The Three Musketeers (IN EDITS)

Chapter 7

Violette rolled her eyes. "Not that!" She looked at her. "It's the fact that it fell. I mean, this thing has been hanging here since the Louvre was built around 200 years ago...so why now? Why did it give way now?" She looked back up to where the chandelier was still attached to the rope. There was a crank on the wall that the rope was firmly tied against that could be loosened to bring the chandelier down, slowly to clean it and light it.

Joachim came running and they turned to look at him. "You missed the fun!" Ethan teased as Joachim shook his head.

"I was in the stables. Someone told me what happened..." He looked at the mess and the mangled chandelier, the floor damaged slightly from the weight. "Everyone alright?"

"It almost fell on Christophe's head...but other than that..." Ethan explained as Violette followed the ropes above with her eyes.

She noticed the crank on the wall had the rope tied firmly around it - but this rope was not attached to the chandelier. She walked over, avoiding the palace staff brushing up and collecting the broken pieces of the chandelier as Red Guards monitored the situation. "Violette!" Ethan's voice was low as he called her, but they both followed her as she came to the crank.

It had been locked in place and several bounds of thick rope were tied around it. Violette grabbed the end, hanging on the floor by the crank and saw it had been frayed and looking up, she saw the other half hanging above.

"This looks like..." Violette began Joachim touched the rope too, running his fingers over the clean edges.

"Like?"

"Like it has been cut."

All three looked up to the first-floor landing, where the other half of the rope was hanging.

Neither said anything as they made their way up the stairs to the other half of the rope and grabbed it, without making it obvious that they were going against orders to not touch the rope and chandelier.

"Someone must've cut the rope from up here..." Ethan said and as Violette turned to look at the top of the stairs, leading down to where the chandelier remained at the foot of the stairs.

"This area is shadowed...someone would be able to cut it without detection..." Joachim turned to Violette.

"Yes...but who would cut the rope? And why?"

Below were the staff and Red Guards, making sure everyone was following orders.

Prince Gaston strolled through, Rochefort informing him of something as they left together.

Anyone in the palace was a suspect.

***

"So...what happened?" Treville asked Arianne as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I honestly don't know..." She replied. "I was talking to the King and the next thing I know, he pushed me out of the way because the chandelier had decided to give way!"

Maeva frowned. "For someone who wants to keep a low profile, why were you talking to the King?"

Arianne groaned, shaking her head. "I didn't know it was him...which is really stupid, I know because Christophe and I grew up together, I should've recognised him but...I didn't...and I feel terrible...." She sighed and played with her hands. "I met him in the markets and he said his name was Louis Bellamy. I didn't know he was the King..." She sighed and looked away.

"Does he know who you are?" Treville questioned but Arianne shook her head.

"No...he still thinks I'm Emilie Bellerose..."