Caen, France
Year of our Lord 1060
"Johanne…. Johanne! Are you listening to me? Father says to come at once!"
Hope turned at the sound of a girl, her voice was becoming annoyed with her. She spoke that same name this time with force. Hope seeing clearly the girl was talking to her, simply asked what she wanted.
"Uggg! Johanne, Gerold, he is outside!"
At hearing Gerold's name Hope moved following the girl. Hope was confused, she was wearing odd clothing, and the place where she was, seemed very strange. Yet everything about this place was home to her. Normal, and seen by her a thousand times. As was young Isabe, her sister. Yes…. Isabe, that was Isabe wasn't it? Why was everything so surreal?
She followed young Isabe into the courtyard of her home. Father and mother were standing with her other sister. The smirk on her face was because today was the day her suitor would arrive. Her sister was jealous that it was Johanne's turn and not hers. Not until Johanne was promised and married to another, could the middle sister court. Hope nodded to her father and mother and stood in a line with the others. As eldest daughter it was her place to be beside her mother, so she forced her two younger sisters further down.
A moment later two horsemen arrived, one was older and grey haired but rough. That was Gaspard Blanche, Count of Anjou, just having him visit their home, meant a great deal for father. Gaspard was lord of the lands to the south of Normandy. And one of his knights was interested in Johanne's hand. If father agreed to the match it could be of serious advantage for him. The lord of Normande was indebted to the Lord of Anjou and close. Father was noble yes, but nothing on the level of Gaspard. Father was just a minor lord in a land with few advantages.
Gaspard and a red-haired man, far younger in age dismounted. Hope felt the tension and her own anticipation at the meeting. Yet where was her Gerold? The one wasn't her Gerold. Yet this man was handsome and looking directly at her. She felt herself blush as she curtsied along with her mother and sisters to the Lord. Introductions were for her mother and father first, but next came her. The Lord smiled a knowing thing and parted so this red-haired man could approach her. He was thin, but not girlish in build, he appeared to be an excellent horseman from the look of things. His mount was well cared for, and his handling of the beautiful white courser was elegant and refined. In all appearance he was noble, his wealth was obvious. Yet she knew this wasn't necessarily true. He bore the name of the Lord, yet he wasn't his son by birth. He had been adopted by the Lord some years before and was raised by him. Had he been the actual son of the Lord then Johanne would never be getting this introduction. Still all Johanne could do was try not to hyperventilate at seeing him. He was FAR more handsome than she dreamed he would be. His hair was curled in some places, straight in others. The fire red color of it captured her imagination. She had never seen a man with that before. But the most obvious and brazen thing about him was his face. There was this mischievous grin on his face as he approached and took her hand.
"I am Gerold Blanche, and I am honored to meet you madame."
Johanne felt her young heart flutter at his scandalous and obvious smile. Her mother was standing right beside her, and he had the audacity to look at her for so long, and in such a manner.
"I hope you find me, not too displeasing?"
Johanne had to contain herself. He was cute, and so charming! She couldn't help but smile a toothy grin and reply something at how she wasn't displeased at all. The whole time they locked eyes and never parted. Almost like the two were challenging each other to see who would look away first. Both laughed out loud as seconds turned to a minute. Her father made a sound which broke their contest. Gerold complemented Johanne and thanked her father for allowing them the visit. Her father started to reply but stopped in the middle of saying something. That was when Johanne noticed he wasn't the only one. The sounds of the wind, and the birds in the sky they had gone silent as well. What on earth had happened? Then Johanne noticed that no one was breathing or moving.
"Father, mother…. are you ok?"
Johanne heard a familiar voice speak, but it sounded strange, old… far older than she remembered.
"Hope turn around."
Johanne was confused at hearing that name and turned to see Nancy standing there looking so old and in odd clothing. Johanne then remembered that Nancy wasn't really Nancy. She was her, she had been Johanne long ago. Or was it now, why was she dressed so. Oh, what is wrong with me today?
"Calm yourself dear. I am dressed so because this is a form of how I look, in the 21st century. You Hope…. Well, you are experiencing what it was like to be me in the 11th century."
