Updated: Monday 25th/9/2023
Chapter 4: Women
Musketeers: Season 1: Episode 1: Friends and Enemies
Charles had arrived back in Lupiac, Gascony with his Fathers body in a casket pulled by Buttercup and Vinnie in a cart. He travelled to the field where his Mother, Brothers and Sister were buried.
He takes the shovel and begins digging. Tears falling from his eyes. He wanted to do this himself. Nobody else needed to be here and he wanted this done in private.
As he had Werewolf strength, he was able to easily lift his Fathers coffin into the freshly made grave.
"I'm sorry Father", Charles cries as it fills it in, "I am sorry I have failed you!"
As the dirt settled covering the grave, he looked at the headstone and transformed one of his fingers into a claw. He etches the name of his Father on the space between his Mother and elder Brother.
He falls on his knee's tears streaming down his face as he reads the names of his family.
….
Alexandre Henri D'Artagnan II
Beloved: Grandfather, Husband, Father, Son, Uncle, Nephew, Member Leader
….
Annamarie D'Artagnan nee Dubois
Beloved: Grandmother, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Aunt, Niece, Member
...
Antonio Costa (Italian) and Leonor Costa nee Ramirez: (Spanish)
Beloved Grandparents, Spouses, Parents, Uncle and Aunt, Member
….
Isabella D'Artagnan nee Costa
Beloved: Wife, Mother, Daughter, Aunt, Niece, Cousin, Member
….
Alexandre D'Artagnan IV
Beloved: Son, Brother, Cousin, Member
Age: 19
….
Andre D'Artagnan
Beloved: Son, Brother, Cousin, Member
Age: 2
….
Juliette D'Artagnan
Beloved: Daughter, Sister, Cousin, Member
Age: 2
….
Now added to those names was…
Alexandre D'Artagnan III
Husband, Father, Son, Uncle, Nephew, Member Leader.
Survivor
…
When it said member, it meant Pack Member. But you couldn't go out right and say that. It would reveal them.
This makeshift graveyard looked like a battle graveyard.
And that basically what it was.
Charles was all that was left of his Pack. As his Uncle had split off from them many years ago. In a bitter battle with his own Father and Brother.
Suddenly it felt like he couldn't breathe and he started to run and shifts on the fly and lands on all fours and continues to run. Trying to forget. Trying to wear himself out. Trying to keep what sanity he had left.
He was now alone in the world.
All he might have left was revenge and after that he didn't know. He had always wanted to somehow become a Musketeer like his Godfather that he hadn't seen in years.
Actually, Charles believed him to be dead too. Otherwise, what excuse did his Godfather have to not come and see him and his Father?
But if he was alive did that mean he had at least one Pack member alive even if he was human?
He couldn't think on this now.
Charles WAS going to get his revenge and maybe some closure.
Whatever happens afterwards was up to fate…
(Line Break)
Charles didn't know what to expect when he reached Paris. He had never been here before. He comes in on Buttercup having painfully left his Fathers horse Vinnie with family friends. But Vinnie was grieving knowing his Master was dead. He also left the farm in those friends' hands.
And it might sound harsh but Charles didn't know how to deal with Vinnie grieving at the moment. He made arrangements for Buttercup to be stalled in a stable in Paris while he went to find somewhere for himself.
He had to rent a cheap room at an inn. It wasn't a good inn at any stretch of the imagination but it would have to do.
The first few hours at the inn were interesting. Was challenged to a duel in the morning and a beautiful woman looked at him like she was interested in him.
His instincts told him she would be trouble and that there was something odd about her. But one thing was for sure she wasn't a Werewolf.
He met her again only an hour later for her to try and steal his gun. But he surprised her back catching her wrist.
They flirt and kiss and he end up in bed with her.
Charles made the mistake of being distracted to not smell the dead body of the woman's companion next door. His Brother Oliver would have made him pay for that mistake.
When he saw the scar around her neck it sent uneasiness through him.
"What happened?" he asks her.
"The man I loved tried to murder me", she replies.
Charles felt something was off about that. But doesn't question it.
"Say the word, and I'll kill him for you", Charles says to her.
If only he knew then what he would come to learn in the days, weeks and months ahead…
(Line Break)
Charles had been woken to screaming, the bloody dagger in his pillow near his head and then being accused of murder of the man that arrived with the woman he Charles had slept with that night.
