When will the garrison be expecting its first child?
She and Aramis were invited to the garrison by Constance and d'Artagnan the following morning. Aramis could not hide his grin when he gave her the message about some new additions they wanted them to see, but when asked if he knew what exactly these additions were, his response was cryptic, and admitted that he had only gotten a glimpse of them on the way back from their trip.
What was more curious is that when they arrived, neither Constance nor d'Artagnan were there to greet them, Aramis proceeded to simply lead her towards the couple's quarters, which had been one of the first things redone after the fire.
Turning the corner before Constance and d'Artagnan's bedroom, she heard the gurgling of a baby.
"You didn't say Elodie and Marie-Cessette would be here as well," she said.
Coming up to the partially open door, Aramis turned to her, his eyes sparkling. "Because they're not," he told her, and then pushed the door over to reveal Constance and d'Artagnan standing by the far window, engrossed with the baby in Constance's arms.
Constance quickly bowed her head, and was smiling widely when she looked back up. "Majesty, you remember Nicolette?"
Stunned, Anne looked to Aramis and then back to Constance before walking over and pushing back the swaddling to better see the baby's face. She was relieved to see how much better Nicolette looked since she last saw her. "Of course. Have you adopted her then?"
"Well, everyone else either had or is having a baby, and we were feeling left out," answered d'Artagnan, and Constance promptly hit his stomach with the back of her hand. "Kidding," he amended.
"It will be nice though, for all our children to be so close in age," Constance admitted.
"It will be," Anne agreed. She felt a pang of sadness as she remembered Nicolette's story, but the rush of excitement and joy for her dear friends and their expanding family swiftly swept it away. "I'll have to send over the baby clothes and toys I saved for you."
Constance's eyes softened. "You still saved something for us?"
"So much had changed since our conversation, and with d'Artagnan's new position and our new war efforts, I thought that in time, things might change even more." She glanced down as she ran her hands over her belly. "I never imagined I would be the one expecting, but a lot of things I once thought improbable or even impossible have proven to be just the opposite." She looked over at Aramis and he gave her a small half-smile. She never thought she'd be able to have any kind of life with him, let alone call him husband.
"You should broaden your imagination, Majesty," Aramis lightly suggested before stepping over and saying hello to the baby.
MMMMMMMMMM
After a short while, they said their goodbyes, and Anne followed Aramis out and back down the hallway. When they reached the steps that led outside though, he stopped and turned around to face her. "There's one more thing," he said, that glint still in his eyes, and proceeded to lead her down another hallway.
"Another surprise? Bigger than Constance and d'Artagnan bringing home a baby?"
"No," Aramis laughed. "Not bigger than a baby. Though, actually, in terms of size, she's just about as big as Nicolette."
"She?" she repeated, but Aramis only smiled as he stopped in front of a door to what she thought was sleeping quarters. He knocked and she heard a little yip come from inside the room followed by the shuffling of feet. "Was that…?"
Before she could finish voicing her thoughts, the door opened and the cadet Francis stood in the doorway, holding a squirming white puppy in his arms.
She gasped. "Is that Sweetheart?"
Thanking Francis, Aramis took the puppy into his arms, and Francis bowed before walking away. "Indeed it is," he confirmed while Sweetie began licking his face. He jerked his head towards the room. "Come."
Once they closed the door to the small room that she supposed belonged to Francis, she was able to step up to Aramis and properly greet the puppy, who instantly tried licking and nibbling at Anne's fingers. "So Constance and d'Artagnan adopted Sweetie as well? For the garrison?"
Aramis shook his head. "We did. I just asked them to keep her here for the night so I could surprise you."
Her hands dropped and she looked up at him. "What do you mean, 'we did'?"
"She's ours," he replied, still grinning. "Well, I brought her back for Louis, really. I figured he won't be able to play with the baby or any of his new cousins for a while, and Sweetie could be his companion. He did enjoy playing with the puppies."
"She won't be a puppy for much longer, Aramis. I've had full-grown Spaniels that are smaller than she is now. Just look how big her feet are. She'll be as big as the pony!"
"She'll only get as big as her parents are," Aramis countered.
"Fine, slightly smaller than the pony," Anne begrudgingly conceded. "What is it with men and bringing large animals into the palace?"
Aramis shrugged, and then held Sweetie up next to his chin so that two pairs of big brown eyes were now looking at her. "So can I give her to Louis?"
She sighed. "They can spend the afternoon together and then she's going straight to the Master of the Hounds so he can start training her."
MMMMMMMMMM
Taking a break from running around with Louis and Sweetie on the lawn, he walked over to where Anne sat on a chair under a small canopy. She looked to be lost in her thoughts as he came up to her.
