Once again, no note…
Artemis woke up in a heap on the floor, uncomfortable and not entirely rested, but in better shape than he had that night. The dawn's orange and red fingers were creeping up the horizon, and the view from the balcony was masked in orange and pink shades. He stumbled out to the balcony, knowing this would be the last time he would last see Holly as Juliet. Now she had no preoccupations, but if someone recognized them, they would have to think up alibis, since he was supposed to be banished and her dead.
Glancing back at Holly, the boy genius smiled, although it was a small one. She looked so calm, at peace. She was smiling in her sleep, and her hair was rumpled and spread across the pillow. He sighed, and turned away as she stretched and yawned. Some things-like Holly's calm state- were too good to last long.
Holly had been dreaming about flying through the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by jumping dolphins when she heard something moving. She yawned, and squinted her eyes. It was sunrise, and a shadow was at the balcony. Holly got out of bed, forgetting about her exposing dress, and walked over to the shadow, presumably Artemis.
"Hey," she said groggily, rubbing her eyes.
"Hello, Holly. Morning," the Fowl stared off into the distance stone faced, not looking at Holly.
"Morning, Artemis. Why the long face?"
"My face didn't grow longer, did it?" Artemis still stared off into the distance, but looked like he was trying to suppress a smile.
"You know what I mean. Why are you not looking at the person you're talking to? Common etiquette requires that," she teased.
"You know what else common etiquette requires?"
Holly rested herself on the balcony's edge, now also looking out at the sunrise. "What does it require?"
"Non-revealing clothing."
"Hey, what do you mean?" Holly asked, still not entirely awake. She looked at Artemis. "You mean those skin tight pants of yours? I agree, those things are ugly," she replied, drawing out the last word.
"Yes, but those aren't revealing."
"What do you mean?" said Holly, completely oblivious to last night's events.
"That dress which you were so careful to hide last night."
Holly looked at her dress, and let out a small shriek. "Dammit, Artemis, why didn't you tell me this before?"
"I tried, but your witticisms prevented me," he smirked, to Holly's discontent.
"You-you," Holly stuttered, and decided to take things to a more physical level since her mind was racing and thwarted her attempts to talk. She pulled her arm back, curling her hand into a fist, and let her hand fly right where it always hit: his chin.
He groaned, and put his hand to his chin. "What did you do, put steel plates on your knuckles?"
"Hey, your bony chin hurt too."
"My chin is not bony!"
"Yes, it is."
Artemis rolled his eyes and answered, "Why don't you go change if you're so self conscious about this dress of yours. Of course, I don't care, but it's apparent that you do."
"You perv!" Holly marched back to her closet, back to Artemis, and unknown to him, grabbed a high heeled, very heavy shoe and threw it with great force at him, hitting him with perfect aim in the torso.
"Gosh, Holly, what is your problem?" Artemis, trying to be the athlete he wasn't, threw it back at Holly, but it instead hit the lamp, breaking.
Holly laughed excessively, ignoring Artemis's scowl. "Nice aim," she snorted, failing to suppress a grin.
He glared, and ignored Holly as she chose a dress, this time a bright emerald. "I want to 'die' in my best, don't I? And besides, I have to wear this dress for a while, right?"
"Here, why don't I take some stuff? That way when we go to Mantua, you can have several dresses."
"All right," Holly said, tossing him three or four heaps, one white, one a navy blue, one a lime green, and one that would match her hazel eyes.
"I have to go," Artemis said, dragging the dresses and putting his first foot over the balcony wall.
"Not even without a good bye?" Holly looked at Artemis, who looked melancholy.
Artemis nodded, then reconsidered. "What kind of good bye?" he sighed. "Like the last?"
"What was wrong with that?"
"It was too much, Holly," he sighed. "We aren't in a relationship, and I don't even know if I want to be in one, due to my mixed up feelings. This is just so strange, for a couple days we're friends and now," he shook his head, "now we're kissing each other on the cheek good bye and hello, even if its just you. It makes me wonder, Holly, what your feelings are, and I don't know if I ever will know, because it seems like they're always changing. It's the same with mine. I don't know what to do, and I don't think you do either. So, Holly, I guess I'll see you in a couple days." He left, leaving Holly to stare out at the rising sun, to run to the edge of the balcony while he climbed over the wall to ride a horse with someone he had said to be his servant, who was holding the dresses and guiding the horse.
