Sometimes Salvation is Found in Agony

Chapter Twenty-One

Inside the King's and Queen's quarters, Louis, several servants, the Queen's ladies in waiting, Constance, and the Cardinal were all gathered together as they surrounded the bed where Anne lay severely ill and barely conscious, while Doctor Maloraux was busy checking her over, trying to figure out what had caused her symptoms.

Louis was pacing back and forth nervously, waiting for the physician to explain what was wrong with his wife, fearing even more that his child's life was in danger as well. The King did love Anne in his own way, though it wasn't hard for the people to see that he loved himself even more and would do whatever it took to be sure that his heir to his throne survived.

"How is she?" Captain Treville worryingly asked Constance, who quietly walked over to him upon arriving as soon as he heard that the Queen had fallen ill. "Has the doctor said?"

"No, not yet," Madam Bonacieux replied sadly. "I don't understand how this could be happening. Why would someone want to harm her? How could this even happen? There are guards and servants all around the palace, especially when the King and Queen are sitting down for supper and every other meal."

Treville kept his eyes on Queen Anne while he responded quietly, "I was with her last night upon her request as I escorted her around the gardens for her nightly walk. If she was indeed poisoned, it wasn't until after she had gone to bed."

The Captain then turned and glared at the Cardinal suspiciously until Doctor Maloraux stood up and said nervously, "So long as her Majesty remains in bed and rests as much as possible, she will be all right in time."

"I don't understand," Louis stated in confusion. "Does this mean my wife wasn't poisoned? She's going to be fine? What caused this then?"

"The best I can tell, she has fallen ill due to stress," the physician answered as he took a quick glance over at the Cardinal, who glared at him coldly as a warning for him not to say a word, then looked back at the King now standing before him. "She has been overworking herself and worrying herself for far too long and it has caused her body to begin to shut down. If she keeps up with her duties…"

King Louis interrupted, "Then she will remain here in bed, for as long as she needs to make herself well again. Even if that means that it must be until she gives birth to my son."

Richelieu finally spoke up saying, "Do not worry, Your Majesty. We will be sure to do all we can to help you to perform your duties and to take on as many of her Majesty's duties as well. Your people and Paris will not suffer at all."

"Thank you, Cardinal Richelieu," Louis replied as he turned to his most trusted confidant. "I appreciate your concern and your willingness to take on more pressure than you already deal with now. And Madam Bonacieux…"

"Yes, Your Majesty?" she quickly asked as she moved to kneel down before the King.

He responded, "As Anne's newest maid and servant, I ask that you see to it that she gets the rest she so desperately needs, even if you must remain here, at the palace at all hours. Is this understood?"

Constance smiled as she kept her head down and then answered, "As you wish, Your Majesty. I will take good care of her Highness. I shall send word to my husband of your request for my services so that he won't worry."

"Very good," the King replied as he turned to look back at his wife, then walked out of their quarters, followed by most of the other men and women, all except for Constance, Captain Treville, and Cardinal Richelieu.

"If you would like, I shall stop by your home to inform your husband for you," Treville spoke softly to her, while the Cardinal waited for the captain at the door.

Constance nodded and responded, "That would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Captain. Have you been sent word from your musketeers yet? Have they found Monsieur Aramis?"

The soldier glared once again at Cardinal Richelieu as he answered, "No, I have not yet received word, though I am certain they will succeed and bring the rest of the criminals to justice."

"Thank you for staying here with her, Madam Bonacieux," he continued as he looked down at the woman now standing in front of him. "I am certain she will recover fully while in your care. Good evening."

"Madam Bonacieux," the Cardinal simply stated to her as he followed the Captain out, leaving her behind alone to get to work.

When the two of them were finally alone, Captain Treville suddenly stopped Richelieu and moved to stand in his way as he said coldly, "If I find out that what has happened to Anne is of your making, I shall see to it that you are brought down once and for all, just as are all of the rest of the men and women you have sent out to perform your evil deeds."

Cardinal Richelieu smiled at what he knew was simply an empty threat, as he knew there was nothing the Captain could really do to him, at least not without his musketeers finding proof of his previous crimes or Anne revealing his secret to the King, then replied, "I am certain that the Queen will be just fine in time as Doctor Maloraux said. All she needs is rest and it seems she will be well taken care of. Perhaps you should send word to your men you sent down to Marseille. Surely Aramis will want to know of the Queen's illness."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Treville asked suspiciously.

"Perhaps you should ask him or the rest of his brothers in arms," the Cardinal responded smugly. "Good evening, Captain Treville."

With that said, the Cardinal walked off, leaving the Captain alone with his suspicion. However, he just shrugged the feelings aside as he left the palace, then rode his horse into the city to go and speak with Monsieur Bonacieux as he gave the man's wife his word that he would, to explain why she wouldn't be home that night or for as long as the Queen needed her.

Later that evening…

When the Cardinal stopped and walked into his study, he was suddenly startled by the sound of his newest emissary's voice as she spoke up saying, "A part of you believed that I would get caught when I poured the contents of this vile into the Queen's morning tea, didn't you?"

Richelieu turned to face the young woman as he answered, "I'll admit, you are better than I have given you credit for, my dear. I do not need to know how you accomplished this, but I am very pleased. Well done."

"What exactly was it in this vile?" Renée asked curiously as she moved to stand beside his desk which he too was standing in front of as he stared at the woman curiously. "You only stated that it wasn't poison and that you didn't plan on killing her. So what was it?"

"It is only something wonderful that I have come across from my many years of treachery," Richelieu replied smugly. "It is a drug which causes a severe illness, but if treated correctly, is not fatal. Queen Anne will most assuredly not die, but it is quite possible that her deterioration will be far worse for her child she carries within her, which I believe will dishearten and cause the very musketeer you hate so vigorously to break completely and perhaps never recover."

She stared at him in confusion as she responded, "I do not understand. Why would Aramis of the musketeers become so heartbroken over the Queen's unborn child…? Oh, I think I see. You suspect he and her Majesty are in love?"

The Cardinal smiled smugly as he answered, "I am certain that they are in love. I may not be able to tell any of this to the King, as Anne can destroy me with one confession as well, but I can destroy Aramis and in so doing, it will finally begin the downfall of the rest of his comrades, beginning with Athos, Porthos, d'Artagnan, and Treville. You have come along at a very opportune moment, Renée; a very opportune time indeed."