Author's Note: I'm SO sorry this took me so long to update! As an apology I wrote you nearly 5000 words! (4,959 to be exact.) Actually I wrote a few more but I'm saving that for the next chapter! I hope you like this update - PLEASE review and make sure to watch Still Star Crossed!
I was betrothed to the Capulet, in a gaudy over the top ceremony, and then again in an, admittedly less gaudy, but still highly attended second ceremony. I'd composed her a damned sonnet! The people, the ambassadors, surely everyone knew by now that we were in love, so why did our uncles continue to insist we make such a spectacle of it?! She was to be walking with the princess today, and I was to 'sneak in' - with the help of the palace guardsmen so there really wasn't much sneaking involved - to see her because I simply couldn't bear to be without her another moment and wished to surprise her. Which was ridiculous because I couldn't care two whits about seeing her just now, and she'd been warned in advance and had been specifically dressed for the occasion. It was going to feel scripted. It was going to feel stilted, and awkward. Maybe she'd wear blue. She looked particularly lovely in blue so it would make sense.
Father had hired the town criers again, to watch our 'clandestine' meeting and spread the gossip as far and wide as they could manage. It was getting to be a bit ridiculous. They followed us around all the time, never a moment for us to just be alone. Separately, obviously, not alone together, like lovers. Alone, by ourselves. Like not lovers. Because we weren't. Really. We just pretended to be.
I'd noticed that my trains of thought were ending in precarious tipping points a lot of late. So when I got to a point when I felt things had reached awkward thoughts in regards to the Capulet, I decided I would just change the subject. In my own mind. because even in my own mind I couldn't be trusted to be normal, evidently.
"Montague!" The guardsman Orcius waved me down, and guided me to a door in the palace walls. It was small, and well hidden by the wall overlapping itself. You wouldn't be able to tell unless you were quite close. How curious. I wondered how many secret exits and entrances there were all over Verona without any of us ever noticing. "She and the Princess have been talking. Quite loudly. I believe they are almost immediately through that door, a bit to the East." I nodded and glanced at the sun for confirmation. Right. They were a bit to the right. Why didn't people just say that? Was I expected to carry a compass with me at all times, or a clock, for knowing the time of day was just as important when using the sun to tell direction. Why not just say, to the right?
He was wrong anyway. They were to the left. They walked, arm in arm, leaning in towards one another, murmuring secrets to one another, giggling and playing like young girls. I caught a glimpse of Rosaline's eyes, set off by a deep cobalt colored gown. They were... filled with an emotion that was light and happy. It made her face look entirely different then when she usually looked at me. Her eyes were so often filled with contempt, anger, judgement, and on one unfortunate occation, defiant fear. I hadn't known how brave fear could look until I saw that man attempt to harm her. She was afraid, and she wasn't ashamed to show it, but she was also one of the most courageous people I knew and she wasn't about to let a little something like fear get in her way. Her eyes were always alive with something, the emotions at play usually rather negative, but today... happiness suited her. The levity of her expression suited her very well. Not better, obviously, just... different. It was a different side to her and it was varying degrees of captivating.
They caught site of me then.
"My word! Benvolio Montague!" The Princess gasped and fluttered her eyes as if in shock. "How on Earth did you get in?! The guard has doubled since the awful incident at your betrothal."
"With love's light wings did I leap across your wall, Princess. Our uncles thought it best to keep us apart in the midst of the danger which has been pursuing our love," I lied loudly. "But alas, I could not stay away. True love is far more powerful than any hateful creature. I have great faith in Verona. She is fair and wise and her rulers exponentially so. The demon shall be caught and punished, and my love and I shall endure."
"Very poetic, Master Montague, but alas, it would be inappropriate for me to leave my good friend with a man unaccompanied no matter how poetic his turn of phrase." The Princess was gripping Rosaline's arm tightly, seemingly to keep her from saying or doing something the Princess would rather she not. "Perhaps I may be convinced to chaperone you on a walk through the gardens?"
"And what would persuade your highness?" I asked, bowing gallantly.
"I have one idea in mind..." She trailed off smiling.
"Indeed?" I asked, waiting for her to conclude.
"Let's call it a favor. I demand a favor to be used at some point in the future."
"It is yours, my Princess."
"Good Lord." Rosaline muttered under her breath with a roll of her eyes. "WHen you two are quite done flirting, perhaps we might continue our walk before your brother stalks us out here again?"
"Flirting?!" I sputtered. "How was that flirting?"
"Come on, Ros, we already discussed it! I was only practicing!" The Princess protested with a laugh. I turned to her suddenly in shock.
