A Powerful Little Love

Chapter 67

"What the hell was that?" D'artagnan muttered as he ducked below the side of the barge to reload his musket."A sign," Athos replied worriedly as he raised his head towards the window where just seconds before, a turquoise strip of material had billowed in the wind, much the same colour of the silk skirts that had adorned the floor of his lodgings only a few hours earlier. "I just hope to God she didn't get herself shot for it!"

"Who?" Porthos demanded incredulously as he swapped places with D'artagnan and loaded his powder charge into his weapon as the others unleashed another volley of fire upon the riverbank.

"That material," Athos sighed exasperatedly. "It's from Amorette's skirts! Now we know where she is and likely the Queen and Constance too!"

"Not after that we don't!" Porthos cried. "Did she not consider that they would catch her out? They will move them to the other side of the Palace now!"

"Perhaps that's exactly what she intended!" Aramis called from a few yards away. With a glance to Athos he nodded swiftly. "She knows a way out of the Palace does she not?"

Athos jerked backwards as his musket misfired slightly and threw the weapon to the worn deck of the barge with a heavy thud. "Surely the Queen would demand to be taken to her own rooms! These men are intent on returning her to Spain so I think it likely they will heed her requests to keep her content!"

"We don't have time for both Athos! With Treville absent it's your call!" cried D'artagnan anxiously from where he had moved to protect one of the hooded figures. "Although I'm sure you know it pains me to ask, what do you want to do?"

Athos turned back to his three comrades and watched as war broke out across all of their faces. They no more wanted to leave Paris and their loved ones behind than he did himself. The figure cowering behind D'artagnan was trembling visibly, a sight that did not instil Athos with a lot of hope in that moment.

"Your Majesty, orders?" Athos roared above the din of gunfire.

The cloaked figure turned towards him for the first time, and Athos saw the terrified eyes beneath the hood dart backwards and forwards across the river. Even with the thick woollen black cloak that shrouded the King in anonymity, Athos could still detect an air of futility from the young King. His heart was almost torn asunder as he stared on, waiting for the orders from the man who likely had never thought this day would come. All that he really wanted to do was to leave the barge, leap across to the riverbank and go in search of Amorette and her friends. he had to force his limbs not to commit to such an action even as his leg jerked beneath him.

He was not oblivious to the nervous glances his friends threw his way but Athos maintained a firm grip on his sense of duty and responsibility. They had known as chaos broke out across the city that they needed to protect the King at all costs and if that meant leaving everyone in the Palace behind, then so be it. Amorette was smart enough to think on her feet and clearly she had already come up with her own plan. With Constance alongside her, he felt sure that both women were more than capable of looking after themselves and likely many others too. He needed to have a little faith in her after all that she had proven to him over the years. He could just about come to terms with leaving her behind, but he wasn't sure D'artagnan would be able to do the same in regards to Constance.

"Let us take our leave of Paris," the King announced suddenly. "Take me to my son at Versailles."

Athos felt a sense of dread settle within his stomach as he glanced behind him to where the Vicomte de Turenne was slowly shaking his head in disappointment. The Vicomte had acted quickly in his quick thinking to get the King out of the Palace and to safety, but he had likely had the same misguided beliefs in the man that the musketeers had. They all thought he'd have stayed to fight and save the Paris that they all knew and loved. The Vicomte would very soon be coming to the realisation that he had left all of those people in the Louvre Palace behind for good.