Unvanquished By Judith Bronte "Who through faith... quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." ~ Hebrews 11:33, 34 ~ "Valiant for the truth upon the earth." ~ Jeremiah 9:3 ~ For Christina N. here once was a princess who loved a white knight, Whose sword shone as brilliant as the new morning light. Only unsheathed to defend weak and old, This knight was as valiant as a lion is bold. The princess listened and followed his fame, Stirring at every mention of his name. Her love was a secret that could never be spoken, Her face could not betray even the slightest token. Her father would choose the man she would wed, For women, though royal, were born to be led. Though daily reminded of the king's will, Her love grew strong and persisted still. While this was the scene in the lovesick damsel's heart, A different one played out on the Field of Ruebart. A neighboring kingdom had attacked this peaceful land, Bellowing threats and brandishing its merciless hand. So to the Fields of Ruebart the king's armies did descend, To decide by battle and bring oppression to an end. Steel on steel! iron on iron! every element played its part, As men spilled their lives on the sodden Fields of Ruebart. The king's armies were dying, his men began to run, They retreated and fled like a fast setting sun. As the enemy chased them with a victorious battle cry, A white banner suddenly unfurled against the pale blue sky. Every man of the king's mighty army had run, Every man had quit, every man-- except one. His white brilliant sword caught the noon light, Yes, it was the fair princess' white knight! In the midst of the field, the valiant knight remained, His brave soul was unvanquished, his spirit untamed. "For God, for freedom, for truth, and for right! For family and loved ones!" cried the white knight. Though exhausted and drained, he fought harder still, And when the king's army saw it, they regained their will. As soldiers returned to the Fields of Ruebart, Courage forsook the evil kingdom's heart. In a short while, the hard-fought battle was won, The king and his army rejoiced-- yes, every one. Then back home they marched with voices raised high, And praised their God, Who had not passed them by. To honor the white knight, a sumptuous banquet was made, Lamb and roast, pheasant and peahen-- such was the dish parade. Then the grateful king rose up and praised his white knight, He spoke of his valor in the heat of the fight. He told how one man turned thousands to flight, This faithful and brave-- this unvanquished knight! The banquet echoed with cries of loud praise, They all wished him health and great length of days. The white knight only smiled and took it in stride, Unwilling to surrender to the sin of pride. When seeing that praise was not what the knight sought, The king asked why he had so valiantly fought. "I was sworn to defend the weak and the old, No matter how timid, no matter how bold. To perform my vow and uphold God's cause, Always go forward and never to pause. This is my foundation, I trust it is true-- You see, I've only done what I was sworn to do." Unwilling to let the knight leave without a reward, The king wondered what great price he could afford. Such faithfulness could not be dismissed with a mere feast, His gratitude did not mirror this-- no, not in the least! If the war had been lost, the kingdom would totter, What greater reward could he give, than his daughter? As the king pronounced his reward upon the knight, The princess tried hard to smother her cry of delight. Her hand was given to the bravest of men, To one who had loved her-- yes, even then! . . . "One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, He it is that fighteth for you, as He hath promised you." ~ Joshua 23:10 ~ You may republish this without permission, provided it remains free, accredited and unaltered. Copyright © 2008 Sarah Fall (aka Judith Bronte).