I had never been to court before. The closest I had ever come to the palace was the furthest reach of the outermost gate where all I had been able to see was a distant view of a magnificent palace and extensive grounds behind iron gates. Even when I had been someone of rank and nobility, I had never come to King Louis's court. It was before I was old enough to be presented into high society. Now, I was nothing more than a scrubbing maid, sister to an accused criminal. I was almost barred from entry by the guards, but Treville escorted me inside to where the small court was to be held and my brother to face trial.
All the same, I could not bring myself to admire anything I saw of the palace and grounds. It all past me by in a blur as I craned my neck to try and see my brother ahead. As we walked, Porthos and Aramis remained at my side, always one of them pressing a hand to my back to keep me apace with their long strides. I was glad for their presence. I think I would have been far more afraid if they were not there with me. It was easy to hide behind them, easier still to stand in front knowing that they were protecting my back.
Determined to be brave for Athos, I did not allow my emotions to show, especially not fear. I remained as calm as I was able, quickly attempting to neaten my appearance as we walked. I used a clean handkerchief to cover my hair and dusted down my skirts, wishing I had chosen to wear something clean this morning. There was no time to wash and change, however, so I had to accept that I would be standing in the presence or royalty a dirty maid. It was humiliating beyond belief, and I was glad that no one would recognise me for who I once was. I would die of shame otherwise.
The courtroom was small, a bland chamber meant for these lesser proceedings, I imagined. The nobility and court were present, however, and upon a raised dais sat the king and queen themselves. The king left little impression upon me at first glance, a soft cheeked man in expensive cloth, but the queen stole my attention for more than a moment. She was beautiful, like a delicate angel, soft and enchanting, a natural beauty. I was distracted by her for a moment, but then my attention returned firmly upon my brother who was presented before the king and queen, to be accused by none other than the cardinal himself. I found it odd that such a man of rank would be involved in the matter of a single, lowly musketeer.
"This man stands accused of highway robbery…assault…and murder." He certainly did not waste time. "While Captain Treville looks the other way, his men riot in the streets." At this blatant lie, Treville denied the charges and claimed them for what they were. False. "There are witnesses. You!" Standing upon my toes to look over the heads of others in front of me, I saw a portly man jolt nervously as the cardinal suddenly turned to him and beckoned him forwards. "Tell the King what happened." Hesitantly, the man stepped forwards and bowed towards the king.
"I own an inn," he began to recount as I shifted my weight and moved slightly to try and see better, but Aramis quickly placed his hand upon my shoulder to stop me, keeping me squarely in front of himself and Porthos. My shoulder jerked away from his touch, looking at him sharply as my cheeks flushed. To hide my face, I returned my focus promptly upon the witness. "The Musketeer named Athos, and his men, robbed me and murdered two of my guests, Michel Fournier, and a Gascon named Alexandre d'Artagnan."
"I have never seen this man before in my life." Speaking even without invitation, my brother exuded calmness and certainty. He was innocent. Of that I had no doubt. The matter before me was exceedingly puzzling, and I understood no part of it. Ignoring my brother's denial, the cardinal brought forth his next witness, a young and taller man, considerably better dressed than the last, but still not a noble.
"I was driving my master and mistress home. We were attacked by a bandit. He said his name was Athos," a chill started to spread through my body, beginning to see a pattern emerging from these grievous events. "He shot them both." Turning my head to Aramis and Porthos, I kept my voice at a low whisper.
"What murderer do you know openly claims his name before committing such crimes?" I reasoned, simply yet effectively. Both of them blinked at me and then looked at one another. It was true. Only a fool would declare his name before murdering someone in cold blood, and my brother was the furthest example of a fool you could find.
"Is this your assailant?" I returned to the trial at hand. The carriage driver scrutinised my brother warily, glancing him over before looking back at the cardinal, who lingered eagerly upon every word the man spoke like a vulture before a corpse. Greedy and anticipating.
"Yes, I believe so. He wore the same uniform."
