In a wooded area, two knights in hunting gear scan the area for game. From behind a bush, a Saracen warrior emerges, preparing to ambush them with a bow and arrow, but he is stopped by his companion, saying that one of those knights might be the king. They should follow and listen.

Nearby, King Richard the Lionheart finishes a day of falconry with two of his men. They joke of defeating Saladin as the hawk defeats the sparrow. Another night, William des Preaux, emerges from sentry duty, alarmed at noises he has heard in the wood. He fears that they are too far from Jaffa and too near the Saracens - it would be far too easy for them to be ambushed here. But the King has no fear and will stay a little longer.

The TARDIS has landed in a clearing nearby. Ian and Barbara take the first look around. Almost immediately, a Saracen warrior appears and traps Ian and Barbara. The Doctor, however, arrives and distracts the man. He turns and Ian takes the opportunity to knock him out with the Doctor's help. In the struggle, however, Barbara is captured silently and taken away. Vicki joins them, wondering where they are and what has happened. They hear the sounds of a battle nearby and suddenly realize Barbara has gone.

The travellers do not have time to look for Barbara as the sounds of battle begin to approach them. The King and his knights are under attack and are retreating... right into the clearing. The travellers hide in the bushes. They see two of the knights fall, hit by arrows. The King is also hit, but not severely wounded. He falls near to where the travellers are hiding and they pull him to safety.

Des Preaux, facing them alone, tries a bluff and tells the leader of the Saracens that he is King Richard. The bluff works and he is captured. A single Saracen warrior is left to find the others. He quickly detects the injured Richard and goes to find them. Ian pulls up a dropped sword, fights, and defeats the warrior. A second Saracen comes from nowhere and attacks the Doctor. One of the wounded knights, de Tornebu, uses his remaining strength to help the Doctor defeat his attacker.

The Doctor realizes that they are in the middle of the Crusades and that the Saracens were after King Richard. De Tornebu tells them that the man captured was not the King then passes out. The Doctor retrieves a jewelled royal belt and plans to use it to get into King Richard's favour. They will need his help to find Barbara. Ian starts a search right away, but she is already being carried off by the Saracens.

During the fight, the King had moved off into the woods, trying to find an angle to get at the Saracen leader. He still stalks the wood, anger in his face at the death and capture of his men.

The Doctor treats de Tornebu's wounds and makes plans to find King Richard's stronghold and enlist his help. As expected, when Ian returns an hour later, it is without a sign of Barbara. They will carry de Tornebu on a stretcher into the nearest town and secure some proper clothing. Then they will try and rendezvous with the King.

Barbara awakes some time later in a locked and guarded room. With her is William des Preaux, who tells her that they are in Ramlah, at the encampment of the Great Sultan Saladin. He tells her he is King Richard, but she knows that Richard has red hair. Caught in his lie, des Preaux introduces himself and explains the ruse. Barbara is more concerned for her friends and begs to be returned to the wood. Des Preaux knows this cannot be and sets out to create an alias for Barbara. He decides that she will be Joanna, King Richard's sister, and together they will try to deceive the Saracens.

Shortly, El Akir enters. He led the Saracens in the wood and is most pleased to have captured "the King". He is even more overjoyed to learn that he has also captured the Princess Joanna. He says that the Sultan's brother, Saphadin, will also be pleased as he has long admired Joanna. El Akir exits after making sure they have been well treated as prisoners, and Barbara and des Preaux wonder how long their deception will hold out.

In the streets of Jaffa, the Doctor approaches a clothing merchant in an attempt to get proper garments for them all. He is Ben Daheer, an oily man looking to make a fast profit. While he looks round the man's shop, he overhears a conversation between Ben and another merchant regarding stolen clothing which Ben will now resell. He knows he will feel no guilt over stealing a few garments for his needs. This he does while the two men haggle over price. When he is finished, the Doctor rigs one of the stall legs to collapse. In the confusion, he tosses the stolen clothes to Vicki, who hides in the shadows. The Doctor commiserates with Ben Daheer as his clothes are covered in dust and dirt, but then begs leave to depart, leaving the man with his "misfortune".

