I screamed. Oh, how I screamed.
It did not take me long to realise that it was not the intent of Rochefort to draw the truth from me, but simply to cause me pain. He ripped away my fine gown with the wren broach, my adornments and signet rings. Worst of all, he ripped away my necklace and placed it in his own pocket, a prize for his keeping. He strung me up by my wrists and lashed me with the whip, he beat me until I was black and blue. He took each of my fingers and twisted them until they were out of place, gnarled and crooked like twigs.
I was stretched upon the rack until my limbs cracked and some dislocated. I was confident my shoulder was out of place, but Rochefort had halted before I could be ripped apart entirely. Perhaps worse than the pain was the drowning. I was placed upon a table and strapped down, leather cutting into my flesh as a cloth was placed over my face and water thrown over me. I suffocated and drowned simultaneously, but never enough to kill me.
Rochefort was an experienced torturer, learned from his own torture whilst a prisoner in Spain. All through the night, he did not allow me to rest, struck me whenever I looked upon him, but even then, I did not break my silence. Other than screams, Rochefort had nothing from me. He left me exposed, shivering and bleeding, with the left side of my face so swollen and bruised that I could not see out of that eye. He told me it was in recompense for what he had lost and that I should be grateful he did not cut my eye out altogether.
That would come later, he said. Threats of branding, of fire to follow water, promising me that this was only the beginning. He would leave, only to come back and shake me from sleep to ensure that I did not have the chance to rest from my pains. It was endless, and I will admit that I wept in the most undignified manner. "Confess, and everything will end." His voice haunted me, long after I had lost all other sense of being. "Confess to the adulterous affair of Aramis and the queen, and I shall free you."
I could not betray Anne, I could not betray Aramis…I held my tongue and accepted any pain that followed. Gradually the pain merged into one single presence, no greater or lesser than another form. Rochefort seemed to know this, for he finally left me alone at daybreak. He allowed my body to recover so that it would not become accustomed to the torment. Finally, I was allowed to wither into a miserable ball, nursing at my wounds. With my fingers out of place, I could not properly care for my injuries.
There was no rest, no respite, just agony and aching, labouring for breath as I bled from the lash wounds across my back. Drifting, I lost myself to the caverns of my mind, my only refuge, until I heard the cage rattle as the door was unlocked. Instinctively I whimpered, pushing myself away from the sound, for I knew wrathful agony would follow. Instead, two guards grasped me under the arms and dragged me, raw and wounded, dressed only in the tattered remains of my smallclothes which were stained red from blood.
I could not walk, for I had no strength and most of my joints were dislocated, therefore they dragged me the entire way to wherever my presence had been summoned. Gradually I began to rouse myself, dragging air into my broken body. Managing to raise my head, I saw that I had been brought to the palace, to the small council chambers. Before me stood Marguerite, and when her eyes fell upon me, she uttered a quiet gasp of shock. "My God! Madeleine…what has happened to you?" She started towards me, but a guard held her back and through the haze of my disorientation, I bared my teeth.
"Stay away from me, traitor," recoiling, I turned my face so that I could see her with my less affected eye, which although blackened and swollen, was not completely sealed shut like the other. "I do not associate myself with turncoats and the unfaithful." It took all of my strength merely to say those words, and I collapsed from the effort, however upon hearing Aramis's voice from behind the closed door, I felt a flutter of warmth to know of his presence.
"…Rochefort who is the traitor! Rochefort who is the enemy! And Rochefort who should be on TRIAL!" The gradual crescendo of his voice rang out clearly, and I exhaled weakly as its echo gradually dissipated. I heard a momentary interlude, quieter voices murmuring until the sound of my now greatest fear struck through me as Rochefort spoke.
"A confession might have kept some small part of your honour intact. Instead, you disgrace yourself with these outrageous lies." At this the door was opened to admit Margeurite, but even as she lingered for a moment, I did not look at her. I remained slumped to the ground, exhausted beyond comprehension with stinging pains dancing across my body. With every word Rochefort grew, so did my trembling. "Lady Marguerite, you saw the queen and Aramis in private together. How would you describe their behaviour?" There was a silence. "Look at me. Not him."
Whatever answer Marguerite gave was so quiet that I could not hear it, only the muted murmur of her familiar tone. Being the faithless traitor that she was, I did not doubt that it was incriminating Anne and Aramis. "But you yourself were also the Musketeer's lover?" Hearing Rochefort again, I flinched, flashes ripping through me of memories during that long night. "We must hear you." His questions continued, asking when the affair between Anne and Aramis began, and continued pressing her for information regarding the affair and made mention of the boy. I presumed the dauphin.
Barely breathing, I heard Marguerite cry out for Aramis, pleading with him as she was dragged outside. I heard her cries, her pitiful sobs, but I cared not. As she was taken away, I was once more lifted by the arms and forced to my feet. I limped, one leg buckling under me for I could not place weight upon it, so they forced me along with them, pulling me into the council room where I was exposed before all present. "Dear God, what have you done to her?!" Crying out in alarmed outrage, Aramis surged forwards as my head was pulled back from a fist to my hair. "You monster! How could you?! HOW COULD YOU?!"
