A/N: This is my first Merchant of Venice fiction, so please be gentle. All of this is written in Lorenzo's POV. I have never been to a Christian wedding in all my life, much less seen one on YouTube or anywhere else, so if there's any problem with the wedding scene, the information is all taken from google. Also, Jessica's physical appearance is also taken from the Google. Please read and review. Oh and also, I was planning to make it a series of POVs of all the major characters and couples in the book. Should I continue with that idea and make Jessica's after this and then someone else's, please tell me in the reviews.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MERCHANT OF VENICE, AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE TO. THIS WONDERFUL BOOK BELONGS TO THE FABULOUS WILLAM SHAKESPEARE.
Enjoy!
The world lay covered in a thick blanket of infinite stars suspended in a thick coat of black. The pale crescent moon glowed like a silvery claw in the darkness. Silence stretched around a part of the Earth, beckoning people to rest. From within a pretty mansion on the Ivory Street, a pair of chocolate brown eyes looked outside, tenderness and gentleness radiating from it's very core. The face, bathed in the silvery moonlight which entered through the panes of an elizabethan window, had a kind expression on his handsome face, as the owner carded his hands through the thick hair of a pretty girl sleeping beside him, smiling at her. The girl cuddled him with a muffled " Lorenzo " as his smile went up a notch, brighter than the brightest star in the night sky.
" What did I do to deserve you, Jessica love? " Lorenzo mulled to himself aloud. He thought of their relationship, just how far both Jessica and him had gone for their love for each other.
He remembered the very first time he had laid his eyes on Jessica at The Serpentine, an inn, famous for its alcohol and a regular drinking spot for his friends and him. Apparently, as Jessica had told him, Shylock had some work at The Meyer House, just two buildings away from Serpentine, with Jessica. He had just dropped by to drink The Cabernet Shiraz, one of the best quality wines in the market, before going off to business, with Jessica walking behind him, talking to Shylock.
Lorenzo still remembered how his breath had caught, watching the pretty Jewess while his heart hammered non-stop in his chest. The daylight from the windows fell upon Jessica, highlighting her angular cheekbones, making the face even more beautiful than it already was. And when those beautifully big black eyes looked upon him, he could have happily died at the spot. That was the beginning of his crush on the beautiful but the unattainable Jewess.
He thought it was a fleeting crush, those ones which stayed for maximum a month, but, much to his chargin, it was not. It had been three torturous months now and yet she occupied a special place in his heart, one not freely given. And fate absolutely did not help, popping up Jessica frequently near him, just when he thought he couldn't take any more torture. Hell, he could safely say, she possessed him, heart, body and soul.
Images of her frequently inhabited it's mind, just like now, a fresh image of her sunbathing with a black, sexy lace dress, beckoning him to come closer to her popped up in his mind. And the tightening of his pants did not help at all.
His friends were no better, declaring themselves to be the ultimate guides on teaching him, and I quote, " How to win the lovesick fool his lady love. " Bets were spreading among them like rapid fire and he was pretty sure Gratiano had already several bets on who it was his crush. At first it was hilariously amusing making your friends guess your love, but gradually irritation replaced amusement. No longer the simple acts of grabbing his shoulder in the middle of the street and the late nights spent discussing his love life were fun as his frustation of himself, his crush on Jessica and his fear of loosing all of his friends when they come to know the truth were increasing, so was the case for his irritation. Once or twice he had snapped at Antonio, who had waved off his offered apologies after the event with a knowing smile. And it just reinforced the fact that his friends were one of the best ones in the world
The times which were not spent either on work or with his friends were spent trying to unravel the ever lasting mystery which was himself. It was a well defined rule in history that Christians and Jews are not meant to be friends. There were a handful of people with Jew friends and even less with either one of partner as a Jew. He,himself too tried his hand in his fair share of relationships and never had the attraction been as great as she had captured in that one meeting. But surely she was attainable, for not only she was a Jew but her heritage linked her to Shylock. And there was the dilemma for he was adamant on not loosing the friendship of any of his friends while his heart insisted on not loosing her. Just who should he follow?
