Man in the Iron Mask

Chapter Five - The truth

I sat at the table taking some of the carrots and began to cut them up when Papa, entered. I stopped for a moment and poured him a drink he too it with a small smile.

"Who is he?" Papa wondered about the man that they had rescued.

"You seek facts where you should be seeking the truth." Aramis answered but not really answered. I shook my head, he had not grown out of being light on information.

"You are not my priest, Aramis and you would not be even if I had one. " Papa retorted moving to sit by the fire as I listened to the two converse with one another.

"That's bitter. The loss of Raoul and D'Artagnan, who you held as a brother and now hate." Aramis was ever the observant one but he had no tact when talking, even to his friends. I saw that his words struck a cord in my father.

"What gives you the right to judge me? And to play God with the lives of others. Is it because you are so much holier than everyone else?" Papa snapped back at him.

"Well yes, and I'm more intelligent than anybody else." Aramis smiled towards him.

"Not that you're boasting or anything, of course." I chipped back at him. Just then there was a loud groan in pain and all of our attention turned towards the noise. One by one we all stood, dropping everything and ran outside to see what was going on. I stopped short as Papa went to Parthos and Aramis checked for threats.

"Parthos what is it?" Papa wondered

"Kidney stones. It hurts when I piss, it hurts when I shit. I'm just a fat old fart with nothing to live for. I am going to hang myself as soon as I am sober." Parthos grumbled and I covered my face before turning and leaving them to sort him out.

"Aramis!" i stopped and look up at one of the jesuits "He's ready." We all headed back inside and sat down waiting for the reason to present itself on why we were all here and saved the man in the Iron mask. The door opened and in stepped Phillipe. I did a double take because as it turned out. He was the spitting image of our current king.

"Oh my lord." I muttered under my breath. Aramis gestured for him to sit down which he did.

"The greatest mystery of live is who we really are." Aramis stated

"Yes." Phillips agreed.

"Now I am going to tell you that secret that was kept from you, from the whole of your life. It began the night King Louis was born." Aramis began when Porthos chimed in.

"I remember that night. D'Artagnan, Athos and I were dining. D'Artagnan was dead drunk the only time I've seen him like that." Papa agreed with his friend in the form of a hum.

"But I was on duty that night. I was summoned to a rear door of the palace. Where the Queen's own priest handed me a baby." Aramis continued

"Do you understand this, Athos? It confuses me." Parthos cut in once more and i slapped him around the head.

"Shut up, i'm trying to listen." I growled at him and he fell silent once more as I nodded for Aramis to continue with what had happened.

"The Queen had given birth to twins that night and the child I carried was the younger of the two. Suddenly the old King realised that he had two heirs." Aramis rose to his feet "He had seen brothers tear apart enough kingdoms. So he decided that for the sake of peace, he make one disappear. You, Phillipe. He ordered your true identity kept from you. On his death bed he revealed you existence to Louis and your mother.

She had been told by her priest that you had died at birth. She blamed herself for believing it. She wished to restore your birthright. But now, Louis was King. He was afraid to kill you, for his whole claim to power rested on the sanctity of royal blood. So instead he decided a way to keep you forever hidden. For my country and for my king. I bought peace with my life and my soul. One day I will ask for your forgiveness. But not until I restored you to what is yours." he came and sat back down,

"We will replace Louis with Phillipe." he told us.

"That is your plan?" Papa questioned "Exchanging one for the other?  "

"I assure you it's brilliant. What did you think we were up to?" Aramis retorted to my father

"Revolution, open war."

"Blood in the streets."

"It can't be done. No offence to Phillipe but Louis is a self centred son of a bitch. The air about his is years upon years of self indulgence and arrogance. Physical resemblance is all the two share." I retorted, this was insane and all but impossible.

"All can be adopted." he tried to assure me

"And people close to him?" Papa wondered

"Do you imagine I have not considered that. That i have not considered everything?" Aramis wondered to his friend.

"Have you considered you not only risk our lives, it's Phillipes as well." Papa countered

"Yes and like us he has a choice. What about it Phillipe. All those years in prison, were they for nothing. Or have they given you strength unlike ordinary men? You have the chance to be a king. If you have the heart to take that chance. Do you?" Our attention  turned to him and he looks panicked, my posture softened towards the poor man that had all of this dumped on him.

"I...."

"Do you?" He stood and ran to a corner of the room I followed and without thinking rested a hand on his shoulder turning him around. Papa joined me and there was a moment of hesitation before he copied my actions.