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More Introductions

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Having never entered a French tavern before, Odette tucked her cloak tightly about her person. She wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Once inside, she found the place to be rather dark; but filled with jolly, drunk men. Of all the places to take a woman, this had to be the worst. What kind of person would think to do such a thing? Oh, that's right. Athos of the King's Musketeers. She wondered what her uncle would have to say about this.

Keeping her head held high, Odette looked about the tavern until she spotted Athos seated at a table with another man, whose back was turned to her. It took Athos a moment to recognize her as she stood there with her arms folded across her chest and her eyebrows raised. She couldn't help but slightly smirk at his disappointed expression. It was obvious that he had expected her to stay with her things in the cart and not come trodding behind him into a tavern.

Athos said something to the man who was seated beside him. The man looked over his shoulder at her. Odette offered him a forced smile before Athos reluctantly waved her over to their table. She walked over to the table and slid onto the bench across the table from Athos.

"Surprised to see me, aye?" Odette asked him.

His lips seemed to move, but they never seemed to fully form an expression. "Are you thirsty, Mademoiselle?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Now ye offer me refreshments? Not before I thought we were to depart for Paris after a long trip across the sea, but now? How very thoughtful of ye. I'm sure ye make many-a women downright giddy with your thoughtfulness."

He seemed to glare at her. It was obvious that Athos was holding back from some sort of snarky retort.

The man between them chuckled and then grinned at Athos. "Oh, I like her. She's got fire to match that glint in that hair of hers." He folded his arms across his chest, still chuckling and emitting a deep rumble from his chest.

Odette wasn't amused. She had heard similar statements often enough that she no longer took them to heart. Her hair had darkened significantly since she was a child, but the auburn hue was still there. She then turned to the man that had made mention of her hair. "And who might ye be? A drinking partner?"

He laughed. "If the occasion calls for it."

She arched an eyebrow at the man across the table from her, accusing him of lying to her and stopping for a drink. Athos seemed to grumble under his breath before he shook his head and looked at her. "This numbskull is Porthos. He's also of the King's Musketeers, here on a bit of Musketeer business."

The man called Porthos showed her his fleur de lis. Odette nodded her head in understanding. He then smiled. "Athos tells me that you're the captain's niece."

"I do happen to have a name. It's Odette."

Porthos smiled and nodded his head. "Pleased to meet you, Odette."

"Likewise." She then glanced at Athos before looking once more at Porthos. "Why didn't my uncle send you to fetch me and not him." Odette pointed to Athos, who seemed rather pleased with himself.

"You'll have to ask him, Mademoiselle." His tone sounded weary. Perhaps she'd have him quite wary of her by the time they reached Paris and she'd have one less man to worry about chasing after her. Not that she had even bothered to ask about his marital status. It didn't really matter. Best to keep this man an arm's length away at all times. Although, she wasn't sure what it was about him that sent her reeling.

"Oh, believe me, I will," Odette responded, leaning forward resting her arms on the table. Athos rolled his eyes in annoyance, but Odette was not to be distracted. "Now will one of ye please tell me what sort of Musketeer business it is that has delayed my trip to Paris?"

"One, Emile Bonnaire," Porthos was the first to respond, leaning in a little closer and talking in a hushed tone. "Fellow is to be taken into protective custody and be taken to Paris for an appearance before the King."

She had to confess herself curious. Especially after being dragged here so unceremoniously and without her permission. Not to mention a rather dull trip across the sea.  She couldn't contain her interest. "What for?"

Porthos shrugged. "Something about establishing a colony in the name of France but France isn't supposed to do that." Athos gave Porthos a pointed look like he shouldn't have told her that. Porthos coughed. "Or so I've heard. Might be nothing but gossip though. Just word around Paris. You likely know how it is."

"Mhmm. Thank you," Odette told Porthos with a smile. At least he seemed to be upfront with her. Unlike him. She then turned to Athos. "My uncle's letter made no mention of ye having other orders other than escorting me to Paris. Do you truly think it wise to escort his niece to Paris with a prisoner?"

Athos's mouth twitched. "My men need me. And he's not yet a prisoner, Mademoiselle. He is being taken into protective custody."

Odette arched an eyebrow. "Does he know this?"

"Not yet," Porthos chuckled. "But by the looks of our company here, he'll be glad it's us and not some of these other men."

Odette turned to get up, but Athos reached out and grabbed her arm. "Stop that. You'll give us away. We don't want anyone else to know we're here," he hissed.

She removed her arm from his grasp. "Then ye should have made that more clear," Odette hissed back. "Besides, I do believe we've already been spotted." Making eye contact with Athos, Odette motioned her head toward a table with two men.

Athos rolled his eyes. "They're my own men," he groaned, raking his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Then maybe ye should tell them to stop being so obvious? They've already looked this way half-a-dozen times since I sat down. But no, you only feel the need to chastise me? Is it because I'm a woman? I was simply going to get some ale seeing as I am quite thirsty and ye have yet to formally offer me something to drink."

"I asked if you were thirsty," Athos responded incredulously.

