The reception held that night was indeed a glittering affair and the two girls were by no means the least of the many attractions.  Princess Sara had changed out of her white riding habit into a golden ball gown, heavily encrusted with a myriad of precious stones of many colours.  On her head was a tiara whose value was obviously quite beyond price, from which flashed a thousand rays of light reflected from the chandeliers.  All that this finery  served was to show up the fair young maiden's natural beauty all the more.  As one besotted guest put it, those blue eyes shone more brightly than any diamond and the Princess's golden hair,  and  white arms and shoulders reflected the light even more dazzlingly than the many jewels with which she was so lustrously and lavishly bedecked.

The haughty Princess, secure in the knowledge that she and her closest friend, but especially she, were the object of everyone's adulation basked contentedly in the admiration she was so clearly receiving.  Even the faggot of a King could not take his eyes off his beloved daughter and her bewitching friend.  It promised to be a triumph for both girls until the Guest of Honour was announced.

"The High and Mighty Prince Adelbert, Ruler of the Forest of Henrikswald" rang out the manly baritone of the major domo.

All eyes switched to take in the sight of this legendary figure.  He was  tall and very, very handsome, with a fine red beard, a jutting chin, wide shoulders, bull neck  and a deep powerful chest.  His piercing blue eyes dominated the scene from the moment of his majestic entrance.   At six feet five inches, he was easily the tallest man in the chamber.  Authority and dignity were stamped upon him.  He, like Sara, needed no finery to impress himself on people's attention, although he was arrayed in the most magnificent clothes.

For the first time in her life Sara fell immediately and hopelessly in love!  Martha saw at once that her friend was fatally smitten and she could see why!  She quite fancied the guy herself!  Allowing the Princess to take centre stage, she slipped off to find Baron Schroder and see if she could advance her own matrimonial prospects, now that her darling friend seemed well on the way to achieving both her own happiness and the King's dream of an heir.

The King soon introduced this magnificent Prince  to Princess Sara and this tall  and manly potentate bowed over her proffered and sweet little hand, kissing it with a courtliness that made her heart beat faster than she had ever known it to before!   They danced and Sara was in heaven!  In heaven only for a few minutes, alas!   It soon became quite clear to the lovelorn girl that his manner was one of politeness only.  There was no answering passion in those manly blue eyes, only indifference.  He held her close, but there was no warmth in his embrace.   He was as proud as she, and Princess Sara was now on the receiving end of the rejection she had been so happy to dispense to others.

She knew that she MUST have this man for her husband, and that her life would be worthless without him. His indifference was a dagger piercing her through the heart.  After the festivities were over, she went up to her chamber and threw herself on to her bed and wept.

Martha heard her and came in to see what was wrong.  She could not believe that the prince had not been as intoxicated by Sara's beauty as the Princess had been by his.  His eyes must have been closed by some dark and supernatural power!  There could be no other explanation.  What man, of however high degree and estate,  would not be honoured with a bride a tenth as lovely as her darling Sara?

Next day, the pair rode out as usual but the Princess was silent and obviously in the very ultimate depths of despair.   Martha, whose own designs on the worthy baron were proceeding very much according to plan, wept inwardly to her friend's anguish and prayed that her wishes might be granted and the Prince's eyes opened.

They soon returned to the Palace and the heartbroken Princess went up to her chamber.  Each day she became more morose, refusing food and becoming weaker and paler almost by the hour.  Finally the King could take no more and cried out aloud, cursing the Good Fairy, who had predicted many years ago, that his daughter would have to pass through many  troubles to gain the love of her chosen man. Once again the Fairy appeared in the same was as before.

"Go and fetch your daughter, Your Majesty.  I have something to tell her.  She will gain the Prince's love and I will take away the shadow before his eyes which conceals from him her beauty.  She must decide for herself if she is able to do that which is necessary to secure her happiness and the future of your kingdom.  Have her brought down here!"

The Princess was persuaded to come down to her father's chamber and arrived her eyes brighter than for many days, now that she had been told that there might, after all, be hope. "I will do whatever I have to, to secure his love" was all she said to Martha, as they both made their way to the Good Fairy's presence.

The fairy seemed not to object to Martha being there.  She addressed the Princess sternly.

"Your father offended me many years ago and you have only added to your troubles by your imperious demeanour this last few years.  You have been humbled by unrequited love and will be humbled further before you attain your heart's desire!  Here is what you have to do.  Listen carefully - I shall say this only once."

Both the girls and the King listened attentively as the Good Fairy described the hard road which the Princess must tread in order to arrive at her heart's desire.

"You must leave this Palace and your father's Kingdom for a year and a day.  You will only have the ground for a resting place and the sky for shelter in all that time.  You will take neither food nor money and live only by your own efforts.  Put on this ring."

The Princess, full of fear now that her awful dream seemed about to come true, obeyed.  The ring slipped so easily onto her right ring finger that she felt it must surely drop off again, but once on her finger, it was stuck firm and no effort could remove it.  The Good Fairy continued.

"You will wear this ring and nothing else until you return this time a year tomorrow.  You must leave this instant if you are not to lose for ever, the Prince's love. Take all your fine clothes off at once and remain naked save for that ring for a year and a day.  Naked and homeless, without shelter from the winds and rain and from the burning sun.  If you refuse, then the Prince is lost to you for ever!"