Artemis had jumped down from the wall, painfully, but made it without breaking anything. A guy who he presumed to be Balthasar pulled him up on the horse as he grasped the dresses. Then he rode away on the horse, knowing a glance back could be tragic for both him and Holly. This play really was a tragedy.
Balthasar took him through the deserted back roads as the sun rose into the azure sky. There were rows of olive trees and other native plants to the Mediterranean climate. People looked like they were just waking up and stepping out of both their huts and villas, ignoring the noise of a galloping bay horse bearing two riders to Mantua. Artemis was not nervous, since he had the knowledge of equestrianism, but no horse, no scenery like this, could take away the damage he felt he had created.
After about an hour of riding, Balthasar dismounted and Artemis handed him the dresses. He was in front of little hut, and Artemis scoffed. A Fowl living in a hut? It couldn't be true! Artemis dismounted as well, and tied up the horse. Normally it was servant's work, but since the servant was setting down the fifty pounds worth of dresses, he could do it. When he finished tying up the horse, he strolled into the hut, ready to criticize. But when he walked in the hut, he was mildly surprised. It had a wood stove on one side, and a table next to it was piled with what looked to be fresh vegetables and bread. A double bed was made and looked inviting. He sat down on it and watched as Balthasar folded the dresses neatly and put them in a small wooden cupboard. It seemed as if someone was waiting for a Montague to be banished, and set it up decently. Unless they 'borrowed' the hut from someone else.
"Thank you, Balthasar."
Balthasar blushed. "Not a problem, sir. Is there anything else you would like?"
Finally someone who respects me for who I am. "I think you could tell me about this, ah, cabin."
"Well, what would you like to know, sir?"
"Why is this cabin so well furnished?"
"Well, the Montagues bought it about a decade ago when they found out that an older Montague, Mario I believe, was banished. He had no place to go so Friar Lawrence hid him in his cell until some servants of the family, myself included, could build this hut. We furnished it, and two days later the man went out here and my father stayed with him, and I would ride over and bring over supplies when I wasn't taking care of you as a child, sir."
"Well where did all this food come from?"
"I brought it over last night while you were at the Capulet's."
"How did you know?"
"Well, not to be too bold, sir, but it was fairly obvious when you jumped down carrying her dresses from the orchard wall."
"You're right," Artemis sighed.
"Do you love her?"
"That is too bold."
"My apologies, sir. Please excuse my rudeness, it wasn't my place to say that."
Artemis shrugged. "It's alright."
"No, sir, it is not alright."
Artemis rolled his eyes, a new thing for Artemis. "Let's change the subject away from the lovely Juliet Capulet. What else do you know about this house?"
"That's all, sir. Now what can I do for you?"
"You can make me some breakfast." Artemis heard his stomach growl as he made the request.
"Of course, sir." Balthasar hurried to start a fire in the stove, and started chopping. Artemis listened to him talk about the joy of working for a Montague and how happy he was that he didn't have to work for a Capulet. He barely listened, though, his mind more in turmoil than his outer composure could show. He couldn't believe the events of the past couple days, they seemed as if he wasn't the one committing the crimes, conversing with Holly. It was like he was watching some Artemis clone do everything. His mind was separating from his body. And the acting… he had been taking in so much of this Romeo's character it was shocking who he was turning into. An occasionally cussing, slang using murderer. He shuddered. Was he really Artemis Fowl, or was he turning into the person whose role he played: Romeo Montague?
Holly had been watching Artemis ride away a different person when the Nurse walked in, giving her no time to think about the night's-and this morning's- events. "Juliet!" she said hurriedly.
"What?" she snapped.
The nurse tsked. "Your mother is coming here in five minutes to bring you news. Hurry, get dressed."
After being shoved into the bathroom, Holly changed into her pretty emerald dress and twirled around in front of the small mirror. "Holly," the nurse urged, "come on!"