In Ramlah, El Akir reports glowingly to Saphadin of the capture of King Richard and Princess Joanna. Saladin listens, unseen nearby. However, things turn sour quickly when he has the prisoners brought in. Saphadin informs him that they are not the people he thinks; he has been tricked. El Akir reacts angrily and turns on his prisoners, but Saladin emerges from concealment and calms him. He wants to know who they really are.

Des Preaux introduces himself and explains that the deception was a ruse to allow the King to escape. Saladin is appreciative of his dedication. Barbara is asked to explain herself but hesitates. El Akir, stung by her deceit, suggests she be tortured and killed for their pleasure, but Barbara coolly responds that that would be foolish indeed.

Saladin dismisses El Akir and des Preaux and then tries again to get information from Barbara. She tries to bluff, but the two brothers persist. She tells them she is from "another world", having met Nero and visited England in the far future among other things. They decide she is a travelling entertainer, a teller of tales. Saphadin wants her killed, but Saladin refuses. He wants to make sure she is of no value before despatching her. She will provide entertainment tonight at dinner...just like Scheherazade.

In the King's palace at Jaffa, The Doctor, Ian and Vicki are presented to the King by de Tornebu. The King is being treated for his injuries, having just returned to the palace himself. De Tornebu finishes with the story of his rescue and Richard thanks them for their assistance. And that's it. Even the return of the jewelled belt does nothing to improve the King's mood. He rails against the Saracens, his own dissolute soldiers, and the treason of his brother John back home.

De Tornebu joins in the entreaty, and he knows his King well. He tells Richard that he can use this "mistake" of Saladin's to humiliate the Sultan. Vicki and the Doctor see the joke and join in, telling the King that he could offer to trade 100 Saracen prisoners for des Preaux and Barbara, thus showing how low he values the Saracens. The King is amused and accepts the Doctor into his court.

The real Princess Joanna joins them, followed shortly by the Chamberlain and his assistant. Unbeknownst to the Doctor, the Chamberlain's assistant is the same man who sold stolen clothing to Ben Daheer while the Doctor was in the shop. He is called Thatcher. The Chamberlain, Thatcher, and Ian bear de Tornebu off to recuperate while Joanna takes an interest in Vicki, who has been disguised as a boy. The Doctor is worried by all the interest in them, worrying that they may be asked questions they cannot answer.

King Richard notices a jewelled necklace Joanna wears. It is a gift from Saphadin, who desires Joanna. Richard laments the strangeness of the land and the "politeness" of the contact between himself and his enemies even while their armies kill one another. As he wonders how to achieve peace, he stares at the jewelled necklace...and gets an idea.

Meanwhile, El Akir has been nursing his resentment toward Barbara and the trick she and des Preaux played on him. He tries to bribe one of Saladin's servants to find out where she is being held, but it is to no avail. As he prepares to return to his stronghold in Lydda, he runs into a Genoese merchant named Luigi Ferrigo. He is here to try and arrange a trade route through Tyre to Jaffa, but neither Saladin nor Saphadin will receive him. He knows of El Akir as the Emir of Lydda and asks him to arrange an audience with the Sultan. When Ferrigo offers to kidnap Barbara and bring her to him in exchange, El Akir agrees.

Barbara is being held in one section of Saladin's palace. She and a servant prepare her for her "performance" tonight. The servant is the same one that El Akir tried to bribe earlier, and she repeats this to Barbara, warning her that she has made a dangerous enemy in El Akir.

When the servant goes out, Ferrigo enters stealthily. He tells Barbara that he has come to rescue you. When she asks if Sir William sent him, he quickly says yes. He covers her in a cloak and they leave, but he has left behind a glove which the servant finds immediately upon her return. Ferrigo takes her to the stables where he hands her over to El Akir. The Emir tells him that his audience has been granted. He then takes Barbara away.

King Richard bids the Doctor, Ian and Vicki to attend him, after he has Ian dress like a proper man of the court. He announces that he will send Ian to win the release of Barbara and Sir William des Preaux, using the jewelled belt as leverage. He tells them that he fears many of his most loyal knights are war mongers who do not want the peace that he desires. He has written to Saphadin, proposing a marriage between him and Joanna in order to bring about that peace. He realizes that Ian has no desire to continue this war and so has chosen to send him. He also hopes that Ian will bring back a response to the letter. In order that Ian may properly carry out this duty, the King knights him Sir Ian, Knight of Jaffa.