The three months gradually faded to welcome a year and with each passing day the torture grew. Every fibre of his body was screaming to obtain her, to cut out the undeserving world. But alas! What great changes could have happened had the world be more understanding. It was a constant battle between his desires and reality, between his heart and soul. Just why do humans have to be so complex?
An advice came from a very unexpected source, the last person on the Earth he could expect to find out about the ' ever mysterious lady that wittle Lorenzo has a little crush on', courtesy of Gratiano. But it happened and now, three days after the incident, it occupied, with his daydreams about a certain girl, left him dazed for the most part of the day as he recalled the advice.
FLASHBACK STARTS
I looked at the beautiful sunset in front of me wanting to sit like this for eternity. The cool air wafting from the fan above head encased my very being, a soothing balm to my tortured soul. I was deeply regarding the matter of Jessica, who continued to play havoc on my soul with her attributes. So deeply in thoughts was I that I couldn't hear the door opening and was deeply surprised and shocked when a masculine voice cut through the confused haze that had descended in front of him. " Why Lorenzo,my friend, I have never seen thy so melancholic. What troubles thy heart? " Turning fast enough to break my neck, I took in the figure in front of me. Smooth pale skin, broad shoulders, high, aristocratic cheekbones, dressed in rich maroon robe, Antonio, one of his closest friend,looked very much like an aristocrat he was. " Jesus! Antonio! I am too young to attend a funeral let alone my own! " I almost shouted, hands covering my chest to stop my rapidly beating heart. Antonio laughed his signature hearty laugh before coming to sit in front of me, clapping on my back and smiling as he did so. " It's Jessica, Shylock's daughter, isn't it? " He asked, while that creepy smile was plastered on his face. " What? " I asked stupidly, too stunned by the turn of events. " Your, and I quote, ' mystery lady love' is Jessica, Shylock's daughter and successor isn't it? " He patiently explained, frowning at me. " How did you come to know? I swear, Antonio, I seriously did not want any of thi... " I said, hyperventilating. How could Antonio be so cool knowing one of his closest friend slash brother was dreaming about his rival's daughter much less knowing he has a crush on her? Now I was certainly going to lose my friends. Just why couldn't I... My train of thoughts was cut off by Antonio's smooth voice. " Stop hyperventilating Lorenzo! Go for it man. " Winking he left the house , leaving a stunned silence in his wake.
FLASHBACK ENDS
To say he was surprised was a massive understatement. Antonio, his best friend, surrogate brother, a crucial member of their odd but tightly knit family, knew about his massive, never ending crush of Jessica, the same Jessica who was not only linked to Shylock but also was his successor and he was alright with it? He was fine? It was known throughout Venice that Antonio and Shylock were the one of the fiercest rivals in all Venice, both men of outstanding talent, wealth and intelligence, their malice for each other bringing them closer. Their fights were spectacular, their words and action even more fierce, adding to it's decades of existence, they made quite a formidable pair. But, after pinching and slapping himself for hours, it was quite clear that Antonio had visited and had said those words but his head was bursting with questions, most of them considering Antonio's advice, if that's what you call it. And even if, regardless of its bizarreness, he took Antonio's advice, there was quite a risk of loosing his other friends. They were like water bodies, regardless whether they were small, waylaid rivulets due to their lower heritage or they were as rich as a river, all of them were binded in a series of complex but connective web, depending on each other. And he was not quite ready to break the thick strands of that web, lest he became separated from it all. Call him a coward, call him weak minded, call him a fool, but he, Lorenzo, was quite dependent on the brotherly love and comfort which he had come to associate with his friends.
It is a well known truth that men wait centuries for the turning points in their life, those points where we are exposed naked to horrors of the world. His came too but in the most unexpected turn of events. It came with a soul, a cherished soul, lost. It came with the death of one Barry Longtown. He could still remember the fear, shock and suprise which had ascended on him as he read from the stiff, white parchment paper regarding the details of his funeral, the warm, cream-coloured envelope from the former's parents, consoling him in the time of grievance. And was it even necessary to say that he still had nightmares about his death, his funeral.
