A/N

My dear guest, please forgive me, I merely used your comment as an excuse to come up with a huge chunk of my own thinking and make everyone read it! I mean no harm and nor was I offended at anything! Thank you so much for your comments and help with the reins))

Love, A.

Chapter 5

An hour after they left Ville D'Avray the robbers did attack.

"Stop now!" The voice screamed and about five men with lightning torches surrounded the carriage.

"How may I help you, Gentlemen?" Athos knew where this was going, but he also knew his secret weapon was sitting inside the carriage so the plan was to give her time to assess the situation. These were the moments when he was almost grateful for the murderous nature of his wife. Almost.

"By surrending your weapons and getting down on your knees, musketeer!" Now that wasn't very original.

"Why, you want me to propose?" Athos teased and fired his gun first, beheading the group quite literally. Three men attacked him at once and two rushed towards the carriage, oblivious to the danger it contained.

Except there didn't seem to be one as Milady stayed perfectly still inside the carriage, instead of surprising her attackers. One of his own enemies was down, but two remained and Athos couldn't see much, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed the coachman get up to defend the King's mistress only to be shot dead on the spot. Anger filled him to the brink as he finished off his second opponent and shot the third one through the heart, running towards the carriage. He managed to kill the bandit who murdered the coachman and only then did he hear the gunshot from the carriage and the last robber was down as well.

"This is a massacre." Athos couldn't contain the dread that washed over him as Milady stepped out onto the ground, her gun still fuming.

Athos looked around in the dark, illuminated only by the torches lying about, the dead coachman's face lit up in a macabre way, lifeless and bearing a look of surprise that made him even younger in the flickering light.

"Six dead, including the coachman." Athos felt sickness rise up to his throat. He had dealings with death every day, but with his fellow musketeers by his side he was used to capturing or immobilising the attackers, many of whom were just lost souls in need of guidance. Tonight, left alone against them, he was forced to kill without mercy and now that the adrenalin rush had faded he felt utter disgust for himself.

"Don't forget the once who got away with my necklace."

"Six dead, including the coachman who gave his life to protect you and all you care about is the necklace?"

"Are you implying this is my fault somehow?" She asked, walking up to the Leader's body and searching it. "Voila!" She exclaimed, showing Athos a large bag of coin and jewellery she procured from the robber.

"Implying?" He asked, furious at the way she was studying the contents of the bag, oblivious to the death and horror around them. "You just sat there and you let him die for you when you could have…"

"Could have what, Athos? King's favourites don't jump out of King's carriages to save the coachmen. It is simply not done as you very well know. You'd have me risk my position, my whole cover for the boy when it's your job to protect us?"

"It was his life, are you saying his life was worth keeping your cover? Your position? He was a human being! Unlike you, you…"

"I really am what? Careful? He knew too much anyway you weren't entirely subtle on our way from Paris were you? Or did you forget coachmen are human beings who have ears on them?" She tied the bag and threw it inside the carriage. "The way I see it you could have asked someone to accompany us, because surely one man is not enough to guard the whole carriage. But you, noble Athos," she walked up to him and he could barely contain himself from slapping her flushed face, for he knew what lurked beneath her sharp beauty. "You," she continued, "put your pride before your duty."

"This is not duty, this is a joke." He stated, looking her dead in the eye, but she wouldn't back down.

"A joke made by the King, no less. Is that boy's death a joke to you? You chose to come alone, you chose not to do your duty properly, you chose to fight those men alone…"

"I thought you would be more then happy to add a couple of lives taken to your list." He tried to intervene, but she had none of it.

"You decided that because of your pride it is me who was bound to sacrifice myself, to sacrifice my position, to risk gossip, to risk losing everything including my safety and maybe my life, because if I remember correctly it was you who said you would kill me first chance you got and should I lose the King's protection you might as well act on it for all I know. You would demand of me to risk all that, put my life on the altar of your honour and God forbid I choose not to, I must be a heartless bitch then, a soulless monster, that must be it!" She didn't raise her voice once, but Athos felt like she had screamed those words at him, they were filled with such venom, he felt the desire to step back, but instead he countered:

"I didn't ask anything of you, safe for some human decency, but apparently that was too much to ask."

"That man's death is on your hands, Athos, it is your pride that killed him, not my cruelty."

"You're twisting the truth, Milady." He spat, refusing to think about the fact that he did in fact consider asking Porthos or Aramis to come along, but decided against it.

"No, that's your thing, Athos. I'm laying it bare." She shook her head and turned on her heel, leaving him to stare into the darkness that slipped into her place, the darkness that might still contain more light then her soul.

He almost said that laying bare was her thing, but contained himself as it was surely too low a blow even though god knows she deserved that and worse. But he wouldn't stoop so low for her sake, he thought, removing the coachman body off the carriage and onto the side of the road. There was no time for funerals. Athos tied Roger to the carriage and took the coachman's place himself.

And the worst thing was that the dread of doubt crept up his spine as he drove the carriage through the dark woods in the direction of Versailles. That vile woman sure had a way with words, threading them like a net, catching him in that net like a fish that had no say. And as he held the reins, still warm from a dead man's hands he couldn't shake that net as it closed around his mind, his heart and whispered to him that she spoke the truth, at least a version of it.

He wasn't a man who believed in truth having versions, but this time he saw it clearly. A memory of himself saying he's lie in the case of stolen necklace came to mind. One evening in Milady's company and his conscience had been compromised twice and Athos was quite sure the coming days would bring more of that and that was not something he was eagerly looking for. That must be how the deci works, he thought, sneaking it's ways into people's thoughts and heats and refusing to leave. Just like her.