He had to jump through the window before the authorities were called. As he doubted anyone would listen to a 'farm boy' from Gascony.
Lucky he was a Werewolf and he didn't hurt himself much and he was gone before anyone was the wiser due to his speed.
But they still chased blindly after him.
That is where he met the most beautiful woman and boy that was a memorable meeting. He was not proud having forced her to kiss him. But she was feisty and draw a knife on him.
They got off on the wrong foot and he felt terrible but he couldn't help it and his wolf wanted her. Having sniffed her scent, it made his wolf purr contentedly inside of him and calm somewhat.
Charles apologised.
"Are you all right?" she asks him seeming to get over their 'introduction'.
"Do you know the way to the Musketeers' garrison?" he asks her.
"Why do you want to know?" she asks him.
"I have business to settle on my Father's behalf", he says to her.
"You really don't look well", she replies.
To be fair Charles was holding his bruised side. His side was likely to heal by dinner. As he wasn't going to turn wolf and hunt to fox such a simple injury.
But he must have hit his head and not realised it as the next thing he knew he was waking up in a bed to the woman from the marketplaces face.
He was surprised and grabbed her hand as it touched his head. Lucky, he didn't put much strength into the hold or it might have been disastrous.
"Where am I?" he asks sniff quietly to see if he should be worried.
But it seemed this woman's scent calmed the werewolf beneath his skin.
"My husband's house", she replies looking a bit startled and snatched her hand back.
He groans and slaps his hand to his forehead.
'Another mistake of being unaware that Oliver would have killed me for', Charles thinks.
"Oh!" he says, "No I can't stay here", he says quickly moving to get up.
A werewolf living in a human household just spelled trouble.
"I have an appointment with the Musketeer Athos", he tells her wincing as he knocked his head on the hanging lights.
"I know him", she tells him, "Is he a friend of yours?"
"Not exactly", he says putting back on his shirt.
"You can barely walk…", she says in a huff.
"That's my problem and I've had worse", he replies thinking of the razed trap he had been caught in when he was 8.
Oliver had saved him.
Why was he thinking so much of Oliver these past fees weeks and more on the last few days.
"Now, will you tell me the way to the Musketeers' Garrison or not?" He winced at his rude tone.
He was going to have to apologise later, after he dealt with his Fathers killer.
"You're in no shape to fight, if that's what you're thinking of", the woman says getting up.
As he gets on his jacket and weapons. Be made sure the daggers his Oliver had gotten him we're all there. He wasn't thinking that he distrusted the woman. But those had special meaning to him.
And we'll yes, he didn't trust her no matter what his wolf said. After that woman last night, he might be a bit touchy about women for a bit.
"I have three older brothers. I know that look in a man's eye", she tells him.
"I would know that look too. I had two older Brothers", Charles retorts not knowing why he just told a complete stranger that.
He shakes his head and pushes back his instincts and he saw her give him a compassionate look out of the corner of his eye.
"With respect, that's none of your business", he says clearing his throat.
"You made it my business when you fell at my feet", she retorts.
He grimaces he didn't remember that. And he realised the last of his Pack's death his Fathers death was making him do things a normal wolf wouldn't.
No…no he couldn't be turning into a Mongrel yet, could he?
"You're a beautiful woman, I'm sure you're used to it", he tells her.
"I should have just left you in the gutter", she tells him angrily.
He winced coming back to himself.
"My apologies", he says bowing to her after he picks up his swords, "I'm not always so ill-mannered"
He straightens and looks this beautiful woman in the eye and something inside of him seems to mend.
"Might I enquire the name of my saviour?" he asks her.
"Bonacieux", she replies wringing the cloth, "Constance Bonacieux"
Charles bows his head, "Athos killed my Father, Constance", he reveals but again doesn't know why he revealed that to a stranger, "That's why I must face him"
She looks at him with a look he could say as disbelief.
"I'm D'Artagnan", he says to her.
Deciding just now to start this new chapter of his life being addressed as D'Artagnan instead of Charles.
Charles was for his family. Which he now had none of.
D'Artagnan was a man who was alone in this world having lost all he cared about.
"Please think kindly of my name, if you think of it at all", he says not knowing why he just said that.
And he turns and leaves the woman and her house.
But not before feeling like he was leaving a piece of himself behind…
^~~Author's Note: What Do You Think? Please Review:)!~~^