Chapter 1
(Sylvie pov)
1 month ago…
Maintenon was a beautiful village. The people were welcoming, the baron interfered very little, and it was a day's trip away from Paris. When Athos brought her here and showed her the house he bought, she was overjoyed. They were surrounded by beautiful fields that lit up at sunrise and sunset, the market was nearby, and their neighbors were kind enough to show her around.
Sylvie settled in quickly, finding kids to teach, and friends to spend time with. She didn't make much money, but Athos had said he had money saved up, and for a while she allowed herself to relax.
But Athos - he remained tense, always on the lookout, prepared to fight. She knew it would be hard for him to adjust after years of being a soldier, yet every possibility that she could have ever thought of could not compare to how bad it was.
She realized she didn't know him as well as she thought she did. He was not the honorable and quiet man that she thought he was - he was much more complicated, and Maintenon seemed to bring out the worst in him.
Everything had been fine, until she asked him how much money he had saved up. That day she woke up with the realization that the house was not cheap, and with Athos throwing the money left and right, they couldn't possibly last long with her meager earnings. He refused to answer, she asked him to find work, he promised he would find something in Maintenon, and a week later he rode off to Paris.
That is when she noticed that Athos would rather say nothing than share anything of importance with her. And if that wasn't bad enough, the only other person he spoke to was the priest at the local church - something she couldn't understand knowing that Athos was not a religious man.
But the worst part was looking at how all the villagers lowered their eyes in fear anytime he walked past. His only reaction had been to pull his hat lower over his eyes and pretend that he didn't see them cowering. And when he rode through on his horse…
Sylvie shook her head to herself. Athos was a confusing man, and any attempt at understanding his actions felt like digging a grave with one's own bare hands.
The night before, he returned from Paris, having no doubt ridden the entire day through the rain, looking pleased for the first time in weeks as he announced to her that he found work that "suited his skills if not his principles".
She had asked him about it, but he promised to explain everything in the morning. And so she sat at the kitchen table waiting for him to finish his breakfast.
Athos looked up at her when he noticed her shake her head, and the detached look in his eyes told her that he wouldn't bother hurrying.
Sylvie huffed as she looked away.
Athos in return leaned back in his chair, looking as disinterested as always.
"You clearly have questions."
She snapped her head back to him and glared. God damn his arrogance!
"You know exactly what this is about! You return at an ungodly hour to announce that you've found yourself work! And don't tell me anything!"
He wipes his mouth carefully with the napkin and takes his time to take a sip of water.
"Should I have returned in the morning instead? Or perhaps not at all?"
The chair falls back as she stands up. And Athos remains unfazed - looking up at her, expecting an answer to his question.
Sylvie brushes her hair away from her face.
"You're insufferable! I simply wanted to know what kind of job you found!"
And looking at Athos she realizes he knew that from the very beginning, and was simply doing everything to avoid having to tell her the truth. It made her question everything. She knew very little of his time with the Musketeers and nothing of his past. He gave her his body but not his mind, and she didn't realize until now that he never will. Every little crumb had to be taken by force.
He simply nodded and sat back up, placing his elbows on the table.
"I couldn't find any work here, but I knew that in Paris my skills were needed."
She frowned.
"You went to work with the Musketeers?"
He clenched his jaw and shook his head.
"No. Aramis, D'artagnan, and Porthos don't know that I was in Paris."
So if he was not there for the Musketeers… Then where were his skills needed? Work as a guard? Swordmaster? For some noble?
"Then what is it?"
He took a deep breath before replying. He fixed his bright blue eyes on hers with a serious look.
"You must understand that no one can know. No one can know what I do. Or for who. Not even D'Artagnan, or Porthos, or Aramis."
Sylvie sat down. She blinked a few times trying to understand what he just said. But before she could say anything he spoke again.
"I am to work for the Queen."
The Queen. Secret work. No one can know. His skills.
"A Spy! Athos have you lost your mind?!"
He reached for her hand, shushing her.
"I will serve my country as I've always wanted to do, and it pays well."
She pulled her hand away.
"It is dangerous! You could be killed! And I would never even find out! And what do I tell everyone here? How do I explain why you are away all the time?!"
He shook his head.
"I will not be away often. I will not go far."
She looked away as he took both of her hands.
A quiet and peaceful town, to live away from the danger.
That is what he had told her when he brought her to Maintenon.
"We left Paris for this particular reason! We left all of that behind!"
Athos placed his hand on her cheek, turning her head back to face him.
"I could not work here. I could not allow myself to work in the fields, not after everything that I've done. Not after the war."
She bit her lip but nodded as he brushed a tear running down her cheek away with his thumb.
And how could she deny him? It was not as though he would even listen to her. He had done as she had asked, he found himself work. Who was she to complain? If he listened to her it meant he didn't have enough money to live the rest of their lives here. She knew he was a soldier, she should have foreseen this.
"Alright. Just… Just promise to me that you'll be careful."
He stood up and leaned over the table to kiss her. It didn't last long, as Sylvie pulled away and stood up.
"I know I can't stop you. But please try to find something else?"
Athos nodded.
"The moment I find something else I will leave the Queen's service."
Sylvie nodded in return, desperately trying not to cry as everything she had built in the last couple of months began falling apart.