Act One

King Frederick needs a bride. However, he has become cynical about love, believing that romance is for a moment and true love impossible. Thus he decides to marry a girl who already hates him. The perfect candidate seems to be the neighboring Princess Cassandra who has rejected his suit several times. Thus he takes himself to her country, where her desperate mother is holding a reverse-Cinderella ball in the hopes that the picky princess will choose a groom. Cassandra does decide to dance with Frederick (whom she nicknames "Thrushbeard" for his attempts at a goatee) - but only to humiliate him. VIDEO Frustrated, Cassandra's mother declares that whoever comes next to the castle, so long as he is unmarried, Cassandra will marry him.

Overhearing this, Frederick enlists the aid of his brother, Nigel, and his servant, Raoul, to find him a costume. But the only one they can find is a minstrel's red-and-yellow monstrosity. Despite the fact that he cannot play the lute, Frederick introduces himself as to Cassandra as a wandering unmarried minstrel and sings loudly to attract the attention of her mother. Cassandra drags him into her room to hide him from her mother, but Queen Leonata finds him and has them married on the spot. Triumphant, the newlyweds are sent off into the world - where it's evident right away that the honeymoon will be anything but romantic.

Meanwhile, Nigel and Raoul are making their own way back home when they come across Lucy, Cassandra's maid, who has gone bravely off into the woods to try to follow Cassandra. Unaware that she is being watched, Lucy sings a song about how she longs for nothing more than a prince for her very own. Nigel is thrilled at the thought of easy conquest, but Raoul convinces Nigel to switch places with himself so that Raoul can win Lucy's love.

Back in Frederick's kingdom, Frederick has spent his wedding night sleeping on the floor. When Cassandra wakes, they share an uncomfortable breakfast before Frederick decides to escape to his castle. Left alone, Cassandra is greeted by the women of the town who tell her all about their wonderful king and about the horrible princess he went to go wed. Cassandra is unnerved at this description of herself and turns to the castle chatelain, Mrs. Duffy, for comfort.

Although Frederick has come to the castle for refreshment, he is immediately greeted with the dull day-to-day business of running a kingdom. Brosche, his chief advisor, berates Frederick for not only constantly shirking his duty but also for apparently failing in his quest for a bride. Angry, Frederick decides not to tell Brosche about his conquest - even when Brosche informs Frederick that he has invited the neighboring Princess Regina to marry Frederick. Furious at Brosche's interference, and tired of his duties, Frederick leaves the castle - now determined to prove himself to everyone - but first and foremost to Cassandra.

Returning to their small home, Frederick finds himself locked out of his own house by Cassandra. The freedom-loving Nigel - having returned home and learned that Frederick has abdicated - tries to convince Frederick to tell Cassandra the truth and take up his duties again, but Frederick refuses - concocting a new plan to win Cassandra's affections. Early the next morning, he tells the whole town of his woes, singing "She Left Him on the Floor." Finally alone, Cassandra demands of Frederick an explanation for his actions. "Do you delight in torturing me? Any other man would want me to notice him. To like him. Which is practically the same thing. But with you...? I've no idea." Frederick is caught off guard, his cynicism challenged. But finally he realizes that he does love his wife - and Cassandra finally allows him in.

Six months pass in simple happiness. Cassandra is expecting, Frederick has learned more than one song on the lute, and both are enjoying their lives away from the duties and expectations of royalty. Cassandra is sure she is married to a simple minstrel, and Frederick is more than happy to let her continue thinking that. But he has no idea that Brosche has been watching him, and that Brosche is sure that Frederick is fooling around with a commoner, and that therefore the King has begotten a bastard child.

With remorse, but faithful to his own duties, Brosche orders an ambush upon Cassandra and the unborn child in the hopes that Frederick will realize his place. Frederick stops the worst of the ambush - but not before he has killed Cassandra's attacker, Vianne, and not before Vianne kills the child growing within his wife. Grieving, Frederick promises to find the person behind the ambush and to avenge his child's death.

