Cardinal Richelieu was stroding through the palace with an elegant, jaw-dropping beautiful woman in lavish Parisian clothes at his side. It was the woman who had stopped Rochefort from murdering D'Artagnan and raping Felice. That had been a narrowly close call. Looking at the gorgeous lady, one would think she was a divine angel sent from above, from her flawless beauty.
But, as the Scriptures say in the Book of Proverbs, "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain."
The lady could look like a pure rose, and had magnificent capabilities of portraying herself as an innocent, devout, godly woman. However, her heart held no such description.
"It's time to make our move." Richelieu told her. "We shall use Buckingham's arrival to our advantage. During his visit, we will reveal that he arranged a secret rendezvous with the queen."
"May I inquire to how your eminence managed to uncover this scandalous affair?" Milady de Winter replied.
"By reading Buckingham's letters found by the queen in her possession."
"Ahh! Written in Buckingham's own hand, then authenticated by his seal." She added.
"A woman of your talents should have no trouble procuring either." Richelieu smirked.
"Mmm. Your eminence is too kind. However, I hardly believe that the king will receive such letters as definitive proof of his wife's...indiscretion." Milady remarked coyly.
"Then we shall prove it with something a bit more...substantial. Say, a piece of the queen's jewelry given to Buckingham as a token of affection."
"Buckingham will be humiliated."
"The king will be outraged." Richelieu grinned darkly.
"The queen will be executed."
"France will have no choice but to go to war."
"And in times like these, France will no doubt turn to a stronger leader. Someone like your eminence." Milady glanced at him smugly.
"Would you think it abominable of me to require another scheme of you?" Richelieu cocked his head.
"Mmm...that would depend on the nature of the requirement. What do you have in mind?" Milady asked curiously, her eyes lighting up at the notion of using others to her advantage.
"This young D'Artagnan fellow. He's no more than a child, strolling throughout the countryside with foolish dreams of grandeur." Richelieu grunted in disgust.
"Boys will be boys." Milady smiled innocently.
"Yes, well there is that. He wants to become a musketeer. Perhaps it is time that he had a small nudge into the true aspects of life."
Milady beamed with intrigue. "Are you suggesting, that I use my magical ways of persuasion on him, your eminence?"
"Oh, dear me, no. You are just offering a token of affection, to Buckingham. Courtesy of his eminence, for the seal of our treaty.
'Five in audience of the king arrived for their ghastly actions against my men. Parading as performing gallant actions in the name of a musketeer. You...shall remove their weakest link."
"Ahh. I see. Your eminence is most resourceful. With a little distraction, they will be so consumed with the little escapade we will have created, that they will never suspect the true heart of the matter." Milady curtsied. "I must say, your eminence, how can I refuse?"