The prince sat on his elevated throne, surrounded by royal guards, and watched the women silently for a while. Then he stood and announced:
“My wife will be the woman who successfully completes this challenge.”
One of the young women smiled nervously.
“And what must we do, Your Highness?”
The prince calmly pointed toward the golden sphere.
“You must sit on it and remain seated for as long as possible.”
A wave of fear swept through the hall.
“Sit on that?” a woman in a blue dress asked in disbelief.
“Exactly,” the prince replied.
The women exchanged frightened glances. Some immediately turned pale. It was obvious that sitting on a sphere covered in sharp spikes would be incredibly painful and potentially dangerous.
The first contestant to step forward was the daughter of a wealthy duke. She cautiously approached the sphere and tried to sit down, but she immediately cried out and jumped back.
“I can’t do this!”
The next woman managed only a few seconds. The third barely dared to lower herself before stepping away. One after another, the women attempted the challenge, but none could endure it for long. Some began to cry, others grew angry, and several refused to participate at all once they saw the spikes up close.
