A/N: Hey! Thanks for all the reviews everyone! Greatly appreciate them all! I apologize for this late update. I'm not expecting to push off an update for that long again. I have a good mindset to finish this story! Once again, thank you for those who reviewed and read! Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight nor Romeo or Juliet. The song I used the lyrics to is an old folk song called "The Little Turtle Dove". I couldn't find who wrote it.
Chapter Two
- Sixteen years have passed since that fateful night. -
King Montague was sitting down in a red silk chair, eyeing the embers dieing down in the fire not too far from him. He was slowly shifting his goblet lazily in his right hand. The blood stirred around in the goblet, gleaming in the firelight.
The doors to the balcony were opened wide, the gossamer curtains softly stirring in the night breeze. The moonlight was gently glowing through the doors, casting an aura over the stone floor.
"Edward, come here," demanded Montague, as another piece of the wood fractured off from the rest; the flames licking the wood unsympathetically. The breaking wood was snapping and crackling in the fire.
A figure stood out on the balcony, the moonlight casting a long shadow across the floor. Whoever it was walked nonchalantly into the chamber; it appeared that all the person's movements were unlike a human's… no mortal could possess such unearthly grace. It was if every stride was an unintentional step in a dance. The curtains glided around the person smoothly as he passed into the chamber. It was King Montague's son, Edward.
Edward stood, clad in dark midnight leather armor. His face was grim, yet eerily handsome. His jaw was masculine, and his eyes were a deep dark color that very same as the dark turbulent sea. His bronze hair was ruffled from the breeze that was out on the balcony.
"Yes, father?" replied Edward, with little care, and in an automatic tone. He was staring no where in particular.
"Edward, I understand that you would be willing to take a mate?" Montague inquired, taking a mouthful from his goblet.
"I was not aware I have spoken of such things," Edward replied, still staring off to some corner of the chamber.
King Montague chuckled and gripped his goblet tighter, "No, of course, not… I was just thinking that it would be wonderful timing for you to find a mate. After all, the kingdom has accumulated more land each passing year and it needs to be ruled more effectively. And, that is why you will be taking more responsibility, Edward. In addition, a mate, or as these mortals place it so eloquently, a bride, shall ease you. I would be pleased with a pure blood heir when the time has come as well.
Montague paused for a moment, and then carried on, "I'm quite certain your cousin, Rosaline is taken with you and has been eyeing you for some time, wouldn't you agree?"
Silence stretched out for a few minutes between Edward and King Montague before Edward replied.
"Ah, so that is how it is… I expected to hear this conversation at some point," Edward spoke letting out a short annoyed laugh. He kept his poise quite still with his arms crossed, as if he was a statue.
"With all due respect, I wish to make this decision for myself. Now if I may be excused," Edward spoke decisively. He left from the room swiftly in silent frustration. He stepped out onto the balcony and leapt from it with the grace of a cat.
Montague was left there alone in the chamber. He clenched the arm of the chair with his left hand and squeezed it tightly, making the wood crunch and splinter under his hand. He loosened his grip and began chuckling to himself, "Oh, Edward, dreams of such delight are non-existent. Rosaline is a pure blood that will bear a pure blood heir for the Montague Family.
Not too far outside the fallen Kingdom of the Capulet's, laid a town called Verona. The town was a safe haven from vampires, for they feared the hunters that resided there and also because they had little interest with the small town. It was home to the most skilled vampire and werewolf hunters that were renowned for their bravery against the demons of the night. It was a family business that was passed through generations of the families that reside there. It was a superstitious town, and by their superstition, they were able to defend themselves from Montague's people for centuries. It was a community of mortals.
Verona was a beautiful town with its scenery, thatched roofs, and vibrant life. It was nicely set in the country side, where there were great open fields that rolled on to the horizon. There were woods that surrounded the Southern end of the countryside and of the town. It was through those woods that would lead towards the Montague Kingdom.
The town was full of vigor and liveliness this particular evening. There were preparations for the Harvest festival that was soon to begin, for the Harvest Moon would shine bright.
The village had an abundant and successful harvest, and now they were celebrating to the pagan gods for this joyous harvest. There would be many visitors this night in town, for it was a festival that was quite popular throughout the region. It was an important night as well for trade and business transactions.
The streets were noisy, as people were talking and arguing among themselves. The clang of the blacksmith hitting his hammer on iron could be heard echoing off of the buildings. Little children were crying, while they were holding on to their mother. The cooing of pigeons could be heard shuffling the narrow cobbled streets.
An older robust lady was scurrying through one of those narrow streets. She had the folds of her dress picked up with her hands so she could run faster. Her breathes came in big huffs. The pigeons toddled away as fast as their plump bodies would allow them from the robust lady.
