Always an early riser, I was up at daybreak along with the rest of the servants. I fell into step alongside them, preparing the breakfast for our masters as well as fetching fresh linen to change the sheets on Marie's bed. At least this gave me an excellent excuse to enter her chambers, though as I approached I heard the latch shift and the door creak as it was opened. Instinctively I darted out of sight and hid myself from view, listening as the door swung wide and someone stepped outside.

I peered around the corner, holding my breath and clutching the linens tightly against my chest as two hooded figures stepped into view. One was of a similar height to Marie and was clearly wearing a gown. When they turned, I caught a glimpse of her face under the hood, confirming it was indeed her. The second figure was quite clearly a man, though I did not recognise him. What struck me most of all, was why he would be inside Marie's bedchamber so early in the morning. No one of noble or royal blood would be awake so early, and they most certainly would not have reason to leave in such a secretive manner. When they walked away, I followed them. It was easy enough, they never looked behind them and the soft soles of my shoes meant that my footsteps were silent whilst theirs clacked against the stone floors.

Wherever they were going they moved with haste, denoting a sense of urgency in their pace. I maintained a sensible distance but they were never long gone from my sight until finally they descended one of the numerous staircases of the palace which would bring them outside. That was when I caught sight of Porthos. He made a staying motion with his hand so I swiftly tucked myself behind a pillar, stilling my body so that I would not be noticed as they descended. Only after they were gone did Porthos come to me.

Almost instinctively his hand dropped down upon my shoulder, turning me to face him so that he could look me over. "You alright?" Honestly, as much as I appreciated the fact that these men cared about my welfare, it was a little insulting that they had asked me to perform a task and seemingly did not trust me to see it through without somehow acquiring an injury.

"Still alive and whole, as you can see. We must follow them, we cannot lose sight of where they are going," I made to follow, pulling to take after Marie and her companion even with the bed linens still tightly clutched in my arms but Porthos seized hold of my waist and effortlessly lifted me off the ground, causing a sharp squeak as I clenched at the sudden weightless sensation.

"No you don't, you're not going anywhere."

"But I-!"

"I'll follow them, you see what you can dig up in her chambers," pouting as Porthos set me back down, I glowered at him in irritation. It irked me that he was being logical. "Go on, we don't know long they're going to be. I'd hop to it if I were you." Then he gave me a sly grin and next I knew; he had kicked my backside. Dropping my mouth in a gape of stupor, my body lurched forwards and I almost released my hold on the linens. Somehow in the back of my mind, my first instinct was to not dirty them by letting them touch the floor. A moment of pure, unadulterated shock. Porthos's laugh ringing in my mind. Then I rounded upon him.

"You…you…you dastardly cad!" His boorish laugh deepened as I huffed, wishing I had something to throw at his head and knock off his hat as he dashed down the stairs to follow after Marie. Bright red and incensed, I stormed back to the former queen's bedchambers and slammed the door after myself. "Inappropriate behaviour…completely uncalled for…wait until I get my hands on him…" In my tempered state, I almost did not notice the dishevelled sheets upon the bed.

They were twisted and rumpled, the covers partially hanging off the side and I could clearly distinguish the shapes of two separate bodies both upon the pillows and the mattress. The one on the side furthest from the door was larger and quite distinctly that of a man. I sniffed at the pillows. One had the scent of perfume. The other, a sour musk which seemed a combination of leather and perspiration. Marie had entertained a man last night. It was something, and it certainly explained why a man was inside her chambers so early in the morning. He had never left from the night before.

This small revelation distracted me from my ire at Porthos, sharpening my mind to focus on everything around me. I tore through everything. All the chests and draws, every nook and cranny I could find but no matter where I looked, nothing turned up a convenient scrap of paper detailing a heinous plot to overthrow the monarchy. Of course, it would never be so simple. Now my ire returned. That Porthos! He had deliberately sent me away from danger, wherever Marie and her companion were going was clearly the place to find the answers. I muttered under my breath, setting the room to rights and proceeded to change the sheets and remake the bed. At the very least it needed to look as if I had cleaned in here, and just as well as I did. By the time I was done with the bed and had dusted off the surfaces, Marie returned. She opened the door which gave me warning to her presence so I lowered my cloth and curtseyed to her.

As she strode inside she paid me no mind, merely dismissed me from her presence which meant I had no choice but to leave. It was just as well. There was nothing in her chambers of use, so I had to make do with simply listening and waiting until something revealed itself in its own due course. At least I could inform the captain that Marie de Medici had a lover, it might be useful information to him to use against her at some stage if it became necessary. I had to wait until I knew I would not be missed, anticipating that Marie would make several more demands to have me run back and forth at her beck and call before she would then dismiss me.

