Constant Companion (A 2011 The Three Musketeers Fanfiction)

Chapter Nineteen

“I have the diamonds,” was the first thing that came out of D'Artagnan's mouth when he reached the deck of the cardinal's ship. He held the necklace up as proof.

“Oh, I don't care,” I answered, grabbing him. I pulled him down to kiss him.

I didn't care that he smelled of sweat, blood, and gunshot powder. I didn't care that we were surrounded by wreckage and destruction. And I also didn't care that Athos was standing about three feet away from us. I just wanted D'Artagnan to know how much I loved him.

Someone finally cleared their throat. “All right,” Athos aid gruffly. I pulled back, smiling at the look of haziness in D'Artagnan's eyes. “How bad are you hurt, boy?”

Blinking, D'Artagnan shook his head. “I'll survive,” he answered.

“That's not an answer, D'Artagnan,” Aramis told him, coming from the cabin with Porthos on his heels. “What did you do?”

“We'll deal with it on the way to the palace,” Athos said, his eyes flicking over D'Artagnan's appearance. He seemed to accept that D'Artagnan wasn't going to be overcome by his wounds, so I told myself I didn't need to worry, though the amount of blood that had appeared wasn't particularly reassuring to me.

“How are we going to get there?” D'Artagnan asked. “You destroyed our ride.”

“I think some of the cardinal's men got away,” Porthos admitted. “He'll know we're on our way.”

“Then, we're going to have to give him something to think about,” Athos decided. He turned to me. “If you get to the ground, do you think you can find a way to get to the queen?”

“Yes,” I said with a nod. After everything that had happened, I felt nothing could stop me. “But what about you four? What will you do?”

“D'Artagnan, give her the diamonds,” Athos instructed, ignoring my question. I wasn't exactly surprised, though I did wish to know what his plan was. “We'll deliver a gift to the king in the cardinal's name.”

A gift? For the King? From the Cardinal? Had he lost his mind?

As he handed over the sparkling gems to my care, D'Artagnan said seriously, “Be careful, Constance.”

“You too,” I answered. I realized I had nowhere to put the diamonds, and fastened them around my neck. The queen wouldn't mind, I was sure. Well, I hoped. “Is there a way for me to get to the ground? And preferably a way that doesn't involve climbing down ropes.”

“This way,” Aramis said, gesturing back the way he had come.

I smiled encouragingly at D'Artagnan and then followed Aramis down through the ship. Everywhere I looked there were dead men, and for the first time, I felt a little sick at what had happened.

Yes, we had fought back because we had been attacked, and yes, we had probably just saved ll of France. But people had died. People who had only been following orders.

“We did what we had to.”

I looked up at Aramis' voice. How had he known what I was thinking? “Does it get any easier to live with?” I asked. No one had died by my hand, but I had sent the Musketeers after the diamonds. I had set this-.

“None of this is your fault,” Aramis said, ignoring my question. “Richelieu started this.”

“Somehow, that doesn't make me feel any better,” I admitted. We reached the very lowest part of the ship, and I recognized the cell I had been kept in. But, in the middle of the ship was a spire, and a door was on the spire.