d'Artagnan And Her Musketeers (The Cosette D'Artagnan Romances, book 1)

Chapter 3: Forgiveness

Cosette stood silently as the men interrogated Dujon, the Man who Porthos bested in the card game earlier. Cosette smiled at least twice when Aramis pretended to fire at the traitor and Porthos muttered "Bang" in the person's ear, when finally the second shot made Dujon talk.

"It was Captain Gaudet. Of the Red Guards. He told us to do it. He said he wanted a few men for a special mission. Something unofficial. An ambush to steal the King's letters. But Gaudet went mad. He killed them all. None of us knew it would be murder."

"You took this from Cornet," Porthos said, showing him the gold coin. "His saddle bags were full of Spanish gold."

"Gaudet said we could share it between us. I just.."

Cosette had enough so she grabbed him by the throat.

"Who murdered my father? Who?!" Cosette shouted.

"Gaudet. It was Gaudet!" The guard shouted. Porthos would be more than willing to let D'Artagnan go through with his revenge. However, they needed him alive. He pulled Cosette by the shoulder to push her away, but Cosette wouldn't move, so Porthos wrapped his arm around her mid-section and literally lifted her off the ground. Aramis put a hand on her shoulder to prevent Cosette from doing any more harm to the guard, and more importantly, herself.

The guard continued.

"He did it to blacken Athos's name. I'm not like him. I'm not a killer. I'm a soldier, like you.

Where is Gaudet now?"

"He's camped in the old ruins, outside the city gates. I'll show you where... Just don't kill me. "

"There, that wasn't so hard, now, was it?" Porthos said.

Hours later at night...

"Oh no, I'm not going up there," said Cosette.

"Well, it was your idea," Aramis pointed out.

The group had found where Gaudet and his men would be at. And now, the boys were making Cosette go up there to seduce the man who liked well men. This was strange, considering that Cosette was NOT a dude. She muttered, "of all the incompetent things..." The guard looked up at the young woman.

"What do you want?"

"50 sous and I'll take you to heaven."

"Are you one of those religious nutcases?" Cosette looked at the idiot.

"It was a metaphor. Never mind. You...can do whatever you like. I'm all yours. Clear enough?"

"Yeah... Five sous?"

"Five?!"

"All right, ten. But that's it."

"Fine!" Cosette sneered. Luckily, she took her chance and hit the man in the groin as he fell on top of her. She was wondering what was taking those two idiots so long.

They came running up towards her with smiles

"Ten sous?" Aramis said. "Shame on you.

"Took you bozos long enough," Cosette sneered. "Now can we get this over with!"

Cosette stormed into the fortress followed by Aramis and Porthos, who spotted Gaudet. Cosette's anger was finally catching up to her. There he was, the man who killed her father, going out unpunished. Framing an innocent man who didn't do anything wrong. Though Aramis talked about the element of surprise, Cosette couldn't take it any longer. She quickly rushed to the man who killed her father.

"Gaudet!" she yelled. The captain of the Red Guard looked at her.

What's your problem, boy?!" Gaudet shouted.