FLASHBACK STARTS
The day was dull and dreary, reflecting just how I felt. It had been a massive shock to hear that Barry was dead, was murdered when only two months ago I had seen him fit and fine. My mother worked as a seamstress for his mother and, despite our obvious differences in terms of social and financial standing, they were the best of friends and naturally both of their sons knew each other since childhood. Barry and his friendship often formed the theme of his most cherished childhood memories. Barry's and his friendship, though unlike the one provided to him by Antonio, Bassanio, Gratiano and their other friends, Salanio and Salerio, was comforting. Two boys, separated by the society and economy, bought together by fate, that was them. Barry was always there to lend him a shoulder, soothing my soul with his kind words, when it was burning raw with anger and hurt. And I, in turn, repaid his favours and many a night had gone in this manner. When both of us grew up, we became separated, once again, by work but still managed to take time out of their businesses to compile a letter each month to each other. Days, seasons and years passed by in this manner and it was not untill yesterday I had decided to go to him and sooth my soul with Barry's wise advices. This was the main reason why his death came as a big shock to me, my brain and heart falling to understand the fact that the person who only yesterday dined with me, was now gone, a soul lost for just few pieces of materialistic papers. So deeply lost was I, that I failed to notice the place my weary legs had took me to, and it came as massive shock to my system when someone barreled with him. Before I was in control of my body, I heard a relief-filled "Lorenzo" and instinctively responded by wrapping my arms around the petite frame of Mrs. Longtown. Deep, heart-wrenching sobs wracked her frame, making his heart ache with sorrow my surrogate mother was experiencing at the death of her only son. " I'm so sorry , darling." and that only served to make me feel more guilty for I should be the one saying those words to her. I tried to force out a smile past the lump which had formed in my throat as my eyes burned with unshed tears, two souls grieving on this Earth, desiring and begging nature to give back the one gone. The funeral... was ,well, how funerals should be. Sad, depressing, grieving. But one thing that I noticed and it genuinely shocked me was the amount of backstabbers the Earth had. Barry, ever the saint he was, had donated a handsome amount of money to charities, being the source of income for many. And now here they were, looting the picture he made with his nature of willingly giving just as he was out of the picture. Those same traitors who had once licked his shoes, had been his lapdogs. And that sparked a change, a new vision of the corruptness Earth had.
FLASHBACK ENDS
He was holding back, holding back from making the beautiful fairy his because of his fear of the world. But, did it actually matter? Did it matter in the end? He thought about how would he feel if he died. About the last days before his aching heart would be released. He thought about the regrets he would have, his prideful moments and undoubtedly Jessica would top the list of regrets. Death would be a better ally than a loveless sham of marriage. He pondered upon the heartbreak his fragile heart would have to bear at the very sight of any other man touching his Jessica and it was not long before his mind was set on winning Jessica.
It was a well-known principle that knowing what to do was a way easier forte than acting upon it. It had been three weeks now before his mind was made up on acting on his wishes but how to do so was a big mystery. How to know her without being too loud in his intentions? Just how?
The answer itself took days to come but when it did, he seriously wanted to bang his head till all his consciousness was lost. It was so simple yet so effective and perfect. It would result in mainly his win if everything went according to the plan. And hopefully the gods would bless him with its success.
It carried out just as smoothly as he wanted it to be. He knew that Jess (Jessica sounded way too formal and besides she was Shylock's daughter while Jess, beautifully delightful Jess was his) used to always come in the deserted alley, besides the Jadeson Street on every second and fourth Sunday of each month to clear her thoughts probably. It was on the second Saturday, 14th to be the exact, that he followed her into the alley, trying to be as subtle as possible. Apparently Jess either was a natural detective or the girl had very good acting skills as it was but a minute or two before he was caught, completely unexpectedly. She invited him to sit down and after a little hesitation and persuasion, he compiled with her wishes. And it was the start of a blossoming friendship.
It became a regular routine now, their meetings a sweet escape for both of them. And boy was it working well. Not only was he gaining major points with her but he also got to know the real Jessica, the sweet, beautiful, intelligent maiden which was hidden behind a facade of unconcerned aloofness. It was a sweet revelation to him and made his love for her grew even more. Differences between religion, caste, race, creed all faded away, long forgotten for all that lay between was a blooming friendship.
