Evening My Lovelies :D

*Screams like a sports announcer* ARE YOU READY FOR SOME MORE WHUMPAGE! (sorry Ive had a lot of sugar to keep me awake)

I must say I'm quite excited for this chapter :) I'm really hoping you'll all enjoy it.

Though I will add that the bit at the end of yesterday's chapter where we saw Treville... That's meant to be several days previously so it wasnt happening the same time as Porthos's torture or Aramis meeting Bryce. - I forgot to write that bit in sorry!

Notes On Reviews:

ploiuiu: Thanks for the review - Tristan will definitely be looked after by the garrison but I havent quite decided Bryce's fate yet. Glad you're liking the story so far. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Deana: Thanks for the review - ...Yeah it's a relief until you read what I've done to him today mwhahaha :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

Tidia: Thanks for the review - Tristan's helping, he's worried about the musketeers. I havent quite decided Bryce yet, depends how the story goes. Enjoy the new chapter! x

watlocked: Thanks for the review - I dont know how much help Bryce is going to be though... he's quite scared of Ortiz and his men so it's doubtful he'll do much to help... But who knows maybe I'll let him have a moment of bravery.

Debbie (Guest): Thanks for the review - I'm hoping this chapter was worth the short wait. Treville does now know what is going on with his men... or at least he knows as much as Tristan can tell him. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Helensg: Thanks for the review - Things are about to go dramatically down hill for our favourite medic though I'm afraid but I'm glad you liked the little bit of healing/comfort for him. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Issai: Thanks for the review - The musketeers health are declining quite badly at present so I can't guarantee what sort of condition they'll be in for tomorrow's chapter. Yeah I dont think Porthos would approve of the sight of him dead. Though I do agree that after what I've done to him in today's chapter he might have preferred to bleed out. :D I haven't planned for Bryce to do much more but with the comment's I've read about him today I will say I'm tempted to see if maybe I can give him a brave moment and have him do something, we shall see. We are getting closer to finding out who was the one who isnt fighting in the prologue. Enjoy the new chapter! x

Lilac Lavender: Thanks for the review - Yeah D'Art's sort-of-friend a couple of chapters ago was Bryce. I have no plans for any more of Ortiz's guards to show any sort of guilt or compassion towards the captured musketeers and I also have no plans for Bryce to do much more in the way of helping them... though who knows, maybe he will, there's certainly opportunities for it to happen. Tristan was only able to tell Treville of what he knows but at the very least it means the men aren't riding in blind. Thank you as well for you're kind words, they made me smile to read them :D Enjoy the new chapter! x

As always many thanks for following/favouriting/reviewing/reading

Enjoy!

xxx

Chapter Nineteen: Testing The Bonds Of Brotherhood - Aramis

"I must say," mused Ortiz as he circled around the chair that currently had a semi-aware musketeer tied to it. "Of all the mutts that the niño (child) that likes to play at being King has serving him, you are one of the few that intrigues me"

"You mean you actually have an interest outside of stalking my little brother? I'm both shocked and a tiny bit honored" spat the musketeer sarcastically as he glared at the man before him.

"I'm intrigued to know" Ortiz continued, ignoring the musketeer's statement and accompanying glare. "Why someone like you would so blindly follow someone like Louis?"

Brushing off the slight against his monarch the musketeer simply smiled at the Spaniard in front of him "Now what could you mean by 'someone like me?'" he asked, his voice full of exaggerated innocence and curiosity, "Someone so outrageously charming?" he said tilting his head, his smile growing at the look of annoyance growing on Ortiz's face. Probably not the smartest move he knew but he simply couldn't resist. "No? …How about someone so ridiculously handsome?"

His rambling was cut off when Ortiz grabbed him by the throat, applying just enough pressure to give him some slight difficult breathing. "Someone of Spanish blood" snarled Ortiz, tightening his grip on the musketeer's throat for just a second before releasing him, smirking as he watched the musketeer cough and try to suck air into his lungs.

"And that blood means I just have to hate everything to do with France?" Aramis growled, his voice somewhat raspy after his short coughing fit.