"You thought that was flirting?"
"It was!" She insisted, the laughter gone from her face in an instant. "I have to practice. I'm to go to Venice to flirt with the prince and convince him to forgive us for his brother's death!"
"I pray for Verona's safety indeed then."
"That was fine!" She protested again, looking nervous now.
"Let's put it this way, Princess. I didn't even realize you were flirting. I was just having a normal, non-flirtatious conversation."
"It seemed pretty flirtatious to me." Rosaline grumbled.
"Why do women confuse manners with flirtation? That's hardly a good inducement for me to be a perfect gentlemen, if every woman I'm kind to is going to think I'm all but asking for her hand." I asked, irritated.
"Perhaps it is the other way around, sir." Rosa- The Capulet suggested heatedly. "If you were a gentleman all the time, people wouldn't think that every nice word out of your mouth was an attempt to seduce a woman."
"I reject your philosophical conundrum. You may as well ask-"
"-if the chicken or the egg came first. Yes I've studied Aristotle."
"You've studied Aristotle?" I asked, surprised.
"You seem to doubt my intelligence."
"Of course not, just your interest in the subject." I turned back to the princess. "For your own course of study, I should like to point out that none of that was flirting either."
"That much I did glean, actually."
"Then there's still hope." I teased. "Come now, Princess, walk with my betrothed and I and we shall endeavor to further along your education on the subject at hand."
"I know by the look on Rosaline's face at the moment that she'd rather be doing anything else, but I beg of you, please. I need your help."
"Why his help?" Rosaline asked.
"You're marrying him, surely you've heard the rumors? Benvolio Montague. May as well be called Casanova, correct?"
"Casanova may was well be called Benvolio, your highness."
"You're ridiculous, Montague."
"Perhaps. Try again, your majesty, the flirting thing."
"What do you mean try again? You haven't given me any direction beyond 'you're bad at this'. How am I supposed to do better! Show me." I nodded and looked at her, smolderingly, and opened my lips. Her eyes darted past me.
"Wait. The town criers are here. You can't flirt with me now." She pursed her lips before her eyes lit up. "Flirt was Rosaline!"
"What?!" We both asked immediately.
"You're supposed to be in love, the people are watching, it's perfect. Flirt away. I'll observe and learn. Besides, I know for a fact that Rosaline is brilliant at flirting so I'll get double the teaching."
"Rosaline is not brilliant at flirting." I pointed out dryly.
"Shows what little you know." The Capulet mumbled under her breath. "Fine. Let's do this. Unless you're afraid, Montague."
"Of you Capulet? Never." I turned to the Princess.
"That was flirting."
"How is that any different?!"
"I'm standing closer to her, invading her personal space, see?" I asked, inching a bit closer to the Capulet now. "When someone stands that close to you, it's meant to throw you off guard, to confuse you, to make you... what's the word?"
"Uncomfortable." Rosaline concluded for me tersely. "It makes the other person uncomfortable. It is meant to throw them off their game, to make them feel like they can't think straight around you. They associate you with that feeling if you do it often enough, that off kilter, dizzy feeling."
"But that's something men are supposed to do to women. How does that help me?"
"You underestimate your sex, Princess. Women are perfectly capable of knocking a man off kilter with only their flirtations, and it had, I assume, a similar effect."
"Be the instigator." Rosaline added. "Make your move while he's still contemplating how to approach the situation. Be the power player in the relationship." The Princess bit her lip.
"By standing too close?"
"Among other things." A shrug from the Capulet.
"Like what?" She asked. Rosaline smiled at that. She stepped up towards me, and keeping her head tilted slightly downward, she peered up at my eyes from under her thick lashes, her right hand, reaching forward the remaining small space between us and fiddled with a loose button on my jacket.
"I've been meaning to thank you." She murmured quietly, looking almost embarrassed.
"Wha- what for?" I asked, cursing the cracking in my voice.
"For saving me that day." I smirked in response.
"Which time?" Expecting a biting response, I was surprised by the soft smile.
"Both, I suppose. You do end up saving me quite often."
"I do." I smiled. She was certainly flirting. But in a way which was giving me all the power. She was alright. But I could-
"Of course I wouldn't need saving so much if..." She sighed, her entire face looking down now, her voice, light and airy. I reached down and tipped her chin up towards me, playing the part of the flirtatious potential lover.
"If what, my dear?"
"If your family didn't keep attacking mine in the street." She said, her voice now iron and steel, tempered by blood.
"What?!" I asked spitting back. We were still incredibly close, too close, to one another. I could feel the heat off of her and her scent... God above, the sweet scent of... something was washing over me making it hard to focus. We'd been flirting. Now we were fighting. What the hell was happening? She turned to the Princess.
