Author's Note: Short and sweet but packed with action! I really hope this makes sense... if it doesn't, please let me know and I'll edit!
Rosaline
When in the hell was I expected to make use of a ten foot gold fountain which could spray champagne out of women's... Well then. I would have to be creative in the thanks I sent to Milan. Although, it may be a useful gift after all because the Doge of Venice had sent over more champagne than the city of Verona could drink in a week. This was growing obscene. It appeared after Verona's triumph over villainy, it was now seen as a place to prove one's loyalty to and all manner of obscene and obscenely expensive gifts were being sent to the Prince and his soon to be bride. My own uncle had been attempting to obtain the perfect gift since our engagement was announced. I had told him it was unnecessary. He had responded that I was a fool and I understood nothing as this had naught to do with me. That was a good description of my life these days actually: I was a fool, I understood naught of what was going on, and the story I was playing out had nothing to do with me whatsoever.
Lovely.
Much like this Vase from a British dignitary. Did any artists with actual merit come from Britain, I wondered to myself as I watched two servants struggle under the weight of the offending object as they carried it away to the sound of Escalus thanking someone eloquently.
"A moment," he then said, before the next, would be gifter stepped forward. "I have a gift of my own to impart." He stood with a flourish and motioned a footman forward. He bowed before me and lowered himself to one knee. I understood the gesture, as a prince was not supposed to bow to anyone, was immense, but it feel flat given my forced attendance in this farce.
"For the woman who will soon be a Princess, but whom has always been the queen of my heart." He took a square box from the footman and opened it before me.
The tiara inside was nothing short of stunning. The twisting gold leaves formed the circular base, and green gemstones littered the front, forming three peaks, the center peak the highest of them all, which would rise from the crown of my head. The primary gem was a massive, tear shaped emerald, which shone brilliantly against the golden filigree. Nestled beneath the crown, were two matching earrings, the size of a child's fist, thin gold master craftsmanship, with a multitude of smaller emeralds, gleaming in the noon light.
"It's... they're stunning, Your Grace." I told him truthfully, urging the tears to recede as I was reminded that I was to soon be 'Your Grace' as well, and not Lady Montague. "You are far too kind."
"You deserve nothing less." He kissed my hand and I could hear more than one young lady in attendance sigh happily. It made me want to vomit. Again. Without asking, he quickly took the crown and rested it upon my head. I pulled the earrings I was wearing out and finished adorning myself in his gift before he had the chance to dress me. That was too intimate. I couldn't handle that just now. He grinned like a little boy to see me thus portrayed.
"The gems came from a crown belonging to my mother." Isabella offered loudly, distracting me kindly. "Escalus allowed me to work with the goldsmith to create a crown to your taste and liking." But not too well. Isabella knew me, and knew what I liked. I admired master craftsmanship like this, but I preferred simple adornments, pure bands of gold or silver, a single jewel, or talisman. Something meaningful. His mother's jewels... I should have been honored. But I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking, wherever she was. Someone cleared there throat and the gifting commenced.
"From House Capulet," my Uncle's representative announced loudly. I stopped paying attention. I'm certain my uncle would have heart palpitations if he knew I was ignoring his well thought out gift, but as he had told me so bluntly, I knew nothing, and none of this was about me.
"From the House of Montague," I froze. I hadn't prepared for this. The footman announcing the gifts opened a scroll and began to read from it. "The House of Montague offers it's sincerest congratulations to Prince Escalus and his soon to be bride. They wish to show their excitement through the following gifts," I could practically feel my uncle seething at that - gifts not a gift, always to overshadow the Capulets, "for the Prince and the Lady Capulet. For His Highness, The House of Montague wishes to give the dedication of the Montague Cathedral," I almost laughed out loud. My uncle was purple in the face. They had all but stolen his cathedral, a church passed down in our family for generations as it reached it's completion, claimed it as there own, and then given it as a gift to the soverign. If that wasn't enough to overshadow his gift, there could be nothing that was. A laugh. Of course, the Montague had gone ahead and made me laugh at this damned event, for this had his name written all over it and I saw it instantly for what it was, an attempt to amuse me. This may be offered for Escalus, but I knew it was really for me. "Not only in honoring the marriage of His Royal Highness, Prince Escalus, to the Lady Capulet, but also in cementing the beginning of a long lasting friendship between the families of Montague and Capulet, The House Capulet wishes to give, to Her Ladyship, Rosaline Capulet..." The footman paused and narrowed his eyes at the page. "I... I don't understand... it just stops there." He said weekly.
