The Quest
Once upon a time in a tranquil kingdom in a fruitful land, there lived a wise but aged king. The king had ruled the land for many years in peace and prosperity. When the king spoke, all ears would listen; when he approached, all eyes would love to see him. And when his name was mentioned, all lips would gently smile. He was revered among his people.
Now, the king had a son, his only child, who was also much loved. The Young Prince had learned well the ways of his father. He was kind and warm, fair and honest, strong and brave. He was tall and handsome with a noble countenance and fine bearing. He was his father’s only son.
As the Young Prince grew to maturity, his attributes grew more enhanced. He was a favorite among the courtiers, and the servants of the royal palace alike. Not at all surprisingly, he was especially beloved among the people of the land. The people, though saddened by the knowledge that their beloved king would one day die, were heartened by the prospect that the Young Prince would ascend to the throne. To his credit, the Young Prince did not take his role as heir lightly. He was an ardent student of statesmanship, the military sciences, economics and the traditions of his people.
In time, as the old king began to feel Father Time encroaching ever more closely, he broached a delicate topic with his son, the topic of marriage and his son’s own eventual successor.
“You are of an age, my son,” he began, “when you must seriously consider taking a wife.”
“Yes, Father,” the prince replied. “I realize that I am of age, and that that time is near at hand. But I have yet to meet the woman who would be my wife. Please don’t think that I am reluctant or overly selective. But, Father, I have to be sure that the woman I marry is both right for me, but also the right woman to one day be queen of our people.”
“Wisely said, Son,” the king replied. “But it is time to begin your quest for that queen in earnest. Of all the high-born ladies of the land, surely there is one might win your heart,” he urged.
And with that, the Young Prince began his quest.
It became widely known – and discussed – that the prince was seeking a bride. All the lords and ladies of the land hoped the prince would find his queen in their home. Fetes and galas, banquets and balls became the order of the day. The marriageable daughters of the lords and ladies were groomed, guided and gilded in ways thought to be the most alluring to catch the eye and hand of the prince.
After each new round of functions and festivals, the king would ask, “My Son, is there one whom you have found appealing yet?” The Young Prince would reply, “Father, they are all fine young women, gracious and well-bred. But as yet, there is on one who had captured my heart.”
The quest continued. Each noble family tried to outdo the other in entertaining and pleasing the prince. Their daughters tittered, giggled, fawned and flirted. They smiled and swooned on cue. But none were able to touch his heart.
Time passed. It passed quickly for all except the old king on whom it seemed to rest heavily.
“My Son, I grow older and more anxious,” he said. “Is there still not one you would take as a wife?”
“Father,” replied the son, “they are all fine and lovely young women. Beautiful and noble. But as yet, there is not one who would be my wife and queen.”
“Son, you want a wife and queen. My advice for you is this. Look only at those with strong legs and a large head. A queen must stand through long ceremonies, and wearing a crown becomes heavy.”
“That may be true, Father, but the queen will be the mother of my children, the mother of kings,” added the son.
“Ah yes. Then look only at those with broad hips fit for bearing and a bosom full enough to nourish the future king!” They both laughed.
“Remember, Father,” continued the prince, “to be a good wife, mother and queen, most importantly, she will need to be the love of my life.”
“Son,” the king added, “you are wise to set such noble priorities, but also remember this: passion is an affair of the heart, an emotion which comes and goes of its own volition. But love – love is a decision you make every day. Find someone you can choose to love or I fear you may never find the woman who would be your queen.”
“Father, I also know that a noble heart is not always found in a nobleman’s house. The world is large, and its bounty is plenty. The greatest treasure may be hidden, secreted away. I will find my wife and my queen, even if I have to search the world over. That will be my life’s greatest quest.”
“Son, you have faith and confidence. You speak with both wisdom and innocence. You have a good heart and a right mind. Go! Search the earth. All lands, ranks, and positions. Send out a decree throughout the world that she who brings you the “greatest treasure” which you seek will become your queen.”
Thus it was done, and the message was sent to the four corners of the earth. It was decreed that she who could give the Young Prince the greatest treasure would become his queen. And so they began to arrive, ladies and lasses from every location and station coming to win the hand of the prince.
They came bearing gifts; they came with the promise of more. They came alone; they came with an entourage. They came of their own volition, and they came because they had been sent. Princesses and paupers, monarchs and milkmaids, sisters of sultans and sisters of serfs, ladies of every size, shape, creed and court, all came to vie for the hand of the prince. Each was certain that she would present the greatest gift, the key to his heart. Each was sure that she would receive his hand – and the throne it rested on. For his part, the prince received them all. He spoke, but more often and more importantly, he simply watched and listened as each presented her gift and laid her dowry before him.
And oh what gifts they offered! Many brought gifts of gold, trusting that the allure of that soft yet powerful metal. None brought more than the daughter of the king of the Mammonites. Arrayed in fabric of shimmering spun gold, bedecked with jewels set in ropes and rings in the most subtle shades of gold, she moved like a ray of earthbound sunlight. She was beautiful to behold, her blond hair glistened with flecks of gold dust. As she entered the great hall, courtiers gasped and gaped at the sight of such splendor.
