The Palace rang with boot heels striking hard on its fine floors. Blue cloaks swirled and the royal staff fell back to let the new arrivals through.
Cardinal Richelieu paled as the Queen swept into the throne room, flanked by Musketeers and Captain Treville. "Your Majesty!"
The King embraced her. "Racaut! That scoundrel! Kidnap my Queen!"
He turned to the Musketeers. "Where is he? Didn't you bring him to me that I might have him whipped? And then hanged."
"Maybe whipped a little more," said the Cardinal.
D'Artagnan stepped forward. "It was not possible to bring the Duke, your Majesty. But we were able to question him. We learned many interesting things."
"He has recently made a new will," said Athos, "a very interesting will," and he looked at the Cardinal, who paled even more.
D'Artagnan smirked. "The will was a little unexpected. It left everything to..."
The Cardinal seemed not to be breathing and the Musketeers relished his discomfort as his transaction with Racaut, a Queen in exchange for his estate, seemed about to be revealed. "... The Crown, your Majesty," said D'Artagnan and the Cardinal staggered back a step. "The Duke was mortified at the delay in acknowledging the arrival of the Queen, and in a burst of generosity, rewrote his will."
All four Musketeers now stared hard at the Cardinal. Anne gazed at her fingernails.
"So where is he, this apologetic benefactor?" demanded the King.
"Ah," said Athos. "I'm afraid -"
"Been a little accident," said Porthos.
"He tripped," said Aramis, spreading his hands regretfully.
"Out of a window," said D'Artagnan. "And fell some considerable way."
"Very unfortunate," said Porthos.
"We were completely unable to revive him when we got to the bottom of the tower," said Athos.
"Eventually," said Aramis.
The King looked around.
"It may be best to ask no more, Sire," said Treville.
"Hmm," said the King.
The Musketeers turned to each other grinning.
"Although," said the Cardinal with a poisonous look at the men. "There is the delicate and irreparable matter of honour."
Anne stepped forward, Aramis too. Athos lay his hand on Aramis' arm.
"Her Majesty was unaccounted for in the company of this man," said Richelieu with an air of deep regret. "Her honour -" He bowed his head as if too troubled to say more.
The King frowned. "That is true. This whole business has been mysterious. Suspicious."
"Do you accuse me?" demanded the Queen.
"You were alone all night in this man's house!" cried the King.
"With my ladies. And then, guarded by your own musketeers. Ask them!" Fury sparked in her eyes.
"Were you outside the Queen's chamber?" the King asked the Musketeers.
"Yes," said Athos and D'Artagnan at once. "All night, your majesty."
"What of you?" The King turned to Porthos.
"I was watching over the Queen's ladies," said Porthos.
"And you?" The royal eye moved to Aramis.
"I carried out her Majesty's particular commands," said Aramis. "Though I was not stationed outside her chamber," he added, very honestly.
"And no one entered the chamber where the Queen slept?" insisted the King. "You saw no one?"
The Musketeers exchanged glances. "We saw no one, sire," said Athos.
The Queen raised her eyebrows at the King.
"Swear it!" said the King. And they each swore that they had seen no one enter the chamber.
"Satisfied?" said the Queen in an icy tone.
"I think only of your honour, my love," said the King, kissing her hands humbly.
The Queen gave Richelieu a freezing look, then turned to the Musketeers.
"I thank you all," she said, "for guarding me so diligently, not only my person, but my good reputation."
She walked along their line, offering her glove to kiss.
Aramis put his lips to the warm satin, and knew that another glove of hers was tucked inside his doublet, resting lightly over his heart.
Aramis recalled often, over the passing months, what followed Queen Anne's instructions that night at the wayside inn. Though the night had been dark, and all too brief, he could see it in bright detail:
Aramis stepped back and waited in the corridor by the Queen's door, as she had commanded. Athos and D'Artagnan stood with their backs to the Queen as she wished. As Anne opened the door, she and Aramis entered. The Queen closed it, and leaned back on it, raising her finger to her lips.
She turned the key in the lock, and heaved a sigh of relief.
Aramis scouted the room, especially the window.
"I imagine you are adept at those now," Anne whispered.
"Is this how I am to leave?"
"No. Odette will distract your friends while you depart."
He admired her planning. But was tremulous at her audacity. He had heard her say that Odette was not to appear until morning.
"Are you bold enough for this plan?" she said, reading his thoughts.
"I am at your disposal."
She laughed, then put her hand over her mouth.
She crossed to the window, where he was drawing the shutters across. "Kiss me."
"Do you command?"
"If I did not, would you?"
"If you were any other woman -" His eyes were drinking her in.
"I am the queen. And I am a woman and I wish it, so -"
He kissed her. Released her, and laughed quietly. "I know that tone."
"Am I not your first queen?" she asked, smiling.
"Your majesty cannot expect me to answer. But I recognise the tone of command from some ladies I have known." He kissed her bare hand.
"Rene," she said, and her tone was low like sweet spring water trickling over large pebbles in the mountains of his childhood.
He blushed deeply.
"I was travelling from home on the advice of my doctors," she told him. "Apparently a total change can sometimes effect a cure for my particular ailment."
She looked him in the eye and lay her hand gently over her belly. "I thought they were mad," she said. "But I am an obedient wife and so I am most willing to be wrong."
Aramis stood still as she clasped his shoulders. She continued, "This is not, I think, a matter for command. So I ask - are you willing, in this possible miracle?"
"I am no skeptic," Aramis said. " And this evening, these very moments, perfectly prove that wondrous things can occur."
He stroked a tendril of hair from her forehead and smiled. "To miracles," he said.
"To miracles," she repeated, and led him to the bed.