Holly walked out of the bathroom to be ambushed by the nurse and the hair brush. "Why did you wear that dress," the nurse questioned, "your mother hates it."
"Why?" Holly asked.
"Because it's a Montague color."
"Well I like it. Green is my color."
The nurse shook her head. "Romeo has altered your thinking, dear. Although green is your color, you never would have worn that dress before you fell in love with Romeo."
Holly blushed, recalling Artemis's hurtful good-bye. "I wouldn't say I love him…"
"Then why, miss, did you marry the man?"
Holly stopped to think. Why did she marry Artemis? They weren't stuck in a play, they weren't following through with things anyway, they were in Verona, Italy, stuck in two people's lives and possibly stuck forever. Screw keeping in character, screw Romeo, who gives a damn what we do? Holly thought. And then she realized something, and heard someone running up the stairs.
"It's your mother, miss."
Holly glanced in the mirror. She looked presentable. But when a heavily make upped and well dressed woman walked through the room with a scowl at the sight of Holly's dress, she changed her mind.
"Hello, Juliet," Lady Capulet said politely.
Oh, joy. More acting. "Hello, mother," she said, attempting a curtsy in her heavy dress.
"How are you? Still grieving over Tybalt's death?"
Holly forced a look of sadness on her face. "I suppose so."
"Ah, poor child. I have brought you some news, however, that may bring light to this dark week."
"What news?" asked Holly, curious.
"You will be married, dear, to Paris, Thursday in Saint Peter's church. Some marriage will bring a joyful day to a grieving family."
"Marriage?" Holly stated incredulously. She knew she would get engaged, but she was still in shock. "Marriage? I can't marry Paris! I'm too young, it's too early," she said, wringing her hands. Dammit, Foaly, why did you have to put me here, of all places?
"But you'll be such a happy bride!"
"No I won't," Holly declared, furious. She already dealt with one marriage this week, she would never do it again with someone she didn't love. Especially here.
"Why won't you be a happy bride?" Lady Capulet paused at the sound of more footsteps. "Well, Juliet, here comes your father. Tell him so yourself."
A man walked in, slightly chubby and over six feet tall. He looked quite threatening, even when he looked complacent. "Good morning, my lady; good morning, Juliet."
"Morning," Holly said, gulping. Her intuition was telling her something…
"Mary," the man said, beckoning to Lady Capulet, "have you told our daughter the news?"
"Yes, I have, but she will take none of it."
Lord Capulet's face became slightly red, looking similar to Root. "And why is that?"
"She says she is too young, and unworthy of Paris's engagement."
Lord Capulet's face became more red, the pigment spreading to his ears. Holly was getting more worried by the second. "Not worthy?" he said. "Too young? There are mothers down the street, Juliet, as you very well know, who were married at eleven, and now have children!"
"But I'm not them," she said softly.
"What was that, Juliet? You're not them? That's right!" he said, now yelling. "That's why we waited two years. Two years! And for you to say you're unworthy of Paris's love, that's saying you're unworthy of being our daughter. And maybe you're right!"
Lady Capulet gasped and fell on Holly's bed. Lord Capulet, oblivious to the reaction, continued his rant. "For thirteen years we raised you and put up with you, and now you give us this bullshit?" He stepped towards Holly, who by now was cowering in front of a person over a foot taller than her, redder than Root had ever been, and pulled his hand back. "You bitch!" he screamed.
The nurse gasped, and ran in front of Holly. "No!" she shrieked. "Don't hurt her!"
Lord Capulet punched the nurse with great force, and she fell next to Lady Capulet. He turned to Holly, who curled her hands into fists as well. "Don't touch me!" she yelped, forgetting she was here, in Verona, "I'm not your daughter!"
"Very funny!" he roared. "Well, here you go, Juliet, here's a punishment worthy for your tongue, you unworthy bitch!"
Holly's back was pressed against the edge of the balcony, Lord Capulet mere inches away from her. He stepped back, pulled his hand back, and Holly shut her eyes, awaiting the pain about to come.
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