Constant Companion (A 2011 The Three Musketeers Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty

With the right motivation, the other ladies in waiting could work together quickly and without argument. Though, it seemed Nicolette had been the negative one among us. And there was no sign of her among the ladies in waiting. I wondered, as Dolores worked on my hair, whether Nicolette had finally been dismissed.

Of course, I was relating my journey, so they were occupied with listening and had no chance to irritate the other.

“Jussac caught you and took you to the Cardinal?” Dolores asked in shock as I explained why I hadn't been able to return. “Oh, Constance! You poor thing! I don't see how you were able to survive such a thing! I never could have done all that you have!”

I couldn't keep a smile from my face. “That's not even the worst thing that happened!”

The other ladies exclaimed in horror and disbelief. “Your Majesty!” Benita cried from the window, interrupting my narrative. “Come and look at this! There's something in the sky!”

Her tone of shock caught my attention and I tried to turn around to look. “Hold still!” Dolores said sharply. She held my head in place. “I have to finish this.”

“What's happened?” I demanded impatiently.

“Oh, my,” Queen Anne said. She walked back over. “You look well enough, Constance. We must go down now.”

Surprised at her urgency, I frowned at her reflection in the mirror. “Why? What's out there?” I asked.

“Buckingham's airship,” the queen answered. She scowled for the briefest of moments. “What can he be doing here now?”

I cleared my throat as the room filled with the theories of the others. “Its not Buckingham,” I said loudly enough to be heard over them all. How on earth had those four managed to get the airship free and flying again? “Its Athos, Aramis, Porthos, and D'Artagnan. They stole it from Buckingham to make their escape.”

At least, that's what I assumed. I hadn't bothered to ask how the elegant ship had ended up in the musketeers' hands.

“Very clever of them, though it seems to be about to fall out of the sky,” the queen responded with a slight smile. “Nevertheless, we should go down before the Cardinal has all four of them arrested for treason, or some other reason or another. Benita, my mask, if you please.”

The young Spanish lady in waiting hurried to hand over the ornate mask. “There,” Dolores said, setting the brush down. My hair now gleamed and was arragned ina siple way that I was fond of. “I don't recommend you spend much time at the ball, Constance.”

There had been no time to change my dress, and I brushed at the wrinkles for a moment before I gave up. It was a hopeless case. “The Cardinal is not going to be happy when he sees me,” I stated, getting to my feet once more. My job, it would seem, was not yet over.

“I think he'll be a bit distracted,” the queen responded. “Come, Constance.”

Dolores handed me a rather hideous mask. The other ladies offered encouraging smiles as I followed the queen out of her chambers. “Thank you, Constance,” Queen Anne said, her voice low. I hurried to catch up so that I could hear her better. “You have saved my marriage, I think.”