| “ | They are the Devil in disguise, the Devil that walks among us. They are everywhere. | ” |
— Cordelia Van Alen, warning Schuyler about the Croatan threat.
| ||
Cordelia Van Alen is a notorious member of the Blue Blood community. Born in 1841, she married her soulmate, Lawrence Van Alen, before he exiled himself from New York to look for clues about the Van Alen legacy. Meanwhile, Cordelia stayed in the city and asked many times to postpone her Expiration, first in order to birth the Uncorrupted, Allegra and Charles, and then to watch over Schuyler Van Alen, her grand-daughter, while Allegra was in a coma.
Appearance[]
In her youth, Cordelia was said to be a petite, bird-like woman, but beautiful nonetheless. She stood at 5'2 and had green eyes, with blond hair in her youth and whiting over time. Now, more than a hundred years old, Cordelia still retains the beauty of her youth. Although Schuyler suspected that her grandmother was in between eighty and ninety years of age, she rather had the looks of a fifty year old, especially when invigorated by human blood.
Biography[]
Seraphiel, Angel of Song, is one of the fallen angels, immortal vampires who were cast out of Paradise for siding with Lucifer during the War in Heaven. Alongside her bondmate Metatron, she followed the Morning Star into battle and paid the price.
After falling to earth with her bondmate, she quickly turned to the light shined by Gabrielle and Michael, the Uncorrupted. Who decided to join the vampires on their journey on earth out of love for them. they created the Code of the Vampires, stating this code could one day lead them back to Paradise. Seraphiel followed this code closely, hoping to one day be able to ascend back to paradise.
Past lives[]
Julia Caesaris (Rome)[]
Seraphiel was reincarnated as Julia Caesaris during the Roman Empire. She was a high-standing member of the Blue Blood elite, being the bondmate to the Regis of this time, Gnaeus Mangnus Pompey (Metatron).
Though there are very little details of her time during this time. We can assume she was apart of the battle against Caligula (Lucifer) joining Pompey in the front lines of the war.
Isabella Arosto (Florence)[]
During the Italian Renaissance, Seraphiel was reincarnated as Isabella Arosto. She was bonded to Ludivivo Arosto (Metatron) in this cycle. Not much is known about this life compared to Ludivivo, who played a crucial role in this cycle.
Catherine Carver (Plymouth)[]
Catherine carver was the reincarnation of Seraphiel during the join to the new world. She was bonded to the Regis of the time, Joh Carver. When they arrived in the new world, the early colonies were struggling. There was illness and fear spreading throughout the new world. During a travel to the Roanoke Colony to give food, the settlers did not return. It was discovered that the Roanoke colony had vanished, with only one word craved into a tree Croatan. This term referred to the Silver Bloods.
"They call them Croatan. It is a forbidden word. A word we are taught never to speak. But I know the truth. I have seen it with my own eyes. The Croatan walk among us."—Catherine Carver diary
Catherine became convinced that the Silver Bloods had returned and began attacking the Blue Bloods. Catherine and her bondmate John did their best to convince the Conclave of the Silver Bloods' impending attack. They were not believed since Myles Standish (Michael) said they had murdered all of the Silver Bloods during the Great War of Rome. Myles then requested a White Vote, alleging that John was incapable of governing the coven due to his conspiracies with the Silver Bloods. He also said that John was attempting to drag them back to the dark ages and worry the coven. Myles was given the title Regis, while Catherine and John were banished from the coven due to their beliefs.
Current incarnation[]
Early life[]
Cordelia Edith Benjamin, later known as Cordelia Van Alen, is the last known reincarnation of Seraphiel. From a young age she was considered precocious and gifted, known for her lovely soprano singing voice, which led to her having a singing career.
She was bonded to Lawrence Van Alen (Metatron) in 1859 in a lavish ceremony at the Van Alen manson. Shortly how they were bonded, they both agreed that it was better for Lawrence to go into self-exile. They both believed the threat of the Silver Bloods were never eliminated and speculated there was a secret traitor along the highest ranking members of the Conclave. Lawrence was go to on his journey to research the Silver Bloods and not be disturbed by the Conclave.
Cordelia was allowed to go beyond three times the normal human life span to prepare as the next mother to the Uncorrupted, Michael and Gabrielle. They were later born as twins, known as Allegra Van Alen and Charles Van Alen. She raised them herself since Lawrence was self-exiled. She was a very strict and overbearing mother, since she was raising the new life of the Uncorrupted, she wanted them to be on the right path. This form of parenting caused Allegra to move to a different school, where Charles followed. During this time, she also was instrumental in calling up the spirit of the Watcher, the Pistis Sophia in this cycle. She entrusted the Llewellyn family to foster this spirit into their household.
“I am Pistis Sophia. The Watcher. A spirit born with its eyes wide open, born into full consciousness. Why have you woken me?” Cordelia stated “Because I am afraid.”—Cordelia Van Alen, to Jordan Llewellyn known as the Watcher for this cycle
A broken family[]
Allegra fell in love with a human, Stephen Chase. On the night of her bonding, Allegra ran away with Stephen and married him. This left the Coven and the Van Alen family in shambles. Since this was never seen before in their history. After this, Charles was furious over the events. Choosing to leave the Van Alen name behind and go by Chase Force instead. This left Cordelia alone, both her cycle children have decided to path away from her and their family name. She was embarrassed and above all else, disappointed in Allegra.
