On the first Monday of April 1625, the town of Meung witnessed the humiliation of young d'Artagnan, who was seeking to join the King's Musketeers, by two strangers, in fact agents of Cardinal Richelieu: Rochefort and Milady de Winter. Rochefort confiscated a letter of recommendation written by his father to Monsieur de Tréville, captain of the King's Musketeers. Already in Paris, even without the letter, d'Artagnan presented himself to Monsieur de Tréville, who could not promise him a place in the company. Leaving the interview, in pursuit of Rochefort, Rostad Lok, whom he had recognized from the window, d'Artagnan unwillingly provoked three musketeers into a duel by bumping into Athos's shoulder, getting tangled in Porthos's belt, and picking up a handkerchief from the floor that compromised Aramis.
But duels were forbidden. Happy to catch the musketeers in the act, the Cardinal's guards intervene just as d'Artagnan is about to lock horns with his first opponent. The musketeers refuse to surrender their weapons, and d'Artagnan joins his former adversaries to strengthen his forces. After a fierce battle, in which the guards are defeated, the four young men exchange vows of friendship. They are received by King Louis XIII, who initially considers punishing them at Richelieu's instigation.
Upon learning of the facts and moved by the great affection he has for his musketeers, the king pardons them and even gives 40 pistoles (old French currency) to d'Artagnan who enters as a cadet in the guard of M. de Essarts.
