Warfare Marked by Blood
Everything in the world is connected. From the gentlest breezes to the furious hurricanes that wreak havoc with every touch. One death causes another and one feud leaks into another generation to poison yet another family. As the years progress, it is clear that the only immortal emotion is anger and its counterpart, hatred. That is the basis of the event that started it all…
The clock struck one as he stared into the darkness. 'It had to be done,' repeated the subconscious voice of Amadeo Montague. It was only a few hours ago that his only son, Romeo, had been banished from his home town (of fourty years) Verona, Italy. 'It's the right thing to do to banish him for committing murder' Amadeo thought miserably.
As his wife, Lady Montague entered, the room filled up with the scent of lavender.
"Annalise, has Romeo left yet?"
"Yes, he just left a few minutes ago. You didn't receive a goodbye because he felt as though you'd be deeply disappointed in him." She answered distantly.
"I see. Alright, thank you."
'Capulet…Tybalt Capulet…the feud. How long has it been now? He had died...let's see now…twenty-eight years ago. I remember that day. The last day the Montagues would ever see the Capulet family without the blinding curtain of rage.' Old Montague thought bitterly. 'Twenty-eight years… he had only been twelve years old.'
**FLASHBACK**
Demetri and Amadeo Montague were best friends and brothers. Twelve year old Amadeo and twenty-one year old Demetri were always together and taking care of each other.
"Come on, you're going to be late for your own party!" Amadeo reminded.
Demetri was turning twenty-two today. So because of the occasion, Old Montague decided to throw a grand party. He invited people around the town and also his wonderful neighbours, the Capulets and their two children. In fact, the two families had decided to introduce their son and daughter to each other in hopes of having them marry into another rich family.
"Ah, there's my boy! Demetri, come down here, son! There's someone I want you to meet!" Old Montague called quite enthusiastically. "Demetri, this is the Capulets' children, Katarina and Nikolai. Katarina, Nikolai, this is my son Demetri."
"How do you do, Miss Katarina, Nikolai?" Demetri asked like the gentleman he was. As they talked, Old Montague and Capulet and their wives walked away giving the young man and woman some privacy. After nodding to Demetri, Nikolai walked away uninterested.
"I'm fine, thank you. Excuse my brother. He isn't fond of strangers. Your father sure seems to care for you. I mean, this party is wonderful." Katarina said, looking to be contemplating other things.
"Well, your father isn't exactly cold towards you, either. Besides, father does care for me, but is too absorbed in his own affairs to pay me any mind most days." He told her matter-of-factly.
Katarina scoffed, "Well, at least we found one thing we have in common, ignorant, but loving fathers."
Demetri laughed quietly as Amadeo approached them.
"Oh, I'd like you to meet my younger brother, Amadeo. This is Katarina, Amadeo, the daughter of Capulet."
"It's nice to meet you! Are you enjoying the party?" He asked happily.
"Why, yes. Thank you for asking. Demetri and I were just talk—", she was interrupted by the loud booming voice of Giovanni Montague, Demetri's father.
"Demetri, come here! The Petrovas are just dying to meet you!" He shouted.
Demetri sighed and gave an apologetic look to Katarina and walked over to his father, the Petrovas. Their servant and maid, Stephen and Marcia stood behind them silently.
As he walked over, the shifty eyes of a couple tracked his movements and nodded to each other.
"Hello, , Mr. Petrova. Thank you for coming to my party." Demetri said politely secretly itching to get back to Katarina and Amadeo. After an agonising twenty minutes of discussing the politics of Verona, Demetri began to walk over to his brother and Katarina, but changed his mind after noticing the presence of a certain person.
"What are you doing here? I thought I gave you what you wanted!" Demetri asked the man in a hushed tone.
"We did too, Montague. The painting was a fake! No money value whatsoever! So that, my friend, means you're still heavily in debt." The mystery person stated with a malevolent smirk on his face.
"I owe you nothing! I told you that painting was the real thing! You're lying to me! You're just trying to weasel out more money from me! I haven't anymore to give! Do I look like the US Mint to you?"
