Die Die Die Die Get Married: Fairytale Romance Problem

"The Twelve Dancing Princesses" is one of the odder fairytales (granted, they are all kind of odd) since at least one version postulates that if the suitor can't figure out where the princesses are going, that suitor will die.

To recap: a king's 12 daughters are disappearing at night and reappearing in the morning with their shoes tattered. They refuse to explain where they have been--and it wasn't the local nightclub. In desperation, the king sends out a carrot and stick plea: any man who wishes can attempt to solve the riddle of his daughters' behavior. If that man succeeds, he can marry the princess of his choice (including the eldest, so he also has the chance to become king). If he fails, he will be executed. 

A soldier takes up the challenge, the implication being that he has nothing to lose. No prince would be foolhardy enough to risk losing his own inheritance and his head over a long-shot.  

It seems an unlikely course of action in any case--until one reads history and realizes that people did it all the time. 

Not necessarily princes, but English families were surprisingly willing to risk their necks on the chance that they could solve the question of, for instance, whatever made Henry VIII tick. Although some suitors knew better, plenty of others calculated the benefits to marrying Lucretia Borgia. Despite her reputation as the ultimate bad girl, her family was worse--and had no qualms at disposing of an irritating husband and getting her another one.

Either these suitors/families figured the risks were worth the rewards or, considering the political mindset, they thought the risks didn't have any bearing on them. 

In any case, like so many fairy tales, "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" reflects a reality.