Living Loveing Laughing

The Serpent Bride
By Shellie Spitzley

Chronicles of the elder days tell of fairie creatures called Lamias who appeared in numerous threating guises. One such creature was a water fairy named Serpentine.
Even though Serpentine was one such creature in her elemental form she was next to harmless but she was most dangerous when she appeared as a beautiful human maiden.

Serpentine haunted by her great love for mortal men and her longing to be a mortal woman set out one Hallows Eve to enchant herself a mortal husband. This could only happen for an immortal creature such as herself once every one hundred years.
By the light of the Harvest moon, she lay by the edge of the lake on the island of Avalon, waiting for her mortal man to come and to enchant him into becoming her husband.

Near Corinth once lived a young man named Erwin he was head warrior chief of the ancient race the Scoti. Erwin was summonsed to the island of Avalon to retrieve the witch Morgan. When Erwin first sited Serpentine by the lakeshore he thought she was a Scarlet Angel fallen from heaven?

Serpentine’s radiant beauty and bewitching charms instantly enchanted Erwin. Serpentine gazed at him with such adoration, that before long the young maiden became his mistress. Their hours turned to days and days to months and then before Erwin knew it he had been visiting the Island for one full year.

Erwin was determined to marry her. He arranged a splendid wedding, but at the height of all the festivities, he saw that his young bride was pale and almost swooning. Serpentine swollen with child began to slither and make hissing sounds.
Serpentine trembled terribly where she stood and fell to the ground shaking uncontrollably. Serpentines breath became sharp hissing and guttural grawl.

Merlin had been summonsed to attend the wedding and as he did the bride gestured towards him in her agony. Erwin looked up at Merlin as to say what is wrong? The gentile man simply replied I will not see you made a serpents prey, this very day. You will die in this creature’s coil. If you choose to stay, you may not make the night. There is nothing I can do. The Morgan`s Curse be upon you.

Not heeding Merlin’s warning Erwin swept his love into his arms and retreated to the bedchambers. A howl of agonizing pain so loud it tore through the wedding chamber. The servants fled for what had created the sound may devour them as it did their master. For no one could survive such torment.

In the morn when Erwin`s apprentice went to awaken him, all he found where the young maiden had laid down with her husband was a shimmering of sapphire, gold and greenish blue scales of a jewel-like snake shedding its skin. At closer look the apprentice realized there were two sets of skin one shaped like a maiden and the other of what looked to be the shape of a babe. How could this be? Next to the serpent skin lay his master Erwin with the death gaze in his eyes, but with the look of pure bliss and love upon his face. Death from poisoning had taken him from this world.

The old mentor Merlin was called upon again to investigate the maiden’s disappearance and the death of Erwin. For on Erwin`s neck he found two puncture wounds from his wife’s last kiss. Erwin`s robes had became his winding sheet. An instant later all trace of the bride and the babe vanished.

Over the centuries Serpentine has said to have been seen by fisherman and sailors at the isle and it is said at Harvest Moon you can hear her mourning wail on the wind in the willows accompanied by the crying of the babe.