The Thoughtful Homemaker

Lady Melusine had a son from King John. She named him Edward. Unlike John, he was tall, pale, with green eyes. His face was a chiseled beauty and he had the famed handsome nose and cheeks of the Plantagenets. He did not know who his mother was. As a baby she replaced him with the baby of a peasant in Angouleme. She had Ingelgar watch over him as he grew and she lived on as a bloodthirsty vampire hidden in the forests of Aquitaine, luring lusty boys to her cottage.

Two young peasants in Angouleme were amazed at the beautiful healthy baby they had. They had never seen a baby with such shiny healthy black locks and such glowing green eyes. He was their youngest baby and they named him Jean. Jean was born weak and they thought he would not live. The next day he was fat and healthy. They thanked the Lord and took him to the village church often to hear mass and planned to give him to the church. The village priest let the boy come to help in the church and taugh him to read and write. He learned quickly and the priest was sure that this boy would have a successful career in the church. He still helped out his family a lot doing their hard labor. His sister and two older brothers looked after him though his oldest brother Jacques was always jealous. Jean also loved the woods and the wildlife and felt he could understand the animals. He even secretly had a pet wolf who would bring him animals to eat.

The village after a while noticed that the little child looked so different from his father. As he grew older and even more beautiful and strong, the village began to suspect that he was a changeling. He was stronger and faster than the boys his age and he would get sick in too much sun. He was caught eating a live rabbit and sucking its blood. He had a strange appetite for blood, so much his mother was frightened for him. He was such a good boy with a gentle heart, but he could not stop his desire to drink blood. Yes, he must be a changeling.

At the age of 12, he was sent out of his village after being caught drinking the blood from a cow’s neck. He walked alone in the dark forest confused and sad. As he walked he saw a beautiful lady with black hair and violet eyes who rode on a black stallion. He was amazed at her beauty.

“Young boy, you look so sad!” she said.

“Yes, madam. My mother threw me away from my home because I kept drinking the blood from animals. But I can’t help it!!”

“Really?” she asked. “Well, I love to drink blood too so I do not think you are strange.”

The boy smiled. The lady came down from her black horse. As she walked towards Jean the black horse turned into a tall man with black hair. The boy was not scared but curious.

“I see you do not run away from us and make crosses in the air!”

“No, madam. I have felt strange all of my life so seeing you makes me feel not so strange.”

She laughed and hugged Jean. “You are my boy for sure.” She told him.

“Your boy?” he asked.

“Yes, you are my son, and this is Ingelgar your brother.”

“You must be a witch like Father Francis would warn us about. Why would I believe a witch?”

“Ah, such a brave little boy. I am no witch. I am Melusine, Lady of Anjou. Your father is the King of England, John.”

Jean laughed. “I suppose Ingelgar is the Pope!! You are a silly witch but I am glad you made me laugh an such a sad day!!”

“Little boy!!” Melusine’s cheeks began to turn red. “I am indeed your mother!!”

“Ha, what a mother!!! I do not even know you! My mother is Bernadette with the Red hair. My father is Pierre the son of Dominic who has the best fighting rooster in the village! I don’t need kings, I am happy helping Papa with the plow!”

“Where is your Papa now?”

“I just couldn’t stop drinking blood. I also run too fast and can climb a tree like a chipmunk. The boys are scared of me. Papa thinks I am from the devil. He thinks I should leave. Maman told me to run fast and be strong and make a new life. But I love the plow and sneaking off in the night to hunt rabbits and wolves!”

Melusine looked at Ingelgar. “I never thought I should have such a simpleton for a son! Curse that Angevin John!!! He is nothing like my love Count Ingelgar your father!” She shed a glassy tear and Ingelgar held her. Ingelgar then walked over to the boy.

“Jean, my brother, I have watched you grow up all of your life. I would hide as a bird and watch you from the roof of your little cottage. I know your brothers Jacques and Simon. You have a sister named Olive who has red hair like your mother and brown eyes like your father. Olive is a beautiful girl who has a lovely voice. Jacques told your father about you drinking the blood of a rabbit and how you were unafraid of a wolf and went to pet it.”

“My wolf! Yes, I have a pet wolf who has not visited me in a while. The wolf would sometimes bring me rabbits and badgers to eat.”

Melusine smiled and hugged Ingelgar. She then changed herself into a wolf.

“My wolf!!” and Jean went to hug her and pet her. She then shifted back into herself and held her son. “Do you believe me now?”

He was now called Edward and lived for a time with Melusine and Ingelgar. He watched Melusine lure men to her cottage. Sometimes she would even kill them and offer their blood to Edward but he could not drink it. He thought of his Maman Bernadette and Father Francis and how they would be so ashamed. He thought about how Simon and Olive looked up to him and were amazed at his talents in running and climbing faster than any other kid in the village. Most of all he thought of Stefanie, the pretty blond daughter of Marc the fat peasant with the biggest house. He wanted to more human just for the chance to be with Stefanie.

Ingelgar taught Edward how to shape shift and Edward would turn himself into a black cat with green eyes. Fat old Marc would shew the black cat away but his daughter Stefanie would go to him and bring him crumbs for she thought him the most beautiful cat he had ever seen. Ingelgar would stare at red haired Olive in his form of a bluebird and would sing above her head while she milked her cow.

Ingelgar for the first time in his very long life fell in love and began to drift from the power of his mother. He thoughts were only for Olive and he loved her more than Edward could ever know about loving Stefanie. How could a boy of 12 understand finding love after 400 years of wandering the forests as his mother’s servant?

One day as they walked to the village Ingelgar said, “Edward do you like living with us?”

