Thank you to all who read and left comments on the previous chapter.
So, the day after the unsuccessful search of Bircann's estate, Richelieu is trying to lead and move forward a meeting at the palace, but Treville is distracted, exhausted and worried. As for the King? Well, he's being obtuse, awkward, selfish and petulant.
CHAPTER 40
17 DAYS EARLIER
RICHELIEU
Well, this is going to be an interesting meeting. I am unsure as to how much of any benefit will be gleaned from it for I have yet to see any consensus of opinion as to how we progress from here.
"I will not stand for it!" Louis cries as, ironically, he leaps to his feet, and I struggle to maintain the stern façade I initially adopted in the face of his obstinacy.
I am the First Minister and my role is to advise His Majesty, but this responsibility and my efforts are pointless if he will not listen to me and, consequently, refuses to act upon that same advice. He is forgetting, yet again, that his mother has behaved in a treacherous manner in plotting with others to seize his throne! What is so difficult to understand about that? Marie de Medici is nothing short of a power-crazed monster who does not deserve to live, nor does she deserve the emotional energy he is expending as he swings from downright hatred of her actions to seeking excuses for her, wanting to shower her with sympathy and forgiveness when neither is deserved!
"I am the King here, Cardinal, not you, whatever you may think."
There is a fanatical flash in his eyes as he tries to stare me down.
"I will have my mother back in Paris and at the Louvre. She will be restored to me and all will be well now that she is out of the clutches of that odious man."
Odious! That is the worst adjective that he can find for the likes of Bircann? A man who has more than once prepared forces to go against the rightful monarch of this country to replace Louis with the Dowager Queen? Does Louis realise that to achieve their aim, neither she nor Bircann would allow him to live?
The King is at least looking more presentable these days. He has curtailed his wild drinking bouts that occurred early on in this sorry affair thanks, in no small part, to the efforts of Her Majesty through her compassion, encouragement and support. As a result, he is bathing, shaving and changing his clothes again, although he does continue to isolate himself from the members of his court. I admit that there was a brief time when I worried for his state of mind as he was so crushed by Marie de Medici's latest attempt at an uprising, but just when I think he is emerging from that well of despondency, I am confronted with another spell of irrational behaviour and demands, often just a repeat of conversations we have already had.
It is not good if Bircann, whilst prevented from physically stealing the throne, can succeed in orchestrating the King's downfall by rendering him useless and unfit mentally to rule France.
My work is far from over and I look towards Tréville in the hope that I can elicit some assistance from that quarter but my heart sinks. He is in the room, but I can see that his thoughts are most definitely elsewhere.
"What say you, Tréville? Do you side with the Cardinal here or, as you are in command of my Musketeers, will you do as I say and ride with your men to fetch my mother now that you know where she is?"
The Captain visibly starts at suddenly being addressed by the King and, just for a split moment, I wonder if he has any idea what Louis has just said to him.
"Sire, I admit I know of your mother's whereabouts, but I assure you that she is in the peak of good heath, is being well looked after and wants for nothing. All is as should be for someone of her status."
Rather than treating her as the prisoner that she truly is. The thought immediately comes to my mind.
"I demand that you help me, Tréville. Do I have to remind you that as I gave you the command of the Musketeers, so I can revoke it just as easily and promote your lieutenant?"
Is it my imagination or has the King actually just stamped his foot like a petulant child?
Tréville, on the other hand, flinches as though he has been struck.
"Athos, my lieutenant, is still missing, Your Majesty. Yesterday's search of Bircann's country residence proved fruitless and -"
"Then replace him! Appoint another Lieutenant immediately." The King's wrath is increasing by the second as he vehemently interrupts the Captain.
Tréville tries again. "But, Sire, we have other places to search yet."
"Enough!" Louis shouts. "The man is dead. It is unfortunate as he has been a loyal Musketeer, but there it is. Time to move on and all that. I will not have my Musketeers moping about the palace anymore. It is exceedingly distressing to my wife and the other ladies of the court and, I admit, that I find their long faces an unpleasant distraction, and that applies to you too. I am deprived the company of my mother, which is considerably more serious and has far reaching consequences. Your obsession with an officer, no matter how good he is reputed to be, has to stop right now. Do you understand me? You must all move forward.
"So there will be no more searching, Tréville! Do you hear me? I have allowed you the freedom to use your regiment to look for your man when they should be on duty here at the palace protecting my Queen and me. That is their priority, responsibility and duty, not racing about the countryside in the hunt for a missing soldier who has probably been dead from the moment he disappeared. No more searching, I forbid it!"
By the time he reaches the end of his tirade, the King is shouting louder than I have heard him in a very long time. Indeed, I suspect that most of those within the Louvre have heard him. Then, just as suddenly, he appears to deflate and looks shamefaced as he adds, "Unless it is in your own time and that of your men. No more reliance upon the Red Guard. The Musketeers will be where they are supposed to be."
Tréville's face has hardened during the rebuke. Is he about to lose his temper now or will he succeed in keeping it in check?
