Chapter 7

After the meeting, we retired, each one to our respective duties. 

I had to retreat to my real office and began to look for documents about Melissa, because I wanted to go with her to apologize on behalf of all of Sorenberg for keeping her captive and almost taking her to the stake, while she was innocent of all the charges against her. .

I began to look for documents about his whereabouts, especially his place of residence because it had to be in one of the criminal documents. I continued searching through the drawers until I finally found a document which contained his profile and home address.

"Ah here it is," I said out loud, it turns out that Melissa lives just outside the castle, in the middle of the Sorenberg forest in a small village called Borg. 

I quickly grabbed my coat, a sword and a gun which I hid inside one of my coat bags as you never know when a gun would come in handy. I put on a hood and hide all traces of being a monarch so as not to arouse suspicion and so as not to scare the Borg villagers into thinking I'm on a witch hunt. 

I leave the palace walking through the corridors and head towards the stable. Right there I see my horse grazing, I pet him a little and then I get on him. I begin to ride through the city in a hurry, avoiding the passers-by who crossed from street to street, finally I leave the castle and with a map I guide myself to reach the village of Borg.

It turns out that the village is just a few steps from the Gray River, where we usually take the horses to drink water and graze for a while. After a few moments of riding I finally arrived at Borg, right next to the Gray River, where I stayed for a while. My horse drank a little water and I also put some water in my canteen. There was no problem for me to drink water from the river because it was extremely clean and crystalline.

With my canteen I took a big breath of fresh water and in front of me I managed to see a small village.

I get back on my horse and start walking slowly into the village following a small stone path. The people around me were peasants and everyone at that time was working on peasant chores, some were collecting firewood, others were farming, others were taking their calves and cows to graze in the large green meadow on the outskirts of the forest, others were milking his cows. All of them began to look at me in a strange way because they were not used to seeing strangers or foreigners in these parts of the kingdom. 

Slowly I begin to rummage through some documents that I had brought with me and finally I find Melissa's home. It was a small cabin in the middle of a large oak tree, so large that its branches even covered the sunlight. I approached the cabin and there I found Melissa with her back towards me and watering some small flowers in her botanical garden.

I slowly stand up and get off my horse.

At that, Melissa turns back and gapes at me. 

"What is offered to you, stranger? Are you coming in search of a magic potion?"

"No, nothing like that," I tell Melissa.

"It's me, your majesty Ferdinand, perhaps you don't recognize me from the outfit I'm wearing."

"Ah, that's you!" Melissa said, screaming at the sky, suddenly she took her staff and pointed it at me.

"Get out of here, don't you see that we don't want witch hunters here."

"Excuse me, I don't come to hunt witches, but I come to apologize on behalf of the entire kingdom of Sorenberg." I said as I knelt down on one knee.

"You see, I come in peace, I just want to apologize. "It was a mistake my kingdom made by keeping her in that dirty dungeon for a day."

"Yes, the real crime was getting into that place," Melissa said, holding her staff with both hands and continuing to point it at my face.

"Please lower your cane, I am not here to harm you. I don't know if he heard my morning speech."

"Yes, yes I heard it, but I don't believe a single word of you or any noble Christian."

"Please, I came here with you so you believe me, I just want to help witches like you. I don't believe that you are messengers of Satan or anything close to that. I think witches can be of great help, I even have the ambitious plan of creating a magical civilization where witches are the dominant social class. how about?"

"Your proposal is very idealistic." Said Melissa who finally proceeded to lower her staff and show less aggression.

"Well, what do you think, Melissa, you can work in the kingdom with me on various projects, you can even bring other witches from the village to collaborate with me."

"Well, your majesty, but I must warn you something. I am the only witch left in the town, possibly the only one left in the entire known earth, and that is because I hid with great audacity from the Christian authorities for a long time, unlike my companions who suffered tortuous persecution by of the royal authorities and the Christian church. "

"I ask for forgiveness on behalf of all Sorenberg," I said to Melissa, "and on behalf of the Christian authorities, because to tell the truth, that is not behavior worthy of a Christian, to persecute our enemies, religion speaks of forgiving." to the enemies, but apparently no one even complies with Christian principles, not even those who call themselves fervent followers of the faith."

"But your majesty, how do you plan to carry out that magical civilization without witches and wizards?"

"That's the thing, but I have you, you will be a great help to me."

"I'm just a young witch, I don't even know all the spells, I've only studied a few with the help of my grandfather who was recently persecuted by the church and punished at the stake. As I mentioned before, I am the only witch left, there is not much I can be of help to you."