Act Two

The second act opens with all the people of Frederick's kingdom assembled to greet the arrival of Princess Regina, who has come to marry Frederick. However, her arrival is interrupted by Raoul pretending to be a prince in order to impress Lucy (who has just arrived in the city). In the middle of his song, Regina arrives and seeing "Prince" Raoul, immediately falls in love with him. Before Regina can drag Raoul off, Raoul makes Nigel promise to seranade Lucy for him - to pretend to be Raoul pretending to be Nigel pretending to be Raoul. Nigel agrees, so long as Raoul also promises to drive Regina away.

Regina arrives at the castle with Raoul in tow and looks around for Frederick. Brosche tries to stall her, but Frederick shows up just in time to greet his fellow royal. They both read prepared statements about how glad they are to consider each other's suit, while privately admitting that their hearts and hands belong to another. Fortunately, they overhear each other's asides and agree to never marry each other. Frederick celebration of his victory is short-lived however when Brosche asks Frederick why he returned. Frederick tells Brosche about his tragedy and asks Brosche to assist Frederick in finding the person behind the ambush - promising to return as king if Brosche will aid him. "I have your aid?" Frederick asks. "Majesty," Brosche responds, "you have my life."

The tragedy affected Cassandra in quite another way. While Frederick became a man of action, Cassandra turned in on herself - sure that the loss of her child was somehow God's punishment for her earlier pride. She has nightmares of Frederick killing Vianne. And suddenly she is unsure what sort of man she married. Frederick comes to console her, but she sadly begs him not to love her.

At the same time, Raoul wishes Regina would not love him. But she is determined to marry Raoul, whether he wants her or not. Similarly, Nigel goes as Prince Raoul to win Lucy. VIDEO Unfortunately, Lucy falls in love with the lifelong bachelor, Nigel.

Just then, Raoul - running away from Regina - finds Lucy and proposes. Utterly confused, Lucy asks Nigel who he is if Raoul is Raoul. Regina steps in to sort everything out, and Lucy is thrilled to discover that Nigel is a Prince. Nigel denies it, and Raoul also declares that he is not royalty and therefore no fit consort for Regina. But Regina has a solution: let the men duel. The true prince will reveal himself. Neither boy wants to win, however, and so they do very poorly. Exhasperated, the girls take up the foils themselves and fight - until they realize they have the weapons...and they both propose to their men at swordspoint.

That evening, determined to make all right with Frederick, Cassandra goes to the castle to search for work. Mrs. Duffy is reluctant to take her in, since she knows who Frederick truly is, but Cassandra is adamant. It's a game of hide-and-seek, though, as Frederick learns that Cassandra is around the castle. He tries to talk Mrs. Duffy into firing Cassandra, but Mrs. Duffy lays down the law and tells Frederick to tell his wife the truth and to stop living a double life. Frederick concedes, and in reward, Mrs. Duffy gives to the king Brosche's incriminating letter from Vianne about the ambush.

As Frederick reads the letter, his old guilt resurfaces, as does his determination. He calls in Brosche and confronts him with the letter. Brosche is unable to deny what he did, but claims that he did it only for the greater good. Enraged, Frederick asks whether "the greater good" included the death of his child. When Brosche is unrepentant, Frederick strikes Brosche to the ground and orders him banished from the kingdom. He then has Mrs. Duffy call a great feast, declaring, "It's time to win back my wife."

At the feast, all the maids are discussing what might be the reason the king has called them together. Only Cassandra holds back, unwilling to be seen by the king she insulted nearly a year ago. But when Frederick calls her out and she sees the king, her husband, face to face she is shocked and runs away from that world again. Frederick follows her and begs her to forgive him for all his subterfuge. He asks her to be his queen, to stand always by her side, and to accept his love and himself for who he truly is. Cassandra agrees, and the curtains close on their kiss.