There was a king who had a brother, and each of them married to a princess. The king and queen gave birth to a daughter, Hebe, while his brother was unable to conceive. This caused a great feeling of jealousy between the queen and her sister-in-law. The king eventually died from fever, leaving the queen with a little girl to raise by herself. With the king dead, the prince came to believe he should rule, and ordered the queen and her daughter executed on the false story that she had poisoned the king. The queen was warned in time, and she escapes. As morning comes, the queen's servant suggest that they find cover, and hide in the woods. The queen despairs of losing her husband, and is about to give up when she spots the fairy of the woods, Sybella. Sybella conjures up a carriage and they are transported to her grove of trees with a magical entrance. Upon reaching safety, the queen is again overcome by grief. Sybella sees how full of emotion she is and waits for her to calm herself over some time. When the queen eventually realises that life will go on, Sybella begins to relate the history of her life.