The Duellists

In the picturesque city of Strasbourg, 1800, a powder keg of rivalry and animosity ignites when Lieutenant Gabriel Feraud (a zealous Bonapartist and dueling aficionado) nearly takes the life of Mayor's nephew during a heated duel. As the aftermath of this calamitous event unfolds, pressure mounts from the mayor, Brigadier-General Treillard, who orders one of his officers, Lieutenant Armand d'Hubert (3rd Hussars), to place Feraud under house arrest. However, Feraud misinterprets this directive as a personal affront and promptly challenges d'Hubert to a duel, resulting in an inconclusive outcome as Feraud succumbs to unconsciousness before the fight concludes.

This initial confrontation sets the tone for a tumultuous series of events, as the war intervenes, temporarily suspending the animosity between the two adversaries. The stage is set for their next encounter six months later, when Feraud once again summons d'Hubert to a duel, leaving the latter grievously wounded.

As d'Hubert recovers from his injuries, he seeks to improve his fencing skills, culminating in a subsequent duel that sees both combatants exhausted and locked in a brutal wrestling match. The onlookers eventually intervene, bringing an end to this blood-soaked battle.

News of d'Hubert's promotion to captain brings a glimmer of hope, as military protocol dictates that officers of disparate ranks cannot engage in duels. He is subsequently dispatched to Lübeck, where he is stunned to discover the 7th Hussars have arrived, with Feraud now elevated to the rank of captain.

With his impending promotion to major mere weeks away, d'Hubert makes a desperate attempt to slip away unnoticed, only to be thwarted by Feraud's timely challenge. As the duel commences, d'Hubert encounters his former mistress, Laura, who chastises him for continuing to engage in this futile and potentially deadly pursuit, warning that he will ultimately meet his demise.

Moved by her words, d'Hubert prevails over Feraud in their encounter, his blade slicing across Feraud's forehead, rendering the latter unable to continue fighting. With a sense of triumph, d'Hubert departs the field, only to discover that Feraud's regiment is soon to be dispatched to Spain, while he remains stationed in Northern Europe, forever changed by the cycle of violence and vendetta that has defined his life.

As the French Army limps back from Moscow, two erstwhile foes, Feraud and d'Hubert (now both colonels), unexpectedly cross paths amidst the chaos of retreat. Initially wary, they are forced to put aside their animosity and collaborate in a desperate bid to reunite with the main force. The opportunity arises when Feraud solicits volunteers to pursue Russian Cossacks, and only d'Hubert agrees to join him on this perilous mission. As they navigate the treacherous terrain on foot, they're suddenly ambushed by an enemy cavalryman, with three more lurking in the distance. Feraud swiftly takes down the nearest attacker with a well-placed shot, while d'Hubert drives off the others with a hail of bullets. In the aftermath, d'Hubert quips "Pistols next time," alluding to their impending rematch, and offers Feraud a celebratory drink from his flask. However, Feraud responds with an icy silence, turning away without so much as a word.

In the aftermath of Napoleon's exile to Elba, d'Hubert finds himself convalescing at the home of his sister Leonie in Tours, where he meets Adele, the charming niece of her neighbor. As their romance blossoms, Colonel Perteley, a zealous Bonapartist agent, attempts to persuade d'Hubert to rejoin the Napoleonic cause, but our hero remains resolute. When Feraud learns of d'Hubert's refusal, he denounces him as a traitor, his words dripping with venom.

Following Napoleon's crushing defeat at Waterloo, d'Hubert marries Adele and joins the ranks of Louis XVIII's army. Meanwhile, Feraud finds himself arrested and facing execution for his role in the Hundred Days war. Unbeknownst to Feraud, it is none other than d'Hubert who intervenes on his behalf, persuading the Minister of Police to spare his life. As a result, Feraud is paroled, forced to live under the watchful eye of the authorities. Meanwhile, d'Hubert and Adele prepare for the arrival of their first child.

As d'Hubert's star rises in the new French Army, Feraud sends two former comrades to deliver an unexpected challenge: a pistol duel with his old nemesis. Reluctant but honor-bound, d'Hubert accepts the invitation. The two men meet at a ruined château, emerging from opposite sides of the woods like specters from the past. However, Feraud falls prey to a clever ruse, discharging both pistols and leaving himself vulnerable to d'Hubert's wrath. Instead of taking advantage of his opponent's momentary weakness, d'Hubert seizes control, declaring that the rules of single combat now dictate that he possesses Feraud's very life. From this point forward, Feraud is forever bound by the understanding that he must "conduct [himself] as a dead man," never again daring to challenge his former adversary to a duel.

As the curtain closes on his tumultuous escapades, d'Hubert (character name) retreats to a life of tranquility, reuniting with his loving spouse in a warm and comforting domesticity. In stark contrast, Feraud finds himself confined to a desolate provincial outpost, his days dwindling like embers in the fading light of his once-all-consuming passion for dueling, now reduced to mere whispers of a bygone era. The solitary figure, once bound to the whims of his Emperor, is now trapped, mirroring the fate of his idolized leader, forever locked away from the world, his obsession relegated to nothing more than a distant, haunting memory.