I followed my brother and the three Musketeers all the way to Le Havre. It was a long trip on horseback, nearly a week's riding. I was exhausted by the time we managed to get to Le Havre. My brother attempted to be sympathetic, but the others told him that I would have to get used to harsh conditions and travel as in a few years I myself, would be ready to join the Musketeers.
We were in Le Havre on business for the king to bring the explorer, Emile Bonnaire back to Paris for the King. I guess he had something that the king wanted or else he did something that the King didn't care for. Personally, I knew that a lot of explorers ended up being pirates as their expectations didn't pan out and figured maybe he had resorted to piracy.
Whatever. Who cared? I just knew that he was to come into port today, so my brother and I were skulking around the ports. I hoped we could stay here for a while, my butt could really use a rest. My brother had sympathized with me earlier while the others were still asleep. He knew I wasn't used to such harsh travel, but I didn't complain. Being a boy meant having more freedoms and liberties. Oh how I used that to my advantage, my brother hated it.
So we stood there, trying to look like we were meant to. I don't really think we fooled anyone, after all what does a King's Musketeer wannabe and his little brother scream to anyone? Suspicious! I'm sure, as it was on my mind as well. Finally after standing there for several hours, a most peculiar man stepped off one of the recently docked boats.
I mean peculiar. He was the most eccentric man I had ever set eyes upon. He was bedecked in an orange color with feathers on his left shoulder. He was also outfitted with furs, even though it was mid-June. His hat was fine, large and black, but his whole person was strange. I shared a look with my twin and we set off following him to a little pub as did some other men carrying crude weapons.
"Drinks for the whole house!" Bonnaire shouted as he walked in. We cautiously sent a look to Athos and Porthos before going over to join Aramis at his table which was close to Bonnaire.
"The tail feather of an Amazonian macaw, quite the loveliest bird in the jungle, yet not half so lovely as you.
It matches your eyes perfectly." Bonnaire flirted with the barmaid. I guess I couldn't fault him, all that time alone in the water without the company of a woman? How did he manage to keep sane? Everyone knows a woman has all the brains.
"Seduced by a feather. Really?" My brother was disbelieving at this turn of events. As was I. Stupid woman, playing right into his charms. He was strange! Aramis and Athos had charms. So did Porthos, but of an entirely different sort.
"Anyone can tell a woman she's beautiful. Making her believe it, is where the genius lies." Aramis said to my brother seriously. I shot him a look. He just chuckled. "Oh, wait Leo until you're of age. Then you'll understand."
Looking around I saw most of the rebels begin to stand up while Bonnaire was still flirting with the maid. I wanted to hit my head on the table. Then two men all in black came in, catching my interest. I touched my brother's arm gently, just as a woman's voice shouted.
"Emile!"
"Dear God!" I looked up to see a woman in a dark olive color dress. She was pretty and seemed to make Bonnaire nervous.
"I want to see how this plays out." My brother began to stand as the shout rang out, but Aramis stayed his hand. I had remained seated, planning on waiting for a surprise. She and the barmaid began to brawl, the strange woman pinning the other girl onto the table.
"I'll kill you!" She seethed at her overly flirtatious husband.
"Darling, calm yourself, I beg you. It's far too early in the morning." Bonnaire soothed. Then he looked over her shoulder and shot the rebel in the knee.
"Touch him and you die!" She hissed at the man. She was quite like a feral cat. We all jumped into action, clearing the rebels from the establishment. "You can stay away too." She brandished her crudely made knife at all of us.
"A moment ago you wanted to kill him." Aramis and the woman began to circle one another. I snickered, looking up at Porthos with amusement.
"I have the right. You don't." She hissed before launching herself at Aramis. He began the extremely difficult task of disarming her. She started to slash her knife at him, thankfully he was quick and disarmed her. Then he spun her to my brother.
"Stop! Get your hands off me!" She screamed as my brother pinned her arms to her side. Then she found his thumb and clamped down on it with her teeth.
"AHHH! She just bit me!" My brother pointed to her after he released her. I shook with suppressed laughter. "Gentlemen, thank you. Thank you. I can't thank you enough. Lucky for me you were here." He said. I raised an eyebrow at his theatrics. I would hardly call him defenseless.
"Not entirely." Athos sounded bored with this whole situation, as he sheathed his dagger. "Emile Bonnaire, I am Athos of the King's Musketeers. You are under arrest. We're taking you to Paris to appear before the King." Porthos was busy searching him for any concealed weapons.
