!
As I turned to face him, I was about to let off a tirade of abuse that would make a priest blush with language certainly not fit for young woman, when my eyes caught sight of an audience to our little courtyard performance, three very shocked musketeers, two who I recognised and one a new face. No wait…two musketeers and one stranger, though he was in the garrison this young newcomer didn't have the markings of a musketeer, curious.
"Would someone like to explain just what the hell is going on here?!" Aramis yelled in our direction.
Aramis! Without a doubt he really was the most handsome musketeer in the regiment. With his dark Spanish looks and smooth voice, it was no surprise he was a favourite among the ladies. He held such a passion for life and all things beautiful, it would one day no doubt be his undoing. There was a depth to him that he only showed to those he truly trusted, to be in his confidence was an honour and he guarded his friends closely.
I couldn't stop the smile that was making its way onto my face; lost in my memories of all the good times we had shared together. I had been waiting for this day for so long and from the looks on their faces, my two closest friends didn't have the slightest clue who I was. Well, I would be crazy not to use this opportunity to have some fun!
Shaking off my happy memories, I put on my most outraged face, placed my hands on my hips and with a deep breath started my performance.
"I would think that it was obvious what was going on, a young woman in trouble and two musketeers idly standing by while she's manhandled by one of their companions! Another example of the musketeers famous 'honour' I suppose?"
Athos turned back to look at me, a questioning look on his face. With the men distracted, I shared a sly wink with him. He turned his face down and laughed quietly to himself, shaking his head and waiting for the reaction of his friends.
The men's faces very quickly changed from confused, to shocked and alarmed. Porthos turned to Aramis and D'Artagnan and they all exchanged a look before Porthos turned back to me raising his hands in the air.
Porthos. A fierce friend, his loyalty ran deep. He had made a life for himself, escaping the Court of Miracles to gain the kings' favour and become a feared and renowned musketeer. He had taken me under his protection as soon as he saw me, he really was like a big brother. He told me once that he would kill any man who put a hand to me and he meant it, I was family and no one messed with his family.
He took a step forward and started his explanation, "Now I don't think there's any reason to jump to conclusions, we were just…"
I didn't give him a chance to continue. "You were just watching a young woman being held against her will, obviously in need of help and thought you might what? Get a good show?"
The men were stunned speechless, at a loss at how to handle this situation. I mustn't laugh, I mustn't laugh, I mustn't laugh. The young man I didn't recognise decided that he might try his hand at fixing this awkward situation.
"I hardly think….I mean we weren't looking…it was just.." he stumbled over his words.
"Well thank you for your contribution to the conversation but until you can form full sentences maybe leave the talking to the adults," I replied sarcastically, pointing out his obvious young age.
D'Artagnan was so shocked at being spoken to in such a manner that his mouth was hanging open, it really was a hilarious sight to see three grown men stumbling over some harsh words from a woman. I could see Athos' shoulders shaking as he held in his laugh, his eye catching mine, he was enjoying this little display just as much as I was.
"Mademoiselle it's just that we simply thought…" Aramis started, waving his hat in the air as he really were making this just too easy!
"Oh you thought I was whore? Well that makes the situation totally acceptable then!" I yelled at them.
All three men went bright red from embarrassment, unable to look me in the eye. Athos looked at me with a grin, silently telling me it was time to put them out of their obvious misery, my little performance was drawing quite a crowd now with dozens of other musketeers coming out to see what was going on and I didn't want them to get into trouble.
"Mademoiselle, for any offence we have caused and for the terrible anguish you must have suffered this morning, we all offer our sincerest apologies, please forgive us, we didn't act with the honour and ah, virtue that our positions demand" Aramis said with his hat over his heart while Porthos and D'Artagnan followed suit.
"I guess I can forgive you failing to protect me, but," I sighed dramatically, "I just don't know if I can forgive you for not recognising me Aramis, have you forgotten me already? And you Porthos, have I changed so much?" I finished sweetly.
Aramis and Porthos looked up at me, then at each other with a questioning gaze. Athos was leaning against a table, a large grin on his face, watching as the men tried to figure out who exactly I was. They both turned to look at me, before I caught Aramis' eye and saw it widen with shock and joy.
"It can't be…" he whispered. I smiled at him, a real, genuine smile and before I knew it I was in his arms being swung around.
"It is you!" he yelled, pulling me into a hug before stepping back to look at me, his hands still on my shoulders. His grin was infectious and I found myself laughing at him. I put my hands on face and grinned, "I have missed you so much" and kissed his cheek, laughing he pulled me into another hug.
"Can someone explain to me what's going on?" Porthos deep voice asked from behind us.
I peaked over Aramis' shoulder, still locked in his embrace and looked at Porthos before pouting, "Really Porthos? Out of everyone I thought you would have recognised me first."
A few seconds passed before his mouth dropped open and with his booming voice he yelled, "SELENE!" Before running over and pulling me out of Aramis' arms into a bear hug, swinging me around while we both laughed.
I pulled back from Porthos' hug and realised I had tears in my eyes, I put an arm around both men and laughed, "God I have missed you both!"
They were beaming back at me with tears in their eyes as well, we were all finally reunited. These were my brothers, my family and after so many years away I was back home.
"I cannot believe you both fell for that performance," Athos joked from the side.
"Oh please Athos, you didn't know who I was when I found you!" I counted back.