I think she simply liked the pleasure of ordering servants to bend to her will once again. I obeyed each command whilst biting my tongue, fulfilling my duties until Marie grew bored of having me rush around fetching her things. She decided to retire to her chambers to rest, and finally I was free. I ran straight for the barracks, searching for the captain and quickly finding him. "Captain!" Hearing my call his head turned sharply, dragging his gaze from where he had been seemingly watching for someone else to return. "Captain…" I staggered to a halt and took a moment to catch my breath, having run all the way there.

"Madeliene, it is good you are back. I am glad you are safe," he began to say as I restored air to my lungs, nodding and waving a hand dismissively.

"Yes, yes, I came to tell you that Marie de Medici has a lover. A man left her chambers early this morning and had also shared her bed. It is not much, but I thought it might be useful to you."

"It may be, well done my dear," hearing his tone, I began to realise that something was troubling him far more than secret lovers. "There is no need for you to go back. I know why Marie is here." The surprise ceased my breathlessness for a moment, the air catching in my throat as I frowned at the captain. His light eyes were heavy with concern, meaning that whatever the reason Marie de Medici had returned to Paris, they were not peaceful intentions.

"Then all my work was for nothing?" I admit, I was vastly disappointed. I had hoped to be of better use to the captain.

"Not at all, child. You were very courageous, and it set me at ease knowing I had a pair of eyes and ears close to Marie that I could trust." Softening towards me, Treville placed his hand atop my head and allowed the weight of it to settle upon me in a comforting gesture. "I knew I could trust you." This was perhaps the greatest reward I could have ever hoped for. Knowing that Treville trusted me with such a precarious undertaking was encouraging, filling me with a blossom of light until I was beaming.

"If you ever have need of a spy, then you may call upon me anytime." He chuckled.

"I shall keep that in mind, dear one." At that moment Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan all returned together, and as usual, they had quite the tale to tell. Suddenly it all came together. Quite remarkably, Agnès and her child Henry, who had been stolen just yesterday, were in fact part of Marie de Medici's plot to overthrow her son, King Louis. Treville had been informed by the cardinal that the former queen had given birth to another son alongside Louis, who came before him. Phillipe. The rightful heir to the throne by way of seniority. He was the firstborn son, but due to a malformation of the body, had been abandoned by his mother and left in the care of a priest, Father Duval. Agnès had eventually been hired to care for Phillipe, eventually falling in love with one another. They married and thus, Henry was born. A legitimate heir to an heirless the throne.

Upon Phillippe's death, Marie intended to use Henry to declare him the rightful King of France by presenting him at court with documents proving the legitimacy. She intended to depose Louis and rule in her grandson's stead. Clearly all that mattered to her was the power and station the role of Regent provided, not the welfare of her grandson and certainly not her own son, her flesh and blood. The ruthlessness of her intentions sent shivers down my spine. All of us were astonished. It was quite the farfetched tale. Already Treville was moving, striding away which prompted us to follow. "So, what do we do now?"

"The boy goes to the cardinal," Treville answered Aramis's question simply, as it was a matter of fact. This was not enough for Aramis.

"And what then?" Now ignoring the question, Treville asked if the child was ready. Quite honestly, the last thing I wanted to do was take that boy to the cardinal. I did not trust that man. He held the interests of France in high regard, and if little Henry was to be a threat to the stability of the throne then…well. One could imagine how easy it would be to make one small child disappear from the world. "Hasn't the woman suffered enough?"

"Absolutely. She's been with Aramis for two days!" Jesting brightly despite the situation at hand, Porthos chuckled to himself as Aramis followed after Treville. Suddenly I remembered my grievance against Porthos. I turned on him, glaring heatedly before kicking him in the shin with all my might. A howl of pain rushed to escape him, leaping upwards and clutching his offended leg as he hopped ridiculously to maintain his balance. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Recompense!" I declared vehemently, pointing accusingly at Porthos as both Athos and d'Artagnan stared in alarmed amazement. "You kicked me and now, I have kicked you." My brother's brow narrowed dangerously.

"You kicked my sister?"

"In jest! I didn't hurt her or anything," but I would not allow Porthos to escape punishment so easily. I was still entirely embarrassed and outraged.

"Your feet should never come into contact with a lady's posterior, sir!"

"I was teasing you!"

"Then in future, you may laugh only at your own expense!" Folding my arms obstinately, Athos looked entirely at a loss for words. Meanwhile Porthos was now nursing his sore leg whilst I continued to simmer and seethe. D'Artagnan wisely took one large step backwards out of danger. Completely unaware of what he was returning to, Aramis did not seem to notice Porthos' newly received injury or the vacant bewilderment of my brother. He looked distant, distracted. If I knew that look, then Aramis was planning to do something reckless.

Sometimes, it was a shame I knew these men so well.