Lovely story. I especially like the tale-within-a-tale format. Aramis is so good with kids, you’re right, and it is heartwarming to see him spend some quality time with young Louis.

What a great little tale! It was really cute and somehow emotional and furthermore you can never have enough of Aramis as Minister

This was just so beautiful and wonderful and amazing and so many other adjectives! I loved it.

That was beautiful. Without a doubt the best post series fic I've ever read and the most uplifting. It never felt right to me that they had pretty much disbanded, but that made me feel good about it. Aramis in the council was awesome and I love the familiar relationship he has with Anne and Louis.

I meant to bring this up in my last review (but the site won't let me post again under my pen name), and it slipped my mind. I had wanted to ask if Aramis' mentor, Henri is a nod to Henri d’Aramitz, who was the real life inspiration that Alexandre Dumas had used for Aramis. Just some trivia I came across and remembered when I thought about your story!

Take care.
Ms. MaraJade

First off, let me congratulate you on your baby boy! While I don’t know you, I’m a mom myself, and I’ll send along good thoughts and vibes for you that your journey with him is going along smoothly and joyfully.

I’m pretty new to this fandom, having just finished watching the entire series a couple weeks ago, and I fell into your story while looking back at old challenge pieces. I have to say that as far as a post-series story goes, you nailed the interactions I would expect from Aramis, Anne, and Louis. I thought this was a very clever snippet of their future lives together, and it was a nice pace between the present and the past, as you brought Aramis’ old stories to life.

I do have only one minor critique, but it’s not against your story or your style. It’s just that I’ve always been told that “alright” is not a word, and the correct way to write this out is “all right.” If the grammar rules have changed on this and I am wrong, I do apologize. I come from old rules and old school techniques, so I might not be up with the latest additions to the dictionary. However, if this is still true, it’s just food for thought in the future.

More importantly, though, I want to stress how brilliant your story was, and I absolutely adored it. It was nice to see Aramis in a mentor role, taking the lessons he had learned from his own mentor and applying them on his friends while giving Louis something to distract him from his injury. I loved the little parallels that Aramis’ stories gave to the questions Louis had, and I am so glad I came across this little tale. Even Anne’s interactions were spot on. She could say so little with her eyes or just a few words, and you wrote her wonderfully.

Take care.
Ms. MaraJade

This was such fun to read! Little Louis was adorable and the flashbacks were very well worked into the present story. I haven't found a lot of stories about Aramis and young Louis yet and I think you write them very well. I hope you'll write more Muskateers stories! I look forward to reading them!

Great follow-up ! The scenes between Aramis and Louis were just adorable :) On (pretty much) the same topic : a lot of good vibes for these last days...and congratulations if you read this with some delay

This was very enjoyable! I look forward to meeting Henri when your multi fic comes out! Well done and thanks for sharing this entry with us!

This was a wonderful, fresh idea and very well executed. Loved it! Hope all goes well with your baby too.

Loved this one :) Stories within stories - a great way to weave in missing pieces from both the pre- and post- series. I love the relationship (headcannon ! ) you are building with Aramis and Louis - it's beautiful and parental and yet a little distant and reserved which of course they would have to maintain. It makes me consider Treville's relationship to the musketeers in the early days, but also the connection between Treville andKing Louis - which was so fatherly as we got to the end of Louis's life. Fathers and sons - particularly absent or lost fathers - is an undercurrent of the musketeers world. Hmmm...did I just come up with a fic theme?

Also, your love for Baby Boy is shining through in this :) Wishing you both well and will not be surprised when you name him Louis . . . or Rene! :)

I love the way you write! Aramis is just right, here (they all areobdurate in Council, calm and gentle with those he loves, always self deprecating with a hint of mirth, and someone you would want to listen to for hours. Lucky Louis! and lucky us that you have so many stories to tell. Many good wishes for you and your family, waiting to meet your baby boy ... how exciting! May the sun shine on you all.

Wonderful story, and good on you for getting this done! No spare time for you soon enough. Always wonder how Aramis got that prominent scar on his cheek.( hmm.. story..) Loved the tender moments between Aramis and Louis, and so clever how you used the past. Stories within stories.. my favourite.

Great story! I loved it!

Really enjoyed your story. I love reading "post series" work and this is spot on what I have imagined with Aramis, young Louis, and Anne. Very best wishes for the birth of your son. Our 5th grandchild arrived on May 3rd and after 4 grandsons we have a lovely little granddaughter to spoil!