Week 6 story: The Sphinx's Riddle

An illustration of a sphinx by Olivia Lomenech Gill.
Source: Hull University

There once was a woman of middle age whose husband died suddenly. After a week of grieving, she decided she would seek healing in a land far away. On an abandoned desert path, she came across a large sphinx who was blocking the path. There was no way around her, so the woman approached the sphinx and requested passage.

"I will allow you to pass, but first you must answer a riddle," the sphinx told her.

Having no other choice but to turn back, the woman agreed, and so the sphinx began:

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In a beautiful land named Rohan lived a noble king and his fair wife. After many prayers, the Creator granted the king and queen a daughter, whom they named Grace.

From a young age Grace displayed characteristics of honesty and bravery. She always told the truth, though she did not often break the rules, and loved to fence and hunt with the knights of the kingdoms. Many of the king's advisors expressed disapproval of Grace participating in men's sport; they felt that the activities brought disgrace upon her family and reflected negatively upon Rohan. She should be doing proper things, they argued, like sewing and reading.

But Grace's parents were very supportive of her endeavors and thanked the Creator every day for the gift of a daughter with such admirable qualities.

Grace became fairer and fairer as she grew older, and when she came of age, she was more beautiful than all the nymphs in heaven. She told her parents that she wished for a spouse who was as brave and honest as she, so on the day of her eighteenth birthday, her parents sent out a call for a suitable partner for their daughter. Suitors were to participate in an archery competition, and the best archer would earn Grace's hand in marriage.

An illustration of the bowhunter Skadi.
Source: Bowhunting 360 

The first suitor was the son of a wealthy merchant. On the day of the competition, he bowed before Grace and said, "My princess, I am wealthy and will always be able to provide for you. Please, take my hand in marriage." He then took his shot and made a perfect bullseye.

The second suitor was the son of a successful farmer. On the day of the competition, he bowed before Grace and said, "My princess, I live on a beautiful land that will always make you happy. Please, take my hand in marriage." He then took his shot and made a perfect bullseye.

The third suitor was a woman no one knew. She was from the land of Elsmere and traveled many days when she heard of the competition. The people of her land warned her against entering the competition; they told her the princess would laugh in her face. But the woman was brave, and traveled to Rohan anyway.

On the day of the competition, she bowed before Grace and said, "My princess, I am not from this land, and I do not have much to my name. But still, I will bring to
you happiness. Please, take my hand in marriage." And when the princess did not laugh her off, the woman took her shot and made a perfect bullseye.

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When she concluded her story, the sphinx addressed the woman: "Of the three suitors, who was worthy of the princess's hand in marriage?"

"The third woman," she answered. "For in her decision to compete for the princess, she was brave, and she was honest with the princess about her lack of wealth. She matches the princess in her honesty and bravery and thus deserves her hand in marriage."

The sphinx stepped aside and allowed the woman to pass, and the woman carried on her journey to find peace.

Author's note: This story was inspired by Twenty-Two Goblins, in which a king must answer a goblin's riddles to fulfill the request of a monk. I really enjoyed the stories and wanted to recreate it, but with some LGBTQ characters.