The Witch He Was Sent to Burn | Dark Folk Ballad

They sent him to arrest a witch. He found the woman he had once loved. Captain Corin has spent half his life serving the crown. When he is ordered to bring a witch from the border villages to the capital, he expects another prisoner. Instead, he finds Elowen — the woman who disappeared from his life years before. He puts her in chains. She never asks him to set her free. Because if he betrays the crown for love, he may spend the rest of his life wondering whether she bewitched him into doing it. But at the gates of the capital, Corin discovers the truth: The crown already knows she is innocent. Her execution was never about justice. It was meant to make an example of her. “The Witch He Was Sent to Burn” is a dark romantic folk ballad about old love, loyalty, power, and the moment when obedience becomes a choice. Sometimes the hardest betrayal is refusing to obey. LYRICS: [Intro — low male voice, distant chains] They gave me a sealed order and six men on the road. Bring back the witch alive. The fire, they said, would wait for us in the capital. [Verse 1] I found you where the heather bends, Outside the village wall. No coven. No black altar. No blood upon the floor. You looked at my uniform Before you looked at me. “Corin,” you said. And every year between us fell open at my feet. I had loved you before the war, Before the medals and the crown, Before you vanished one cold spring And every rumor hunted you down. [Pre-Chorus] I fastened iron around your wrists. You did not pull away. You only asked, “Did you come for me, or did the king?” I had no answer I could say. [Chorus] They sent me for a witch to burn. I found the girl I never buried. They gave me chains, they gave me law, they told me what a loyal man should carry. But every mile toward the city made the old wound open worse. They sent me for a witch to burn— And I remembered how I loved her first. [Verse 2] At night you slept inside the wagon. I sat beside the wheel. You never asked me to release you. You never asked me what I feel. You said, “If you betray the crown for me, you'll call it magic when you're old. You'll wonder if I bent your mind and stole you from the life you chose.” So I kept the key beneath my coat. I kept the order near the flame. And hated you for knowing exactly why I could not speak your name. [Pre-Chorus] Then at the city gate I heard two ministers behind the stone: “She healed the border villages. The charge is useful. Let the people see what happens when a witch stands alone.” [Chorus] They sent me for a witch to burn. I found the girl I never buried. They gave me chains, they gave me law, they told me what a loyal man should carry. But every mile toward the city made the old wound open worse. They sent me for a witch to burn— And I remembered how I loved her first. [Bridge — building, restrained] I brought the wagon to the lower gate Before the bells of dawn. My soldiers slept. The key was warm from living all night against my heart. I opened the lock. You did not move. “You know what this will cost you.” “I do.” “Then do not free me because you loved me once.” I looked at the towers, the banners, the road I had spent half my life climbing. “I am not freeing you because of what we were.” I opened the door wider. “I am leaving because of what they are.” [Final Chorus — full, dark, not triumphant] They sent me for a witch to burn. I brought their captain to the fire. I laid my badge beside the road and watched the king lose one more liar. No spell was spoken. No oath was broken by a whisper in the dark. I chose with both my eyes wide open and no magic on my heart. They sent me for a witch to burn— We left before the morning bells. [Outro — soft female response] [Female voice] “Are you coming?” [Male voice] “Not back.” [Instrumental — footsteps fading] ABOUT THIS VIDEO: Original dark folk story and song. Artwork created with Midjourney. Video editing in DaVinci Resolve. #DarkFolk #DarkRomance #WitchFolk #FolkBallad #DarkFantasy