A/N: And now we have the famous balcony scene…minus, you know, a balcony. Hey, there's only so much I can do with the adaptation, you know? Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Chapter Three

Montague was not happy when he found out where his son had been. "What were you thinking, Romeo?!" he said, stomping exasperatedly. "Going to Capulet's party?! Have you lost your mind?! What if something had happened to you? What if Capulet or one of his friends or relatives had tried to hurt you?"

"But no one tried anything, Father," Romeo said earnestly. "Nothing happened at all. Nothing…" He faltered for a moment as an image of Juliet filled his mind, and he broke eye contact, looking instead at the ground. "Nothing happened."

Montague frowned. "Are you sure?" he asked. "You're not…not hiding something, are you?" He stepped closer. "Son, please be truthful. Did one of Capulet's family try something?"

"No, Father," Romeo said, a little more forcefully than necessary. "Why are you so determined that someone did something?"

Montague snorted. "Because I know Capulet. I wouldn't put it past him." He sighed and added, "Romeo, my son, you are precious to me. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. I can't lose you…"

Romeo stared at him. "What…what happened between you and Capulet?" he asked after an uncomfortable pause. "What happened to make you hate him so much?"

Montague looked taken aback. He stared at Romeo for a long moment, as if sizing him up, pondering whether he should answer or not.

Then he turned his head away. "Never mind that. It's in the past."

Romeo opened his mouth to persist, but his father cut him off: "It's late. You should get some sleep."

"But…" Romeo began, but then he sighed, knowing it would do no good to argue. "Yes, Father. Good night."

"Good night, son," Montague replied.

Shaking his head wearily, Romeo walked away to the corner of the clearing he usually slept in. Tonight, however, he found that sleep eluded him. He tossed and he turned, but he couldn't get comfortable. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Juliet, and she was so beautiful that it made his heart pound too hard for sleep to come. After nearly an hour, he groaned and stood up. Glancing about, he saw that he was the only one on this end of the clearing who was awake. His father lay nearby, his side rising and falling gently, his dreams undisturbed. A short way off, Benvolio slept near his father, Prince.

And on the opposite end of the clearing, Capulet and his family rested…

Juliet…

Without consciously deciding to act, he started for the other end of the clearing, taking soft, easy steps in a concentrated effort to not wake anyone. Soon, he was standing a few feet away from Capulet, who slept peacefully, Lady's head resting comfortably on his shoulder. He stopped and looked around for Juliet.

Why am I here? he asked himself as his eyes roamed over the sleeping horses. This is probably the stupidest thing I've ever done, including going to the party. At least then I had Benvolio to protect me…

I just want to see her, that's all, he assured himself. I just want to see her once so that my mind can be put to rest, and then I'll go back to my father's place and get some sleep…

A flurry of motion caught his attention, and he looked about, startled, half-expecting one of Capulet's family to raise the alarm at his presence. But nothing happened. The source of the movement was a horse, slipping silently away into the trees. He only caught a glimpse, but he knew immediately who it was.

Juliet.

His heart pounding, Romeo followed her into the forest, taking care to keep far enough back so that she didn't hear him follow yet close enough to see her. She continued walking for several minutes before finally coming to a stop at the edge of a tiny glen, a gap in the trees that was illuminated by pale moonlight shining down from above. Her red coat shone and glistened, and her eyes sparkled as though they had been momentarily replaced by stars. She was so achingly beautiful and close enough for him to reach out and touch her, yet Romeo held back and sighed in longing.

Juliet sighed too. Like Romeo, she had been unable to sleep, her mind too active to allow rest. She'd hoped a little walk might clear her head, but if anything she was even more confused and uncertain now than she had been earlier.

"Oh Romeo," she breathed, and Romeo gasped quietly, silently begging her to speak again, suddenly yearning for the sound of her voice.

"Romeo, Romeo…why do you have to be Romeo?" Juliet murmured to the sky. "Deny your father, and refuse your bloodline." She smiled. "Or, if you won't, then just swear you love me, and I will no longer be Capulet's daughter."

She paused and pawed the ground with a forehoof. Romeo watched and listened, his heart pounding, wondering if he should speak or show himself.

