A/N: Here's the new chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Seven

Benvolio found Rosaline grazing at a spot near the center of the clearing, and for a moment the paint colt was brought up short. The sun was shining directly overhead, glistening and reflecting off the Appaloosa's storm-gray coat, every spot on her hindquarters seeming to leap right off her hide…

Benvolio shook himself mentally and approached her. She looked up at the sound of his hoofsteps and her ears twitched. She smiled gently, and Benvolio found himself suddenly robbed of the ability to speak. "Good afternoon," Rosaline said. "You have a message from Romeo?"

"Uh…" Benvolio blinked a couple of times. "Yes. He says to tell Juliet to meet him tonight. He knows it's a risk, but he must speak to her. He says his very welfare depends on her."

Rosaline's eyes widened slightly. "Wow," she remarked, sounding a little sad. "Don't worry, I'll tell her." She half-turned as if to go, but then she paused, returning her eyes to the paint colt, whose heart seemed to stutter. "Benvolio…do you…I mean…" She hesitated. "Do you think there's any hope that, well…that everything will work out?"

Benvolio gazed at her for several silent seconds before he tossed his head. "I…don't know, Rosaline," he admitted. "With their fathers hating each other so much, and with Paris still courting her…I just don't know…"

Rosaline's ears flattened, but by her expression he knew she had half-expected his answer. She said nothing but turned and trotted off to pass along Romeo's message. Benvolio watched her depart, feeling first a little sad to see her go and then bewildered that he should feel so.

Romeo's gloom is starting to wear off on you, he thought, shaking his head and turning around. Romeo was standing exactly where he'd left him, eyes glazed over, clearly deep in thought.

"I've told Rosaline," Benvolio informed him.

Romeo flicked an ear to acknowledge he'd heard but said nothing. Benvolio, sensing that his friend needed to be alone with his thoughts and didn't want to talk at the moment, walked away. He lowered his head to graze but soon found himself staring at the bright green grass, no longer the least bit hungry.

"Not you too."

Benvolio looked up to see Montague standing nearby, looking at him with a weary frown on his face. "What do you mean?"

"You're starting to act like Romeo," the palomino stallion informed him with a faint snort. "Listless, sullen, refusing to eat, staring off into space…please tell me it's not contagious. It's bad enough not knowing what ails my son; the last thing I need is to see it spreading."

"Oh." Benvolio straightened. "Sorry, Montague. I was just thinking, that's all."

"Thinking," Montague repeated tonelessly. "I see. And if I were to ask about what, you would say…?"

Frantically casting his mind about for a suitable subject, Benvolio accidentally blurted out the truth. "Rosaline."

Montague's eyes widened in surprise, and Benvolio felt himself blush. Sweet Equus Above, did he really just say that out loud?

"Rosaline?" Montague asked, and he smiled a little. "Well, well…I guess I should have seen it coming. I mean, you have been seeing her a lot lately, haven't you?"

Benvolio gaped. Montague had noticed their daily message exchange? And he'd interpreted it as…as the meeting of two lovers? Oh how messed up this was all getting! Montague had the entirely wrong idea of what was going on, and he couldn't even correct him without giving away the secret he'd been entrusted with…!

But is he so wrong? said a little voice in the back of his mind. You've been thinking about her ever since passing on Romeo's message. And face it: you've started to look forward to those brief moments you get to spend in her presence. After all, she is kind and sweet-hearted and smart and funny, not to mention very pretty…

Montague chuckled, bringing Benvolio back to reality, the heat of humiliation creeping into his face. "There's no need to be so embarrassed," the palomino told him. "There's no shame in being in love. Oh don't worry, I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. I can only imagine what Romeo would say if he…" He trailed off, his eyes widening in sudden understanding. Benvolio, thinking that things possibly couldn't get worse, was quickly proven wrong when Montague asked, "Do you think…is it possible…is Romeo in love too? Is that why he's acting so out of sorts?"

Benvolio had no idea how to respond. All he wanted was to escape this conversation. He desperately needed some time to sort through his own confused and muddled thoughts, and Montague's perceptive questioning was pecking away at his defenses. "I don't know," he said after a moment. "I mean…he hasn't told me anything about it if he is."

"Hmm," Montague hummed, glancing over at Romeo, who hadn't moved at all in the past several minutes. He wondered for a moment if he ought to ask his son outright, but he decided against it. Surely that would only push him further away if he didn't want to talk about it. If Romeo had found a mare to love, then he would speak when he was ready, not a moment before.

He pawed the ground once and then said, "Well, Benvolio, I wish you the best of luck with Rosaline." He chuckled at the paint colt's expression and walked away, his head buzzing with new possibilities, wondering who his son could possibly be in love with, if such was the case at all. For his part, Benvolio stared after Montague as he departed, his brain so full of disjointed and befuddled thoughts that he couldn't even begin to make sense of it all.

