Responding to an urgent message from King Lias, Xena (Lucy Lawless) heads off alone for a few days, leaving Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) and Joxer (Ted Raimi) behind. Meanwhile, a distraught Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings) visits her son, Cupid (Karl Urban), to complain about the match he has made between beautiful Princess Ileandra (Mandie Gillette) and dashing Prince Sarpedon (Craig Parker), who are heirs to the thrones of their respective fathers, King Lynaeus (Craig Walsh-Wrightson) and King Barus (Ross Jolly). She explains that the two kings plan to dismantle her temples along their common border, and begs Cupid to break up the impending marriage. When Cupid tells her that the couple plans to elope, she is forced to get involved immediately to try to stop the union. When Aphrodite brags that she can use any man -- not necessarily a god or hero -- as her accomplice simply by casting her lust spell on him, the mischievous Cupid dares her to join forces with the bumbling Joxer. Joxer is bedazzled when Aphrodite approaches him and casts her spell by dangling a necklace with a bell on it in front of him and ringing the bell softly several times. As his eyes glaze over, Aphrodite instructs him to deliver the necklace personally to Princess Ileandra as a wedding gift.
A short while later, Gabrielle hears cries of distress and spots a band of thugs dragging off five maidens. Springing into action, she is stunned when Joxer rushes in and disarms the ruffians in a brilliant display of swordsmanship. One of the maidens turns out to be Princess Ileandra, who was on her way to elope with Sarpedon. She instantly falls head-over-heels for her intrepid rescuer. Unbeknownst to Joxer or Gabrielle, Aphrodite's spell is responsible for Joxer's newfound bravery and spectacular fighting abilities. The goddess is able to control him simply by ringing a bell. Unfortunately, the sound of any subsequent bell breaks the spell. When Joxer presents Ileandra with Aphrodite's necklace, the tinkling of its bell causes Joxer to revert to his former self with no memory of his daring behavior, which totally confuses Ileandra. At the Princess' request, Gabrielle and Joxer agree to accompany her and her companions on their journey to prevent further attacks. Soon they reach Pyros, where the Princess is reunited with her fiance.
The meddlesome Aphrodite soon shows up at Joxer's side and urges him to escort the happy couple on their way to ensure their safety. She then rings her bell, and Joxer is again transformed into the suave and daring hero who earlier captured Ileandra's heart. Joxer gets the opportunity to sweep the Princess off her feet once more when Sarpedon leaves her to go find a priest to marry them. When he returns, the Prince is shocked and dismayed to find that Ileandra has fallen madly in love with Joxer. Outraged by the situation, he initiates a sword fight and Joxer battles back brilliantly at first. But when Sarpedon spies Ileandra's necklace and grabs hold of it, the bell rings and Joxer is rendered incompetent. When Joxer tosses the necklace back to Sarpedon, the bell rings again and he is transformed back into a splendid warrior. He ultimately disarms the Prince, who runs off with the necklace. Gabrielle vows to find out what's really going on, knowing that Joxer must be the victim of some sickness or spell.
Meanwhile, Aria (Rachale Davies), one of the Princess' maidens, has turned King Lynaeus and King Barus against each other by reporting that she has seen Ileandra in the arms of another man -- the gallant warrior Joxer. The two angry fathers call off all marriage negotiations immediately. When Sarpedon returns to his father's castle and informs him about his confrontation with Joxer, King Lynaeus decides to mount an all-out search for the mysterious warrior. Joxer bravely meets the platoon of Lynaeus' soldiers, but at the sound of a tiny bell on the King's bridle, he drops his sword and trembles in fear. Gabrielle rushes in to try to rescue him, but Joxer is knocked out by his own sword. The two are arrested by the King despite the pleas of the confused Ileandra, who is spurned by Lynaeus for having deceived his son. As they await execution, Gabrielle finally figures out that Aphrodite is behind all the trouble. She manages to escape and confronts the goddess, urging her to lift her lust spell on Joxer, but Aphrodite refuses. With only moments to spare before his execution, Gabrielle hurls a rock into a large bell near a storefront and Joxer, transformed once again into a magnificent warrior, makes an incredibly daring escape from the chopping block. At Gabrielle's request, he steers the ensuing fight into Aphrodite's temple. Appalled by the destruction of precious artifacts and statues as the battle rages on, Aphrodite finally puts a stop to the fighting by lifting her spell on Joxer, and Ileandra and Sarpedon are reunited once and for all.
Guest Starring: Ted Raimi (Joxer), Alexandra Tydings (Aphrodite), Karl Urban (Cupid), Craig Parker (Sarpedon), Mandie Gillette (Ileandra), Craig Walsh-Wrightson (King Lynaeus), Ross Jolly (King Barus), Rachale Davies (Aria), Tai Hadfield (Guard), Mark Jones (Messenger)
Starring: Lucy Lawless as Xena, Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle
Written by Adam Armus & Nora Kay Foster
Directed by Josh Becker
Trivia: In this episode, Joxer sings "The Ballad of Joxer the Mighty" for the first time.