"I know not what thou and the Montagues plan are, but I will not lay like some dewy eyed maid and let thee use me for your ill will," I said. As much as I hated to admit it, finding out his ties to the Montagues my friends quarreled with this morning and being confined to this room, by him was a bit disappointing. There was something about him that made me want to know more, a pull of some sort. I extend my free hand out and wave it toward me. "Give me the key and release me".
He stood there and smirked at me and for a moment, unnerving me as he looked up and down my body. My brows furrowed as he reaches under his skirt and takes out a handkerchief and starts to wipe the makeup from his face. He took off the white wig and shook out dreads that almost hit the top of his shoulders, I heard a snap from behind him and his top fell to the floor. As my eyes traveled up the chocolatey toned stomach, I could see that Mercutio was in fact a very very handsome young gentlemen, the now clear face showing high cheekbones and dark brown eyes with a fire in them.
I was left shocked as he slowly walked over to me, a small smile on his face as I stepped back with every step he took towards me. I felt my back press against the door, as his eyes burned into my skull. He pressed his body against mine and cupped my cheek, leaning down to press his lips against mine, my first kiss. My eyes widened as I felt a jolt run through my body as our lips connected, it felt like taking a drink after years of thirst. After a few moments to recuperate, I pressed my lips back against his and let my hand slide up his shoulders rest there.
We remembered that we both needed to breath and parted with a gasp. He lightly rested his face against mine, our breath becoming one.
"I will release thee, when I discover the binds of which you hold me," he said, his lips bushing across mine. I turned my head away, but gasp as I feel those same lips brush against my neck. I was friends with many gentlemen, but had never been this intimately close to a man before and specially not one who was this handsome and making my skin tingle under his touch and feel like I was going to burst. "The image of thy face has not left my mind, since I saw thee".
"I-I believe I would remember meeting someone I binded," I said, closing my eyes and trying to block out the feeling of his lips on my skin. He groaned and rest his forehead against my cheek, I could feel his lips brush against it every time he spoke.
"We have never met, I only saw thee and I thought a spell was put upon me as soon as I did or that I had been cursed," he raised his head and his eyes made me feel like I was going to crumble. He raised a hand to caress my cheek "The sweet kiss of love's introduction, has opened my eyes".
Love, is that was happening? We had only just met, things like this did not happen in such haste! I wanted to tell him to be quiet, but wanted to hear more. But why was I trembling, despite the circumstance I wasn't afraid, so why? It was Mercutio and these…..feelings, his feelings, I had to get out of here! As he leaned in to press his lips against me again (which I found myself unconsciously leaning into), I reached behind me and turned the knob of the door. What a fool I was, the door wasn't even locked!
I pushed my free hand against his chest and pushed him to the floor, turning in haste so I could open the door, success! I ripped the door open and stepped out, smiling joyfully that I was no longer in such an unfamiliar feelings, only to see something that I was not prepared for. I could not believe what I was seeing, Tybalt and Lady Capulet hiding in the shadows of a pillar and pressed in a passionate kiss.
They did not notice me as I stood there, jaw crumbling to the ground as I watched my best friend and his aunt embrace. Now I usually wasn't one to faint, but this was a moment that it was entirely acceptable, I think. As I went crashing towards the ground arms caught me and brought me back into the room I had just escaped. The door closed behind us and my head was pressed against a warm brown chest and I wrapped my arms around his waist. I was so shocked, I felt I couldn't breath, I couldn't believe what I had saw. Was this the reason Lady Capulet was always trying to match me, was Tybalt in on this scheme?
"I will have to come Capulet parties more often," Mercutio finally said. I brought my head out of his chest and slapped a hand against his mouth.
"Be still," I yell out. Mercutio slapped his hand against mine, putting his ear to the door to make sure no one would hear us. I took his hand from my lips and turn him to look at me again. I had to convince him that he never saw what we both saw, I do not know if I would speak of what I saw but I would not have the Capulet's ruined. "I beg thee, do not-"
"Thou has nothing to beg for, if only my feelings are heard," he said with a smirk. I scoffed and pushed myself away from him in disgust.
"So now your silence is to be held for ransom, tell me what true feelings you could such a cold heart have for me and how does thou even know me, I have never seen thee," I asked harshly.
"You know my cousin, The Prince and have visited his house with your family many times," he said slightly more serious. I looked at him for a moment, until it finally hit me. Mercutio, the rambunctious cousin of The Prince, that I've never met because he was always off making trouble. He was supposed to be very handsome….and very popular with the ladies and playing with their hearts.