They arrived at Versailles three hours later, and as soon as they approached the main entrance Athos saw several people come out of the palace and Hurry to the carriage.

"Milady De Winter." A tall man opened the door for her as she descended with the grace of a Queen. "Welcome to Versailles. My name is Jean and this is Clarisse." A beautiful blond woman stepped forward and did a deep reverence. "She will be in your service."

"Hello Milady," the young thing was perky in spite of the late hour. "We expected you earlier, the messenger arrived this morning with the news."

"Draw me a bath." Her voice was tired and Clarisse frowned at being blatantly ignored.

"Yes, Milady. I'll have it…"

"Now."

"Yes, Milady" Clarisse hurried away, visibly upset at the treatment.

"We were attacked by a band of thieves on the way here, hence the lack of the Coachman." Athos explained to Jean who got busy arranging for the servants to take the large bags from the carriage to the palace. Milady just stood there unmoving and the one look Athos shot at her let him know how exhausted she was.

"Who is this?" She asked suddenly, drawing attention to the young boy who was busy detangling Roger's reins from the carriage.

"That's the stable boy, Milady."

"Is it?" Athos couldn't quite place the tone of her voice: it was something between a purr and a sly remark, a sure sign Milady has chosen a new victim. "Come here," she said and the boy obliged, obviously shy from all the attention.

He was dirty from working in the stables and quite thin which Athos noted with pity - the poor lad must be overworking himself, but that was just the destiny of people who weren't born into anything. A large hat was covering the boy's smudgy face that Milady was busy studying.

"What's your name?" She asked and the boy's blue eyes widened as he looked at Jean for support.

"His name's Luke, Milady," Jean answered for him. "The poor boy is mute since birth, but he has a way with horses, so he found a home here. I hope you don't mind, we can of course…"

"Such a pretty boy," Milady shot a sultry glance at Luke and Athos felt sick all over again. "What's there to mind." She finished with a cheeky smile, her fingers coming up to caress the boy's jawline. "Good night, Jean, Athos?"

"Coming, Milady." He followed her to the palace biting his tongue not to say anything. He was quite sure all this was a plot to provoke him and he didn't like being beguiled, so he fought against all the insulting comments that swirled around his mind and kept silent.

Clarisse was waiting for them inside and as soon as they entered she started chirping unceasingly:

"Your bath is being prepared Milady. I'm sorry, it might take a while, we didn't think to keep the wanter hot so late, I'm so sorry, Milady. Let me walk you to your rooms. The servants quarters are in the other part of the palace." She said to Athos who frowned in return:

"It's King's orders that I am to stay by Milady's side at all times." He said, taking in the luxury surrounding them.

"But…"

"No but's Clarisse." He stared her down and she shrugged:

"I suppose you could stay in the second guest bedroom, next to the royal suit but I would have to check with…"

"He will stay by my side."

"Yes, Milady." Clarisse bowed her head and Athos smirked in spite of the anger and the weariness this day brought upon him. The girl was really in over her head. "Fine, I'll take you to your rooms then, they are on the second floor, please follow me." They walked up the large stairs and Athos was amazed by the beauty of the palace, it was quite overwhelming, washing the memories of the terrible day away. "This is the right wing, the wing, dedicated only to the most valuable guests and the king and queen themselves." Clarisse continued and Athos found that her voice has a strange pitch to it, a kind that caused one's skull to ache after several minutes. "One time," she started, ignoring Milady's impatient waving a hand at her, motioning for her to be quiet, "there was a royal family from Spain staying here and the Austrian Prince and once…"

"Quiet." Milady finally said and Athos agreed with her wholeheartedly for what was likely the first time in 5 and a half years.

"Sorry, Milady." Clarisse's face wore an expression of utter disdain as she walked them to their rooms in absolute silence.

"Here's your royal suite." She finally announced. "Your bath will be ready in half an hour." Milady nodded, dismissing her, but not before the girl continued at full speed once more: "This is the best room in the whole palace and His Majesty asked for you to occupy it he must value you a lot! And the view is amazing, especially…"

"You really are annoying, aren't you?" Milady's tone could make the whole palace freeze over. "Leave now. Your services are no longer required."

"I'm sorry, Milady," the girl looked like she was about to cry. "I will see you in the morning."

"No you won't. I will not be requiring your services anymore, am I being clear?"

"Yes, Milady." Clarisse sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I will pack my belongings and…"

"Are you as daft as you are annoying? I will not be requiring your services, that's all. You are not expelled from the palace of else. Stay for all I care, just stay out of my way"

"Thank you, Milady. But don't you require a maid for your bath?" Clarisse was relieved now, and her question bore a sly quality, judging by the look she shot Athos. A look that suggested more that she could afford to suggest, the silly girl.

"Right. Fetch the stable boy."

"I'm sorry, Milady?" Clarisse went wide-eyed and Athos did too, gripping the door handle too tightly.

"I said. Fetch. The. Stable. Boy."

"Yes, Milady." Clarisse scurried away, scared by the cold menace in her master's tone and Athos stared at Milady wordlessly, his eyes speaking volumes.

"Oh shut up, Athos, I'm too tired to deal with you right now."

He nodded and the door closed in his face. The right thing to do would be to go to his own room and not let this get to him, but since the beginning of this trip he couldn't bring himself to do the right things. So he waited by her door. If her plan was to disgrace the Royal bedroom with a dirty Stable boy his job as the King's Musketeer would be to protect the sanity of the premises. Well, that's what he told himself anyway.