Le Mousquetaire Femme

Chapter 7

A gentle shake awoke her and she groaned in reply.

"We are approaching the border." Athos' deep rumble caused her to slowly pry open an eye and gaze upon his rugged face. "It is time you awoke." She was suddenly reminded that they were being followed by their friends and reluctantly she sat upright in the rickety cart.

Rubbing her eyes, she peered into the gradually brightening light and watched the sun peak over the hilltops as morning arrived.

"How long was I asleep?" She mumbled.

"Hours." Hernando replied as Athos smiled at her. "You didn't even wake when the horses started fussing." She pursed her lips in embarrassment as she noticed Athos' smile turn into a smirk.

"I always have been a heavy sleeper." She told him. "I once slept through a thunder storm." She hid a smile as Athos chuckled at the memory.

"It is true." He told their companion. "She did not wake once, whilst I was awake all night."

"We are here." Hernando interrupted their reminiscing as the cart slowed to a stop. "He will be here any moment." The pair shared a look confirming that they were ready to pounce before dutifully leaving the cart.

"And who is He?" Anna asked as she straightened her skirts.

"My brother." Hernando told them as the unmistakable sound of horses filled the air. "He is the only one I trust to carry information." Numerous men on horseback suddenly appeared.

The couple studied the entourage as the leader dismounted and greeted Hernando in Spanish.

"Brother, these will be accompanying you." Hernando introduced them to the stranger. "They have valuable information on a new plan by Cardinal Richelieu." They smiled at the studious man as Hernando spoke. "It will help us."

"Actually..." Athos interrupted them. "It will not." As he spoke Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnan entered the scene.

"What is this?!" Hernando shouted as he saw the M's on their uniforms.

"You're under arrest." Anna said simply. "For Treason."

The Spaniards leapt from their saddles and began to fight the Musketeers.

Anna and Athos sighed before catching the swords Porthos threw to them before diving into the swell and happily fighting the traitors.

"I've missed this!" Anna laughed as she tied a Spaniard's hands behind his back and escorted him into the back of the cart she'd previously travelled in.

"You're good at it." D'Artagnan observed as he loaded the last man in.

"You don't understand!" Hernando cried as he was placed onto the bench at the front of the cart.

"Let me guess: you have a family to feed?" Aramis asked sarcastically. "Tough." He climbed up beside him and grabbed the horses' reins. "You're a criminal."

"Treville will be pleased." Athos mused as he mounted a horse beside Anna. "No casualties and many new horses."

"Yeah, sounds great." Porthos said dryly. "Seeing as you don't have to steer them all." He gestured to the line of horses he and D'Artagnan were attempting to control as they set off back towards Paris.

"Consider it a challenge." Anna giggled. "If you succeed, I'll buy you drinks for a week."

"I'll hold you to that."

"Looks like you're buying your own drinks." She chuckled as they entered the Garrison with a very frazzled Porthos at the rear of their group of criminals and horses.

"I'm telling you: that horse was trying to kill me!"

"Sure." She laughed as they dismounted and were greeted by a smiling Treville.

"It would seem our stock has been replenished." He gestured to the animals.

"Aramis and D'Artagnan are dropping our new friends off at the prison." Athos told the Captain as the horses were taken to the stables.

"Good, the King will be pleased. However, there is still the matter of Claude Allard's murder."

"We will speak with Jean." Anna assured him.

She entered the tavern and glanced around for the hooded figure of the alleged spy.

"Jean." She smiled as she spotted and joined him in the corner of the room.

"Musketeer." He nodded to her.

"You will be pleased to know the traitors are no more." He moved his head to look at her from underneath his hood.

"They are dead?"

"Well, they will be by tomorrow morning." She signalled for a drink.

"Good." He mused. "Then our work is done."

"Not quite." She sighed. "You see, a member of court was murdered and we can't really forget about that..."

"I was protecting the King!" He exclaimed.

"Now that's not necessarily true, is it?" She took a gulp of wine. "You see, our friends who are to be hung in the morning, have happily given us lots of information about other traitors." She told him. "And your name, your real name that is, was given. Because you are in fact a Spaniard aren't you, Diego Hernando?"

The hood moved to glare at her.

"How did you-" She cut him off with an eye roll.

"You're wearing a Spanish ring and you have a very obvious moustache, much like your brother." She flipped back his hood as she finished speaking to reveal a tanned man with a pointed moustache, adorned in Spanish jewellery. "My only question is; why did you kill Claude Allard?"

"He was going to go to the Cardinal." He spat. "He was guilty! Guilty that he was telling Spain of the childish King of France's demands!"

"And you knew he'd reveal the entire ring..." Anna said as all the pieces fell into place.

"We would all have been dead by the following morning."

"Honestly, I think I'd prefer the Cardinal's wrath over the food in our prisons." She chuckled as he raised an eyebrow.

"What do you-"

"Oh, didn't I make myself clear? I'm going to arrest you." She told him nonchalantly as she drained her tankard. He leapt from his seat and pointed a dagger at her.

"I don't think so." He smirked. "You will never disarm-" He finished his sentence with a yelp as she stood and calmly grabbed and twisted his arm behind his back, the dagger pointing inwards to his spine.

"Oops." She whispered into his ear. "Looks like I did."

She slowly made him drop the ornate weapon and muscled him out of the building and into the awaiting arms of Porthos and Aramis.

"Make sure he gets there in time for the execution: might as well use the scaffold while it's up."

"I have missed working with you." Porthos chuckled as they sat in the Garrison the next morning.

"And I you." She smiled. "All of you."

"To Anna; the only one of us who bothered to check Jean was a legitimate French man!"

"You lot!" The five Musketeers glanced up to Treville. "I've got a job for you!" They slowly placed their tankards on the table and climbed the steps to the Captain's office.

"Yes?" Aramis asked as they entered the small room.

"Meet Marie, she is to be under our protection whilst her father does his business with the King."

They all glanced to the woman standing beside Treville's desk.

"Hello..." Aramis smiled flirtatiously at the woman before Treville cleared his throat.

"Not her." They looked at him curiously. "The child."

"You're joking?!" Porthos asked as they noticed the toddler in the woman's arms. "A baby?!"