She dodged the people along the street and mumbled curses at the dog barking behind her, which was making her more agitated.
"Bella, hurry up, my child!" huffed the robust lady, waving her hand to her face, attempting to cool herself down from her bustled walk. The barking dog had begun to bite at her skirts, growling as it attempted to tear them with its teeth.
"Be off! You fowl beast!" bickered the robust lady, shooing the mutt off with her hands.
The lady had at one point been Bella's steadfast maid in the Capulet Kingdom, but providence has forced her to reside under the identity of a motherly figure. Her true name was Angelica, and that is what she was called by the town's people of Verona.
Angelica leaned her weight against the building, giving off loud heaving sighs, "Hurry up 'ere, Bella!" She was still attempting to fend off the dog firmly biting her skirts.
Bella was the only name that the princess has been called since the fall of the Capulet's. It was dangerous to say her name given at birth - Isabella. It was dangerous to utter any name of the Capulets, for it would be treason against the Montagues, even if Verona was a safe haven from Montague, no one could completely guarantee one's safety. No one could trust anyone anymore during these times.
Fortunately, the Montague's believed they successfully exterminated all lives in the castle sixteen years ago. They never formally found the body of Isabella on the night the vampires stormed the Capulet Kingdom, but they assumed she must've perished. There were so many unrecognizable bodies that night… They believed no one escaped that massacre that night alive, and truthfully, not many did.
To protect Bella, she hasn't the slightest knowledge that the royal blood flows in her veins, or that she is the last living heir of the Capulet's, or rather, the Capulet Princess. The life she has been living for the past sixteen years has been a lie. She has been living a simple life of a middleclass girl, under the watchful eyes of her guardians Angelica and Veracious.
Bella picked up her head, hearing her named called. She was doing her chores around the small little house she called 'home'. She recognized the distinctive huffed breath of Angelica and replied quickly.
"I'll be there in a moment!" Bella shouted. She left her chores undone and rushed out of the wooden door, with her chestnut colored hair bouncing behind her. She had to stifle a laugh seeing Angelica attempting to shoo away the dog that had its jaw heavily clamped on her skirts.
"Come, come, the festival will start before the sun reaches the horizon! The Festival is soon to begin!" Angelica said, grabbing Bella by the arm and tugging her down the street, ignoring the stubborn dog growling.
Bella had to laugh seeing the disgruntled, muzzling dog tugging at the skirts as they were walking at a quick pace down the crowded streets.
They reached the town center area, to see many people decorating the streets with banners, of bright vivid colors: red and gold. They were the two colors that embraced the Harvest Season and autumn. The banners flapped and waved in the autumn breeze.
There were many people that had small stations around the town center. It was certainly a good night to make profit, with the already crowded town full of travelers. Smells of a wide variety of foods filled the air, which made Bella's stomach grumble. She stared longingly at the array of pies, venison, and turkey that was displayed and hung on many stalls. It was torture for her to walk by those temptations.
Bella forgot her hunger immediately when the first notes of an old song began to play in the town center. Harmonious tunes were rung out from a small orchestra consisting of violins, drums, flutes and guitars. A middle-aged man with a heavy accent began to belt out the lyrics to the song. Bella knew this song quite well. It was her favorite song; the song that Veracious would sing to her when she was a little girl.
"Oh don't you see that little turtle dove
In yonder mulberry tree?
He's mournin' for his own true love
As I shall mourn for thee, my love
As I shall mourn for thee.
So fare thee well, my own true love
And fare the well for a while.
For though I go I'll surely come again
Though it take ten thousand mile, my dear.
Though it take ten thousand mile.
Ten thousand miles is a very long time
For you to be gone from me.
For though you leave me here to lament
My tears you shall not see, my love.
My tears you shall not see.
The crow that's black, my little turtle dove,
Shall change its colour white;
Before I'm false to the maiden I love,
The noon-day shall be night, my dear,
The noon-day shall be night...
The hills shall fly, my little turtle dove,
And the raging billows burn
Before my heart shall suffer me to fail
Or I a traitor turn, my love
Or I a traitor turn."
The people around the small orchestra clapped at the end of the song. Bella clapped enthusiastically, smiling brightly, wishing that one day she too would find her true love.
She would find her true love soon enough. Soon enough....
"Now, is that my young maiden standing there?" questioned someone right behind Bella. Bella turned around smiling, hearing the familiar voice. She saw Veracious chuckling behind her. He had some sparse grayness in his hair. He had scruffy hair along his jaw line. Sixteen years have changed him, his youthfulness was escaping him, yet he retained the same sense of duty and strength.
