Following Ten Years Later, the fifth volume of this adventure saga chronicles a tale of intrigue and romantic rivalry in the court of Louis XIV. With The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas introduced the world to the immortal hero D’Artagnan and the inseparable trio of king’s musketeers: Athos, Aramis, and Porthos. Their many escapades—full of swordfights, derring-do, and chivalry—came to define the swashbuckler genre of adventure fiction. In Louise de la Vallière, Dumas continues the suspense following the wedding of the Duke of Orleans to Princess Henrietta of England. Raoul de Bragelonne seeks to marry Henrietta’s maid of honor, Louise. But the king has his own designs for the young maid. Meanwhile, as court rivalries escalate, Aramis learns of a secret prisoner held in the Bastille whose identity could change the course of history.

Louise de La Vallière (1644 – 1710) was a mistress of Louis XIV of France from 1661 to 1667. She later became the Duchess of La Vallière and Duchess of Vaujours in her own right. Unlike her rival, Madame de Montespan, she has no surviving descendants. Louise was also very religious and she led a religious penance for herself near the end of her life.

Louise de la Valliere is the middle section of The Vicomte de Bragelonne or, Ten Years After. Against a tender love story, Dumas continues the suspense which began with The Vicomte de Bragelonne and will end with The Man in the Iron Mask. It is early summer, 1661, and the royal court of France is in turmoil. Can it be true that the King is in love with the Duchess D'Orleans? Or has his eye been caught by the sweet and gentle Louise de la Valliere? No one is more anxious to know the answer than Raoul, son of Athos, who loves Louise more than life itself. Behind the scenes, dark intrigues are afoot. Louis XIV is intent on making himself absolute master of France. Imminent crisis shakes the now ageing Musketeers and d'Artagnan out of their complacent retirement, but is the cause just?"You wish to leave me, Monsieur d'Artagnan?" inquired the king, with an air of astonishment; for Louis XIV. could never understand why any one who had the distinguished honor of being near him could wish to leave him.

The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later (Le Vicomte de Bragelonne ou Dix ans plus tard) is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. It is the third and last of the d'Artagnan Romances following The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After. It appeared first in serial form between 1847 and 1850.Louise de la Valliere is the third volume.