The competition will be in the next chapter! :-D Thank you all for your support and dedication to this crazy story so far! Translations of the Italian conversation are at the end of the chapter! Enjoy!
When the Gang woke up in the morning, there was an eerie silence in the air as they made their way down to breakfast. 22nd August: the day before the competition. No one spoke. No one looked at each other. When George woke up, he found a letter by his bedside. Hyde had gone for now, back to his 'home', but he would be back.
Thor broke the silence as he stood by the window. "I wonder if my brother is okay..." he murmured.
No one replied.
Screeching sounds of a chair followed and Hal stood up before storming out of the room. Tudor and Harry followed.
A few moments later, you could hear the sound of a crash and a yell, followed by muffled voices. Tudor and Harry came back out, shaking their heads. Knives and forks dropped and people stood up before going upstairs to their rooms, their breakfast hardly touched.
When Mercutio didn't come upstairs, Benvolio was worried that he'd ran off again and dashed downstairs.
What he saw shocked him.
Hal and Mercutio were stood facing each other: Hal's blue eyes were glassy and full of tears, Mercutio's green ones were cold and hard. The latter gently raised a hand, as if to strike the equally tall teen down. Hal lurched forward, as if to fall forward, as if to pray for his safety, not to be hit...
The hand fell.
To land on Hal's head. To run through his hair. To run down his face- trace his cheekbones and his jaw.
He lifted Hal's face, saw the pouring tears.
"Forgive me," Hal begged. "Mio amico..."
The Italian's eyes widened. He continued to trace Hal's face with his gentle, lean fingers.
"Ora sappiamo entrambi cosa vuol dire perdere padri, il mio amico," he whispered back.
"Non sapevo che cosa è successo a tuo padre. Perdonami."
"Io non ti biasimo."
"Ti amo molto."
"Io e te."
Benvolio gasped and the two whirled their heads round. Mercutio's eyes narrowed and he pulled Hal to his feet.
"Vieni, Hal, non voglio essere intorno un assassino."
"Mercuzio, egli non è assassino."
"Voglio solo essere lontano da qui. Con te."
Hal did a double take. "Cosa stai dicendo?" he asked.
"Che ne pensi?"
"Non stai pensando."
Mercutio's eyes took a crazy glint and they shone brightly. "I know what I want..."
"And what is that?" Hal was shaking, his voice trying to remain calm.
"...To avenge my father of his unjust death!" Mercutio pointed towards Benvolio. "I remember that day! You all thought you could keep it hidden from me but I know the truth now! I will have my revenge on you!"
"Are you just going to throw away everything we've been through?" Benvolio shook his head. "You cannot forget our friendship..."
"I can and I will! Vendetta!"
"Mercutio, you cannot do this!" Benvolio had tears pouring down his face again. "Please! Think this through!"
The other Italian teen stepped forward to look him in the eye. "I. Hate. You." He spat onto the floor and grabbed Benvolio by the scruff of his collar. "How could you, Ben? How could you let him die?! Why?! Why?!"
Benvolio grabbed Mercutio's collar and stared him in the eye. "He saved my life for his own. I could do nothing but watch. I am so sorry, Mercutio, I am so, so sorry! Please know that it was just as hard for me to lose my father to the same fa-!"
He stopped. His eyes widened.
"You said your father died of an illness... Was that a lie too?" Mercutio whispered.
Benvolio nodded. "I hope you're happy. My father died in the same way yours did: run down by your house and angry rioters in revenge for your father's murder. I lost my father to the feud too, Caro... But you're not an orphan..."
He looked up at him. Stared at him. "But I haven't an ounce of anger in my body to have vengeance for him. Not like you want against me."
He stood back and held out his arms. "Do what you want. Hit me. Beat me. If it gets your anger out, then take it out on me. Someone should."
Mercutio's lip wobbled. His fists clenched. Face quivered.
