There was once a young woman of humble origin, but incredibly beautiful, famous throughout the region for her beauty. She, knowing well how much the young people of the kingdom loved her, rejected all her suitors, waiting for the arrival of some handsome prince.
This did not take long to appear, and as soon as he saw her, he fell madly in love with her and filled her with compliments and gifts. The wedding was great, and everyone commented that they were a perfect match.
But when the brightness of the gifts and the parties faded away, the young princess discovered that her handsome husband was not as wonderful as she expected: he behaved like a tyrant with his people, boasted about his wife as a hunting trophy and He was selfish and petty.
When she found that everything in her husband was a false appearance, she did not hesitate to tell him to her face, but he responded in a similar way, reminding her that he had only chosen her because of her beauty, and that she herself could have chosen many others before to him, if he had not dared to lead by his ambition and his desire to live in a palace.
The princess cried for days, understanding the truth of the words of her cruel husband. And she remembered so many honest and kind young men she had rejected only for becoming a princess. Willing to amend her error, the princess tried to flee from the palace, but the prince did not consent, because she spoke to all of the extraordinary beauty of his wife, increasing with them his reputation as an exceptional man. So many attempts made the princess to escape, which ended up locked and guarded by guards constantly.
One of those guards felt sorry for the princess, and in his confinements he tried to encourage him and give him conversation, so that over time they became good friends. So much confidence they came to have, that one day the princess asked her guardian to let her escape. But the soldier, who owed loyalty and obedience to his king, did not accede to the request of the princess. However, he replied saying:
- If you want so much to flee from here, I know how to do it, but it will require a great sacrifice on your part.
She agreed, confirming that she was willing to do anything, and the soldier continued:
- The prince only loves you for your beauty. If you disfigure your face, it will send you far from the palace, so that no one can see you, and it will erase any trace of your presence. He is so mean and miserable.
The princess responded saying:
- To disfigure me? And where will I go? What will become of me, if my beauty is the only thing I have? Who would want to know anything about a horribly ugly and useless woman like me?
- I will do it - the soldier replied, who from his daily dealings with the princess had ended up falling in love with her - For me you are even more beautiful inside than outside.
And then the princess understood that she also loved that simple and honest soldier. With tears in his eyes, he took the hand of his guardian, and, wielding a dagger together, traced on his face two long and deep cuts ...
When the prince looked at his wife's face, everything happened as the guard had predicted. He had her sent as far as he could, and he invented a tragic story about the death of the princess that made him even more popular among the people.
And so, disfigured and free, the girl with the beautiful face could finally be happy with that simple and loyal soldier, the only one who did not look away when he saw her, because through his face he always found the way to his heart.