"Halt." "Forgive me, it's been a long journey from Mantua and I long for some fresh air and exercise." "We'll be in Paris within the hour, madame." "I haven't seen the King since we were children." "He's barely changed." "Tell me, monsieur, do you know anything of Sweden?" "It snows and is very cold." "It will be my home soon." "I wonder if I shall ever see the warm sun of Italy again." "Get her behind cover!" "Get the princess back in the carriage now!" "Inside, inside!" "Ahhh!" "Argh!" "Francesco, are you all right?" "I'm well, Your Grace." "I pray to God you're not injured." "I'm unharmed, thank God." "Spanish." "This ambush was no coincidence." "Ripped By mstoll" "Why have we stopped?" "Isn't the Archbishop expecting us?" "We'll take you to him shortly." "Please, sit." "What's wrong?" "Why have you brought her here?" "We were ambushed on the road." "By a gang of men carrying Spanish gold." "Spain was never going to stand idly by in the face of an alliance between Sweden and France." "You mean the Princess might still be in danger?" "There's no need for alarm, we're in Paris now." "She'll be perfectly safe." "As soon as she's rested, we'll take her to the Archbishop." "Back there I failed." "But for you she would have been killed." "Don't be so hard on yourself." "You did your best." "It wasn't enough." " If any harm should come to her..." " Don't worry." "You're both under our protection now." "Come in, de Barville." "You sent for me?" "The King's cousin, Princess Louise of Mantua is betrothed to the Swedish crown prince." "The Musketeers are escorting her to Paris as we speak." "And you wish me to take charge of her security when she arrives in Paris?" "Do you remember this?" "Ah." "It's a record of the King's Council's decision to refuse the ransom demanded by Spain for my release from imprisonment." "Oh, you must understand." "The issue was a complex one." "The Council betrayed me." "You betrayed me." "Why?" "My orders came from Cardinal Richelieu himself." "It was his express wish that no ransom be paid." "Why would he abandon a loyal servant in such a fashion?" "Well, the Cardinal felt that you were" "perhaps, not entirely," "of sound mind." "I spent five years in that hell hole." "What does this have to do with Princess Louise of Mantua?" "I wanted you to be the first to know her marriage will not be going ahead after all." "Does the King know?" "I must raise it at his Council meeting." "A strengthened alliance between France and Sweden is vital." "Unfortunately, plans have changed." "Argh!" "Bless this forthcoming marriage, O Lord, with peace and happiness." "And may the womb of your humble servant, Louise, be fruitful." "In the name of God, amen." "Amen." "Our hopes for the future strength and unity of France rest on the success of your union, my child." "I pray my marriage will be happy." "Happiness is a selfish desire." "You must pray to do your duty." "Oh!" "Good vantage point." "Well concealed, an all-round view and easy access to an escape route." "The killer knew what he was doing." "This was planned well in advance." "Why a crossbow?" "From this distance, it's more accurate than a musket and easier to conceal." "Outstanding work, Musketeers!" "A man of God slain under your very noses." "And you let the killer escape." "If the Princess hadn't slipped, she'd be dead now." "She was the target." "Someone is determined to stop this marriage." "The Princess cannot stay at the Archbishop's as planned." "She must be escorted to the Louvre for her own safety, assuming you can manage such a simple task" "without losing her." "Custom made, best quality steel, short bodkin armour piercing," "a real assassin's weapon." "Old-fashioned but deadly." "Who still makes weapons like this?" "There are perhaps half a dozen armourers left in Paris, with the necessary skills." "But only one who'd consider hiring them out to the Spanish." "A man with a serious grudge against King and country." "Boucher." "A Huguenot." "And a survivor of the siege of La Rochelle." "And a true artist." "I've a mind to commission a piece myself." "You know, that might not be a bad idea." "How else are we going to tempt him out of hiding?" "We'll make contact." " Sire?" " Go away!" "I want to be alone." "The King is not receiving visitors." "A visit from the Queen will revive his spirits." "His mood is delicate." "He's plagued with fears." "Can't you do something, Rochefort?" "The King will listen to you." "Your Majesty, it is I, Rochefort." "The King is unwell." "He will be himself again soon." "I want Milady out of my palace and I don't want to receive Princess Louise." "You can do it." "People will think you have turned against the marriage." "Nonsense." "Just keep her entertained, see her off on her way to Sweden tomorrow." "Your presence will be required later at the Council meeting." "Chancellor