"Make sure you are not seen! All you need to do is find the plans and then get back on the ship. Is that understood?"
Arabella turned to Milady De Winter and nodded.
"And if someone should see me?" She asked.
Milady sighed and crossed her arms.
"Don't be silly. You know what to do in a situation such as that. Don't be careless and don't get hurt. Your brother would not be happy about that. " She said.
"No, he wouldn't be." Arabella sighed.
Arabella was Buckingham's younger sister and had been forced to help him with his diabolical schemes. If she refused, she would be punished by whatever Buckingham felt was the right punishment for her actions. She desperately wanted a way out. She was now helping him take over the thrown, along with Milady De Winter, who she secretly despised. Milady, Arabella thought, was one of the worst people who had ever lived, worse that her own brother. Arabella knew, as well, that Milady had once been married to the Musketeer, Athos. Arabella never had met or seen any of the Musketeers. She only heard Buckingham speaking terribly about them. She had also heard him telling Milady that the Musketeers would be here, tonight.
"Here", would be in an abandoned monastery, built in the Middle Ages. Buckingham had once found the place abandoned and somewhat in ruins, but when he decided to explore it, he found catacombs. Since the monastery was a fairly large building, he used it to his advantage and hid his plans in secret places, in the monastery, itself, and in the catacombs. He knew no one would ever look there, and he was right. Now, a few years later, he needed those plans back and who better to find them for him? His sister. He would find them on his own but he didn't want to risk anything. So, instead, he gave Arabella instructions on where to find the plans while he and Milady looked for the plans else where in the monastery.
"Do I really have to go into the catacombs?" Arabella whined.
"Of course. It's an order from your brother. Now, I must go to him. Don't fail us." Milady said, eyeing her coldly.
"I wouldn't dream of it." Arabella said.
Milady smirked and left to find Buckingham, leaving Arabella, by herself, in front of the entrance to the catacombs.
"Make sure you are not seen. All you need to do is find the plans and find us." Athos said to D'Artagnan, the youngest of the Musketeers.
D'Artagnan nodded. "And if someone sees me?"
"You fight back, of course." Porthos said.
"Yes. Athos, Porthos and I will be in other parts of the monastery, searching for any other hidden plans." Aramis explained.
D'Artagnan nodded.
"Alright." He said as he turned to leave.
"Boy!" Athos called out to him.
D'Artagnan playfully rolled his eyes and turned around.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Good luck to you." Athos smiled.
D'Artagnan returned the smile and nodded.
"And good luck to you." He replied, turning back around and was on his way to find Buckingham's hidden plans.
D'Artagnan had been a Musketeer for less then a year now, and was enjoying it quite a lot. He loved all the non stop action packed, adventurous lifestyle. It was just what he needed. He sometimes missed his old life on the farm with his parents, but he knew that this is where they wanted him to be.
The Musketeers were a bit surprised when they found out Buckingham was still alive. They were afraid of what he would try to do next. After much thought, Athos remembered that Milady De Winter had spoken to him about hidden plans in the abandoned monastery. Tonight would be the perfect night to try to find them.
D'Artagnan listened to his steps as he walked along time dimly lighted hallway of the monastery. He felt a bit frightened but was confident that he would find the plans and return to the others safely. After a few minutes of walking, he stopped in front of a dark staircase that headed underground. It was the entrance to the catacombs.
He looked behind him to make sure no one was watching or following him. Once he knew the coast was clear, he sighed and began walking down the steps into the catacombs.
To his surprise, the torches of the catacomb's pathway had already been lit, as if someone had been in here. He was grateful for the light but the thought of someone already being in here made him feel uneasy, but that didn't stop him from trying to get the plans. Athos had told him that the plans were in a compartment, hidden in the wall, with the letter "V" engraved upon the stone.
"Okay, V… No, that's D, E, F, G, and H…" D'Artagnan mumbled to himself as he walked along the wall, examining each compartment.
Then he heard something fall. The sound came from further down the pathway. He quickly moved his hand to his side to make sure his sword was there and it was and began walking swiftly towards the noise.
Arabella let out a quiet shriek as a human skull fell out of compartment N. She too, was looking for compartment V.
She sighed and began walking towards the compartment of interest.
"Stupid brother of mine. Of course he had to choose the most eerie places to hide his plans." Arabella said quietly to herself.
While she was walking, she noticed that she heard a distant pair of footsteps. Surely, they weren't hers. Her steps would never be so heavy…or quick, at that.
Then she realized she was being followed. She turned around and saw a shadow of a person on the wall, getting closer. Her eyes widened and her heart began to beat rapidly as she began to run, trying desperately to have light steps. She had a pistol in her corset, a word of advice from Milady, and a dagger with her as well, but she never intended to use it on anyone or anything but now, she feared this would probably be the first.
The footsteps behind her were getting louder and closer, distracted by her own fear; she realized she had run past compartment V. She swiftly turned around and hid behind a pillar.
"Is anyone here?" She heard a male's voice say.
Arabella poked her head out from behind the pillar and saw someone in the dim light. He was in front of compartment V. Before he searched for the plans, he turned around to check his surroundings. Arabella quickly straightened up behind the pillar.
D'Artagnan shrugged his shoulders but still would take precautions. With one hand on his sword handle, and one in the compartment, he began looking for the plans. There was a medium sized clay jar hidden at the back of the compartment. He reached in but pulled the jar out.
"This better be it." He thought out loud.
With both hands now, he opened the jar and searched through it. Sure enough, there was a scroll in it.
"Got it." He said, smiling at his finding. His smile of victory came to an end when he heard a voice behind him.
"Don't." The voice said and a pistol was loaded behind him.