"With respect, Sire," he grinds out, "all searches for my missing lieutenant were completely suspended whilst Paris was flooded and in the immediate aftermath. My Musketeers worked themselves until they were dropping with exhaustion to rescue and help the people of this city. The first renewal of our search was yesterday and involved two of my men and me."
Louis' ire begins afresh. "And just what were you doing being a part of this search party? That is what I want to know, Tréville. Your place is here in Paris, not gallivanting around the country."
Tréville takes a deep breath and, fearing that he is about to explode, I take a step forward to intervene on his behalf.
"May I remind Your Majesty that, as arranged almost a week ago, I requested the company of the Captain and the Musketeers Aramis and Porthos when we went to visit your mother? It was at my suggestion that they make a detour on the return journey to Bircann's estate where," and I spread my hands in defeat, "their hopes were dashed in finding their colleague."
The King affords me the first smile of this meeting and he tilts his head in a gesture almost of affection. "You are all heart, my dear Cardinal, in allowing the Captain and his men to leave you at great risk to your person to pursue this futile exploration."
I am not about to correct him that I did have a substantial number of Red Guard with me as well, but I hope Tréville appreciates my intervention. For now, he retains his captaincy.
The King turns from me to him and there is a resumption of the previous coldness.
"I trust you are grateful for what Armand has done for you, Tréville. I understand that it is hard for you and the men, but these lengthy searches have to cease. I think it better that you hold some sort of ceremony of closure. I know you do not have a body but perhaps you could organise a mass to be said for the Lieutenant." He visibly brightens as a new idea comes to him. "If you arrange for it to be in a side chapel of Notre Dame, the Queen and I would be willing to attend. It would be fitting, would it not, Cardinal, as he was one of my Musketeers. I think the men would appreciate that."
I confess that I almost feel sorry for the Captain. Exhaustion and concern have turned his skin a sickly grey and he looks almost crushed by the King's words. It still amazes me that he invests such emotion and care in the men who serve him. In fact, given how the man looks now, I cannot help but be relieved that I do not have the same interest in my men; it appears to be exceedingly unhealthy.
It is time to change the subject – slightly.
"I have concluded the individual meetings with the council members. Unfortunately, they were delayed by the weather and subsequent flooding but we knew Bircann was safely imprisoned. The discussions were … interesting to say the least," I begin, "and, as a result, I have eliminated several of the council members on account of their age, some infirmity, and their history of loyalty to Your Majesty and your father before you.
"I am not gullible to think they might not have altered in their allegiance, but I had to start somewhere and I was going on fragmented information from two of my intelligencers, enough to raise some alarm. Then there were the conversations that I had with them individually. As I said to the Captain when all this began, some were oblivious to any nefarious plotting whilst others, keen on securing or bettering their own positions, were more than willing to name others who, for whatever reason or just ill-feeling, aroused their suspicions. It was interesting how some were named more than once so I shall turn my attention back on them. It leaves me with a shortlist of five -'
"Five!" Louis exclaims. "That many? These are the people appointed to help in the governing of this realm!"
I hasten to reassure him. "I am not suggesting that all are involved in anything, Your Majesty. I seek one person whose identity eludes me at present, so they are the group that I feel warrant further investigation and monitoring."
"Who are they?" Louis demands.
"I would not wish to influence how you react to them, Sire, should you call another council meeting soon to review the effects of the flooding."
The King frowns, "So instead, Cardinal, you would have me be suspicious of them all?"
"Your treatment of them all would at least be consistent then, Your Majesty. I would not want to have you involved in this investigation."
"I am involved, Cardinal; there is no escaping. They are members of my council. I have a better idea. I will reject any proposals for a meeting in the coming days. My excuse will be that I am still awaiting reports on the outcome of the flood and how it has affected the good people of this city. That will give you a little extra time to find out who the traitor is, but I want to know, Cardinal; sooner rather than later."
So now the King is applying pressure to me.
"Bircann is still giving nothing away about his co-conspirators?" Tréville asks, a flicker of interest in his expression.
"Other than the original two we knew about? Sadly, no. He is resolute in withholding information despite a number of methods to persuade him to talk." I am not about to divulge details as to the way Bircann is being interrogated.
I glance at the Captain. "It is intriguing though how often he asks about the progress of your search for your lieutenant."
Tréville fixes me with his ice-blue stare. "And what is your reply?"
"The truth. That you have been unsuccessful thus far."
"And his reaction?" The Captain looks murderous now, his voice deceptively quiet and toneless.
I sigh as this particular truth will hurt. "It varies. Sometimes he just sighs and shakes his head as though disappointed, whilst at other times, he seems to gloat."
"Then he still believes Athos to be alive," Tréville says softly.
"There is no proof of that," I interject. "He could be misguided."
"And he might not," Tréville snaps and his shoulders slump in resignation. "If my man is dead, it would be better for the regiment if we were in a position to bring home his body and lay him to rest amongst his brothers in the garrison cemetery."
"You heard what I said, Captain," the King says firmly. "No more searching using regiment time. Hard as that sounds, I am urging you to be realistic, to accept the situation yourself and to lead your men forward. You can begin by appointing a replacement lieutenant and do it quickly. I expect news of the replacement by nightfall."
