Lost in the pages

Two for one

"NO, NO, NO" Athos slammed his hand on the table 

"I think it's a good plan" I shrugged

"We cannot use you as bait" Athos was pacing

"It's not your choice" I threw up my hands 

"I do not want you in danger" He stopped pacing and looked at me "Is that so wrong"

"We won't let anything happened to Estelle" Aramis said "We are trying to make sure the Queen is safe, and France doesn't end up with a Murderer for Queen" Athos looked at him 

"We have to uncover this woman, without her or the Cardinal knowing what we are doing" Treville sat back in the chair and stretched out his legs "and the key to that unfortunately is Estelle; the Cardinal is a red bloodied man at the end of the day and he want's nothing more than to make Estelle one of his many mistresses"

"And my flesh just crawled" I said with a shudder

"Exactly" Treville smiled and nodded at me "But also Milady wants, well she as we know is the former wife of Athos". I watched the nerve twitch in Athos' cheek "she possible could see killing Estelle as her revenge on Athos for what happened"

"AND AGAIN ESTELLE IS NOT DOING THIS" Athos threw up his hands "Anne is already proved herself to be ruthless and doesn't care who she hurts to get what she want's"

 I looked away as he used her name it was only the second time since he'd told me about her that he'd actually called her by her name rather than Milady. I looked down at my hands in my lap.

"I don't care if she is ruthless" I said slowly raising my head "I've been welcomed in to France and to this life this is the way I can thank people" Athos hung his head 

"If you were my wife I would not allow this" Athos walked over to me, I stood up

"But I'm not am I?" I shook my head "Gentlemen, If you will excuse me I need to sleep today has been exhausting to say the least"

"Good night Estelle" Treville nodded and bowed his head to me,

I walked to Athos's room and stepped inside I moved to close the door but Athos put his hand on it to stop me from closing it.

"We should talk" He said stepping into the room

"I'm tired Athos, Tired and beyond...." I couldn't finish the sentence 

Athos pulled me to him and kissed me his hands held me tightly to him. I couldn't help it there was something about him that had me giving in to him. My arms went around his neck holding him to me. Athos broke the kiss and rested his forehead against mine

"I do not like any part of this; it is your life that is being risked" his thumbs stroked along my neck. "I am afraid that I will lose you once again like when you returned home" He pulled back his eyes searching mine.

"You called her Anne" My voice cracked a little "In there with the others; you called her by her name and I don't know why but it felt like a knife to my heart" I admitted he closed his eyes "I want rid of her Athos"

"As do I" He let go of me and held my hand and led me to the chairs by the fire 

"It doesn't feel like it" I looked down the words hurt as I said them

"For god sake Estelle" He got up knocking the chair over making me jump "what do I need to do to prove to you that it is you that I love and not her"

"Let me do this" I pushed my hand through my hair tugging it lose from the ribbon it was tied back with 

"And what do I do if she kills you because you and I are lovers?" he braced his hands on my arms and shook me a little without hurting me

"Then protect me" 

"We will do this but on one condition" he stepped away from me and opened a trunk and rummaged through until he found a small wooden box. He stopped and took a deep breath before he turned around. I bent and picked up the chair he'd knocked over "Estelle" I looked at him

"You've gone pale" I frowned 

"I am not surprised, I never expected to ever be in this frame of mind ever again" I looked at the box in his hands "When this is done and when that woman is out of our lives; I wish... I want to... Oh this is" He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Athos?"

 "When this is done, I want you to become my wife" he held out a gold ring with a small Fleur de Lis in cabochon sapphires. "I took some of my mother's jewels and had this fashioned from a necklace that she had" He moved the ring, so the dark blue stones glinted in the light from the fire "It is the symbol of the Musketeers, and it is to show that you are the wife of the Musketeer" he took another deep breath "I always thought that I was to die whether in old age or in battle just surrounded by soldiers, never to allow anyone into my heart"

"I will" he looked at me "when this is done be your wife; be the wife of a Kings Musketeer" I nodded Athos took my hand and slipped the ring on to my finger. He brought my hands up and kissed them "I love you"