"Er, no I'm afraid I can't, er, can't travel today cos I've got important business" He was trying to stall for time. "Your business will have to wait." Athos said shortly.
"Right." He muttered.
"What about her?" My brother was still disgruntled over their little skirmish.
"I have a name." She spat at my brother. "It is Maria Bonnaire." I raised an eyebrow. That explains a lot.
"Gentlemen, my wife." Bonnaire said to us.
"That explains a lot!" Aramis was a little behind in his thinking.
"Any hidden weapons we should know about?" Porthos growled, beginning a more thorough search of Bonnaire.
"Er, no. No, I never carry any concealed weapons." He smiled a little, just as Porthos grabbed a concealed musket from his boot.
"Hmm."
"I completely forgot about that one." He managed a weak smile. Of course he forgot about the only concealed weapon he has upon his person.
"Easily done." Porthos said with a chuckle.
"I would hate you to lose anything so valuable. You wouldn't want this to fall into the wrong hands." The men in black, were definitely Spanish. They handed the plans of Bonnaire's to Porthos.
"Well, gentlemen, Paris it is." We began the trek to the door when he suddenly stopped.
"Oh, um, grant me one last favour before we go." He managed. "A few moments alone with my wife."
"You must think we're stupid." My brother crossed his arms and I mirrored his thoughts.
"Hm." Aramis, Porthos, and Athos both contemplated his request! I couldn't believe it.
"Terribly sorry, apparently we are." I nodded with my brother.
"I must have your guarantee that you won't try to escape, monsieur." Athos said, looking down.
"You have my word on it . . as a gentleman." Bonnaire said. They gave in, and we escorted him up the stairs to the room he had waiting. I left with my brother, to go saddle up the horses and get ready for our journey back to Paris.
"How stupid can they be?" He cried out.
"I dunno, Charles," I softly said.
"He's going to try and escape, I just know it!" At that point in time we were joined by Aramis.
"Of course, he's going to try and escape. But we will catch him before he realizes that he didn't get away fully." Aramis gave us a smirk before checking his girth. We all mounted as soon as Porthos and Athos joined us. Then we began to follow him for a while, before overtaking his wagon a little outside of Le Havre.
"Ha-ha! I'd sit up here if I were you. I'm sure your friend won't mind." Porthos cocked the gun at the young lad who was driving the wagon before waving Bonnaire up with him. I looked behind me to follow what was going on, as I was upfront with Aramis. The two scouts.
"Everything shipshape with the wife?" Aramis enjoyed causing him distress. I snorted and turned back to the front. I just couldn't wait until we were back in Paris.
Aramis and I hung back as the rest began to hurry on, with Bonnaire and wagon. I was to stay behind with Aramis due to my sharp eyes and silence. I pointed out the two men on horseback to Aramis who nodded his head, before we turned to catch back up with the company.
"We're being followed! By two men dressed in black, about a mile behind." Aramis cried out as we got within hearing distance of them.
"The men from the inn?" Athos hazarded a guess.
"Yes."
"What are they waiting for?" Athos was puzzled at what their game was. So was I. If they wanted Bonnaire, shouldn't they try to overpower us in a bid to grab him?
"If we stay off the road, we should lose them." Athos stated as we reached a small village about ten miles east of Le Havre. It was silent, a little too quiet in my opinion. We dismounted and began to tie our horses to the posts, when Aramis and I went silent. We heard metal clanging on metal and froze.
"What is it?" Porthos asked. Bonnaire became worried.
"What's going on?" Porthos silenced him with a single hand.
Come out and state your business!" Aramis cried out. We all had our muskets drawn.
"That was very formal." Athos was as confused as the rest of us, at his politeness towards the enemy.
"I like to be polite." Aramis shrugged as we waited for a movement to alert us.
"Aramis!" My brother shouted as Aramis was nearly killed. Athos shot the rebel who attempted to put an axe in his back.
"Ambush!" Athos cried out as we all got ready to fight.
"Get Bonnaire!" One of them cried. I backed up so that I was near to Bonnaire.
"Porthos, Leo, stay with him." Athos demanded. I nodded as we began to guard the explorer. The battle was raging around us, I looked up to see Porthos engaged with an enemy and one coming up behind him with an axe. I made a decision, and pushed Porthos out of the way. I took the axe to the shoulder.
"AHHH!" I screamed as it went all the way through.
"LENE!" My brother screamed, as Aramis ran to me. Porthos slew the man who did that and rushed to my side as well.