Elsewhere in the palace, however, things take a turn for the worse. Ben Daheer, the clothing merchant, has arrived at the palace and speaks to the Chamberlain. He has realized that clothing was taken from him and suspects the Doctor. Earlier, the Chamberlain noticed the clothes Vicki and Ian were wearing and had a suspicion that they were stolen from the palace. Ben Daheer learns that the Doctor is here, and that he is right about his stealing. The Chamberlain promises to confront him about this immediately.

Luigi Ferrigo has his audience with Saphadin and Saladin. At first, things seem to go well for him, but Saladin changes the subject abruptly. He tells the merchant about Barbara's abduction, without accusing anyone. But Ferrigo gets very nervous when asked his opinion. When the servant girl produces the glove she found and the match hangs from Ferrigo's belt, he is forced to admit his that he took Barbara and gave her to El Akir.

The Doctor and Vicki bid farewell to Ian as he leaves on his quest. As they return to the palace, they are accosted by the Chamberlain and Ben Daheer. The latter accuses him of being a thief, but the Doctor and Vicki play dumb, even when the Chamberlain produces Ian's riding cloak. The Chamberlain tells him it was stolen from the palace and Ben Daheer tells him it was stolen from him as well. The Doctor realizes the paradox and exploits it. When Daheer admits he didn't buy the clothes from the Doctor and Vicki, the existence of another thief becomes obvious.

At that moment, Thatcher makes an inopportune entrance to bring news to the Chamberlain, and Ben Daheer is forced to denounce him as the thief. Thatcher runs off in terror, and the Doctor forces the Chamberlain to repay Ben Daheer for the clothes he paid for "in good faith". Daheer is suddenly the Doctor's good friend. But the Chamberlain is less than pleased with the Doctor as he runs off after Thatcher.

Barbara is brought to El Akir's stronghold in Lydda, tied unceremoniously to the Emir's horse. He leaves her to be brought in by two sentries. But she has just been biding her time and takes the opportunity of freedom to push one sentry into another. Both men fall and she flees into the city.

Ian has reached Saladin's palace and has been granted an audience with Sir William des Preaux. Ian learns to his horror that Barbara has been kidnapped. Sir William explains that Ferrigo made up a story about Barbara being infatuated with El Akir and escaped on her own, but he knows it is El Akir's doing. Des Preaux directs Ian to Lydda, but warns him that the Emir's territory will be filled with mercenaries hired to protect him. It will be very dangerous there, both for Ian and for Barbara.

The man who grabbed her is not a soldier, but an older man from the town. He gestures to her to be quiet and still. He then attacks 1 of the soldiers and then the other, knocking them both out easily. He introduces himself as Haroun ed-Din and tells her that El Akir is an enemy of his also. He will take her to safety.

Ben Daheer completes his services to the Doctor, outfitting him in a fine cloak with which to become a member of the royal court. The Doctor also instructs him to get new and better clothing for "his boy", Vicki. Daheer scurries off to do just that, passing Princess Joanna in the hall as he goes.

Joanna stands at the door and listens as Vicki complains of having to dress like a boy. She enters and asks about the reason for this deceit. The Doctor says the disguise was for safety reasons in this hostile country, but Joanna assures him they are not hostile here. She forgives him easily and offers to take Joanna under her wing. She sends Vicki for the Chamberlain.

While she is gone, Joanna draws the Doctor aside and asks a favour of him. For some reason, she has been excluded from the confidence of her brother the King. She senses that she is part of some plan on the part of the King and wants to know what it is, and she senses that the Doctor can be trusted. The Doctor promises to find out if he can and report back to her.

When the Chamberlain returns, Joanna bids him to find someone to outfit Vicki properly in silk and satin brocaded dresses. She then leaves. The Chamberlain is confused, but put right when Vicki informs him that she is a girl dressed as a boy. In consternation, the Chamberlain asks where the money is to come from for these purchases and the Doctor tells him to use the household purse. Again, the Doctor has cost him money. He goes off in a huff.

