• In a beautiful Kingdom, not far from our own, there lived a Princess. A Princess who refused to marry. She was a strong believer in love and would argue with her parents, the King and the Queen, " to fall in love is what I desire" and "not be forced to rule with a man I cannot stand."

    Her parents all too well, understood as they fell for one another once before. They knew the joys of ruling with love but knew they were becoming much too old, too quick, to rule the land for much longer. So the King offered a solution. " My Daughter, for three nights and no more, we shall hold a ball. Young men from all about, from the hills to valleys, from the seas to shores to skies, all shall be invited to this affair. You shall meet your love by the third and he'll become King."

    " And if I don't?" asked the Princess.

    " We arrange it so you are married by the fourth." So it was, a ball began, every night, from dusk to dawn, for the next three nights.

    Upon the first, the Princess danced with every man present. Princes, Dukes, Lords, and Nobles, even servants and peasants. Not a single one held her desire, all too much concerned with the crown than falling in love.

    Upon the second, towards the time the ball would end, there came a lad. Tall and sure, hair of gold, clothing of silk, and a mask that could not hide his smile, he asked the Princess for a dance and dance they did. And as they dance, they spoke. Of wonders and magics, death and sickness, winter and spring, of flowers and trees. When the Sun bled morn, he whispered goodbye and that he would return. The Princess was smitten. "The next I see of him, I shall ask his name and removal of mask."

    So upon the third night, he arrived just before dawn, dressed the best of all. The Princess almost wept, for she would have sworn him a only a dream from the night before. At once she fled to his side, asking his name and mask to which he replied. "Not so quick, fall for the soul and not the name." She agreed and spent the night with him at her side, thanking all those who came.

    " My Daughter," called out the King from his throne " your time is gone. Has thou found?" There was a twinkle in his eye, he knew she had indeed found her love. The Princess smiled and turned to her subjects, the Sun making it's presence known through the stained glass, casting heavenly glows all around.

    "This is my Prince, he shall be King!" Her statement turned untrue as the mask revealed not a Prince but a Princess in disguise.

    " Joan Le'Arc my Princess."

    The Princess was blushing pink, having found her love to be of the same form as she but did not mind so when she kissed her Prince she declared " We two shall rule, for love means nothing if it cannot be blind to such boundaries."

    The End