Lagardère

In Paris during the Regency, we meet Henri, a young acrobat and swordsman nicknamed “Le petit parisien,” trained by Cocardasse and Passepoil. The court is abuzz with talk of the “trois Philippe”—d'Orléans, Gonzague, and Nevers—and rumors of a secret daughter born of the love between Nevers and Blanche de Caylus. While Lagardère proves himself for the first time, Gonzague's ambitions take shape and foreshadow the coming conspiracy, though it has not yet erupted.

Lagardère, wrongly accused of the Nevers'murder, flees with little Aurore to protect her from Gonzague. Hiding under a false identity, he raises the girl in secret, far from Paris, while Gonzague, convinced that she is still alive, mobilizes his spies to find her.

The court of Philippe d'Orléans is decked out in its finest attire for an evening that appears brilliant on the surface, but is teeming with intrigue. Under the chandeliers and masks, Lagardère slips among the guests, listening intently to every conversation in search of clues about the assassination of the Duke of Nevers. Philippe de Gonzague and his allies work in the shadows, concealing their maneuvers behind feigned politeness.