The Doctor is satisfied that things have worked out well for them, especially Joanna's patronage. Vicki worries that the Doctor is trying to get rid of her, that he'll go off and leave her just like Barbara and Ian did, but the Doctor assures her that that will not happen. He only fears entanglement in court intrigue and Joanna will be a valuable ally.

Haroun brings Barbara to his small dwelling, where she meets his young daughter, Safiya. Haroun sends her off to fetch some food, then tells Barbara of the reason he has sworn to kill El Akir: Last year, his home was a happy place. He had a wife, a son, and two daughters. Then the Emir came in and took over Lydda. He desired Haroun's eldest daughter Maimuna, but he refused to hand her over. One day when he and Safiya were out, El Akir came and killed his wife and son, burned his house, and took Maimuna. Now he lives only for revenge.

Abruptly, Haroun decides to go out and check on the soldiers. He gives Barbara his knife, telling her to hide with Safiya if the soldiers come, but that if there is a chance that they will be captured, she should use the knife to kill them both. Barbara is aghast, believing that life here must be better than that, but Haroun insists. She is not to let them take Safiya, no matter what. Then he is gone.

When Safiya returns, Barbara tells her where her father has gone and tries to hide the knife. The girl also tells Barbara about the "disappearances" of her family members, but it is obvious she does not know of their deaths. She catches sight of the knife and is worried. It is not like her father to leave it behind...

Haroun runs straight into a soldier searching for Barbara and, unarmed, he is quickly knocked out. A second soldier appears who seems to know Haroun. He realizes that a fugitive would make naturally for the city's northern quarter, where Haroun is from. Despite the fear this den of thieves and beggars evokes in his underling, the soldier in charge orders him to gather men to search the quarter.

The Doctor has been called to an audience with the King and his advisors. The King tells the Doctor that he is still awaiting word of the release of Barbara and Sir William des Preaux, as well as the answer to other letters he has sent. The Lord of Leicester asks the King what these new letters might be, hoping apparently for some ultimatum. He explains the plan to marry Joanna to Saphadin. Joanna knows nothing of it yet, but he is sure she will agree to it in order to end the killing and bring peace to many. The Doctor is satisfied, glad the King is thinking in terms of peace, but Leicester is very upset at the news. He urges the King to abandon the plan, saying that they are here to fight and liberate Jerusalem, not to plan weddings. He and the Doctor argue mightily, ending with Leicester putting his hand to his sword. But the King stops the fight with stern words: he has decided upon this marriage and it shall go forward. Only if it fails will a test of arms be necessary.

In Saladin's palace, the Sultan finishes reading King Richard's latest letter. Saphadin is elated by the offer, but Saladin is cautious. Saphadin urges him to accept it as it will give them title to much land and power. After some thought, Saladin agrees to let it go forth although he doesn't believe it will ever happen. He cannot believe that England, France, and the other nations have come here to celebrate a wedding, rather they have come to fight. He plans to be prepared either way. He urges his brother to write a letter of acceptance while he prepares his army. One hand will be extended in friendship while the other rests on the sword.

Saladin adds that Saphadin should write that Sir William is well-kept but not to be released just yet. Sir Ian's bravery in coming here has been reward: he is allowed to search the Sultan's territory for Barbara.

In Lydda, soldiers search the streets of the northern quarter, getting closer to Haroun's house. Barbara and Safiya take shelter in an alcove covered by a false wall. Safiya retrieves her father's knife, which Barbara had deliberately left behind, just in case. Two soldiers enter the house and find no one inside or on the rooftop. When one soldier finds two cups of liquid still warm, he realizes that someone is here, well hidden. He sends his partner to retrieve a torch. They will either smoke them out or burn them to death. Barbara leaves Safiya in hiding and sneaks out quietly, trying to get behind the remaining soldier. However, she waits too long and is captured by the man returning with the torch. She swears that there is no one else in the house, but the soldiers do not believe her. However, they have what they came for and so take her away, promising her that her defiant attitude will soon change to cries for pity from El Akir.

Ian, en route to Lydda, has taken a moment to rest from the scorching sun in the shade of an oasis. A bandit, finding him asleep, manages to take his sword from him. However, when he reaches for the knife, Ian awakes and puts up a fight. He manages to get the upper hand, until a second bandit - brother to the first - sneaks up and knocks Ian out.