"You hold no loyalty for your homeland?" Ortiz asked, sounding genuinely curious as he eyed the medic

Shrugging as best as he was able to given his rather tight bindings and injured shoulder Aramis admitted, "I love Spain" before glaring at the smug expression on Ortiz's face, "But FRANCE is my home. The musketeers' are my FAMILY and if you think anything you can do or say will change that then you're crazier and stupider than you appear."

"Yet others don't seem to hold the same loyalty to 'family' as you do," remarked Ortiz, smirking when he noticed Aramis tense at his words, thinking he had struck a nerve.

Whilst he had it was not the one he thought he had. Aramis knew Ortiz's words were regarding D'Artagnan's refusal to give up the documents he had stolen, even when their lives were threatened. The sharpshooter was so close to breaking into a laughing fit at the mere thought that Ortiz assumed he would see D'Artagnan's refusal to speak as anything but proof of his love for them.

Aramis had seen the pain in his brother's eyes, how much it had hurt him not to immediately give up the documents location when their lives were threatened. But he had also seen the fierce protectiveness in his injured brother when he refused to give them any information regarding them so that they were not in any extra danger… If the decision to try to bear all of Ortiz's ire over the loss of the documents wasn't proof of the love their youngest held for them he didn't know what was.

"He would see you and those you care about dead to protect some measly pieces of paper" Ortiz continued, ignorant of Aramis's internal musings, "Yet he claims loyalty to you and yours?"

Now that's where Aramis did lose it. "He is more loyal to me and my brothers then all your men added together are to you!" Scoffing he added, "You just don't see it as you mistake fear for loyalty"

Hearing the stream of Spanish curses that flowed out of Aramis's mouth after finishing his speech Ortiz was quick to backhand the musketeer hard across the face, the signet ring he wore on his finger leaving a cut across the medic's cheek.

"Listen here mutt" growled Ortiz, once again grabbing the musketeer by the throat, "You have only one chance to save yourself from the pain your precious 'brothers' suffered" tightening his grip when he saw the sharpshooter roll his eyes at him he added, "Get the brat to give me the location of my documents and save yourself some pain"

"How… Many… Times" snarled the medic, his voice almost uncharacteristically low and dangerous, "Do we have to say go to hell before you get it into your thick skull that we'll give you NOTHING!"

Unfortunately Ortiz didn't take too kindly to the medic's refusal and so kicked the tied up man solidly in the stomach, knocking the air out of him.

Wheezing violently as he tried to get air back into his lungs Aramis glared defiantly at Ortiz.

"Speaking of" wheezed the musketeer, "Where is my overly loyal little brother?" Smirking he added, "Or did you finally realize you can't break him?"

Aramis's smirk faltered slightly when Ortiz replied with one of his own, leaning into the musketeer's face as he answered, "It's true that seeing his 'brother's' in pain was not enough to break him… But what about not knowing their fate?"

"Ahhh" nodded the medic, trying to reign in his growing fear… not for himself but for the young Gascon who would allow the guilt of whatever fate was about to befall him to tear him apart. "So you intend to bargain knowledge of my fate for the location of your 'measly pieces of paper'"

"And the boy was looking a little pasty… don't want to get too close in case it's contagious… or worse, fatal" added Ortiz with an even bigger smirk.

"He dies and you'll never get the information you're after!" reasoned Aramis, desperate to get his sick baby brother some help before it became too late.

Ortiz said nothing in response and merely nodded to a pair of guards who Aramis had not noticed standing behind him. The guards moved with a speed the medic was unprepared for and so had little time to defend himself from. Not that he could've done much to defend himself regardless.

Aramis quickly found his arms unchained from the chair and instead being chained to a pair of metal rings hanging from the ceiling. His legs were also unchained and then the musketeer was forced to stand, the chair quickly removed.

One of the guards then placed a dagger under his shirt, making him tense as soon as the cold steel touched his skin. The dagger was then quickly pulled upwards – tearing his shirt away from his back as it went.

"You know" smirked Aramis, raising an eyebrow at the Spaniard before him, "There are easier ways to see me shirtless," he added, inwardly chuckling at the look Ortiz gave him in return. Though a small shiver went through him when the torn piece of clothing was ripped off of his body.