She watched as Nancy came forward and put a loving hand on her father and then her mother. She especially seemed to become emotional on touching her mother. Then finally she remembered just who she was, that she was Hope…. not Johanne. She saw the sadness in Nancy and it touched her. It must be hard to see them here like this. To touch them, to feel them and to know they have been gone so very long. Or… maybe not, if they were vampires then they could still be…
"They are gone Hope. Sleeping a long time now. I love that about the link, I would have long forgotten what they sounded like if it wasn't for this. It's not the same, I can only interact with them as I did in my memories. I can't talk to my mother about my new life, the one you know. I can't tell her about her grandbabies, and what became of her daughter. Those are things my mother will never know Hope."
Hope looked around finally understanding what year it was. It was 1060, and this red-haired man was…..
"He is my Gerold, not yours. This was my first husband, the man who taught me a great deal about life my dear. I want you to learn from him, and from them as well. Mother, Father, Isabe, all of them can teach you a great deal."
Hope didn't understand, one moment she was her and she was talking to Nancy. The next she was this Johanne, and she was betrothed to this man.
"My birth name was Johanne, I gave it up much later. As a vampire Hope you will live many lives. As a vampire woman you will need to wear many masks. This…. This isn't a mask for me, this was the girl I was. You Hope, you are going to experience what it was like to be me as a young thing. Live that life and breathe that life. Let this life burn you, let it move and flow around you. It will educate you far more than anything else can."
Hope remembered the bargain she had with Nancy. She just had to experience this link for a bit and she would be allowed to return. With her memories intact, and unchanged, not a vampire. Nancy nodded to her and then pointed at Gerold.
"This is Gerold Blanche, it's not his real name of course. He was already by this moment in history perhaps 1000 years old. I didn't know it at the time. In fact, I am still learning things about this man even now."
Clearly this was the man who made her into a vampire. The one who introduced herself into the life. She then asked Nancy why it was so hard for her to remember who she was, why she was getting confused.
"You are immersed into my memories, while you are here living these memories much of what makes you Hope will be suppressed. You will experience this time as I did with my talents and my shortcomings. In short you will live very nearly as I did all those centuries ago. There is much to learn here, embrace it and let it move you. I promise when your time is done here you will remember all. Both your time here in the 11th century, and all that you were before."
A moment later Nancy disappeared and she felt a hand on her pulling her around. She let out a breath as Gerold had approached her asking if she was ok. It took a moment for the breathless girl to catch her breath. Hope looked into his eyes and saw excitement there and so much more. She felt Johannes's emotions boil up in her and she allowed them to come forward.
"You promised me a tour of the grounds I believe?"
Johanne looked around seeing that the others had gone inside and it was just her and Gerold together. It was the 3rd day of his visit, after the Count had left to return to Anjou, satisfied a union would take place. Johanne felt so much anticipation for what was to come next. It was her idea, her plan. She had done nothing but think on this man, obsess over this man since his arrival. He had already asked for her hand and had it accepted. Now it was only a matter of arranging the service.
This "tour" that Johanne had planned was no tour. It was her having what she wasn't going to wait for. Gerold wasn't opposed to this either, he looked as excited as she did. A short time later Johanne discovered what a man was, and what it was like to be with one. It wasn't all what she hoped or thought it would be. Yet in ways the act itself told Johanne what kind of man she was getting. Gerold was soft with her, and loving. They took their time to cover their illicit affair, but a close eye would still know.
Johanne didn't care, this was her man, her choice. And she was ready to begin to live. Be the woman of her own house, which Gerold could hopefully provide. He was wealthy having been lavished with praise and opportunity by the Count. As a knight it was possible for him to achieve fame. Perhaps a day would come when Gerold would win some honor and be granted a fine piece of land they could call their own. As they walked back to the house, now a real couple. Johanne glowed in the knowledge that she had been fortunate in this match. He was a fine man, and perhaps in time he would be a decent lover.
"What does my flower think? Is she pleased?"
Johanne looked at him and found his hair to be tossed and messy. She took the time to straighten it, marveling that this man was hers. To do with as she pleased, and for him to do with her as he pleased. Granted she was ahead of herself, and if father found out he would try to kill her knight. But that was what made it even more delicious. She was really living…
"Very…"