Michele Hauf | All for One, And...

You know the rest of that line, yes? It’s one of the most famous quotes from a classic novel. Even if you haven’t read The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas you still know the quote. “All for one, and one for all!” And thus begins some swashbuckling good adventure.

I’ve been a fan of Dumas’ musketeers since the 1970s. Ever since I saw the Richard Lester movie versions of the novel (yes, it was made into two movies to accommodate the two parts to the original novel). The time period was so fresh, interesting and exciting to me. The costumes incredible. And those men with swords engaging in derring-do and adventuring all in the name of honor and their king? Swoon. I confess, a musketeer is my number one hero. You can keep your firemen, your doctors, and your Navy Seals. I’ll stick with the guy wielding the rapier and musket.

So you might say I’ve been wanting to write my own musketeer story since I first fell in love with them so long ago. But I didn’t want to create a completely new adventure or world for them, I wanted to work with the story Dumas gave us, and the men and the lives they led. Following The Three Musketeers, Dumas wrote Twenty Years After, which picks up the famous four and their adventures, well, 20 years after the first books. But I’ve always wondered: what happened in between that time? And could I actually fill in an episode during that time that would neatly fit into the timeline of the originals? And furthermore, could I incorporate some details of the real men that the characters were actually based on? What fun to try!

Now this is the thing. Sure, Dumas gave us some exciting heroes and great stories. He raised the common household troops position of musketeer to something spectacular and much-lauded. But the musketeers he placed on the page were some seriously flawed heroes. As any good hero should be. And as for romance? Erm…not so much in the romance department. Sure, romances were implied in the original stories, but we never really got to see any of the musketeers enjoy love. I mean, if you all believe the greatest pairing was Constance and D’Artagnan, based only on the movies you’ve seen, we need to talk. Poor girl! Anyway, that was my goal in writing THE UNFORGIVEN: ATHOS, to give the musketeer a romance he deserved.

And of course, I started with the one musketeer who is most troubled and world-weary. Athos did have his great romance. With the evil and deadly Milady de Winter. A woman Athos would eventually see hung. And then when that didn’t stick, he had her beheaded. Not exactly romantic, eh? I pick up Athos’ story after Milady is well out of the picture, but certainly, still an insistent ghost from his past. (Athos has so many delicious secrets from his past; I’ve included another in the story as well!) But I wanted to give Athos a little taste of happiness, because he did suffer so much thanks to Dumas. All while, staying true to his character. The man is gruff, obstinate, quick-witted and wise, and he has a penchant for Spanish wine (an alcoholic? I’d say so.). And he’s pretty much quit life. Although there is one thing that gives him hope, and he will seek that in my story.

Of course, I couldn’t make things easy for him. And the only way to do that, was to make Athos face his worst nightmare: another wicked woman.

So let’s talk about The Three Musketeers! Really, I adore the story, and most iterations of it I’ve seen in movies. Has anyone watched the BBC series The Musketeers? What do you think?

About THE UNFORGIVEN: ATHOS

His only weakness is a wicked woman...

Musketeer Arnaud de Sillègue d'Athos is ready to bid adieu to the King's Guard and to lay down his sword. Yet he's been charged with one final mission--to apprehend a dangerous enemy of the king, the Belle Dame Sans Merci. Despite his desire to apprehend a woman who causes such destruction, Athos refuses...until he sees a sketch of her. It's the same villainess with whom he had been locked in a passionate, sensual moment.

Emmanuelle Vazet never gives up control, even if briefly, in the arms of a blue­eyed stranger, she felt the need to give in and let desire take over. But now circumstances have placed her at the scene of a murder. Her reputation--and the ridiculous name--has preceded her, even if she is innocent. Now her nameless lover is the enemy. A royalist. A musketeer who could be her undoing...unless she becomes his undoing first.