"Then you leave. Remove yourself from the situation, and don't let him follow you."
"How in the hell, does that help her situation?" I asked, my voice betraying the anger I was beginning to feel.
"Tell me something, Benvolio, if I left, right now, left and forced you to stay by some means or another, are you just going to let me get away with it, or will you find a time to sneak off and follow me?"
"To reclaim my family's honor and win this argument against you? Of course I would follow you."
"See?" She asked Isabella with a smile. "Now you no longer have a man. You have a petulant pet, rushing to follow you."
"That isn't-"
"And when he does, you must decide what sort of pet you have captured. All men like the hunt, the chase, but some prefer longer, drawn out chases, and others like the hunt to seem hard, but be easy. You now have a man hunting you, you are no longer the one hunting him. It puts him in the position of wanting you, and when you translate those feelings and actions over to romance rather than fighting, he will still be in the offensive position, which means that you no longer have need to attempt to seduce or flirt with him, for now he will be doing all the work." I stared at her, my lips parted in shock.
"Are all women this devious and cunning?"
"If by devious and cunning you mean brilliant and well read, then I accept the compliment Montague."
"Well read?" She smiled, amused.
"I must admit, I didn't come up with the scheme on my own. It's from a book. But it worked quite well for my cousins when I suggested it to them, so I have full faith in it."
"That's not how you snagged the Prince then?" I asked, fairly relieved though I didn't know why I would be. Even if I did have feelings for the Capulet, how she had 'snagged the Prince' mattered little in the grand scheme of things. Isabella and Rosaline were frozen, staring at me nervously.
"What?" I asked, wondering why they had stopped moving forward.
"How do you know about that?" Isabella hissed, dragging the pair of us into a labyrinth, away from the prying eyes of the criers.
"You did see." Rosaline followed up almost in a whisper.
"Yes. They were kissing, that night they told us we had to get married." I looked back and forth between the pair of them. "I understand it isn't meant to be general knowledge, but why is it such a big deal that I know of this? There are no secrets between us Capulet, and it's not as though I'm jealous or some nonsense. I'm not about to call off our engagement because you were once courted by another. How hypocritical do you think I am?"
"Oh. Alright. That's good. Thank you." Isabella replied, smoothing her skirt and looking pleased with the resolution."
"We didn't... that is my virtue..." I rolled my eyes.
"Obviously Capulet." I replied. "Your blushing makes it all too clear that your virtue remains perfectly intact. I wasn't worried. And even if it isn't... again. Not a hypocrite. So. We're fine."
"Right. Okay then."
"Can you show me some more?"
"More what, Isabella?"
"Flirting." She clarified. "That's one instance but I'd like to be prepared for a myriad of situations." I could feel my breath hitch as I thought of standing that close to Rosaline again. Her perfume was... intoxicating. It made it hard to think. When we were married, I would buy her something significantly less distracting.
If. If we were married. If our plan didn't work. Which I wanted it to. Obviously. I just needed some backup plans because I refused to be a useless sack of distraction every time my wife walked too near to me.
"What situations do you suspect you will be in?" Rosaline asked, her voice sounding as forced and awkward as my own surely did.
"I've heard the Doge is... quite fond of women. It is likely he will be... surrounded by them. And that they will be far more experienced than I, and will easily be able to wrap the Doge around their fingers while I..." She frowned. "Flounder. What do I do?" Rosaline smirked and glanced up at me.
"I don't know? Montague? How does a proper, nice woman attract the attentions of a man who has women more often than he has food."
"You greatly underestimate my love of food, Capulet. I eat quite often."
"As you entertain women, quite often. Though entertained they actually are, remains to be seen."
"Are you suggesting that I am boring in bed?!"
"Yes!"
"We did the fighting scenario!" Isabella broke in. "Benvolio. You are far more learned of the world in these matters than we are. Please. Help me." Princesses didn't beg. But this Princess was begging me to help her learn to flirt. I should be excited. Not like - oh! What an interesting experience - excited... I should be... excited. I didn't need to glance down to know that Princess Isabella didn't stir my manhood in any way shape or form. Wonderful. What use was a princess begging me for flirting help if I was too distracted by the infuriating Capulet to be turned on?! I sighed.
"Fine. I would like to begin by pointing out that I don't engage that many woman in... relationships or flirting or what have you." Rosaline snorted in dry amusement at the statement but I ignored her and continued speaking. "Sex is not the only thing that drives men." I spoke frankly. "This is the common misconception, and as a result, most women attempting to seduce a man rely firmly on that sexual need and desire in order to entice them. That gives you the edge, Princess."
