When we heard the distinctive sound of footsteps approaching the doors, Anne awakened with a start and immediately we were on our feet. Constance rushed to grasp a heavy candlestick to use as a weapon whilst I grasped the now empty silver jug as well as the tray it sat upon. Rochefort had taken my weapons, the sword, dagger and crossbow including the bolts, and he had done so with relishing glee. I would make do until I could reclaim them, but thankfully it was not the red guard who entered, but our musketeers. I gladly set my crude weapons aside before rushing to my brother and throwing my arms about him. "You are late, brother," I accused him lightly, naturally curling my fingers into his hair.
"Forgive my tardiness, sister." He murmured as Aramis strode directly to Anne, announcing that they had to take her away to somewhere safe.
"I need to be with the king," she began, but with his arm around me, Athos explained the true depths of this entire ordeal was far worse than we had feared.
"Rochefort is a Spanish spy. He will destroy you." Dread alarm expressed itself through Anne, who breathed as if the air had been knocked from her lungs.
"No," she refused to believe, "my brother would not…he could not forsake me like this." Stepping closer, intimately close, Aramis looked upon Anne with pleading gaze.
"I beg you. The palace is no longer safe. Rochefort knows now, the danger's too great."
"Are we talking or leaving?" Jolting with alarm, I whirled around to discover Milady de Winter of all people entering the rooms, a vision in green which only made my blood boil scarlet red. My body lurched towards her, baring my teeth but my brother hastened to hold me back, grasping me by the arms as Constance shared my disbelief, but a great deal less of my rage.
"She's helping us now?"
"She cannot!" I declared in outrage, struggling against Athos all the while. "She cannot be trusted!" But the queen's words mollified me, reminding me that there was more at stake here than my own want for vengeance.
"I can't abandon the dauphin." The prince, little Louis, the cherubic little angel we all adored. Settling myself, my brother gradually slackened his grip until I nodded, informing him that I had myself under control. Constance decided to stay with the prince, and I would stay for them both.
"Constance, Rochefort knows you're the queen's ally, should anything happen to you…"
"Nothing will happen to Constance, d'Artagnan," I assured him before glancing to Anne, "or the dauphin. I shall watch over them both. The most important thing is that her majesty is taken away from here, out of Rochefort's reach. We cannot protect her here, but you can. Take her away, and keep her safe. We will handle things from here as best we can." Praying that I sounded a great deal more confident than I felt, my brother brushed his hand against my hair.
"If he hurts you…"
"Then I shall gouge out his other eye like I did with the last," I promised him, a flicker of a smirk touching his mouth. "Just hurry and find a way to resolve this, before the damage is irreparable." Nodding with a promise that he would, Athos kissed my forehead as Porthos appeared, reminding us all that time was of the essence. My heart gladdened to see him.
"We need to go. They might check on these guards at any moment."
"Here, this way. It leads to the servants' landing." Showing them to the other doors which lead out of the queen's apartments, Porthos gestured to where I could see the feet of several unconscious guards in the receiving room.
"Well, what about them?"
"I'll deal with it," Milady offered, much to my surprise and suspicion. "Just go."
"I shall help," stepping forwards, I glanced to Milady as she too looked at me with an unreadable expression. I still did not trust her, but it was clear that Athos and the others had managed to get inside the palace because of her help. I did not yet know what other part she had in this venture, but for now, I would contain my anger. "Hurry, Porthos. Take good care of her for me," softening as Porthos moved past, he stopped when he was directly in front of me.
"I will, but you remember to take care of yourself too. Rochefort will have it out for you now after you cut him up…just be careful." Overwrought with genuine concern for me, I smiled naturally and brushed my hand against his face, feeling the brush of his beard before tugging playfully upon it. Not knowing what else to say, a thought suddenly struck me. Reaching into my pocket, I withdrew a handkerchief, another of my own embroidered making, and tucked it into his jacket for him to carry.
"For good luck," I explained a little bashfully, then kissed my two foremost fingers, and pressed them against his chest where my handkerchief now sat. "Godspeed, my dearest Porthos." Murmuring so quietly, I though Porthos might not have heard me, for I was too timid to call him so intimately aloud. Behind us, Athos had come to speak once more with Milady, but I was so enraptured by Porthos' gaze that despite the fact I had noticed, I did not care one whit. It seemed that Porthos was thinking deeply until Milady commanded everyone to go. I knew her to be right, much as it pained me to say.
Moving to step away from Porthos, his hand jumped suddenly to capture my own, pressing it against his chest over his heart, where I had placed the handkerchief. I looked to him in surprise, mouth parting to form the beginnings of a question, but the words never passed over my lips but were trapped upon the tip of my tongue, stolen by Porthos and his kiss. It was so sudden and unexpected that for a moment I had not realised what was happening. There was simply the warmth of him spreading across my face, a firm and commanding pressure against my lips with the grace of something silken smooth and sinfully hot brushing against my tongue. His tongue, I dimly realised.
He pulled away just as I had begun to recognise what he was doing, what was happening, and then I was left only with the impression of him still tingling upon my lips, the air suddenly feeling colder for his absence as I blinked in a dreamy daze. For a moment, all I could do was stand there, jolting only when the door closed behind them. Despite everything, the gravity and precariousness of our position, the danger we faced, Constance smiled at me. "Was that your first kiss?" She asked me, and I rather stupidly nodded my head, quite unable to speak. "What did you think? Are you happy?" Now the blush began to creep into existence, pooling at my cheeks and spreading like wildfire as Milady discreetly listened.
"Yes…" I somehow managed to breathe. "It…tasted sweet." Allowing herself a giggle of glee, Constance embraced me, flinging her arms over my neck and pulling me against her.
"I'm happy for you. I know how much you love him," returning to a blissful daze, I reimagined the experience of Porthos' kiss until it seemed to be the only memory in my possession.
"Without wanting to ruin this delightful little gossip you have here, are you going to help me with these fools or not?" Milady demanded, but I caught a hint of amusement, a familiar glint of jest and mirth in her eyes which I thought I had forgotten about altogether.
"Yes…" I blinked, attempting to return to my senses. "Yes, we are coming."