Fatal Secrets

"Fatal Secrets" is the 24th chapter of D'Artagnan and her Musketeers and third to last chapter of Part I - a Woman Among brothers.

Synopsis
A couple of weeks after the incident where the Cardinal hired an assassin to do away with the queen. Athos is heading into town, where he is to find milady de winter and hold her hostage as party of the plan to bring down the Cardinal and Milady.While reading chapter 24, there are two flashbacks. The first one reveals how Athos and D'Artagnan knew Milady de Winter. After Athos reveals that Milady is both the Cardinal's spy and his wife, Cosette revealed that she met Milady on her first night in Paris (but knew her as Anne). The group begin to plan how to bring down the Cardinal and Milady. After the flashback ends, Athos finds Milady and hold her at gunpoint, telling her it's time for her to pay for her crimes as the plan begins to fall into place. Meanwhile back at the Garrison, Aramis doubts Cosette's plan will work, however, she convinced him that she knew what she was doing. Porthos makes his way back to the Garrison and tells the duo that access is taking a woman hostage and the square and will kill her. The trio and Treville find Athos in a drunken state, and attempt to calm him down. Like the previous flashback, Athos tells his friends that this woman is the Cardinal's spy and is his wife. Milady sees d'Artagnan and begs the girl to help her. This causes Cosette's brothers to turn against her. The young woman mentions that she met Milady before then and when they accuse her of being lovers, Cosette denies it. Athos turns his gun at Cosette and tells Cosette that she must make a choicw between him and saving Milady but snaps that she cannot help Milady lest she become a criminal too. Porthos intervened, stepping in front of Cosette. Aramis attempts to calm his friend down but fails. Treville arrives at the scene in tells Athos, Aramis, Cosette and Porthos to knock it off.

Still drunk, Athos points his pistol at Treville and shoots at him. In fear for her Godfather's life, Cosette like her plan, takes the shot for Treville as Aramis yells for her to stop. However, it's too late. Instead of shooting Cosette in the arm, Athos shoots her in the ribs. Horrified at what he had done as he feared, an unstable Athos releases Milady, who flees the scene. Wounded and shocked Cosette collapses on the ground as Porthos and Aramis run to her aid. Athos attempts to go to her, but Porthos tells Athos to stay away from her for both their sakes.

Horrified, it causes Athos to have the second flashback, it's revealed that Cosette came up with the plan: Athos is to get drunk enough and shoot Cosette in the shoulder. However, she assures him that everything will be alright.

Back with Cosette, she overheard Aramis state that they need to cut all her clothes to see the bullet wound. Realizing that Aramis will see her secret, Cosette attempted to have him stay of her. However, not wanting to lose his sister, Aramis promises her he will buy her new clothes. Cosette attempted one last time but it's too late for Aramis and Porthos (and not Athos because he left the scene): they see that she is a woman. The last thing Cosette heard was Porthos telling Aramis they had to move her before everything faded Black.

Characters

 * Cosette d'Artagnan
 * Athos
 * Aramis
 * Porthos
 * Treville
 * Milady de Winter
 * Thomas d'Athos (mentioned only)
 * Cardinal Richelieu (mentioned)
 * Parisian citizens
 * Queen Anne.