There is a plan afoot to commit murder, but who could be the intended victim? The scene switches to an old forester and his seventeen-year-old daughter, Dorothea, who is enjoying the attentions and gifts of a mysterious stranger. She is innocent and unaware of his intentions, but her father and childhood sweetheart, Johann, are suspicious. There is a web of mystery growing around the court of King Maximilian and the question of his eccentricity (or insanity) and fitness to be king, but the fact remains, he needs a wife and heir to ensure the security of the crown of Franconia. - Summary by LynneT