My Life is not Mine Own

Hi!
I'm sorry it's been so long but school has been irritating me with homework. I hope y'all enjoy this!
May this make you think,
Jen
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Staring straight ahead at the King's face, not daring to look away. Never to move, never to back down. Never to shout, never to whisper. Never to get angry, never to get sad. The only thing on her face being a veil of calm.

The King was unnerved by the fact that this was his daughter, twenty years later. Unnerved by her defiance and her tranquility. "Come Daughter, let us make you into the Princess you were always meant to be."

Bowing her head in respect, she followed him. Always ten steps behind him, never speaking unless spoken too. She had all the decorum of a princess, but her walls were high and thick. She wasn't what the people needed.
-
This had been five years ago. The Princess of the small nation had shown her true colors as a fierce warrior with a kind heart. A gentle and quiet spirit that was pleasing to all who knew her. Prized by many men, she rejected them all saying, "My life is not my own. When the right man comes for me, I shall know for I will have no doubts about his character."

When the feast of Beltane came, she was shocked by the practices of her country. Extremely pagan and devout to their false gods she knew them to be, but this feast opened her eyes to just how much her country needed a guide. They had strayed so far from the path, and it made her want to weep.

So she started leaving the castle late at night and visiting those in the jail cells accused of crimes they didn't commit. She sat and listened, and offered passages from what the orphans, the widows, the prisoners, the poor, and the needy came to call "The Book".

As her father got more and more ruthless in his hunt to eradicate "magic", she started to stand on the side of the accused. The turning point for the whole kingdom was when she stood in front of her father whom she knew to be too blinded by grief to see the truth, and defied him on behalf of an eight year old blind girl.

"You know that she has not done these things Father, she can't even read, much less a complex book of spells."

"Daughter, this is just a trick to befuddle your mind. Stand down."

"Please Lord," She prayed. "please, don't let this little girl die for something she didn't do." And overcome with love for this scared child and her frightened people, she knew what God wanted her to do. Still, she was frightened.

"Lord please, I don't want to do this. Please take this away from me. If there is any other way for my father to see-". But she knew. There wasn't. And bowing her head in prayer one final time, she stood by her words. "'My life is not mine own.'"

Slowly she walked to her brother and his servant and handed his servant "The Book".  "Please, use this to continue." And the servant nodded, knowing exactly what she had to do, and not liking it one bit.

"I love you Sister." She smiled sadly at his name for her. "I will see you again in heaven." With one last hug, she walked back over and took the little girl's hand.

Squeezing it, she took the same stance she had years ago. "My life," she spoke clearly and slowly to annunciate her words. "My life is not my own. It belongs to God the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. And He has delivered my life into the service of our people. And I can't let you do this to someone so innocent. I can't let you kill innocent people. So pass your sentence, my lord, but your sentence will be upon both of us."

Gasps filled the room.  "You can't mean that, little sister!"

She glared at her brother. "I can and I will. I will not allow another one of my people to be murdered by their own king who is blinded by his own grief. Not while I am alive. And if I die, I die. My life is not my own."

And blinded by grief and rage, he sentenced the girl and his daughter to the pyre. And the nation wept for the loss of their gracious princess. And as the King died, the prince claimed the raids and burnings to be over. And the kingdom of pagan worshippers slowly turned to God. Not all at once, and not everyone, but many of the people did, including the Prince, now King, and his manservant/best friend.

And as the Manservant and Prince-King died in their final battle, they were welcomed home by the little blind girl and their sister. "Welcome home, my brothers."