Morning in Verona

by Rosepixie

A series of very short stories about characters from Romeo and Juliet in the morning. There is very little plot, but it is safe to assume that the stories all take place on the same morning, so small connections may become evident. I have no current plans to expand any of these into longer stories, but may continue to add more of them over time.

2. Romeo

Romeo looked out over fields of gold edged in pink from the rising dawn and sighed. He had been unable to sleep and feared he might never sleep again. Indeed, how could he bring himself to sleep knowing that when he woke she still would not be there? Now that he knew the honey sweetness of waking in her arms, how could he ever bear to allow himself to wake without her?

His servant stirred in the corner of the room where he had made himself a makeshift bed. Poor Balthazar, whose only fault was loving his master too well to allow him to travel alone. He deserved a better fate than to watch his master pine away to nothing for loss of his wife.

Thoughts of her sent his mind reeling again. He would never again see her cherry lips smile or laugh, never run his fingers through the silk of her hair. What would happen to her without him to care for her? Would her father throw her out? But he didn't know, so why would he turn on his daughter? Would he marry her to another? To County Paris? No! The very thought of another touching her white skin made him reel away from the window.

"Oh! Heaven is too cruel!" Romeo cried, throwing himself onto the bed he had refused to sleep in only a few hours ago.

With a sigh, Balthazar headed for the door.

"I will fetch fresh water for you to wash in, my lord," he said before shutting the door.

Romeo didn't hear, though. He was too busy torturing himself with the knowledge that he had certainly doomed his fair Juliet and himself to notice something as mundane as a servant leaving the room.