Well, here it is, the Love Story winners for SWF's and Batsu's contest! Here's how it's going to work. SWF's story is up first, because she specifically told me that her tale was too depressing to leave for last, and this is Valentine's Day! Next will come our 3rd place winner, our 2nd, and then or overall winner! Finally, wrapping the whole story up is my fluffy little tale. ;D Got it? Good!
Discaimer: I own nothing associated with DotM, and neither do the authors in this anthology, if you will. I also do not own any of these stories but my own, the last one. On a final note, the five of us also do not own the rights to Taylor Swift's song, Love Story. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!!
Flashback
By StarWars-Freak
We were both young when I first saw you
I close my eyes
And the flashback starts
I'm standing there
On a balcony of summer air
See the lights,
See the party, the ball gowns
I see you make your way through the crowd
You say hello
Little did I know
That you were Romeo you were throwing pebbles
And my daddy said stay away from Juliet
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you please don't go
No. I closed my eyes against the rush of tears that threatened to overtake them. I had hoped it would be anyone but him.
*
"And now presenting, Princess Juliette, Rega Filia of Nefandus." Juliette glided down the staircase from the balcony onto the ballroom floor.
The annual ball, which ushered in autumn and Persephone's return to Hades, was the event of the year for the Immortals of the Underworld. The elite in Hades' and Persephone's Court; Hecate and her most trusted Sorceresses; Hel, rotting as ever, (who, much to Persephone's pleasure, appeared to have agreed to leave her hounds at the gate with Cerberus and Hecate's dogs) and her escorts; Osiris with Isis, Horus and their fellows from Egypt; Cernunnos and Donn from the Celtic Isles; and many others gazed at Juliette as she joined her parents and their Cincti from Nefandus.
Only fifteen years old, it was Juliette's second time joining her parents. Last year had been nerve-wracking but ultimately a let-down. Knowing what to expect this time around, Juliette did not have high hopes for a night of mingling with Serena's and Stanton's associates in underworld ruling.
In truth, she had no idea what was in store for her.
"Hel," she heard her mother greet the Norse goddess, and when she turned to look, she could see her mother's expert way of covering the look of disgust due to the stench emanating from her. "My daughter, Juliette, I'm sure you remember her from last year's ball."
"Of course." She nodded quickly and disinterestedly at Juliette, as most did, then turned to her mother again. "And where's your son? I am most interested in meeting the next Rex of Nefandus."
"He's still too young for another two years. And it is just as likely that Juliette will become Regna."
"And she should," Hecate, who had always been fond of Juliette, jumped in, "How can we not hope for another Dark Goddess?" She looked at Hel smugly, "Or are you afraid of the competition?"
Before Hel could retort, a loud commotion at the top of the staircase caught all of their attentions.
"Oh, who invited him?" Serena asked exasperatedly.
"He's Satan, dear; he invites himself," Hecate answered with obvious disdain. "No class, whatsoever." Satan led a rowdy group of demons and other fiends and vice-prone immortals – some human looking, and some not-so-human looking – down the staircase.
"Why don't any of the gods like him?" Juliette quietly asked her mother.
It was Hel, who, despite her decaying body parts, had very good hearing, that responded, "He's not one of us."
"A lot of us aren't deities."
"No, but he thought that he could overthrow one. We tend to take things like that personally."
Juliette began to drift from her mother after that. As safe as it was staying by her mother's side, Juliette was not gifted with the ability to pretend not to notice the stench for so long, and as kind as Hecate was to her, Juliette hated the idea of being the next ruler of Nefandus – she did not like the idea of making the difficult decisions she knew he father made.
After what felt like hours of drifting through the ball room, greeting, bowing, curtsying, nodding, and otherwise showing respect to her superiors, Juliette finally found refuge behind a pillar, which she leaned against to rest.
"Finally, you're alone." Her eyes snapped open and a tall, young man stood in front of her. He was smirking beneath a head of curly maroon hair. "Hello."
"Who are you?"
"Raymond," he swept off the top hat that had been placed almost farcically on his head and bowed low. "And you are…?"
"You're one of Satan's fiends," she said rather than replying.
"And why would you say that?" He straightened with a smile firmly in place.
"You don't know who I am."
"Oh? Are you that important? I know you're not Persephone, for whom I was under the impression this party was, but apparently, I was mistaken because this party is for you and not for her."
"That's not what I meant."
"As for whether or not I am a fiend – quite true. As for whether or not I came in with Satan – also true. As for whether or not I am one of his cronies – not at all. I knew he was planning on gate crashing this ball, so I gate crashed his first."
"Was that supposed to wow me?"
"I know who you are." She only raised an eyebrow. "I saw you standing with the Queen of the Nefandus; you look like her. So I can only assume that you are the darling Princess. I have the title; all I need now is the name."
She smiled in spite of herself. "Juliette."
