Read Literary Lunes Magazine: November 2011 Issue Page 8

I grew and grew and at 14 I was already 5’5”, very tall for a woman in the 1600’s. I had long black hair that reached almost to my knees, my skin was pale, my mouth was full and red, my eyes were tilted slightly and a golden green. My days were filled with learning; history, geography, languages, religions. There was also darning to do and sewing and candles to make. The rare days that I was free to explore the beautiful forests that surrounded our cottage were heaven to me. The last such day I had wandered further from the cottage then I normally dared go. But I was engrossed with the way the setting sun colored the leaves with red’s and gold’s which warred and yet mirrored the purple and gold sky above me. So I lingered well must dusk and as I started to make my way back I heard strange sounds. I have ever been a curious creature and nothing has changed in the four hundred plus years that I have lived. So I crept closer to the noises. It began to take on more definition and I thought it was moaning and giggling. I was so confused; I thought someone might be hurt but the giggling through me off. I came into a small clearing and saw two people rolling on the ground. I asked if everyone was alright. I can still hear her mocking laughter at my naiveté. I was stuck, I could only stare as the young woman laughed and mocked me for not knowing what had been going on. All I could do was stare at the man’s face. For it was my beloved Methos staring at me, his lips plumped and stained with a darker liquid. So I ran.

  And I ran and I ran. I could hear footsteps beating a path behind me as I picked up my skirts in an attempt to move faster. I could hear his silken voice calling to me. I was horrified. How could the man that I had fantasied about for years be with another woman. How could he not feel what I felt? I knew he loved me, I felt it. That’s when I ran into a tree and knocked myself out for a moment or two.

  That’s right, we can’t always be glamorous and even a good romance story doesn’t always work out the way we want. Gods, I was mortified to wake up and have Methos sitting there staring at me. He asked me what I was doing out so late and I tried to explain but he started yelling about wolves and other animals while I stared at him like he was stupid. “What were you doing with her?” I asked. This led to a very awkward 20 minutes of conversation while he tried to explain about sex and intimacy. “But I love you!” I exclaimed at him.

  “You are a child, you do not know love. I am the only man you have ever spent any real time with. Of course you think you love me. All you have known is this corner of the world. One day you will walk in the cities and streets of the busiest towns and you will meet many beautiful men who want you and will court you. Then you will not give me a second look.” Oh how those words wounded me.

  “Never! Then take me with you to see the world, I swear it will always be you! I don’t care if a King courts me or the wealthiest man in the world my eyes will only ever see you!” I practically yelled at him.

  He sat and stared at me for so long after that sentence that I wasn’t sure if he would talk again. I almost got up and left, my eyes filled with tears.

 

  “You do not understand love yet Silver, your love for me is like a tree compared to the depths of my feelings for you. My love is like a great ocean constantly moving towards you, controlled by you. You are the light in my darkness, the moon in my sky. I will show you the world and we shall see what prince will woo you from my side. “ I could barely breath I was filled with so much joy at those words. He was my sun and I was his moon.

  That night he led me home and I slept in the little hay bed I had slept in for fourteen years. The next day I said goodbye to the men who had been like fathers to me. I never saw them again but I still see their faces in my dreams at times. The next night we left, and my simple life was never quite the same again.

  I learned so many things about myself in the next two years. Those things I will get into later, this first entry is about Methos. I had never seen so many people together in one place. I was dressed in sumptuous fabrics that I couldn’t even dream of before. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle I longed for the quiet days in the forest but then night would come and I would look in Methos’ eyes, feel the smooth skin of his knuckles touch my cheek and I knew the noise and the pain was worth it.

  We saw so many places in those few years; Vienna, Moscow, Venice, Rome, London, my favorite by far was Paris. Oh the way the lights twinkled in the darkness, the music that would carry out into the streets, the smell of chocolate and wine and rich coffees. It was heaven to me. I spent the days exploring and the nights I spent with my Methos. We would talk and laugh and kiss. And he was right I was wooed by Count’s and even a Prince once. No one turned my head from Methos though. I always knew that we were right together. We were on a boat slowly drifting down the Seine when he asked me to marry him.

  Marriage meant little to Methos, he was centuries old, A vampire. He never took life to live but merely nibbled on willing donors. There are so many horrible stories of creatures of the night but Methos was never one of those horrors. I have been though. At certain points in history I have gone against everything that he taught me in the hopes that I could bring his soul back to me. A shiver runs down my back at the way this story ends. And I apologize for the lack of detail. I want to share but this story hurts for it ends badly. But let me hurry and continue.

  Where was I? Oh yes, Methos was what was considered a good vampire. He didn’t harm those around him or take life if he could help it. He tried to help those he could and was generous with the money that he had especially those who lived on the streets or towards orphans. He was kind and intelligent and hilarious. Don’t get me wrong he had his faults and his ego was so large sometimes I wondered how both him and it fit in the same room. He was also vain and took almost as long to get ready to go out as I did. And remember at that period in history I had to get into about three different skirts, plus a corset.

  So marriage meant little to him, he asked only to make me happy and because it would seem more acceptable in society. That and he could never resist any excuse to dress up and be the center of attention. I wish there had been pictures in those days. We never had the patience to wait for portraits. The wedding day was glorious, he was shimmering in gold and purple. I almost ran away before I could walk towards him for he was so beautiful that I couldn’t understand how this creature wanted me. Then his eyes caught mine and I watched his face light up at the sight of me. I felt the love come off of him and I knew he truly wanted to be with me forever.

  The rest of the day was a blur really. Again I wish for pictures so I could better remember it. It was a blur of laughter and teasing. Methos had many friends and they were all there to wish us well. There were many ribald jokes about what would happen later. I think I might have over drank a little as even the wedding night is just a vague memory of a hint of pain mixed with pleasure. He would ever tease me afterwards that his loving was so good that it wiped the memories of the day away.