“You are needed at the castle, mi’lady.” A young maiden said timidly into the room where her queen sat. Elizabeth turned to see the young girl hiding behind the door, smiling she beckoned her inside.
“Come in my child, I have something for you to take to my husband,” Elizabeth’s sweet and soothing voice brought the young girl to her with a higher sense of confidence. Elizabeth handed the girl a basket full of wildflowers and a letter, then she took the girl’s other hand and dropped three gumdrops and a denare in her palm before excusing the girl.
Looking back at the sun shining through the windows Elizabeth realized what time it was. Quickly jumping up from her seat at the desk where she had been reading and ran to the church built onto the castle, which she and Ludwig had come into control of merely three months before.
The sun streamed into the beautiful glass windows and into the church as Elizabeth came up the hill and into view of the church. Stopping to catch her breath, Elizabeth adored the small, yet, extravagant building standing tall and proud in front of her. Smiling she felt her energy restored and she walked to the steps of the church, where other people from the court were filing in to listen to the service.
Sitting in the front pew, where she had been sitting for ten years since she had arrived at the palace to be with her loving husband Ludwig, Elizabeth peered around at all of the people sitting inside. A group of boys sitting in the back where getting a little rowdy and one of the older woman standing near them hushed them, a young man secretly took his love’s hand and squeezed it tightly before letting her hand fall back at her side, an old woman sat staring up at the altar with a smile of contentment plastered on her weathered face.
A child gave a sharp cry causing Elizabeth’s attention to come back to the present and she looked over to see a woman holding a child no older than three months, and their eyes met for a few seconds. The child reached out a hand and cooed quietly then laid her head down on her mother’s shoulder and fell asleep, Elizabeth smiled at the young one and then turned her head to the front of the church where the crucifix caught her attention.
“My Lord!” The people in the church heard Elizabeth shout. Everyone fell silent and moved so they could get a look at what was going on. Elizabeth stood in the front of the crucifix with her arms outstretched,
“How could I be so awful as to shame you in your own house?” Elizabeth reached up and tore her crown off of her head throwing it down to the ground between her and the wood carving of Jesus.
“You have done me no wrong, my child.” Elizabeth smiled as the tears flooded from her eyes. She bent down low the Lord’s feet and kissed each one,
“I wore a crown of gold and jewels when you have on a crown of thorns!” Elizabeth shouted. Gasps were heard all over the church as a bright light burst forth from the place on the floor where Elizabeth had cast her crown only seconds before. When everyone’s sight was restored they saw two white doves standing in the crown’s place looking around quickly before the took flight and flew out of the large Oak doors where the priest and his procession were entering through.
“We all are blessed by the Lord this day!” The priest exclaimed walking into the church with his arms in the air and a large smile on his face. Everyone snapped out of the trance they had been and fell completely silent,
“Father! Father my child is cured!” A woman’s crazed voice broke the silence. Everyone turned to see who was speaking, as a woman stepped out of the crowd holding a sleeping baby in her arms. The blanket that had been wrapped around the child’s body was now undone so that everyone could see the child’s pure white skin.
“The healer said there was nothing she could do for my child, that the mumps would take her life. But now, look! There are all gone!” Everyone stood up on their tip-toes to witness the miracle that had taken place right beneath their noses.