Veracious held out his arms and Bella jumped right into them, "I apologize for being away for these past weeks. I'm quite fortunate to have come back this night, which I was keen on not missing." Veracious laughed, setting Bella back down to the ground.
"I'm so happy that you're not injured! Did you kill that rogue werewolf?" Bella questioned, looking for any signs of injuries on Veracious.
"Not a scratch. Aye, we did kill that beast. It was a nasty one too, but no worries, no one got hurt, Bells," Veracious said in a light heartedly manner, not wanting to frighten Bella. She was still naïve and had no knowledge of the horrors that lay outside of this sheltered town.
Angelica came up and repeatedly slapped Veracious' arm with her hands in a serious behavior, but really had no affect in the least.
"You were gone for three weeks! Three! I thought you were dead! You said you were going off to a rogue werewolf that was just at a nearby village! What happened to ye!" Angelica boomed, her face all red and flustered, and hair strewed from her tight bun.
"Settle down there, my fiery lady," Veracious spoke, trying to calm Angelica's anger.
"We got there too late, the beast escaped and we followed suit night and day, following the victims in the wake. It was not a pretty sight, not in the least."
Angelica stopped her throws, and began to get teary eyed, "I'm just so worried, worried that you would get killed and leave Bella and me all alone!" An anguished sigh escaped her lips before tears flowed down her cheeks.
"There, there, nothing shall become of me from any beast. I still have strength in these ol' bones and I won't fall easily either," Veracious consoled Angelica.
Bella began to look worried. She knew what happened to hunters that were harmed from what they were hunting. She had seen hunter's bodies that came back into Verona from the werewolf attacks and there were rarely any bodies from vampire attacks. Usually if bitten, the bodies had to be staked and burned immediately to prevent vampirism. Vampires always attempted to bite with their fangs to infect the hunters. Werewolves weren't any better. Usually if bitten, but lived, one had to be killed before the next full moon. She never saw the terror of those attacks. She was blind to the real nightmares.
Angelica went off through the crowd to talk to the other hunters that just arrived back, happy for their return and eager to badger their stubbornness.
Bella hugged Veracious' arm, "You worry her too much and me as well. You shouldn't go off like that anymore for her sake and mine," Stammered Bella, embarrassed to say such things in front of Veracious.
"My duty is to protect everyone, Bella. I would hate anyone to get harmed if I can help prevent it," spoke Veracious in a soft, but reassuring voice, tilting Bella's chin up with his hand to look at Bella's face.
"Forgive me for being selfish," Bella murmured under her breath, turning around, heading aimlessly through the crowd.
Bella looked down as she walked, staring down at her feet as she wandered around.
As she ambled around, Bella overheard two men with talk of the news outside of town. They were travelers that had just journeyed back from the Montague Kingdom.
"Bad times, yes, bad times indeed. I'd hate to live in that Hell hole of Montague's. Just be a slave to that devil, be fodder food for those demons disguised in human bodies…Bad times indeed, my friend…" One of the traveler's stopped and stared at Bella curiously and addressed her,
"You, young lady, better be careful. Montague is looking for young ladies such as you… Terrible things... poor lasses."
Bella stared wide eyed at the man, who was looking at her like she was some prized cow or cattle. He began mumbling indistinctively to his other traveling companion.
Veracious stepped in front of the man and spoke with an ominous voice, "Move along."
The traveler snapped his eyes from Bella and up to the intimidating Veracious. The traveler began talking to his other companion, but moved his eyes on Bella. They began to walk along, their voices drifted off as they passed by.
Veracious whispered into Bella's ear, "Don't pay any heed to that man. You have nothing to worry about here with me watching over you."
Bella nodded her head, but was still hearing what the man said repeating in her head. Montague was never mentioned much in Verona. It was considered ill-omen to talk of such a devil. It was commonly believed bad things would happen if anyone mentioned his name.
Bella was suddenly bumped a side, a big crowd of people began to form not too far from where she stood.
There was a big commotion that suddenly overcame the crowd. Bella stood on her toes, trying to scan over the many heads of the crowd to see what the catalyst was.
"Look, 'ere, gypsies have come!" exasperated a middle aged man that stood right by Bella. His face was grimy with dirt and his beard was greasy.
"Gypsies?" Bella thought. She had never encountered them before, and only heard stories of them. She knew they were quite superstitious people and they traveled many different lands, but it was never heard that they had ever come to Verona. She looked around to see everyone excited and nervous of this new event.
Bella walked through the crowds toward them and eyed them carefully.
Veracious spoke down to Bella, "Wait here, I'm going up there to check what brings these gypsies here."
