"We are gathered here today to give thanks for the life of Cardinal Armand Jean du Richelieu." "And we commend his soul to the Lord, our God." "And we've no idea who this man is?" "The Captain doesn't know his identity." "All I know is we're to meet him in the village inn at noon." "He'll make himself known." "Why the mystery?" "The King's council has been in chaos since the Cardinal died." "No one knows who's in charge." "Ah, well, at least we're not in Paris pretending to grieve for him." "They say he wore out his heart in the service of France." "It's a pleasant surprise to hear he had one at all." "God, have mercy on his soul." "He's dead." "We can afford to be generous." "You're going to swing!" "The rope!" "Come on." "Murderer!" " Get him up, get him up." "Come on." "Keep it going!" "Keep walking!" "Who is this man and what has he done?" "None of your damn business." "We are King's Musketeers." "So, answer the question." "Politely." "He shot our inn-keeper in cold blood." "A good man is dead and there were a dozen witnesses." "There will be no lynching today." "No, if there's a case against him, you can take it to the magistrate." "Take off his hood and untie him." "Rochefort." "Musketeers." "Just when I thought my day couldn't get any worse." "Can one of you tell me who this man is?" "The Comte de Rochefort." "One of the Cardinal's most loyal lieutenants." "His agent in Madrid." "Go ahead." "Hang him." "You can't just let them kill me." "We're late for an appointment in the village." "With me, you idiots!" "Dear God, why didn't the Cardinal send the Red Guard instead of a troupe of performing monkeys?" "The Cardinal is dead." "I have news of vital importance for the King!" "Wait!" "My apologies." "It seems we'll take him after all." "No." "He's going to pay for his crime." "Let's not make this more difficult than it needs to be." "Ripped By mstoll" "All right, enough!" "You can have him." "Bear down, Your Majesty, bear down." "The baby is coming, Your Majesty." "What was that for?" "To see how it would feel." "It felt good." "Your son, sire." "My son." "It's my son!" "I demand you release me." "I'm not a dog." "I'm the Comte de Rochefort." "The Cardinal would have had your heads for this." "Pity he's currently at his own funeral." "He was a great man." "His only mistake was failing to destroy you Musketeers." "He gave it a good try, didn't he?" "France will be a more honest place without him." "Well, the last we heard, you were rotting in a Spanish prison with no hope of release." "What happened?" "I was being transferred to Madrid." "By God's grace, I escaped." "Why not go straight to Paris?" "I needed protection." "A lot of people would like to see me dead." "I can understand the sentiment." "If you don't get me to the King soon..." ""You'll regret it." What is this vital news of yours?" "That is for his ears alone." "Captain Treville will decide what's fit for the King to hear." "Should you be up so soon, my dear?" "My place is at Your Majesty's side." "Your devotion does you credit." "Captain?" "The Cardinal believed in destiny." "He saw a day when France would be pre-eminent in Europe." "At such a time, I require a man of stature to fill the Cardinal's shoes." "A man that I can trust." "Treville, I believe you are that man." "I don't understand." "It's very simple." "I want you to join my council and learn the business of my government." "You might even be my First Minister one day and be as dear to me as he was." "I'm waiting for your answer." "Still waiting." "This is an extraordinary honour, sire, but one I must decline." "Whatever ability I have is better employed with the Musketeers." "Come now, Captain." "This is no time for modesty." "The King needs you." "You will not reject me at my hour of need." "I detest politics and have no talent for diplomacy." "Such things can be learned." "The council will benefit from your wisdom and common sense." "There are men more able than I." "I beg Your Majesty to choose one of them." "I did not expect you to abandon me in my hour of need." "I am not the Cardinal, sire." "I could not serve you as he did." "Well, then, it is a great shame that he is dead and that you are alive." "I'm disappointed." "But a king does not ask twice." "You have cut me to the quick." "Bring him in." "Captain Treville." "I wish I could say it's a pleasure." "You want to see the King." "Why?" "I'm not spilling my secrets to a Musketeer flunky." "It's either that or rot in the lockup." "I was not the only Frenchman in my prison fortress." "One of my fellow captives was General De Foix." "De Foix?" "He was killed, fighting