* * *
That night, in their bedchamber, as she brushed her long hair, Melusine watched Sigefroi unbuckle his baldric and sighed. “I wonder how young Otto feels, with the weight of the empire on his head. He looked so innocent last year, when we attended his Byzantine wedding.”
Sigefroi winked then sat heavily on the bed. “I just learned that his lovely bride, Theophano, is with child.”
Melusine rejoiced at the thought. “Wonderful. I hope it’s a boy. A new emperor needs heirs. Who would have ever thought of a Byzantine princess on the German Imperial throne?”
“Aye.” Sigefroi pulled off his soft boots and wriggled his toes. “But now that we made peace with the Byzantines, the Saracens are threatening Rome...” He sighed heavily. “It never ends.”
“Well, young Otto inherited a good wife out of that deal. The girl is as smart and bright as she is beautiful, and he will need her support.”
“If young Otto can stay alive long enough.” Sigefroi scoffed. “When I swore to his father I would protect and advise his son, I did not expect it to be so soon.”
“No one did. At least, with you standing in his shadow, no one will dare question the new emperor’s authority.” Melusine set down the brush. “Maybe you should remind young Otto of the arrangement we made with his father for the marriage of our son Henri to his younger sister.”
“Aye.” Removing his tunic, Sigefroi revealed a well-muscled chest striated by battle scars. “The heir of Luxembourg must marry an imperial princess to further strengthen the bonds between our two families.”
“And some day our newborn Kunigonde can marry Otto’s future heir and become an Empress.”
Sigefroi shook his head. “Is that what you have in mind for her?”
Melusine smiled mysteriously. “This baby is a very special child. The Goddess showed me her future. She will become not only an empress, but a Saint celebrated in all Christendom.”
“The daughter of a Pagan, become a Christian Saint?” He frowned.
“It’s all the same, dear husband. Fae folk are descended from angels who mated with humans. Many Christian saints have Fae blood in their veins.”
“The fact that I accepted your protection and agreed to keep your secret doesn’t mean that I embrace all the implications.” Sigefroi fell back heavily on the bed. “I feel too tired for philosophical debates.”
“How about another kind of activity, then. We don’t have to talk.” Melusine crossed the chamber and joined Sigefroi on the furs. She kissed the soft light hair on his chest.
Sigefroi caressed her long tresses then pushed her back gently. “I had a long day and my bones are aching, sweet wife. Take pity on your aging husband.”
Feeling the sting of rejection after months of celibacy, Melusine bit her lips and hid her tears. She blew the candle then lay down beside her husband on the furs. Soon, Sigefroi snored loud enough to shake the frame and the draperies of the great bed.
Wide awake, Melusine decided it was time to act.
She rose and went to the stone basin behind the privacy screen and filled it with water from the pitcher. Then she set a row of tallow candles on the circular rim. With a spark of Fae power, she lit them up all at once.
When her reflection in the basin smiled back, a great peace descended upon Melusine. Focusing on the water surface, she conjured in her mind the image of one of her sisters.
“Palatina, are you there?”
A young woman in white, her hair severely tied back, answered the call. She smiled at Melusine with startling gray eyes. “Sister? What a joy to hear from you! How is the world doing without me?”
Melusine, always surprised by her sister’s striking resemblance, felt as if she was speaking to her own image. “I see you look well, dear sister, but the world is aging and I need your knowledge.”
“I would be glad to help. I feel so useless alone in my cave.”
“This could be your chance, then. I need an elixir to keep my husband young and vigorous in the furs.”
Palatina’s eyes widened in shock and she gasped. “You are talking to a virgin, Melusine. What would I know of such things?”
Melusine shrugged. “You know what I mean. With your knowledge of plants and spices and healing potions, in all the books you read, in all the secrets you learned, isn’t there one that can help me?”
“Perhaps.” Palatina’s forehead creased in concentration. She looked away then moved beyond Melusine’s field of view.