Dupre is making a special trip to be here." "I can look after Princess Louise but you really should greet your Chancellor personally." "Oh, very well." "But in the meantime, I am going to bed." "I am very tired." "It's not a coincidence, is it?" "This killing, the men who attacked us on the journey?" "It's me they're after, isn't it?" "Speculation is pointless." "There's no need to worry." "If I am to die, I would rather be prepared." "No harm will come to you now." "This is the safest building in all of France." "You'll stay?" "For as long as you need me, yes." "If only we could have stayed in Mantua, Francesco." "We were happy there." "This marriage is my death sentence." "Excuse me, one moment, madame." "Everything all right?" "I've sent a message to my husband." "I have to tell him now about us." " Well, then I should be with you." " No." "I have to do this alone." "I owe him that much." "Well, if you need anything, you know where I am." "With the beautiful Princess Louise." "Should I be jealous?" "She's engaged to be married." "I am married." "That didn't stop you." "I'm puzzled, Lady Marguerite." "I thought you came to court to make a good marriage." "You know I did." "Then why do you force me to reveal to the world the sordid details of your private life?" "You wouldn't." "It would ruin me." "You leave me no choice." "You ask too much of me." "I asked for information on the Queen and you failed to provide it." "So, I must assume, you wish me to speak to your father." "No, no!" "The shame will kill him." "Please!" "I will give you one last chance." "Anything, anything, I will do anything." "Aramis wears a jewelled crucifix." "Bring it to me." "I know it." " Why?" " That is not your concern." "Do as I ask and your reputation may yet be saved." "I received your message." "So, have you finally done your duty and made my name known to the King?" "No, it's not that." "The only reason I allowed you to take this position was to win me favour at the palace." "That hasn't happened." "And clearly never will." "So it's time you came home." "You will inform the Queen you are leaving." "I won't do that." "Do not test my patience." "I've made a decision." "D'Artagnan and I, we love each other." "We're going to build a life together." "You are my wife and you will do as I say." "Pack your bags and be back home today." "If you fail to do as I say, I shall return later and drag you there myself." "I owe my life to the diligence and bravery of your Musketeers." "We are all in their debt." "A pity they could not prevent the Archbishop's death." "No one could have done so." "You were not present, my dear Comte, so you cannot know the circumstances." "Rochefort, the King was most anxious that we should present the Princess with his marriage gift." "Alas, in all the turmoil, it has not yet been collected." "See to it." "Might I suggest Captain Treville should have the honour, despite his unfortunate fall from grace?" "There is no more reliable man in the King's service." "Have a message sent to him." "This way, madame." "I need to speak with you on an urgent matter." "What matter?" "You don't want to be with me any more, do you?" "Something has changed." "Now is not the time." "If you have anything to say then say it now and be done." "Our liaison cannot continue." "You have too much to lose and I'm not the man to make you happy." "So, we must end it for my benefit?" "How very selfless of you." "We've had a wonderful time together." "Why don't we wish each other luck and go our separate ways, before either one of us is hurt." "Yes." "No one should be hurt." "It is so much the best way." "You agree then?" "You're not upset?" "You were only ever a diversion, Aramis." "These things shouldn't be taken too seriously." "Well, I'm glad you feel that way." "It's a great weight off my mind." "May we..." "We part as friends, at least." "Hold me one last time?" "I might have loved you once, if things had been different." "Remember that." "Come here." "What happened?" "Who did this to you?" "Tell me the truth." "Tell me the truth." "My husband." "I told him." " I'll kill him." " No." "D'Artagnan, no, he knows he's lost me." "He hurt you." "He hurt you." "No, he can never hurt me again." "Wait here." "Should I be avoiding windows?" "As a precaution." "I thought I was safe here." "As safe as you can be anywhere." "That young woman, Constance, you're in love with her." "And she is with you." "I can tell." "How wonderful to be in love." "I wish I were." "What about your husband to be?" "Is he a good man?" "I have no idea." "We meet for the first time when I get to Sweden." "France's political alliances are more important than my personal happiness." "I'm sorry to hear that." "It would be nice to love as one chooses." "Constance is a lucky woman." "I envy her finding a man Like you." "Get