Juliet and Rosaline made their way through the town, stopping at shops when they wanted to look at clothes. Juliet's family had promised a ball, and Juliet knew it was her father's way of informing their family and friends that Juliet was soon to be engaged. Though father did not know Juliet's feelings for Paris, she knew in some way that he was right to have chosen the rich, athletic and good looking male; after all, what woman wouldn't want him?

'Juliet?' Rose asked when they entered a lingerie shop; bringing her friend out of her musings of the beautiful man she was soon to marry, after all if he didn't love her for who she was, and she knew he was beginning to, then he would love her for her title and for her family's money. In a way she did not care, as long as this man would be hers and no other female's she was more than happy. She had claimed him for her own when she had first laid eyes on him, and she did not share or give up what was her property.

'Sorry what were you saying Rosaline?' Juliet asked as she dragged her friend to a sale rail that looked as though the lingerie there might be able to accommodate their generous figures. There were a lot of black there, black bras and underwear to match, Juliet found her size in one of the more beautiful styles and raised it to her chest.

'I was just wondering what colour you were going to wear to the ball,' Rose said and Juliet smiled as she picked out the same bra as her own but in pink.

'Dearest friend, I will be wearing the colour that all warriors wear in times of battle,' she informed her friend and when there came a questioning look she continued. 'Though many warriors, including Romeo believe that black is the best colour to wear in battle he is wrong, for blood is not black and therefore will still stain his outfit. The colour all warriors should wear is red, the exact same crimson as blood.'

'We are expecting a battle?' Rose asked confused as they purchased their chosen underwear for the ball and left. Juliet had also purchased virgin white underwear, believing that she could be married before the summer had even ended. And then she and her new husband would begin their legacy, here in Verona within the walls of the Capulet summer manor. It was the perfect place to raise a family that would continue on the Vendetta between the Capulet and the Montague families.

'Where there's Verona there is a Montague,' Juliet spoke confidently as they left the lingerie shop, their arms laden with their bags. 'Now, no more talk of him when we can continue to shop and buy the most beautiful of dresses.' That said the two friends made their way down the street and around the corner where they had already spotted the most beautiful dresses on Earth.

'True,' Rose said and when they reached their destination they rushed inside and gasped in awe as they fell in love at first sight at the same time.

'Beautiful!' They announced as one as they went to look for the dresses in their sizes.

After showing each other their dresses and deciding upon which ones looked the best on them, the girls purchased their dresses and left the store, in search of a restaurant where they could have something to eat. After all, no Lady and her friend were going to eat at a fast food restaurant or a café. There were many in Verona who knew Juliet and her family alike, she could not mar her family name.

#

'I cannot believe that father has commanded me to find a Verona bride. Does he believe that every eligible woman in town would just fall at my feet, with a quick charming smile and a hello?' Romeo asked his friends as they made their way to the only pub in town. Romeo did not like to drink and eat at one of those fancy restaurants. He did not like to be seen as the Lord that he would one day be. He wanted freedom; he wouldn't mind being a homeless beggar if it meant that he was free from the restraints of his family and his name.

'You're not a bad looking man, cousin,' Benvolio reminded him and Romeo nodded.

'That may be, but I am a fighter, not a lover, there is not a single woman out there that would appreciate my vendetta, none but Juliet, but it is with her that I have the vendetta. Where am I to find a brave Verona female who would marry me?' He didn't want to marry, but perhaps if he did it would shut his father up, at least then he wouldn't be a constant migraine.

'Why don't we talk of it over a pint and round of pool?' Mercutio asked as they reached the pub and made their way inside, the two friends clapping Romeo on his back supportively. 'There has to be a woman out there that you will find attractive and who will find your blood thirsty nature sexy.'

'I hope so,' Romeo said as they made their way to the bar and ordered their drinks.

'As if this is the only place in town that hasn't been overbooked,' two of the three men's heads lifted when a familiar and hated female voice rent the air. Romeo kept his gaze trained on his drink, not wanting to unleash a barrel of violence in this small, rare treasure of Verona. That and there were many females within the bar that he didn't want to know of his vendetta. Though they were not Ladies by blood they could be his last resorts.

'I know right, oh wow they have a pool table,' Rose pointed out and made her way over to the table, where she acquired a pool cue and began to polish the tip. The air rent with the needy groans of men in the pub and Romeo only smiled. If she was to side with Juliet then she should suffer the consequences.