"It's just your lineage that is my enemy," Juliet continued with a sigh. "You would still be yourself even if you weren't Montague's son. But what does it matter that Montague is your father? The feud is between our fathers, not us. I have no hatred for you, son of Montague, so why should I care about your bloodline? Oh…" She huffed in frustration. "This whole affair is nonsense. I don't even know why our fathers hate each other, so why should I let it come between us?" She tossed her head defiantly. "Oh Romeo, forget your lineage, and in exchange for that lineage which has nothing to do with you, take all of myself."

Romeo's heart gave a bound. "Oh Juliet," he said aloud, stepping forward.

Juliet gave a small scream of surprise and whirled around to face him. "Who are you?! And what are you doing here?!"

"Oh Juliet, to say my name causes me pain," Romeo replied, bowing his head. "My name is a product of my bloodline which keeps us apart. So please, call me what you like, and I will use that as my new name."

Juliet squinted at him, and then her face broke into a warm smile. "I have not yet heard that voice say a hundred words, yet I know its sound as well as I know my own. Romeo, it is you!"

"Yes it is, my love," Romeo replied, smiling. "But only if you wish for it to be."

Juliet giggled, and then her smile faded. "Did…did you follow me here?"

Romeo nodded. "I had to see you, to talk to you…I…" He faltered, blushing. "After tonight, I thought…I wanted…I…I love you…" he finished, somewhat lamely.

Juliet shook her head. "You took a terrible risk, Romeo. If anyone in my family had seen you…" She didn't finish the thought.

Romeo smiled and took a step closer to her. "Night's darkness protected me from their eyes," he said. "Besides, if you don't love me, then I would rather they killed me. A life without you is simply not worth living."

Juliet considered him for a moment, her smile slowly returning. "Do you really love me?" she asked, and before Romeo could answer, she continued, "I know you'll say yes, and I'll believe you. But how do I know you're telling the truth? Many mares before me have been deceived by rogue stallions, so how do I know you're being honest?"

"Oh Juliet," Romeo said earnestly, "I swear by the moon—"

"Oh don't swear by the moon," Juliet interrupted, shaking her head. "The inconstant moon! It is always changing its shape, and if you swear by it then I must think that your love is just as changeable."

"Well, what should I swear by?" Romeo asked with a small laugh.

Juliet smiled sweetly. "Do not swear at all," she replied. "Or, if you must, then swear only by your good self, and I will believe you."

"Oh, my dearest love…" Romeo sighed.

"No, do not swear," Juliet said firmly, shaking her head. "This is all…so rash, so sudden, like the lightning which is gone before you even realize you've seen it. We should not act so hastily over something so serious. If we do, we are likely to stumble. So…" She inclined her head. "I will say good night, Romeo. Perhaps when we next meet, this seed between us will have blossomed into something far more beautiful. Until then, however…"

She started to walk past him, heading back toward the herd. Romeo felt his heart miss a beat. "W-wait!" he cried. "Please, don't leave yet!"

Juliet paused and looked back. "What more can possibly be said tonight?"

"Juliet," Romeo said, stepping toward her. "Please tell me that you love me. I need to hear those words come from your lips."

Juliet gazed at him and smiled. "But you already know that I do, Romeo. I do not understand why or how this has happened so quickly, but I love you. You overheard me confess my feelings for you earlier, and I cannot take those words back."

"Do you want to take them back?" Romeo asked, his smile slipping a notch. "Why?"

Juliet giggled. "For no other reason than I might give them to you again. But…" She hesitated. "Isn't this happening too fast? I've known you for barely a night."

"It's true," Romeo agreed. "Yet…I feel like I've known you my entire life. When I first saw you tonight, I felt as though my entire world was thrown off-center. Now everything in my life revolves around you, Juliet. I cannot explain, even to myself, why I suddenly feel this way. All I know is that it would kill me to deny my affection for you."

He reached forward and nuzzled her, and when he did, Juliet felt a fire rise within her, a pleasant warmth that she had never felt before in her life. Her legs trembled at his touch, and she thought for a moment that she might collapse.

