“It proved next to impossible to get anywhere near you. So I ministered to some of the other prisoners instead.”
“It’s nice to see you again.”
“So nice that you’ll want to resume your lessons again?”
“It would be my pleasure. I must improve my reading and writing if I ever want to study at the university.”
“What? I didn’t think you still wanted to do that,” Johannes said.
“Does it bother you?” Madlen said hesitantly.
“On the contrary. I’ve even thought about what we could do together so as not to rely solely on the goodwill of the archbishop or the king.”
“And? Have you come up with an idea yet?”
“Not yet. But I’m a lawyer. Just because I haven’t come up with something yet doesn’t mean that I’ll quit before I find one.”
“You really think that one day it could be possible?” Madlen’s eyes lit up.
“Yes,” replied Johannes, after thinking about it for a moment. “I’ll be your lawyer. Even the archbishop praised me for my exceptional talent.” He grinned. “But first”—he touched Madlen’s stomach—“we’ll have our child, for the sake of those two.” He nodded to Elsbeth and Agathe. “And then I’ll study the Scriptures to search for where it’s written that a woman cannot attend university.”
“Even if it’s not written, it doesn’t mean that it won’t take a long time to—”
“Please, let that be my concern. I don’t tell you what herbs to use on your sick, so don’t you get yourself mixed up with my interpretation of the law.”
“You’re right.” She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he put his arm around her. “All that will come in good time. First, I just want to get back to Worms.”
“And then?”
“Then I want to be happy.” She gazed at him. “I want to live happily with all my friends and family but most especially, with you.”