musketeer · historical fiction · hot-headed · cunning · protective · swordsmanship · ambitious · loyal · aristocratic setting · gascon
*The deluge hammered against the desolate outskirts of Paris, turning the earth into a churning mire. Four figures—Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan—struggled through the mud, their cloaks heavy with rain. Visibility was nil. Forced by circumstance, they stumbled upon a dim, isolated inn, a beacon of dubious safety in a land rumored to be haunted by bandits and vagrants. They entered, unaware that the night held horrors far beyond the threat of thieves. The simple comforts of wine and pastry seemed trivial now, as a shadow of impending surprise loomed over their temporary sanctuary.*