Hello, I am back with the new chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

Special thanks to MONICAMACK, TheseWordsAreUnspoken and MusketeerAdventure.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Musketeers.

Chapter 2: Memories

...and left behind, the five musketeers, who perhaps for the first time didn't know what to say.

After a moment of silence Athos walked over to the table and asked Serge about another bottle of wine.

The captain understood that it will be better to leave his musketeers alone, he apologized that has a lot of paperwork on the table and left. The three musketeers switched over to the table and sat down.

"So," Aramis, who was sitting on Athos' left spoke first, "why did you never tell us about her, my friend?"

"You have never asked." Athos said and drank wine.

"She was glad to see you, and you, too, so what's the problem?" Porthos said , when saw that slightly frown face of his friend.

"I haven't seen her from the Thomas' funeral." he said as explanation.

"Ah."

"And were you close?" asked Aramis, "What!" he added in d'Artagnan's raised eyebrows.
"I'm just asking."

"It's okay," Athos understood that he will not get rid of his brothers
"actually, we've lived part of our childhood together."

"Really?" d'Artagnan couldn't resist the opportunity to hear something of his mentor's past.

''Lived in La Fere ever since she was seven years old.'' Athos wasn't looking at anyone of them, but there was sparkle of joy in his eyes.

"Her mother was a sister of my father. I actually didn't know her, she married very young and she didn't speak to the rest of the family since then '' he paused. "Her husband was an English Lord."

"So your cousin is the Lady?" the astonished Porthos.

"Yes," Athos nodded, "but she doesn't like it"

"It seems that you have it in the family." d'Artagnan smiled.

Athos didn't respond to the remark and continued.

"They lived together here in France, but when Gracelyn was seven years old, her mother died." he said seriously.

"Poor kid," Aramis felt sorry the girl, "but what about her father?"

"Lord Haley couldn't bear to see his daughter, who so much resembled his wife, at least he wrote that in the letter to my father, so he sent her to La Fere, and returned to his mansion in England."

Athos was staring into the void when his mind was absorbed by the memories.

"Then I saw her for the first time, Gracelyn has been like my sister since then."

FLASHBACK

It was a summer afternoon. Thirteen years old Athos stood at the window of his room and watched the arriving carriage. When he first heard that his small cousin will be coming, he was delighted. But the more he thought about the novelty, the more joy lulls.

Even he will never admit it out loud, thought she will be only other Thomas' friend and therefore even more reason to envy. Although loved his brother, Athos envied him his carefree life full of fun and games.

"It's not fair." he thought every time he had to sit over textbooks while his younger brother was running around outside in the garden, full of blooming forget-me-nots.

"Olivier!" the voice of his nanny ripped him out of ideas "Come to welcome your cousin."

The young Comte looked the last time out the window at the arriving carriage and then went to the entrance. There was only a woman with a stern expression on the face.

"Where is father?" asked the nanny when he was not seen him at the door "I thought he will be there."

"He has a lot of work." the woman frowned "Are you afraid to welcome a little girl alone?"

"Certainly not." defended himself from accusations, but at the same time a little worried, he never knew what say to newcomers. In that moment Gracelyn stepped out of the carriage. The little girl was wearing a dress the color of the morning sky and have a big smile on her face.

"Hello." she chirped in a high tone of voice, came to Athos and hugged him.

"I'm Gracelyn."

"H-hello." the surprised boy stammered.

"Well," nanny measured the girl with a critical eye "there will be a lot of work with you"

The girl dropped her eyes and a little bit blushed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered back, "mom said, that I'm sometimes a little wild." and a tinge of sadness sneaked into the eyes of her when the thought of the mother.

"Do you want see the house?" Athos asked the girl and hoped that distract her a little. Looking at her, he changed his mind and wondered that it wouldn't be eventually so bad to have her at home.

"Yeah." she picked up the eyes and up to the moisture of her eyes, it was not to know that she was ever sad.

"She's sweet." Comte thought and said "By the way," remembered his manners, "My name's Olivier."

END OF FLASHBACK

"It was cruel." Aramis' voice came to through the veil of memories.

"What?" confused Athos turned to him.

"I mean that father left her behind."

"Well, I believe that she was actually happy. He wasn't the ideal father."

"But still.."

"Where was she actually for the last five years?" Porthos cut off his speech.

It seemed to him somewhat reckless abandon of her cousin, at the moment when he had to hang his wife for the murder of his brother. Especially when it turned out that they grew up together.

"In England," Athos got up from the table put down the wine and walked over to the training musketeers, pulled out his sword and began to train. Every other observer would say, he has a face without emotion, fully focused only and only on the swordplay, but Aramis, who knew every millimeter on the face of his friend, noticed the cheerful spark that danced in his eyes.

"And I thought he can't surprise me anymore." he remarked, more to himself and stood up

"Do you want practise your skills with a musket?" he turned to d'Artagnan.

"Hmm?" the boy was still thinking over the new information "Sure." and both of them went to targets.

"And yet this morning it looked so boring." Porthos mumbled and added to his friends.

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