The small group of people marched on in the blazing heat, with sun beating down relentlessly upon their fair skin. Several royal guards surrounded a young woman wearing a long expensive gown of red velvet, a guard trailed behind the woman carrying the trail of her dress and heavy cloak.
“Musn’t we carry you?” A man’s voice broke out of the tired silence. The young woman turned her head to face the guard standing close at her side,
“No, I am quite all right.” She replied. The group was three hours out of Wartburg on their way to Eisenach to meet King Ludwig and deliver his beautiful queen, who refused to be carried like a proper lady.
“Queen Elizabeth, plea-“
“No, no, and no again! I will walk just like the rest of you!” Elizabeth exclaimed as she trudged on. It had been a month since she had last been with her loving husband; he had gone off to fight in a crusade and left her in the care of Father Rodger while he was away.
A fork in the road brought the wary travelers to a long needed rest under a giant Oak tree, food was distributed among the people and quiet chatting commenced. Elizabeth sat down on a flat rock close to the tree where the shade was the thickest, but the corset she had worn that day constricted her movements so much that she had to sit erect quite uncomfortably. Standing up Elizabeth made her way to the outer shadows of the giant tree to look out along the two roads leading away from where she was standing.
A subtle movement a ways off caught Elizabeth’s attention as she gazed into the barren land. There it was again, along the left road from the fork.
“Do you see that?” Elizabeth asked the sentry standing close to her.
“Do I see what, your majesty?” The man asked looking in the direction that the queen was gazing. Elizabeth shook her head and turned away from the road, returning to her place on the rock.
“We’re taking the to the right, that’s the way to Eisenach.” A guard was trying to explain to Elizabeth as she protested continually.
“I say we must go to the left, there is some business out there that I must attend to,” Elizabeth said planting her hands securely on her hips. The guard let out a great sigh trying to regain his composure that was slowly beginning to crumple,
“If we go the left fork, we run into the Turkish lands. Don’t you see that you’ll be in danger? We’ll all be in danger?” Elizabeth turned away from the guard and began to walk down the left fork. Three other guards ran after her,
“It will only take a minute, I promise.” Elizabeth said as she picked up her pace. She could now see clearly an outline of a man sitting on the side of the road, he wasn’t moving but she knew that’s whom she had seen from the giant Oak tree.
“Sir! Are you quite all right?” Elizabeth shouted to the man. No answering movement or sound came to her so she trudged on closer to the man, picking up her skirts and kicking off her shoes.
Mere minutes later Elizabeth was standing over the huddled beggar wearing tattered clothes, his hair was in sticky clumps and his skin was burned brown and coated with dirt. Bending down, Elizabeth motioned for the guards to back away from her, and then she turned her attention back to the man.
“Do you need help?” Elizabeth asked.
“Elizabeth, my child,” Elizabeth looked down at the man, yet it seemed that he hadn’t spoken at all.
“Yes?” Elizabeth answered reaching out to touch the man. His skin was cold despite the hot weather, causing Elizabeth to shudder slightly. Pulling at the ties of her cloak she pulled the long heavy garment away from her and tucked the cloth around the beggars bony body. Suddenly a bright light burst forth from the heart of the man, he stood tall clad in pure white cloth, blood pouring from the wounds in his outstretched hands and bare feet.
“Who are you?” Elizabeth asked breathlessly, though deep in her heart she already knew the answer. The man smiled down at her and reached out his own hand to touch the skin of her face,
“I am.” He answered. Elizabeth bowed her head as tears of joy poured forth from her eyes,
“My Lord, forgive me for not recognizing you!” She exclaimed throwing herself at the Lord’s feet.
“My dear child, you have no reason to ask of forgiveness. You are the only one who saw me, you came to my aid when no one else would have.” He answered. Elizabeth raised her head so that she could once again peer into the face of her Lord.
“Tell me what to do and I shall do it!” Elizabeth said, holding out her hands. The Lord reached out and touched his thumb to her forehead,
“Go out and take care of my people as you have always done, through you I will do my work.” And with a burst of bright light the Lord was gone, only her cloak remained in front of her.
Standing up with the purity of heart, Elizabeth stripped off her petticoat and removed the strap from her hair.