"Of course, I should've known that the good Prince's cousin, the famous Mercutio would do something like this," I said with a sarcastic laugh. "Your cousin says your games have no bounds".
"My good cousin just does not have the time to enjoy the fruits of life, as for others….they're no fun," he said chuckling. I rolled my eyes.
"Oh yes, I am sure that you tell every young maid that, when she is left to her tears and shame or rumors, after you bore of them," I said, watching his face twist with a bit of anger, a smile still on his face.
"Is that why you hesitate, when your heart is already mine," he says walking closer to me. Was it, why am I asking myself, I should know! I will not let him twist my mind with his words.
"Do you believe that every heart belongs to you, circles speak abouts how thou thinks love a joke and the only love you care for is strictly on the physical side," I said turning away. I gasped when I felt his chest against my back and arms wrapped around my waist.
"I cannot be condemned for the wanton actions of a few maids who are eager to learn the ways of what they call "love", a simple twist of the words or drunken stares can be mistaken for love these days," he said. He brushed a hand down my arm and interlocked our fingers as he brushed hair from the back of my neck. "Which is why when I first saw thee, I wasn't sure if my feelings were true".
"What do you mean," I asked in a whisper. I felt him draws patterns with the tip of his fingers and his lips against my hair.
"I first thought thou were a vision that Venus granted me the favor of seeing, you were talking with my cousin and a few noblemen and it drove me to rage to see them all crowding around you and yearning for your attention. You were at such ease and so charming for a lady your age, demanding respect from everyone who looked at you. Your hair, like a dark halo and your skin radiating in a yellow gown you wore, you weren't even looking my way. I watched you the entire night, but was too frightened and in awe to approach you, this majestic vision".
I remember that party, I hadn't even thought of Mercutio that night because honestly The Prince almost kept us apart. He said that Mercutio was one of those lads who weren't not suitable for a young ladies company. That and Mercutio's was never interest in there the "boring" parties. I felt Mercutio's hand traveled to the front of my neck, caressing along my jaw.
"I wouldn't even let others tell me your name, I wanted the sweet satisfaction of hearing it from your lips. I thought after you left that night I would be free of these feelings, but then I dreamt of you that night, every night after that night. Even when the stars had left the sky I would still see your face in my mind, your voice in my ear. We had never even spoken and I was thinking of a voice I had only heard from across a room, what a laugh".
He dreamt of me every night, that party was a week ago! The thought made me dizzy, I was never one to dream of my life like a en epic tale of romance and adventure. Things like that didn't exist in the real world. People like my parents were lucky to have found love in the matches their parents made for them.
"My own kin has noticed this change in me and have asked me if I needed to see a physician". I felt myself becoming hazy from his confession and had let myself lean into his arms and chest. He turned my face, making me look at him from the side of my eye as he pressed kisses to my cheek.
"Even though I was invited, I only came tonight because I had heard the Capulet's were friends with a great beauty of chocolate skin and she came from a family that made Verona's finest swords".
He turned me to him fully and licked his lips.
"I knew I had to come and meet thee and see if my feelings were still the same and they aren't".
I felt tears break through, disappointed that I was not longer to his expectations. Why, I don't know him!
"They are stronger than before". He brought me closer and I felt my head move to meet his approaching lips. He groaned against my lips and I felt him tug on my bottom lip, asking for permission into my mouth….that sounded wrong, even when I say it. I hesitantly opened my mouth and moaned at the wet intrusion and new experience. Mercutio wrapped his arms around my waist and massaged the exposed skin between my top and pants. I wrapped my arms around his neck and brought his head closer to mine, I could feel my heart racing under my breast.
As we kissed, I suddenly remember where we were and how if we were caught in this particular position, well it probably wouldn't end well. I pressed my hands on his chest and separated us.
"We should stop," I said, trying to catch my breath. He leaned back in and wrapped his lips around mine, before moving back again and looking into my eyes. As much as my heart yearned to believe what he was saying, it would not be the first time a gentleman's sweet words of "love" have lured a young maid into bed and she is left in ruin. Unless he gave me proof that his word was true I could not even think more into giving my heart. It was like I was being pulled in two directions, reason and the heart. "I cannot play thy games of the heart, your words wound too deep and my heart cannot take the same treatment".
"My words were not meant to wound thee, I will do whatever to prove to thee my word is true," he said as I slipped out his arms and started walking towards the door. I turned back to him and crossed my arms over my chest.