Veracious moved his way up the crowd, moving people out of his way with his big brawny arm. His large bulky armor clanking as he walked. He soon disappeared in the swarm of people.
Bella stood there impatiently, switching her weight from foot to foot. She wrought her hands together, wanting to be allowed to investigate what was happening.
"Bella…"
Bella turned around swiftly, hearing someone call her name from behind.
"Yes?" Bella asked, to no one in particular, feeling slightly dim-witted to be talking to herself, because clearly no one was paying any attention to her. There weren't much people in back of her; most were standing ahead of her in the crowd.
When she turned back around, she noticed an old lady standing directly in front of her.
The old lady, with skin shriveled and dry, grabbed Bella's hand firmly. Bella looked at her in surprise. She had a colorful wrap that enveloped her whole body; her eyes were sunk back and looked completely white almost, due to cataracts.
The old lady whispered under her breath in a rickety voice, "Come, I'll tell you of your future, child."
Bella could tell immediately this woman was one of the gypsies from outside. How she managed to sneak to the back of the crowd, she didn't know. Bella was curious nonetheless, there wasn't much exciting opportunities such as this. She followed the old lady out rebelliousness and out of curiosity.
Bella followed her uncertainly through the crowd of people. Everyone wasn't paying much attention to the old lady that was guiding Bella. Their attention was focused on the commotion ahead of them, not where Bella was walking. Bella noticed the old lady was tapping her wooden cane on the cobbled stone floor.
They had walked to the edge of the town center, near to one of the four exits of the town. The old lady tugged Bella's hand firmly, to quicken her pace.
Bella followed the old lady up to the large wooden door of the town. The door was wide open because of the festival- all visitors and travelers were welcome. Bella hesitated for a moment, unsure to follow further, but her hesitance resulted in the old lady jerking her hand.
"Come, we are almost there," The old lady spoke with her dry and rickety voice.
Bella saw a small little wooden wagon tucked off to the side off of the road near the exit of the town. The old lady made her way towards it, yanking Bella with her.
The old lady tapped her wooden cane around, feeling for the steps leading up to the back of the wagon and feeling for the door handle. She pulled the door open and stepped inside, bringing Bella in with her.
It was very dim in the carriage, with some sparsely lit candles flickering. It smelt of rotting wood and smoke. Bella examined the carriage and saw peculiar items decorated around the interior. Dried herbs and dead rabbits were hung from the ceiling. There were various jars with strange things wedged in them. Bella didn't want to take a closer look, her curiosity was satisfied enough.
The old lady sat down in a small chair and she gestured her hand for Bella to sit down in front of her on the floor.
"Your hand," demanded the old lady, hand outstretched, waiting for Bella.
Bella placed her hand in hers, wondering what she would do with it. She could feel the skeletal clammy hand of the old lady clasp around hers. The old lady flipped her hand palm up, and trailed it with her long bony fingers. She closed her eyes and frowned with her brows knitted in thought.
Not nearly a moment passed by when the old lady snapped her eyes open and stared directly at Bella.
Her grip on Bella's hand tightened as she stared into Bella's eyes. The old foggy white eyes of the old lady's seemed to pierce through to Bella's soul in that gaze.
Bella jumped out of shock when she heard the old lady begin to laugh a most haunting and eerie cackle, like a crow that was dieing.
"You…" She muttered, growing tense and infuriated, "You…are damned!"
Bella tried to break free from the old lady's death grip, struggling with freeing her hand from the skeletal clamp. She was finally able to when the old lady threw Bella's hand out. She backed away from the intense stare of the old lady. Those milky white eyes and the crooked smile of that decrepitated witch.
The old lady spat, laughing like a dieing crow, "Be gone, you little imp! Your blood tells me all! They will find you! You can't hide any longer like a mouse from a cat. No, they will know, and they will know soon!"
The old lady began to cackle and unearthly laugh. "Silly little girl…I know who you are, Isabella. They will know too… A blood battle will be here yet. Here me now! The rise of the Capulet House will only bring death! The sword will sever the head and twist in the bowels, nay; one can't triumph against those who need not breathe!"
"I don't know what you are talking about…" Bella stuttered and ran away from the cackle of the old lady. The old lady began to talk in rhymes, the sign of a witch.
Bella backed up against the door, and with her hand she felt for the door handle. The old lady spoke, "Night and Day ye shall run for forever and a day. Lo, one day yet the lion will fall in love with the lamb…"
Bella finally grabbed the handle, and pushed it out. She fell back down the steps on to the hard cold stone.
She quickly got up on her feet, not bothering to brush off the dirt from her skirt, and began to run.
The unsettling crow like screech echoed in Bella's ears.
A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you continue to read! Reviews are always welcome! :D
