I'm not a Trevillieu shipper, but I'm not NOT a Trevillieu shipper, ya dig? Like, if you're into the Yaoi des Hommes Vieux, then Godspeed, comrade, but Trevillieu isn't really my bag.
BUT.
Treville deffo found himself MISSING Richelieu after he kicked the bucket. God, he was so COMPETENT. He wasn't BONKERS. He wasn't actively trying to usurp the throne. He was a bastard, but he was a NORMAL bastard. They weren't friends, but occasionally their eyes would meet over the King's head when he was saying something completely out of touch and there was an UNDERSTANDING there.
Like: You don't like me, I don't like you, but we gotta put that aside to make sure our Ruler Apparently Appointed By God doesn't plunge the entire country into ruin. I know, homie, I know.
Richelieu hates the Inséperables, but goddamn if he doesn't envy that kind of straightforward loyalty. If he could have snatched them out from under Treville he would have done it ages ago.
Treville thinks the Red Guard is a bunch of jumped-up thugs, but JFC it must be nice to have normal dudes under your command instead of a bunch of verifiably-insane-yet-somehow-hyper-competent weirdos.
In any other circumstance they'd be at least friendly. There's real respect there, even if neither would admit it.