with the Swedes at Nuremberg." "Did they find his body?" "I saw him with my own eyes." "He was taken prisoner and handed over to the Spanish." "You all right, Captain?" "The General and I were like brothers." "We were at military academy together." "This is all very touching." "You escaped." "Why didn't De Foix?" "He was more closely watched." "De Foix is the chief author of our military strategy against Spain." "If they find that out..." "What are you proposing?" "A rescue." "Is that possible?" "It's difficult, but it can be done." "Now, will you take me to the King?" "Constance..." "Again?" "Really?" "Are you sure you're not too tired?" "You drive me mad with desire." " I love you, D'Artagnan." "I love you, too." "For God's sake, woman, did you hear a word I said?" "It would be easier talking to a donkey." "Sorry, I was, um..." " Dreaming." "What about?" "Oh, never mind." "When we get to the palace, try not to address a word to people of superior breeding." "You'll only display your lack of education." "Summoned to attend on the King himself." "What an honour!" "My fine reputation for value and quality must have reached his ears at last." "You are welcome home, Rochefort." "You have suffered cruelly." "The thought of Your Majesty's grace and beauty sustained me through my long hours of confinement." "The Comte de Rochefort and I are old friends." "He tutored me in preparation for my marriage and taught me all I knew of France." "We look forward to hearing of your daring escape." "Let me through!" "I insist on an audience with the King." "His Excellency, Don Fernando Perales," "Ambassador of Spain." "So I see." "Don Fernando, how are you?" "I demand this man's arrest." "He's a fugitive from justice." "If the Cardinal were here, he would advise Your Majesty to take the path of diplomacy and common sense." "How dare you invoke the Cardinal's name when he's scarcely in his grave!" "Rochefort is a French citizen and a patriot." "No, he will not be returned." "You would be wise to listen..." "Who do you think you are talking to?" "Never insult the King again in my presence." "Will you let this outrage pass?" "Frankly, I wish I'd done it myself." "You're a dangerous man, Rochefort, but an entertaining one." "Now, what is this urgent news of yours?" "If I might speak to Your Majesty in private?" "Constance, I'm so glad you're here." "D'Artagnan speaks of you in glowing terms." "How very kind of him." "Might the King be joining us soon or..." "It was I who sent for you." "I am looking for a reputable young woman to act as my personal confidante and messenger." "Madame Bonacieux comes highly recommended." " By the Musketeer D'Artagnan?" "Indeed." "He said she was a woman of great sense and discretion." "I have done my best to instil in her the virtues of duty..." "Her position will mean her living near me, in the palace." "I assume you have no objection." "Whatever Your Majesty requires." "My ladies-in-waiting are all excellent women, but they have no love for a Spanish queen." "They gossip like fishwives." "I need a person I can trust always at my side." "You do want to come?" "Very much." "Thank you." "Your Majesty." "I will see to the arrangements." "Monsieur Bonacieux, how are things in the drapery business?" "Should I be buying wool or silk this season?" "It's so unseasonably cold." "Wool is always the most versatile of cloths." "Oh, really, is it?" "That's good to know." " I hope you're well, madame." "Very well." "I'm moving to the palace." "And I have you to thank, it seems." "Please, don't mention it." "I know you meant well, but you shouldn't have interfered." "I simply wanted to help you." "It is a good position, is it not?" "My husband will only hate us more for it." "Please, D'Artagnan." "You have to leave me alone now." "You forget yourself, sir." "My apologies." "Bow to your future king!" "I only wanted to pay my respects." "Perhaps there is no harm in it." "He's strong and handsome." "Well, of course." "He is of royal blood." "What?" "What?" "Athos, sometimes I think I'm doomed always to want the things I cannot have." "The Dauphin is not your son, Aramis." "He can never be your son." "Unless you confess to an act of treason and take the Queen down with you." "You should not have hit me." "I was humiliated in front of the King." "It was better to surprise you." "After all, I am supposed to hate your country." "Your release from prison was not my idea." "You were the Cardinal's man." "I see no reason to trust a French turncoat." "In return for my life, I swore an oath of loyalty to Spain." "Trust me or don't." "It's of no