"Oh, this is a mockery of justice!" Treville voiced his disbelief at the abysmal ineptitude the court held within the trial. I could scarcely draw breath. Surely they would not condemn my brother upon the word of another?
"There is not a word of truth in this! These men are mistaken!"
"It is true! My brother could not have done these things!" Somehow, my voice escaped me despite the breath I held. The high pitch of my voice echoed throughout the courtroom which turned many heads in my direction. Behind me, I felt Porthos grasp hold of my shoulder to begin to draw me back, but the cardinal had already heard me.
"Who dares speak unbidden in this court?" Now both Aramis and Porthos were desperately attempting to pull me away and hide me behind them, but I twisted myself free and forced my way through the rows of nobles and soldiers until I stepped into the open. Immediately Athos shifted, sending me a pleading look to stay silent in this but I pointedly ignored him. It was one of my many talents. Instead, I levelled my gaze unwaveringly upon the cardinal. "Step forward, child. What relation are you to this man?"
"Your Majesties," moving quickly to stand in front of my brother, I curtseyed formally to the king and queen as my mother had taught me, recalling the etiquette of the court. "Your Grace, I am this man's younger sister. I have no one left other than him in my family. His is my sole provider and protector." Unable to raise my head before such high ranks of nobility and royalty, I kept my eyes cast to the floor, looking only at the cardinal's feet, but I did not allow myself to waver as I remained in my curtsey. "I can attest to my brother's character and swear upon the Lord that my brother has been home every night for at least a sennight past." I paused, allowing these words to sink in. "My brother is gentle and kind, a good man. He would not bring wanton harm upon another. He cannot have been in two places at once, therefore, I beg upon the mercy and understanding of Your Majesties to believe me."
"A dutiful child indeed," the cardinal allowed, but his tone did not inspire hope in my heart. "But are we to accept the word of a woman against the accounts of two witnesses? A dutiful sister might be willing to lie for the sake of her only brother. Perhaps it was for your sake these foul deeds were committed, to provide and shelter you in these difficult times." At this my head snapped upwards with unhindered outrage. I started to rise and step forwards, thinking only to argue and deny the heinous hearsay of a man who knew nothing of me or my brother. Perhaps thankfully for my sake, Treville interceded.
Already he had moved to block my path so that I amounted only to stepping on his heel, his arm extended to block my path and push me backwards. "Forgive her forwardness, she is young and spirited. She meant no offence," this was a clear sign of dismissal, but I was not ready to give up so readily. I started to argue, opening my mouth to plead with Treville to let me speak further, but Athos's sharp voice cut across me with enough sting to snatch my voice away.
"Be silent, Madeleine!" Gaping helplessly, I became at a loss for words. The furious stare of my brother was burning into my skin, branding me harshly. My tongue seized itself, my entire body freezing in place as I attempted to unravel my thoughts from the tangled web they had woven themselves into. At that moment, Aramis appeared, moving silently but quickly to draw me aside, back into the safety of his and Porthos's protection. Not another glance was spared in my direction, their hands firmly holding my arms until I was practically their own prisoner.
The cardinal whispered to the king, poisonous words, no doubt. I could not draw breath for the devastating feeling of foreboding overshadowing my mind. "An example must be set." Raising his voice to express his judgement, a tense silence expanded throughout the court until it was ended by the king's ruling. "Take this Athos to the Chatelet. He will be executed at dawn."
"No!" My cry was barely more than a hoarse whisper. All the air had seemingly fled from my body, so all I could muster was a weak mewl. The shock rippled through me until my knees could no longer take the strain and they buckled underneath me. Were it not for Aramis and Porthos, I would have collapsed to the floor. The fathomless dread blackened my sight, draining away all light and warmth from the world as the words echoed in the recesses of my skull. Executed at dawn. My brother. My last living relative.
