This time Philippe managed to keep his trepidation hidden as Aramis entered the room. Athos looked very anxious for the young mans' welfare. Philippe forced himself to look at the man who had disturbed his dreams in all the six years he was in prison.
Aramis on the other hand could not do the same. One look into those deep blue eyes caused him to turn away to the window and grasp the crucifix around his neck.
"I understand that you have many questions," he said vaguely. "And I hope I will be able to give you the answers you need. It seems that that is the least I can do for you now."
Aramis began at the start, the double birth and his mission to remove the younger twin from his royal life. Philippe listened fixedly, looking towards the old solider silhouetted against the window, but incapable to comprehend what this had to do with him.
"I brought the child to a country cottage and gave him into the care of a good wet nurse, Dame Perronette."
Philippe froze.
"Perronette…" he whispered.
"Yes, Philippe. You were that child, that royal prince destined by cruel fate to forever live in obscurity. I thought that would be the last time I would ever see you, that you would live out the rest of your life happy and peaceful in the countryside. And so it would have been, I imagine, if your father still lived."
Athos watched Philippe as he absorbed the news. Even though the young man had expected that there was no ordinary reason for his unusual confinement being a Prince was an extraordinary revelation.
"It was your twin Louis who became King. He was only five at the time so it was your Mother who became regent appointing an Italian, Mazarin as prime minister until Louis came of age. The trouble is that the transition of power never really happened in the Cardinal's lifetime. Louis was nothing more than a puppet King. At some point however Mazarin must have told Louis of your existence for I was called to see them both and given the instruction to remove you to St Marguerite."
Aramis paused to sigh at the recollection of those events, the terrible fear that he had seen in the youths eyes on the night of his arrest. Part of him hoped that Philippe would respond somehow, but there was nothing but silence.
"Every one of these six years I have regretted my actions, and I have prayed for you. I'm sorry to say that were it not for Louis proving himself to be a bad King you would probably still be in prison."
Athos looked sharply at his friend, shocked by his candour making such an insensitive statement.
Aramis turned around sensing the effect of his words on the audience.
"I'm sorry to have to say it, but it's true. None of us are the men we used to be. Long ago we might have freed you just to surmount the injustice. We attempted such things, it's true. But regardless of the circumstances you now have a chance to live and a chance to be King, if you wish to take it."
"…King?" Philippe exclaimed incredulously. There was absolutely no way he could be King. No way.
"I think that Philippe needs some time to think through all this," Athos put in.
Aramis nodded.
"You are right, as usual, old friend."
He forced himself to look at the boy.
"One day perhaps I will ask you to forgive me, Philippe," he said earnestly.
Philippe lowered his head. He could not make himself give some word of comfort to his tormentor.
Aramis sighed with resignation, nodded and left the room.