The Three Musketeers (IN EDITS)

Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

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It was the new year and Paris was ready.

The palace was awake - and the maids were ready.

Arianne stood before a mirror, smiling as she pinned her hair back, tied up her apron and ran her hands down her maid clothes.

She was ready.

A few hours ago, Arianne re-entered the palace in her maid clothes and carrying her bags. Since Yuletide, she had been hiding at Treville's old home, with the palace believing she was in Normandy.

She spent her days reading, writing and walking around Paris, helping out the missionaries and spending time exploring the city of her birth. It was freedom beyond words. Fireworks lit up the sky when the New Year arrived and Arianne watched from the banks of the Seine with the other Parisians as greetings and celebrations for the coming year.

Violette visited her when she could and both sat around the fireplace at Treville's home, wrapped in blankets and eating the leftover treats from the palace, talking and laughing about all that was happening.

But the nights Arianne was alone, she ventured to the Luxembourg Palace. Only a few guards stood outside but she spoke the secret word and they gained her entry. And always, Christophe waited for her. He knew the palaces like the back of his hand so snuck out without detection. Only one person knew where he was in case his whereabouts were questioned.

While it never felt like enough, Arianne and Christophe would spend the night together, leaving when the sun rose over the horizon. It gave both of them enough time to avoid detection and while their partings were bittersweet, they held onto meeting each other again the next time.

But, this time was different.

The other maids were still getting ready as Arianne took advantage of her earliness. She headed into the kitchen and saw another maid holding a silver tray of fruit and tea. "I'll take it..." Arianne offered, reaching for the tray but the maid raised her eyebrows.

"Nina told me to do it..." The maid was adamant, moving the tray away from Arianne's hands.

"But you've not had breakfast. I have so I have nothing to lose starting work early..." Arianne explained. "Most people would be willing to give up work to others so early in the morning and now that I am back, I want to start afresh with everyone and that means making up for the lack of work I did last year..." Her hand was extended, the maid looking at it before sighing and nodding.

"Fine by me..." She handed the tray to Arianne who took it and headed out of the kitchen. Her heart fluttered as she made her way through the palace - two weeks away had been far too long but she finally felt like she was home.

Making her way across the corridors, admiring the art, greeting the courtiers who were awake with a big smile on her face.

And she reached her destination.

She knocked on the door a few times with the tray balancing on one arm. "Who is it?" A voice called from the other side of the ivory and gold panelled doors.

"Breakfast..." She cleared her throat as she spoke, to avoid detection. After a very obvious groan, Arianne frowned at a distant voice.

"Come in..."

She opened the door and her eyes scoured the room. The fireplace was crackling, the room had clothes thrown everywhere and Arianne frowned. The bed was a mess, pillows were strewn on the floor and Arianne's mouth fell open in surprise.