At King Richard's palace, Vicki's makeover is complete and she looks like a proper young lady of the court. Joanna is pleased, as is the Doctor. Joanna pulls the Doctor aside and asks the outcome of the meeting, whether he has any information on her brother's plans. But the Doctor cannot tell her, as the King swore him to secrecy. He assures her that the King will tell her soon, but she is stalks off, furious, and talks to the Earl of Leicester who is in another part of the room. Vicki begs the Doctor to tell her, as they appear to have made an enemy of her already, but the Doctor says he cannot break the King's confidence.

Shortly, Richard arrives and Joanna sets upon him immediately, asking how he can dare to propose a marriage between herself and Saphadin. Caught unawares, the King tries to reason calmly with her, but Joanna's anger knows no bounds and she vehemently refuses to consent. He begs her, entreats her, and finally orders her to obey, but Joanna steadfastly refuses. She then threatens to go to the Pope in order to stop him. He is here to fight and defeat these infidels, not make pacts with them. The Pope will not allow this to happen. The argument escalates until Richard nearly strikes his sister, but he stops just short. In the still ness that follows, Joanna leaves the room. King Richard, incensed, turns to the Doctor and accuses him of giving away the plan. The Doctor tries to protest, but the King tells him that he is no longer welcome in the royal presence.

El Akir rewards the soldiers for Barbara's recapture by giving them money. He taunts Barbara, telling her that she has cost him time, trouble, and now money. And she will repay. Barbara stands against him defiantly, making her contempt for him well known. He approaches her with money in his hand, saying that it will make her life miserable from now on. Suddenly, she knocks the gold from his hand. She runs away while the soldiers go after the money. El Akir orders them after Barbara.

Barbara takes shelter in the quarters of the Emir's harem. One of the soldiers enters soon after to search, but El Akir is hot on his heels. No other man may enter this room but him, unless he wishes to die. He sends the soldier off to continue searching. He approaches one of the young women and asks if they have seen Barbara, but she says they have not. He offers her a valuable ruby ring in exchange for any information, but she will not take it, saying she will inform him if anyone here sees the woman. Once he is gone, Barbara emerges from hiding and receives a promise from the young woman that no one here will betray her.

Ian finds himself at the mercy of one of the bandits, both arms and both legs tied down to pegs in the sand. The bandit, Ibrahim, believes him to be rich and hiding money. Ian tries to bluff him, saying that he has money in Lydda if Ibrahim will take him there, but the bandit distrusts Ian. In order to extract the truth, Ibrahim doles out some date honey onto Ian's wrist and chest. He then spreads a trail of the honey across the sand to a nearby ant hill. Soon they will attack Ian in mass while he waits in the shade nearby for Ian to come to his senses.

At King Richard's palace in Jaffa, the Earl of Leicester has taken Vicki prisoner to question her about her disguise and about the Doctor's motives for influencing the King. The Doctor finds her and confronts Leicester. The Earl accuses him of being a charlatan and/or a traitor, but the Doctor gives as good as he gets. The argument escalates, stopped only by the arrival of King Richard. He sends Leicester off to his soldiers to prepare them for battle. It is to come. Leicester, overjoyed, heads out to do just that.

The King informs the Doctor that he knows Leicester told Joanna of the marriage plan. He also says he now knows that plan won't work. He cannot go against Rome and Rome is the reason that they are all here. Vicki and the Doctor wonder why Richard didn't confront Leicester about telling Joanna, and the King says that he needs Leicester. He is a good soldier and leader of men. The battle will be difficult and he is needed. The King apologizes and assures the Doctor that they have his favour. But, to avoid a further confrontation with Leicester, he plans to send them to a nearby stronghold until the battle is finished. The Doctor agrees and asks if the King can defeat Saladin and hold Jerusalem. The King is unsure, but the Doctor reassures him that he will succeed.

The Doctor and Vicki start to head off, not to the stronghold but to the TARDIS. Vicki asks if King Richard really will win and the Doctor says he will not. And he cannot warn him as history must take its proper course. Sadly, they leave the palace as the King prays to the Holy Sepulchre for victory.