"It's deep," He said, poking at it. He looked up at Aramis.
"Anyone else? Are you all right?" Aramis asked as he knelt down beside me. He looked at the wound himself and began to pull off his belt. "That's a lot of blood!" I was just trying so hard not to pass out from the pain that was running though my body.
"That's enough. I've no argument with you, only with him." I didn't have the strength to look up to see who had spoken. The battle wore down, and finally it was silent.
"Gentlemen, allow me to introduce my business partner, Paul Meunier." Bonnaire said.
"On the face of it, I'd say your partnership isn't going well." Aramis said, as he continued to keep pressure on my shoulder.
"I funded Emile's expeditions for eight years, and yet I discover his ship has arrived, my cargo is nowhere to be found, and he's made no contact with me." Paul Meunier said. I felt for the guy I really did, but right now I just had to breathe through the pain. Tears began to run from my eyes, Aramis and Porthos noticed without saying anything.
"There was no There was no time, Paul! I was forced to travel to Paris without warning." Paul said. By now my mind was starting to blacken. The only thing I could focus on was the pain. I felt a hand take mine after a long while.
"Hang on Lene, please," My brother breathed into my ear.
"D'Artagnan, it hurts." I clutched his hand with all my might. The two musketeers were shocked to hear me talk. D'Artagnan was too upset to notice his or my slip.
"Will he lose his arm?" Porthos asked, I could faintly hear him.
"No, but he might lose his life." Aramis said. I let my eyes shut and I drifted off to sleep for a moment, before I felt a hand begin to shake me.
"Lene!" I opened my eyes. "You can't go to sleep. Not yet at least." I nodded, before trying to keep my eyes open. They loaded me into the back of the wagon, D'Artagnan was cushioning my upper body with his knees. We didn't go that far, but before long we stopped. D'Artagnan scooped me into his arms and strode with me into a dark manor. There were cobwebs everywhere. We stopped in an emerald green room, where he placed me on a couch in front of a fireplace..
"I tell you something. If this place is for sale, I might be interested." I heard Bonnaire say. I groaned weakly. I was dying and he wanted to buy this place. Shoot me now, please.
"It's not." Athos said, light began to filter through my eyelids.
"No, you're right. It is a bit dark." He tried to hide his disappointment.
"I don't suppose there's anything to take the edge off?" Porthos asked, on my behalf.
"There's wine." Athos said, not very impressed. He began to stride out of the room.
"Oh." Aramis looked down at me a little worried.
"Oh, I have something better." Bonnaire said. I rolled my eyes. "A bottle of rum bouillon. Colonists makes it out of sugar molasses. So potent, they call it killdevil."
"We'd best get this liquor acquainted with Aramis' patient," Porthos chuckled a little. My brother raised it to my lips, letting me begin to sip the fiery liquid. It burned the whole way down my throat, pooling its fire in my stomach. The four talked a little more, I just continued to drink and concentrate on not vomiting from the intense pain that I was feeling. Then he lifted me up and took me to what I assumed was the dining room at one point in time.
I looked up at D'Artagnan as Aramis and Athos talked. He knew we would have to tell them. I mean they would need my shirt off to stitch the wound.
"Guys, I have to tell you something," My brother said as they approached the table.
"What is it D'Artagnan?" Athos said.
"I need to see to my patient," Aramis began.
"You see, it's about your patient." D'Artagnan was terrified at loosing his best friends to the deception that we weaved.
"I'm not actually Leo. I'm Selene," I spoke up, my voice coming out a little slurred from the drink.
"God, Lene, you are such a lightweight." My brother said fondly, running his hand over my hair affectionately.
"Shut up. The pain is excruciating." I mumbled, dropping my head back down to the table. "I'm trying not to vomit."
"Alright," Aramis said, a little uncertain.
"Look, we can deal with this afterwards. D'Artagnan?" Athos motioned to my shirt. My brother carefully took it off me, then Aramis slit the breast bindings from my back. I took another sip of the rum bouillon and let the drink overtake my body. Aramis began to wipe the blood from my back. I had a lot of scars on my back, but he didn't say anything to me or my brother about them. At least not yet.
"Look, if youif you don't mind I'll just go wait outside. The sight of blood makes me feel a bit faint." Bonnaire said. I rolled my eyes as I prepared myself for the feeling of the needle going through my skin. Porthos barred the door, causing Bonnaire to take a step back. "Or I could stay here."
