Directed by Michael Levine
Written by Brenda Lilly
Because of her startling resemblance to King Lias' daughter Diana, Xena is asked to pose as the princess to help flush out a band of would-be assassins.
Tropes
- Acting for Two: Lucy Lawless plays Xena and her lookalike Diana.
- Break the Cutie: Diana doesn't have the easiest time adapting to Xena's lifestyle and going without her usual perks, but seeing that people regularly go hungry in her kingdom deeply affects her.
- Continuity Nod: Lias says he found out about Xena and Diana's resemblance because his cousin is Sisyphus.
- Identical Stranger: Diana and Xena
- Innocently Insensitive: Diana doesn't interact with the ordinary people very well, though she wants to do better.
- Prince and Pauper: The premise of the episode.
- Not So Above It All: Xena says it wasn't that fun being a princess since it just wasn't her... before adding that she could get used to all the perks.
- Sheltered Aristocrat: Diana had only ever been out of the castle twice (as Gabrielle keeps hearing). Diana agreed to trade places with Xena to learn about the outside world and become a better ruler. She gets more than she bargained for.