"You know" Ortiz mused, repeating the musketeer's words back at him as he moved to a table and picked up an object that made the sharpshooter's blood run cold. "I was going to use this on that other one." He mused; flicking the whip lightly and thoroughly enjoying the sick look on the musketeer's face. "After all it's what his kind deserve… When slaves are rebellious they must be punished."

"Porthos is a free man!" yelled Aramis, anger burning within him for the slur against his brother. He knew the man struggled whenever the subject of slavery came up, that it hurt him. "And a better man then you will EVER be!"

"But then I thought" Ortiz continued, ignoring Aramis's outburst. "That it would be much better suited for use on a traitor" he spat before letting the whip land it's first lash on the musketeer's back.

Aramis gasped in pain as the whip continued it relentless assault on his back, tears were threatening to spill from his eyes and his legs were shaking so bad he doubted it would be much longer until they gave out… But through it all he refused to scream, he had been whipped before on a past mission, he knew what pain to expect and he was determined not to let his brother's suffer because of his scream.

Unfortunately it would seem that Ortiz was not pleased with the lack of screams and so after what felt like an eternity for the musketeer, he put down the whip.

Aramis let out a shaky breath once the constant pain of the whip was removed from his skin. He tried to steady his trembling limbs as well as to brace himself for whatever his tormentor had in store for him next.

Without warning a liquid was slowly poured down the marksman's back. As soon as the liquid touched one of the many lashes that littered the musketeer's back Aramis let of a scream of pure agony… The alcohol Ortiz was pouring down his back igniting an inferno of pain. He writhed and thrashed as he tried to get away from the burning liquid but to no avail.

The alcohol was eventually removed but sadly for the musketeer the pain it caused remained. Though now the random thought of 'at least I know the wounds are clean' had popped into the medic's head, making him chuckle weakly at the absurdity of such a thought in this situation.

"I'm glad you seem to be having fun," said Ortiz as he stood back to admire the work he had done to the sharpshooter's back. The skin was shredded in parts and was a mess of bleeding lashes. He couldn't not smile as he imagined the pain the man would be in while it healed… well that he would be in if he was to somehow survive all of this and escape which was so unlikely it was almost laughable.

"Oh yeah" spat Aramis weakly, the medic doing his best to make his voice strong and his glare stronger, "barrels of fun this is"

"Then you'll just love what's coming next" grinned Ortiz, walking back over to the table, giving Aramis a moment to try to compose himself for whatever was about to come.

Aramis's blood turned to ice and he instantly paled when his pain-dulled eyes saw what Ortiz was now holding in his hands.

A bat… wrapped in thick chains.

"Last chance musketeer" spat Ortiz as he moved in front of the marksman, "Care to change your answer from earlier?"

Not confident he could speak without his voice shaking, which was something he really didn't want to happen, Aramis settled for head-butting the man in front of him, smirking when Ortiz howled in pain.

"Oh you'll pay for that," snarled Ortiz before he swung the bat straight at Aramis's leg, which was quickly accompanied by a heart-wrenching howl of pain.

"You damn musketeers are a right torn in my side" growled Ortiz as he swung the bat again. Relishing it even more this time as he both felt and heard the bone snap when the bat made contact.

Aramis's pain skyrocketed when the bone snapped and he flung his head backwards, as an agonized scream ripped it's way from his already sore throat.

Once he had finished screaming, Aramis allowed his head to flop down to rest on his chest, his eyes scrunched closed in pain as he tried desperately to focus on his breathing so he didn't give into his current desire to pass out.

As such he didn't notice that Ortiz had lifted up the bat to launch another swing at his already broken leg until a heartbreakingly familiar voice pierced through the pain induced fog clouding his mind.

"Drop the bat monsieur"

Forcing himself to open his eyes and to lift his head Aramis was greeted by the sight of a scowling Ortiz who had his hands raised, still holding the bat, but with the tip of a sword pressed into his throat.

Slowly letting his eyes follow the length of the blade Aramis's eyes widened when he saw the furious yet relief-inducing form of his savior.

"…Captain"