"You must be skilled at this yourself." Aramis said, threading his needle.
"Better with sail than skin." Bonnaire admitted.
"Fine needlework, Aramis does. Should have been a seamstress." Porthos said with an affectionate grin towards his brother in arms.
"Some time in the future, I'll have to show you the wounds that I've stitched for Porthos. That you wouldn't even realize." Aramis said.
"Stitching that's fine enough for the Queen's chemise." Porthos laughed.
"I agree." Athos said, a rare feat for the surly musketeer. "But perhaps you might wish to see to Lene now." Aramis went back to overseeing my care.
"This will hurt," Aramis warned. I looked up to see my worried brother.
"Love you." I whispered before I allowed myself to black out after the first stitch.
When I awoke I was back on the couch in front of the fireplace. It was quite dark out now and I was chilly. I had a headache, probably from the liquor. My brother sat beside me, my head in his lap. I could feel a dull ache in my shoulder, realizing that everything had occurred, it wasn't just a dream.
"little piece of heaven called San Christophe. And I'll farm tobacco there and I'll retire. . . .fat and oversexed." I heard Bonnaire's voice as I came to.
"Farming's no Utopia, Bonnaire. It's all hard graft, I can assure you." My brother sighed, as I felt his hand stroking my cut hair gently.
"No. No, labour is cheap. And I'll manage the whole thing from my porch with one beauty sitting on my lap and another mopping my brow." He said. I rolled my eyes.
"Sounds like paradise." Aramis said. I wanted to groan at his love for women.
"There are opportunities for men like you in the colonies. You could be rich. You should join me. All of you." Bonnaire said. "And for your sister, there would be many opportunities for her as well."
"Maybe I'll take you up on that." Porthos said from his corner seat. I heard footsteps approach us, their owner heavy on his feet.
"How is she?" He asked my brother.
"I dunno - "
"Fine and fit." I muttered, a little startled when he knelt down to look at me properly.
"Can she travel tomorrow?" Athos straightened up and asked Aramis.
"If she must." Aramis heaved a sigh. "But women are considered to be weaker than men, so," I sputtered a protest.
"Oh you can go shove it Aramis!" I spat, trying to sit up. I could feel the stitches begin to pull, so I let my brother help me into a sitting position.
"Oh really, mademoiselle?" He asked, arching a brow at me.
"Then we leave in the morning." Athos said, turning to look at the fire.
"Well, I don't suppose you'll mind spending a night here, hey, Athos? Must bring back all sorts of memories." Bonnaire said.
"And Aramis, it's Madame!" I shot back as Athos left the room.
The next morning I woke up not feeling refreshed. I felt sicker if that were possible. I wondered if perhaps infection was setting in. It may be, for all I knew. No one would let me look in a mirror. They had attempted to pry my story from my brother and I last night, but we dodged their questions, eventually agreeing to answering them when we got to Paris.
"I'll go fetch some water." My brother hurried out of the room, while I laid on the couch, or settee or whatever you wish to call it, moaning and groaning about my luck
"What are you doing?" Porthos was the only one left in the room with Bonnaire and I.
"Just planning my next trip." He said from his position at the table.
"Oh." Porthos said, looking a little disappointed. I didn't understand what his fascination with Bonnaire was.
"And I'm making sure that the load is evenly distributed." He said, looking down at the papers littering the workspace.
"I, er, wouldn't mind taking a look." Porthos admitted. I turned to look at him, before hissing as the stitches caught. "I like teaching myself new things."
"Ah! So, you're an autodidact?" At Porthos blank stare he began to explain but I cut in.
"It means self-taught man." I explained for my friend. His face brightened a little.
"Like myself, actually." Bonnaire said. Porthos came forward to take a look.
"Another time, perhaps. Forgive me, my eyes are tired now. I'm just such a martyr to detail." He said. I rolled my eyes, if anyone was a martyr it was not Bonnaire. I was the closest to a martyr we had on this expedition. Good god, shoot me now. I felt sweat break out on my brow.
"D'Artagnan!" Porthos shuffled over to the window, while Bonnaire put his papers away. I narrowed my eyes at this man. He was hiding something. Of that I was sure.
"What is it? Is it Meunier?" He asked, staying from his task at putting the papers back in the case.
"You'd better take a look." Porthos said motioning out of the window. He told me, "Bonnaire's wife." I nodded in understanding.
