Round 3

[bbcmusketeerskink]

Welcome to the BBC The Musketeers kink meme

The lowdown: You post your prompt, anon or not. Someone else will hopefully fill it (also anon or not). Not for profit, just for fun. And in this case, for king and country.

Anon is on, IP logging is off.

Rules:
No wank
No kink-shaming
Be respectful to everyone
The mod is not your babysitter
Use the warnings
No prompts with characters under the age of 16 in sexual situations, please.
Please keep the discussions in the prompt post to a minimum. We have a discussion post

Mandatory trigger warnings/warnings for both prompts and fills:
non-con/dub-con
abuse (physical and mental)
issues such as racism, sexism, homo-/trans-/-bi-/ace-phobia etc
character death
suicide
self-harm
eating disorders
extreme physical or mental illness
substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, medication)
bullying
gore and horror

If this list misses anything, do let me know, though please understand that if absolutely everything is added this list will never end.

You are encouraged and advised to add additional warnings at your own discretion.

Please make use of the subject line.

If your prompt alludes to the book or any of the other adaptations, please let us know which one.

Lastly, prompt freezes (which I have to say I’m really not fond of) etc will be at the mod’s discretion. I will decide on a prompt cut-off point for prompt posts once I know how fast the meme moves.

Announcement: A blanket spoiler warning is necessary for prompts pertaining to season 2. Just season 2 Spoilers in the subject line will do.

Archive:
https://delicious.com/bbcmusketeers

Discussion post:
http://bbcmusketeerskink.dreamwidth.org/557.html

Official fill post (I strongly suggest you use it for better visibility of your fills):
http://bbcmusketeerskink.dreamwidth.org/418.html

Mod contact post
http://bbcmusketeerskink.dreamwidth.org/1356.html

Free For All Round 1
http://bbcmusketeerskink.dreamwidth.org/1823.html

Comments

Milady/Anne/Constance lady awesomeness

[(Anonymous)]

Milady becomes an agent for Anne, because every Queen needs a personal spy/mercenary she can trust. Anne compensates her work with a small estate so that she never has to depend on a man ever again. Milady apologizes for being Not Nice to Constance. Anne and Constance melt Milady's cold little heart. And the three of them rule France together the end

Re: Milady/Anne/Constance lady awesomeness

[kyele]

Yes please and thank you!

A thousand pluses for this prompt! A medal for the prompter! A new car for the filler! I live in hope :)

Re: Milady/Anne/Constance lady awesomeness

[(Anonymous)]

(And apparently going backwards: this comes before the previously posted segment. Now that I've actually started watching S02 properly instead of *cough* just selective scenes, I'll admit I'm playing fast and loose with the timeline and framing, but I want to try to work with the general storyline of it all the same.
My apologies, OP, for giving you bits and pieces; when I have things a little more ironed out in my head I'll probably de-anon and switch this over to AO3 and start posting in coherent order, but for now there's this.)

Despite what so many people in France think, Anne of Austria has never been naive.

When she first came to France, she spoke little of the language, and that made many of the people in court think their new queen an innocent fool. She didn’t contradict those impressions; it was hard not to be shy in a strange country, surrounded by strange people and with a husband she had never met before. But she’d learned, and she’d grown, and she’d let that impression of naivete remain because it benefited her amid the intrigues and schemes of Louis’ court. People spoke more freely when they thought one a fool, and despite her sweet face and gentle demeanour, Anne had never been a fool.

The court of Spain was as ruthless politically as France -- more so, she thinks sometimes -- and as the oldest of her father’s children, she’d learned a great deal despite being female. She’d learned even more watching, always an observant child, and those lessons had stood her well once she’d opened her eyes in France. She’d let herself be lulled into a false sense of security over the years, certain that Louis might dally but never set her aside for fear of offending Spain and provoking a war, but she knows full well she stands on shifting sands since the attempt on her life and the potentially fatal mistake she’d made in the midst of it. Even if that act had given her a son (something she must not, cannot think of), it may be the end of her still, and of her child.

Richelieu is a pragmatist; he understands the importance of her presence in France even as it sticks in his craw, and while she and he have never seen eye to eye, they understand each other. There is, she thinks, a certain grudging respect there; he’s one of the few at court who has an inkling of what lies beneath her demure manners. But they circle each other, and they share an adversary in Marie de Medici, and they largely refrain from treading too often into each other’s space. As long as he is the other major power at court, she feels reasonably secure. Even if he finds out, he is far more likely to use that knowledge for leverage than to take her life, or that of her son.

His death is unexpected, and it leaves her scrabbling. The network she’d slowly begun to piece together is suddenly still in too many fragments, still entirely too nebulous for her to use in the way she needs to, now. She has Constance, bless her -- loyal and brave and fearless -- and she has the loyalty of the Musketeers, but she’s all too acutely aware, even before Rochefort strides into the palace, that it is not enough.

