Jocelyn's Warrior

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Jocelyn. She lived in a beautiful kingdom ruled by a Great Prince. Jocelyn had a wonderful family and many friends, and she was very happy.

One day, the Great Prince came riding through the city. Jocelyn was excited to see the Great Prince. As he passed by, she waved and cheered.

The baker’s wife saw Jocelyn and smiled. She said, “The Great Prince is faithful and good. He is a rewarder of those who honor Him. If you will serve Him, He will bring you a mighty warrior to marry.”

Jocelyn said, “Really? A warrior? Just for me?” The baker’s wife replied, “Indeed!”

Jocelyn was thrilled! Of course she would serve the Great Prince! The reward would be well worth it.

Days went by, and Jocelyn blossomed into a graceful young woman with a beautiful heart. She served the kingdom well and waited expectantly for the day when her warrior would come. But, as the days went by, she was surprised to find her warrior had not come.

Jocelyn wondered why he hadn’t. Was she doing something wrong? So, she decided to ask the experts what she should do.

The first expert said, “Silly girl, you don’t need a warrior. Why would you even want one?”

The second expert said, “Oh, you definitely need a warrior, but you are too independent. You should be more gentle and submissive. That will attract a warrior.”

The third expert said, “You are too reserved. You need to be more friendly and available. That will attract a warrior.”

The fourth expert said, “You are too available. You need to lock yourself in the castle and make the warrior beat the door down to rescue you. That will attract a warrior.”

With great sagacity, the fifth expert said, “You won’t get a warrior until you don’t want a warrior.”

Now Jocelyn was even more confused. She had worked hard to be a good servant of the Great Prince. She began to wonder: Why hasn’t he sent me my reward? Could he have forgotten?

Then came the day of Jocelyn’s best friend’s wedding. Jocelyn was thrilled for her friend, and even managed to act excited about the purple bridesmaid dress, which was shaped like a cupcake. But as she watched the happy couple ride away that afternoon, her heart began to ache.

She left the wedding on her faithful stallion, Darcy. But instead of going home, Jocelyn rode out of the city gates. She rode hard, over valleys and through woods, until they reached a hilltop far from the city.

The sun was beginning to set as Jocelyn dismounted. She closed her eyes, fighting back tears. She had never felt so alone.

Then, Jocelyn felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up. It was the Great Prince!

She couldn’t hold back her questions any longer.

“Why?” she cried out. “Why didn’t you send my warrior? They said if I served you, you would bring me my reward, but he never came. I trusted you, but now I’m all alone. Why?”

She longed for an explanation. But the Great Prince didn’t say anything. He just wrapped His arms around her. And in the safety of his arms, Jocelyn began to cry.

Finally the Great Prince spoke. “Oh, Jocelyn, my beautiful Jocelyn. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you now. Even with your tears, you are breathtaking.”

She gave him a small smile and said, “No love could be that blind.”

The Great Prince grinned playfully and said, “Maybe you’ve just never seen love like mine.”

Then he became serious. “Jocelyn, don’t you understand? I didn’t create you for a warrior. I created you for me.”

Jocelyn was stunned. “What?” she asked.

“This isn’t about you and a warrior,” he said. “This is about you and me. You’ve asked why no one is pursuing you. But I’m pursuing you. I’ve been pursuing you since the day you were born.”

Jocelyn stammered, “B-b-b-but what about my warrior? The reward?”

The Great Prince said, “This may surprise you, but your reward is not a warrior.” He winked and said, “If you don’t believe me, just ask some of your friends who did get their warriors.”

Jocelyn laughed. She knew it was true.

He continued, “Jocelyn, don’t you see? I am your reward. When it’s time, I may partner you with a warrior so you can be a representation of our love and do great things for me. But that’s only temporary. It’s our love that is eternal. A warrior can be a wonderful thing, but you don’t need one to be all I desire. Just as you are, you can help lead my people to victory and freedom. You can be a voice to share my message of truth and hope. And through our romance, you can be the greatest heroine of love this kingdom has ever seen. Jocelyn, you are my desire. I gave everything to make you mine. I just want you.”

Jocelyn turned to the Great Prince. She had tears in her eyes once more, but this time, they were tears of joy as she looked at Him and said, “Yes.”