importance." "Now, do you want to hear what I have to say, or not?" "Very well." "Did they take the bait?" "The King was delighted by my plan." "He would do anything to secure De Foix's release." "Rescue him and I arrive back in Paris a hero, perfectly positioned to replace the Cardinal in the King's affections." "And how exactly do you propose to accomplish this plan?" "I return to the prison with a small party of Musketeers." "Governor Alvarez will, of course, have been told to expect us." "The Musketeers die heroically but De Foix and I are allowed to escape." "There can be no mistakes." "I want Athos, Porthos, D'Artagnan and Aramis dead." "Why them?" "Their loyalty to the King is legendary." "Killing them will leave him alone and unprotected." "I will do as you ask." "For your sake, I only hope it works." "What are you doing here?" "Why are you spying on us?" "I'm not a spy." "I came to pray, that's all." "Leave us." "You can never be too careful." "The King's approved my rescue plan." "You will all work under my command." "This is a Musketeer mission." "Athos will take charge." "The King gave me his authority." "The day my men take orders from the Cardinal's stooge is the day I resign my commission." "For the sake of France, we must find a way to work together." "I accept your terms." "The last person the Spanish will expect to see is their old prisoner, Rochefort." "Naturally, they'll be grateful to the bandits who bring him in." "You will be the bandits, of course." "If we're caught out of uniform, we'll be treated as spies." "That means instant execution." "Well, if that prospect scares you..." "Say again?" "Porthos." "So, once we've got De Foix, how do we escape?" "We take Governor Alvarez hostage." "He is an important man, they won't want to risk his life." "Anything else we should know?" "Our primary goal is rescue." "But if that is impossible, we must silence De Foix in some other way." "You mean kill him?" "General De Foix is a loyal servant of France." " He's also my friend." "He knows too much." "The King has made his wishes clear." "Duty must come first." "I'm sure even a Musketeer can understand that concept." "We could always arrange an unfortunate accident to happen on the road." "Don't tempt me." "Many times they told me I was going to die, then revoked the sentence even as the noose was around my neck." "It was a game to them." "A cruel game." "This is what they did to me." "I'm not ashamed to admit I begged for mercy." "Pain eats at the soul until there is nothing left of a man's courage or dignity." "They stole my honour and I want it back." "You have every reason to seek revenge." "But this mission is about rescuing General De Foix." "I understand." "Ride on ahead, take a look at the castle, and report back." "If anything goes wrong, your mission remains the same." "Rescue him if you can, but if not, your orders are clear." "De Foix cannot remain alive in Spanish hands." "Ya, ya, ya!" "Keep up." "We need to stick together." "We must be getting close." "Perhaps a half hour's ride." " Hold, hold, hold." " What is it?" "Wood smoke." "Someone's doused a fire nearby recently." " Get down!" "Psst." "Come on, what are you waiting for?" "All clear." "Shoot him!" "What are you waiting for?" "Shoot!" "Shoot!" "What took you so long?" "I couldn't get a clear line of sight." "How did they know we were coming?" "They didn't." "It was a routine patrol." "Did he get word back to the castle?" "He says he will only answer to God now, not some French..." "Well, then he questioned our parentage." "Go with God." "Shh." "Let's take their uniforms." "The castle guards will think we're a Spanish patrol." "If they heard our shots up at the castle, they'll be ready for us." "We have to continue, no matter what the risk." "We've come this far." "You don't need to remind us of our duty." "And if I tell you to shoot, you do it." "We should take their horses, too." "Give ours a rest." "What about D'Artagnan?" "If he's alive, he'll find us." "Please don't be alarmed." " Oh, my God!" "Keep away." "Don't worry, I'm a gentleman." "You're undressed!" "Not for your benefit, I can assure you." "Dear God." "Could you not have found some other place for your entertainment?" "Ent...?" "No, he's unconscious." "I'm D'Artagnan, of the King's Musketeers," "I've come to rescue General De Foix." "I'm Lucie De Foix, the General's sister." "Sister?" "The Comte de Rochefort said nothing about a sister." " Rochefort?" "Yes." "So, he's still alive?" "He is, and with us, at least I hope he is." "How many men do you have?" "Twenty?" "A hundred?" "One." "One?" " Where is Rochefort