Puzzled Sculpturer

A baffling request

The artist stood baffled by the king's request. He asked him to craft a statue that would stand on the shores of his now victorious city. He stood a few feet from the sands of the shore, his back to the sea and his eyes wandering all over the city. The busy crowded, second capital, of the kingdom wasn't enough inspiration for him. He needed a symbol of beauty as well as strength and purity.

"No not a ship, not a warrior....not the king....what should I choose?" He waited for inspiration that finally landed on his heart. He kept looking around the streets, the shops, the houses and everything his eyes can be set on. His search stopped when he was told that he needed a torch to continue looking. "Night already! But the king gave me the order before noon". The people around him laughed in a friendly way before they suggested that he would rest a bit. The local baker has the best sweetened pies in the whole coast. 

He saw a woman in her thirties limping and bracing herself on a stick. She seems to be suffering from an injury. She passed by him as he sat outside the local tavern, few feet from the baker's shop and his house. The woman disappeared behind the door next to the shop which lead to the house above. "I have seen injuries before, this woman pain can't be measured, how come she isn't even complaining?"

He looked around, seeking an answer when he saw one of the friendly faces. "My lady" he called the chief of the guards "Who is this woman? What is her story?". The elven captain replied "The baker's daughter, she fell down the stairs to protect her father who tripped, his old legs had betrayed him. She refused marriage proposals before her injury so she can take care of her father. I didn't expect from men anymore than stopping those request after what happened" She continued "She is my favorite here". The man was in awe, he hardly heard the rest.  

"She helped me with sheltering the wounded and the children. Everyone here is praising her name. One of the few who isn't really racist towards elves. She gave me her room before the barracks was built when the king ordered the locals to host the refugees." 

The artist's eyes sparkled with admiration "Thank you captain". He relied on his photographic memory. In a week, the whole town and the king from the capital were standing in the main square, facing the sea and in the middle of it a huge statue hidden with cloth. The artist waited for the king to allow him to reveal the statue to which he was very excited. The king, who half-expected that it would be of himself was shocked, as well was the whole city. 

The statue was of the woman standing resting on her stick and behind her hid three children. The king looked back at his subjects and ordered them to bow. He noticed the woman arriving late to the event. Her gaze wide, her mouth open and her tears sparkling in her feminine motherly eyes like a lazy summer night filled with stars. The chief leaned on the king's head and told him the story she told his artist. In addition to that, she told him that her father was  struck by a mortal fever and as she was taking care of him. 

The king stood up and the eyes turned towards him. He took off his crown and handed it to his sister who was sitting next him. He then looked at his artist fried "You are not the only one who will amaze everyone today". The artist was baffled before he gasped as the king bowed...

His subjects followed, but after they took a few seconds understanding what is happening and digesting the fact that their king bowed. He then stood upright again "My lady, by the power in my royal blood, I shall appoint you as my new ambassador here."