'Why don't you set up whilst I order our meal,' Juliet suggested as she approached the bar to order her meal.

'So nice to see you here Miss Capulet,' Romeo's words were filled with hatred and enough sarcasm to fill the swimming pool in his family's country estate. 'I didn't know you were coming to Verona this summer.'

'Don't give me that. You know you're so full off it Montague. I know for a fact Paris told you all about it. After all why wouldn't he want to brag, we'll be married by the end of the summer,' Juliet boasted and Romeo snarled.

'Your meals will be half an hour at the last Miss Capulet, so if you'd like to take a seat or enjoy our entertainment, then please do so,' the barman informed her and she nodded.

'Thank you,' she spoke politely and left, Romeo watching her every step until she reached the pool table. Already Rose had a throng of men around her, all lusting after her. That woman always did have that magic with men.

'Hey Juliet you wanna play?' Rosaline asked and her friend nodded.

'Sure, I should warn you though, I've been practising. I can pot three balls in one go,' Juliet boasted and Romeo took his beer and climbed down from his stool and joined the throng of men around the pool table. This he had to see.

Just like many other males his age Romeo adored pool and was as skilled as the next professional player. Not that he would ever be allowed to go into profession such as that. But right here, right now, he would show Juliet who was good at pool.

'I play winner,' he told the two girls as he took a seat to watch them, to study Juliet's game play. After all pool was a tactical game after all and Romeo knew all about tactics, after all he was a warrior. He knew he needed to look for weaknesses and possible strengths in his opponent.

'Are you sure about this Romeo?' Ben hissed to which the cousin nodded.

'Oh yeah, if I cannot dominate her physically in this, I will dominate her at pool, after all she may be able to match my skills with her daggers but she cannot match my skills with a pool cue. This is my area of expertise, just as hers is shopping,' Romeo commented, hitching his thumb at the paper bags of clothes on the floor beside the table. Curious he rummaged through the smaller of the bags and found the most arousing underwear he had ever before seen. The bra and thong were both black and plain but for some reason they aroused him, like no other lingerie before.

He put the bag back when he heard Rose confess that he was to play Juliet. She seemed downhearted as though she'd wanted to play Romeo as though she'd wanted to get close to him. Never mind, poor Rosaline I have something in store for you anyway.

Though she was not a woman of this city Romeo would date her, if only to enrage Juliet. Romeo knew of Rosaline's affections for him but had never before played upon them, hadn't thought to. But tonight, tonight he would remove the black lingerie from her beautifully pale body. After all Rose knew it was his favourite colour.

'So you want to be humiliated here Romeo?' Juliet asked as she polished her pool cue and blew off the excess dust.

Dressed in a blood red top that showed her ample cleavage and a short skirt that showed her legs for miles, she was a catch for many men, and those around her stifled growls. They could have her, Romeo didn't want her.

'Me beat by you, we shall see little Juliet,' Romeo told her as he set the balls up and placed the white ball on the beginning spot. 'Ladies first,' he told her and moved out of the way so that she could take up the starting position.

'Thank you, but we both know that I am no Lady,' Juliet reminded him as she laid her cue against the table and hit the ball. The yellow and red colours separated quickly, two of them potting.

'Red and yellow, choose your colour Juliet,' Romeo told her and she did, pointing to the red and continuing the game. When she rounded the table to take her shot she placed her hand on the middle of his chest, pushing him away when he was in her way.

'Red,' she said potting her colour as she leaned over the table, her bottom swaying temptingly in his eyesight. Not temptingly enough for he felt no stirring for her. His hatred was too deep.

'As always,' he told her as he swatted her bottom when she missed her shot and took the cue from her. 'My turn,' he told her and potted three yellow balls in one go as she had boasted about being able to do.

'Don't touch me again Romeo,' Juliet told him as she acquired one of the potted red balls and squeezed it tightly. He didn't miss the blatant threat.

'Trust me,' he said as he approached to give her the cue. He got closer than was more appropriate and whispered to her. 'The next time I touch you will be in our little war,' though he spoke he ran his hand down her front and up under her short skirt. He heard her gasp and smiled as he detached her favourite blood red bladed dagger from her thigh. 'You won't need this in here, if you're going to win it's with this cue,' he whispered in her ear before pressing a mocking kiss to her temple.