Disclaimer: All credit to the bard, the characters and play are his. I don't know where these plot-bunny Ideas of mine come from, but they are all I own.

Summary: If Tybalt knew that Romeo and Juliet were married, would he still have tried to kill Romeo?


TYBALT'S CHOICE

I am hot-headed, and swift to anger, but I love my cousin.

That is why, concerned for her safety, I went looking for her yesterday afternoon, and found her in a church, with none other than Romeo Montague, and a priest reciting the final blessing for a wedding ceremony. One does not draw steel inside a church, and that is all that kept Romeo alive long enough for my cousin to explain the state of affairs.

It was respect for my uncle that stopped me from killing Romeo when he came to our Masquerade, but now I am convinced that I should have lured him somewhere quiet and killed him when I had the chance. Preferably before they had the misfortune to meet.

I suppose I should be grateful that he has at least stopped chasing my other cousin, and I will no longer have to listen to Rosaline's ranting, no matter how much I agree with her character assessment.

I would call Romeo fickle, but for the fact that everyone bar him knew that his lust for Rosaline was no more than a childhood infatuation, a passing fancy, far eclipsed by his obvious love for Juliet. He will stay true to her, even if he were on the other side of the world, where he would only be to keep my cousin safe or happy.

For her part, my favourite cousin is a constant little thing, and when she loves, it is like the love of the swan that so many have compared her to. Like Penelope, who was faithful to Odysseus for the twenty years he was gone, she will love him forever, despite his faults.

That I know from experience. How many times have my parents bemoaned that it must be Juliet's constant nature that leads her to tolerate me still?

They are not unsupported, either. The priest is in favour of the union, though he is clearly living on another planet if he thinks that the marriage will bring anything but Parental Fury of epic proportions. Juliet's nurse was also mine, and while I am loathe to trust the judgement of one so beneath me, I remember that she was not slow to discourage or punish cruel or rash behaviour. Juliet has won her over to her (tasteless) choice of husband, and the woman could make a mule appear compliant! She will not be swayed from her support of them.

I will remain silent upon them. I have never lied to Juliet, so I will not claim joy or even pleasure at the union, but I will not hurt her by hurting her husband in word or by deed.

If they are married, then there will be record of it, and they have most likely consummated their union by now. For all that Paris seeks Juliet as his bride, seeing only her beauty; he will not have her when he discovers that she is not pure, and is like to do something stupid.

I hate Romeo, and all Montagues, but my cousin is dear to me. To avoid a scandal for our family, and to preserve Juliet's happiness, I will start no quarrel with her husband, and try to be discreet in how much I despise him.

Their story will be cause for all kinds of trouble when it is brought to light, but even I can see that it will also be a tale to last through the ages.

r&j

r&j

r&j

r&j


A/N: Hmm, I'm not quite as happy with this as I was with my "Much Ado About Nothing" fics, but it jumped into my head and refused to leave until I wrote it down. Hopefully it isn't too terrible.

As always, constructive criticism is very much appreciated, even if it only telling me WHY I suck and writing, but flames are ignored and frequently laughed at.

Thanks, Nat.