"Oh…oh Romeo…" she breathed. "I…I don't know what to say…what to think…this is all so strange, so sudden…and yet I've never felt so sure about anything in my whole life as I am about this: that I love you, Romeo. And nothing would make me happier than spending the rest of my days by your side."

Romeo felt his heart soar at her words. "Then, my dearest Juliet, I have a question I have to ask you." He stepped back and bowed, and Juliet gasped, eyes wide with shock. "Juliet, my love, would you do me the supreme honor of agreeing to be my mate?"

There was a moment of absolute silence. And then Juliet's face broke into the sweetest smile he had yet seen. "Yes," she said, her voice shaking and her eyes filling with tears. "Yes, I will. Oh Romeo…!"

Romeo straightened and pulled her close to him with his muzzle. She pressed herself into his body and nuzzled him, allowing her joyful tears to slide down her cheeks. Romeo rested his head over her neck and sighed. "This is the happiest moment of my life," he declared to her.

"Mine as well," Juliet agreed, drawing back to look her new mate in the eye, tears still glistening on her cheeks. And then they reached out toward each other and their muzzles touched once again. Romeo breathed in her intoxicating aroma and nickered joyfully, and Juliet huffed quietly, her eyes closed in bliss.

After a moment – or it might have been several minutes, they wouldn't have known the difference – they drew back to look each other in the eye. "I can't help but fear that this is all a dream," Romeo remarked, "too sweet to be real…"

"If we are dreaming," Juliet replied, resting her head on Romeo's shoulder, "then I don't ever want to wake."

They would have been perfectly content to stay that way for the rest of the night, standing as close together as possible, his heart beating in rhythm with hers, blissfully encased within their own little paradise. But…

"Juliet? Juliet!"

Juliet stiffened and looked around at the sound of her father's voice. Capulet was nearby, searching for his daughter. Her heart sank. "I must go," she said to Romeo, her voice suddenly filled with sadness.

Romeo's ears drooped slightly but he nodded. "All right."

Juliet turned and started toward the sound of Capulet's voice, but then she paused and looked back. "When will I see you again?"

Romeo smiled. "Tomorrow night, right here."

Juliet smiled as well and nodded. "I'll be here. Oh, it's twenty years till then." She hesitated, and then she whirled around and ran back to Romeo, shoving her head into his chest. "Good night, my love," she whispered. "Parting is such a sweet sorrow, so I'll only say good night and not good-bye."

Romeo sighed and nickered wordlessly, caressing her with his muzzle. "Good night, my sweet Juliet," he murmured in her ear. "I look forward to seeing you again, my darling."

Juliet nodded and drew back, pausing long enough to nuzzle Romeo's cheek before she turned once again and cantered away into the trees.

"Father!" she called. "Father, I'm here!"

"Juliet!" Capulet sighed as his daughter came into view. "Where have you been?! I was so worried!"

Juliet came to a stop beside him and reached out to touch his shoulder. "There was no need to fear. I'm all right," she said cheerfully. "I couldn't sleep and decided to go for a walk. I was actually on my way back when I heard you calling."

Capulet sighed in relief. "Oh Juliet, don't just disappear like that, please," he said. "What if something had happened to you?"

Juliet giggled. "It's sweet of you to worry, Father," she said. "But I'm all right, really. Now come on, let's go home."

Capulet gazed down at her, his brow slightly furrowed, and then he sighed and nodded. "Yes. Let's head back."

He turned and led the way back to the clearing, Juliet walking quietly alongside him. They emerged into open air not long afterward, and Capulet nuzzled his daughter with a soft, "Good night. Sleep well," before settling himself down beside his sleeping mate.

Juliet nodded, smiling, and then walked over to her corner of the clearing, where she lowered herself to the ground and sighed. She glanced over at the other side of the clearing, and she just caught a glimpse of another horse emerging from the trees and settling on the ground. Romeo. She smiled and giggled quietly to herself, suddenly giddy with the memory of what had passed between them that night. Then she laid her head on the grass with a sigh, closed her eyes, and allowed images of Romeo to sweep her away into a pleasant sleep.

A/N: Hope you're enjoying the story! Next chapter should be up on Tuesday.