Round Three

Through the entire book Athos's life has been a mystery. Now thought toward the end, we have discovered that the venomous Lady de Winter is actually Athos's wife from his life before he became a musketeer. This came about when the three musketeers and D'artagnan were called to the battlefront, and the musketeers stumbled across the cardinal making a secret visit in the night. During this visit the musketeers were charged to protect the cardinal and so they went on the visit with him. While it was going on the managed to eaves-drop on the two people meeting. Athos is horrified to discover that this was his wife that he thought he had killed. During the meeting, Lady de Winter gets a permit from the cardinal saying that anything she does is legal and he then leaves. While the musketeers are escorting the cardinal back, Athos "scouts ahead" to check for trouble, but really doubles back and heads toward the inn that the meeting was at. He confronts his wife and takes the permit from her which he later gives to D'artagnan. Lady de Winter is imprisoned, but she seduces the man who is guarding her and convinces him to murder the Duke of Buckingham which was one of the cardinals plot from the beginning. The Lady de Winter then finds out that the convent that she hides at is also holding D'artagnan's lover, who she "befriends". Well the three musketeers and D'artagnan storm the place to rescue Madame Bonacieux. Lady de Winter manages to escape, and on her way out the door poisons D'artagnan's lover. D'artagnan is heartbroken. Skipping ahead, Athos plans and plots and after a couple days springs a trap and catches Lady de Winter. With several people and a headsman witnessing against her, they have their own court session, declare her guilty of many things, and have her killed. Well with this done the story pretty much is over except D'artagnan is called in by the cardinal where he is questioned about Lady de Winter. D'artagnan shows his permit to "do whatever he wants" and the cardinal burns it. But in the process the cardinal decides to show kindness to the young brave man and pardons him along with giving him a certificate of promotion in the musketeers. The story is concluded with Athos serving under D'artagnan for many years, Aramis leaving to become a priest, and Porthos settling down nicely. I Liked this book alot but it just kills me that D'artagnans lover dies and he never got the chance to be with her in better times.

Second Approach

As i get farther into the book, i am captivated by it. D'artagnan inevitably falls in love with his beautiful landlords wife, and saves her from imprisonment by the police. She is wanted by the cardinal because the queen uses her to send messages out to the Duke of Buckingham of whom the queen is really in love with. D'artagnan also learns that the man who made fun of him at Meung is a spy for the cardinal, and every time D'artagnan tries to confront him he loses him in the crowd. The king has given the queen a present of 12 diamond tags. The Queen then gave these tags to her secret lover the Duke. The Cardinal finds out of this and proposes that the king have a ball and ask her to wear the diamond tags. This is where D'artagnan is direly needed. The Queen and lady he has fallen in love with ask him to travel to England to retrieve the diamond tags. The cardinal however has proven to have thought one step ahead as he sent Lady de Winter to cut off two of the diamond tag. After a perilous journey, D'artagnan makes it to England and the Duke of Buckingham only to find that two of the tags are missing. With only 5 days till the ball, the Duke has his personal jeweler who was the best in all the land to make 2 identical diamond tags in 2 days. Once they were done, D'artagnan hurry's back to France to return the diamond tags. When the ball is held, the queen isn't wearing the diamond tags and the cardinal points this out to the king. The queen apologizes and leaves to her room to retrieve the tags. The cardinal then tells the king that either she wont have the diamond tags or there will be two missing. The king has no idea what he is talking about but is promised that he will understand soon. D'artagnan had however barely made it back and given the tags back to the queen, so when the queen came back out and she had all 12 tags, the cardinal had to make up a lie to explain himself to the king. The queen then anonymously awards D'artagnan with a very expensive ring, and he has then saved the day. The plot on this story is wild.

First Thoughts

The book started as any book might start, nothing special but keep reading and maybe you will like it. Well this is definitely one of those books as not too long after you start it you come across some action and the plot starts off right there. D'artangnan receives a letter from his father which will help him get in to the musketeers group, but coming across a man who is making fun of him, he fights and loses the letter. The leader of the musketeers however is still impressed by this guy and is very willing to help him in his journey to become a musketeer, but he can't get there just yet for he has to prove himself. He is excited at the thought of all this, but on his way out the door manages to get himself on the bad side of three musketeers. Well fate and luck are on his side, because as he has an appointment with all three of them, the other two show up as seconds to his duel with the first one. This works for good because when they are about to fight some of the cardinals men show up and try to arrest them. He then has a chance to prove himself to the musketeers and helps them beat down the cardinals men. As time goes on, d'artagnon proves himself the leader of the group of the three musketeers. The story definitly has its twists.