To Love a Musketeer

He paused and settled himself, had she said what he thought she said? He wiped his eyes and cursed himself for being a sentimental old man. But he didn’t feel old. He had strength in his body. Hard muscles from years and years of the sword and battle. He was a fierce fighter, a storm against the wind and yet the smallest sound from her melted that storm and he took up her hand in his and kissed it. D’artagnan always carried with him a book or two, always. He had gotten up and dressed now that it appeared she was out of immediate danger. From his pack he pulled out Gulliver’s Travels. It seemed to have been a favorite of hers. Filled with adventures and honor, romance and comedie. He read to her for the better part of the day. That night she did not speak but she took some warm broth and water. Her eyes looked at him though. Warm, green eyes that he had come to adore over the time that he had known her. A large part of him wanted to do his duty. He was a man of duty. He was a vessel that people used for their own ends. A weapon and a figure to cull those who would stand against his masters. The ‘other’ part of him wanted Lorelei, for his own. When he thought to be with her, in his dreams that blazed like the sun when she was in them. He had never asked for anything, only a chance to serve with honor. As he looked at her she became his past and his present and his future. Without knowing it Lorelei had healed within him that which had been broken. He was a man not a weapon. Not a thing to be used. He was flesh and bone, muscle and blood and his heart beat loudly as he looked at her. And in that moment he did feel he could dedicate himself one last time...to her. He leaned over the bed and put a cool cloth on her forehead.

“You were chased and fell into the river,” he said softly. He wanted to take her hand in his but fear of rejection gripped him as he just set his hand on the bed near hers. He was a tall, broad man and he outweighed her by half again her weight and yet she terrified him right then.

Lorelei remained unconscious, but her mind heard his voice and though she didn't know what he was reading, the sound of his voice soothed her. Somehow she knew that it was going to be alright...that she was going to be taken care of. After being unconscious for nearly 24 hours she slowly began to awaken. Her fever had broken and the chills had subsided. The first thing she became aware of was D'Artagnan's voice. It was soft and almost rhythmic as he read. It was a story she recognized. Ever so slowly her eyes fluttered open and she looked up to see D'Artagnan's face looking down at her. She felt incredibly weak. Her mouth was dry and her lips were chapped. Her entire body ached with the sickness that had almost killed her. She watched as D'Artagnan reached over and picked up a wet, cool cloth and laid it on her forehead. Her head throbbed and this felt good. Looking up at him she remembered what she had heard him say while in her semi-conscious state. He loved her. Twice now she had woken up from almost dying to see his face looking down at her. She hadn't realized it then, but she did now...she had been looking into the face of true, pure love. She hadn't seen it...she had been blind...or perhaps she hadn't wanted to see it because she had married Armand. She knew now that marrying Armand had been a mistake. She had been so blinded by pure passion that she hadn't seen that they weren't right for one another. Then she had met Louis...the king of France and she had fallen in love with him. In fact, if she had not been kidnapped she would have been married to him at this point. But she had doubted, and still did, her strength to be queen. Had that really been what she wanted? She had thought so at the time. But now with D'Artagnan looking down at her she suddenly wasn't sure. D'Artagnan's words echoed in her head and she realized then that he had risked his own life to save her from the river. He had then brought her here and remained by her side this entire time. He had even cried over the thought of her dying. She looked up into his eyes and ever so slowly she reached over and took his hand into hers.

A wave of relief flowed through him and a few tears, the tears that belonged to her escaped his abilities to quell them back. He pressed her hand to his lips and she fell the warmth of his tears drop onto the back of her hand.

“You’re...going to be alright Lorelei...the world is not done with you yet...I am not done with you yet,” he said softly as he looked at her. Then he smiled. His eyes brought to his face a new light that had not been there just a moment before. “Are you hungry...I can get more broth or something more solid if you think you can take it,” he asked. “Once you’re well enough we can….we can get you back,” he added though it hurt him physically to know that she could have been his. The dream was a wonderful one though he thought.

“I think we need to teach you English,” he quipped as it had just came to him that these people did not much like the French at all. He could speak English without an accent which made looking for her that much easier. He did not realise that he was kissing her knuckles in between his words. The relief of her recovery still plain upon his face.

OOC: This has been a pretty emotional moment, a very good thread

Lorelei looked up at him as he suddenly brought her hand up to his face and kissed it. She could feel his tears wet the back of her hand. She could hear his words, but she continued to look at him...saying nothing. She looked into his eyes...the eyes of a man who knew her entirely and for whom she did not have to lie. A man whom she knew would love her until her last breath. She continued to look into his eyes as he kissed the knuckles of her hand between his words. She found that his kisses sent shivers down her spine.

