Le Mousquetaire Femme

Chapter 12

A soft breeze rustled through the silent lakeside clearing of Bourbon-les-eaux as Anna stifled a yawn. She watched the small ripples on the water's surface move swiftly towards the centre of the vast pool and leaves danced from the treetops to create a forest carpet as the Queen emerged from her tent in a crisp white cloak.

"Your Majesty." Anna curtsied as the woman passed her before she followed her to the vast lake, dodging the rose petals the Queen's ladies-in-waiting were showering them with.

As they reached the edge of the pool, Anna dutifully removed the material from the Queen's shoulders and watched as she slowly moved through the water before submerging herself. Anna shivered at the thought; she had dipped her toe in earlier to ensure the Queen would not freeze to death as she swam and had recoiled so quickly she had ended up flat on her back, much to joy of the accompanying Musketeers.

The clanging of swords above bought Anna out of her reverie as she watched the Queen swim the length of the secluded pool before beginning to return to shore. She cursed that she had to stand lakeside in the thinnest gown she'd worn in ages, while the men could train.

She withheld a laugh as D'Artagnan could be heard admonishing his fellow Musketeers as they attacked his new fleur-de-lis shoulder guard before assisting the Queen from the water and placing her cloak back on her now soaking body.

"Thank you Anna." She smiled. "You are free to return to train now."

"Are you sure, Your Majesty?" While she was eager to return to their hilltop hideaway she knew her duty was to the Queen.

"Of course; my ladies will look after me from here." With a smile she returned to her tent with her two ladies maids following closely.

Anna let out a sigh of relief, glad that the boring part was done; she had accompanied the Queen to this pool every year since she had become a Musketeer and while it was important, she quickly became bored of watching the Queen swim in the waters of fertility. As soon as the flaps of the royal tent closed, Anna gathered her skirts and trekked back up to the Musketeer camp.

"I think we've landed in paradise." Aramis sighed from his perch against a tree trunk as she broke the tree line and entered their makeshift camp. "Listen to that." He pointed upwards to the bird song resonating from the trees.

"What?" Porthos squinted at the trees as Aramis tried to imitate the bird calls. Anna laughed as Porthos used Aramis' distraction to renew his attack on D'Artagnan. She rolled her eyes as the boy was knocked to the floor before Athos and Porthos each grabbed a foot and dragged him through the dirty forest floor.

"Play nice boys." She mock scorned them as she pulled her leather breeches on under her dress.

"That looks better!" Porthos laughed as D'Artagnan scrambled to his feet, dusting the dirt from his brand new uniform and scowling at the pair.

"Much better." Athos agreed. Anna smiled at him and the almost carefree look he had in his eyes as he teased the newest Musketeer.

"Who knows, one day he might even land a hit." Porthos smirked.

"Never going to happen." Anna ignored the rest of their sparring match as she moved away from the men to remove the bodice of her dress and replace it with a shirt and her trusty leather jerkin.

2 Days Later

Anna stifled laughter as Aramis growled into the tree line before standing and marching in pursuit of his annoyance.

"Leave the birds alone." Athos chuckled to his friend as the latter glared at the trees.

"I hate these birds and their endless whistling." He growled as he attacked a nearby branch.