"Us." A voice piped up from the back. I knew that voice. My eyes shot up and I found them. My family. The nursemaid who had raised Livia and I, the maids and servants, and footmen from my childhood home... not all of them, but definitely most. They stood, in brand new livery beaming at me. I cried out happily and in a manner that likely did not befit a soon to be princess, leapt from my chair at the head of the receiving line and flew back to them, embracing them all in turn.
"Not just us, of course," Nurse said with a smile, her hand stroking my cheek. "He's gone and put the house to rights. It's as it should have been. Oh my Lady, wait until you see it." One of the Capulet footmen of my childhood, Tyrion spoke up with a low bow in deference to my fiance.
"Your Grace, as I'm certain you know, the home of Lady Rosaline's childhood is willed in equal parts to Lady Rosaline and her sister, Lady Livia. Even upon their marriages it remains in their names, and their names only. The House of Montague will pay for our servitude for the duration of your marriage to the Lady Capulet, to serve Lady Rosaline, and Lady Livia in whatever manner they require." He looked... tense.
"My dear." I said, doing my best to sound like Livia when she was happy about something. "These are my family servants." I said gesturing to the family that was much more than that to me. "They raised me, Your Grace, and I have missed them all terribly. Of course, I shall not be living with them, in the home of my childhood, but it shall please me to know that my sister will be so well looked after, and that they to, are in turn looked after. Does it not please you, Your Highness, to know that my sister, soon to be your sister, shall be cared for so that she, like us, might be able to marry for love and not societal concerns?" He smiled at that and nodded.
"Of course, my dear. What a splendid gift from House Montague." But his eyes told another story.
Benvolio
"Benvolio!" A voiced called out loudly from behind me and I stopped, turning around to see a streak of dark hair and hauntingly familiar eyes rush towards me. I bowed quickly, to avoid having to look her in the eyes for a moment more at least.
"Lady Capulet." She frowned at me, wrinkling her delicate brow.
"I'm not planning on calling your Lord Montague, so you may as well call me Livia." I sighed.
"Lady Livia." I glanced around the busy street but no one was paying us any mind. "I thought you might be at the palace this fine day. Is there not another celebration of-"
"I need your help." She cut me off, reminding me more and more of her sister with every impertinent remark she made.
"Lady Livia, forgive me, but I do not think that I can-"
"She doesn't love him!" I would have been a fool if I hadn't known what the girl meant.
"I... you don't know how she feels." She rolled her eyes and my heart clenched. Could the Good Lord have sent a messenger that didn't act so much like my darling Rosaline?
"I'm her sister. I know her better than she knows herself." Lady Livia replied quickly. "She doesn't love him. She cries herself to sleep and makes herself sick with the thought of marrying him.
"Then perhaps she shouldn't have chosen that particular path." I replied sharply. "Good day, Lady Liv-"
"She loves you." I froze once more, unable to turn around and walk away as had been my intention. "I know she does. She was so... happy with you. She was truly herself and she told me that she was falling in love with you ages ago. She loves you completely and truly and that's why she's marrying the prince!"
"That doesn't make any sense!"
"It didn't to me either! I couldn't understand why the girl who always swore nothing but love and trust would make her marry was suddenly wedding a man she held neither emotion for, until I overheard them talking, her and the Princess. Escalus threatened you and I, he must have said that harm would come to us if she didn't marry him, and now she's going to ruin her life, and be with him just to protect us."
"What do you mean, he must have said that?" I asked, my blood already beginning to boil at the possibility. "Did you hear what he said?"
"They weren't repeating the conversation verbatim, no, but Ros was crying and Isabella was comforting her and said that if she could stop all of this, she would, but then Ros cut her off and said what was done was done, or something like that, and then she said that 'he is a darker man that I could have imagined. He will do what it takes to have me and I will not allow Benvolio or Livia to suffer because I desired freedom'." She paused. "I'm fairly certain that last part was verbatim, or as close as I can recall it anyway."
"Bastard!" I swore, furiously making Livia flinch. "Apologies, My Lady, but-"
"No need to apologize. Just tell me... what are we to do? We must save her from this fate! Ros is always the one who plans, I don't... I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do, Benvolio." My heart pounded in my chest. How could I not have seen it?
The last puzzle piece. The picture was so clear now I couldn't understand how I ever had been blind to this. My darling Rosaline, was destroying her own life for us, for... me. She did care for me. She did love me.
"We have to stop this wedding."