"I love you D'Artagnan."

He didn’t tremble...exactly but he thought he’d never hear those words spoken by her, to him! If he needed to tremble then so be it. His heart wanted to beat from his chest and he continued to kiss her hand and knuckles over and over. Then, as he held her hand up against his forehead he spoke.

“When you dream to hear a thing for so long...when you finally hear it you think you are still in that dream,” he said to her, his voice dry and he swallowed hard to avoid showing more emotion than he already was. “I’ve loved you for a long time Lorelei, but you were not mine to speak those words to. I will speak them now and not for the last time. “I am in love with you Lorelei. No more lies, no more pretenses, I want nothing to come between us. I’ve found you and I will not let you go. I will not,” he repeated vehemently as he set her hand down on the bed and touched her face. “But….this is something I must tell you,” he said sheepishly as he looked again at her hair. It was a mess and would require a steady hand to fix. “Your hair….is….well, shorter now,” he said and winced as he said it. He saw her eyes grow large and it only made him wince more.

Lorelei waited for D'Artagnan's response. She could feel his hand start to tremble within her own. A flood of emotions came to his eyes as he began to kiss her hand over and over again. Finally, he spoke and she knew then that she had found the one she was truly meant to be with. While she had been passionate about Armand, and had loved the king and possibly even Trevare, what she felt for D'Artagnan went so much deeper. It filled her heart and warmed her soul. She had lost herself for so long, but D'Artagnan had found her and brought her back.

Suddenly, his expression changed and Lorelei knew that what he was going to tell her was not going to be something she was going to like. When he finally told her that it was her hair her eyes immediately widened. Her hands shot up to her hair and a look of horror came over her when she felt how short it was. It was ragged and uneven. She remembered then what had happened and tears came to her eyes. Her hair! Her beautiful, long hair! She had loved her hair. It had been soft and thick and something that men loved to run their fingers through. But now...She put her hands over her face and began to sob.

"After everything I've gone through...D'Artagnan I've been beaten and raped...repeatedly and I...I didn't know I was pregnant and I had a miscarriage...and no one...NO ONE in this God forsaken country would help me except a French woman!"

She suddenly felt very sick to her stomach. She couldn't sit up because she was too weak and so she rolled over to the opposite side of the bed. There was almost nothing in her stomach, but her body seemed determined to empty out anything that was there. Finally, it stopped...but the sound was quickly replaced by the sound of her sobs.

The rush of her emotions and what she had related to him took him aback. He had not realized so much had happened. He felt sorry for her but also angry for her also. He stilled that anger though, Channeled it into compassion for her. He stood quickly and tried to help her if he could.

“All of that...its horrible Lorelei...its horrible that people could be so cruel. It is over now and we can fix your hair. I am impatient to know what it will look like when it is straightened and cut properly. You could be as bald as an egg and i would love you no less. You’d only become...exotic then I am certain,” he said. “I will not let any more evil happen to you Lorelei. To that you can be sure at least,” he added. When her stomach settled he went to get her water and broth, bread, cheese and an apple he’d slice for her.

It took a while for her to calm down. He had moved to the bed and softly rubbed her back, she still had no clothes on, until she turned back to face him. He brought the bowl of broth and fed it to her slowly and talked to her about where they might go next. He was no longer a Musketeer or in the employ of the King. As far as he was concerned they could do just about anything. With his small knife he sliced bits of apple and fed her by his fingers. She seemed to chew slowly as she listened and she smiled once in awhile during his telling. “I thought bounty hunting appealed to me to a degree, or,” he said as he set a fat purse of gold on the bed next to her. I thought we could travel for a while and see what there is to see. I brought you, you’re rapier, it’s still with my horse,” D’artagnan told her. “For now though, rest my love...rest,” he said softly.

Ever so slowly Lorelei began to calm down. The release of emotions had been desperately needed, but D'Artagnan was there to then offer her the comfort and love she needed. It took a while for her stomach to settle, but once it did he brought over some broth and food. Her stomach ached, but she ate, knowing that she needed to get her strength back. As D'Artagnan helped her to eat he talked to her about were they might go next. She remembered the king and hated to break his heart, but she knew she could not go back to him. She would not leave D'Artagnan. He was the one she had been meant to be with all along.

After she finished eating she became extremely tired. She wanted to remain awake, but she knew D'Artagnan would be there when she awoke. And so with dreams of what the future might hold for them she slowly slipped into a peaceful sleep.

ooc: Ok, this is a good place to stop for now? Planning back to LOTR?

OOC-sure, that sounds good to me.