…

When Rosaline told her that Romeo would meet her that night, Juliet considered telling her to return with a message saying that there was no way they could. While Paris was no longer trailing her every move, he always seemed uncomfortably close, and she wasn't certain that she could escape his gaze even for a moment. But she hesitated, thinking of how much she missed her mate and how greatly she longed to be in his presence again. And hadn't Rosaline said something about Romeo's very welfare depending on seeing her tonight?

So she'd agreed, and the prospect of seeing her beloved's face again filled her with such a joy that the very day seemed brighter. Even Paris's proximity couldn't dampen her spirits. And as for slipping away from his watchful eye, well…she would worry about that when the time came.

As it turned out, escaping the herd was easier than she'd anticipated. Paris fell asleep fairly quickly, and once she was sure her mother and father were likewise unconscious, she fled the clearing, her heart pounding with anticipation.

Romeo was waiting for her when she emerged into the little glen. His face broke in a broad smile at the sight of her. "Juliet…" he breathed, the sound soft yet filled with a universe's worth of emotion.

"Romeo!" Juliet cried, running to him and burying her head in his chest. "Oh Romeo! I've missed you so much, my love!"

"I've missed you too," Romeo replied softly, his voice shaking slightly as he caressed her neck and back with his muzzle. "I didn't know it was possible to miss someone as much as I've missed you these last few days, my sweet Juliet. My heart does not beat when you're not beside me, and my brain forgets how to function. Without you I am nothing, just the semblance of a horse but not the real thing. Only here by your side am I truly alive."

Juliet blinked tears out of her eyes and gazed fondly up at her mate. "Romeo…I…I…" She giggled a little breathlessly. "I don't even know what to say! My thoughts and feelings are all beyond the power of speech. Mere words can't adequately describe how much I've missed you, how happy I am to be with you again, and how dearly I love you. Oh Romeo…"

For several minutes – they were never sure how long exactly – they simply stood there, basking in their joy at being reunited. With the night pressing against them and hiding them from view, with the silence deafening them to the forest around them, it was easy to believe, just for a moment, that there was nothing separating them, that nothing was wrong, that nothing in all the world could drive them apart…

But they both knew better, and at length Romeo drew back, his smile fading. "Juliet, there is something I need to tell you, something I've found out…"

And so he told her what his father had explained to him that day. As the root of their fathers' feud was revealed to her at last, Juliet's expression went from confused to shocked, and then to aggrieved. When Romeo had finished she murmured, "I can't believe it…my father never mentioned having a sister…and she was betrothed to your father…"

"Who loved another mare in secret," Romeo added, tossing his head in agitation. "Juliet, have you heard the saying that those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it?"

"Yes," Juliet replied slowly. "But what do you—"

"What my father and mother shared was forbidden," Romeo explained, his voice taking on an urgent note, "and so is what we have between us. My parents kept their forbidden romance a secret for as long as they could, but no secret can stay hidden forever, and their love tore the herd apart when it came to light. And now here we stand, keeping our love a secret to all except our closest friends. Juliet, this secret won't stay in darkness forever. Sooner or later, someone will discover us. And I can't help but worry about what will happen when that day comes."

Juliet shuddered. "My father will be furious," she said quietly. "As will Paris…but Romeo, what do you suggest? What can we do about it?"

Romeo hesitated for a moment or two, as if steeling himself. Then he said slowly, cautiously, "I was thinking…perhaps…we should announce our union to the herd."

Juliet gaped at him. "Romeo, have you lost your mind?!" she cried. "My father will attack you! And do you think your own father would approve, knowing how he feels about mine? Why would you—"

"Because I can't keep doing this!" Romeo said, and there was such passion in his voice that Juliet was taken momentarily aback. "Juliet, this secret is killing me! Having to keep the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me from my father, who means the world to me, is driving me to madness! I can't keep up the pretense that all is well when it isn't. And my father has noticed something wrong. He knows I'm hiding something, Juliet. And I don't want to hide it from him anymore! He's my father, and whatever his past sins I hate keeping this from him. I know you're worried, my love," he added, softening his voice a little. "And I am too. I know only too well what kind of reaction this will get from our fathers. But isn't it better for them to learn from us than by accident?"

Juliet considered for a moment. "I suppose so," she admitted. "But that doesn't mean the results will be any different. Romeo, my father absolutely despises yours. Knowing that I'm your mate will infuriate him!"

"Then we'll go to Prince for protection," Romeo said, and Juliet blinked, surprised. "We'll ask for his asylum and blessing. Don't you think he would love to hear of this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that the son of Montague and the daughter of Capulet will be publicly joined as one," Romeo explained. "A union between two feuding families at last. I know it's a long shot, but I think there's a chance that our love might be the thing to draw our parents together, to put this terrible hatred in the past for good. Isn't love the only thing that can destroy hate?"

