Chapter Text
---- chapter 1 ---- ( a wedding in order )
Before this story begins may it be made clear, this tall tale is not without three main wrongs doing to Juliet even with her short time throughout are story...
it's not her fault she was being married of like a pig sent for slaughter, it was never her fault the wrong man wanted her devotion, and it certainly not her fault she longed for the man who dubbed her his Lilly
With this out of the way may it begin as it started.
Large copper Bells rang above the churches chapel bellowing sound across the entire premise as flowers carefully draped across the large walls of the building swung to and fro in a steady rhythm against the light breeze flooding in through the open windows.
Stained glass windows stood out against the unsavory color of the bricks lining the walls, as morning light shone through the detailed imagery depicted in the glass. Bright hues of delicate reds, blues, and greens littering the open floor in a beautiful display of light.
Tables lay splayed across the open flooring decorated with fine linen cloths with intricate gold embroidering lacing the edges with sweet smelling items and pastry lining the tops of each table in arranged perfection,
Pots of freshly picked roses lined an expensive looking wine-red carpet that wound around to an altar sitting atop the imposing podium standing threateningly before Juliet awaiting her presence
to clutch the girl in its grasp and choke the breath from her throat steal the oxygen from her lungs and crumple her into a mess of fear and the need to run helplessly from where she stands glued to her spot,
amongst the many people now slowly filtering into the chapel,
Chairs sat littered around on either side of the carpet’s walkway, guest now settling comfortably into their assigned seating the Capulets family on one side and Montagues on the other. As the music piped up from the corner of the room where a large piano sat no longer dormant well-placed notes echoed around the hall clashing against the walls and reverberating back in Juliet’s head.
The Pungent scent of roses invaded her nostrils meshing with her thoughts as tears pricked her eyes as it dawned on Juliet that this was now going to be her new reality her whole life until this point had been summed up to this one moment in time
This was going to be the most important moment in her life and the last of her own freedoms were coming to a close and all she could do was what she was good at
The thing which had been drilled into her head since the time she was four years old, stand and look pretty like a delicate glass China doll on display for all to perceive.
The large golden doors of the chapel rushed open with great force creaking as they slid into place folded open against the walls.
Romeo jutted into the hall pacing down the walkway clad in a silvery grey
dress suit fashioned with a tie and lean black boots, his hair brown as ever with a slightly ruffled appearance to it but still neatly kept
A large grim smeared across his face and his eyes alight with joy Paris paced beside him only an arm’s length away walking him down the ile.
When they both met an abrupt stop before Juliets splendor figure Paris split of to gather his Barings and take his place amongst the seating.
As Romeo ascended the steps onto the podium to reside beside Juliet, a pastor now stood Infront of the coupling glaring down on the pair before him with tired eyes giving a comforting smile directed to Juliet sympathy sat filling the older man’s eyes as he began his speech broadcasting his voice to the awaiting crowd
“ Romeo Montague does thou enquire of Juliet Capulet to be the sun to your moon and bestow upon you with everlasting acts of devotion out of love from ones heart and in turn Romeo, bring forth and offer one’s own devotion unto her rose, Juliet? ” he said gesturing his hand to Romeo
“I do with my heart content and open to the caressing embrace of my rose “. Romeo spoke his voice soft, as he shifted to reach for Juliets hand
“Juliet Capulet, do you take Romeo Montague into your willing embrace?” he said signaling to Juliet with his dominant hand
Juliet paused her breath hitching in her throat planned words fumbling from her careful grasp struggling to slip her mask into place.
“Ye- y- y- (NO! no! please gods no.) yes I proud rose of the Capulets, sing my love for Romeo as do swans love for life…” She spoke her voice shakily and distorted as she went.
Juliet swiftly snatched her hand away from Romeos in a haze a frown playing on her lips as Romeo glanced at her his face flushing with concern as his eyes darted around the room looking for any possible cause of her distress. Juliets father’s eyes narrowed his face now rearranging into frustration as he shot her a piercing serrated glare from the front row of seats that shot straight through her in an instant as if a knife had plunged itself straight into her own chest and carved out its own sadistic message across it,
Within seconds she seemed to scramble to fix herself straightening her posture to be just right and taking Romeo hand in hand with her own their fingers interlocking with each other, before adding a cheery expression plastered across her face like porcelain in a failing attempt to look any sort of delighted to be trapped in such a situation.