Melusine stared for a moment at the water basin reflecting the ceiling of a dark cave. She felt sorry for her sister. Such beauty and knowledge locked away while the centuries went by.
Their father had suffered a similar fate at his daughters’ hands, though. Children could be cruel, and Melusine had done her share of hurt in childhood.
When Palatina’s reflection reappeared in the basin, she held a large volume of bound parchment and leafed through it, slowly, following the lines with one finger.
“There it is.” Her finger stopped. “Thistle milk, licorice root, black currants, hawthorn, apricots... a complicated formula with many elements, but the book says it keeps the skin smooth, the heart strong and the mind alert. You can mix it with wine and honey, and your husband should drink a cup of it each night before bed.”
“That’s all?”
“Nay. You also need a magic spell to make the potion.”
“What magic spell?”
“I’ll explain in a minute. Also make sure you feed him mackerel, salmon and sardines to ease the pain in his bones.”
Taking mental notes, Melusine rejoiced at the idea of Sigefroi regaining his former strength.
Palatina licked a finger and turned the thick page. “Some elements might be difficult to find. They come from the orient, like the root of a plant called ginseng, and another plant called gingko. They are said to keep a man’s body young and strong, and keep his mind sharp and alert very late in life.”
Melusine smiled. “I know some astute and devoted merchants who might be able to get me the special plants I need. Little sister, you are a blessing. Now, explain to me how to make the potion...”
* * *
The next morning, Melusine watched Sigefroi leave for Memleben with a small escort to attend the emperor’s funeral. There, along with all the kings, dukes, counts, and marques of the Roman Empire, he would publicly swear fealty to the new emperor, Otto’s son.
Melusine did not offer to accompany him. Sigefroi could take care of himself. Besides, in order to help him fit into this brand new empire, she had an important potion to make that would require much time and many errands.
Melusine gave Alyx a list of herbs to get from the town healer who gathered and dried his own healing plants. Meanwhile, she visited the spice merchant.
The big man rose from behind a row of earthen jars on a trestle table. His bearded face broke into a smile when he recognized Melusine. “What an honor to have you in my humble shop, my lady. What is your pleasure?”
“I am looking for rare plants from the orient, one called ginseng and another called gingko.”
The man’s eyes lit up. “What would that be for? I’ve heard the names but I don’t know their uses.”
Melusine saw no harm in educating the man. “One keeps your body strong and the other keeps your mind sharp.”
The merchant grinned. “So that’s how you remain young and beautiful after birthing six children. My wife wondered about that.”
“Give her my regards. Maybe she can use these plants herself.” The scent of coriander from an open jar filled the air, along with faint traces of other spices Melusine could not identify. “Do you know where to find these plants?”
The portly man removed his cap to scratch his head. “There is a trader in Trier who supplies the imperial court. He carries almost everything one can find in the empire. I will get these plants for you and make sure I have them in my shop, if you’ll be kind enough to buy them from me in the future.”
“Thank you my good man. But I need it urgently.”
The man’s eyes lit up. “It would cost extra, my lady, but I could send a fast rider to Trier this afternoon and have the merchandise delivered to the castle late tomorrow.”
Melusine smiled as she handed two gold coins to the greedy man. “I will pay the price. As long as I can count on you.”
The big man took the coins and bowed profusely. “I promise you will be satisfied, my lady.”
It took Melusine an entire week to brew the potion in a cauldron in the hearth of her bedchamber. The sweet smell clung to the stone walls. Then she mixed the decoction with some of the castle’s best Italian wine. It took another day to perform the spell to enhance the elixir’s potency. Finally, Melusine filled a barrel and set it in a wall niche in the bedchamber, next to Sigefroi’s favorite silver goblet.
* * *
Sigefroi returned a few days later, with his brother Bishop Adalberon, and Melusine ordered a private feast. Although it was almost summer, she had fresh salmon and mackerel brought from the seashore at great expense.
That night, she wore the yellow dress Sigefroi liked so much. She intended to seduce her husband and reclaim him as a lover. Melusine noticed his sidelong glances, but he looked weary from his travels.
