Prologue
(Athos pov)
"Athos!"
He slammed the door behind himself, hoping that it would be the end, fully knowing that it would not.
Sylvie threw the door open and rushed after him.
"Athos! Where are you going?!"
He could hear the exasperation in her voice, but he made his choice.
"You know very well where."
She huffed loudly as they reached the stables. From the corner of his eye he could see how she desperately gripped her skirt.
"Athos stop!"
A month ago he would have stopped and he would have comforted Sylvie, before once again begging her to let him go serve his country, knowing well that she would, but he let it go deeper than he should have and now he couldn't stop until he saw it through to the end.
"I thought we talked about it!" she begged him.
Not that he wanted to stop either.
"We did."
He prepared Roger for the long trip, checked the saddle, tied everything and anything once again, just in case, and made sure the flask of wine would be within his reach.
"You can't just leave like this!"
Athos should have turned around. He should have, but he knew Sylvie's voice well enough to know that she was on the verge of tears, and turning around would lead to only one thing: a delay.
"I have to."
He mounted his horse and only then turned around to look at Sylvie, who already had tears running down her cheeks. She stepped forward nervously, her hands reaching towards Roger, trying to stop him, before backing down and letting her hands drop.
"Athos! This is not fair. It was your idea to leave Paris, and now you go back at every opportunity, leaving me behind."
Yes it was his idea, but it wasn't as though he had any other options at the time. He tilted his head to the side.
"That, is not fair."
He pulled slightly on the reins to turn his horse around, placed his hat on his head, and prepared to ride to Paris.
"You gave me your word!"
The desperation in Sylvie's voice was now replaced by anger as she screamed at him, no doubt drawing their neighbors' attention.
"I did. And you know I tried."
He did try, when she asked him to find work in the little village that Maintenon was, but his skills were not needed amongst farmers and stonemasons. So he looked elsewhere, namely Paris.
"Athos!"
And now he worked for the Queen of France. All because he didn't want to tell Sylvie that he had enough gold and silver to last them a couple lifetimes with their current way of life.
"I'll return in 5 days."
If everything goes well - is left unsaid as he rides away. He hears Sylvie yell his name again but all he can think of is Paris - his mission, his wife, his home.