The afternoon quickly gave way to early evening. The Capulet Manor's courtyard was bereft of any guard or wandering presence, and so Juliet managed to sneak out, her more nervous-looking nurse following behind her, flinching every time the Young Lady Capulet knocked a planter.
They managed to meet Romeo outside the convent, wearing a hood over his head. After a curious set of knocks, Friar Lawrence opened the door and ushered everyone inside. Puck, who had been following Romeo all this time, was starting to sweat buckets.
“Ooh, what do I do? What do I do?" His hair was all messy after he had run his hands through it countless times. "I need to take the effect of the flower from the Montague lad, or King Oberon will have my behind!” The agreement between Oberon and the Capulet patriarch was that the young Capulet girl should be married to Lord Paris so that the Capulets could have closer ties to the royal family. Puck didn’t really know the whole details of their agreement, nor what Oberon could get with this, and frankly, he didn’t really want to find out. Besides, turning everything that happened here into a dream, like what happened in Athens, would probably never work the second time.
As Puck crouched by his hiding spot, he saw a pair walking just ahead on the street. “Huh. Weren't they part of the Capulet family?”
An idea suddenly came to him.
Madelene stood silently as she watched the supposed couple standing in front of the friar. Lady Juliet was pretty much excited as she kept clinging to the young Lord Montague’s arm rather tightly. Lord Romeo, however, didn’t seem to mind and just kept on smiling stupidly at Lady Juliet.
And yet, Madelene can’t shake the feeling that there’s something that’s not right here about their relationship.
Don’t get wrong, she’s fine with love and believes in love at first sight (that was how she met her husband, after all), but she can’t help but feel that there’s something... strange with how the two of them became a couple.
Lady Juliet was still young and naive (also a tad, tad vain), and she feared that she was jumping into all of this without thinking it through. Honestly, the girl looked like she had just gotten her hand on a shiny new candy. Then there's also the almost glassy look on Lord Romeo’s eyes. Earlier at the plaza, she got the impression of an intelligent young man, albeit a bit too romantic and happy-go-lucky. He was level-headed and courteous, and yet the moment he laid his eyes on Lady Juliet when they arrived, he turned mushier than badly-cooked mashed potato.
Okay, maybe she's also getting hungry, but Madelene thinks that she’s a great judge of character and can read people well enough. The way the young Montague bowed to every word Lady Juliet said, however, was too unnatural, no matter how in love you are with the person.
Friar Lawrence was also watching the young couple. Earlier that morning, he thought that Romeo was being delusional with the way he talked about this new love of his, but the way he acted with her was even more shocking. And maybe a bit concerning. Such a level-headed and strong-willed man had been so smitten that it almost looks ridiculous. He had known Romeo for years and admired how he could calmly analyze situations and give rational suggestions. Family is important to him, and he has the makings to be a good heir. He's… not really sure what to make of this down bad side of the young man.
As for the young lady Capulet... The friar didn’t really know what to think of her. She gave off a feeling of innocence; she probably never had much chance to go out of her house, and there’s that snobbish and vain air on her; an obviously pampered noble girl. Though she is a beautiful girl, her attitude overshadowed everything about her, and he couldn’t, for the life of him, understand what Romeo sees in her. Even Rosaline had a far better attitude than her; she’s acting like a spoiled brat.
Friar Lawrence shook his head and cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Are you two sure of this? Marriage is not a simple matter you would head to on a whim. It’s a sacred ceremony, one that should be followed with true commitment to each other. Though I’ve helped a couple of annulments myself—don’t tell the bishop—this is still a huge step in your lives. Are you two ready for this?”
The young Capulet just rolled her eyes, “Yes, yes, we’re sure about this, so kindly hurry it up. My darling Romeo and I still had a few things to do together after this, and time’s a-wastin.”
Friar Lawrence could feel his head throb. Seriously, this girl's attitude could punch a hole in the convent's ceilings. “Romeo?”
Romeo only grinned besottedly at Juliet. Friar Lawrence just sighed. “Fine. Then let’s start the ceremony.” He reached for the bible behind him and took a breath, “We are now gathered here at this hour, to witness the union between Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet in a holy matrimony. This ceremony would tie these two individuals in mind, body, and soul and would proclaim their vows of love for each other. As we start this ceremony, whoever objects to the union, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
The door at the side of the altar burst open with a bang, “I am so DONE with her shit!”
Ella angrily marched towards the direction of the convent, her hands tightly clutching her skirt as she stomped through the path walk. She was still reeling from her outburst at her stepmother’s face earlier, her words from earlier still ringing inside her head.
“I won’t spend the rest of my life living in an old rickety mansion just around the town border," her stepmother, Seraphina, drawled. "At least by selling this place, we could all start a new life in the city and maybe find a few suitable suitors for my daughters.”
Ella breathed deep through her nose to control her temper, but her low voice still cracked. “This is my father’s house. It’s an important inheritance I had with him and my late mother. And yet you want to sell the house without even telling me about it? This is my home for more than seventeen years! You can’t just. . !” Ella was now shaking. No, she just can’t do this. She can’t.
Her stepmother walked towards her, lips stretched in a smirk, eyes sharp as she looked at the poorly hidden anger radiating from the girl. “I’m the one who owns this place, dear, not you. So whatever decisions I made, I’m not obliged to inform you. Whether I want to sell this house or burn it to the ground, it will be within my rights. I couldn't care less what happens to you, but unless you want to spend the rest of your days on the streets, you'd better listen to me and start packing our bags. We’re moving by the end of the week.”
