ONE:

"What is taking you so long?" Porthos whined from the dining room.

Planchet entered the room with the wine and poured four glasses. "Sorry, milord."

The four drank happily. Porthos, Athos and Aramis were glad to be recognized as the saviors of France once again; it had been a long time since they felt this proud and careless. In other hand, D'artagnan thought of himself as a hero, he never bragged about it, but he did. The four loved danger and six months ago they have saved Her Majesty, the queen, from a terrible fate who would have led her to death; and that meant Cardinal Richelieu was going to take advantage of the situation and take control of France.

Suddenly someone knocked the door. It wasn't a normal knocking, this was desperate and anxious. Planchet immediately opened the door and a hooded man walked into the house. He walked fast but secure and when he reached the musketeers he revealed his face.

"But what a pleasant surprise!" Aramis exclaimed. "Crestos what brings you here?"

"My friend and favorite spy! Please take a sit and drink with us." Porthos said.

Crestos sat between D'artagnan and Athos, he was expressionless. "I heard Constance is married. I'm sorry about that." He turned to D'artagnan.

"Sometimes things happen for a reason." He managed smiled.

"I'm not here to socialize, and I beg your pardon if I'm being rude. Richelieu and Buckingham are plotting against Their Majesties again." He finished.

D'artagnan was confused; they just saved France few months ago. "What is their plan?"

"Richelieu wants to control France, that's all he ever wanted, and now he has made an alliance with Buckingham. They are plotting to create a formula that can cause hypnosis to people. I know it works. Buckingham has the formula on his power and he is bringing it himself in seven days to Richelieu; you must steal the formula from Buckingham before he gives it to him. Richelieu wants to use this formula on the king."

Porthos laughed breaking the silence. "Hypnosis?"

"When have I lied to you?" Crestos brown eyes looked at Porthos.

"Never." He took a sip of wine.

"I need to go out of town, telling this to you had put me in a big danger; but I won't leave you alone, my most trustworthy agent will work with you."

"And who is that agent, do we know him?" Aramis asked.

"No, but you will. You will find the agent in the masquerade ball Their Majesties will host three days from now. I must leave-" Crestos stood up and marched toward the door.

"Crestos! How are we going to know who is the agent?" D'artagnan asked.

"3714, is the number the agent must tell you when you ask for the code of Crestos. And remember, Richelieu and Buckingham aren't the only ones who want to harm Their Majesties." And he got lost in the darkness of the night.

"I guess we're going to that masquerade ball after all." Athos said.