The scene opens in the theatre of the western empire, where a group of senators are riding on horseback. They've just returned from a battle in which they've defeated a bunch of noblemen, including the princess of dalar. The senators' highness slaps her on the back of the horse as they ride by, and the senators are all "how mischievous you go." They're all like, "You're the princess, right?" and "That's right, that's what we've heard from you." The senators don't know what to make of this, but they do know that the princess is a "plaything" of the "filthy but now" sagarian king, and that the "sagarians" are "cannibals" . So they're going to have to figure out a way to get rid of her, pronto. First off, the senators have to convince the king that he's not coming to fight in a power struggle.