They dropped me, allowing me to simply spill to the floor. Next I knew someone grasped at my shoulders, and the sudden touch cause me to shriek and jolt violently, attempting to fight them off until Aramis's voice reached me, managing to quell my immediate terror and sooth me, delicately moving aside my hair and attempting to hold me in a manner that would not cause me more pain. "Madeleine…my sweet Madeleine…what has he done to you? My dearest, I am so sorry…so sorry for this…" whispering to me, I dragged air into my lungs, blinking my one open eye until it focused upon his face.
"Aramis…" sobbing his name, I fell into him, shivering and whimpering as I hid my face into his lap.
"Get her up," Rochefort commanded, and immediately I was torn from Aramis even as he was pulled away from me.
"No! Let her go, do not touch her! DO NOT HARM HER!"
"Silence, or we shall have no choice but to cut out your tongue," I heard the distinct grunt of a heavy blow and Aramis was doubled over, gasping to recover his breath. "Now, are you ready to confess your knowledge of the affair, comtesse?" Among the gathered men of the council, some whispered in horrified mortification, one even spoke aloud.
"Comte de Rochefort, is such brutal methods necessary? You have tortured a comtesse!"
"A traitor, a conspirator to poison the king who refused to answer my questions," Rochefort explained simply, as if it were perfectly reasonable that he should have used such extreme methods upon me. "Had she been more amenable, then I would not have had to resort to such measures."
"But still, this is not…"
"Do you dare question me?" The council member swiftly fell silent. Blinking through the blurred vision of my swollen face, I flinched when Rochefort stepped towards me. "How dare you look upon me?" I swiftly averted my gaze, cowering away from him as I covered my head with my arms, weeping quietly. "Now, tell us the truth. Tell us what happened that night at the convent in Bourbon-les-Eaux." My heart contorted in my chest, everything tightening until I could scarce bring air into my body. "Speak, or I shall send you back to your cage." The unspoken threat lingered in the air, the threat of torture. Agony. Endless nightmares.
"Alright…I shall speak…the truth…" my soul felt as if it had withered, my body an empty shell. I had no fire. No spirit. I felt…broken. "I shall tell you…the truth…"
"Madeleine…" hearing Aramis's voice, soft and afraid, yet understanding. I knew that if I told Rochefort everything, he would not blame me. He would not have expected me to endure any further pain, and he would not have even felt betrayed if I gave him up. As I drew in a final breath, I allowed myself a ghost of a smile.
"I lay with Aramis that night." My confession created a tremor of shock, and I sensed Rochefort lunge to his feet, having seated himself to lounge in his victory. Drawing myself up, it took all of my courage to hold back my shoulders, ignore the twinges of pain as crusted blood cracked open to bleed afresh, and slowly, ever so slowly, I brought my eyes to look upon Rochefort. I trembled, but I did not look away. "I gave myself to him, out of love and need, in the hour of his greatest despair, for he had lost someone dear to his heart by the hand of assassins, a former betrothed…I lay with him, and I do not regret it." My lies rolled effortlessly over my tongue, as effortlessly as a prayer. "I lay with him…I lay with him…"
"Lies!" Thrusting his finger at me in an accusatory gesture, Rochefort stormed towards me, tearing down the last reserves of my courage. "You deceive us for the sake of the queen, your word cannot be trusted!" He grasped at my face, pressing his fingers into the damaged flesh until a scream tore free and Aramis bellowed for him to release me, fighting against his restrainers. "Speak the truth, or I will have you executed alongside your friend, the Bonacieux woman." Constance…dear God, were we all doomed? Tears flowed, burning my eyes as I looked away from Rochefort, too afraid to meet his gaze.
"I lie not…I speak true…I thought only…to protect my honour…but I cannot allow you…to defame her majesty!" Overcome with rage, Rochefort thrust me to the ground.
"Take her away!" Choking upon lack of air, I writhed as I was lifted, carried bodily away even as Aramis bellowed and screamed, begging for mercy. Two guards held me up and I dangled between them, head rolling as Aramis's screams quietened into ragged breaths. Forcing my head to rise, I managed to see him through my blurred vision. After a few moments the haze cleared, and I saw him looking at me with devastating woe. Gathering a final spark of strength, I tugged myself forwards, looking at him in earnest.
"I will die for the queen," I declared in the strongest voice I could manage, rasping and faint as it was. "You hear me?" The question was not for the council, but for Aramis, to tell him to stay silent and allow me to take on this burden, for his sake and the queen's. "I will die for Queen Anne, and my conscience shall go to God clear and at peace." Aramis looked as though he were about to weep, but before I could say anything more, the guards dragged me away back to the darkness, back to the torment, and nothing thereafter held any meaning other than to punish me for my loyalty.