There Juliet was stuck in what felt like a fever dream that dragged on for hours at a time no end in sight no light signaling the end of the tunnel,
just an eerie inky black void that threatened to swallow her up and submerge her in its depths and ever refuse to release her for fear that she remained chained to her family’s ever ongoing plans.
they’d be her undoing for all she cared in the moment just drag her away from here and far away into someone else’s embrace.
But that wasn’t going to happen she was here, now in this surreal reality she found herself in a soon to be marriage that wouldn’t shake itself from her no matter what she pleaded to the gods above.
Juliet stared on while her face sat blank with a cracked smile playing on it as her eyes danced across the crowds of people seated in each row,
Finely dressed in dainty baby blue dresses flowing with silk and adorned with crescent roses bordering the rims or harsh grey to black suits topped with a single rose pressed gently into the collar.
As her eyes continued to scan across the crowd they halted on one particular young man,
Paris, her Paris there he was sat straight as an arrow against his chair adorned in a beautiful deep blue suit that shone iridescent in the suns basking light contrast to his skin, lilies dappled his dress shirt her favorite flowers, his curly raven black hair combed neatly sideways, another Lilly tucked safely behind his ear with brown leather boots displayed with an embroidered diamond pattern spread across the boots surface accustomed his feet,
As he waits seated patiently in one of the further rows of seats to the back
Their eyes locked across the room steel grey eyes meeting her own
anxiety subsiding her at the comfort in his eyes
before unmeshing their gaze with one another to stare back at Romeo
“You may now declare your love for each other” the pastor declared wavering his arms in the air to signal the ceremony’s end and the after parties beginning.
Romeo buzzed with anticipation as the words left the pastors mouth in a string of quick paced sounds eagerly pouncing from his spot to reach for Juliet arms outstretched like an opening cage eager to snap shut on her.
Pulling her greedily into his tight embrace, shifting his head to longingly gaze into eyes of ocean blue, stopping to just stare into them drowning in their depths.
Romeo grasped Juliets face a pleading expression garnishing it as his cage finally locked shut around her
“Juliet, your are as divine as the stars above and so I love thou hole heartedly” Romeo whispered his lips brushing her ear, she stood still as a statue frozen in thought, shaking hands clutching the fabric of her dress in an effort to still the anxiety hammering away in her chest like an ongoing storm.
Romeo leaned in holding her face to his as their lips met in unsynchronized chaos, her eyes fluttering shut to blink away nonexistent tears, as he strung his arms loosely around her waist tugging her in even closer,
“Mine own dear rose dost loves me true?” Romeo whispered barely audible, caressing his thumb over her hand.
“Does thou moon love thee sun or does it run in plight each Solem night,” Juliet whispered back subtly moving her hand from his grip
“Thee moon doth love thou sun, as thou sun dost loves thy moon so I shalt treasure thine rose as mine, and non but mine to keep” Romeo concluded tightening his hold on her
As Juliet grappled at what to say thoughts flooding through her head in an angry tsunami like wave of resentment, her lips moved to speak, Romeo signaling his hand to silence her, in a brief hushing motion swept the girl from her feet in one swift movement. Hoisting her into his slim arms so that her legs sat hung over his arms and back lent up against his elbows bridle style,
A surprised squeak escaping her lips as she was startled back into the moment her arms clung to the man’s neck in a desperate attempt to steady herself. Her face flushed red with a mix of anger and embarrassment, as she was hoisted away down the ile in the arms of the man destined to be her ends calling.
Halfway to the door Juliet noted Paris across the threshold, his solemn face staring her down in anguish, his eyebrows knitting together while his jaw clenched nervously his eyes shining a glassy hue darting back and forth between Juliet and the door, one hand outstretched facing Juliet’s direction as if to grasp her hand and drag her away his other hand held a tight grip on the chairs edge the knuckles on his hand turning white from the pressure,
in reply, Juliet’s hand reached out toward him from across the room a visage of hope between the two shattered as Romeo edged closer to the door. While Paris questioned his next move, his eyes scanning around the room looking back and forth once more before releasing his tight grip on the seat to leave pausing Paris looked her dead set in the eyes his lips moving faintly, he mumbled a silent promise,
“I will return for my dove in devotion, for are love to not just be a notion”.
Paris managed with a weak smile, his composure faltering, a single tear streaking its way down his face, before turning his back to disappear into the shelter of the chapel’s grand halls snaking his way into the cover of shadows.
As they rushed through the doorway in a flurry of movement halting at the grounds of the chapel stairs, Romeo stood still, maneuvering his arms to place Juliet beside him on the stairs as he crouched down into a sitting position next to her.