“No, brother Ingelgar. Melusine is an evil witch and a murderer. I fear you are to. I want to leave and go back to live as Jean so I can love Stefanie. I would even give up drinking rabbit blood. Maybe we can just drink cow blood with flour like normal people do and have a good life”

“Edward, you know I love Olive.”

“Yes, I know, but please do not eat her! She is my beloved sister who was always good to me.”

“Edward, I love her so much that I want to be more human. I will, like you, not eat another human. I am after all half human, like yourself, though you have more Vampire blood in your veins because your father was also Melusine’s descendant.”

“Yes, I know, I am the son of sin. Yet, I desire not to sin like my mother. I am tempted to drink human blood. Sometimes their blood smells like the sweetest butter. Yet, I still want so badly to just be human.”

“You are a good boy, brother Edward! I think I no longer wish to live under my mother’s evil ways. I was raised as a child many years ago to be a knight. I promise you we will leave Melusine and live a normal life with the women we love.”

“You would help me have Stefanie?”

“Yes, as long as I have sweet Olive!”

Ingelgar and Edward went to the village at night and kidnapped Stefanie and Olive. They ran faster than a fleeting deer through the forests as the girls slept. They ran far away until they reached the Pyrenees mountains. In the morning, the girls awoke. Stefanie screamed but Olive ran and hugged her brother. Edward explained to Olive what happened and Olive calmed Stefanie down. Edward and Ingelgar promised that they would only touch them if they gave permission. Olive did not like Ingelgar and began to plan to get Stefanie and Edward who she knew as Jean away from that dark knight.

Ingelgar stole a horse and trained Edward how to be a knight in the Pyrenees mountains of Navarre. They built a little home for the girls and brought them food. Ingelgar also taught Edward how to fight with a sword. With the gifts he learned from his mother, he learned quickly.

Ingelgar and Edward found a knight named Reynaldo and his wife Lady Elvira and asked if they could fight for him as his servants. At first, the knight refused. The two young men looked noble but he did not know them. Then one day while Reynaldo and Elvira were riding in the woods, a group of robbers attacked them and killed their guards.. Edward and Ingelgar came out of the forest and easily beat the robbers saving Lady Elvira from being raped. Elvira begged Reynaldo to take Edward as his squire. She thought him handsome and Ingelgar very noble. Reynaldo made Edward a squire. Ingelgar became Reynaldo’s groom. When they told Reynaldo about Olive and Stefanie he brought them to his castle to serve Lady Elvira. It was soon found out that Olive had a beautiful voice. Elvira would ask Olive to sing. One night as Olive sang Ingelgar joined her in her song. She realized that he sang with her like that bluebird did in Angouleme. She looked into Ingelgar’s eyes and noticed they were the same as that bird’s. That night as she walked in Reynaldo’s gardens she saw Ingelgar and walked with him.

“So you sang well with me the other night. My lady was impressed.”

“Not as impressed as I am with your beauty.”

“How did you know that song? I have never sang around you. You sang the parts that a bluebird would when I was younger in Angouleme.” She stared into his eyes.

“Yes, Olive, I was that bluebird! Yes, I am cursed. I am the son of Melusine and Count Fulk of Anjou. I am cursed to love to drink blood and live a long life. I want badly to be more human so I can be with you.”

“I knew you were of the devil!! I would never want to be with you even if it meant I would live long or with the son of a noble Count. I know about the evil fairy Melusine, how she turned into a serpent in a church!!”

“I am half human!”

“But you love not the Lord. You are a murderer! My mother told us tales of the demons hidden in the wood!”

“But I love you! Is that not enough?”

“Begone, you evil beast. You who have bewitched my dearest brother!”

She walked away in disgust. Ingelgar was angry that he couldn’t be completely human to be with her. He wanted her blood more than anything. It captured his deepest desires. In his sorrow, his desire overcame his strict discipline. He was not like Edward. He waited centuries to find a love like this one and was not going to let her love any other but him. He wanted to be her servant, now she must be his slave. His fingers became claws, his teeth fangs. He grabbed the girl and bit deep into her neck before she could let out a scream. Her blood fulfilled his greatest need and made his body warm. He didn’t just drink to quench his thirst. He drank to devour her very soul for his own. After he was done, he held her limp body in his arms. He looked at her barely living pale face.

“Drink my blood that will flow from the cut in my chest and you won’t die. I will love you forever.”

“Let me go to my God in heaven. I would rather live in paradise than be eternally dead.”

Ingelgar dropped her on the ground and screamed a horrific yell that brought shivers to all of the humans that could hear it. Reynaldo grabbed his wife and they held each other in terror in their bedchamber. Stefanie cried missing her father and her home in Angouleme wondering if she could ever let Edward touch her. Edward, sleeping on a pallet outside his master’s bedchamber door jumped up and ran to the window. He knew that cry. He saw Ingelgar climb like a rat over the wall of the master’s garden and into the forest. He jumped out the window and landed feet first into the garden. There he saw the body of his beloved sister Olive lying on a red rose bush pale and gray. He knew Ingelgar had given in to his desire.

He jumped over the garden wall and ran out into the forest. He sniffed trying to find his brother’s scent but was unable to find him. He climbed a tree and cried moaning to the full moon above.

Ingelgar in the shape of a wolf, fled back to the cottage in Aquitaine, where the old woman stood in front of the door. He became a man again and nodded to the old lady. H walked into the little house and ran to his mother with tears in his eyes.

“Oh, mother why do I have to be a monster.”

“My son,” she said, “because that is what you choose to be. You were always my favorite little boy!” she said as she kissed his cheek.