The prince paused and looked around the hall.
“Every one of you judged Eleanor before she even had a chance to prove herself. You laughed at her appearance, questioned her abilities, and assumed she was unworthy simply because she looked different from you.”
The women lowered their eyes.
Then the prince turned toward Eleanor and gently took her hand.
“Eleanor, you walked into this room knowing that everyone was against you. Yet you faced them without surrendering your dignity. That is the kind of strength I wanted to find.”
He raised her hand before the entire court.
“The challenge is over,” the prince declared. “And I have made my decision.”
The entire throne room fell silent.
