Chapter Text
Garrison grounds
"Never, never pick up a sword bigger than yourself," gently admonished Athos, holding the regiment's smallest cadet in his arms. He nearly had heart failure when he spied Charles dragging along behind him a very long rapier, scraping in the dirt with every step the child took. Tis what Athos deserved for losing sight of the young whirlwind while speaking with Jules.
"But, Athos," whined Charles, "I know that!"
"Then, petit, why pick it up in the first place?" Countering the child's remark, Athos stared into those wide brown orbs blinking innocently back at him as if he had spoken an entirely different language.
Amused by the display playing out, Aramis nudged Porthos in the side. "They're so cute together. Do you not think so?"
"Don't tell 'im that." Rolling dark eyes, Porthos took in the sight of their older brother and the petit Gascon. "Athos jus' might assign ya guard duty for a month." Secretly, he thought the very same thing but had brains enough not to voice it anywhere near their leader.
Both Aramis and Porthos waxed serious when Athos approached them.
Standing in front of his friends, Athos carefully handed over his young charge into Aramis somewhat capable hands. Lips barely twitching, he found himself delighted at the raised brow questioning his motive for placing his precious burden into the marksman's care.
"Why am I receiving this pleasure, mon frere?" Exchanging an all too brief look with his larger brother, the latter having given Aramis a careless shrug, he gave his full attention back to Athos.
"I am needed at the palace posthaste." Noting Charles' pout, Athos then directed his attention back to the petit. "I shall try to convince Louis that for the moment you are of more import than guarding silly diplomats and politicians." Tapping the boy's nose a most adorable childish giggle filled the air, making Athos' serious expression one of pure joy.
"I'd love to hear you tell His Majesty that you just called his guests silly." Grinning like an idiot, Aramis dropped a kiss atop Charles' head. Of course Athos simply treated his remark with a single raised brow.
Arms crossed Porthos snorted, then followed up with a two fingered salute. "Bonne chance, mon ami."
Charles understood more than he let on. "I want to see Louis too." Scowling, Charles tried to wriggle out of Aramis' strong grip. When that hadn't worked, he resorted to kicking out at the man.
"Ouch! Hey! Cut that out!" yelled Aramis. "I bruise easily." For which his complaint had Porthos bellowing with laughter.
"Petit, unless the king asked for your presence specifically I doubt he would would have been happy to have you underfoot." As an adult, d'Artagnan had an arsenal of weapons at his disposal. However, this version of him had an even deadlier one... Puppy eyes. If Athos had thought his protégé had been formidable at the age of twenty and one, Charles wielded his miniature talent like a professional. Refusing to fall under the petit's impish charms, he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss on the youngster's forehead. Glancing at the slow smile spreading over the marksman's face, he frowned. "What amuses you so, mmmmm?"
"Who me?" Now that Charles' struggles had ceased, Aramis pulled the boy closer to his chest. "Don't know what you're going on about." As Athos huffed, turning around to depart, the lingering sounds of Porthos' amusement now joined with Aramis' followed him most of the way to the stables.
Louvre
The King's apartments
"Where's Charles?" Annoyed that the lad hadn't been with his lieutenant, Treville's face showed his unease.
Mouth agape, Athos had not expected that type of greeting from his captain. "The missive had only asked for myself to come directly to the palace. Nothing had been mentioned about bringing Charles along."
Swiftly turning away from the younger officer, Treville walked over to one of his other men stationed in the room.
A tad stunned at this turn, Athos patiently awaited the reason for needing the petit's attendance here, of all places.
Striding back over to where his lieutenant still stood, Treville explained. "I sent Florent to get Charles because His Majesty specifically asked for the lad." Worried on how the child shall act in the presence of Louis, he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I am at a loss for words," admitted Athos, albeit reluctantly.
"Believe me I felt the same after Louis asked for him." Wondering at the fire he may yet have to put out once the king notices Charles' absence, Treville's eyes remained glued on the entrance doors and His Majesty's appearance.
"You do know that every now and then the petit changes his mind in how to be addressed." At first Athos had found it endearing when the boy had either wanted to be known as Charles or d'Artagnan. After a time it became irritating and almost caused several arguments.