out!" "Out!" "Let the Comte de Rochefort know it'll be my pleasure." "Sir." "Rochefort treats me like his errand boy now." "I'm to fetch the Queen's gift for Princess Louise." "Don't let him humiliate you." "Do you think I should refuse the job?" "Deliver this gift directly to the Queen herself." "Let her see your devotion and loyalty, even in the face of provocation." "Come on." "It's you that should have been a politician." "I never had any talent for such games." "The regiment will need a new captain soon." "I could recommend you." "I'm finished here." "It's time you all accepted that." "Monsieur Boucher, I am Athos." "I know who you are." "I make it my business to know the finest swordsmen in France." "So, what can I do for you?" "Recognise that?" "Yes." "This is my work." "And this?" "Also mine." "You don't find craftsmanship like this every day." "I'm sure the Archbishop was very appreciative." "What are you talking about?" "Where did you find this bolt?" "In the Archbishop's throat." "I had nothing to do with that." "You, a known dissenter with a grudge against the Catholic Church and a personal connection to the murder weapon." "You're the last person we'd think of." "I make weapons." "I don't use them." "Then who did you make this for?" "That's confidential." "You've just admitted making the weapon that killed the Archbishop." "So here's our problem." "Someone has to die for the Archbishop's murder." "And right now, we have no other suspects." "All right, wait!" "It's one of a matching pair that I made." "For who?" "For myself." "There were 27,000 French citizens living in La Rochelle." "By the time your King got finished with us, there were only 5,000 left." "When the siege ended, all my weapons were confiscated and sent to a new home." "That's where this has come from." "What new home?" "The Cardinal sent them all to the Red Guard armoury." "Whoever used this, came from your own side." "It might have been stolen." "Or the killer was a member of the Red Guard." "I have more than 500 guards under my command, unless you've killed any in a bar room brawl today." "Do you think you could be a little more precise in your accusations?" "It doesn't concern you that there is a traitor amongst your own men?" "It would concern me more if you had any proof." "This weapon could have found its way into anyone's hands." "You Musketeers, you really must give up this ugly habit of blaming your failures on everyone else." "Milady de Winter, a moment." "Search her bag." "What do you think you're doing?" "These were personal gifts from His Majesty." "Keepsakes." "You leave carrying only what you arrived with." "You'd be wise not to make an enemy of me." "Is that a threat?" "Merely an observation." "If I ever see you in this palace again," "I'll have you executed as a thief." "Wait!" " What will you do now?" " Oh, what does it matter to you?" " Listen to me." " What do you want me to do?" "Admit that I am shamed and penniless, that I have no prospect and no hope." "Well, there you are, it's all true." "Are you happy now, at last?" "I get no pleasure from witnessing your humiliation." "This is everything I have." "Take it and leave Paris." "First, you threaten to kill me and now it's bribery." "A gift." "There is a difference." "You think I'll accept your charity?" "If you have any sense." "I'm not finished yet, not by any measure." "I'm looking for the home of Monsieur Arnaud." "Straight ahead." "Sir." "Sir." "Oh, dear." "Help him." " A moment, milady." " What is it?" "Have we not said enough to each other today?" "I know, forgive me." "My crucifix is missing." " You haven't seen it?" " Not recently." "I thought perhaps it might be in your chambers." "Don't you know where you last had it?" "I can't remember." "I've grown so used to having it there, I..." "I'd hate to lose it." "It's very important to me." "Why?" "It was a gift from a friend." "Close friend, obviously." "It probably came loose and dropped somewhere." "I'll look for it." "Thank you." "It's Captain Treville." "He's been shot." "Move!" "Out of the room, now!" " Move that chair." " Put him on the table." "Gently, gently!" "One, two, three." "Captain." "Captain, it's Aramis." "We're at the garrison." "He was on the rue jacob, nobody saw the attack." "What was he doing there?" "Rochefort's errand." "Collecting the King's gift from Monsieur Arnaud." "We need a surgeon." "Send for Lemay." "Do you think it might be the same person who killed the Archbishop?" "I don't know." "It could be nothing more than a coincidence." "You should go to him." "I won't leave you unprotected." "Not for a moment." "You any closer to finding the Arch bishop's killer?" "We believe there to be a connection to the Red Guard." "He might even be inside the palace itself." "Dear God, someone close to the King is a traitor." "It's possible." "No