Four Years Later
On the field of battle, Spanish and French forces meet. Athos goes down and the Spanish forces charge forward to fight them. Porthos and D’Artagnan charge forward with dozens of other French forces, but the Spanish prove too much and they’re forced to retreat and take cover from cannon fire. Athos’ comrades point out that they have nothing left to throw at them, and Athos tells them to hold their position.
Athos grabs a passing horse and rides up to his commanding officer, General Lantier. When Lantier orders him to return to his men, Athos says that they’re being butchered as Lantier sends swords against cannon. Lantier says that the supply wagon didn’t arrive and they will have to advance without artillery support, and tells Athos to die for the King. He threatens to court-martial Athos unless she obeys, and Athos rides back. Lantier goes to his tent and drinks, and Lucien Grimaud emerges from the shadows. The general stares at him in shock, and says that he’ll have his money for him as soon as he can. Lucien promises that he can find Lantier anywhere, takes out a cleaver, and cuts off his hand.
Athos returns to his comrades and says that they need to take out the enemy clan. D’Artagnan immediately charges into battle and the French advance once more. Athos and Porthos follow them and the French hit the enemy line. The Musketeers fight their way to the cannon and Porthos tries to shoot the powder. A Spanish soldier tackles him and the two men struggle for the musket. Porthos finally manages to shoot the powder and the cannon blow sup.
After the battle, the French secure the field. Children watch from nearby. Their leader, Luc, spars with a stick with a girl, Marie. Aramis arrives, wearing a monk’s robe, and reminds them that he told them not to go near the war. When Luc points out the fleur-de-lis that he’s wearing and says that he’s a Musketeer, Aramis tells him that he’s taking it off. Luc says that he could never understand and goes back.
Lucien walks among the slaughtered and finds one dying soldier. He takes the ring off the dying man’s finger. Athos sees him and the two lock eyes across the battlefield. Lucien disappears into the mist, and Athos tells Porthos that he saw someone. D’Ar4tagnan wishes that he was back in Paris.
In Paris, the Red Guards are fighting and the Marquis De Feron, Governor of Paris, watches them. Feron tells one fighter, Captain Marcheaux, to finish the other, Cadet Clairmont, but Minister Treville stops the winning fighter and offers to send him to the front if he wants to fight so badly. As Constance tends to Clairmont’s wounds, Feron dismisses it as innocent amusement. He tells Clairmont to hide behind Constance, and insists that Paris needs a strong hand to prevent insurrection. Rather than push the issue, Treville leaves with Constance and Clairmont.
The Musketeers go to see Lantier and ask why they didn’t get the support he promised. The Chief Adjutant is there going through the maps, and he says that he doesn’t know. Marcheaux says that Lantier rode off but not of his own volition. D’Artagnan finds Lantier’s severed hand on the table, and Athos says to get the horses.
A supply train is heading for the front and Luc and the others see it. Luc runs over to watch, as Lantier rides up to the supply train. The sergeant in charge says that they lost an axle on the road, delaying them, and wonders why Lantier is there and notices his missing hand, and a group of mercenaries open fire and gun down the soldiers. The brigands see Luc and aim their guns, and Aramis runs over and tries to take Luc back. Aramis insists that the children see nothing, and the lead mercenary finally lets them go. Lucien runs up and Lantier says that he’s done what he wanted. He tells Lucien to take what he wants, but Lucien figures that the monastery is nearby. He tells his men that they’ll store the gunpowder there until he can contact his Spanish buyers on the border.
Back at the monastery, Aramis tells the Abbot that they should leave the monastery immediately for the sake of the children. The Abbot insists that God will watch over them, and points out that Aramis is speaking as a soldier again. He says that Aramis’ soul is as restless and confused as it was when he arrived, and warns that he may never find what he’s looking for in a life of contemplation. The Abbot says that they will welcome any who come and tells Aramis to tend to his charges.
Lucien and his men arrive at the monastery and the Abbot goes to greet them. Lucien claims that they were attacked on the roads, and the Abbot lets them in. Once they bring the supply train inside, the Abbot notices that none of them are wounded. The mercenaries draw their guns and Lucien stabs the Abbot in the back when he tries to reopen the gates. Aramis watches from the shadows and holds Luc back. When Luc tries to charge forward, Aramis orders him back inside. Meanwhile, Lucien tells his men to kill any monks that resists and to bring Lantier to him.
Aramis gathers the children and has them hide, and puts on his old Musketeer uniform.
In the great hall, Lucien tells Lantier that his favorite part of the battle is the end when everyone dead. He wonders if Lantier is spoils or one of the dead, and Lantier refuses to beg for his life. He dismisses Lucien as Paris street trash, and Lucien grabs the stump of Lantier’s hand. As Lantier screams, Aramis hears it and takes the children to the cellar to hide. Luc hangs behind and is forced to hide as the mercenaries search for more monks.
Athos, Porthos, and D’Artagnan arrive at the ambush and realize that someone slaughtered the soldiers. The monastery bells ring and the Musketeers ride on.
At the monastery, Luc rings the bell. When the mercenaries investigate, Luc runs and hides. He leaves through the sewer tunnels and run through the forest.
The mercenaries search the cellar, but Aramis has hidden the children too well.
Luc finds the Musketeers in the freest and tells them what happened. He agrees to take them to the monastery, and Athos says that they will investigate because they’re Musketeers.
The mercenary tells Lucien what happened, and Lucien puts men on the walls to make sure that no one else escapes. He then rides out to meet the Spanish buyers.
