Le Mousquetaire Femme

Chapter 11

A path cleared through the packed street as the four musketeers astride their horses led their prisoner through Paris. Hushed whispers filled the space as the notorious Gascon brute was dragged by rope past them.

"I have a warrant from the Cardinal..." A voice rang through the small square they had turned into. "...for the immediate arrest of your prisoner Martin LaBarge." Anna rolled her eyes at the pompous voice of the Red Guards Captain.

"He's already under arrest for the murder of two Musketeers." Aramis told him and the Guards that flanked their leader.

"Well, you're to hand him over to us for questioning." The Captain said with a smug smile as one of his underlings handed Athos the warrant in question.

"It's not safe here." Anna gestured to the bustling square. "Someone could get hurt."

"I want it noted that he's a very dangerous man." Athos sighed as he read over the warrant.

"Duly noted." The Captain replied.

"Very well." At Athos' nod Porthos untied his end of the rope and threw it down to the waiting Guard.

"Don't say we didn't warn you." Anna smirked as the Captain began to ride away with his new prisoner.

"Come on, LaBarge!" The Captain kicked the criminal as they moved.

"This should be fun." Porthos muttered as they all watched LaBarge respond by pulling on the rope and sending the horse and its rider to the ground before happily fighting the remaining Guards with his hands still bound.

"I think they need our help." Athos chuckled as LaBarge continued to throw his opposition to the floor.

"They're just too shy to ask." Aramis laughed as the four Musketeers dismounted and slowly walked towards the commotion.

Watching the Captain have his throat slit, they sighed and adopted their usual battle stances before LaBarge abandoned his previous fight and ran towards Porthos.

Anna happily stood back at first, content to let Porthos get a few punches in until LaBarge broke free of the larger Musketeers grasp and turned to face her with a wicked glint in his eyes.

"Musketeer scum." He spat before closing in on her.

"Wow...." She drawled. "...because I've never heard that before." Rolling her shoulders and adopting a fighting stance she deftly landed a quick punch to his throat before lifting her knee sharply into his groin and smirking as he fell to his knees. "Oops." She stepped away as Aramis and Porthos held him down and restrained him.

"It's your fault that Captain Trudeau is dead!" Anna and Athos turned to stare at the furious Red Guard who had previously been slumped over his Captain attempting to revive him.

Rolling her eyes, Anna joined her brothers in unsheathing her sword and engaging with the Red Guards.

"And I was so hoping today would be peaceful!" She joked as she twirled away from numerous sword points.

"Captain Trudeau was given fair warning: his own arrogance killed him." Captain Treville defended his Musketeers as he and the Cardinal followed the King through his palace.

"LaBarge is a regional Intendant!" The Cardinal countered. "You had no business arresting him without coming to me first."

"Your 'Intendant' is a violent criminal, who subjected Gascony to a reign of terror." King Louis rolled his eyes at the bickering pair behind him as he handed his hat over to a waiting servant.

"I went to Gascony once; it's full of sheep and hedges." He commented to the nearby servants as they two men continue to argue.

"It is true that LaBarge exceeded his authority, but I was in the process of recalling him to Paris before Captain Treville so recklessly intervened." The Cardinal explained to the King.