"I've made a decision regarding who should be the next Grand Master of Navigation," Anne announced once he reached the canopy. They had started to discuss who should take on the position after the last person who held it, the duke of Brézé, had been killed in battle, but Aramis had left for Saint-Gobain before Anne could make a decision.
He grasped the nearest pole as he caught his breath and put a hand on his hip. "And? Will you take it?"
"I'm giving it to you," she answered.
"Me?" he asked, surprised. "Why?"
"I don't want to let the position pass on as an inheritance as Condé wants, but I also don't think it's a good idea for the Spanish Queen to take it upon herself, nor do I want to give it to any of the other candidates; you'll put the income from it to better use."
Letting go of the pole, he put his other hand on his hip. "I am humbled by Your Majesty's faith and support-"
"I'm also putting you in charge of Louis' education," she added.
This was an even bigger surprise. "Me?" he asked for a second time.
"You oversaw the education of the orphans at Douai, didn't you?"
"Yes, but, Majesty, I know nothing of educating a king," he protested.
"Yours will be a more practical education, I should think." She looked out towards Louis. "You have lived so many lives, seen so much, and survived it all. You will know better what the people want in a king, and what it will take to make him not only a great king but a great man." She looked back at him. "I can assist you in finding and selecting tutors, of course, but you will ultimately decide what he should be learning."
"You think the council will like these appointments? Or the nobles?"
She held her head high as she continued to watch Louis play. "I think the council needs to start taking you more seriously," she replied, and he could tell that her mind was set on the matter. "The Cardinal was the first Grand Master of Navigation, let it return to the First Minister, and let both positions serve as a message to everyone that you're here to stay."
MMMMMMMMMM
He heard the scratching of a quill, and opening his eyes, he looked beyond the bed to see Anne sitting at her desk, bathed in the orange glow of several candles. "Ana?" He raised himself up onto his forearms. "What are you doing? It's late."
"I couldn't sleep," she answered, still focused on whatever she was working on. "I have things to do."
"It can wait until tomorrow, come back to bed."
She shook her head. "I have to prepare."
Pushing back the sheet, he got out of bed and walked over to her. "Prepare for what?"
"For when the baby comes."
Aramis' brow furrowed and he leaned closer to the desk, squinting in the low light to see the words at the top of the piece of parchment in front of her. "You're writing a new will?"
"There's a chance I won't survive the birth and I have to make sure you're officially named guardian to Louis and the baby."
"What are you talking about, of course you'll survive." The possibility of her perishing in childbirth flitted across his mind here and there, but he always swatted it away, not wanting to give merit to the idea. They still had at least another month before the baby came and he wanted to push those dark thoughts away as long as possible.
"You don't know that."
"You're going to have the best midwives and doctors in France at your bedside."
Anne laid the quill down. "My mother had the best in Spain. It doesn't matter, Aramis, it can happen to any woman, commoner or queen."
"Nicolette, did seeing her bring this about?" he wondered. It would also explain the new positions she gave him.
"Nicolette, Anne-Marie…"
"You sound like Louis when you told him about the baby."
She turned her head sharply to glare at him, the flames of the candles reflecting in her eyes. "This is not the same and you know it."
He went down onto his knees and laid his hand on her leg. "I know, I know. I'm sorry."
He could see some of the tension leave her body as her shoulders dropped slightly and she looked back at the will. "I'll be the same age as my mother when she had Alfonso. And I've been having such dreams..." Closing her eyes, she took a deep, steadying breath before meeting his gaze again. "It's just that I have happiness within my grasp and I'm afraid that I'm going to lose it."
He covered her hand where it rested on the desk beside him and gripped her fingers tightly. "When you were carrying Louis, you told me that you were certain he would be born healthy and strong, you just knew it. Well I know that this baby will be the same, and I know that you and I will get to watch them grow because this is our family and we're just getting started."
Reaching up with his other hand, he stroked his fingers along her face. "I also vowed to you that I would watch over your son, and that I would protect him with my life. I stand by that vow and I promise the same for this baby. And if you still want to rewrite your will, then you and I can work on it together, in the daylight."
Sniffling, Anne nodded her head, and he let go of her hand as he got to his feet. "Will you come back to bed now and try to get some rest?" He held his hands out, and was relieved when she placed her hands in his and allowed him to help her up.