now?" "I heard shooting," "I have no idea what happened to him or my friends." " So, they might all be dead?" "Something is wrong, General?" "You do not like chess?" "On the contrary, I don't like you." "Is this polite, General?" "Have I not been a friend to you?" "Is torture an act of friendship?" "I have already apologised for the way you were treated." "It was barbaric, but I put a stop to it." "Hmm?" "Now, one simple reciprocal gesture from you and you could be on your way home tomorrow." "If I betray my country, which I'll never do." "Then you must resign yourself to playing our games, General, hmm?" "Your move." "Checkmate." "I told you, I did not want to be disturbed!" "Change of plan." "Shh." "What's going on?" "He's a Musketeer." "His name's D'Artagnan." "Sword." "Sit." "So, what do you propose to do now?" "First, stop you talking." "Hands behind your back." "I have to say, he has a point." "What exactly is your plan?" "For now, we wait." "The guards check on us every hour." "If my friends survived, they will be here soon." "We should make a run for it." "No, no, we'll never get more than a few yards." "We wait." "Your friends are dead." "We have to save ourselves." "We don't know that." "I'm sorry." "I have my orders." "I understand." "No!" "You're not dead, then." "Not even close." " General De Foix, I presume." "Yes." "It's him." "D'Artagnan was doing his duty." "I bear him no ill will and nor should you." "Gentlemen, this is my sister, Lucie." "Sister?" "Why didn't you tell us she was here?" "A woman's presence can only hinder our escape." "If my sister stays, I stay." "It's settled." "She comes with us." "Get up, move!" "Forgive me, monsieur." "What is your name?" "Porthos." "Porthos du Vallon." "Have we met?" "I don't believe so." "Down!" "Reloading." "Get back inside!" "Inside!" "Is there another way out?" "If there was, I'd know." "They sometimes bring in supplies at the back of the castle." "There might be a gate there." "One stupid move and you die." "This is not what we agreed." "Your escorts should be dead." "Whose fault is that?" "Only you and De Foix were allowed to escape." "No one else." "Those were my orders." "Then you better pray your men do a better job this time." "Get up, damn you!" "Play along for now." "General, you must go first." "Not before my sister." "You're the prize they want." "Go." "Keep your head down." "Whatever happens, get De Foix back safe." " Oh!" "Lucie!" "I'll go." "Stay calm." "Forgive the impropriety, madame." "At least you're not naked this time." "That's it, that's it." "Come on!" "Get a belt!" "You stay behind me." "Come on!" "The ball passed cleanly through his side." "I'll need bandages to staunch the bleeding." "Will this do?" "Psst." "We need to get out of here." "Can you ride?" "Quick as you can." "For a moment back there," "I thought you were going to shoot me." "Why would I want to do that?" "Hey." "You saved my life." "Thank you." "I'll be glad to get this back on." "Nothing else feels comfortable." "Congratulations, General." "You're back in France." "You're a free man." "This outrage will not be allowed to pass." "It is an act of naked aggression." "I demand that you set me free." "All in good time." "You'll be handed to the Spanish ambassador on our return to Paris." "Hit me, take my horse." "I'll distract them." "No!" "What have you done?" "He was trying to escape." "He gave me no choice." "Nothing we can do for him." "We're expected in Paris." "The King will be waiting for news." "Welcome home, General." "It's been too long, my friend." "Get him inside." "I've got you." "Rochefort..." "You are a true French hero." "In the book of courage, your name will be written above all others." "It is pleasant indeed to see my old friend cover himself in such glory." "Since our cardinal's unhappy death, the position of Captain of the Red Guards has stood vacant." "It is yours if you want it." "I am overcome." "I will serve Your Majesty and my country faithfully." "I am glad at least one of our loyal subjects understands his duty." "Come, you must tell me how you executed your brilliant scheme." "His scheme?" "Ah, let him take the credit." "We don't need praise or glory." "Praise and glory are two of my favourite things." "How is he?" "The wound is infected." "I'm afraid for him." "I am sorry to hear that." "You know, he's a brave man." "Would you really have shot him?" "I'm glad you did not have to." "You're too good a man to carry such a heavy burden of guilt." "The Queen sent me to inquire about General De Foix's health." "He's weaker." "Why did you do it?" "Why did you choose