"Easy, we've got you Madeleine. We've got you," uncharacteristically gentle, Porthos effortlessly pulled me up onto my feet and held me against him so that my face was hidden within his chest. The king had already left, sweeping away with Treville following after him. There were no tears. Not yet. They were yet to rise to the surface as I recovered my senses. Part of me wanted to believe that this was all but a cruel jest and that I had no reason to cry. Still Porthos held me and I felt Aramis pressing his hand to my back, signifying that he was there with me too. After a moment, Porthos then pressed me further into Aramis's arms, murmuring something I did not hear before he too disappeared, leaving me with Aramis alone.
"There now, come with me sweeting," his tender voice murmured softly against my ear, holding my hand with an arm around my waist to continue supporting me. "We shall not let anything happen to Athos. You have my word. We shall resolve this."
"He cannot be executed…he cannot…he is all I have left…Aramis…" now the tears began to rise. I was grateful that Aramis was as experienced with women as he claimed. The moment he heard the trembling in my own voice, he whisked me away to somewhere private and secluded so that no one other than himself would see or hear my cries. I sobbed into his chest as he wrapped me within his embrace, hushing me gently and wiping away at my tears. I do not know for how long I wept, but once my head ached and my tears had run dry, I managed to stifle my pitiful sobs and raise my shameful head once more.
"Good girl, deep breaths. We must be strong now, hm?" He dried my face, removing the traces of my tears before he held my hands tightly between us, looking intently into my eyes with a fierce resolve. "I swear to you, Madeleine. You will never be alone. We shall find out the truth, and you shall have your brother back before long." Desperately wanting to take comfort in his word, I breathed deeply and swallowed back the bile in my throat which was now swollen and sore.
"You promise?" Now giving me a sincere smile, Aramis vowed that his word was true. I chose to have faith. Faith that if nothing else, Aramis and Porthos would find a way to prove my brother's innocence. "Then you had better hurry. Do not delay on my account, I shall be alright." Aramis hesitated, but seeing him do so only reaffirmed my resolve. I pushed against him firmly, putting distance between us. "Hurry! If you are late, then I shall be forced to take matters into my own hands, and you shall not like the result." Feigning wellness, Aramis chuckled as he recovered his balance. Then he swooped forwards and kissed both my cheeks, branding them until they felt as hot as burning coals.
"I shall return swiftly, sweeting." With a flamboyant sweep of his hat, he vanished. The air seemed to cool in his absence, allowing me to breathe deeply and recover myself. My pulse was racing, my face still burning, but I could not allow myself to become distracted. I needed to find Athos and stay beside him. It was all I could do for him right now, and since both Porthos and Aramis would work hard to uncover the truth of these circumstances, the very least I could do was keep Athos's spirits raised. Or at least, as raised as his spirits ever were.
I ran home. Sprinting from the palace all the way to my comparatively dismal dwelling where I promptly scrubbed myself clean. Even my hair was washed and neatened, my best dress shaken to expel the collection of dust so that I looked a great deal more presentable. I then found a small basket and filled it with what food we had, including a bottle of wine yet untouched by my brother. Lastly, I took what coin we had spare, every penny I had saved intending to use it to buy a little luxury, and tucked it protectively under my shawl. This money had been saved for months, almost an entire year. It almost hurt to hand it over to the gaoler as a bribe to allow me to see my brother. The Chatelet was a dark and depressing place. Fit for the depraved souls of the damned to await their end. In the back of my mind, I wondered if a place like this might have suited my brother were he to allow himself to completely wallow in his grief and misery.
Should he never wish to arise from those dark depths, then a place where the soul went to die would look something like this. tightening my grip on my basket and fisting my shawl at my throat, I followed the gaoler until finally I was brought before my brother's cell. At first he did not notice me, staring into the distance to some far away place. Already he had slumped to the ground, resting against the iron bars of the prison that encased him. "Brother," I called to him, and my voice brought him back from whatever dark reverie had enveloped him. His body jerked sharply, brow furrowing in disbelief as he twisted his head to see me. "I have brought you some comforts."
"You should not be here," Athos was quick to dismiss me, shifting himself as I crouched in front of him, iron barring my way as I uncovered my basket of meagre treasures. He did not even spare a glance to its contents. "It is not safe here, Madeliene. Go. Return to the garrison. Treville will protect you. He will ensure that you are taken care of."
