Hello and welcome =].
This is a side story/prequel to "Mercutio and Allegra", and it's meant to be what you people call a "oneshot". It's probably going to be more like three chapters long, though. The events here take place about three years before the events of MxA (which is set during 'Romeo and Juliet'), and are mentioned, I believe, a few times within MxA itself.
Anyway, you don't need to have read the whole thing to appreciate this; it's still a "Romeo and Juliet" fanfic, but the characters are a little younger and it takes place before.
Disclaimer: Yeah, I actually do own Shakespeare, believe it or not. I dug up his grave since after I finished MxA, dragged him home and added him to my collection of Shakespeare stuff, so now he's mine, all mine. -_- jk
Warning: Fluff. I guess.
Well, enjoy anyway. Please review. Reviews don't hurt at all. They're actually quite nice.
Love, love, love...
Allegra Capulet woke on Sunday morning to her brothers, yelling about something or other. Their footsteps could be heard outside her half-open door, in the Sunday morning-mode of running down the stairs to ready themselves for church. Allegra swallowed; it still burned her throat. She knew church was out of the question today.
Her head still felt like it carried a weight. She thought about the image. "I am not smart," she reminded herself. She thought about what her father would say if she were to ask him whether or not her brain was as heavy as a weight. He'd only remind her of how stupid she actually was. She sighed, glaring at the bright morning outside as though it were its fault. She was very stupid - very stupid.
She knew she was stupid. It was common knowledge to her, and to everyone in Verona (she was sure) how stupid Allegra Capulet was. Stupid all the time and sick most of the time. She was always sick, and today wasn't an exception. She'd grown to hate this bed, comfortable as it was, for holding her in its stuffy chamber all day. Eleven-year-old girls weren't supposed to be sick in bed all the time. They were supposed to run, to play, to laugh. Allegra couldn't run because she was a fat little thing who tired walking down the stairs in her home. She couldn't play; she had only three friends, but they didn't count for anything, for they were her cousins anyway. She couldn't laugh; well, she could, but she wasn't funny, even if people said so. They had to mean her appearance was funny. She was just too stupid.
'Daught-air? Allegra, darling, 'ast thou awakened?"
For some reason, Allegra jumped, and flopped down in her bed, pretending to be asleep again. She knew her mother was surely there when her hand clamped her forehead.
"Ah, Allegra!" gushed Antoinette Capulet, "thy fev-air 'ath not gone. Ah, when wilt zou 'eal? Alas, there ees no to-morrow..."
Allegra dared not open her eyes when she heard another voice - a man's.
"Antoinette, what now? 'Tis twenty after seven!" Her father entered her room. The weight of his steps caused Allegra's armoire to shake; he was a very large man indeed, which matched his gruff personality perfectly. Allegra felt his glare even without seeing it.
"Bah!" he said. "That child abed again! Will she ever grow up, Antoinette, or shall we spend our life savings on these foolish medications 'till she is married off?"
He laughed afterward. Clearly, Allegra getting married was a very funny idea.
Antoinette sighed. "Pray zee, my 'usband, she ees only a girl of ele-von. She ees not strong. It is a necessity, 'er 'ealth, non?"
"'Oui,'" her father said shortly, in a mocking sort of voice, "'tis a necessity, Antoinette, and an expensive one at that. Come, leave the child now. Where hath her nurse gone?"
"Why, 'usband, thou fired 'er a week ago."
"Oh. Yes, I did indeed. Needy lady, asking for so much a month." Her father scoffed. Her parents' voices were muffled as they exited into the hall. The door creaked as it closed. Allegra opened one eye, and then was forced by some magical power of comfort to close it again.
She awoke again what seemed to be a second later to what sounded like one of her brothers outside by the river, yelling and laughing in triumph. Actually, it was an hour and a half later, and it was neither of her brothers.
However, it was a boy - one that Allegra was curious to see the moment she heard his laughter.