He turned around and headed straight long into Hal, sobbing into his chest.
"Ti amo, Hal! Mi aiuti per favour!" he sobbed, clenching his clothes tightly in his fists. "Non so cosa fare ! Non posso! Non posso ... Mi sento così male! Ho bisogno di te! Per favore, Hal! Prego ... prego ... Hal ..."
Hal was crying, his blue eyes spilling with tears. "I will always be here for you..." He whispered soothingly, holding the other boy to him. "I will never let you down again. You are my friend and I love you... I will always look out for you and be here when you need me... That is a promise not as your King or fellow Prince, but as your companion and friend. You hear me, Mercutio? Together, we stand united... Always and forever."
Mercutio sobbed into his friend's red shirt, his wails echoing across the Hostel. Upstairs, the others were stood in silence in their rooms, some by the beds, some in the bathrooms, some by the bedside tables. All had their heads down towards the ground. All listened to the cries of a lost little boy like a bell that called out across an empty battlefield of bodies. This was their bugle call, their last post. In a day, they would go over the top for their school, but what would happen to the ones that would come out alive?
The past few months had shown that not all may come out to be the same again.
Later that day, the Gang assembled for their final practise run. They played for many, many hours till the sun went down. No one said a word as they packed up, the sombre air too much to bear.
As they moved towards the doors, Harry opened up his arms for a hug. Some shook their heads and pushed past him, some stared sorrowfully at him. Only Tudor came up to him to hug his cousin. Hal followed and enveloped them both in his arms as the others left the room.
For a long time, The Lancaster Trio stood in the dark, their arms holding each other tightly as the tears came down.
That night, no one could sleep. The rain and the storms for once had stopped, but the storms of the mind weighed down on many.
George crept down towards the Wreck Room, once again unable to sleep since his mother's death. As he entered the room, he caught sight of a figure stood by the window, the white and blue lights of the world behind the window illuminating their tall, dark shape.
He didn't bother turning on the light and instead walked up to stand beside the figure, both now looking outside at the moon and the garden in front of them.
"Do you think things will ever be the same again?"
George turned and looked up into the green eyes of Hyde, who was crying and sobbing a waterfall surprisingly.
"No," George shook his head. "They can't."
"And us?"
"We can't."
"...I know."
They both turned to look out the window again. Hyde, without turning to look at him, held out his hand.
George took it and squeezed it lightly as the moon shone brighter over them.
Mercutio wouldn't let go of Hal at all.
He clung to him constantly, like a limpet on the side of a ship. Not even for dinner or for sleeping. The two would lay cramped in Hal's bed like normal since Mercutio had broken his. He would grunt when he wanted or disliked something and would mutter to himself in his sleep. Benvolio tried to talk to him, but whenever the two Montague cousins approached him, he would shriek at them till they left him alone.
All through the day, he clung to Hal's red shirt, only letting Kate near him at all.
That night, as they climbed into bed, Hal took Mercutio's hands and knelt before him as the other teen was sat on the bed. "You have to let me go," he said. "I can't be with you all the time, amico. Tomorrow's the big day and we can't let ourselves down."
"I only trust you," the other replied.
"I know, but I want to see my wife alone. May I go?"
"You will come back?" Mercutio's eyes were wide and fearful, like a child to its parent.
"I promise. I want to see my wife, amico."
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Yes."
Hal smiled up at him. "Thank you, Mercutio..."
Mercutio gave him a little smile and Hal stood up and left the room.
All was silent as Benvolio - who was in the room - gently came over to his bed. Mercutio turned away.
"I just want to say...good luck," the smaller teen shuffled on his feet nervously.
There was silence for a moment. "Good luck to you as well."
More silence.
Mercutio glanced up at him and then looked away again. "Your father..." he said. "You have my sympathies..."
Benvolio looked shocked. Had he just said that?
"I understand if you...if you don't want to be my friend anymore."