"I have no intention of leaving you here," allowing my obstinacy to rule my head, I promptly searched around for a means to sit and found a small stool. I brought it to Athos's cell and made myself as comfortable as possible. "Are you hungry? I have a little stew from yesterday left, would you like it? It is cold, but it should taste well enough…"
"Madeleine," grasping at my hands through the bars, Athos held them firmly with his hoarse whisper. Finally, I forced myself to look upon his face. Resignation. Defeat. Acceptance, even. I could not allow that.
"Do not look so morose, brother," snatching my hands from him, I felt a spark of anger at my brother. How could he give up so easily? Was he so eager to meet death? I felt betrayed. "Aramis and Porthos will discover the truth and prove your innocence. Everything will be alright."
"But if it is not, then you must take care of yourself. Little sister…" it was not often he called me so sweetly, and it stung all the more than Athos was using the endearment now to try and mellow me into obedience. His hands reached through the bars once more, this time cupping my face where he discovered the trails of evidence from my tears. "Do not grieve for me. Move on with your life. Marry a good man, raise a family of your own, then you will not be alone anymore."
"You are my family, Athos. If you die, then I shall join a convent and die a lonely spinster just to spite you." My sharp tongue quipped back at him. It made him chuckle, at least.
"I only want you to think of yourself, Madeleine."
"Then you should focus on staying alive, because that is what I want," refusing to give, I pushed his hands aside, refusing his affection and not allowing him to say goodbye in any way. If he felt that he had sent me off with sweet farewells, then he would be content to face his execution without complaint. "You…you cannot abandon me now, Athos. I have no place without you. My entire existence revolves around your presence. Ever since…" I could not bring myself to speak of it. Instead, my gaze dropped to where I knew he still wore that infernal locket. I had taken it from him once after he had drunken himself unconscious. When he had awoken to find it missing, it was the first time I had seen his genuine rage, and the first time I had ever truly feared him. I never touched the locket again. "I gave up everything to follow you, to stay by your side. Now you must fight to stay by mine." Extending my hands, I showed him the blisters and callouses, all from years of hard work. "These are no longer the hands of a gentle lady. They have toiled for your sake, tended your hurts and supported you throughout all." My brother had the decency to flinch with shame. "At the very least, you could pretend that I am enough for you to live for."
"Oh my sweet sister…" his thumb brushed against my cheek and began to coil a lock of my hair, gazing at me with such pain and suffering that I felt guilty for my words. "I am a curse to you. You deserve far better than what I have given you. I should be showering you in rubies and pearls…instead I have brought you low. To places like this." He looked around us to indicate the prison. "This is not the life I wanted for you."
"I do not want rubies and pearls, Athos. All I want is my brother. You have always been enough for me." Again a shadow of shame cast itself upon my brother's face, so I let my grievances rest. Instead, I forced him to eat something and we even shared a little wine together. I read from one of the few books left in our possession, simply to pass the time, until my eyes grew heavy and lethargic. All the while Athos held my hand, the warmth of his grasp keeping the chill at bay as I rested beside him, separated only by bars of iron.
Eventually a priest came to take the last confessions of those destined for the executioner's block, but my brother swiftly dismissed him. The only burden he carried upon his soul was that which only I knew. Athos was content to carry it with him, carrying that burden and blame despite it being out of his control. He had done right, as much as it pained us both. We had never spoken of it, a silent agreement to take that memory and truth to our graves, but at the very least, I could empathise with my brother. When the priest left, I gathered Athos's hand in mine and brought it to my lips.
I kissed his fingers until his clenched fist relaxed and he began to work his thumb into the grove of my own. We said nothing. The silent agreement still remained between us. Even were the worse to happen tomorrow and I lost my brother, I would maintain that same silence. It was my duty as his sister to support him and share in the burden he carried. It was agonising, waiting for the dawn light to rise, not knowing whether Aramis would keep his word. I trusted in him, but that did not mean I was completely without doubt. The world was a cruel place, after all.