"You know what you must do," I said as I watched his face twist in a bit of irritation at my statement. There was also something else that was rumored about Mercutio, he never courted girls and never met their parents. In gossip circles, girls whispered that he was so charming that he could convince these girls there was no need for the regular formalities and they never bothered to question him on it. I would not make that mistake, I would not tell him that my parents left my courting to me but I wanted to see if he would even make the effort.
But I was not going to sit here and waste my time, watching his face twist and turn in unrecognizable expressions. A part of me was sad that it seemed like almost everything I heard was true, I turned back to the door and opened it, peaking to make sure I did not see unpleasant things again and turned back to Mercutio. "I see thy decision is made and bid thee goodnight".
I ignored the sinking feeling of my stomach, as if I had made a mistake as I walked through back to what I saw as a fading party. How long were we in there? I grabbed a glass of liquor from a servant passing and threw my head back, feeling the liquid burn my throat. I guess now would be a good time to try and find Juliet and then head home to rest. I called another servant over and told them to ready my man and carriage for the journey home, he bowed and ran off towards an unknown direction. I suddenly felt a hand grab my arm from behind and jerk me into the shadows, I came face to face with Mercutio.
"Thou tempting vixen, tugging at the strings of my heart is painful enough, but to flee after my confession," he whispers as party goers pass by us. I wretch my arm out his hand and poke a finger to his still exposed chest, I saw he had put the wig and shoes back on.
"If I am a vixen, then call thee a villain for your confession is empty as your heart if you cannot do the actions to back those words," I said and took a bottle from a passing servant and refilled my drink. Mercutio groaned and rolled his eyes.
"Why must the ways of the heart be dictated by social formalities, before a man could lay with a woman in a cave and that would be his claim".
"Well we are not in a cave and thou will not make any claim on me until thy comes to my parents house and ask, I cannot lie and say that my heart does not flutter at thy words but until actions are put with words, that's all they are to me and anyone can go back on their word," I said and took my drink. Mercutio snatched the bottle out of my hand and threw his head back with it attached to his lips. When he took it from his lips he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked down at me, with a serious glint in his eye.
"If I say to thee that I will meet thy parents in the morning, to ask for your hand, to ask to court thee would you take my word," he asked.
"Then I would tell thee to come in thy night clothes," I said. His head snapped back down to mine and he devoured my lips. I fell into the kiss, pulling him further in the shadows so we aren't seen.
"My Lady Di Corrado, thy carriage has arrived," I heard a servant announce, Mercutio pressed harder against my lips. "My Lady"?
I separated from Mercutio's lips. "By I come". I turned back to Mercutio. "I will see if thy word is true in the morning". I went to slip away but he pulled my back and welcomed me into another kiss.
"I will show thee that I speak the truth, I will come by the hour of eight but why in my night clothes," he asked, when his lips left mine. I smirked a bit.
"You can join us for breakfast and we usually break fast still in our night clothes," I said. That was true, but was it wrong of me to see if he would actually do it, if he would actually do it when he came, if he came? Women always had to go to ridiculous lengths to prove her worth to a man, why shouldn't the roles be switched? Mercutio didn't seem to mind though and had a large smile on his face.
"I will go through any task you put me through," he said leaning down to kiss me again.
"My Lady Di Corrado"! I could hear my driver now, he sounded anxious and I knew was searching for me. I give Mercutio a small kiss before leaving the hiding spot, I give him a little wave as I watch a smile spring on his face before he ran off, no doubt to find his comrades. As I made my way to my driver, I passed Juliet, being dragged by her Nurse but she looked a bit upset. I grabbed her hand gently, catching her attention.
"What ails thee," I whispered. She looked behind me and then back at me, pressing a kiss to my cheek.
"I will speak with thee later, come tomorrow," she said. I knew it must be important.
"I will make my way in the morn," I said and watched her be pulled off, I turned and saw that Montague again, Romeo staring off after her. Now that made me raise a brow, but as soon as I saw Tybalt making his way to me I forgot all about it. I made my way to my driver and let him guide me to my carriage, closing the door as Tybalt was making his way to the front door. I sighed in relief and laid my head against the seat, as we made our way off the grounds I could see Mercutio and Benvolio yelling after that Romeo fellow as he ran off on the grounds, I rolled down the carriage window to hear.
"Romeo! humours! madman! passion! lover! I conjure thee by Rosaline's bright eyes, By
her high forehead and her scarlet lip, By her fine foot, straight leg and quivering thigh!
O, Romeo that she were An open ass, and thou a poperin pear! Romeo, good night: I'll to my truckle-bed; This field-bed is too cold for me to sleep".
What and insulting fool I was falling for.