This reminds me of a movie. An older mentor type tells this story to a younger character.
A soldier on guard detail in the palace falls in love with a princess. He knows that due do their differences in social standing they could never be together, but he confesses anyways. The Princess is completely taken by his heartfelt confession and tells him that if he can wait under her balcony for 100 days they can be together. The Soldier immediately goes to his new post. He stays there through the rain, sleet and snow. Birds shit on him and bugs sting him, but he never abandons his post. Near the end he is so dry and pale you could mistake him for a statue. Then on the 99th night, with tears in his eyes, he leaves.
The younger character gives his own interpretation later on in the movie but what I took away from it was if the Princess truly loved the Soldier, she wouldn't of put him through that trial. If she doesn't love him then the trial has no point, because whatever relationship that would start afterwards (if any) wouldn't be based on mutual affection.
The movie is 'Cinema Paradiso' if anyone wants to give it a watch, I highly recommend it.