The Three Musketeers (IN EDITS)

Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

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She ran.

She couldn't be here - couldn't believe what he had just done and said to her.

Marriage.

He asked for her hand in marriage.

Why?

Charles knew of her feelings for Christophe - why would he do this?

In the privacy of her chambers, she fell against the door, her knees up to her chest.

This was not happening - it couldn't be happening.

She couldn't give him an answer - there had to be a logical explanation for this.

Was he drunk?

It had to be - she'll have to speak to him again in the morning.

Throwing herself into bed, she stared at the canopy above her and focused her mind on one person, drifting to sleep.

Christophe.

Christophe.

Christophe.

***

"He did what?" Emma cried the following morning when she arrived with Violette and realised that someone had upset Arianne to the point that she refused to leave the bed.

"Why would he propose to you?" Violette asked. "Did something happen between you?"

"No!" Arianne looked up from the pillow she had buried her face in. "Charles has always known about my feelings for Christophe and he has never done anything like this before! There have never been any moments, I swear!"

"Then why has he proposed to you?" Emma asked as Arianne shrugged her shoulders, throwing her back into the pillow. "Look, you need to talk to him. You ran away before he could explain anything! It might've just been a drunken mistake!

"Emma's right..." Violette came to the bed. "You have to talk to him, find out why he is doing this."

As she dressed and got ready for the day, Arianne looked at her reflection, consoling herself.

She had to be brave - she had to talk to Charles and listen to what he had to say and be very clear about where she stood - and that was not by his side as his wife.

English courtiers were waiting to greet the Bourbons as well as Princess Henrietta Maria and her young children in the assembly room and that is where Arianne found Charles, entertaining his people.

"Your Majesty..." She came up behind him and he turned to her with a smile as she curtsied to him.

"Arianne..." He was happy to see her and it hurt that she had to do this to him.

"We need to talk..."

"Yes...we do..." Charles nodded, offering her his arm as she took it and they stepped away from the crowds into a quiet corner of the room, unable to leave until after the King had greeted and welcomed the guests. "About last night...."

"Charles..." Arianne raised her hand, silencing him as she kept aware of her surroundings, knowing she could not speak too openly. "When I came to England, I told you of my feelings for Christophe and you were my biggest supporter! You never gave me an impression of holding...such feelings for me..." Arianne explained. "So why do this?"