He had decided that Jess would never be his dirty bedroom secret. And the first step to cement this decision was to tell all of his friends the happy news. Salerio, Gratiano and Salarino were all happy for him, apparently his happiness came above their grudge for Shylock. Antonio just smiled his secretive smile, undoubtedly conveying his assent. Bassanio was a bit hard to deal with, but he finally accepted the growing feelings that Lorenzo harboured for Jessica.
And as for Jessica, time could not have been more perfect. She was perfect to a painful degree. Pretty, smart, cunning, vicious, rebellious, she was the package of awesomeness and perfection. There was something so thrilling about those secret meetings , those surges of adrenaline he experienced when he was with his goddess. And was it unmanly of him to feel a little smug when aphrodite sided with him in a fight with some unworthy jealous jew of her tribe who suddenly thought that the love of his life belonged to him?
But beneath all of those bouts of love, those doses of adrenaline, were deeply inlaid insecurities. He was not those type of men who sat on their high horses and dreamt about countless riches. He knew how his present income and business would greatly affect his married life. But he had known that with his present sum he would only be able to woo a common woman. But, Jessica was one of the richest girl in the town. How would be, a common man who already had insecurities over his money be able to woo and provide for the future of a born princess knowing that neither her father would accept this relationship nor would he give a single ducat for his only daughter should she even accept the relationship?
Her father... Shylock was another main problem. He was a Jew to his very core, albeit a cunning one, but a Jew nonetheless. Not only did he hate the very sight of his best friend slash brother, he also spat upon his Saviour, two of the things which were very important in his life. Hell this was the very man who would unite the seven lands and seven seas together should he even get the whiff of the news that not only was his daughter, his only child was secretly meeting a Christian but also that the said 'friend' was lusting after her. If he had any chance with Jessica, then the fact that she had to either elope or be disowned ( which he was pretty sure Shylock would not do. The man was too cunning for his own good.) was a very big consideration. How would he able to please a born rarity with his meager sum?
The months faded into a glorious year. His friendship with her was the one of the most priceless treasure he had gained. In the past year, he had gotten to know a lot about her. How the way she twirled her hair on her fingers when she contemplated about something. How she would chew her beautiful lips with her pearly white teeth when she was nervous, making it even more red than it already was. He valued these countless moments which frequently repeated themselves in his dreams. Who said that he couldn't dream about his beauty if he couldn't have her? His friends had started teasing him with Gratiano seriously proclaiming that, in his words, " Thou face is flushed with the dreamily, my good friend Lorenzo. Jessica will make a fine queen. " He had blushed immediately of course even as his mind tortured him with the pictures of his Jessica and him doing... that.
But then of course, it was as if nature rebelled in her own ironic way. He still did not know if he was to label that accident as stupid or wonderful.
It was 24th of December and,as per their usual custom dictated,all of them were to have a Christmas party which was this year generously hosted by Antonio. Having all his best friends as males definitely sucked in some places.It was safe to say that the better they were kept away from the kitchen, the better chances of survival that poor person's house would have. And so they did all they could to celebrate Christmas without stepping a foot in the kitchen. And this year it was his turn to buy pastries from a local pastry shop without as little hustle bustle as possible and some croissants if he could. He had,in fact, bought the pastries almost two hours earlier and planned to keep them in fridge so as to 'preserve' them and had dropped them to Antonio's house,the only person he could trust who would not gob up the pastries as soon as they were in sight.
Politely declining Antonio's invitation to stay in his house,he would already come at the stroke of midnight and besides he had some work to do in his house. As night had already descended and he only had two hours before he would meet with his friends, he had taken a deserted alley to reach his house faster. Whistling a merry tune, he started walking down the deserted street, the flickering light of oil lamps his only companions, before he stopped to an abrupt halt, eyes wide with horror and shock.
