Back in the castle, Tamino and the princess are reunited. Tamino tells the princess that he's lost eight pounds, but that she's only lost a little bit of weight. She's fine with that. The princess asks Tamino if he'd be willing to sacrifice his life to be with her. He says he'll be happy to do so, but he can't bear to leave her without knowing why. He tells her that the opera has already been a success, and that the three women have all fallen into the abyss. He's worried that he won't be able to let the princess outdo him. He also tells her about his proposal to the princess, but she refuses to marry him because she doesn't want to get married before she has to be apart.