harm will come to you." "You have my word." "She told me she would wear it always." "Who did?" "You mean the Queen, don't you?" "You think there is a connection between her and Aramis?" "What do you know of that?" "Nothing for certain." "Only the way he looks at her." "The way he should have looked at me but never did." "I've said too much." "I'm sorry, it's just my foolish jealousy." "Watch them." "Watch them every second and tell me what you discover." "I beg you, please, leave me be now." "It's far too late for that, Marguerite." "Don't you know that?" "Return this to Aramis." "He must suspect nothing." "He was shot in the back." "The ball's still in there." "Help me lift him." "You're right, there is no exit wound." "His uniform must have blunted the shot's impact." "He's lucky." "He's struggling for air." "Most probably the ball damaged his lung." "Our first task is to find and remove it." "I have some practise with musket wounds." "I bow to your superior experience." "This won't be pretty, Constance, you don't have to stay." "Doctor Lemay asked me to assist him." "Madame Bonacieux's help will be invaluable." "She's already saved one life I might have lost." "Boiling water." "I've already cleaned the wound." "It's not for him." "It's for my equipment." "I find that if I bathe my instruments in boiling water first, my patients have a much greater chance of fighting off infection." "I have no idea why." "I believe it is a blessing from God." "Ready?" "All right." "Hold him." "There is fluid in his lung." " We have to drain it." " How?" "Much the same way one would drain a keg of wine." "My skills are exhausted." "He's your patient now." "I need him on his back." "Shh, shh, shh." "Be ready to catch the blood." "Are you sure this will work?" "I have not had occasion to perform this operation before, but the principle is sound," "in theory." "Take this." "The tube." "Secure that with a dressing." "Let all the fluid drain out before stitching the wound." "Your captain should make a speedy recovery now." "You saved his life." "It was a team effort." "But, yes." "I believe we did." "Whoever did this to the Captain is going to have to deal with me personally." "Where are you going?" "To find out more about this gift." "Whoever shot him knew where to find him." "You stay here." "That's our captain's blood." "Monsieur Arnaud!" " Where is he?" " The Master is painting." "He left orders not to be disturbed." "Is he dead?" "Master?" "Whoever killed him came in through here and probably left the same way." "The painting is gone!" "What painting?" "The portrait of Princess Louise of Mantua." "It was to be a wedding gift from the King." "Find the preparatory sketches." "The Chancellor will be arriving shortly." "Be ready to greet him and escort him inside." "Well, what are you waiting for?" "What about the Princess?" "She will be under my personal protection." "Come in, D'Artagnan." "Not D'Artagnan, I'm afraid." "This isn't the woman we're guarding at the Palace." "No wonder they stopped Treville delivering the picture." "The deception would have been uncovered the moment anyone saw it." "But if she isn't Princess Louise, then who is she?" "And why did they try to kill her this morning?" "The Archbishop was always the target." "And the fake Louise must have been in on the plan." "But why assassinate a man of God?" "The Archbishop wasn't just a priest." "He was also a senior member of the King's Council." "So is Chancellor Dupre." "He's on his way to the Louvre for the Council meeting." "He thinks he's safe there." "My congratulations." "I had to stop myself laughing out loud, the way you had the Musketeers fawning all over you." "I was convincing, wasn't I?" "A Princess to the manor born." "Have you disposed of de Barville's body?" "Thanks to your friend, Francesco, he will be at the bottom of the Seine by now." "Two down, one to go." "The Chancellor will enter the palace by the west gate." "You'll have all the time you need." "The Musketeers will not be expecting an attack from behind them." "Please tell my wife I've come to collect her." "And tell her to hurry." "She can make her apologies to the Queen later." "Wait in here." "Out of the way!" "Constance..." "My apologies, monsieur." "It is I who must apologise." "I thought you were my wife, Madame Bonacieux." "Ah, you are Constance's husband." "I am Bonacieux, the finest cloth merchant in Paris." "Then it's you I'm looking for." "She asked me to tell you she will meet you at home." " She did?" " Mmm." "She said you were most commanding with her this morning." "You clearly know how to handle women, monsieur." "Then I shall go." "No wonder Constance is in love with D'Artagnan." "If I wasn't so busy, I'd do her the favour of cutting her husband's throat." "You take up position in the grounds nearby in case the Chancellor needs