I probably learned about them on here. Their lyrics were usually a story.

"Bard + Metal, telling a story" sounds to me like the "power metal" or "symphonic metal" genre.

There are a number of those metal bands in those genres with female singers. Maybe it was Nightwish or Epica? Those are two of the biggest name ones.

Unleash the Archers is another female-led power metal band, and one that I know I've mentioned on the forum before, thanks to their excellent cover of Stan Rogers' "Northwest Passage".

Yeah, that's a wide open field.

For symphonic metal or gothic metal adjacent with female vocals, aside from Nightwish or Epica, maybe Tristania or Sirenia? After Forever? Within Temptation? Theatre of Tragedy?

If not power metal or symphonic metal, then maybe within the folk metal genre?

Eluveitie? Midnattsol? Leaves Eyes? Antichrisis? Euzen (way less on the metal side, though)?

It was mostly bard, with metal interludes.

The stories all sounded medieval themed, if I recall them correctly,,,

Renaissance ?? Annie Haslam is a Goddess

Sounds like Blackmore's Night.
Ritchie Blackmore and his wife have been doing this sort of thing for some time now.