Alas, Poor Yorick
By: Crusher1701
Word Count: 1790
Summary: Based off of a theory I have that Claudius killed Yorick. Dunno where it came from, but here it is in writing.
Claudius and Gertrude laughed as they stumbled from Elsinore's great hall, unsure of what they were laughing about. Claudius stopped and pulled Gertrude into his arms, pressing a kiss to her soft lips, surprising the Queen and making her reply enthusiastically to his attentions. As his lips were on hers, he could not help but think of how he loved her. There was no other that he, Prince Claudius of Denmark, could love above the woman in his arms. From the first moment he had laid eyes on this woman, he has been in love with her and in the wake of his love for her, he found that no other woman had the ability to tempt him like she did. When he pulled back from the embrace of their lips and looked into her eyes, it was with the deepest love and devotion that one man could have for a woman. "Come, my Queen. Let us retire to my bed. Allow me the honour of showering you with love and kisses. It would be, for me, the greatest gift given to me on any celebration of my birth," he whispered. "Let us make love until the sun shines once again, my dearest love."
Gertrude smiled and touched his face before replying. "Nothing would make my heart soar more than spending all night with you in loving bliss, but alas we cannot, my darling prince. If we retire to your bedchamber now, your brother, my husband, will wonder where it is that you and I have disappeared to. If we leave the feast that is held in your honour, it must only be for a brief amount of time. I know that you do not wish for your brother to discover our secret, for it would destroy both you and I," she said, pressing a brief kiss to her love's lips.
Claudius cursed under his breath. "My damned brother, your damned husband. How is it that I hate him so much why does he keep us apart the way he does? Sends me away to war, keeping you from my arms, and when I am here, finding ways to keep you from my arms. Damn him! It is the anniversary of my birth and I want to make love to my woman," he hissed. "And it is because of my love for you that I cannot bear to see him destroy you if he discovers our secret."
Gertrude looked up at him again, seeing the passion and love for her in his eyes. If there was ever one man who was loyal to her, one man that loved her, it was Claudius. "Well, my love. Away to your bedchamber for a brief taste of the love I feel for you. You will receive more tonight, after the feast, but I cannot say no to you having a small taste," she said, taking his hand in hers and pulling him off towards his bedchamber.
And as the pair ran off, neither of them knew that their secret was now in danger. For behind the corner, was the fool of Elsinore, the King's jester Yorick.
Once the door of Claudius' bedchamber was shut behind the two lovers, Claudius' lips attached themselves to those of Gertrude and his hands began to roam as he led her blindly to the bed. When the couple toppled onto the Prince's bed, Gertrude was on top of her lover. Claudius' hands, now holding her hips as he broke their kiss, flipped them and pushed Gertrude's skirts up her legs before unlacing his britches down his legs to free his manhood.
"Oh, my darling Gertrude. I love you," he whispered as he settled between her legs.
"Take me, my loving Claudius," she whispered as she pulled his lip to hers as he thrust into her. Claudius' hand slipped between their bodies to fondle her, knowing that they needed to make this quick to avoid suspicion. Gertrude knew this as well and moved against Claudius in a way that excited him so very much, hoping that it would do the trick and bring him off quickly. Soon enough, both of them had been pleasured and Claudius collapsed on top of Gertrude, the couple sweating and trying to catch their breath.
As they were used to being fast lovers, the couple was ready to return to Claudius' feast. As they left his bedchamber, they very nearly bumped into Yorick the jester. Gertrude almost screamed, but managed to clamp her hand over her mouth just in time. Yorick turned around to run, but Claudius grabbed him right before he broke into a run. He spun the smaller man around to face him and Gertrude.
"What are you doing fool?" he asked, holding the jester by his collar with both hands. "Answer me, damn you." The fool remained silent.
"Claudius," Gertrude said in a panicked tone. "He's a liability. He'll tell the kill of us and that cannot happen. You promised to protect me."
"I did, my love," he replied. "Do not fear for yourself. I will deal with this fool."
"Please, my lord," the fool stammered. "If you don't want the king to know, I won't tell him. I swear it."
