After chasing diamonds across the city, the main culprit and thief was brought before the court in the form of a vaguely familiar face. Bonnaire. The name eventually returned to me, the man whom had sough to establish his own working farms in the colonies worked by slaves. An immediate displeasure curled upon my lip to see him again, though I did extract a small satisfaction when my brother tossed him to the ground before the court's feet. "Your majesty," he addressed the Queen of England, Louis's own sister. "Your diamond and your thief." Handing over the last diamond, one of impressive blue, the queen looked at Bonnaire in pure astonishment.
"My gardener?" I almost snorted, rolling my eyes however in doing so, they caught upon the figure of Porthos. As if sensing my gaze he glanced to me, holding my stare for a moment before he smirked knowingly. Then he winked. A fresh blush touched upon my cheeks so I pointedly looked away, fighting against the curving smile and failing miserably as Bonnaire beseeched the queen for mercy.
"Forgive me, ma'am. I am a thief, but I am also the principal agent in the jewels' return." England's queen was not impressed and immediate ordered him to be hanged. "I could double your money for you." Swiftly changing his tune, Bonnaire sought escape by any means necessary.
"Hang him now!"
"Double your money." The queen's lady in waiting, a woman by the name of Caroline, I believed, took after her mistress, speaking to reason with the queen that they might consider the offer of more funds. Louis raised his hand in a thoughtful expression, considering the opportunity but Athos answered his question before he could even ask it.
"Don't trust him, every breath is a lie." After a moment, the lady in waiting leaned towards her queen.
"He must have the money he made from the sales." Immediately Bonnaire seized upon the opportunity, exclaiming that he did indeed have the money. In his eagerness he had risen to his feet, but with a steady glare from Porthos, he was pushed back to his knees. Undaunted, he continued to plead with England's queen.
"Now you have the diamonds back, you might sell them…again. Thereby all but doubling your money." Queen Henrietta looked to be considering the notion, and I watched with very little interest as everything unfolded. I could not care less about what happened to this unscrupulous Bonnaire, or a few diamonds. However, when Porthos spoke, I could not resist the temptation to look upon him, and revelled in the fierce twist my stomach made to look upon him and feel the imprints of his hands upon me.
"We'd better send for your partner then." Intrigued, Louis sat up a little, repeating the word with interest as d'Artagnan made a wry expression.
"He has a partner."
"And the partner has the money." Well, it seemed these men had been on quite the merry little adventure. Highwaymen, thieves, partners, diamonds…it was all quite romantic, in a way. Like something that had jumped directly from the pages of a book.
"There shall be no bargaining," Queen Henrietta declared vehemently before striding towards my brother. "Give me your sword and I will execute him myself." At the very least, I admired her fortitude. Thankfully, before we could see heads roll and blood everywhere, Louis stayed his sister's hand by rising from his seat and calling for her to see reason.
"Wait, wait, wait. Double the money means double the arms for soldiers," he noted rather acutely, giving cause for his sister to hesitate. "And I for one would like to see you win your war, Henrietta Maria." She looked down upon Bonnaire with contempt, announcing that he had betrayed her, implying that such an offence was entirely unforgivable. "And yet, he has the means to keep England safe." Thinking only of England rather than her pride, the English Queen nodded her head in agreement with her brother. She turned to Bonnaire.
"Show me this partner." Quiet unexpectedly, Bonnaire did not immediately give them up. He held his tongue, looking anguished and reluctant before finally bursting with a sob.
"I fear that is something I cannot do." England's Queen turned back to Athos.
"Give me your sword!" Just when I believed this story could not be any more interesting, capturing my attention entirely, the lady in waiting rushed to Bonnaire, calling to him languishingly.
"Emile, you fool!" Oh? I see there is yet another twist to this tale. Bonnaire took the woman's face into his hands and gazed upon her with arduous attention, and even I was a little convinced that there was a genuine love there.
"Caroline, it is you who are the fool, my love," he whispered earnestly, holding her as she grasped at him upon the ground. "What have you done?" Turning to the rest of us, he placed his arm around Caroline, holding her close to him as he sought to explain. "This was my plan, my idea. I was only trying to make a better life for my wife." Queen Henrietta was abashed, recoiling in shock as she cried out.
"You're married?! Without my permission?" But Bonnaire held his ground, even against the English Queen's wrath, but my attention strayed to the king. Whilst everyone else watched the show before them, I noticed Louis sit himself down upon the dais and pinch the bridge of his nose, suddenly looking exhausted and withdrawn. In truth, he looked a little ill.
"Hang me twice over, but not Caroline," Bonnaire begged as I frowned slightly, wondering at the king's condition before averting my gaze, not wishing to be caught staring at the king. "Please, I beg of you. She kept your favourite ring. That was her idea, not mine."
"Bonnaire, do you have the money?" Clearing having had enough of the man's entreaties, Louis brought us back to the main concern at hand. The money from the sales of the stolen diamonds. Bonnaire assured him that he did, and that he had hidden it safely. "Musketeers, take him and retrieve it." To this Queen Henrietta started with a flare of her temper, but Louis maintained a calm dignity that was utterly disproportionate to his previously petulant self. "Look. Don't let your anger outwit your good sense." It seemed to me, King Louis had grown a great deal these past four years.