Luc leads the Musketeers to the cellars. Aramis mistakes them for mercenaries and tries to run, but they soon catch him and recognize their former comrade. They embrace and Luc is surprised to realize that they are the heroes from Aramis’ stories. Aramis calls the children out to meet his friends, and explains that they have to get them to safety.
At Versailles, Louis leads the Dauphin around the garden on a horse. Anne watches and wonders which Louis is the child. Feron is with her and apologizes for his poor health due to Bourbon’s spine. Anne assures him that his birth to Louis’ father and a lady in waiting never bothered Louis, and that Louis is fond of Feron.
The Musketeers find the supply train and realize what happened with their gunpowder. Lucien rides out with it and Athos recognizes him from the battlefield. He tells Porthos that they’ll wait until dark and then get the children out. Back in the cellar, Porthos reminds Aramis that it was Aramis’ choice that they were apart. Aramis insists that he couldn’t go to war with his friend, and Porthos reminds him of their vow: “one for all.” He says that they learned to live without Aramis and walks away.
Constance summons Treville. She’s with the cadets, and tells Treville that he’ll need his old Musketeer’s uniform.
Once night falls, the Musketeers prepare to take the children out. D’Artagnan goes first and sees mercenaries nearby. Once they look away, he signals the others and Aramis sends the children out one at a time.
Constance, Treville, and Clairmont go to the old bath house where they drink and gamble. Treville objects to the plan, but Constance insists that for one night he can be a Musketeer again and show the Red Guards that they’re not to be humiliated.
The monks prey, and after the mercenaries pass on, Aramis takes them to the tunnel. Once they pass on, Aramis asks if they6’ll follow him, and the Musketeers say that they can’t let the gunpowder frill into the wrong hands. The former Musketeer reluctantly leaves.
At the bath house, Marcheaux is bathing and drinking. Constance locks the doors after removing the Red Guard’s clothing, and sets the pile on fire. The men soon notice the smoke and try to get out, and Clairmont calls the naked men to the window. They run out and the townspeople are gathered outside, laughing. Meanwhile, inside a door opens and Treville confronts Marcheaux. He tells Marcheaux to pick on someone his own size and then punches him unconscious.
Aramis leads the monks and children to the mountains, and Luc wonders why he didn’t say that he was a Musketeer. Aramis says that he renounced that life.
A mercenary checks the chapel and discovers that the robed monks have been replaced with dummies. He notifies the others, and they prepare to ride out.
Marcheaux tells Feron what happened. The captain wonders why Treville put Constance in charge of the garrison mess, and warns that she has the cunning of the devil. Disgusted, Feron points out that Marcheaux let Constance turn the Red Guard into a laughing stock and warns that it can’t happen again.
Aramis takes his charges to a bridge and has the monks and children hide. He tells Luc to protect them and then heads back. After a moment, Luc grabs a staff and goes back. Meanwhile, Aramis attacks the mercenaries following them, disarms two, and uses the sword to attack the third. Two more mercenaries find the bridge and Luc tries to fight them off.
A fourth mercenary attacks Aramis and he kills them. A mercenary grabs Marie and Aramis goes to fight him and his comrade at the bridge. He kills them both and the head mercenary takes Luc hostage. He stabs Luc in the chest, killing him, and Aramis shoots him dead. Aramis runs to Luc, and realizes that the boy’s pouch protected him from the death blow. The boy says that he’s not sure he wants to be a soldier anymore.
Lucien arrives with the Spanish buyer at the monastery, and the mercenaries open the gates. Athos, Porthos, and D’Artagnan step out and open fire, and Aramis walks in through the gate. As he shoots down the mercenaries, the Musketeers fight the remaining mercenaries hand-to-hand. The driver tries to ride off with the supply train, and Porthos leaps on the back. Aramis mounts the train’s horse while Porthos fights the driver. The Musketeer throws the driver off the side and tells Aramis that the Spanish can’t get the gunpowder. Aramis throws a barrel behind them and shoots it, and the explosion drives the Spaniards back.
The train reaches the bridge and Aramis takes the train on ahead. Porthos lights a bomb and then pushes the wagon over the bridge. It crashes in the ravine below, and Aramis fires at the Spaniards, Meanwhile, Porthos tosses the bomb into the train and runs with Aramis, and the remaining gunpowder explodes. As they recover from the blast, Porthos asks Aramis if he enjoyed the adventure and they both laugh. Lucien watches them from a distance and then rides off.
Later at the monastery, the brothers and Luc wait for the Musketeers at the gate. Luc thanks them for what they’ve done, and Marie hugs Porthos. He tells her to be good and look after the monks, and D’Artagnan asks if they’ll need three or four horses.
In the chapel, Aramis prays to God and says that he’s a Musketeer and was closer to God during the excitement and anger. Athos comes in and says that his friend is no monk, and Aramis says that he can’t argue with God.
Feron lies moaning in pain from his affliction, and Lucien arrives. He says that interfering Musketeers interfered in their plans, and helps Feron drink a glass of wine laced with painkiller. Feron moans that he can’t live with the pain, and Lucien tells him to let the medicine work. The marquis says that Lucien can never leave him again, and Lucien assures him that he has everything he needs in Paris.
Treville is in his office when Athos and Porthos come in. Aramis is with them, and Treville greets him as well. They explain that D’Artagnan had important business at the garrison, and Treville takes them to Feron’s office. Treville introduces the Musketeers, and Feron dismisses them as less than impressive in the flesh. The Minister of War explains that they’ll be stationed in Paris, and Feron figures that perhaps it’s for the best. He tells the Musketeers that Paris is his city now, and they cross him at their peril.
Written by Gadfly on May 1, 2016