MMMMMMMMMM
A couple days later, Constance and d'Artagnan came to her quarters to retrieve their gifts for Nicolette, and Anne took the opportunity to sit down with them and Aramis to discuss their plans for when her time came, and what may follow. They all shifted uncomfortably in their chairs and lowered their eyes when she brought up the possibility of her dying, but it gave her peace of mind to have plans in place, and to hear her friends' assurances that they would be there to support Aramis and that they would all do whatever it took to protect Louis and the baby.
"I'll let you get back to Nicolette and the cadets," she decided once she was satisfied with what they had covered. "We've had reports of a storm headed this way, and I'm sure you'll want to start preparing the garrison for it."
Once the couple left, Aramis said something about wanting to check the palace stores, and also went to leave.
"Aramis, wait," she said. "There's one more thing." She gave a tilt of her head to close the door, and he complied before taking a few steps further into the room.
"I know when you first took this position on, I said that you could give it up if you didn't like it, but I've sort of trapped you here now."
He stepped closer, and locked his eyes with hers. "All I want is to be with my family, to be able to take care of my family, and this position lets me do that. I don't want to be doing anything else, be anywhere else."
Nodding, she took a deep breath. "I just want you to know, if I don't survive the birth, or if further down the line I should die before you, I still want you to be happy. And if you find another woman who makes you happy-"
"Ana, I don't need-"
"I don't want you to close yourself off to that because of some remaining loyalty to me," she continued determinedly. "After my mother died, my father remained dedicated to her. It was admirable, but he spent the remaining years of his life lonely and withdrawn, and abandoned many of his duties to his First Minister. I don't want that for you, I don't want your lust for life to die with me, for our children to see a shadow of who you once were."
She watched the muscles in his jaw clench before he shook his head and let out a huff of laughter. "Where in the world is there another woman like you?" he asked. "And between the children and my responsibilities, when would I have the time to even look?" He closed the distance between them before taking her hands in his and looking down into her eyes once more. "Seeing the children healthy and happy, seeing our friends with their families, that will make me happy. Making sure that all of France-all of Europe, knows that a woman like you walked the Earth, that will make me happy. As for my heart, a piece of it would die with you, but Louis also carries a piece of it, this baby carries a piece of it, and it will live on through them, just as you will."
Tears had started falling silently from her eyes, and she didn't know what to say except, "I love you."
Aramis lifted her hands up and kissed them. "And I love you, but will you please stop making me contemplate a world without you?"
MMMMMMMMMM
Another rumble of thunder sounded as the rain continued to drum against the windows. He felt Anne's arm move back and forth underneath his. "It's all right," he heard her murmur.
He rose up onto his right forearm so that he could look over her. They had been sleeping together on their sides, taking advantage of the coolness that the rain brought, and Anne had her back to him. "Storm making him restless?" He moved his hand above hers on her belly and sure enough he could feel the baby through her chemise moving under his palm.
Anne hummed in response. "More than usual. Doesn't like the noise, I suppose."
Pushing the sheet further down to her hips, he shifted so that he could lean his head closer to her belly. "It's just a storm, little one," he said, stroking his fingers in a circle over her stomach. "It will pass."
The room lit up then, immediately followed by a boom of thunder so loud that even Anne jumped.
"Mama!" Louis cried from his room next door.
Aramis looked up at the doors to Louis' room, wishing he could just go in there, but he couldn't. He felt the back of Anne's knuckles against his cheek then, and he looked down to see the sorrow on her face, knowing what he was thinking.
He took her hand from his face and kissed her knuckles. "I'll be ready to go if he wants to come in here and stay with you." He helped her up then, and watched her disappear into Louis' bedroom.
MMMMMMMMMM
Walking into her son's room, which was lit by a large solitary candle, she saw the top of Louis' mess of curls sticking out from under his bedsheet. "I'm here, darling." Going over to the bed, she sat on the edge of it while Louis pulled the sheet down to show his little face pinched with fear. "Did the thunder wake you?"
"It sounds like cannons!"
"It's not cannons," she assured him, and rubbed a hand up and down his back. "It's just a storm, and we're all safe here."
"It's so loud though!" Louis protested. "Like it's right on top of us!" Light flashed behind the curtains at the windows then, and Louis drew the sheet back up right before the booming thunder that followed.
She continued to rub his back, and whispered more words of assurance until the thunder had passed.
"Mama, can you stay with me?" Louis asked quietly, his eyes peeking out at her from above the sheet.
"Of course, darling. I just have to get my pillow," she said, raising her voice slightly.
Pushing off the bed, she told Louis she would be right back. Walking into her room, she saw Aramis step out from behind the bedpost closest to the passageway. "I might be a while," she whispered. "You can go back to your rooms."
