I didn't see Aramis at first; he was back in the trees on the back of his horse, it was only when Hades stopped and whinnied I realized there was someone there my hand went right to the knife on my hip.
"Estelle it is me" Aramis said moving out from the shadows "Did anyone follow you?"
"I don't think so" I shook my head
"Then we need to put as much distance between ourselves and Paris as we can" He kicked his horse on, Hades following suit. All I could do was hang on for dear life as the miles disappeared behind us.
"Aramis" I was literally exhausted from hanging on "ARAMIS" He looked over his shoulder and pulled his horse to a halt.
"Is everything alright?" he frowned at me
"I just need a minute" I looked at him; he smiled at me "I'm not used to riding"
"I forget not everyone is born in the saddle" he chuckled "and we have made very good time" I patted Hades on the side of his thick neck "and to ride that beast it takes some effort" he nodded at Hades
"Why did Athos have Hades as one of the horses for me?" I asked as we headed up a steep trail to a ridge line
"Because that horse is a true warhorse and he does not stop" Aramis took a deep breath "I have known Aramis for a long time now but I have never known him like this over a woman. I mean you are a very beautiful woman but he has been taken with you since the first time he saw you. He has a past but he will not share with any of us" he tipped his hat back and looked back down the trail watching for movement "I mean we all have pasts that are less than desirable; but Athos drowns his life in a flask of wine and still refuses to say anything. One thing I do know is that he is not from a life like Porthos or I brought up in the slums of the city not knowing our fathers or like D'artaganan on his father's farm"
"We both have secret past lives" I sighed
"Well you are a mystery to all of us" He offered me a warm smile "Where did you go when you left?"
"Home, I just went home; because I was scared" I chewed my cheek
"Of us?" He frowned
"Of everything" I shrugged
"But you came back"
"I did; and I am glad that I did even if things are so strange and so different" I closed my eyes for a moment "I mean look at me, I'm doing something for the Queen of France" Aramis smiled at me
"You have a warmth about you Estelle. We all see it, especially Athos" He stopped his horse "We're almost there" he pointed through the trees I could see a Palace nestled in the wood.
"Is there no one there?" I asked as we started to move forward again
"No It is closed up for the winter. The King and Queen use it for the Summer Court, This is why the Queen probabaly used it for this meeting"
We rode across the open field and around the far side of the palace. There were three men standing by their horses I looked at Aramis. He stiffened in his saddle before bringing his horse to a halt.
The three men noticed us and kept eyes on us. Hades stopped his ears flat to his head as if he was keeping his senses heightened. Aramis dismounted and came over to me and put his hands up and lifted me down.
"I am right here with you" he said putting his hand in the small of my back, I nodded. My heart was racing, this was more dangerous than I ever thought. It wasn't the simple pages of a story that has you on the edge of your seat, this was happening to me right now.
My breath came out in clouds as the icy wind whipped around us. The middle one of the three men stepped forward.
"You have something for me?" He had a thick Spanish accent
"I need to know your Name?" I said trying to make my voice sound as strong as I could make it
"I am Juan-Phillipe Cortez, Envoy to his Majesty King Philip of Spain" He bowed his head Aramis looked at me and nodded. I moved aside my cloak and opened my jacket pulling out the Queens letter and held it out to him "Gracias" He said with a smile taking it from me; Out of the corner of my eye I caught Aramis looking around "Please give this to the Queen from her brother: he handed me a small red velvet pouch and a note" I tucked them both back into my Jacket
"Estelle, we must go" Athos put his hand on my elbow. I let him take me back to where the horses we standing He boosted me up in to Hades saddle, the three Spanish riders had already vanished. a movement in the trees Had Aramis drawing his pistol
"Aramis?" I could hear the panic in my own voice
"Ride now and don't look back"
"But..." I stammered
"ESTELLE GO" he smacked his hand flat on the rear end of Hades instructing him to get going.
I hung on a Hades broke into a full on gallop I heard the crack of a gun shot and shouting and the clash of swords. I clung on to Hades neck fear gripping me; He jumped over a fallen branch shaking me loose, I screamed as I slipped I hit my head on a branch as I fell knocking me out cold
YOU ARE READING
Lost in the pages
RomanceHave you ever got so lost in a book it's as if you were actually there. Estelle Bennett was left a little Old bookstore that used to belong to her grandmother, it was a place that Estelle had loved since being a child and her Grandmother had always...