Bonacieux?" "You loved me, I know you did." " You make it sound so easy." "Isn't it?" "If I left my husband, my family would cut me off and my friends would cross the street to avoid me." "I'd be nothing more than your whore..." "Scandal soon passes, Constance." "For men, perhaps." "We'd have married as soon as we could." "Bonacieux might live for years yet." "Your children would be bastards." "And if you died in battle, what then?" "I'd have nothing, not even a soldier's pension." "I'd die on the streets, a beggar or prostitute." "I have no wealth, no position." "You never even tried to understand what you were asking of me..." "I know what you want." "It is not a boring life and a joyless marriage." "You need love and adventure, and you know I can give you both." "I'm a woman, D'Artagnan." "A woman in a world built for men." "If I lost you, I'd lose everything." "I can't take that chance." "You know, I have known you as many things, Constance, but never as a coward." "You are the Musketeer named Aramis?" "Who wants to know?" "I have a message from the Cardinal." "From beyond the grave?" "In a manner of speaking." "Where are you going?" "To answer a summons from the Cardinal." "I should have nailed down the coffin lid myself." "I'll go." "Well, what is this message?" "You're looking at it, monsieur." "I didn't know Adele was dead." "The last I heard, she'd gone to the Cardinal's country estate." "I..." "I thought she'd made her choice." "She did, monsieur." "She chose you." "The Cardinal said you'd understand the necessity for her death." "He killed her because she loved you." "Go on." "Get out of here." "The Cardinal knew all your secrets." "He will expose your sins even from beyond the grave." "What if the Cardinal knew about the Dauphin?" "I couldn't protect Adele." "Well, what if I can't protect my son?" "You can't blame yourself for this." "Who else can I blame?" "First Isabelle, now Adele." "Every woman I truly love dies." "All the more reason to stay away from the Queen and the Dauphin." "I was dreaming of the old days." "You and I and Belgard, riding together." "They were good times." "I knew him as soon as I saw him." "Who?" "The Musketeer called Porthos." "He's Belgard's son, isn't he?" "I'm facing my end." "I'd like to die knowing I'm not responsible for the boy's death." "I couldn't live with what we'd done." "So, I searched for them for years without success." "And then..." "Call it fate, chance, God, what you will..." "He came to me." "And the woman?" "His mother?" "She died of despair soon after we abandoned them in the slums." "We broke her heart." "Does Porthos know?" " No." "You must tell him who his father is." "We made a vow." "We swore to Belgard we would never betray him." "Porthos can never know who his family is." "We were wrong." "And if you won't tell him, I will." "Why rake up the past now?" "Porthos is content." "Why not just let it be?" "It was the most shameful act of my life and this is my chance to make amends." "Don't ask me to take my guilty soul to the grave." "The Captain made a mistake." "He should've accepted that position in the King's council." "He's a soldier born and bred." "It's not easy for a man with a good heart to learn the dirty business of politics." "France needs an honest man by the King's side." "Better the Captain than Rochefort." "Who will look out for France now?" "At least the mission was a success." "France's secrets are safe." "De Foix is dying." " We did everything we could." "Obviously not enough." "With the Cardinal gone, I thought our world would be safer." "Now I'm not so sure." "Given that your plan failed in so many respects, you have done well." "Sadly, a dozen men died." "The Musketeers proved more resourceful than I expected." "Alvarez was a good man." "His death was never part of our bargain." "The fewer people who know my true allegiance, the better." "And that is not your decision to make." "I promised you I would win the confidence of the King." "Have I kept my promises or not?" "You have achieved nothing yet." "The King trusts me and the Queen loves me." "One day soon," "I will drive a wedge between them that will bring this country to its knees." "Be careful, Rochefort." "I will be watching you closely." "Ha!" "I win again!" "I don't even need the money." " Kill the King?" "Why not?" "The King is missing?" "Where is he?" "No, no, wait!" "What does he do with them?" "Robs them, throws their bodies in the Seine..." "Milady De Winter." "Rochefort's swift response has bought you time, Captain." "Use it wisely." "France has a new king and a vulnerable queen." "Ripped By mstoll"