"How?"
"The women he surrounds himself with, they will already be... fulfilling this need quite thoroughly. They will appeal to him in an entirely sexual manner."
"But the ambassador said he wanted me to warm his bed. Doesn't he want that." I shrugged.
"Yes. He thinks he does. And I'm sure on many levels that's all he knows he wants. But princess, it is your job to remind him of the other things men want, and show him that you are the only one who can provide him with these things. The highest paid whores in brothels aren't in that position because they have sex with a man and then move on. They provide... more."
"What more?"
"I don't know it is different for each. Some need... someone they can trust, because they don't have that in their lives. Others are chasing their absent mothers, they need nurturing and kindness, others... each man is missing something in his life and it is that hole which he tries to fill with sex. That only works for so long until he breaks. You must figure out what the Doge is missing and endeavor to provide him with it."
"That is fascinating." The Princess vowed, looking utterly intrigued. "I must ask, Montague, after all you did say, all men... What are you missing, in your life? What holes do you have?" I paused, unwilling to expose myself so. I missed a loving nurturer, certainly, that was what Stella had provided for me. More than just sex, someone who cared for me, emotionally. But it was more than that... I had trusted her, trusted her where I could not trust anyone else. When she left me, after the betrothal, I thought it had been to protect herself, and so I had gone to her and tried to speak with her. That was when I heard her telling another man that she loved him. Using the same words she had spoken to me. She admitted to me later that she cared for me, but had no intention of running away with me. She loved me no more and no less than any of her other clients. I still cared for her, but I didn't trust her. I didn't trust anyone. I cleared my throat, realizing that the longer I stayed silent, the more awkward this moment became.
"Don't you know, Princess?" I teased. "I am missing a hostile girl who likes to yell at me and hit my arm when I annoy her. That's the real reason I'm betrothed to the Capulet." I said jokingly. "She's the only one who's any good at hitting me." The Princess laughed, as Rosaline rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Show me more flirting." The princess insisted. "The criers are getting closer, perhaps they'll hear your words and tell the world of your adorable romance." Without thinking I took Rosaline's arm under mine and led her forward to the gardens, allowing her to stop and smell each flower which tickled her fancy. In a moment of inspiration - born partly due to a young man standing altogether too closely watching our every move - I plucked a flower with soft blue petals and tucked it behind her ear, letting my hand run smoothly through her hair as I did so.
"For you, my lady." I said, the rumble of my voice tickling my throat as I tried my best to sound seductive. "There. Now the flower can know true beauty, resting beside a face such as yours." She stared at me a moment before letting out a shout of laughter.
"That was bad. That was so, so bad."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I've been privy to a lot of your flirting, sir, and the words you've just uttered pale in comparison to your true talents. I find myself appalled."
"Appalled?" I asked, grinning, ready to rise to the challenge."
"Tell me, sweet fairy, what would please your ear instead?"
"You did better with the last sonnet, good sir. You'll find it much easier to sway my good judgement when complimenting my mind over my face."
"Your mind is truly astounding, dear Rosaline, but it is not the only part of you that is so. Can I not comment on each aspect from time to time? Must I always save my adoration for your brilliance?"
"I must admit, I hadn't thought of that. If you insist, my dear Benvolio, I shall allow a single compliment each week that mentions something other than my brilliant mind, my quick wit, or my biting sense of humor."
"My darling, darling betrothed. I am thrilled to be allowed thus, however I must alert you that if you are waiting for my praise of whatever semblance of humor you think you posses, you may wait a very long time." Her eyes bore into mine for long enough to realize I was joking and her glare turned to a teasing smile.
"No longer than you will wait for me to mention my adoration of yours, my darling Benvolio. You are many things, but your jokes leave much to be desired."
"Perhaps. But as I am not accustomed to leaving much to be desired, I do not recognize the feeling." She blushed and I realized that without thinking, I'd begun actually flirting with her. Damn it. Not again.
"Sister." A deep voice called out. Fucking hell. Prince Escalus.
"Brother!" She greeted in return, hugging the man in question. He may have been conversing with his sister, but his eyes remained fixed on Rosaline. If he wanted her so badly, why on Earth was he making her marry another? And if he was comfortable trading her happiness and freedom for his insipid little crown, than he couldn't possibly love her that much, and he needed to stop staring at her like she was his world. I was proud to see her stare back, her face cleared of all emotion, meeting his gaze as powerfully as she could. She may love him still, but she wasn't about to let him know that. I held her arm tightly, giving her what little strength I could.