"Juliette? And have you found your Romeo yet?"
"I beg your pardon?" What was a "romeo"?
"You don't make it up to Earth very often do you?" His eyes were laughing at her.
"Well, do you?"
He laughed. "Of course, I'm from Earth. You see, Princess Juliette," she felt a strange swooping sensation when she heard the way he drew out her name, "When I called myself a fiend, I only meant that I am fiendish. I am human, through and through. Much like yourself, I believe."
Juliette had never met another human, at least one that still resembled a human, before. She had a hundred questions for him, but none of them came. He pressed in closer to her, and suddenly it was as if she could barely breathe.
"May I have this dance, Juliette?"
"We're not on the dance floor."
"I'm sure we won't be thrown into the River for dancing here." He held out his hand for her to take. Slowly, she set her own hand in his and let him guide her into his arms.
They danced. Juliette lost track of time. She could have let a year go by, dancing in his arms, and she never would have known. She let her eyes flutter closed and rested her head on Raymond's shoulder. The dancing did stop eventually. Before Juliette could react, she felt Raymond lean down and capture her lips with his.
He pulled back, and she opened her eyes. Was it supposed to happen so quickly? She felt like she wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. She could barely breathe but felt so light and pain-free.
"Let's take a walk."
She didn't pay attention as he led her into the pomegranate orchard. All she knew was the feeling of his strong hand holding hers. He brought her into the shade of one of the trees, and they sat, her in his lap.
"Juliette…" She looked up at him. They locked eyes for a moment before he looked away and said ruefully, "Wherefore art thou Juliette?"
"What?"
He looked back at her with a sad smile on her face. "Just know that no matter what happens after tonight, every moment I spend with you will have been the best of my life."
"You don't think we'll see each other after tonight, do you?"
"I don't see how we can."
She shifted her body so she was kneeling in front of him. "What if I told you a way… a way to get into Nefandus."
"Your father, I don't think, would approve."
"He's just afraid someone who means us harm will find out how to get in."
"My father means yours harm."
"Do you?"
"How could I when I'm so… in love with his daughter?" Her breath caught in her throat.
"You've only just met me."
"So? Don't you feel it?"
She looked to ground. "Yes…" she whispered. She looked back into his eyes. "Yes."
A year passed. A blissful year of Juliette waking one night a week to the sound of pebbles landing on her window pane. A blissful year of Raymond climbing the trellis to her bedroom, spending the night in her bedroom.
Clink, clink, clink. A shock raced up and down her spine. He wasn't supposed to be there that night. She rushed to the window; he was already climbing up the trellis.
"Raymond," Juliette scolded quietly, when he climbed through the window. "You shouldn't have come tonight. The guard is heaviest, I told you."
"Juliette," he took her face in his hands gently. "It's been a year, and no one has caught us. They won't. Nothing can keep us apart."
"I think," Juliette and Raymond turned, shocked, as a shadow transformed into her father, "you are very mistaken. Did you not think that I hadn't noticed someone was sneaking into my own kingdom?"
Juliette had never seen her father so angry. "Daddy, please, Raymond – "
"Is a treacherous bastard."
"Sir – "
"Silence. Like parents, like son, it seems. Tymmie and Cassandra both knew how to use a teenaged girl's love against her." He moved swiftly to stand in front of Raymond. "You dare spy on me in my own house; you dare use my daughter…?"
"He's not using me, Daddy!"
But Stanton didn't listen. Instead, he caught hold of Raymond, and in an instant was flying out of her doorway and down to the front hall.
Juliette raced after them.
She stopped dead on the staircase. Her father was in Raymond's mind, she could tell by the pained expression on her belovéd's face.
"You will stay away from Juliette," her father command in a low growl. Then they dissolved into a tortured shadow.
*
That was the last time I had seen him. Until now.
"What are you doing, Raymond?" my voice caught in my throat. I had come to the prison to see who was responsible for leading the Infidi forces into Nefandus.
"I did this for you." He leaned towards me, desperation in his eyes.
"Somehow I doubt that."
"It was your father that kept us apart."
"So you thought killing him would make me want to marry you? Or did your leader Adamantis promise me as your slave if he could take Nefandus?"
"It wasn't like that!" He struggled against his chains for a moment then slumped down in defeat. "I never stopped loving you. Not even after all these years."
The tears poured down my cheeks now. "And I never stopped loving you." I leaned down and kissed him. Gently. Tenderly. With all my love. And then I stepped away.
I turned and made for the door.
"Juliette!"
"That's right," I said quietly. "I'm Juliette. And you're Romeo."
"Our fate doesn't have to be the same."
I looked back at him over my shoulder. "But it is, Raymond. It is."
I left and tried to keep down the bile that rose in my throat as the Regulators who would execute Raymond passed me. I went straight to my bedroom. I knew what I had to do. Juliet had no choice, nor did I.
