''I will not take this'' said D'Artagnan. Since he had become a musketeer, his greatest lesson was to learn to listen to his head, instead of his ego. Still, it was very hard to let the drunks insult them and act as if they had the upper hand. ''This is degrading'' continued the young men.
''It's also staining the musketeers' reputation. We shouldn't let them get away with how they treated us'' added Porthos.
''This is the only thing they have ever gotten away with. Let them'' said Athos absent-mindedly as he looked at mademoiselle de Senneville converse with Henry Papineau. He understands now why Beaulieux warned him about this man. He was utterly mad. He knew that dealing with such men was complicated, since you never know how they are going to react and, for once, he was happy that mademoiselle de Senneville had taken the lead.
A drunken whore sat on Aramis' lap without warning. ''How about I get your pistol polished handsome?'' she giggled in what she probably thought was a sexy and mysterious manner. Aramis refused politely and tried to gently help her off his lap. ''Oh, I see than'' she blurred out, confused about being rejected. '' You are with her? She finally understood what the business really involved. Ah! I knew she wouldn't last long... Beaulieux' precious pearl is finally spoiled. ''
It took them a little while to understand that she was talking about mademoiselle de Senneville. She obviously didn't like her. ''Did you all had her? Who broke her in?'' her tone was cruel. The men all stayed muted at what she implied, before realising it must be a current affair in the Court of Miracles. Aramis rose and helped the drunken woman to sit down.
''I think you had a little too much to drink'' he said gently. Her eyes were heavy and her breath stank of bad wine.
''Did you know, that '' she got interrupted by her own hiccups. '' That, she's actually '' another set of hiccups. '' She doesn't even need the money! What kind of a person does that?''
''I don't quite follow Madame'' said Aramis politely.
''It's Mademoiselle, by the way'' she said, trying to sit straight in her chair. ''I mean, Beaulieux's company. What kind of a sick perverted mind would join it for fun? Take it from me, the girl has issues. More than Henry. At least, with him, you know what you are facing. With her...pff!''
The musketeers were perplexed as to want she meant exactly and before they could ask for more she had fallen into a deep sleep.
Mademoiselle de Senneville waited for Henry's reaction. Quite frankly, it could be anything. The men drank himself to madness, but, sometimes, she saw a light in him that would revived her hope about his mental condition. Twice he had helped her disappear in the Court of Miracles. He had made clever plans and he seemed as sane as ever when planning them. The adrenaline, the anticipation of your victim's move and the sensation of power when you see her or him take the path you had exactly planned can exhilarate any men. He was rubbing his beard fanatically while thinking of what to do. Milady's incarceration would mean that her proof against him, the reason why she was controlling him like an animal, would disappear too. A light of hope shined through his eyes, he wouldn't have to spend his life rotting here. He looked at the musketeers, he didn't know if he could trust them, but if Justice trusted them, he might too... But why were they so snobby? They looked at their surroundings – his inn- has if it was bellow them. One of them was even keeping eye contact with him. He felt as if his gaze was burying him, dragging him underground and in the filth they thought they were too precious to touch.
''Henry?'' the lady called him, pulling him from the unpleasantness he felt. She was worried she would lose him. She was feeling him drifting away and she didn't want to retrieve with force the documents that incriminated Milady. In truth, Henry was her only contact from the Court of Miracles and she did not want to lose him. As she was about the give him her last argument to get him on her side, she heard glass being shattered and men shouting. She saw a change in his eyes; he stood and ran towards the hassle with his sword in the air. She turned around to see what had caused the fight. She sighed. How could she have even doubted the involvement of the musketeers in this? She grabbed the sword of a passed out drunk men near her and joined the dance. The assaulters of the musketeers were all drunk or inexperienced; the men were simply pushing them back with no effort. She easily made her way to their ranks and fought off some more insistent men. She was making her way to Henry, who was more vicious in his fighting. She was too concentrated on not hurting him along with not getting hurt to notice that the musketeers had controlled the entire bar and were now to her sides pointing their swords at Henry. She couldn't ignore the feeling it gave her, like she was a part of something bigger, something honorable worth dying for. She dropped the sword she was holding. These kinds of thoughts were exactly the ones she despised in men like musketeers. There was no concept that could cause as much of evitable deaths and unreasonable trouble as honor.
''Now Henry, do I have your cooperation?'' she said slightly out of breath and of focused. For only response, he growled like an animal.
''That is enough'' said D'Artagnan pulling his sword up. He was stopped by Athos before mademoiselle de Senneville could react. He nodded at her and she smiled slightly. He was letting her in charge. She got down to her knees to match Papineau's size who had just crumbled at D'Artagnan menacing threat. She took her mouchoir and swiped the sweat off his almost bald head.
''You are to kind for them. It's weak and they will take advantage of you.'' He seemed sincere, thought Athos.
''I am weak? The fact that I got up after you brutalized me proves that is a lie, doesn't it?'' She answered, trying to get him to feel guilty again. Which worked. He put his head down again and got silent. ''Now, will you let us help you?'' she asked him gently while pulling his head up.