He only nodded, and then crawled onto the bed to grab one of the extra pillows she often used for added support or cushioning for her large belly and aching body. Wordlessly, he offered it to her, and she accepted it, mouthing her thanks and sending him a look of regret, knowing he didn't want to stay behind.
Returning to Louis, she put down the pillows and, with some effort, got onto the bed. Once she was settled, sitting up against the headboard, she allowed Louis to burrow into her side, and then wrapped an arm around him while the thunder continued to rumble outside.
"Why do you keep rubbing your belly?" Louis asked after a few minutes.
"The baby can't sleep either."
His curiosity getting the better of him, Louis sat up to get a closer look at her belly. "How do you know?"
"Because the baby's moving around so much."
"And the baby likes belly rubs? Like Sweetie?"
"Mhm," she affirmed. The comparison wasn't the most flattering, but in it she saw an opportunity to try and distract Louis from his fear. "Would you like to help me?"
For the most part, Louis had been indifferent about the baby, and these past few days since getting Sweetie, he preferred to talk about his new puppy when asked if he was excited about his sibling's upcoming arrival by ambassadors and the like, but to her delight, he reached over and began rubbing his hand back and forth across her stomach.
She let out a sigh of contentment as she watched the light flash behind the curtains. She was tired and aching, but she cherished moments like these. If she could only have Aramis curled up against her other side, it would be perfect.
The storm seemed to be letting up, the claps of thunder becoming less frequent, and when the next boom sounded, Louis only flinched before resuming his belly rubs and telling the baby it wasn't a cannon, only a storm.
She smiled down at Louis and ran a hand over his hair. "You're going to be such a good big brother," she said softly.
Some minutes later, Louis' breathing became even, and he became heavy against her. "Darling?" she whispered, but received no response.
With Louis asleep and the storm seeming to have passed, she thought it safe to leave him, the only problem was that it would take some effort for her to get out of the bed, and she was afraid all her maneuvering would wake her son.
She glanced over to the doors to her room. I know you're watching over us...
"Are you there, my love?" she called out quietly.
After only a few seconds, Aramis appeared in the doorway.
"He's asleep," she whispered. She held out her hand, and Aramis softly walked over to take it. She squeezed his fingers. "Do you think you could carry me back to bed?"
He responded by letting go of her hand and sliding his arms underneath her. As he started to pull her away, she lifted Louis' arm off of her, but as soon as their bodies broke contact, Louis began to stir, mumbling as he clutched at her chemise.
Aramis ducked down beside the bed, and she quickly put her arm back around Louis, whose eyes had, mercifully, remained shut. Stroking her hand along Louis' shoulder, she shot Aramis an apologetic look.
Before she could suggest that he go back to bed, Aramis lowered himself further so that he was now sitting on the floor. Reaching up, he took her hand again, and she let her arm fall so that it hung off the side of the bed. Resting his arm on his knee, he leaned his head against the mattress while he stroked his thumb along her knuckles, letting her know that he wasn't going anywhere.
MMMMMMMMMM
"As expected, the settlement didn't fare well with the storm," d'Artagnan informed him and Anne the morning after the storm. "Many of the makeshift structures couldn't stand up to the wind or were swept away by the heavy rain. I gave Rochelle a number of cadets to help with the cleanup."
"What of the people living there? Were you able to move them out before the storm hit?" Anne asked, and looked once more out the window before coming over to where he and d'Artagnan stood around a map laid of the city that was out on her desk.
"Yes, some stayed with neighbors living on upper levels, others were moved into Christoph's tavern and the garrison. A few of the mothers and children were with Elodie and Constance at the Bonacieux house. These streets-" D'Artagnan pointed to a few spots on the map"-also flooded. I have the rest of the cadets going around to make sure no one is trapped or hurt. Most of the damage seems to be from the wind though."
Anne nodded. "The head groundskeeper says there are twigs and broken branches all over the grounds. Two of the big trees were even uprooted."
"But thankfully the river didn't overflow," Aramis added, glancing down at the palace's position on the map, right next to the Seine. He looked to Anne next to him. "Have the storerooms and cellars been checked for any water damage?"
"Yes, everything's dry and secure," Anne answered. "You can make note of what supplies are needed while you're out there and we'll provide what we can."
As he nodded, the doors between Anne and Louis' room opened behind him. Both he and Anne turned at the sound, and he felt a slight yank on his sword belt as Anne bumped her belly into the hilt of his sword with a soft "Oh."
He looked down and then quickly looked back up at Anne's face before falling to his knees and kissing the hem of her skirt. "Oh, Your Majesty!" he dramatically exclaimed. "Did my sword hurt you, my Queen? Oh, please forgive my recklessness!"