During the repast, Adalberon turned to Sigefroi. “Brother, did any new sightings of ondines occur on your lands?”
Melusine held her breath. Since Sigefroi found out her secret in Rome, seven years back, she had been extremely careful. She now swam far from the town, far from the ramparts of Luxembourg, in the wild tributaries of the Alzette, deep in the forest, where no living soul would venture alone.
“You still believe these old tales?” Sigefroi scoffed. “I told you years ago they were only legends... we could not find any reliable witness, only drunken sailors who hardly remembered their name when sober.”
Adalberon shrugged. “Just asking... I tend to believe there is truth to the old stories. A new sighting would definitely help verify the legend.”
Hiding her apprehension behind a smile, Melusine changed the topic. “Did you taste the fish, Adalberon? The cook prepared the salmon in a delicate white sauce, with baby onions and fresh cream.”
With dainty fingers, Adalberon ripped a strip of pink salmon from his bread trencher. After dipping it in the sauce, he nibbled on the fish. His eyes smiled approval. “Delicious indeed.”
Sigefroi skewered a piece of salmon with his eating dagger and ate with obvious pleasure. “I bet Gunter in Saarburg does not eat this good.”
“Aye.” Melusine smiled. “But he might be drinking our best wine with a curvaceous wench on his lap.”
Laughing, Sigefroi almost choked on his food.
Adalberon made a disgusted face then blotted his mouth with the hem of the white tablecloth. Obviously, he did not approve of Gunter’s taste for wine and women. He cleared his throat then turned to Melusine. “Did you know Archbishop Henri of Verdun did not attend the emperor’s funeral?”
“Really?” Melusine knew such an insult to the emperor meant serious trouble to come. “Was he indisposed? Did he send a representative?”
Adalberon shook his head. “Not even that.”
Sigefroi drank a sip from the silver cup he shared with Melusine. “I wonder what that bastard is fomenting behind the fortified walls of Verdun.”
“Nothing good, I’m afraid.” Adalberon sighed. “To think he is a man of the cloth!” Adalberon’s face relaxed. “Brother, while we are on Christian matters, when are you going to reform your abbeys?”
Adalberon’s smile made Melusine shudder with foreboding. He looked like a cat about to pounce.
Sigefroi shrugged and dropped his eating dagger on the table. “I knew you would find a way to spoil this family meal with Church business.”
Adalberon arched one eyebrow. “It is past time for monastic cleansing.”
Sigefroi wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Listen, brother, I pay to maintain the abbeys, I reap the profits of their vineyards and decide by whom they are administered. But whether the monks take wives, concubines, or remain celibate does not interest me in the least.”
Adalberon turned a shocked face to Melusine then stared down at his bread trencher. “Shame on you, brother. You of all people should be giving the example and pushing the reforms.”
Sigefroi’s face tensed. “Why? What’s wrong with the secular canons? They have been in place at Eternach for over a hundred years. The change may not be welcomed by the congregation.”
“The old rules are too tolerant.” Adalberon cleared his throat. “Besides, as the leader of the spiritual cleansing, I would expect my own brother to support my reforms. Popular or not, you can impose your will. Unless your will does not favor my new vision for the Church...”
A cold shiver coursed over Melusine’s spine. She laid one hand on Sigefroi’s thigh under the tablecloth. It wouldn’t do to make an enemy of Adalberon.
Sigefroi’s fist tightened on the table then relaxed. He nodded to Melusine then turned to Adalberon and offered a strained smile. “I guess you are right, brother. Family must stick together. Would the roles be reversed, I would expect you to support me as well. I’ll speak to the abbots.”
“Excellent!” Adalberon beamed.
* * *
Later that night, in their bedchamber, Melusine took Sigefroi to the niche and the barrel containing the youth elixir. “A special gift for you, my lord.”
Sigefroi inspected the barrel. “What is it? Wine?”
