Athos and I were lead inside the prison by the Red Guard warders. It took everything in me to put on foot in front of the other, Athos supported me as we stopped before a wooden door with a small window in it made of steel bars.
"NO" I scuffled my feet backwards as from somewhere within the prison a blood curdling scream "I can't" My knees buckled, and I slipped from Athos's hold and crumpled to the floor, I had never been so terrified in my life
"GET UP" the Warder said brandishing a whip and he raised his arm Athos caught his wrist
"You do not strike her; she is terrified nothing more" he pushed the man back against the door sending it flying open. Athos bent and picked me up and carried me inside of the cell and put me on the straw that was on the floor "I will be back for you" he murmured "I love you, please remember I love you" He pushed up and strode out.
I jumped as the door was slammed closed and I was left in the dimness with just a small shaft of light coming from the slit of a window.
***************************************************
Athos walked into the Cardinal's office Milady was sitting in a chair by the fire.
"Why did you not take those soldiers with you?" The Cardinal snapped
"Because I do not need guards to take one woman to the Chatelet, they were better off staying behind incase her Musketeer lover decided to follow us" He put his hands on his hips and turned his head and looked at Milady "you feared for your life against Estelle?"
"I did" she smiled "do you not see the bruise on my face from her, I didn't think that you were the type to have a lover that was a gutter cat" Athos looked away from her
"She is nothing to me she was a distraction for a while, and now she is Aramis's whore" He turned to the door "I shall see that the Red guard is training"
"Well, I think we can safely say that Athos has shown his loyalty" The Cardinal said moving around his desk "for him to take that woman and leave her in the Chatelet"
"Athos is a dangerous man when his heart is broken" Milady came over to the window and looked out as Athos walked through the Gardens toward the training ground of the Red Guards "we can use that anger"
"For what; we cannot see the Queen is harmed now she is with child" the Cardinal looked at her "We need this Heir, France needs this Heir" Milady rolled her eyes
"The King needs an Heir that is all" She huffed "I can distract him from the Queen, I have done so already" He moved to walk out "And I will have Athos to also keep warm"
"Do not do anything stupid" there was a warning to the Cardinals tone
*******************************************
"Constance, you have to speak to the Queen" Porthos said as they walked down the long hallway
"She is the only one that can get Estelle out of the prison" D'artagnan pushed his hand through his hair. Treville walked from the King's apartments.
"Did you speak to him about Estelle?" Porthos said quickly
"I couldn't he and the Queen have requested privacy; no one is getting anywhere near them till at least tomorrow" Treville rubbed the back of his neck
"We should storm the Prison" Aramis paced back and forth "She is as much a part of the Musketeers as we are, as Constance is"
"I know that" Treville snapped "We should never have begun this"
"No, we shouldn't but we have to keep going with it. It's our job to keep the King and Queen safe" Porthos sighed
"But what about Estelle" Constance said the fear in her voice
"We will fetch her out as soon as we can, we just need to pray that she is strong enough to cope with the prison"
*****************************************************
Athos was training with the Red Guard, his frustrations taking over the swing of his sword. He stopped and turned his face to the sky that was greying with the onset of a winter night. He felt eyes on him and turned around and saw Milady leaning on a tree. He sheathed his sword and walked toward her.
"You are more impressive as a swordsman now than you were" she purred
"Thank you" he picked up his jacket and put it on "I need to eat" he walked around her
"Athos" he stopped "Is it true?" he looked back over his shoulder at her "I am still your only love?" her voice softened
"Yes" he said his gut turning as he said it "But what you did, that was unforgivable. You have created the man before you now and I have seen the pandering you are doing to the Cardinal and why would you even think of me when you are in the Kings bed. I have nothing other than being a soldier. I have no fear of dying, my heart has been destroyed by heartless women starting with you" He faced her "I will do my job and I will help the Cardinal in his attempts to destroy the Musketeers, I thought they were loyal brothers but now I know differently" He turned on his heel and walked away.
Milady returned to the Cardinal. She walked in as he had a Prostitute bent over his desk
"DO YOU NOT KNOCK" he bellowed at her
"No" she smiled "I need to speak with you" He groaned and moved away from the woman. Milady reached into the purse tied to her belt and threw three Livres on to the desk in front of her "Leave us" the Prostitute picked up the coins and left them together.
"You are beginning to try my patients Milady" The cardinal poured a glass of wine
"I think you will be interested in the fact that Athos is wanting to destroy the Musketeers for what they have done to him" The Cardinal stopped with the glass halfway to his mouth "We can get them out of the way it gives you utter control of the King with my help of course" She walked over to the Cardinal and pressed herself against him putting her mouth by his ear "You and I will become the most powerful people in France with you guiding he King to make his educated choices whilst I keep him sated in the Carnal way" The Cardinal smiled "I have one thing to ask of you"
"You have asked a lot" he looked down at her
"I know but this is more of a personal gratifying one" she stepped back and picked up the Cardinal's seal from the desk "Aramis's whore"
"You want her hung?" the Cardinal took the seal from her and tipped his head
"No, I want her lashed, she should carry the scars for the trouble she has caused" Milady lifted her head "Then let the Musketeers have her back"
"Very well I shall send word to the Prison" The Cardinal nodded. "She can take ten lashes tomorrow"
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...