"What do you think, Sire?" he heard Anne ask in her most authoritative voice. "Should we forgive him? Or lock him away in the Bastille?"
Louis ran over to him and Anne. "No, don't lock him up!"
"Very well. You are merciful, Sire."
Aramis threw himself at Louis' feet and began loudly kissing his son's boots, eliciting laughs and giggles. "Oh bless you Sire, bless you!" Then, jumping to his feet, he hastily undid his sword belt. "Captain! Get this offensive thing out of my sight," he said, and was inwardly glad to see d'Artagnan come over out of the corner of his eye and take the sword belt from his outstretched hand.
"Did you want something, Louis?" Anne asked in a soft voice once d'Artagnan had stepped back.
"Marie-Catherine said some of the trees fell over from the storm, can I go and see them?"
"We'll go out together after breakfast."
Pouting, Louis looked over at him. "Did you get to see them, Aramis?"
"No, Sire, not yet."
"Do you want to come with me when I go and look?"
"Aramis and Captain d'Artagnan have to go out into the city and make sure the people are all right after the storm," Anne answered for him. "Once he returns you can show him so long as he's not too tired."
Aramis shot her a grateful smile before turning to Louis. "I'd like that very much, Sire."
"You can bring Sweetie out when we look," Anne added as a consolation. "I'm sure she'll enjoy collecting all the sticks that are out there. But for now you can go and look out the windows."
Satisfied with the compromise, Louis and his governess left, and a smirking d'Artagnan returned his sword to him. "I'll be waiting with the horses," d'Artagnan told him before departing, leaving him and Anne alone.
"Thank you, for saving me from having to disappoint him," he told her earnestly.
She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry to send you away from him, but it's important that you go out and represent us." He nodded, and she added, "I did enjoy that little performance you put on for him though."
"I couldn't have done it without you."
"Well, me and the baby. He must have had another growth spurt." She looked down at herself and ran her hands over her belly. "I didn't allow enough room between us when I turned."
He hummed in agreement as he resisted the desire to wrap his arms around her and try to measure any expansion himself. "And you were a fine actress I might add; I was quite worried I might actually be sent to the Bastille."
"Who said I was acting? Some would have considered what happened a punishable offense." She glanced over at the doors before leaning closer. He could see the mischievous glint in her eyes. "Just make sure you never displease me and you won't ever have to worry about it."
"I aim always to please Your Majesty." He smiled. "And you know how good my aim is."
Historical background/inspiration:
-Anne did actually take on the title of Grand Master of Navigation after the previous holder, Jean Armand de Maille-Brézé died in action, and "had herself named by the king's letters patent 'Grand Master in Chief and General Superintendent of the Navigation and Commerce of France' (Ruth Kleinman, Anne of Austria). The office was once held by Richelieu, and gave its holder shares in all prize money obtained from the sale of ships and cargoes seized on the high seas. Brézé's sister was the wife of the Duke of Enghein (who would become the Grand Condé), so Enghein's father, the Prince of Condé at the time, wanted to claim it as an inheritance for his son.
-"Formal education began after boys turned seven. In the case of royalty, this meant not only that princes were given into the care of a governor and provided with tutors, but also that a separate household establishment was appointed for them...Anne and Mazarin...found it unthinkable that an outsider control the young king's upbringing. Thus a new office was created: on 9 March 1646 Mazarin took oath from the queen as superintendent of Louis and Philippe's education...she [Anne] had wished to confide the care of the king's education to someone who would strengthen Louis's good tendencies and inspire him by theory as well as example" -Ruth Kleinman, Anne of Austria
-Anne's mother, Margaret, made her will in 1601 before giving birth to Anne, as it seemed she "feared dying in childbirth and wanted to leave a will in case she did not survive." -Magdalena S. Sanchez, The Empress, the Queen, and the Nun
-Towards the end of her pregnancy with Louis, "Anne had grown very large and was feeling uncomfortable; she was also becoming depressed because, so she said, she feared that she would die in childbirth."-Ruth Kleinman, Anne of Austria
-One noted gesture of young Louis XIV's chivalry was when he threw away his sword because it had accidentally hurt Marie Mancini (Mazarin's niece and Louis' first love). This incident "left a special impression on all the courtiers who witnessed it. 'His Majesty wishing to give me his hand,' wrote Marie later, 'and mine having struck the pummel of his sword, hurting it slightly, he drew the sword briskly from the sheath and threw it away.' She added: 'I will not try to tell with what an air he did this; there are no words to explain it.'"-Antonia Fraser, Love and Louis XIV