The Three Musketeers (IN EDITS)

Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

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There were coughs as the dust settled, mumbling and the heavy thumping of boots as men came running from all directions to see what the deafening noise was.

"Christophe!" Therese called for her son, coughing as she scoured the floor from her position on the stairs, trying to locate her son.

Emma and Chloe were on the floor, having also stood so close to the chandelier when it fell from above. They sat up coughing, looking at the devastation before them.

"Oh, good heaven's..." Violette looked at the chaos as they pulled themselves up and noticed on the other side of the foyer - was the King.

Christophe looked at Arianne under him, their faces close together. "Please tell me you are alright?" He asked her and she nodded as he rolled off of her and stared at the ceiling, Arianne also not moving.

"I think my life flashed before my eyes..." Arianne replied as she turned her head to Christophe who chuckled slightly. "Christophe..." She spoke his true name in a way that made the King uncomfortable. It was as if she was angry at him for withholding his identity - the coldness in her tone made him pull himself up and offer his hand to her, which she didn't take. Instead, she pushed herself up and brushed off the dust from her skirts.

"Emilie...let me explain..." He started, stepped towards her but his mother intervened, relief sweeping through her to see her son and the King of France was okay.

"My dear!" She took him in her arms. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" She repeated as Christophe assured her he was in no distress. His eyes fell on Arianne who looked away, as Treville and Maeva came to her.

"Emilie..." Maeva spoke her disguise name as she brushed off the dust from her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

Arianne smiled at her, and shook her head, catching Christophe's eye once more. "I'm fine..." She replied calmly as Gaston ordered for a clean-up.

"Find the men who were responsible for this!" Gaston cried as guards went running up the stairs to find the chandelier caretakers.

"My dear...come on..." Therese escorted her son away, and he tried to protest, but the Red Guards were determined to get him away.

As Christophe was led through double doors to the left, his gaze caught Arianne's one final time and she saw it in his eyes - he was sorry and he would explain everything.

"Let's get you home..." Maeva put her arms around Arianne and led her out of the palace parlour, debris and glass all over the place, but Arianne's eyes were focused on the chandelier. She looked up to where the chandelier had been hanging and saw the ropes that it was attached to were short. She turned her head to the left, the crank that brought the chandelier down was there as clear as day but some of the rope was still attached. "A busy day for you...right?" Maeva laughed, trying to lighten the mood and Arianne nodded, smiling as they left the palace.

There was something suspicious about all of this.

***

Violette stood in the foyer as palace staff got to work cleaning up Ethan with her. "This doesn't make sense..." Violette said, her arms crossed as she looked up at where the chandelier hung.

"It's a heavy piece of metal and precious jewels hanging over our heads with rope..." Ethan. "Sooner or later, it would give way and try to kill someone."