Ten years after their last adventure together, D'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis find themselves scattered across a changed France under the young Louis XIV. When Athos's son Raoul, the Vicomte de Bragelonne, falls in love with a lady of the court entangled in the king's own affections, old loyalties collide with new ambitions. The opening volume of Dumas's sweeping conclusion to the D'Artagnan saga blends court romance, political maneuvering, and the quiet melancholy of aging heroes facing one last, great test of friendship.