Their gaze lingering on each other whilst still avoiding eye contact, as the moment drew on in awkward silence. Romeo sat slumped across the stairs, his hand lifted to gently rest it atop Juliets. breaking the tension as Juliet were poised on the edge of her seat stiff as a board as contact was made between them.
“So, this has been my life’s best day, does my other half feel the same, yes?” Romeo questioned quizzically his voice low and calm,
His head slanting to gaze up into the trees and their comfort the breeze brushing against his face, twisting his hair up as petals danced around them flowing from the cherry blossoms that surrounded the premise, cradling down to and fro around them.
“I cannot cherish this moment, and I shan’t give into your feeble feelings Romeo” Juliet mumbled under her breath, as she slipped her hand from his, her gaze fallen to the cement ground Infront of her, as she drew her knees into her chest hugging her arms around them, to ground herself.
“My rose would you please I beg of you, at least to acknowledge my sentiment” Romeo said, locking his eyes on Juliets as she turned her head haughtily ducking it to let it rest on her knees, only the sound of leaves scattering around, Leaving him without reply.
“Must I do all the conversing my dear, surely you must be enjoying today somewhat I did not string together the hole family line for you to sulk the day away.” His voice gruff, his gaze lowered
“Be that way if you must, but I’m determined to make this work one way or another, arranged marriage or not”. Romeo warned, Juliet watched her face growing weary as she slumped against the stairs, with little strength left to argue as a wave of tiredness hit her
Seemingly out of nowhere,
Laying her head to rest against the hard stone her thoughts beginning to wander as she stare numbly at the stars that now slowly dappled the sky’s surface, the color transitioning from sky blue hues to a deeper melancholic navy as the sun started its descent into the snowcapped mountains below.
“Juliet, would you answer me please” his face downed “Juliet would you answer me please” his pleas growing desperate his expression faltered.
“JULIET!” he hissed
“JULIET, are you even listening to me you are acting like an arrogant child!”. Romeo hollered his hands balling into tight fist, the knuckles on his hands turning white, his face flashing with sudden irritation, his lips falling to a snarl.
“I have patience, but you are wearing mine thin” Romeo grumbled as he turned to fix his face in its place a restricted hollow mask “ just tolerate me at least, talk to me you know I love you” he spoke sharply hesitation dripping of his speech, as he turn to Juliet looking into her dazed eyes clouded over as if reminiscing something,
“My dear, I see you have thorns amongst your beauty as do the roses I call you after I shan’t blame you for this, but if we are to be happy you must comply” Romeo said “anyways the day grows old and sunset is approaching will you at least give me this happy moment dear”. His voice stifled as he admired the setting sun before them, his shoulders now slouching against the rocky stairs.
The deep crimson lurched across the sky blending in indigo and orange patterned across the ongoing sky’s depths, hundreds of little flickers of light having risen into the sky now light fragments of sun itself shone above them.
The darkening surroundings cast a veil of tiredness on the coupling as an ongoing icy wind cast by them.
As Juliet broke away from thought “just give me peace” she spoke her face devoid of all emotion instead engulfed with a mourning sadness as her eyelids grew heavy and her lips quivered, “that is all I need right now” she sputtered tears rimming her eyes.
“That I can give you my love, if you will let me,” Romeo said little empathy showing in his eyes as he glowered at her then softening his gaze “the guest will be departing to the after party soon” he said awaiting her reply.
Romeo slid one arm around her small stature pulling Juliet in close enough she could feel the heat radiating of his slim frame. As Juliet couldn’t help but lean into it pressed up against his side, the muscles in his face relaxing as Juliets tiredness overwhelmed her.
“I’ll meet you and the family at the after party soon enough” she quarreled with him wrestling herself from his grip in a slowed pathetical attempt, stumbling forward in a tired weary haze before catching herself on the wall apposing her.
“If that suits you, I’ll await you later” he impeded with concern jutting out his chin and cocking an eyebrow at her, before turning to waltz down the dozen stone stairs towards the cobbled road twisting down towards the after party.
Silence followed, leaving Juliet alone with nothing but her thoughts to occupy her and the approaching sound of crickets that echoed around the chapels outsides
Stilling herself Juliet fell awkwardly to her feet rearranging her body to lay loftily across one of the stairs steps her head pressed against the cold hard granite in a sleeping position, the sun dipped below the sky now vanishing from sight as stars tarnished the deep blue sky the moon hung a quarter full high above the clouds illuminating her features. As she finally allowed herself to drift into deep thought an icy chill cocooning her as thoughts faded into restless sleep.