"It took me far less time than these two."
I rolled my eyes, "If I hadn't given you a clue we'd still be in the bar with my sword against your neck."
We were distracted from another impending fight by Aramis and Porthos cracking up next to us.
"Well at least we know you two haven't changed at all!" Aramis laughed and before I could respond I suddenly sneezed.
Porthos frowned at me, "You're still soaked Selene, go and change into something dry before you get sick."
He was so worried about me, it touched a nerve and I felt myself welling up again but before they could see me cry I nodded and ran off towards Athos' room to change.
Athos made a move heading towards his room as well but Porthos stopped him with a hand on his chest.
"Porthos I need to change, if you haven't noticed I'm soaked as well."
"Oh I noticed, I also noticed that you brought Selene out of your room this mornin," Porthos said looking at Athos with a small glare. "What exactly was she doing in your room?"
Athos sighed, there certainly wasn't a quiet moment when Selene was around and he started his story of last night's drinking session.
Selene had finished dressing and was currently pulling her hair off her face when she stopped to look at herself in the mirror, suddenly concerned about looking her best for her friends.
She was wearing dark brown fitted pants with black books that stopped above her knees, a white shirt with a black corset over it and a dark blue leather jacket similar to Athos' but with a more open collar. She had a belt around her middle where she strapped two knives to her lower back and two pistols sat on either thigh, her sword hung low off her weapons belt. A simple gold necklace with a circular pendent hung just above her chest. She put a hand over it, a family heirloom.
Her attention back at the mirror, she divided her hair down the middle and pulled it back into a low bun at the base of her neck, small pieces of hair falling out and framing her face. Wait why do I care what I look it? It's just the boys!
Huffing at her reflection she pulled on her gloves and walked confidently out of the room back towards her friends.
Coming downstairs she saw the men all standing around talking with the stranger, probably trying to explain the morning's events. Selene smiled to herself as she walked toward the group. Athos noticed her first and stopped talking, the other men soon following his example, all looking at her as she approached them.
"Well I already guessed you were talking about me but the silent treatment, you're making me nervous!" I joked with them. My comment breaking the moment as Athos walked past me, on the way to his room to change I assumed.
I looked at the three remaining musketeers, but they were all just staring at me, it was really disconcerting.
"What on earth are you all looking at?!" I asked.
Aramis responded first, "Selene you're all grown up!"
I laughed, "It has been two years Aramis, I would be concerned if I hadn't aged at all."
"No not that, as in, you look different. When you left here I swear you were constantly covered in mud and scratches, always getting into fights and refused hands down to grow your hair! And now look at you!" Aramis exclaimed.
I looked down at myself, was I really that different? "What? I don't think I look that different."
"You look like a real lady now Selene, the way you hold yourself, your voice, the hair and just…everything!" Porthos said, waving his hand in my general direction. "Put you in a dress and we could present you at court!"
"Well remember boys, looks can be deceiving," I teased as they all cracked up.
"I mean it though Selene, you've really grown into a beautiful young woman, I can hardly believe you're the same girl who begged me how to teach you how to shoot!" Aramis said while I blushed under their gazes.
"We're going to have to keep you out of trouble and away from young men now, Aramis we've got our work cut out," Porthos sighed.
"Oh I didn't really cause that much trouble did I?" I asked them.
They looked blankly back at me. "Selene just this morning you've put Athos offside and tricked us and you've been back in Paris what, less than a day?" Aramis asked.
"Just making up for lost time" I smiled at them. Athos had changed and was walking towards us as I turned my attention to the young man I didn't know.
"But if I was going to cause trouble, I would start right here," I said to him as he blushed. I walked around him slowly, smiling at Aramis and Porthos. "Who is this charming young man?" I asked.
"D'Artagnan, mademoiselle," he said bowing in my direction.
"And you're not a musketeer?" I asked.
"Not yet, but I hope to be one soon my lady."
"Oh my lady," I turned to men, "I like this one," with a wink to D'Artagnan as he blushed. "I'm not sure what these rascals have told you so far, but I'm Selene D'Amboise."
"Yes they told me that," D'Artagnan answered.
"And pray tell what else did they tell you?" I queried. D'Artagnan's eyes flicked quickly towards Porthos and back to mine.
"That you're the only female musketeer in existence, you're well trained and deadly, you're mischievous and always causing trouble, and that Porthos will physically hurt me if I hurt you," he said confidently.
I laughed, "Yes I think that does cover off the basics, except they forgot to mention the most important fact particularly to someone who wants to be a musketeer," I said smiling at D'Artagnan and leaning in close to him.
"What would that be?" he asked.
I opened my mouth to respond but a deep voice from above beat me to it.
"That she's my daughter."
As soon as I heard his voice I felt my heart constrict, I was anxious, ecstatic, nervous and scared to see him all at the same time. You keep people in your memories for so long that sometimes it's like you've been looking at them through a fog. What if he's different? What if we're not the same? What if…NO! Stop that, you've not come this far, waited this long to let anything get in the way.
I held my breath and looked up at the balcony, Captain Treville was standing at the rail, staring down at me with a proud smile on his face. Father. Without a second to waste I ran past the group, up the stairs and threw myself into my adopted father. As his arms came around me and he tucked my head under his chin I felt the tears that I had kept at bay running down my face.
"Selene, my beautiful girl….welcome home."
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