the coup de grâce." "If that should happen, I'm unlikely to survive." "Then I had better not miss." "You won't miss." "You never miss." "How's the Captain?" "He's in good hands." " The Chancellor?" " On his way." "I forgot my hat." "I never did like wife heaters." "Good afternoon, Chancellor." "Get back inside!" " Take cover!" " Go!" " The assassin's in the palace." " Go back inside." " Up there!" " Go!" "You go!" "Move!" "Go, go!" "Move, move!" "Now, now!" "Go, go, go!" "Going after him." "Ya!" "You surrender or die." "It's over." "You're right," "I am defeated." " Princess." " Drop your weapons." "All of them." "Oh, D'Artagnan, if I knew we'd met under different circumstances." "Who are you?" "I'm afraid the real Princess Louise never even made it out of Lombardy." "You mean you killed her?" "But on the positive side," "I saved her from a dreadful marriage." "You have no idea how much planning went into getting me inside the Louvre." "The key to it of course was winning your protection." "That gave me the freedom I needed." "So, I've done you a favour in return." "What are you talking about?" "I like you, D'Artagnan." "That's why I've helped you out." "You and that pretty Constance." "I do so love a happy ending." "Look in the state rooms." "No need to thank me." "Whoever you are, this is over." "You must know that." "Help me." "Ah." "Don't worry, it's all right." "just breathe. just breathe." "This sits on your conscience." "You and Constance, you'll never be happy together." "You're doomed." "I curse you both." "Oh." "Not of word of this to Constance." "She must hear it from me." "The Captain's going to be fine." "What is it?" "What's happened?" "Why won't they look at me?" "Tell me." "Whose blood is this?" " Who are you?" " I have several names." "You probably know of me as Milady de Winter." "You must help me." "I'm the King's cousin, Princess Louise of Mantua and there has been a terrible mistake." "We both know your name is Sophia Martinez." "You and your lover, Francesco, are professional assassins." " I don't know what you're talking about." " I recognised him this morning." "Oh, he's dead by the way." "The Musketeers killed him." "But he'll make a pretty corpse." "As you know who I am, you also know what I'm capable of." "Who hired you?" "What will happen to me if I tell you?" "I'll release you, of course." "Rochefort." "He supplied the weaponry and identified the targets." "Why?" "Isn't it obvious?" "He's a Spanish spy." "As the Cardinal's man, Madrid knew he would be perfectly placed on his return to France." "Spy master Vargas handled it personally." "The Archbishop, the Chancellor..." "He's trying to kill his way to the top." "He's determined to remove any rival for the King's trust and affection." "Now," "I told you what you wanted to know." "Now let me go." "You're going to kill me." "I wasn't until a moment ago." "But now," "I think it's best." "Let me shut your mouth for good." "Oh, hush." "Hush, now." "It'll soon be over." "Where was it?" "Lying in a corridor." "Must have simply fallen off." "I'll be more careful in future." "Just as well I found it." "You never know what trouble it might have caused." "Who were they really, the bogus Princess Louise and her footman?" "Hired assassins." "But who hired them?" "With both of them dead, we may never know." "You have no idea who killed her?" "She was under the protection of the Red Guards." "Rochefort can't lay that one at our doorstep." "Athos, would you give us a moment, please?" "Earlier on, when I thought I was going to die," "I realised" "I didn't want to leave this world with any secrets on my conscience." "Give me a little time to regain my strength and I will tell you everything you want to know about your father." "I can wait." "Assassins at large in my own palace." "Archbishop Jacqueme dead, the Duc de Barville missing." "The world has gone mad." "The danger is over, Your Majesty." "The assassins are dead." "But sadly, so is your treaty." "Poor Louise." "But, I suppose we can always find someone else to marry our Swedish friend." "Indeed, sir." "I'll see to it." "You have handled this matter with great skill, Rochefort." "I'm impressed." "The post of First Minister has been vacant long enough." "I want you to fill it." "This is too great an honour, Your Majesty." "I have already signed the order." "I will hear no argument." "As Your Majesty commands." "Yah!" "Martina, come on!" "You want to know if I'm your father." "Porthos needs your loyalty now, more than ever." "I'm not safe anywhere." "Your Majesty, don't let Rochefort stop you seeing the King." "If Aramis slept with the Queen, it would be treason." "She was murdered." "I didn't come hereto cause a fight." "He has to find out for himself." "I don't think you understand the game, mans/ear." "I understand very well!" "Ripped By mstoll"