So many men came that the elders came up with contests to eliminate some of them. Contests of courage and intelligence were held over a two week period. Finally, only three men were left.
These three men, Prince Gregor, Prince Wilhelm, and Prince Henri, were equal in all of the areas in which they had been tested. The elders could make no distinction among them, so they decided to have the men draw straws. The winner would be taken up to Queen Cecelia.
Prince Gregor won. Again it was Tobias' turn to be messenger, and he led the prince up the mountain.
The trip took two weeks with Prince Gregor, as the man was not as strong as Tobias. However, Tobias didn't mind. All his time of going up and down this mountain alone had made Tobias a man unaccustomed to talking, but this didn't bother Prince Gregor, who talked enough for both of them.
Tobias found the man's discussions fascinating, as Prince Gregor was an expert on the plant and animal life found on the mountain. He regaled Tobias with stories about the birds and the insects. He explained what kinds of medicines could be made from the bark and leaves of the trees. He even told Tobias how the various kinds of rocks had been formed.
Finally, they arrived at the palace at the top of the mountain, and Queen Cecelia appeared to them dressed in a gown the color of emerald. She greeted the prince in her garden.
"Queen Cecelia, may I present Prince Gregor," Tobias said, then he stepped aside to allow the queen to talk to the prince.
"I have three questions for you," Queen Cecelia said after greeting Prince Gregor.
"The first is: What is the best way to take care of this world we live in?"
Prince Gregor smiled. "Respect every living thing," he said. "All plants and animals have something to teach us, and some benefit. We must learn what we can from each."
The queen smiled.
"The second question I have for you is this: How do we know right from wrong?"
At this, Prince Gregor hesitated, but finally he said, "Right is what we should do and wrong is what we shouldn't do."
The queen continued to smile.
She went on, "The last question is: Where can beauty be found?"
Now Prince Gregor smiled broadly, as though he knew exactly what she wanted him to say. "Beauty can be found on the top of this mountain."
Queen Cecelia turned her back on Prince Gregor and faced Tobias. "This is not the man. Take him back down to the village."
Tobias bowed and started down the mountain with Prince Gregor behind him. The prince was angry about being rejected by the queen, and for the entire two weeks it took them to get back to the village, he complained and told Tobias that the queen hadn't given him a fair test.
Tobias didn't reply, but he was sorry that the prince wouldn't tell him anymore interesting stories about the plants and animals around them.
When they got to the village, Tobias told the elders all that the queen had said. Prince Gregor left the village, still angry, before the elders could thank him and give him the golden medallion they'd had minted for the three finalists.
Tobias was tired, and due for time off from his duties as a messenger, but the elders had other plans for him. They took a pair of dice and chose between Prince Wilhelm and Prince Henri. Prince Wilhelm won and the elders told Tobias to take him up the mountains to the queen.
"Please, sir," Tobias said in a respectful tone, "I rejoice at the opportunity to serve, but it is Duvid's turn to visit the wise Queen Cecilia."
"I'm sorry, Tobias, but Duvid is very ill," Elder Emrys said, shaking his head. "He has been unable to sit up, let alone walk, for over a week."
Tobias nodded his understanding. "But in that case, the honor of visiting our godly Queen Cecilia belongs to Franz. I would not take it from him."
Now Elder Emrys smiled broadly. "His wife is expecting a baby. We can't send him up the mountain when she could deliver any day."
"I understand," Tobias said with a sigh. "I count myself blessed."
He bowed to the elders and took Prince Wilhelm to the storage barns to get supplies for the journey.
Prince Wilhelm was fatter than Prince Gregor had been, so they got more supplies than Tobias had taken for the first journey.
They started up the mountain.
Prince Wilhelm was very knowledgable about philosophy, and he enjoyed talking about it, much like Prince Gregor had enjoyed talking about his favorite subject. Even though the trip took them four weeks instead of two, Tobias didn't mind because the conversation was so interesting.
They discussed the nature of God and many moral questions and puzzles. Tobias found that he enjoyed these discussions very much and the trip was a pleasure, despite the long time it took.
Finally, however, they reached the top of the mountain and Queen Cecelia greeted them in her library, wearing a gown of gold.
"Queen Cecelia, may I present Prince Wilhelm," Tobias said, then moved away.
"I have three questions to ask you," Queen Cecelia said after Prince Wilhelm had knelt before her and rose again.
"The first one is: What is the best way to take care of this world we live in?"
Prince Wilhelm looked around him as though expecting to see a different world from the one he knew. He replied, "I think we need to build better houses for people."
The queen smiled.
"The second question is: How do we know right from wrong?"
