The story of A Girl and Her King, joins the young protagonist as she grows in her commitment towards her good king. She is young and he is old. He teaches, her watches over her, protects her. He has taken her to the battlefield, the arena, and now asks her to find her place inside the calm environment of her old home, where challenges abound to test her dedication to him in even in the smallest matters. She does not yet know what form their love will take, if he will one day bring her to live with him in the palace, or request she stay in that quiet home forever. But willing to wait, she receives the lessons he has in store for her.
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What did the king want from Philothea? He wanted love. He wanted to teach her so that she could mature and grow into the woman he had made her to be. After all, when the story began she was a little girl. When the story would end, she would still be little and young, only to embark on the world he had for her.
Did he propose? Did they marry? She doubted and wondered as she waited.
The king placed in Philothea’s hand a pearl.
“You have given this to me before,” she said.
He smiled and looked into her eyes compassionately, closing her hand around the pearl and closing his hand around hers.
“Yes, I have. You have endured so much for me, my little one— more than you thought capable.”
“But I attempted more than I could.”
“Should I worry about that now? No, it is done with. I’d like us to look on to press ahead, continually moving. You have so many ways to grow but you are seeing things with a much greater clarity.”
She did not feel so storm tossed now. No, the king had steadied her. Perhaps the rains should come again.
“Here,” he said, “looking to your heart.” He placed a ring inside her heart. It was beautiful and pure. It held a single pearl and on each side a little diamond and a little sapphire. He had never given her a sapphire before. It was very beautiful.
Philothea protested, “my king, I don’t deserve this.”
“Of course you have never really earned it, but I desire to give it to you.
“I am not bold or courageous.”
“Then we will continue to work on that. Darling, you have everything inside of you. I gave it to you many years ago. We have only to find it now. You belong to me.”
“I do?”
“Yes. And to anyone else you might feel you belong – you belong first to me – then one day we shall have both. You are mine.” He paused. “Yes, you are mine. I can see the seal on your heart. You are all mine. You are all beautiful, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you.”
“None?”
“No. For I have made you clean. No go, and show yourself to the priest.”