“Your Most Valued Majesty,” she greeted the prince. “I have traveled a great distance and come before you today bearing the gift of wealth. I offer you treasure worth more than the coffers of ten of your neighbors together. My kingdom’s treasury of gold, silver and other precious metals and gems is vast. You and I shall combine our resources and we shall be, by far, the richest and thus most powerful monarchs of the earth.”
“Surely,” the crowd murmured, “the prince will choose this lady. Her beauty is only surpassed by her wealth.”
The Young Prince, however, had noted that the sparkle in the eyes of this princess was nothing more than the reflection off the cold metal which she loved so much. He surmised that she, like the sun, which shines brightly, but also burns and scorches, would also dry and wither those people and things within her reach, and leave then as dust in the wind as she moved on.
Cordial as ever, the Young Prince thanked her sincerely for her offer. Acknowledging the greatness of her gift, he pledged eternal gratitude to her for considering him worthy of it. He then dismissed her.
As the first princess left, a second arrived. As close as the crowds had been drawn to that golden princess, so much was the distance they kept from the next, the powerful queen from the potentate of Aresia.
Tall, elegant, proud and strong – most of all strong – the queen rode into her audience with the prince on a pure white stallion in full military armor. Accompanying her was her cadre of personal warriors. In stark contrast to the first princess, the queen exuded an air of conquest. No paint or other artifice decorated her face, yet her eyes glowed with a fire within.
“I have what all men want,” she declared. “And need,” she added. “I have strength and power. My armies are large and well equipped. My intentions are global. I have arms, but I need a strong mate to beget strong issue. Marry me and we will rule the world!”
To which the prince replied, “Gracious queen, your proposal is honest and straightforward. Your singularity of purpose commendable, and I am more than honored that you would make such an offer to me. To the whole world, in fact. Since it is power you offer, it is power I take. With your notable proposal, I now have the power to decide the outcome of this meeting, and to either further or to thwart your ambitions. Although I value your friendship, I am afraid that I must decline your proposition.”
And with that, the fierce lady retreated with all her retinue. The crowd at court uniformly sighed in relief.
As so it continued. Days rolled into weeks. They came. They left. Some came alone, but most came with representatives from their respective families, courts and realms. One brought great beauty. One, intelligence. One promised the gift of healing. And so on, and so on. All were graciously received and thankfully sent on their way.
As the time went on, the prince received a woman named Lady Hertha from the lush and languid land of Veneria. She wore no golden crown, her lustrous mahogany hair was her only crown. As she approached, her dark almond eyes never left the prince. He was mesmerized by the sway of her hips. She seemed to hold the secret to many wonderful mysteries in her sly smile. She was a cat, a vixen, a doe. The prince knew exactly what her gift would be. It was not until many years later that he was able to admit that he was sorely tempted to accept what she had to offer. But even at the time, he knew full well that her gift was transient and had very likely been offered and accepted by many on quite different quests.
As the days and weeks rolled on, though, the prince noticed, among the royalty, their retinues and the rest, one who seemed to be both a part of and separate from all the suitors visiting the prince. She seemed to serve all yet be servant to none. Her demeanor was regal, yet she had none of the haughtiness of royalty. She was lovely without adornment. She deferred to all the grand ladies, and befriended the timid, the uncertain and the less than high born. She seemed in control of each new situation and encounter. Yet she remained in the background. All of this was noticed by the prince.
The Young Prince began to search for this lady in waiting – hiding, perhaps a better term – in the crowds at court. He caught glimpses of her as the princesses, ladies and other suitors came, proposed and left. When he found her in the crowds, her eyes went downcast, and her lips smiled softly.
More time passed. More treasures offered. Magical powers. Prophesy. The finest silks and jewels. Women of every shape, size, rank, and origin. It seemed as though the process would never end. In time, however, it did slow down. Whether it was a lack of ingenuity, a loss of hope or just the end of a seemingly endless supply, the number of propositioning brides began to dwindle.
One evening after the crowds had left and the hubbub had died down, the Young Prince took a solitary walk in the gardens. He had not gone but a short distance when he came face to face with the lovely regal young lady in the crowds. Both she and the prince were caught somewhat off guard. Both began to speak at the same time. Both deferred to the other. They smiled in the waning sunlight.
“Your Majesty,” the young lady started, “please don’t think me bold.”
“Bold!” replied the prince. “I was beginning to think you could not speak. I have watched you for weeks. I suspect you have been aware of that. You serve all, yet you are servant to none. You are….”
“I am the one who can give you the greatest treasure of all,” she interrupted, blushing. Then she said plainly, “If you accept my gift, it is yours.”
The Young Prince was dumbstruck. He had words upon words rolling over each other in his head and on his heart. Yet not one could find its way to his mouth.
Finally, he managed to say, “Go on…”
“You see,” she began, “I arrived at your court with a large group from a land far away. I heard about your quest, and I joined the many who headed to your court. I have listened to others babble on about gifts carried from the far corners of the earth. I have heard the great ladies, one after another, lay out their plans to one day be your queen and lady of the land. Oh how they have worked to sell themselves to you! They’ve painted, draped, trumpeted and paraded. They’ve offered you things in return for power and prestige. But not one has brought you the treasure I can give.
