WITCH - The Queen

Bonus 18

114 years ago

Agathe was sitting in the castle's garden. The sun set and bathed everything in golden light. Exhausted, she looked at the orange sky. The day had been long. Very much so. Her best friend, Baron Gustav, had come to a visit. But they had to end the visit quickly when she heard that several villages had been flooded.

Heavy rainfall had caused the disaster. The small lake near the castle garden was also overflowing. As a result, parts of the castle garden were damaged and water had run into the cellar of the castle. The kitchen was still under water.

A disaster.

Gustav left in a hurry after only an hour to make sure that his estate was doing okay. It had been built near a small river. Agathe hoped that he had made it home safely and dry.

The next day, gardeners and other workers would come to the castle and plan and do the restoration of all damaged areas. Currently, some witches and wizards were busy clearing the castle and parts of the garden from the water. Agathe watched with interest as water columns left the castle grounds, led by the industrious witches and wizards.

At the same time, relief supplies had to be sent to the villages...

It had been a very long day. Fortunately, no one in the castle was harmed. But in the villages, as far as Agathe was informed, there were dead and missing people.

The next morning, Agathe awaited the workers in the throne room. There were several men and women. Mostly mortals. They bowed deeply to the queen before their servants assigned their jobs to them. One worker in particular, one of the gardeners, caught Agathe's eye. A young man in his twenties with dark brown eyes and black hair. He was tall and slightly muscular. Agathe had to pull herself together not to stare at him.

He was just a mortal. A gardener. And she was the queen.

For years, noble lords courted her. None of them were appealing to Agathe. They were all just after Her money. Her reputation. Her power. She didn't want such a man. She wanted a man who loved her. Her. Agathe. Survivor of a terrible war, crowned witch, and protector of her country. Never again would wolves and elves rise up against the land.

As soon as the gardeners left the throne room, the duties called for her and she forgot about the attractive gardener. She forgot about him until she took a walk through the palace garden in the evening. She did not intend to walk to the damaged surfaces, but her feet carried her to the mud and the rotting flowers and bushes. The image shook her.

She remembered the state of the castle when she was crowned. A lot of things were broken. Parts were even burned down and the towns and villages lay in ruins. She shook her head to dispel the images of destruction.

"Is everything alright, Your Majesty?", someone asked in a deep voice. Blinking, she looked up. Next to one of the dead bushes, deep in the mud, stood the gardener with the brown eyes.

Agathe wrinkled her nose. "Of course."

"That's good." He smiled. "Someone so beautiful shouldn't look so scared."

"Scared?" Caught off guard, she forgot to point out his unacceptable behavior. "I'm not scared. I just remembered something ugly."

"Something ugly?"

"Yes." Her eyes fell on his simple shoes, which seemed to sink into the mud. "You should stop working for today. Or you will catch a cold."

"Are you worried about me?" He winked at her. "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I'm used to any weather."

She rolled her eyes. Was he flirting with her? "Oh, yes? And what's your name?"

"Mirko Moosblatt." He bowed again.

In the following days, the two met again and again. And they talked. Agathe had many questions about the everyday life of a gardener, which Mirko gladly answered for her. He, on the other hand, had questions about the everyday life of a queen. But he also asked about what she liked to do privately. Did she like to read? Did she like to ride?

And he flirted with her incessantly. Agathe enjoyed it. He looked at her like no one else did. And he saw her, not just the mighty queen.

Even before the gardening works were finished, Agathe asked him if he could imagine being king. Mirko blinked in confusion. "Me? King? A simple gardener?"

She nodded. "Yes. You. A simple gardener."

"But..." He ruffled his hair. "I can't... You are so wonderful! And I'm just a mortal."

"And?" She grimaced, pouting. "I like you. And didn't you say your family was rich? So no one in the nobility will be bothered by you, even if you are not a nobleman."

"I like you too, Your Majesty. Very much so", he said with fiery red cheeks. "My parents are merchants, yes... But I'm still just a commoner. Of course, the nobility will be bothered by this!"

"No. No one will dare." Agathe nodded and stroked the leaves of a freshly planted bush. "You like me too? Then call me Agathe and marry me. Please. You don't have to rule. It's enough if you are with me. That's all I'm asking for."

"Agathe?", he said cautiously, uncertainly. "What can I offer you?"

"What can I offer you?" Sighing, she plucked one of the leaves of the bush. "All the riches, infinite love but hardly anything of my time. And yet, please, stayed with me."

He nodded, still startled. "Yes, Agathe. You are more than enough. Yes! I don't need riches. But... Are you sure? We hardly know each other."

Was this decision hasty? Of course. But Agathe didn't want to see him go. She knew she needed him. And a vision had shown her that they would be happy together. So, she ignored the fact that he was mortal. She ignored the fact that she would lose him one day.

Unlike the original, royal protocol required, they married relatively modestly. It was Mirko's wish. Well, modest by royal standards. It took Mirko a few months to get used to his new life. And after ten years, their first child was born. Prince Fritz, a sweet boy with Agathe's green eyes and Mirko's black hair.

And Agathe was happy.

And at the same time, she hoped that her son would never experience such a war as she did. Yes, she would protect him. Just as she fiercely protected her country. Mighty.

(c: sasi)