AN: Hey! Thanks to Daring for being my beta. She really had me working on this one1 ;) R&R as usual! Meg
The four musketeers sat around the table as Siroc stirred and poured his latest invention. The hiss of steam and click of bottles had the four memorized. Siroc has invited them all to witness the final preparation of this new invention, but would not tell them what it was yet. All had been quiet in the few days since the discovery of the intruder's body, which had led to a general boredom and fustration among the comrades and the musketeers in general. The guard was still up at the garrison and the palace but it was more relaxed as each day passed and nothing happened. D'Artagnan was the first to break the unwonted silence.
"I can not believe Mazarin would be so careless as to order an attack and then leave the body for us to find. It's too sloppy and not well thought out, I mean sure it has to be him, but something does not add up correctly." D'Artagnan glanced at Siroc who now moved under the table.
"There seems to be more going on here." Siroc muttered from under the table as he checked the temperature of the mixture.
Jacqueline's mouth curled into a wry grimace. "Yeah, more questions without any answers."
"Are we even sure it was Mazarin's lackey? It could be a trick of Mazarin's to draw us in the wrong direction. Or someone else wanting to throw us off their scent and back at Mazarin." D'Artagnan continued absently fiddling with a bottle as he spoke. Jacqueline turned to glare at him causing him to throw his hands up in a surrender motion. "I'm just saying it's possible." He said defensively almost knocking over papers on the table which earned him a frown from Siroc.
"The Tattoo of the black obelisk was there." Ramon reminded him stiffly. "Mi amigo, what more proof do you require?"
"Oh! I got it!" Siroc announced holding up the vial of rather colorful contents. Ramon backed away wrinkling his nose from the smell.
"Dio! That smells horrible!" Ramon coughed waving his hands to clear the air. Jacqueline eyed it suspiciously.
"What is it for?" She asked taking a closer look. Ramon, meanwhile, looked absolutely horrified.
"That is not what I think it is, is it?" Ramon pointed at the vial. The Spaniard pointed at the vial, bushy black brows raised. "Please Siroc, not another love potion; the last one lasted forever! Dios mio--I get tired just thinking about it." He sat down and, then as if suddenly remembering something, turned and smiled at D'Artagnan. "Amigo, we never compared notes on how it worked for you," he paused thinking.
"No, this is a cure for a headache accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and noise." Four pairs of curious eyes met him. Siroc coughed to cover his embarrassment as he added, "some of the girls down at the cafe mentioned the ailment." D'Artagnan snickered and stood up patted Siroc on the back.
"Well, we are off to patrol. We will see you at the cafe later." D'Artagnan could not resist one last teasing look at his friend before he and Ramon left.
Jacqueline sat still thinking over the conversation, something was off. Suddenly, it came to her. Ramon said it was that day, the day D'Artagnan had came to help her. She remembered his odd questions and then his behavior when she tried to show him she was trusting him. It all fell into place.
She jumped up. "Oh!, that, that, two-faced lying..." She ran out of words. Siroc just stared at her confused. "He used that on me! That, that 'love potion.!'" She spat out at last.
Siroc remained quiet, knowing it was best if he didn't interupt her tirade, but Jacqueline had seemingly decided to come to terms with her frustrations inwardly. She dropped back down into her chair heavily, arms crossed and her forehead furrowed in concentration. For several minutes, the only sound was Siroc's stir-stick clinking against the glass as he added the final ingredient --crushed feverfew-- to his headache remedy. Privately, the inventor wondered if maybe his female companion would like to be the first to test out the elixir. He saw her gaze float over to the test-tube rack at his elbow, noting how she was now studying it with sudden and immense interest.
"Siroc," she began slowly, her tone oddly calm. "Do you think you can make a similar potion? One that will make the partaker feel affection for the first person they see?"
Siroc blinked twice to make sure this wasn't some bizarre dream. When she was still there waiting for his answer he frowned. "If I added a few things and took out an ingredient I suppose I could..." He was deep in thought and missed her smile. "Jacqueline he did you no harm, he did not take advantage of you, did he?"
She shook her head. "No, but it's the principle of the thing." When Siroc's frown stayed in place she sighed and added, "I just want him to taste a little of his own medicine." Siroc stared at her for several minutes before he relented.
"Give me about a day to get it right." He paused, "Jacqueline, do be careful."
Edward motioned the man forward as he sipped his ale. "What do you have for me?"
The man hid in the shadows nervously looking around, clutching the hat that would give away his identity.
"Tomorrow at noon, the same place. I heard them make the appointment this morn at practice. He won again."
The Captain showed no outward emotion at the news but slowly pulled out a coin and flipped it to the man.
"There's more where that came from, for information... good information." He paused, eyeing the man who would spy on his comrades. "You know where to find me."
Devonshire stood and walked out without giving the nervous man, or anyone else, a second glance. He was confident that no one would betray him. He walked silently in the night his thoughts bringing a smile to his handsome face.
So, D'Artagnan, you wish to take her to the cottage to woo her some more? Tsk, tsk! A wasted effort, my little naive musketeer.
He had plenty of time to set in place his plan. He would send someone early to check out the place, and then he would detain D'Artagnan so he could talk to the girl without disruptions first.
Siroc held out the vial. "Jacqueline, only a few drops, the whole thing, or even half of it could have lasting effects.. Efects I'm not sure entirely of." He looked uncertainly from the vial to Jacqueline and held back as she reached for it. "I have not had time to do proper testing on subjects."
"I promise, just two drops, no more. I only want to teach a lesson, not harm him." She took the vial and hugged him. "Thanks my friend."
she walked out and heading to the stables. D'Artagnan and Ramon had patrol this morn, which gave her time to get to the cottage and make preparations. She saddled her horse and took off for the cottage. Her thoughts swirled around, should she do this? Was it morally right? Yes, he did it to me,she argued to herself. He did, but does two wrongs make a right? She battled back and forth as she rode through the woods and past a stream not really seeing anything. She pulled her horse to a stop outside the tiny cottage. With the basket in hand, she set off to start. Humming a tune, she sat the basket down and pulled out the bread and cheese and set them on the platter. She pulled out a single cup and filled it with wine and added two drops of the vial's liquid to it and swished it around, sniffing it to be sure it had no odor. She glanced out at the sun and realized she had to hurry in order to beat D'Artagnan back to the garrison. She hurried out and mounted her horse galloping away not noticing the single horseman that silently passed her in the covering of bushes.
The Stranger looked around and saw the vial, thinking it to be a sleeping aid, poured the rest into the cup and headed out. The Captain would appreciate his efforts to drug the musketeer in order to make it easier to question him later. He never saw his captain, Edward, ride past him. He did not know that his captain would be coming to check on his preparations, Edward never felt the need to tell his men all the details.
Edward glanced around and saw the preparations that the girl had made, for it obviously had a female touch. He had come early, to make sure his man did not disturb anything that would set the girl off. He also wanted to be here when she arrived to set her at ease before he began the more nasty task of getting information he needed, however he could, he smiled to think of the pretty girl needing 'presuading' and how he would do just that. It need not be necessarily painful, if she was cooperative. He knew he was in for a wait, so he sat down and tore off a piece of bread munching quietly. His mouth grew dry and he reached for the cup and took a long swallow and then another draining half the cup. He sat it down his hands shaking causing the cup to topple over and spill the rest of its contents over the table. He coughed and clutched his chest grabbing at anything to keep him upright.