Humperdinck announces his engagement to Buttercup. He presents Buttercup to his kingdom, and she walks through the crowd. Unbeknownst to her, three of the men are planning her death. Elsewhere in the crowd, a man in a black mask watches.

Later, Buttercup goes riding and considers her engagement; she doesn’t love Humperdinck but is uncertain how important that is. On her way back, she meets three circus performers who accost her and “expertly” touch her neck in a way that makes her unconscious. When she wakes, she’s on a ship with the three men: a Sicilian, Vizzini; a Spaniard, Inigo; and a Turk, Fezzik. Buttercup pretends to sleep while the men discuss their plan to kill her in order to start a war. Vizzini reveals that he knows Buttercup is awake and touches her neck again, causing her to lose consciousness. The next time she wakes, she leaps into the ocean and swims away. Vizzini taunts her with the threat of sharks, which are drawn by the scent of blood. To drive her back to the ship, he cuts himself and drips blood into the water. At this point, Goldman interjects to warn the reader that Buttercup won’t be eaten, in case anyone was nervous.