Benvolio took a step forward but backed away again when Mercutio held up his hands in fear.
"Just...Go. Stay away from me. I want to be your friend, but I don't know if I can..."
"I want to be your friend still," Benvolio murmured. "I can't stop being your friend."
Mercutio looked up from where he had his arms wrapped around his drawn up knees, in tears.
"I know...I don't know if I can forget...or forgive."
"I know. Just know that you have my support. Always, Mercutio. Always."
"Thank you...Benvolio."
Edmund grabbed his brother by the arm as Ned walked past him. He stared level-to-level with his older brother and nodded.
"We can do this, right Ned? We can get through this? All of us?"
"Of course, little brother. Of course."
"What of Dickon? He cannot continue to behave towards our cousins like this! He is shameful to our House!"
"Edmund, I will keep a strict eye on him. I promise you, I will."
"We all will." Ned and Ed turned to see Clarence leaning against the wall, arms folded and face serious for once. "We will all keep an eye on him."
He walked towards his older brothers and stood before them. "We will all keep an eye on him, on his son, on Anne. No one will hurt anyone ever again. I'm sick of it."
Ned placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you are, George, we all are."
"Why can't this feud end?" Edmund sighed. "I am sick of having to look out for Clifford every day. He hates my guts, and I wish he would leave me alone."
Ned's eyes hardened. "Clifford hurts you, Ed, and I will publicly castrate him."
"So will I," Clarence spat.
Ned opened his arms and his brothers hugged him tightly. "We are of York. Yorks look out for each other and their allies. We do not back from a fight when one is in need."
"Amen," Rutland sighed.
"Amen," Clarence echoed back.
"Come here, little brother," Ned held out a hand. "Come here."
Richard stared wearily at his brother, grey-blue eyes drooping but still serious. He approached Ned and the latter, taller man engulfed him into a hug.
"You are my beloved little brother," Ned sighed. "I love you so very much, Dickon, but I worry so as well."
"You know I love you as well, Ned..." Richard sighed back. "I'm sorry for how I acted."
"It's Hal, Harry and Tudor you should be apologising to. They're our blood and family. They're our friends. We cannot strike out against them. We cannot, Richard."
"I know."
"Think of our boys. Do we want them to grow up in a world of hate and violence in their own homes?"
"No."
"I welcome you back into the Gang, for now, little brother. We all need you for this and we cannot fail for what we've worked at so hard for so long. You have yet to prove your acceptance for our family."
"Okay."
Macbeth and Banquo stood in front of a mirror. They were in their room, in their pyjamas, stood there. Looking. Just looking.
"If our lives could be seen in this mirror..." Banquo sighed.
"Would we look all the way through?" Macbeth replied.
"To see the other side?"
"Or turn and hide?"
"Stare your fate in the eye?"
"Wonder why?"
"Did destiny fool us?"
"Cheat us?"
"No."
"No?"
"It led us to our path."
"Helped us see our light."
"Led us to glory."
"Victory on the face of adversary."
"Pulled us through fear.'
"To our happiness on yonder side."
"So do not cry."
"When the mirror beckons you near."
"For it is giving you greater tidings."
"Of gaiety, hope and cheer."
"Oh we hear."
"Call us near."
"When our lives can be seen in here."
In unison: "For their is nothing to be feared in fear. And all pain leads to greater fulfilment than can ever be dreamed of. Hold our heads high, do not cry, and let the mirror be your guide in your fight and hope its tidings are of light..."
Loki let the warm water of the shower pool itself around his naked body, his short, raven-black hair plastered to his face and neck. He cleansed himself of his gladly taken sin and turned off the shower and stepped out the shower and wrapped a towel around his dripping torso and sighed.
Dying himself down and putting on clean clothes, he blow-dried his hair and headed out of the room and down towards the kitchen.
He smiled at the sight of Sigyn putting a plate of something called 'pancakes' on the table. This was how it should be. Marital bliss.