Now, Prince Wilhelm smiled. "Right and wrong are sometimes hard to distinquish," he said, "however, whatever puts us nearer to the heart of God is right, and whatever moves us farther away from God is wrong."
The queen continued smiling.
Queen Cecelia went on, "The last question is: Where can beauty be found?"
Prince Wilhelm responded with the same answer Prince Gregor had given, "Beauty can be found on the top of this mountain."
The queen turned to Tobias. "This is not the man. Take him back down to the village."
They started back down the mountain, but unlike Prince Gregor, Prince Wilhelm was not angry or bitter over the queen's rejection of him. In fact, he spent much of the time it took them to get back to the village talking about the nature of failure and the building of character. He even told Tobias of his plans to write an essay for a philosophical journal on his experience with Queen Cecelia.
When they got back to the village, the elders were surprised to see them. After hearing what happened to them from Tobias, they gave Prince Wilhelm a large golden medallion and a certificate granting him safe passage through land belonging to the village.
Tobias was surprised by the second article, until Elder Emrys told him that the village, and the kingdom, was at war with the kingdom ruled by Prince Gregor.
"Apparently, he is very angry at the queen's rejection of him," the elder said. "He wants her to apologize, but we haven't been able to give her that message as Duvid is still quite ill, and Franz and his new baby have been taken prisoner."
"The queen must be told at once; she will know how to save us," Tobias said. The elder nodded.
However, a terrible snow storm set in, and Tobias was unable to ascend the mountain. He struggled against the icy paths for two weeks, but could not get through, so he turned around and went back.
On his way back down the mountain, he knew that something had to be done to stop the war. Queen Cecelia wouldn't want her people to be hurt, or maybe even killed, because she had unintentionally offended someone. She would have told him to go to Prince Gregor and apologize; of this, Tobias was certain. He had served the queen for many years and had grown able to anticipate what she would say.
When he reached the bottom of the mountain, he decided that if the queen would want him to apologize to Prince Gregor, then it was his duty to do so. Instead of heading back to the village, he went to where the fighting was.
He managed to sneak through the fighting until he found himself at Prince Gregor's castle. Announcing himself as an envoy from Queen Cecelia, he went into the castle where Prince Gregor was sitting on his throne.
"What do you want?" Prince Gregor asked.
"I've been sent from Queen Cecelia," Tobias said, praying that he'd be forgiven for the lie. "She did not realize how much she hurt your feelings. She wants me to tell you that she's sorry. You would truly be a good husband, but she feels that she is not worthy of you and would not want to take you from your people."
Prince Gregor stood up and smiled. "That's all I wanted to hear." He turned to his aides. "Tell my army that the war is over. We have achieved victory."
Tobias thanked the prince, then he led the troops of Queen Cecelia's army back to the village.
The village rejoiced because the war was over and soon the army returned, bringing back all the messengers. However, they had all been injured in one way or another, except Tobias. When the snow and ice melted, the elders approached him.
"We know you're tired, but we have to send the last candidate, Prince Henri, up to the queen."
Tobias nodded. "Whether I am tired or not, I delight in standing in the presence of our queen. Her words are more beautiful than the sun, moon, and stars to me."
Prince Henri was stronger and more handsome than either of the other two candidates, and as Tobias watched him prepare for the journey, he wondered what kind of man the queen was looking for.
He couldn't pretend to understand what women looked for in their husbands, but he recognized that Prince Henri was as handsome and strong as any other man in the kingdom. If the queen were looking for a husband like that, surely Prince Henri would be that man.
Prince Henri was very knowledgable about the history of this kingdom and surrounding kingdoms, and as they climbed, he told Tobias stories from those histories. He wove them into amusing tales and the two men laughed a lot in the week it took them to get to the top of the mountain.
Tobias was almost sorry when the trip ended because he'd enjoyed listening to the jokes and interesting stories Prince Henri told him. However, they soon reached the top of the mountain and went to the palace.
Queen Cecelia came out and addressed them from her balcony wearing a dress the color of rubies.
She smiled at the prince. "I have three questions for you. First: What is the best way to take care of this world we live in?"
Prince Henri tilted his head, and said, "I think we have to look at what people have done in the past and make sure we don't repeat their mistakes."
The queen smiled. Tobias sat down on a nearby log, wondering how to confess the lie he'd told.
The queen continued, "The second question is: How do we know right from wrong?"
The prince shook his head. "That is a hard question. I don't think there is any way to really know right from wrong."
The queen continued smiling.
Queen Cecelia went on, "The last question is: Where can beauty be found?"
Prince Henri smiled. "Beauty is found within us. We can see it in the mirror."
The queen looked down at Tobias. "This is not the man. Take him back down to the village."