There in plain sight, pushed against the wall, was Jessica kissing a handsome man, who his mind vaguely registered to be the unworthy vagrant who tried to hit on her. And here she was acting like a slut, eager to please him, to give in to his demands. A chord snapped in him and his feelings, which were already painfully restrained since the past year, spilled out. He marched over to the couple and with a punch worth of a general, he yanked him up, throwing him against the wall on the other side before turning his attention to Jessica. She looked at him oh so beautifully from underneath her thick eyelashes, her tounge tasting her reddened lips even as her hands went to his neck, her face impossibly close to him as her body moulded itself against him
Willing to forgo words, he took her lips in a punishing kiss, one hand resting on her back even as his companion tilted her head slightly, wounding itself around her thick, unbound hair. " You are mine, " he heard himself rasp those words into her mouth through the haze that had descended upon him, " Not some unworthy vagrants. Mine. MINE!!" " Make me yours now Lorenzo. Claim me before I get whisked off my feet by someone else. " He heard her moan and with a growl, increased the intensity of the already intense kiss, mind fully captured on making her his and only his. Needless to say, he was late to the party.
After their jealous encounter, which he learned later was artfully planned by Jessica, she spilled all her feelings for him. Surprisingly, those feelings came very close to his own and it was several minutes later when his single status was ripped from him. Something which he found out even later was highly enjoyed by Jessica.
The days faded into happy months. A bond of bubbling love had corded itself around them. He never felt as over the moon as his girlfriend ( he still felt happiness course through him at this endearment.) made him feel. If before he thought she was perfect, now he perfectly convinced that she was the avatar of Aphrodite on Earth. It was like living in a dream. A beautiful, rich girlfriend, budding love and their own atmosphere which they had created over the past few months, their safe heaven. What more could a guy want for? She was his soulmate, his equal half. Upon hearing all of insecurities, she soothed every last one of them with her kind words and declarations of love.
It was several months later that he was able to propose to her, to finally declare her as his to the world. He never thought he could feel such a heavy dose of nervousness and anxiety as he did then. But oh! her single yes made it so worth going through all of that.
By now, he was as convinced as his fiance was that either she would be able to choose between her sire or her love. It was a cruel choice but one that definitely did needed to be made. He soothed her though, telling her that she could take as much time as she required and could cancel the engagement if she wished to. He declared that even after cancelling it, he could never, ever feel something akin to anger for her and readily promised that they could still remain friends should she desire.
It was almost a month or two later when he received her answer from her bumbling servant, Launcelot. Their relationship had been strained recently and he feared that it would snap under this tension coursing between them. The amount of relief that flowed through him at her words dazed him. And oh the wonderful kisses they shared at the meeting that night. Well, they always did say, making up after a fight was one of the best parts of it.
They both decided to hasten the wedding for Shylock was getting suspicious of the secret meetings Jessica had with him and she was running out of reasons on why she had started going outside more often these days. A mutual agreement had formed between them that this was going to be a secret wedding and only a handful people made it on the guest list. His closest friends slash brothers, Antonio, Bassanio,Salerio, Gratiano and Salarino made it only the guest list with Jessica's closest friends, Dorothea, Blanche, Audrey, Albert,Maynard, Beatrice and Bessie, Jessica's surrogate mother.
The days before the wedding were the most busy ones in his life, he had to admit. Being on a budget definitely sucked, he decided. There was so much to choose from yet so little available. It was like buying a single apple when the whole fruit basket is in front of you just because you don't have the means to. Other than the hectic task of deciding the colours of almost everything (" Seriously, " he thought, irritably, " Now do we have to decide the colour of the church also or what? "), all of his 'friends' had decided to drag him as a bag to different stores to select the perfect 'dress match', in Bassanio's words. Why couldn't people marry in their nightdresses would forever be a mystery to him. And what irked him more was the fact that his meetings with his beloved were cut short. Seriously, who exactly is marrying here?
But one major thing to before their happy day was for Jessica to severe all ties with Shylock. He still had doubts on this one though and only a volley of slaps, a night full of discussions and a very good snogging session later did his insecurities clear out. Jessica's wonderfully clever mind had devised an almost perfect solution which she had written in the letter in her beautiful handwriting. As per the condition, he had to reach to the balcony of her room from where she would then jump out with her priceless personal belongings and some of her fathers jewels. The amount of fear he felt when she was about to jump was mind boggling and he had never been more thankful to God when she reached the ground safely in her boy's garb. Holding her hand in the darkness, he began to lead the way as best as he could in the dark to their boat which would take them to Belmont for their wedding which was the day after. And never had more sweeter dreams haunted his mind than it had during that night at the rocking boat, his Jessica sleeping peacefully against him as his mind tortured him with various scenarios of their future.