"Might I join you on your walk sister? I should wish to converse with the lovebirds of Verona. I am especially interested in how one of them managed to sneak into my castle." He said, in a tone which was certainly meant to be teasing and for the benefit of the criers as it was partly his plan all along, but he missed the mark by just a smidge.
"Indeed brother! If you escort me than we can leave Lady Rosaline and her love to walk without our hindering them too terribly much."
"What a wonderful plan." He said, his voice conveying the exact opposite intent. The Prince and Princess stepped forward to lead us and made quite the show to the criers of it.
"I'm sorry." I mumbled to Rosaline.
"For what?" She asked, genuinely confused.
"I just mean... it must be hard. pretending to love me with the man you wish to marry walking before us." She halted, our inter-looped arms yanking me to a standstill.
"I don't wish to marry him, Benvolio."
"You don't have to lie to me, Rosaline. We are allies, are we not? I know you love him and-"
"I used to think I was in love with him." She said, our voiced in hushed tones to keep from being overheard. "But I've told you before, I would never willingly marry a man I didn't trust. And how can I ever trust him now? He could tell everyone the truth right now and beg me to marry him and I would say no. I don't wish to marry him, and I can't love a man I don't trust."
"Rosaline-"
"Rosaline, I am here to chaperone you." The Princess's voice cut in from ahead. "You do have to stay within a reasonable distance from my watchful eyes." She smiled kindly at us and I nodded.
"Forgive us, your majesty. We forgot ourselves for but a moment." Rosaline and I stepped forward and resumed our walk, but did not engage in more conversation. Her words weighed too heavily in my mind. She no longer loved the Prince. She didn't wish to marry the Prince. Why was that important? We still were to be forced to marry. So what difference did her romantic entanglement with him make on any of this?
It didn't, I concluded, except that now I didn't have to bear that guilt as well. And I suppose not having the guilt of her loving another man, allowed me to engage in more passionate acting than just smiles, and staged flirtation, and the like.
"Lady Capulet!" A maid called out rushing to our side. What? Was it time already? How had two hours past? The time had simply flown by. "Your uncle has learned of your arranging a meeting with your betrothed, my lady. He is slightly put out that he was not consulted upon your meetings. He should like to speak with you immediately on the matter." The maid turned to me, speaking the pre-agreed upon script between her uncle and mine. "And Lord Capulet would like to remind you, that any contact you have with his niece, should be properly requested by her betrothed." The Princess smiled softly and turned to us.
"I know your uncle well, my dear Rosaline, you'd best hurry home."
"I can escort you." I spoke. Damn it man. That wasn't the plan. The maid has been sent with a myriad of guards to guide the Lady Rosaline home. The Capulet looked surprised at my offer but not completely displeased.
"That won't be necessary, Lord Montague." The maid replied quickly before Rosaline could. "Lord Capulet has sent his own men."
"Lord Montague is my uncle." I told her, correcting her involuntarily.
"And what are we to call you then?" Rosaline teased me for my outburst.
"I quite liked it when you called me 'my dearest', to be honest, although 'my love', and 'my betrothed' were also quite pleasing." Her eyes flashed a smile.
"And my maid, Beatrice, what is she to call you. For I'm afraid I would be quite put out were she to begin referring to you as her dearest."
"To all others I am simply Benvolio Montague. But to you I am so much more, mon cherie." She smiled prettily and nodded.
"I must bid you adieu, my dearest." She said, before curtsying to the Prince and Princess in a quick goodbye before turning back to speak to me once more. "But knowing you and love's light wings, we shan't be separated for long." The men following us to learn the story and spread it around town were watching, utterly engaged, knowing that they'd be paid a small fortune for a love story like this. I kissed her hand, inhaling that soft scent that always surrounded her.
"Love's light wings?" Prince Escalus asked, his voice reeking of disgust.
"When we asked Benvolio how he got over our wall, he said it was with love's light wings he leapt it." The Princess told him, delighted.
"Til we meet again." I said, finding that I did not want to be here, at the castle when she was not. More accurately I did not want to be too near to Prince Escalus when he wasn't enticed by her to be on his best behavior. This wasn't right. This was missing something. How would I usually say goodbye to a lover?"
.
It was foolish, what I did next, and I had no idea in the slightest why I did it other than to convince the world we were in love... It was still foolish. And yet as she stepped away, towards her maid and her exit, her hand still in mine, I pulled her back, using her arm to fling her into my embrace and I kissed her.
A/N: Please Review! I always welcome ideas/thoughts/critiques on what I have written and where my readers want the story to go so PLEASE review and/or PM me! xoxo - E