Ella’s sights started to blur as tears started to fall from her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her hand. She needs to go to the convent. She couldn't let Seraphina do whatever she wanted with the house.
She went to the back of the convent and entered through the small door that led to the garden. She then quickly went through a wooden door and went right. Friar Lawrence loved drinking tea at this time of night, so he must be in the kitchen.
The kitchen was empty when she arrived. Even the pots were clean, so either Friar Lawrence had his tea earlier than his usual schedule, or he was still busy. She then marched towards the door that leads to the back of the altar. It’s already pretty late, so she’s sure that the friar was probably there to prepare for his mass the next day. She quickened her steps and, with a loud bang, opened the door at the back of the altar. “I am so DONE with her shit!”
She was still shaking in rage that it took her a minute to notice the surprised faces looking at her. Or, well, three surprised faces and one super pissed face. Wow, if looks could kill, she would be roasted on a scorching bonfire in the deepest part of hell. The girl’s glare almost physically hurt. Friar Lawrence, who was holding the bible, looked as if he was doing some sort of ceremony—oh wait, he did mention a wedding earlier.
“Um. . .” Ella stood at her place by the door—just in case—and cleared her throat, willing herself to stop fidgeting. “I didn’t get an invitation?”
“Ella? What brings you here in the convent with such—erm, unlucky timing?” Friar Lawrence was eyeing the rapidly reddening young Lady Capulet nervously. Another familiar face—Romeo— just stood there, confused at the sudden interruption.
Great, just great. Her third time meeting with this guy, and nothing good ever happened to her. She warily watched the young lady by his side, remembering her to be the one he was talking to at the balcony.
Are they seriously trying to get married in secret?
She gulped. “I’m sorry, Friar Lawrence. Something happened back home, and I kind of came here since I don’t have anywhere to go. I’m not really informed that you’re performing a.... ceremony in the middle of the night. Since, you know, it’s usually in the morning and there’s a lot of guests to watch...”
Her rambling was interrupted by a series of loud knocks on the large door.
“Huh. So you guys have more visitors coming?”
Madelene nervously walked towards the door, but jumped when the knocking became louder. She went to the large panel window near the door and peeked.
“Um, mistress, I think you should postpone this ceremony. Your cousin Tybalt and Petruchio are outside.”
“What?!”
As if proving her words, Tybalt’s unmistakable voice boomed as he continued to knock. “Open up!”
Ella watched, perplexed, as Juliet looked around frantically, probably wondering where to hide. Her handmaid looked as if she was about to jump out of her toes with how nervous she looked, as was Friar Lawrence. Romeo was jumping from looking anxious to stupid every time his eyes landed on Juliet.
“We don’t have any choice. Ella, take Romeo and Juliet back to your house and hide them there for the meantime,” Friar Lawrence suggested. The young girl's mouth hung open.
“Wait, what?! Why should I have to bring them back home?! What the hell’s going on?!”
The Young Lady Capulet was red in the face. “What do you mean run?! We haven’t finished the ceremony yet!”
The friar hissed at her to be quiet, but the people outside had already heard her.
“We know there are people inside. Open this thing up before we destroy it!”
Friar Lawrence turned back at Ella with a begging look, “Go slip through the back gate in the garden while I try to keep them here for a while. Please, Ella.”
Ella opened, closed, opened, and closed her mouth again. She looked at the maid, who looked petrified standing by the door, the young lady Capulet, who was now pouting (seriously? Wasn't it your cousin who's causing the racket right now?), and Romeo, who looked a bit lost.
What the hell. Her night was already ruined anyway. Ella clicked her tongue and waved her arm before running, followed by the sounds of footsteps behind her.
“This way.”
“Wait huff hold up.” Barely a minute of running and the young mistress of the Capulet House is already huffing. “I can’t huff that fast huff .”
“Take your shoes off. It’ll help you run better.”
“You want me to run BAREFOOT?!”
“Either that or I’ll leave you all behind!” Ella snapped. “If you had enough energy to talk, I suggest you run faster.”
She stopped at the garden door and opened it slightly, making sure that no one was watching there. She signaled the others to follow her silently, running through narrower roads until they arrived at the town circle.
… She's so tired of today.
“My house is just at the end of this road. We could get there quickly if we continue at this pace, assuming that Friar Lawrence managed to keep those people back at the church.”
Juliet was already panting hard from their run, and both Romeo and Madelene were trying to tend to her.
“Can we take a minute for a breather, miss? Lady Juliet’s too tired to run anymore,” Madelene asked.
“I could carry you, my love!”
Romeo then tried to carry Juliet bridal-style, but only succeeded in like three seconds until he put her back down, his face red and breathing heavy.
“Wow, you have, like, zero strength,” Ella couldn’t help but snort at that pathetic display. Goodness, she could carry a sack of potatoes more easily than he can.
“Well, I’m not really that adept at physical activities,” Romeo confessed sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck.
“And yet you can climb a balcony,” Ella sighed. Juliet was still breathing too hard to say anything. Thankfully, the town circle was devoid of any people, probably in the middle of supper, and there was still no sign that those men banging at the church door were following them, so she could assume they were still safe to stop for rest.
She looked back at the, honestly, pitiful, lost-looking people with her. Earlier, she just received news that she’s losing her home, and now she has to babysit a couple of rich kids before they get killed in the streets.
Ella couldn’t help but groan. What the hell did she get herself into?
Well, she sighed internally. It’s better than seeing Seraphina’s smug face.