Three years later...

The Danger Increases

Whilst Aramis and Sylvie were stuck in the cellar, Athos, Porthos and D'Artagnan were still upstairs with Georges. Porthos was angry. With Aramis for putting himself in even more danger. And more with himself, for not volunteering first. Aramis could get hurt, die, and there was nothing he could do about it. He growled. Trust Aramis to be the sacrificial lamb. But now he had to focus on how he was going to get him out and home again.

Athos was anxious. Sylvie was lost to him and now Aramis had gone the same way. Hopefully they were together. Well, that was if Sylvie was still here. He hated having to ask his brothers to do this, but he didn't have a choice. He knew they could handle it. He knew they would. Grimaud has threatened his wife and his child. He couldn't do nothing. Push through. Keep pushing through. And hope the outcome is a better one.
"Oi," came a growl. Grimaud stood practically nose to nose with him. "Are you listening? Do you want your wife and friend back?"
"Of course."
"Then I'm just about to explain how you go about doing that. Listen. Or your wife's dead." Grimaud stepped away and addressed the three of them.
"I have a list of people I need dead. Traitors, scum, parasites."
"Do it yourself then," Porthos sighed.
"I don't want to get caught. I'd much rather three murdering Musketeers lost thier heads than I did."
"Coward," d'Artagnan spat.
"Not quite. I just have a lot of work to do to better France. Finish what my brother started."
"Your brother died. As will you," Porthos continued.
"Not yet. Now, you will do as I order you to. Remember I have leverage. The First Minister of France will die if you disobey, that I can guarantee. You will not be alone. You will not escape. My men will be with you at all times, enough to outnumber you. They will hold your weapons until you need them and when using them will have you under watch. There are six men on my list. You'll take two men each and go on separate journeys. You will not be in contact with one another. My men have freedom to kill you outright if you so much as step out of line so don't even try. I will know if you do not complete your orders. You will. Otherwise, Sylvie and Aramis will die." Porthos was fuming. D'Artagnan was trying to slow his breathing because he was that angry. Athos was expressionless. He'd known what was to come longer than they had.
Grimaud had created the perfect situation. Don't do it and thier friends will die. Do, and they murder in cold blood. Do, and be caught and hung. There were so many things that could and no doubt would go wrong.

Grimaud addressed his men. "Gag them and take them down to the cellar with thier friends for the night. They'll go in the morning. And, get Aramis up here. I want to talk to him." The guards grabbed the Musketeers and shoved them down the stairs and into the cellar.
Sylvie heard the key rattle in the door and quickly wrapped the gag around Aramis' mouth again so as not to arouse suspicion. They didn't want to make anything worse for themselves or anything that could hinder the others. The three were bundled in. Sylvie and Athos set eyes on each other and ran towards each other. Sylvie wrapped her arms around her husbands neck, but Athos could not return it as he was still chained. He rested his head on her neck. She didn't look hurt. He was relieved. But the guards hadn't left yet.

"You," said a guard, signalling to Aramis. "Get up." He struggled to stand and in the end was wrenched from the ground and was separated from his brothers yet again. The guards slammed and locked the door once the Minister was out. He was pulled harshly up the stairs and forced onto his knees when he was in front of Grimaud. The gag was removed.
"Stand up," Grimaud instructed.
"What do you want?" Aramis bit out.
"Just shut up and do what you are told." The Minister did as he asked. Reluctantly. Grimaud started circling Aramis, who was watching him warily. He did not trust him whatsoever.

Grimaud stood in front of him and Aramis saw a fist flying towards his gut before it made impact. He stumbled backwards and toppled over, having no hands to support him. He fell to the ground again. But he didn't care. Grimaud was going to have to do better than that if he wanted to humiliate him. 
"Pathetic," Grimaud laughed. Aramis felt anger as he stood up again. But he had to resist thrashing out, for the four people still downstairs.
"No wonder my brother found it so easy to capture you. You would do anything for the Spanish Queen whore. I don't know what she sees in you. You're nothing more than her lapdog." Aramis, who had become more angry with each word, finally burst when the Queen's name was mentioned. The criminal could insult him all he wanted, but he wouldn't let a slight to her to without a fight.
"Say that again?" He shouted, advancing towards Grimaud, nostrils flaring, eyes wide with fire. Two guards positioned themselves behind the Minister, willing to step in if need be.
"You think you're strong, do you?" Grimaud taunted, knowing full well he was aggravating Aramis. "The Queen doesn't need you. Athos doesn't need you. France doesn't need you. You're alone. Friendless. Poor Aramis, pining to the Queen in desperation." This was the moment Aramis lost it. He head butted Grimaud before being brought down by the men. They kicked him in a frenzy.
When the men were done, finally, Aramis was feeling dizzy and faint. His face was bloody and fatigue was taking over. Everything hurt as the gag was wrapped tighter around his mouth than before. He was breathing through his nose and blood had crusted over one nostril. It wasn't easy. Grimaud crouched down right beside him.
"Don't think this is over, Minister. I told you you'd regret volunteering to stay. You will. I'm going to make your life a living hell. Get him out of here." The guards pulled a limp Aramis down the stairs and into the cellar. He was too dreary to notice the pain of being bumped down stair after stair. The guards left him lying there.
"Make sure none of you end up like him," they sneered and left. They knew full well the Musketeers and Sylvie wouldn't be able to see the full extent of Aramis' injuries as it was dark in the room but what they had said would thoroughly worry all of them. They locked the door. Porthos heard them laughing as they walked up the stairs. Sylvie, who was the only one with free hands found the body of the Minister. She pulled the gag free. Aramis took a huge breath when his mouth was freed. He was conscious. That was a good thing. She felt something sticky on her fingers. She instantly knew what it was.
"He's bleeding, but he's alive," she confirmed.
"'Mis?" Porthos said amongst the blackness. Sylvie had removed all of thier gags. "Can you hear me 'Mis? Aramis! Aramis!" Sylvie shook him slightly, trying to get a response.
"Aramis, come on," she said, her voice dripping with fear and worry. She slapped his cheek lightly. Finally she heard a groan coming from the Minister. "He's awake. Thank God." She propped Aramis up and leaned him against the wall. His head lolled to one side but he was breathing fine.
"What happened?" Aramis asked.
"We don't know but it looks like you've got beat up pretty bad, brother," Athos said.
"Oh yeah, now I remember. He is dead. You know what he called the Queen? A Spanish whore. The next time I lay eyes on him..." Aramis was shouting as the volume of his voice increased. Sylvie clamped a hand over his mouth in the end to quiet him, slightly tempted to put the gag back on.
"Aramis, you need to calm down. I know you're upset, I know you're angry. But this isn't going to do any of us any favours if you start shouting for all the world to hear," Athos said. "Especially Grimaud."
Aramis sighed, still wincing from the pain. Sylvie removed her hand.
"I know," he said. "I'm sorry."
Aramis thought back to Georges' words.
"No wonder my brother found it so easy to capture you."
Aramis knew what he was referring to. Three years ago, Grimaud had written to Anne pretending to be her brother, the King of Spain. That had ended up in Aramis' imprisonment under the wrath of Lucien Grimaud leading to a failed escape and having to get the other three to rescue him. The aftermath of that was an altercation between himself and Treville. And that was right before his predecessor died. They made up, but it still haunted Aramis. He hated fighting with the old Captain. Now he could move on and make sure that he did whatever he could to keep Treville's memory alive. And that meant defeating Georges Grimaud.