"I petition the queen!" Hearing the sudden cry of Bonnaire, I looked back to him, having already been dragged towards the door by Porthos and d'Artagnan. "I demand immunity from prosecution." To which queen he petitioned, no one seemed quite certain, but it was Queen Henrietta who answered.
"You demand?" Sensing the threat in her tone, Bonnaire collected himself.
"Petition to demand," he corrected. "Not a penny crosses anyone's palm till you let Caroline walk free and me with her." Fixating Bonnaire with her icy, steely gaze, Queen Henrietta eventually agreed on the condition that neither Bonnaire or Caroline would ever walk upon English soil again. "I can promise you, ma'am, that will never happen. God save you. God save you!" Sighing softly, I was glad this was finally over with. I moved as the rest of the court began to disperse, glancing towards the doors where Porthos naturally looked over his shoulder. He smiled again, winking a final time before he disappeared from sight.
That evening I waited, sitting in my parlour with the table freshly plated with food. Hot servings, cold servings, all of Porthos's favourites. I felt silly for doing so, sitting there waiting for him without knowing if he would come. I hoped that he would, prayed for it even, but gradually I began to think that I was being foolish and that I could not expect to see him so soon after our last. I did not understand how this…intimacy, was meant to work. Should I go to him? Would I seem too keen? Too eager? Would he think me too desperate?
These conundrums puzzled in my mind until I resolved to simply retire without touching anything for myself, rising from my seat with a wilted feeling. A knock rapped upon my door and a servant announced that someone was calling upon me with official business. Urgent business. I exhaled wearily. "Let them in," I invited, not even bothering to ask who it was. Turning my back to the door to compose myself, allowing my expression to fall into one of utter neutrality, I waited until I heard the door open to permit my visitor inside before turning. A sly grin caught my focus, and immediately my mask slipped free. "Porthos!"
"Miss me, sweetheart?" Approaching me with a leisurely swagger, his hand snatched me against him at the waist as he bore down upon me, pressing his mouth to mine like a searing brand, one that I readily welcomed with a surprised gasp which swiftly faded into a moan. Stunned and dazed simultaneously even after Porthos pulled away, I was glad for his arm around my back otherwise I was not certain I would have remained standing. "Is all this for me?" Blinking to clear my head, I looked at the table spread with various foods and immediately blushed.
"No," I denied flatly, lifting my chin indignantly before my bravado faltered. "Well…perhaps."
"Expecting me, was you?"
"You did say to expect you, although you were not clear in your appointment…shall we sit? Tell me what became of Bonnaire and his wife, the lady in waiting." Searching for some means to distract myself, I made towards one of the seats, but Porthos neatly caught my hand, drawing me back as he took up the closest chair and sank into it. A firm tug had me falling into his lap, squeaking indignantly until he had gathered me up and perched me more comfortably, wrapping his arms around me with a devilish smirk seemingly fixed upon his mouth.
"How about we start with dinner first? I'm starving." As if to prove his point, I heard his stomach growl ravenously and I giggled for it. We ate from the same plate, Porthos telling me where Bonnaire had hidden the profits from the diamond theft, to which I immediately wrinkled my nose and sniffed at him.
"I pray you washed before coming here." Thankfully he did not carry the scent of death or rotting decay, so I settled myself back into his arms as he continued. Bonnaire and Caroline had been allowed to go on their way, pardoned by the queen and set to find their own way from now on. Catching a flicker in his expression, I brushed my hand against his face. "Do you regret letting him go?"
"I don't like the man, but there was no use in killing him. Especially in front of his missus. So long as he keeps his nose clean and we don't cross paths, I'll forget about him. Eventually." Still hearing a slight edge to his voice, I worried for a moment, then turned his face towards mine. I leaned towards him, searching his handsome features with a brush against the scar on his brow, softening him with every ministration until I allowed myself a smirk of my own.
"I could help you forget, should you like." As I had begun to discover, Porthos was always shocked whenever I said or did anything out of character of a proper lady such as myself. My forward suggestiveness caught him off guard, but he swiftly recovered and laughed, brushing his thumb to my face.
"It's like there's a whole other side to you I know nothing about, darlin'."
"Then perhaps you should take the time to try and discover it, darlin'." Teasing him in return, Porthos spread his lips wide, eyes dancing like swirls of ink. Next I knew I could not breathe, the air seemingly pulled from my lungs as Porthos kissed me with an intensity and passion far more than what I had experienced last night. I realised then that he had been holding himself back, and even now it felt as if he were still keeping a part of himself in a cage. Trying to be gentle. To care for me. I loved him for it. Soon the food lay forgotten, Porthos knocked back his chair in his eagerness to stand with me in his arms.
"Which way?" The throaty growl caused a spasm of thrill down my spine and I gingerly gestured to where my bedchambers lay. Smirking one final time, Porthos tossed me over his shoulder, making me squeak and protest as he wrapped an arm around my legs and carried me like I were a sack of grain. I protested vehemently, scolding him all the way for treating a lady in such a rough manner until he threw me upon the bed, the soft mattress cushioning me as I lurched back upwards, jostled until suddenly Porthos loomed over me, hands wrapping around my wrists and pinning them over my head. "If you don't stop talking, I'll have to find a way to occupy that mouth of yours." My jaw dropped, and Porthos took this as an open invitation to press his mouth to mine.
I lost the will to protest, melting into his touches until I became nothing but a wanton creature, all desire and lust and need as I learned how to be a better lover, and how to be loved by such an excellent man.