"Go with him," I said as Bonnaire ran out of the doors. "I will be fine here." I stayed on the sofa, feeling my stomach swirling with a sick feeling as well as feeling overall ill. D'Artagnan would kill me if I contracted a fever from being reckless. I stayed there on the couch, waiting for the feeling to pass, but it never did. Finally Porthos came back in. He made a beeline straight for Bonnaire's plans.
"Where's Bonnaire?" I asked
"Bonnaire's wife." Porthos spat, uncurling the plans. "She came to break Emile, her darling husband out. Athos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan are following them now." I laid back on my perch and watched Porthos as he turned angry over what he found. My eyes began to get heavy, and I let sleep take me. When I awoke, it was to shouting and much chaos.
"Athos, fever, cannot, ride, Paris," the words were all garbled. I let myself drift back off. The next time I came to was on horseback. I smelt a musky scent, with a hint of cinnamon. I breathed in deep, before I realized that I was on a horse.
"Where are we?" I asked, my voice breaking from lack of water and nonuse.
"Shh, Lene. We will be Paris before long." Aramis soothed. His breath was tickling my ear. I nodded like a child and fell back to sleep away from the pain and agony. My dreams were rent with nightmares, and at times I thought that the people around me were others.
"NO!" I would scream out as I felt someone's hand upon my person. "Let me alone!" I would fight, kick, scream, and cry as I did not recognize anyone besides my brother. According to my brother I would cry out for our father, quite frequently. I also was told that they left me in the care of Captain Treville while they went back to Le Havre for a few evenings in order to get Bonnaire taken by the Spanish. He was a slave trader, and apparently I missed Porthos throwing him around a bit. What a pity. I would have killed to see that.
"Come, darling." My husband whispered in my ear. "You must make me happy tonight." He would demand as he brought me a dress to wear to his dinners. "I could make or break your family. I have the power to do so. I have already done so with you." He would sneer. "I would start with you brother, D'Artagnan, Charles, I believe?"
"NO! Please, I'll do anything! Leave him alone!" I cried out, feeling his hand hit my bare, exposed skin. He left marks, always underneath the layers of clothing that I was to wear. He made sure that no marks marred my exposed skin, as then there would be questions.
When I was finally awake I found four bruised and pained men, three of whom were Musketeers. I guess I even pegged Treville a couple of times during their escapades. Aramis deemed my wound pretty much healed and began to pull the stitches back out.
"So Selene," Athos began as Aramis finished and I was able to pull my shirt back on. "Tell us your story. Leave nothing out." Looking at D'Artagnan I began to tell my story.
"It all started when my father didn't have enough money for his taxes," I said looking down at the sheets. "LeBarge, the taxman in Gascony, finally paid us a visit. But once he saw me, he told my father that he would forgo the owed taxes if he would give my hand in marriage. My father agreed, as the penalty would likely be death for him, the streets for D'Artagnan, and I would be given to LeBarge as a plaything. I was fifteen, and attempted to please my husband."
"He abused her," D'Artagnan said, angrily.
"D'Artagnan!" I gasped at his audacity.
"Well? It's true, Lene!"
"Anyway, he would threaten my family if I wouldn't do exactly as he bid. I became pregnant one year, about a year ago now, and I gave birth to a girl. He threw our daughter out of doors and the punishments became more severe. So I finally escaped with my father and brother. They knew he would never rest until he found me so I became Leo, the youngest son of Alexandre D'Artagnan." I told them. "I was to be given to Captain Treville for safekeeping, but that was no longer needed as you all know the rest. I'm sorry I deceived you." I bowed my head and looked at the sheet.
"That's why you have so many scars," Aramis stated. "I for one, would have also spirited you away as well."
"I agree!" Porthos said. His usually smile and chuckle were gone. In it's place was a hardened soldier who had seen too much over the years.
"I am not happy with the lies and deceit you two have woven. However, a man should never treat his wife or any woman like that. So, we will keep your secret." Athos said. "We will continue your charade of being a man, though with Aramis knowing that you are a girl, his flirting could give you away." I laughed and he ruffled my hair.
"What age are you?" Aramis asked, curious. I giggled.
"D'Artagnan and I are twins," I said. "Besides don't you know it isn't proper to ask a lady her name?" He looked down sheepish. "But I don't want you to treat me any differently. I want to follow you four around." Athos looked down for a moment.
"Fine. But we will decide if it is too dangerous for you." Athos said. "And you must obey our command without questioning." I thought this through. They were honorable men.
"I agree." I shook hands on it.