"Oui, but my memories of him at that age won't allow me to call the lad anything other than Charles." Rolling his eyes, Treville chuckled. "Whether or not the boy liked it."
Sometimes Athos forgot that his protégé and the captain shared a past history together, even if the child had lost his memories of that time. "While we wait for him, may I ask if the search had proved fruitful yet?"
"She's vanished," Treville waved a hand in the air, "figuratively and literally." Rubbing at the ache in the back of his neck, he despaired of ever locating the woman. "Some of my men came back with reported rumors that there had been a coven of witches in the woods." Scoffing at that, he shook his head. "First time it's been brought to my attention if so."
Before Athos had the opportunity to question that further, in walked His Majesty carrying something other than his jeweled encrusted rapier on his hip. Something of which their monarch rarely went without, since it had been a gift from their queen.
Holding the giggling Gascon, Louis tapped the young Gascon's pert nose. "Now I want you on your best behavior while you're in my palace, mon petit."
"Okay," chirped Charles as he reached out to touch the sparkly broach the king wore.
Gaining the dais, Louis sat with the boy on his lap. As the lad kept trying to tug at the broach, he pried those tiny fingers away before a piece of his linen shirt went along with it. Resting his chin atop the petit's head, Louis whispered orders. "Behave now."
Making himself comfortable, Charles rested his back against the king's chest. He felt safe there until two strange looking men entered the chamber. In the quietest voice he had been able to muster, he pointed out what he'd thought. "They're very funny looking."
"I agree, mon petit, but don't let them know that. It might hurt their feelings." At the nod of the boy's head, Louis smiled and began the kingly business of politics.
By the time everything had been wrapped up neatly with a bow, King Louis discovered that Charles had gone to sleep. Gazing at the cherub, his fond look most likely gave away his own cherished feelings for the youngster. Softly he spoke to Treville and Athos. "I've oftentimes said that politics had been a boring task which put one to sleep." Gaining his feet, cradling the lad to him, he smirked. "Now we have proof." Placing the sleeping poppet on the throne he'd currently vacated, he caught the captain's eyes. Nodding at the lad, he asked Treville, "Any progress?"
"None as yet, Sire." Feeling frustrated over the entire affair, Treville shared a long look with His Majesty. "And my men had been scouring every nook and crannie for her."
While all three of them discussed the dilemma they've found themselves all sharing, a certain someone had awakened. By the time Athos paid attention to his charge, he blinked in confusion. "Charles is gone."
At his words, both King Louis and Treville swiftly turned around to stare in astonishment at the empty throne. Immediately panic set in with everyone in the room searching for the boy. It had been a toss up whom had been more upset... Athos or His Majesty. The latter threw open the chamber doors to yell at his guards for their incompetence in not noticing the lad's departure.
Knowing that searching the entire palace nearly required the assistance of every Musketeer and Red Guard available, King Louis had been about to order just that until his First Minister entered the room.
Feeling quite smug, Richelieu's gaze encompassed the three horrified individuals staring back at him in shock. For in his arms, as if he belonged there, had been the regiments petit Gascon. "If you people insist upon losing sight of Charles in such a manner, I shall take charge of the boy personally."
Stepping up into the cardinal's space Athos remained tightlipped, even while at the same time his arms extended out for Charles to be given back to him. He would not give His Eminence the satisfaction of throwing the older man's words back at him.
A smirk graced Richelieu's features as he placed the bright-eyed petit into the lieutenant's arms. Observing Athos removing himself from the chambers as quickly as possible, Richelieu huffed out a laugh of amusement when Charles eagerly waved goodbye to him.
"Au revoir." Charles punctuated his farewell by blowing a kiss towards the man dressed in all red. He really, really liked that red cape. He needed to tell Athos later that the Musketeers needed to change the color of their own capes.
Reciprocating, Richelieu reached out, pretending to grab the sweet goodbye kiss. It had been something done in his own famille while growing up.
"If I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes..." words trailing off, Treville hadn't needed to finish. The meaning behind them had been crystal clear to all who had seen the cardinal's return gesture.
"Captain, I do believe we have discovered the Musketeer's new secret weapon," murmured Athos, wondering that when telling this to his brothers later they would believe him.
The devilish twinkle in Treville's eyes told its own story.