"And I shall help you," Claudius said calmly. "By giving you no opportunity to yell the king."
"My lord, you can trust me. I would be punished for saying such things of the queen and I have too much affection for young Prince Hamlet to do anything that would remove me from court," Yorick protested, beginning to struggle against Claudius' grip.
"You truly are a fool. I trust none but my Queen. I'll never trust another because no man and no other woman could ever earn my trust as she has," Claudius replied, looking at Gertrude lovingly. "She has never lied to me, betrayed me or given me any reason to doubt her loyalty to me." He continued talking and looking at Gertrude, the pair smiling at each other and remembering all the vows they had made each other in secret.
"Prince Claudius and I don't believe the word of outsiders. We did, once. Until his father, my father and my husband lied to us and tried to break us apart. That is why we trust none but each other. My prince would never lie to me and I would never do so to him. He has made solemn vows to protect and love me and I have done the same for him. We don't expect you to understand. Who could love or trust a fool? Prince Claudius doesn't like taking risks with our love and our secrets," Gertrude explained, leaning up to kiss her lover on the cheek gently. "He and I love each other more than either of us could ever describe, more than a man and woman have ever loved each other. I only care for him and he cares only for me."
"But neither of you will ever hurt me, Your Majesty," the Fool babbled. "I'm not really a threat, this is only a warning."
"How dare you speak to my Queen in that manner?" Claudius roared, shaking the fool.
"I never said that, fool. Prince Claudius would never hurt me. I am everything to him. You are not me, which means you are nothing to him. If he deems you a threat to our love, which he does, he will do much more than just hurt you," Gertrude said, looking at Claudius, confirming to him what needed to be done.
"Your majesty, what do you mean?" the fool asked nervously. Gertrude smirked and went back into Claudius' bedchamber knowing exactly what was needed for this situation. She found it quickly and exited the bedchamber with the vial in and. It needed to be done. She and Claudius were too closely united to accept any threat to them. Someone discovering their secret would lead to their execution for treason and adultery. They loved each other way too much to let that happen. Once Gertrude was in the corridor again, Claudius spun the jester around and clapped his hand over the fool's mouth before dragging him to a more deserted location in Elsinore. Even his idiot brother and foolish advisers would be able to piece together most of what had happened if the jester was found dead outside Prince Claudius' bedchamber.
Once there was enough distance between the bedchamber and their location, the pair and the fool stopped. Claudius looked at Gertrude and smiled before knocking the fool unconscious and letting him fall to the floor. Gertrude pulled the stopped from the vial and knelt beside the fool as Claudius kept watch. She poured the liquid into his mouth and placed the stopped back in the vial as she stood up again. Claudius pulled the vial from her hands and led her outside, where they proceeded to throw the vial into the water. They could not risk someone discovering the poison that killed the jester in the possession of the Queen or the King's Brother as it would only raise questions. Once they had finished covering their tracks, Claudius pulled Gertrude into his arms and kissed her again before the two of them returned to the feast, citing that they had needed air and so they had gone on a walk.
Later that night, as Gertrude lay in her lover's arms, he kissed her forehead. "I will always protect you as long as you always protect me," Claudius whispered.
"I promise."
The next morning, the jester was found dead and none suspected the two lovers. When Gertrude told her son of the jester's death, he cried. He had lost one of his few friends, and Gertrude felt sympathy for him. Not very much, but enough sympathy. After all, she had lost many friends over the years. She could only rely on Claudius. She prayed that her son would one day rely on and love someone as she and Claudius loved each other.
The jester was buried and soon he was replaced for everyone but young Hamlet, whose heart refused to replace Yorick. But even the sadness of the young prince could not bring any real remorse for his mother and uncle. For Gertrude and Claudius, their love was more important than anything, even the happiness of young Hamlet.
Twenty three years, and a battalion of sorrows later, accompanied by his greatest friend, Prince Hamlet picked up the skull of his jester and spoke of him for the first time in years. He held the skull at eye level, as if he and Yorick were looking into each other's eyes once again. "Alas, Poor Yorick. I knew him Horatio. A fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy…"
finis.