Tobias bowed and asked, "Perhaps, Queen Cecelia, you could tell me more exactly what you are looking for. The elders chose three men who seemed to fulfill your requirements and you have rejected all of them." He stood up.
"First, we brought you Prince Gregor, who was intelligent and knew many things about the plants and animals of this mountain. For instance,..." Tobias went over to a tree that grew near a stream running past the palace.
"He told me that the bark of this tree can be ground to a powder that, when mixed with milk, will cure headaches and prevent the flu."
The queen smiled enigmatically, and Tobias wondered if she was reconsidering Prince Gregor as a husband.
"After him, we brought you Prince Wilhelm who was very wise and knew many things about God and His nature. He told me that our ancestors, many thousands of years ago, used to sacrifice animals very near this mountain, but the prophets and scholars realized that God is more interested in the sacrifice of our hearts."
Queen Cecelia continued to smile, and Tobias wondered if she was thinking more about Prince Wilhelm.
He continued, "Now, here we have Prince Henri, the last of the three men. He explained the history of our people to me in ways that brought the stories to life. None of my teachers in school could do that. He helped me understand why some of our neighbors refuse to sign treaties with us, and why some of our people are afraid of leaving the boundaries of our land."
She looked down from her balcony and said, "Are you quite certain you remember what they said correctly?"
"Oh, yes, my queen, I am trained to learn with my heart and remember all that I am told."
"Faithful Tobias," the queen said. "Take Prince Henri back down to the village, then return immediately to me."
"Yes, my queen."
Tobias bowed again, and he and the prince began the trip down the mountain.
On the way down, Prince Henri continued with his stories of history, but now he explained how this incident with Queen Cecelia was paralleled in other nearby kingdoms. Tobias, however, was not listening as closely as he had on the way up. His thoughts were on the queen and her request. Why had she asked for him to come back alone? Did she know of his lie?
The elders were surprised at the queen's rejection of Prince Henri. Because he was the last of the three suitors, the village had been sure that she would marry him, and all the people had begun preparations for a joyous celebration.
"What does she want?" the elders asked Tobias and he told them. "I don't know," said Tobias, "I only know that she wants me to return immediately."
"But Duvid is better again," they said.
"No," Tobias shook his head. "She said she wanted me to return."
One week later, Tobias returned to the queen. She greeted him in a small chapel. She was wearing a brown monk's robe, kneeling and praying.
"Come, kneel beside me, Tobias."
He did so. He summoned his courage, and spoke, "My Queen, you should know that Prince Gregor was so angry at your rejection that he began a war with your kingdom, but he said he would end the war if you apologized. I tried to come and ask your advice, but the path was frozen. After two weeks, I decided to return and apologize for you. I lied and told him you had sent me."
Tobias folded his hands and waited. He knew he had disobeyed her and disgraced himself. Whatever she decided, he would accept.
Queen Cecilia was quiet a long time, then she said, "You are forgiven."
Tobias sighed with relief. She turned to him and said, "What is the best way to take care of the world we live in?"
Tobias felt his heart stop. She was asking him the questions she had asked her suitors. What did this mean? He took a deep breath.
"We should work for peace."
She nodded. "As you did when you ended the war. What is the difference between right and wrong?"
"That is a hard question my queen. Three of the wisest princes have given you answers."
Queen Cecelia smiled. "You risked losing your priviledge to carry my messages when you went to Gregor, and that task means everything to you. You also risked your life to go to Prince Gregor's castle. You do right when you sacrifice the things you love to serve the ones you love."
She took a deep breath and asked, "Where can beauty be found?"
Now Tobias smiled, "My lady, why do you ask me these questions?"
Queen Cecilia spoke. "Sometimes the winds carry things to me, the thoughts of princes, the songs of birds, the crying of newborn babies. I listen carefully, for that is my task. A song came to me on the wind one day, it sang these words, 'Her words are more beautiful than the sun, moon, and stars to me.'"
A tear fell from Queen Cecilia's eye, "Tobias, you are the man I will marry. You have learned about the plants and animals of this region. You are wise in the ways of nature and of God. You know the history of our people and the best way to rule them. You alone have known the answers to my questions." She turned back to Tobias. "And you have captured my heart."
Tobias turned to her, speechless.
"Carry this message with you, interpret it with your heart, and fulfill each detail."
Tobias nodded eagerly, "Yes, what is it?"
Queen Cecilia kissed him softly, and he embraced her.
Several weeks later, the people of the kingdom celebrated in their streets. When bells sounded in the queen's chapel, they cheered, and as they did so flower petals descended like snow in their streets. The scent of the flower's perfume is still in the air to this day.