And then her husband returns and installs a new mistress, and Constance tells her that this is Athos’ wife -- tells her of Milady de Winter, who had been the Cardinal’s agent and the dreadful acts that Louis has so blithely pardoned, and Anne, grasping at straws, thinks only, Perhaps I have an answer.

~ * ~

The invitation to join the queen for tea is unexpected; as much as she may be thrown off by it, however, Milady de Winter knows an invitation from royalty is just a gentler order, and asks the servant only if she may have a few minutes to make herself presentable. As she arranges her hair, she wonders just why the girl has asked -- whether she means to threaten her husband’s new mistress, perhaps. The thought is nothing so much as it is laughable.

She leaves her guns in their locked coffer, but straps a blade to her thigh beneath the full skirts and tucks a long pin into the twist of her hair. The law may decry weapons in the presence of royalty, but she’s never been much for the law, and the years have taught her never to go without arms. Her wits will get her out of most troubles, but there’s no sense leaving things to chance.

A servant shows her into the queen’s private apartments, bowing deeply. The Bonacieux woman isn’t there, and once they are seated at the small table and tea laid out, the queen dismisses the servants as well. Interesting. She’s content to let this charade play out as long as it runs; this is already a dimension of the queen she did not expect.

The queen takes a dainty sip from her cup, sets it back down, and looks back up to meet Milady’s eyes. This close, hers are sharp, almost piercing. “I did not call you in here to warn you away from my husband,” she says, without any preamble.

Another reevaluation; she’d expected that, when the queen sent the servants away. “Then what, your majesty?” and the words are guarded. She’s not used to being surprised.

“Constance tells me you worked for the Cardinal before his death.” When she nods in response -- no sense in demurring -- the queen’s chin firms a little. “I want to make you an offer.”

Even more interesting. Milady stops turning the teacup in her hands, returns it to the table to lean back in her chair. She’s eager to hear what this slip of a girl with the suddenly steely expression has to say, but be damned if she’ll let that show. “Go on.”

Re: Milady/Anne/Constance lady awesomeness

[(Anonymous)]

Author!Anon here, who is apparently incapable of posting responses to the proper comments. I guess posting to the reply puts this bit in the proper reading order, at least ... XD;;

Re: Milady/Anne/Constance lady awesomeness

[kyele]

:) I love this just as much as I love the other piece! Your Anne is amazing. I love her practicality and her shrewdness. Surprising Milady can't be an easy thing to do. I can't wait to see Milady's reaction to Anne taking charge the first time they get naked too :P

Re: Milady/Anne/Constance lady awesomeness

[(Anonymous)]

I wonder what Anne was able to offer Milady that was enough to buy her loyalty. Really enjoying this :)

Re: Milady/Anne/Constance lady awesomeness

[(Anonymous)]

Just a teaser -- I'm hoping to do this prompt justice with more, but it bit me hard and I blorted out a beginning and I figured I'd post to see if it suited what OP had in mind. This was literally a ten-minute braindump.
I've also never tried to write for this series from anyone but Milady or Athos' POV so Constance is a challenge.

“Do you promise not to be angry with me?” Anne had asked, and though Constance had seen the iron that could be her Queen’s spine, she still trusted her friend, and so she’d said yes.

But she’d never imagined this.

Across the queen’s apartments, leaning back against one of the shuttered, the dark-haired woman gives a too-familiar insouciant smile. “So. We meet again, Madame Bonacieux. What a pleasant surprise.”

Anne cuts in before Constance can say anything, laying a hand on her arm. “Milady de Winter,” she says, and her voice is firm, one that makes it clear she will brook no arguments, “understand this: Madame Bonacieux is my dearest friend, and should anything happen to her, I would look most askance on it.” When the other woman inclines her head just the slightest bit, with what Constance thinks might be grudging respect, she continues, “I trust her more than I trust any other; there will be times the two of you will need to work together. I cannot have my good and and my eyes and ears fighting each other.”

And oh, suddenly it all makes sense, and Constance sits down. Hard. She shouldn’t, with the Queen still standing, but they’re in Anne’s private apartment with the door closed and in here they are friends, and Anne has never stood on ceremony when the door is closed. “You think you can trust her?”

Milady’s smile turns bitter. “Her Majesty has given me reason enough not to betray her, Madame,” she says. Something in the words makes Constance wonder what Anne has offered her to ensure that -- what she knows that Constance doesn’t.

“So,” Anne says, sinking into the chair next to Constance, reaching out to take her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. “Shall we begin, then?”

Re: Milady/Anne/Constance lady awesomeness

[(Anonymous)]

Oh this is super exciting! I love politically savvy Anne and the mutual respect and protectiveness.

Re: Milady/Anne/Constance lady awesomeness

[kyele]

Love it! Protective!Anne! Constance may be surprised now, but once she gets over it I have a feeling she'll love having finally found people to be around who are moving at the same speed she is. I imagine she's spent a lot of time holding herself back and now she won't have to. ::happy sigh::