The scene opens with a flashback to a time when the royal family was in the middle of a war against Spain. Arika, the queen of Spain, is in the midst of avenging her father's murder. She is surrounded by thousands of soldiers, who are trying to kill her. The flashback reveals that the royals were forced to flee from Spain because of the threat of attack from Spain's enemies. The scene ends with a soliloquy by the queen, in which she laments the fact that her father is no longer a threat to her honor.