Once upon a time, there was a prince who was in search of a princess. This is not that story. Our prince didn't want to marry at all, rather his family wanted him to get married. In fact, his father, the King, proclaimed that none of the nobles in the land could marry until his son found true love. However, finding true love for the prince was much easier said than done.

"I don't understand why Devon has to marry before I'm even allowed to date!" The prince's sister, Lacey, whined to their mother on the way to the ball.

Twelve princesses waited inside the ball room, each eager to meet and maybe marry the prince. Oh, but he was a picky prince!

"It's tradition dear." Queen Aubrey said stopping outside the French doors leading from the terrace to the ball room. Two door guards stood at either side of the door looking ahead both too professional to make eye contact with the royal family. Soft music and laughter spilled onto the terrace. Vases with pink roses, baby's breath, and fuchsia carnations were meticulously arranged and placed around the outdoor space. Queen Aubrey hoped that the fragrant terrace would be the backdrop to her son's own Cinderella moment minus chasing after the girl with a shoe, of course.

"None of those women have a chance!" Princess Lacey said peeking in through the door. "Devon is just too picky."

"Of course, they have a chance. They are my last hope for a grandchild." Queen Aubrey quickly covered her mouth and gasped at her own faux pas, but it was too late, the words had escaped.

"I could give you a grandchild if I could snag a husband preferably before my eggs shrivel up and die." Lacey pleaded.

"Don't be so dramatic dear." The Queen admonished. "The ballroom is filled with the best Princesses in the thirteen Kingdoms, surely there will be one Devon finds suitable. Then your father will be satisfied that the tradition has been honored and he will lift his ban allowing you to marry. I say you keep your eye out for a knight because if everything goes right I might be planning two weddings." Queen Aubrey winked.

"I wish I had your faith." Lacey sighed looking down at her yellow ballgown. She might as well have been wearing a trash bag instead of the beautiful bejeweled gown, for if her brother didn't pick one of the girls to marry she wouldn't even get the chance to dance at the ball. "It is time for us to make our entrance." She cleared her throat and nodded at the door guard.

She waited until announced and then walked into the ballroom regally. Twinkly lights descended from the high ceilings. An orchestra played in a corner near a dance floor. Tables were on the other end of the room set meticulously for dinner. A few princesses mingled around the hors-d'oeuvres table. But as she entered the room the princesses stopped what they were doing to daintily clap as she took her place in the small throne chair on a dais overlooking the ballroom. She wanted to join the princesses at the hors-d'oeuvres table but since her family was hosting the ball she was expected to stay removed from the rest of the princesses. Instead, she had to watch everyone else have fun from her small chair next to her mother's.

Next, her mother strode in. Even though she just spoke to her, the older woman's appearance took Lacey's breath away. Her mother wore a long silver gown and was the epitome of style and grace. She wore her long hair in an intricate bun that helped support the crown that rested on her head.

Lacey's father was announced shortly after her mother took her seat. He looked dapper in a black tuxedo with a purple lapel. He kissed his daughter and wife on the cheeks before sitting in the largest of the four thrones.

Finally, Devon came in but instead of sitting with his family he headed for the princesses. An advisor with a parchment and quill stood nearby. "Let's get this over with." Devon said loudly.

Lacey looked at her mother and whispered. "He's not going to mingle with them? Get to know them first?"

Queen Aubrey shrugged, and Lacey watched her brother with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Devon had the princesses line up in a row and looked at the first princess who wore a lovely pink dress. "Too fat!" He said, to a princess who wasn't fat at all.

"But your majesty, I'm only 120 pounds." The princess argued but Devon had already moved to the next princess.

"Too thin." He said.

"But your majesty I'm 118 pounds."

Lacey turned to her mother. "He's humiliating them." She loud whispered. The queen shrugged again.

"Give him a chance." She whispered back.

But the prince came up with a different reason to deny each princess. One princess' hair was too light another's too dark.

The advisor asked frustratingly, "Well what color do you like?"

"Strawberry Blonde." The advisor furiously wrote in the notebook.

The next girl's eyes were too blue and the one after her, too brown.

The advisor again asked what color eyes the prince wanted. Then wrote the reply down. At hearing the prince wanted green eyes and strawberry blonde hair a few princesses stepped out of line before he could harass them.

He looked at the next princess who wore a purple silk gown and couldn't point out any flaws. Lacey started to become excited. Maybe her brother would finally find himself a wife.

"An evil wizard locks a maiden in a tower," Devon said.

Lacey facepalmed herself and took a deep breath. Now he's giving them tests?

"He casts a spell prohibiting any man from entering the door. What is your advice to save the maiden?"

"I don't... I don't know." The princess stuttered.

"Too stupid," Devon said and then moved along to the next princess.

"Ask the Princess to let down her hair and climb in through the window." The princess wearing the purple dress retorted.

"Good for her," Lacey whispered as the Queen excitedly placed her gloved hand on top of Lacey's. Devon slowly walked back towards the princess with the purple dress.

"How many years do you think it would take for the princess's hair to grow long enough to reach the bottom of the tower?" He asked without giving her a chance to answer. "Don't you think it would be painful for a full-grown man to tug on her hair to climb up the building?" The princess opened her mouth to speak but Devon continued, "I think I liked your first answer better." He turned on his heel this time effectively dismissing the princess before stopping in front of the next girl.

"Same question." He told her.

"Well, I would engineer some sort of aerodynamic flying device to go through the window." The princess smiled at her answer.

"Too smart." Devon said. He moved to the next princess, but she stepped back from him shaking her head. Evidently, she didn't want to marry Prince Devon after all.

None of the women in the room wanted to marry Devon after his cruel display and frankly, Lacey couldn't blame any of them.

"You were mean!" She told him as soon as she found some alone time with her brother. They were standing on the terrace again but instead of laughter pouring out of the ballroom they heard hushed murmurs and crying girls.

"And this was silly." He said brandishing his arms.

"You just like being alone!" Lacey yelled.

"I just couldn't imagine having to be married to any of those princesses. I want to marry the right person." Devon explained.

"You didn't even try to get to know them. You just body-shamed them and judged them. Those girls didn't deserve to be treated in that way." Lacey said.

"They're just dumb princesses." Devon justified.

"Dumb princesses? Like me?" Lacey accused.

"You know that isn't what I meant," Devon said.

"It's exactly what you meant. But you know what Devon, I'd rather be a dumb princess than a cruel-hearted prince." Lacey marched towards the ballroom where she planned on spending the rest of the night comforting and reassuring crying princesses.

She turned to face her brother one more time before heading into the ballroom. "I want to find love and can't but you brother, have every opportunity to find it, but won't."

Devon watched his sister stiffen her shoulders before gracefully walking into the ballroom to comfort crying princesses, even though he knew all she wanted to do was cry herself.

His sister was right. He was being mean. But he couldn't bring himself to marry any of them. What was wrong with him? Devon sighed, the whole situation was impossible. The only way for his sister to be happy was for him to be miserable. The only way for her to find true love was for him to settle.

Devon went to his father countless times and begged him to call off the silly ball and let Lacey marry. The King wouldn't budge, and Devon's anger got the better of him. He took his frustrations out on the Princesses at the ball. He peered at the princesses through the French doors. Maybe he should go in and apologize for being an ass. Then again, he was afraid to give them hope. He didn't want to marry any of them.

Instead, he looked up at the night sky and asked for guidance. "Why can't I love?" He asked the stars as if they had the answers. But answer him they did. Lightning sparked, and thunder cracked in the distance. He had no idea the thunder and lightning would bring the one person that Devon could spend his life with.