In the desert, the ants have found the honey trail and approach Ian in a black mass. All Ian must do is tell Ibrahim the truth - where he has hidden his money -- and he will be released.

The woman who befriended Barbara in the harem turns out to be Haroun's daughter Maimuna. Barbara tells her of her father and sister and the young woman bursts into tears of joy. She had thought her entire family dead. She had lived here in despair and shame, too afraid even to die. Barbara assures her that her father loves her and wants her back, but Maimuna still despairs as there is no escape from here.

At the King's palace, Leicester receives a report that the Doctor and Vicki have left, heading in the wrong direction. He sends a soldier to follow them, believing them to be either in service to Saladin or devils in human form!

Ian, watching the ants getting nearer, starts to get nervous. Ibrahim laughs happily when Ian finally relents and agrees to tell him where his gold is hidden. He says it is in his boot and Ibrahim sets about untying one leg and removing the boot. When there is nothing there, the bandit fears he has been tricked, but Ian directs him to the other boot. However, as soon as Ibrahim unties Ian's other leg, Ian kicks out against him and sends him sprawling. He levers himself up and frees his arms, pouncing on the bandit. He forces Ibrahim to agree to take him to Lydda. However, they will have to walk as Ibrahim's brother has stolen all the horses!

Barbara has had enough of waiting and decides to investigate an escape route. Maimuna tells her the layout of this part of El Akir's stronghold. The hallway outside leads to a window with a balcony. There is a tree just outside, not very tall, but there are soldiers below it. The gates, however, are not far away from the tree.

Elsewhere in the house, El Akir still searches for Barbara, getting angrier by the moment. He is approached by one of the harem girls, who has decided that the ruby ring is a good trade for Barbara's life after all...

Ian and Ibrahim reach El Akir's stronghold and knock out a guard. Ian grabs his sword and heads off to rescue Barbara. Ibrahim is happy about this, believing that Ian may kill the evil Emir. Even the bandit wants him dead, as he has made the formerly rich people so poor here that there is no one left for him to steal from. Ian asks then for the bandit's help: to steal horses for their getaway. He head off to do so.

In the harem chamber, Maimuna bursts in, having heard that El Akir is on his way. He knows that Barbara is here. She tries to hide Barbara again, but it is too late. Enraged, El Akir attacks both women, intending to kill them. Before he can do so, Ian enters through the window and engages El Akir in battle. But he is no match for the deranged energy of the Emir and is nearly defeated, until Haroun ed-Din appears and kills El Akir from behind with his knife. He has accomplished his goal and destroyed the evil Emir.

The entire group heads outside, where they meet Ibrahim. He has liberated all of El Akir's horses for their escape. Haroun has a joyous reunion with his eldest daughter. Barbara and Ian say quick goodbyes and run for the horses. The others hurry off on the run from the pursuing soldiers.

As darkness falls, the Doctor and Vicki reach the woods where the TARDIS rests. However, they find the area full of English soldiers, under the command of the Earl of Leicester. They block the path to the ship and Vicki and the Doctor cannot move.

In a nearby clearing, Leicester himself receives a message that the two were last seen heading in this direction - toward Saladin's encampment. He knows he will catch them.

The Doctor, impatient to get to safety, makes an attempt to reach the TARDIS. He is caught easily and dragged bodily to face Leicester. As he is taken away, Ian and Barbara arrive in the woods. They find Vicki and silently assess the situation.

Just as Leicester is about to sentence the Doctor to death for betraying the King, Ian enters the clearing. He introduces himself as Sir Ian, Knight of Jaffa, and tells Leicester that the Doctor is indeed in the employ of Saladin. He was responsible for planning the ambush of de Marun and de Tornebu earlier and he is here to administer the Doctor's execution. Playing along brilliantly, the Doctor quakes in "fear" and asks for 1 last request - to gaze upon Jaffa one last time. Leicester agrees and Ian escorts him through the brush to do so.

Behind the brush, they meet Barbara and Vicki. The Doctor laughs uproariously as they enter the TARDIS and dematerialize. Leicester and his men go after them and only see the police box disappear. They agree to keep the story quiet, for fear of being branded fools. Leicester wonders to himself what "tortures" brave Sir Ian is facing right now.