"I'll let myself live in this fantasy for once," he thought to himself, and sat down at the table.
When breakfast was done, the two sat there on the couch and watched TV for a while, Loki holding the Vanir girl closely to him and relaxing at the idea of marital bliss.
If only.
Taking each other's hands, Mischief uttered a spell and the two were gone once again.
Loki had never been so happy to see his brother in his life. As he and Sigyn approached the Hostel, the door flung open and the two brothers ran to one another. For some reason, Loki wanted nothing more than to cling to his brother forever. Something had overwhelmed him with sadness, foreboding, fear...
He clung to Thor, inhaled his strong, reassuring scent, and wouldn't let go.
He couldn't.
It was as if an unspoken, transcendent, ominous presence had filled the Hostel, had filled every single one of the Gang. No one could speak, nor would they if they could. Mercutio wouldn't let go of Hal, wouldn't let him out of his sight for a moment. He sobbed into his clothes, clinging, clawing at him for help that Hal, no matter how hard he tried, couldn't give him. Loki stood by his brother's side, vigilant and ever-looking. Ned stood over them all, the Mother Hen of everyone, eyes scanning the others constantly and face tense.
Shortly after Hal exited the room he shared with Mercutio, wearing his favourite pair of royal red pyjamas, he headed towards the room his wife shared with the other girls. Knocking on the door, he waited for the door to be opened before his wife came out.
He wanted to say something, anything, but it was as if his tongue had been cut out or tied. Opening his arms, he brought her into a hug and told himself that things had to get better. They had to, or he would surely go mad.
"God spare me..." he finally whispered, his voice hoarse from the lack of use.
"Why, my husband?" Kate had her face buried in his shoulder, her luminous brown hair cascading down in voluptuous lengths along her shoulders and back in the hallway light. "Pourquoi?"
"I have sunk so low... I don't know if I can go on... I am a king too young."
"Have courage," she replied. "You are my husband and I will stick by you for as long as it takes. Till death do us part, Henri."
"What did I do to deserve you?" Plantagenet clung to her tightly.
"What did I for you?" she replied.
Hal pulled away, tears were streaming down his face, his electric blue eyes glowing in the golden light with tears, blonde hair lit up like a candle in the dark. Kate reached up and wiped away a tear.
"Be brave. Being brave is having courage in the face of adversary. You are the bravest man I know, Hal..."
At that, he sobbed and broke down on the floor, onto his knees. He wept for his father, his mother, siblings, his friends and the woes that had become of them, his wife and himself and their future.
All seemed so bleak now. How could they go on like this? How?
No one knew the answer and no one wanted to. That was fact.
Translations:
Mio amico- my friend
"Ora sappiamo entrambi cosa vuol dire perdere padri, il mio amico,"
"Non sapevo che cosa è successo a tuo padre. Perdonami."
"Io non ti biasimo."
"Ti amo molto."
"Io e te."
"Now we both know what it's like to lose fathers, my friend,"
"I didn't know what happened to your father. Forgive me. "
"I don't blame you."
"I love you very much."
"And I you."
"Vieni, Hal, non voglio essere intorno un assassino."
"Mercuzio, egli non è assassino."
"Voglio solo essere lontano da qui. Con te."
"Cosa stai dicendo?"
"Che ne pensi?"
"Non stai pensando."
"Come, Hal, I won't be around a murderer."
"Mercutio, he is not a murderer."
"I just want to be away from here. With you. "
"What are you saying?"
"What do you think?"
"You're not thinking."
Ti amo, Hal! Mi aiuti per favour! Non so cosa fare ! Non posso! Non posso ... Mi sento così male! Ho bisogno di te! Per favore, Hal! Prego ... prego ... Hal ..."
I love you, Hal! Help me please! I don't know what to do! I can't! I can't... I feel so bad! I need you! Please, Hal! Please ... Please ... Hal... "
Pourquoi? - Why?