Musketeer's Daughter:Unanswered Riddle

Chapter 48: Together

"No, Ysabeau!" Marguerite hissed, slashing the air in a futile attempt to getting her back.

Ysabeau darted to the coat tree and pulled her sword. She moved behind the door. Andrién's face shown disapproval, but he would not stop her. With a deep furrow upon his brow, he nodded as he peered through the hangings, his hand just touching them aside.

"It is the Garde de Corps, and someone I cannot quite make out at the door."

"How many?" Marguerite ducked behind the sofa, fear causing her eyes to bulge.

"Fifteen."

Marguerite covered her mouth with a gasp, picked her skirts up, and scurried into the kitchens.

"I swear I will not let them take you, mon amour!" Andrién's voice shook over his whisper and he unlatched the door.

"They are here for me," both Ysabeau and Andrién said. They did not look at one another, but held grim faces, swords ready.

"Together, then, bien-aimée fille."

"Together." She gripped his hand, he squeezed hers.

Andrién pulled the door open and there stood Philippe. "What are you doing here?" Andrién did not budge, but remained steadfast in his place. It was Ysabeau's reaction to snarl, and she raised her sword. The others did not hold their weapons out. Odd.

"Andrién, I am here to escort you to back to Fontainebleau. The King expects you."

"No, you will do no such thing." Ysabeau pointed her sword at his heart, but he did not touch his.

Philippe regarded her with tired eyes, but returned his gaze to her père. "Now, Andrién. And there is to be no resistance."

"And you shall receive none." He held Philippe's eyes for a long moment, then turned to her. "All is well, petit fille. They want me, not you. Stay, and take care of—"

She despised the resignation in his voice. "Never. I will fight for you, Andrién. It is my place to protect ma famille."

"As for you, Ysabeau, you are presumed dead. I killed you as you resisted Andrién's arrest." Philippe showed no attempt at hiding his scheme from his men. "My men are loyal to me, you need not worry if they speak."

Though she recognized Philippe's generosity, she did not stand down. "I ought to run this through you, you coward."

"I do not expect you to understand, Ysabeau, but I do have my reasons. Andrién, it is time."

"No!" Ysabeau threw her arms around his shoulders. "I cannot bear the thought of losing you, Andrién. Please, please do not leave me. Please?"

His face shown no fear, regret, anger. Just a tranquility she had never been able to master. "Bien-aimée fille," his hands were urgent as they framed her face with a soft tickle, "I am a grown man. I have committed several crimes in which I must pay."

"But you are the Garde de la Manche!"

"Hence, His Majesty's most trusted. I must pay the price, belle fille, please do not weep for me."

"But Andrién, they will kill you!"

"Andrién," Philippe said, his hand wrapping about Andrién's upper arm. "Come."

"What laws have you broken other than saving the life of the woman and child you love? Of saving me? You have not committed any treason. Philippe, please, tell His Majesty that he died in fight, that he—"

"I cannot, ma chérie. The King demands that I take him alive. A life for a life he said. If I should kill him, so he would me."

"A little sacrifice for the many sorrows I have endured, would you not agree?"

"Ysabeau!" Andrién turned on her.

"Then take me too, Philippe. I had nearly killed the King as well and you arrested me. Why do you not take me?"

"He did not ask for you, but Andrién." His green eyes hardened, yet, became urgent as if he spoke secret thoughts through them.

"Well?" She marched up to him, raising her eyes to him and gave him her wrists.

"Watch him!" Philippe left Andrién to one of his men and grabbed Ysabeau and took her a little distance off. "Ysabeau, I have bargained your life with mine to keep you safe—it is an agreement the King alone is aware—these Garde de Corps are not aware of my standing nor yours. As far as they know, you have not nearly killed the King."

She set her teeth and glared at him. "If you could bargain me, so you could him." His nostrils flared, and the fine structure of his jaw flexed.

"I love you, Ysabeau. Forgive what I am only capable of."

"Coward!" she shouted, slapping his face. A few members of the Garde moved forward, but Philippe shook his head and stepped from her, his expression unchanging.

"Ysabeau, go back in the house." Andrién's face pinched cold. His eyes fierce. "I am the least of your worries."

"Fine!" She slammed the door, and clutched her face. "They are taking him, Marguerite, they are taking him. The King means to kill him. Oh, what have I done? This is all my doing . . ." Her mère ran into the room, peered through the hangings, her fingers over her quivering chin. From Ysabeau's vantage point, she could see tears glassing her eyes. "They mean to set him to the guillotine. He defied the King the night he saved me.

"The King would remain ignorant if I had not attended the boule de mascarade in your costume."

But Marguerite did not seem to hear. She clung to the hangings, sobbing. "Please, please do not take my Andrién from me."

Ysabeau joined her. They set him atop a tethered horse to Philippe. Andrién glanced over his shoulder as they rode off into the forest. She would never see him again. Ever. Her heart quaked and she covered her mouth.

"Curse my dreadful taste in fashion, for if I had not worn your very gown to the ball, the King would remain ignorant as to my heritage!" She dropped her head to her folded arms and wailed.

Soft hands touched her shoulders. "Explain what you mean, fille."

"The King thought he saw your ghost in me as I had worn the very mask and gown you had once upon a time. He cornered me and interviewed me. That night, he visited me and accused me, having me arrested. It is as I said, if I had not traipsed after the assassin, if I had just left him—"

"Ysabeau."

She lifted her head from her bout of self-pity and beheld her mère.

"It is not constructive that you place blame upon yourself. You have done what is expected of you. You gave chase to the man who killed your frère who led you to the King's place of residence. What more, what more could you have done?"

"And I will do again." Ysabeau pried Marguerite's arms from her, and threw on her cassock and hat. Her mère shook her head, stood from the sofa, and was about to speak, but Ysabeau did first. "Do not tell me what to do, femme. I will go and kill every last of them if I must. I will bring Andrién back."

"Foolish fille, you will do no such thing."

"I will not stand here and let him die. I will not sit here and take care of you. I will go and save Andrién."

"No." Her voice firm and full of power. "You will do no such thing. Long have I remained in shadows, cowering at the light of day and I shall no longer. Come, fille, let us go together and fetch the man we both love."