"Most gentlemen, of which ye claim to be one, would bring a lady a drink. Especially when knowing said lady likely had a long and arduous journey. And perhaps a bit of food. Yet I see nothing presented before me, man of honour." The last bit she said with every bit of venom she could muster in her voice as she motioned to the empty table before her.

Athos opened his mouth to respond when a man entered the tavern and announced, "Drinks for the whole house!"

As the people in the tavern cheered and laughed, Athos's sullen demeanour returned. He seemed to have completely forgotten arguing with Odette. Out of the corner of her eye, Odette watched the man begin to flirt with a woman.

"Is that him?" she asked.

"I believe so," Athos told her. "Act as naturally as possible."

Odette rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child. I know how to be discreet. More so than your men at that table over there, I might add. If anyone is going to give away your position, it's them. Especially the younger one. He looks rather green."

She was surprised when Athos didn't disagree with her.

"Well, it will look suspicious if we don't take him up on his offer of a drink, no?"

Odette moved to stand when Athos reached once more for her. "Sit back down," he told her. "There are armed men in here and I'd rather not have to explain to the captain why his niece was shot."

After a small groan, she sat back down and folded her arms across her chest. "Then ye shouldn't have brought me to a tavern, man of honour."

Athos pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I thought you'd stay in the cart," he muttered.

"Well, I didn't."

That caused Athos to roll his eyes.

Porthos leaned back in his chair and laughed. He had never seen Athos quite like this. He couldn't quite describe what he was seeing, but the captain's niece certainly seemed to be able to verbally hold her own when sparring with Athos. She didn't hold back her opinions like most women he knew and Athos didn't seem to know how to handle her.

After a moment, Athos cleared his throat, catching Porthos's attention. "One at the door, one at the table," Athos said, speaking in a low tone - back to the Musketeer business at hand.

Porthos was able to glance at the two men without drawing suspicion. He gave Athos a slight nod of his head, agreeing with him. "One behind us," Porthos added. Athos nodded.

Still, with her arms crossed, Odette asked, "What about the two men at the corner near the counter and the angry woman hiding at the table near the door playing with the blade? Back slightly turned. Hm?"

Athos and Porthos exchanged looks of surprise. It was obvious that neither man had spotted what Odette had. Odette scoffed slightly to herself, leaning against the bench on which she sat.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me ye didn't see them," Odette groaned. "I mean, of course, ye spotted the man with chains. Who brings chains into a tavern? Unless it's some French tradition I've never heard of. But ye should have caught the woman dressed in all black with the blade. She's the second most obvious one here. Besides the chains man, of course. I think anyone could have spotted the chains man, to be fair. Even your green one."

Just then, two more men entered the establishment. "And who's this?" Athos asked, eyeing the men carefully and completely ignoring Odette's observations.

Odette huffed in frustration. She felt completely useless and she knew that she wasn't. Why she had been born a woman in a man's world was beyond her. She was capable of far more than sitting at some man's home and looking pretty. She was just as capable of being helpful, but because she was a woman no one paid her any heed. It was completely frustrating.

"Our man is certainly popular," Porthos chuckled.

"Or incredibly stupid," Odette muttered making eye contact with Athos. "As most men seem prone."

Athos's jaw moved slightly. It was obvious that her comment was directed at him. He was trying very hard to not let Odette rile him up. The woman was beyond frustrating. But he couldn't let her distract him now when they had their target in sight.

"Emile!" a feminine voice shouted.

The woman who had been playing with the blade had sheathed it and now stood at her full height blocking the man's exit. The man's eyes were wide with fear and he looked like he had messed himself.

"Told ye," Odette told the two Musketeers seated with her in a sing-song voice, with a tone of complete satisfaction. "But no. Why bother listening to the woman? Hm?"

Athos had had enough of Odette and her attitude. He smacked his hands down on the table. "Then pray tell, who is the woman? Prostitute? Scorned lover? Sister? Business partner?"

Odette arched an eyebrow as the woman threatened to kill their target, unsheathing her blade.

"You can't tell, can you?" Athos hissed.

With her arms folded across her chest, Odette responded, "Wife."

Porthos's brow furrowed. "Wife?"

Odette nodded her head. "Whatever his name is, wouldn't have responded like he did if she was just some woman that meant nothing. Clearly, she means something and the woman is beyond angry, especially with him flirting with that woman, who clearly has very low standards. So, yes. Wife."

As much as Athos hated to admit it, her logic made sense to him. But why did she have to be so frustrating about it? She had to be one of the most infuriating women he had ever met. But he said no more on the matter because the woman in black drew their attention.

With her blade, the woman in black sliced the feather Bonnaire had given the other woman in two. The two women seemed to go round and round. The other woman was able to dodge the woman in black's attacks until she was pinned down on a tabletop.

That was when things seemed to escalate. The man near the counter was approaching the situation when the man behind Porthos fired his gun from beneath the table. His shot hit the approaching man in the knee, causing him to fall to the ground. The woman in black twirled around with her blade ready to attack the man.

"Is this when ye do something?" Odette asked sweetly, looking at Athos.

