Grace (Part 5)

Violet rested that night at the wizard’s cottage, and the next day, after he had supplied her with provisions and instructions for her journey, she set out to return to the Great Castle. The road did not seem so long, for Violet’s curiosity and hope quickened her pace and gave her new energy. Before she knew it, she was being ushered in to the throne room, where she saw before her, in all his glory and splendor, the Great King.

“Lady Violet, I am glad you have come. Welcome home,” he said, his voice soft with emotion.

“Your Majesty,” she bowed, but could think of nothing to say. So she stayed bent low and silent.

“You have been very busy, I hear!” he continued gently. “You have been a nanny, barber, cook, gardener, baker, librarian, and teacher, and have filled a number of civil service roles that have made my kingdom a better place.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” she replied, still bowed down.

“And though it is all good, you still feel an emptiness inside.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“That is because you were not asking the right question. Your life is not about who you are, but whose you are. You have lived in my castle for many years, and you have not caused any trouble, and kept your room clean and orderly, and been a very proper lady. But you have never come down to feast at my table, or attended any of my balls, which I have held in honor of you. My dear, you are my daughter – the Princess Violet Grace. You are the fairest maiden in all the land and heiress of the Great Kingdom and all the realms beyond.”

Violet’s heart nearly stopped at these words, declared over her so powerfully and with such confidence. She knew she was of noble blood, but a princess- the princess? The daughter of the Great King? And the Heiress? What could it possibly mean?

As though he knew her heart, the Great King laughed out loud, and said, “It means that you are my little girl! All I have is yours – freely and forever! You can do anything and everything that fills your heart with joy, but now you know that you have my blessing and authority in those things: You can plant seeds and design gardens, rather than just water them; you can write books, rather than just read them; you can adopt orphans and bring them home, rather than just feed them. And you can do so much more! – proclaim freedom for captives, bind up the brokenhearted, carry light into dark places! Go everywhere you desire, and always tell whoever you meet whose you are – you are my daughter. And who am I?” He smiled a huge smile that lit up his face, and he leaned over to touch Violet’s cheek and lift her head. “Now, that is a much better question to ask! For if you know who I am, you will come to know who you are. Spend time with me, sit beside me at my table to eat, dance with me at my balls, and you will learn more of me – and in so doing, you will become more and more who you were created to be.”

And so every day, Violet spent time with her Father. They ate together and danced together and hosted the most marvelous parties at the Great Castle together. And he went with her to the nursery, the kitchen, and the gardens to work alongside her and teach her more. He made bread with her at the bakery, read books with her at the library, and visited the children she’d met at the school house. They traveled together to the Elvish colony, the Great Forest, the Realms Beyond, and the cottage of old Uncle Judd. And in the evenings, they had tea together with Loyala on that favorite window seat and watched the magnificent sunsets.

Everything that Violet did became more beautiful, more graceful, and more powerful than before. The more she knew the King, the more she knew herself, and as a reflection of him and the daughter of him, she was made complete.

And she lived fully, ever after.