BAYKO BARON 9

 L'Hotel De Treville

Nestling amid the Baroque palaces of the newly fashionable Faubourg St Germain, L'Hotel De Treville serves as the headquarters of the King's Musketeers 

Today they are to recieve a royal visitation.

 King Louis and Queen Anne indulge the citizenry

While Cardinal Richelieu, a martyr to his heamarhoids, arrives by coach.  

The royal couple are welcomed by Monsieur De Treville and young Alice D'Artagnan, who is to be enlisted today. 

Bathos, Pathos, Chanel and Constance Bonacieux, the Queen's dressmaker and Alice's amour, lead the other musketeers and their ladies in raising a cheer.

D'Artagnan takes the oath and receives the covetted blue tabard and brass-bound matchlock from Queen Anne - he also gets permission to wear the red-heeled bucket boots - but he can get those for himself !!

Another cheer goes up - 'All for some and a few for another!' Now they are - The Several Musketeers.

 But what is this? Under the walls of the Luxembourg itself a rascally rabble of renegade, rebellious, rapscalliony, riotous rogues is assembling - it's the Huguenots!

And there is their leader, Guy Sansmenton, wayward heir of the baron (BB 7) and at his side the puritanical reverend rabble rouser Deuteronomy Clapnose - and at his side... your friend and mine, Dribble the Doberman doing his best to cool things down as ever.

The rebels burst into the yard and a desperate melee ensues as non-combatants flee and gentlemen musketeers find themselves bizarrely standing shoulder to shoulder with the Cardinal's men

The air fills with a cacophonous din - the shrieks of ladies, snarl of combatants, groans of wounded, crack of matchlocks and ring o' steel on steel. No doubt the neighbours will be complaining !!

Betrayed by doubt Cardinal Richelieu summons his minions. Milady Lateautumn must reach the Place St Roch and order his coach round to the side entrance. Meanwhile Rochefort, the cardinal's living cheese, must take some guardsmen and clear the line of escape.

 But the renegades have anticipated just such a ploy. Under the walls of the Canalavert Rochefort is forced to surrender at pistol point. The agent , unfortunately wearing royal blue today, is bundled into the coach by men who have never seen the King in the flesh. 

Mission accomplished the rebels try to retreat, scattering into the alleyways, but the Cardinal's guards are close at their heels and corner a gang of them by the Guild House arcade. This is no moment for surrender.

 King Louis takes his leave before L'Hopital, under the bust of his father Henry IV, murdered by an assassin. Two of the attackers taken alive are shown to the king.This incident is the final proof that something must be done to curb the Huguenot menace!

you can see how the story continues at Bayko Baron 10 - 'La Rochelle'

you can see an alternative photo-set at:

2484.members.page4.me

Tags: Construction , Bayko