And finally... the day came. A glorious sunny day with birds chirping and the trees gently waving to each other in the breeze. If before he thought that the nervousness people feel during proposing was more, then this beated all of it. Standing on the altar, Beatrice sitting beside him, nervousness and anxiety thrummed in his viens. A thousand doubts were running in his head, thousand insecurities about their future together. Raising his hand to run through his hair, a sure sign of anxiety, Beatrice stood all of a sudden and slapped it down before it could even reach his scalp, giving his best' you better not do that or you will be in so much trouble young man' glare. And even as Bessie's snickering reached his ears, the sound of soft music playing and the wedding party entering reached his ears. The wedding party looked absolutely splendid in their colour coordinated dresses with a bright, happy smile to add to their perfection. But when the bride entered, that's when his brain died and went to heaven.
Her hair looked like beautiful and luscious without any hindrance in its way, complementing her nude makeup and fair pallor. Her off shoulder lace gown clung tightly to her gorgeous figure before flowing down like a waterfall, complemented by her beautiful veil. The silver belt tied around her waist only added to her perfection. His eyes seemed permanently glued to the her direction, drinking her beauty, her perfection. How had he managed to snag such a beauty was way beyond him. And, did he even have to mention, that his brain could still not grasp that such a goddess would be, in a few minutes, his wife?
It was only several minutes later that she reached him, which to him, seemed years later. The urge to just damn all of this formality, take her into his arms and run away to his honeymoon destination, to make sweet love to her was almost overbearing, overwhelming. If it wasn't the fact that after this wedding nobody could tear them apart, nobody apart from him could claim her as his, then he would act on his impulses. He heard himself muttering about how beautiful she looked and the bright smile she gave in return just brightened up her complexion. Throughout the ceremony he looked her in the eyes, mind lost in her beauty, vows falling from his lips like a man drowned in a lake of never ending happiness. His well practiced vows dried on his lips and only true words of adoration, devotion and love fell from it. The unparallel happiness he felt when she finally became his was almost painfully unbearable and for the first time in their married life, they kissed as a husband and wife.
The reception passed by in a blur of congratulations,gifts and hand shaking and before long they were starting their first night together. They had both agreed, no matter how tempted they were, that their first time would be as a legalized couple. And oh!, now did he understand the taste of water to a thirsty man. All night long they made sweet love. He explored every part of her, worshipped every inch of her skin, revered in her moans. He claimed her now, body, mind, soul and paper. And when the moon shone past their window, it saw a very happy couple inside.
The next morning was a beauty in its own. Before they were expected to leave for their honeymoon ( and yes, he did give a shout of happiness on hearing it inside ), they made love again. Although it was not as glorious as the last night, it held perfection of its own. And just, as if it was a part of perfection, trouble arrived in the form of a letter, which had his hands shaking and body trembling. " Jessica, dearest, " he heard himself shout to her in a nervous voice and continued when she walked into the room only in her lingerie, " please pack up your bags and do that for mine too. Thy friend Antonio is in a grave peril. Oh please our Saviour, save my brother." His voice turned pleading towards the end even as the colour drained out of Jessica's face and she hurried away to fetch their items. He sat there, trembling as his mind tortured him with the death of his beloved one. Only Jessica's nudge and her fearful face coming into view broke him from his stupor as they hurried along to Portia' mansion in the carriage she had generously provided for them.
They were fortunate enough to meet her before she left and she, at once, told them her plans. Thanking God frequently for letting Bassanio and Gratiano marry such calm and level headed women, they bid her goodbye as they continued the remainder of their honeymoon in her mansion.
Which brings us now to the present time, where once again those beautiful brown eyes connected with the moon again, filled with determination. Going through tough times together was the motto of a true family and he would be damned if he let anyone he loved depart from the Earth so soon.