A monk in the pay of Prince John lands on the coast of Cornwall and announces that King Richard is dead. As proof he has a medallion bearing the royal insignia. This news enables Prince John to accuse Ivanhoe of having concealed the King’s illness in order to keep the ransom for himself. Ivanhoe is a traitor! But our hero’s faithful companion Rebecca slips through the secret passageways of the castle to keep an eye on the underhanded Prince John – and she discovers that the medallion was forged. Rowena, convinced he is innocent, persuades the Archbishop of Canterbury to send a messenger to verify that the King is actually alive and well. But Prince John has more that one trick up his sleeve and decides to eliminate Ivanhoe.