“I thought more of you. I thought you would care. I did not expect you to be so heartless, Allegra. That was never like you.”—Cordelia Van Alen, to Allegra Van Alen
Watching over Schuyler[]
After Allegra broke her bond with Charles Force, she disappeared from the public eye. In Secret she gave birth to Schuyler Van Alen, a half human and half Blue Blood hybrid. After this, Allegra fell into a self-induced coma. The responsibility for Schuyler's protection fell to Cordelia.
Schuyler's birth caused fury and panic among the Coven because she was the first known hybrid of vampire and human lineages. Some members of the Coven considered her very existence an abomination. Despite this, Cordelia raised Schuyler on her own, and the Coven did not interfere because Schuyler posed no threat to them. It was also suggested that Gabrielle's daughter would bring salvation for the Blue Bloods. Leading the Coven, unsure which course of action to follow.
"All throughout Schuyler's childhood, Cordelia had been a presence. Not a parental, or even an affectionate one, but a presence nonetheless. It was Cordelia who had changed her Schuyler's birth certificate so that her last name was her mother's and not her father's. It was Cordelia who had enrolled her at the Duchesne School. Cordelia who signed her permission slips, monitored her report cards, and provided her with a paltry allowance."—Blue Bloods discussing Cordelia parenting over Schuyler
Cordelia raised Schuyler throughout the years, keeping her a secret from Stephen Chase's family. She was to be raised and treated as any other Blue Blood, she was enrolled at Duchesne, a prestigious school that many other Blue Bloods attended. She was also assigned a Conduit at a very early age, Oliver Hazard-Perry was in charge as her Conduit. His family has been serving the Van Alen name for many years.
Throughout her childhood, Schuyler didn't see Cordelia as much of a parent, only a presence that guided her through life. She took Schuyler to visit her mother Allegra in the hospital for the earlier years of Schuyler's life. She was the one that told Schuyler that reading to Allegra might wake her up. They spent major holidays at the hospital with Allegra, but through the years, Cordelia stopped going and it was only Schuyler attending.
Role in the Series[]
Personality[]
Throughout the series, Cordelia is shown as calm and wise. Trying to guide her granddaughter during her transformation. She is also seen to be very emotionally restraint, not showing any sort of emotion while raising her cycle children and her granddaughter. Despite this, we see a somewhat caring side to Cordelia. As she chose to take Schuyler in, possibly wanting to rewrite the wrongs she had with raising Allegra. She also visited Allegra in the hospital for a few years, and is seen reminiscing over her cycle daughter's earlier years.
Powers and abilities[]
- Immortality - Like all Blue Bloods, Seraphiel's soul reincarnates through cycles of Expression, retaining memories of her past lives.
- Enhanced Speed and Strength - She has physical capabilities far beyond that of humans.
- The Glom - She can enter the glom, a supernatural ream where memories and spiritual energies with magical currents flow.
- Healing and Regeneration - Her body can recover from all wounds rapidly.
- Psychic Sensing - As a spiritually attuned vampire, Seraphiel is sensitive to supernatural changes, emotional shifts, and disruptions in the glom (the spiritual energy field).
Relationships[]
Relatives[]
- Schuyler was half afraid of her grandmother, but had grown to love her even though Cordelia never showed any inclination of reciprocating the sentiment. The most palpable emotion Schuyler could detect was a grudging tolerance. Her grandmother tolerated her. She didn't approve of her, but she tolerated her.
- — Schuyler's distant relationship with Cordelia. [src]
Cordelia still cares about her son, as shown at Aggie's funeral when she tried to bring up Gabrielle. Deeply saddened by their divide, the subject of her children always softens her up.
Romances[]
Miscellaneous[]
Appearances[]
| Blue Bloods series | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Bloods Appears |
Masquerade Mentioned |
Revelations Mentioned |
The Van Alen Legacy Absent |
Misguided Angel Absent | |||||||
| Bloody Valentine Appears |
Lost in Time Absent |
Wolf Pact (spin-off) Absent |
Gates of Paradise Absent |
Vampires of Manhattan Absent |
White Nights Absent | ||||||
Quotes[]
- Cordelia: "Always the first to shy away from the truth. You are the way you have always been, arrogant and blind..."
- Charles Force: "And if we had listened to you and sown the fear? Where would we be then? You would have us cowering in caves."
- Cordelia: "I would have had us ensuring our survival. Instead, we are vulnerable once more. Instead, they are allowed to return, to hunt. If I had the authority, if the Conclave had listened to me, to Teddy..."
- Charles Force: "But they did not, they chose me to lead, as I have always done."
- — Cordelia and Charles' heated exchange.
- Cordelia: "There is still time. We may still stop them, if you would only find it in your heart to forgive. Gabrielle..."
- Charles: "Do not speak to me of Gabrielle. Never. I would never hear her name spoken to me again. Especially from you."
- Cordelia: "It has been fifteen years. Is that not long enough?"
- — Cordelia, trying to reason with her son.
Notes[]
- Cordelia Van Alen is the author of Catherine Carver's diary - she wrote it while she was in cycle in Plymouth. This diary has several extracts featured in Blue Bloods, the first novel of the series of the same name.
- She and Julia Livilla, the Watcher, share the same first name in the Rome cycle.
- Unlike her bondmate Metatron, she in not an enmortal. Leaving Metatron to look for her throughout every cycle.