I do not come offering gold or arms or land. I do not bring diamonds, silks, horses or camels. I give you freely,” and here she paused as if to collect her courage, “I give you freely my self. My love and my life.”
Gently she lifted the Young Prince’s hand. “If you are to become a great king, you need your queen to stand steadfast by your side. If you are to be the father of great kings, you need their mother to share your vision with them. If you are to be a happy, contented husband, you need a wife who is content to be by your side. But before any of this can come to pass, if you are to be a happy man, you need a woman whose love for you is even more important than your love for her. When this is the case, all the rest will come as sure as the morning dew.
I have observed you. I know you. I have come to love you. I give you my gift without reservation. My gift is my love.”
Almost without hesitation, the Young Prince replied. “You are bold. Bold and wise. You bring your gift of unsurpassed beauty and value. I, too, have observed you. I accept your gift, your greatest treasure. And I offer my gift of love in return. Marry me this very day!”
“My beloved prince, there is nothing I would rather do than marry you today. But please let me return to my own father’s house and tell him of the joyful occasion. He is old, but I am sure that he will want to be present for his only daughter’s wedding. And I am sure that your own father, the king, may also want to hear this news from you, as well.”
“You are beautiful and wise,” said the prince. “And I do not yet even know your name,” he added with a laugh.
“Ah, yes. My name. It’s Grace,” she said.
“And mine is John,” said the prince. “Plain and simple, John.”
“It may sound plain and simple,” Grace added, “but John is “gracious”. Very fitting, indeed.”
Grace went home to her father, and John went to see his.
The old king had heard rumblings. When the Young Prince arrived, his father asked about the young woman. When the prince told his father what little he knew about the lovely Grace, his father became troubled.
“What are you doing?” he asked the prince. “Has a witch put a spell on you? Do you really plan to marry this girl about whom you know nothing?”
“Father, my lord, it is true, and it does seem strange. All I know of her is her name. But I do not know nothing. I have observed her from afar. I know her face, and I know her mind and her heart. All are beautiful and pure. I have made my decision. Now, I await her return.”
As the coming days rolled into weeks, the kingdom prepared. The Young Prince and the old king waited. But there was no word from nor sighting of the lovely young girl named Grace. The old king grew anxious, impatient.
“My son,” he chided, “it’s been nearly a month now. I am afraid that you are being made to look the fool. You refused the gifts of rich and powerful ladies from across the earth, yet you gave your heart and your word to a girl who gave you nothing. I see in this the work of all the women…scorned, so to speak.”
“Father, believe what you will,” responded the prince, “but know this. I have made my decision to love, and I will wait for my love to return. Be it a month, a year or a lifetime, I will wait.”
And so the sun set on another day. The king, the prince, the court and the kingdom all sent to sleep to dream their separate dreams of the future.
Another month passed, and another. The preparations had all been made for a royal wedding; for most of the court, it all came to seem like a joke, a fool’s chore. Only the Young Prince remained faithful to his promise to await the return of his greatest treasure.
Then one morning, the whole kingdom was awakened by the sounds of herald trumpets and the rumble of elephants on the march.
The Young Prince awoke and looked out over the palace gate. He was astonished by what he saw. There, atop the enormous lead elephant, sat the young girl, Grace. Haloed by the brilliant rising sun, she shimmered in the finest white silk sewn with thread of spun gold. She wore strands of jasmine while pearls circled her head and draped over her shoulder. She carried a scepter inlaid with diamonds. At her command, the heralds quieted ands the elephants came to a halt. Behind them stopped an enormous army, and behind the army a caravan of treasures came to a stop as well.
The gates were opened. The Young Prince rushed toward them.
“Good morning, John, My Love,” was all she said. Then as she descended from between the ears of the massive mammoth, she said with a chuckle, “Shall we wed today?” And as she touched the ground, and looking at the prince, she added, “You look surprised.”
The Young Prince was stunned and unable to reply with any more than a nod and a gape. Again Grace chuckled.
“I am the girl who offered only herself as a her own gift to you, her love as her greatest treasure. I told you when first we spoke that I had not brought gold or land or power. That was true. I had not. But I am still Grace. My father is the great and generous king of a far-off land. I, too, am his only child, and what I now bring is his gift to you. He will join us soon.
You see, I too, was on a quest. I, too, was searching for a husband, a father to my children and the future rulers of my land, a king to sit beside me on the throne.
You set up a test to find a wife, and all the while you were testing all those grand and wonderful ladies, I was testing you.
You sought the greatest treasure. I sought the one who would recognize it.
You gave me the time to present my gift to you. I gave you the chance to hear of it.
You accepted my gift, and faithfully awaited the return of the girl who had offered it.
I accept you as my husband, and will faithfully stand with you as your wife, your friend and your queen.”
When she had finished, the Young Prince took the Young Princess into his arms. That very day, they wed and the whole kingdom celebrated. They began their long, fruitful and happy life together.
There is a moral to the story. What it is, is yours to determine.
Enjoy your quest.