“A very special wine.” Melusine filled his silver cup and handed it to him. “Tell me how you like it.”
Sigefroi took the cup and tasted the brew then smacked his lips in appreciation. “Unusual... bittersweet but pleasant enough. Is it a cordial?”
“More like an elixir, my lord. One cup each night before bed should keep you healthy and strong for many decades to come.”
Sigefroi’s amber eyes widened upon her. “A magic potion?”
Melusine chuckled. “Only if you believe in such fables.”
“Could it be dangerous?” Sigefroi stared suspiciously inside the half empty goblet. “I’m warning you I’m hard to kill. I have been poisoned before, and it did not take.”
Melusine laid her hand on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth of his body through the white silk tunic. “Is my invincible knight afraid of an elixir?”
“Nay.” Sigefroi grimaced. “But I wouldn’t want to turn into a toad in front of my knights. They might make fun of me and I would have to kill them.”
“No danger of that happening, my lord.” She smiled with all the love she felt for him, hoping he could read her heart.
“In that case...” Sigefroi drained the cup and smacked it down on the stone surface next to the barrel.
Melusine came closer and faced him. “I’m so glad you like it.”
Sigefroi encircled her in his arms. “I knew you were good for more than building fortresses. Woman, you know how to take care of a man.”
She rested her head on his hard chest, listening to the strong beat of his heart. How she enjoyed feeling safe against him. “As long as you love me, my lord, I will take great care of you.”
Sigefroi laughed, the vibrations shaking his chest. “There must be something to this elixir of yours, my little hellcat. It makes me feel twenty again.”
“Then prove it to me.” Melusine smiled coyly.
He swept her off her feet. “If proof you require, my lady, proof I shall provide.”
She kissed his corded neck as he carried her toward the high bed. Then he dropped her in the middle of the mattress, like a sac of grain, sending the hem of her yellow dress flying in the most immodest fashion.
She laughed and watched his tall, wiry frame as he loosened his sword belt and slipped the baldric off his wide shoulder to hang it on the bedpost. He pulled his tunic over his head, revealing his muscled and scarred chest. Was it an illusion, or did his skin glow with new vitality? It c
ould be a trick of the dancing light, but his scars seemed less conspicuous.
Heat surged at her core as Melusine noticed the prominent bulge in his chausses. She hadn’t expected the elixir to work so quickly, but she was delighted that it did.
Sigefroi kicked off his boots then joined her on the bed and covered her with his body. His lips traced a burning trail on her throat. One hand explored the folds of her yellow dress and the other dislodged her breast from her low neckline.
She gasped when he took the hard nub between teasing teeth. How she’d missed his attentions. Her breasts swelled under his touch. Her back arched of its own volition. He pinned her under him and her breath came short as he made full contact with the length of her body. How strong he was, how potent.
Then his roving fingers climbed under the hem of the yellow dress and he stroked the sweet spot where she generated so much heat. She moaned with unspent desire, undulating under his ministrations but unable to escape the sweet torment. She loved the way he imposed himself upon her, held her entirely at his mercy.
She shivered at the contact of his warm skin against hers. She drank the nectar of his mouth like a river of spiced, honeyed wine soothing her parched throat. “It has been so long... I missed you like that.”
“It’s been too long, my sweet. I won’t let it happen again.”
Melusine welcomed him inside her as they joined, savagely at first, then lovingly, for a very long time. Indeed, the elixir worked miracles that night, for Sigefroi made her sing in the furs, and better than she had in many years.
For tonight, Melusine forgot about Adalberon and his religious zeal. As long as Sigefroi loved her, they could handle the obstacles together... be it an assault from the jealous Archbishop of Verdun, or an investigation of ondines from the Church.
She hadn’t expected the draft to work so well. And since her sister mentioned cumulative effects with regular use... there was much happiness in store for both of them.
She fingered a strand of copper hair at Sigefroi’s nape. “I love you, my magnificent lion of Luxembourg.”
Curse of the Lost Isle Special Edition Page 65