Juliet stared up at him, her face unreadable as she processed all her beloved had proposed and suggested. She still thought it was a tremendous risk, and yet she knew he was right: their secret was bound to be revealed sooner or later. They'd been lucky so far, but there had already been more than one near-miss. How many more could they endure before the game was up? And at any rate, she understood what Romeo meant. She too was tired of hiding her love from her family. Romeo was her mate. She loved him with all her heart. How wonderful it would be to be able to stand next to him in the clearing, surrounded by their family and friends, free to relax and not have to worry about anyone discovering them, not having to limit their time together to a few scant hours in the night but to have him by her side every hour of every day for the rest of their lives…

"All right," she said after a while. "I trust you, Romeo. If you think it best, then I will do whatever I can to help. I just hope and pray that you're right."

"Me too," Romeo admitted. "I understand how risky this is, Juliet, but I really see no other way."

"Nor do I," Juliet agreed, nodding. "When should we approach Prince?"

"Tomorrow, after midday," Romeo answered, "after he wakes up from his nap. Benvolio told me once that he is most agreeable after he has rested." He grinned slightly, and even Juliet managed a giggle. "Just know that…whatever happens tomorrow, whether this works or not, I love you, Juliet. That will never change."

"I love you too, Romeo," Juliet replied, leaning forward and pressing herself into his warm body. "With all my heart and soul. No matter what."

"No matter what," Romeo echoed, and silence fell between them, a blissful, happy, yet somehow tense silence that resounded with their uncertainty.

…

Benvolio echoed Juliet's concerns when Romeo told him the next morning of their plan. "Are you sure about this?" he asked. "I can think of about a hundred different ways this can go wrong, and all of them include your fathers getting into yet another fight. You haven't forgotten what my father promised to do if they fought again, have you?"

"No, of course not," Romeo replied quietly. The threat of banishment still hung over the herd like a thick, cloying fog. "I understand the risks, but I don't know what else to do. If you have a better idea, I'm all ears."

Benvolio considered for several minutes before hanging his head in defeat. "Okay. I guess you're right. I just hope my father will be willing to listen. When do you plan to talk to him?"

"After his nap." Romeo smiled weakly. "I haven't forgotten."

Benvolio chuckled. "Perhaps this is best. I mean, it has to come out sometime, doesn't it? And I guess there is always the chance that everything will be all right…"

He seemed to be trying to convince himself as well as Romeo, though neither of them totally believed it. It seemed far more likely that the afternoon would be filled with yells and accusations of betrayal than reconciliation. But no matter how often Romeo went over his own arguments in his head, the results were always the same. Better to come clean now of their own accord than face the inevitability of someone else finding out. As for what would happen…well, they would soon find out.

No matter what happens, he thought, I will always love you, Juliet. And I will find a way to be with you.

"Hey, um…do you think Juliet's told Rosaline about the plan?" Benvolio asked suddenly, shaking Romeo from his musings.

"Uh…I have no idea," Romeo said, frowning slightly. His friend wasn't looking at him, and there was a too-innocent expression on his face.

"Mm," Benvolio hummed, still far too calm to be believed. "Well, perhaps I ought to talk to her, make sure she's aware of it, don't you think?"

"I…suppose so."

Benvolio nodded and walked off, leaving Romeo to gaze after him in confusion. He found Rosaline grazing by herself and felt his heart give a little leap at the sight of her. He took a deep breath to calm himself and approached. "Hey there."

Rosaline looked up, and again Benvolio felt as though all the air was sucked from his lungs. She smiled, though the expression seemed rather halfhearted and distracted. "Hello, Benvolio," she said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Benvolio replied, though his voice was a little higher in pitch than usual. He cleared his throat, blushing, and went on quickly, "So has Juliet talked to you about her and Romeo's plan?"

Rosaline flicked an ear. "Yes, she did." She sounded uneasy. "They really mean to talk to Prince about their love…announce their union to the entire herd…it's utterly insane." She stomped a hoof in agitation. "What could have possibly possessed them to think this was a good idea? Even if Prince does offer them protection, surely their fathers aren't going to simply accept it and move on! And then what? Another battle between Montague and Capulet? Another bitter fight that will result in their banishment?"

Benvolio huffed quietly, feeling his stomach squirm as she put his worst fears to words. Then he shook his head and said, "But what if they're right? I mean it's obvious they love each other. So what if Montague and Capulet see that and realize how stupid the whole fight's been from the beginning? What if Romeo and Juliet's love is the only thing that can bring them together and end the hatred once and for all?"

Rosaline stared at him and said nothing. Her gaze was so intense that Benvolio felt his cheeks flare with heat, and he looked down at his hooves. After a moment Rosaline smiled and murmured, "Well…I never took you for the romantic type, Benvolio. Do you really think such a thing is possible?"

Benvolio returned his eyes to hers and nodded firmly. "Yes, I do. Love…love is a powerful thing, and with it anything is possible."

Rosaline didn't know how to reply.

A/N: It's about to get real…

Hope you're enjoying the story! Please leave a review and tell me what you think! Next chapter will be up on Tuesday.