"Have it your way. You dug this pit by deciding to gamble with us, Scorpia. A warning, though because you're so high and mighty. The only thing Scorpia loves more than money…is the chance to kill…" he said hauntingly and added, "You never know who'll kill you. All I'll say is it's not me. Blood leaves horrid stains on Armani suits, really very tough to get rid of." With that he walked away succeeding in shaking up Demetri.
"Demetri, mother is asking you to fetch Mrs. Petrova's and Lady Capulet's coats. They plan on leaving. In fact, Old Capulet was really hasty about leaving. It's really odd." Amadeo told him.
So obeying his mother Demetri walked upstairs to the large, dark coat room. He grabbed Mrs. Petrova's coat and reached for Lady Capulet's coat when he heard some distant hissing. It finished after a little while so he dismissed it. Getting what he needed, Demetri walked across the hall and ran into the Capulet's servant, Ethan.
"Master Demetri, Master Capulet said he left his pipe in the upstairs drawing room. Could you direct me to the room? He's leaving and sent me to retrieve it." Ethan asked politely.
"Of course, follow me." He replied leading the way.
Downstairs, Amadeo and Katarina were talking when a thought occurred to the young woman.
"Where is Demetri? He should have been back ages ago! I'm going to go look for him" she said.
"Oh, he'll be upstairs. Mother sent him to retrieve some coats." Amadeo suggested helpfully.
"Alright, thank you", with that Katarina walked up the stairs.
"The pipe should be in this room, Ethan", Demetri said walking into the drawing room. It was very dark, he was about to turn on the lights when the heavy umbrella stand connected violently with the back of Demetri's head.
"We warned you..." A voice whispered as Demetri Montague drifted into eternal sleep.
THWACK! "Oh! What could that have been?" She ran over to where the sound had come from and the sight of blood slowly creeping out of the side of Demetri's head welcomed Katarina as though she were in a nightmare. She was absolutely speechless. Looking around she noticed nothing and more importantly, no one. After looking closely, a big medieval 'C' was spray-painted on the walls. She had a bad feeling about this.
"What happened? I heard something break up here—," The voice of Old Montague was interrupted by the shrill shriek of terror made by Lady Montague.
"Demetri, what have they done to you! Who did this?" She yelled looking around while holding the dead man's head.
Giovanni Montague looked up from the terrifying image on the ground and noticed the artwork on the walls for the first time.
"A medieval 'C'…Capulet...Capulet, you did this to my son!" Old Montague yelled with animosity flashing in his eyes. The eyes of the women, maids, servants and children bore into the figure of Mario Capulet.
"Don't be ridiculous, Giovanni! I was with you the whole time! I can't be in two places at the same time!" He said defending himself.
"No, but what on earth happened to your servant Ethan? You may have not left my sight, but you definitely sent him to retrieve your pipe. Explain that to me, where is he?" Montague yelled getting more furious by the minute.
"I-I-I don't know! I sent him to get my pipe, not kill your son! He hasn't done anything to me!" Capulet said realizing his friend didn't believe a word he said. So naturally, he became angry. It was much easier than talking it out.
"I will not stand here and be insulted for something I did not even do!" roared Capulet, and with that he walked out furiously dragging his family with him.
**END OF FLASHBACK**
There was a funeral held for Demetri and the Capulets attended out of sheer curiosity. After they left, the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets had officially begun. The murderer of Demetri Montague, the uncle of Romeo Montague was never found. It may have been the servant; it may not have been him. Either way, the train wreck that was the hatred between the two families had begun and would not stop in time. Amadeo Montague got married and had Romeo and Nikolai Capulet, Katarina's brother, got married and had Juliet. From there their lives were meant to cross paths again ending with yet another tragedy.
As the sun set over Verona, Amadeo Montague got up to go to bed, pushing aside the thoughts of his loved late-brother. As he closed his eyes, a haunting feeling of dread filled him suddenly. It was ignored and by the end of the week, his son Romeo had died of poisoning.
As the ending approaches, the two tales of rivalry between the families that started with anger and hatred finishes off with death.