"Contrary to what you might think, I know how to do my job," Athos hissed. "If I let the others beat on each other, that takes care of them. Then we will be able to get to Bonnaire unharmed, not that I have to explain my job to you."

Just as Athos had predicted, another one of the men headed toward Bonnaire, but the chain man tripped him. Two men began brawling in the corner. Chain man stood up. Porthos stretched before he stood up and slammed the chain man into a post, knocking him unconscious to the floor. Porthos chuckled and rubbed his hands together. The two Musketeers at the other table stood up and surrounded the woman in black and Bonnaire.

Athos's expression to Odette read volumes. See? It told her.

Odette simply shrugged. He might have been right on that count, but she had been right earlier. They were even as she saw it. Athos shook his head and stood up.

"Now, for once, please listen to what I tell you. Stay here until I have things under control. I would like to bring you back to Paris unharmed."

Odette scowled and muttered, "Says the man of honour who brought me into a tavern."

"For the love of god, will you do as I say?" Athos asked, his tone revealing his frustration.

"Never said I wouldn't." Odette looked up at him, forcing a sweet smile on her face.

"Do I have your word?"

After a small sigh, Odette said, "If I must."

Athos knew that was as good as he was going to get at the moment. So, he and Porthos walked toward Bonnaire and the woman in black as one of the other Musketeers unarmed the woman and pushed her toward the younger, rather green, Musketeer. The woman in black then bit the young man holding onto her.

Odette chuckled. The woman in black knew how to fight dirty and she admired that in a woman. She thought that all women should know how to be able to protect themselves from any unwanted advances from a man, but most women were content to let their men protect them and forewent learning how to defend themselves.

From her spot at the table, Odette watched as the four men surrounded Bonnaire, who had jumped down from a table and gently pushed the woman in black, out of the way. Bonnaire thanked the Musketeers for their service and said they could go on their way. Athos told Bonnaire that they were there to arrest him and bring him to Paris to appear before the king.

The woman in black then introduced herself as Maria Bonnaire and Bonnaire told the Musketeers that Maria was his wife.

Odette couldn't help herself. "I told ye!" she said loud enough from the bench for them to hear.

Athos looked over at her with a sour expression on his face. Odette simply forced a telling smile on her face. Porthos chuckled. She then stood up from her spot at the table and walked toward the group. "Things appear to be under control, do they not?"

Athos groaned and muttered something under his breath about the most annoying woman he'd ever had the displeasure of meeting.

One of the men Odette hadn't yet had the pleasure of meeting chuckled. "Athos, who might this charming woman be?" he asked. Odette found the man to look awfully handsome, but she could already spot his type. He likely did well with the ladies, but he certainly would not with this one.

"No need for him to make an introduction that I'm perfectly capable of making myself," Odette said, stepping in front of the man. "The name is Odette Treville." She made sure to tell him her family name to dash any hopes he might have already had.

The man arched an eyebrow. She could already see any hopes dashing within him. "Treville as in. . ."

"Your captain's niece, yes. That same Treville." Odette smiled sweetly.

The man looked at Athos, who curtly nodded his head, verifying her tale to be true. The man then bowed toward Odette. "I'm Aramis of the King's Musketeers. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Odette nodded her head. She then looked to the last man she hadn't been introduced to yet. She folded her arms across her chest. "And you are?"

"D'Artangan, mademoiselle." He gave a slight nod of his head.

Odette arched an eyebrow. "Are ye ashamed of your Musketeer title?"

"I have not yet been commissioned." His tone seemed rather annoyed.

Odette then cast a glance toward Athos. "That certainly explains things, hm?"

Athos's jaw moved slightly, but he said nothing. Again, he was trying not to let her get such a reaction out of him. But Odette had noticed the slight jaw movement and was satisfied with the reaction. Porthos chuckled. He seemed harmless enough and seemed to find her antics amusing. Odette hoped that perhaps they could be friends. She was going to need them while living in Paris.

"While you lot take care of whatever this is," Odette motioned to the party of men. "I'm parched and will be partaking in that drink I'm owed now." She then turned to Bonnaire. "You're still buying, correct?" She held an outstretched hand out toward him.

Bonnaire smiled sheepishly and chuckled.

"Give the lady money for a drink," Athos said, nudging Bonnaire. Bonnaire dug in his coin purse and pulled out some coins. He placed them in Odette's outstretched hand.

Athos then nudged him again. "And bit more for a bite to eat. I'll not have her complaining the entire ride back to Paris."

Bonnaire grudgingly placed a few more coins in her hand. Odette smiled and thanked Bonnaire, purposely not even bothering to acknowledge Athos's contribution. She then walked away to finally get a bite of food and something to wash it down with before she finally began her journey to Paris.

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Author's Note: We certainly have a feisty woman here and Athos has no idea what to do with her! Poor guy! Hahaha. Thanks to everyone who has taken a chance on this story and HUGE thanks to misshiraeth98 - our headcanons with our girls give me life! Those poor Musketeers don't stand a chance! Haha.

To my lovely reviewers/commenters, y'all are a HUGE part of what keeps me going! Thank you!