The morning after the failed secret wedding was normal.
The two guards assigned at the main gates were practically being propped up by their halberds, barely awake to even start a conversation. The sun was barely breaking out of the horizon, and so not a single soul had stirred yet.
… Well, that was the case, until a silhouette of a man suddenly appeared up ahead, his steps light as if he was skipping through the marketplace.
"Who in the..?" One of the grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. When he looked again, the man was already standing in front of him.
"Gah!"
"Morning, gents! Lovely morning, don't you think?" The man looked… unusual. His fiery-red hair stood on end as if wind-blown, and his coat was a riot of color and patterns that made his eyes water. Despite the early hours, he looked quite chipper. "Uh, good day to you, sir. Do you need some assistance, or...?"
"Oh, no, no. Everything's fine with me." The man flashed them a smile. "I'm merely visiting a friend, you see. Haven't been here for a while, and so I thought of dropping by."
The two guards looked at each other, confused. "Um, sir, this here is the royal palace. But you can take the road to the left to go to the central tow—"
The guard paused, blinking at the now-empty space. He looked around; the streets remained empty, and the strange man was nowhere to be seen.
"… I am awake, right?" The other guard merely shrugged, just as confused.
The young prince of Verona, Escalus, sighed and stretched up his arms, feeling his shoulders lighten after another whole night of work. The room was slowly lighting up as morning comes—
"Hello, dear Escalus! I have come to visit you!"
The strange man from earlier opened the door with a bang, arms stretched in an open gesture as he marched inside. There was a second or two of pause before a light of recognition flashed on the prince's face.
"Ah, King Oberon. What a pleasant surprise."
Oberon—The Fairy King—tutted in disappointment as he kicked the door closed. "Yes, quite a surprise, indeed. I didn’t even wake you up."
"Apologies. I have been up all night finishing some paperwork." Escalus gestured to an open chair. "Please make yourself comfortable. I'll ask for some breakfast."
"Oh, just tea for me is fine." Oberon plopped down in the chair with a flair. "As you can see, I am disguising myself as a respectable and refined man. As such, I must indulge in a manner befitting of a gentleman."
There are a couple of things in need of correction to that, especially on the choice of fashion, but Escalus merely called for a servant for breakfast and a pot of tea. It was delivered to the room in quick time, with the maid throwing a confused and wary look at the strange visitor. Seeing as the prince remained unconcerned, however, the maid quickly vacated and closed the door without much fuss.
"It has been years since I last visited, and everything still looks the same! Well, except the piles of papers." The Fairy King leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. "How have you been, young Escalus? I must say, you're looking a bit tired."
"Just a couple of busy days, is all." The prince took a sip of his own tea. "It takes much work to keep Verona thriving and peaceful."
"Hmm, yes, the life of a monarch is never easy." Escalus gave him a look. Oberon merely brushed it off as he leaned close to the table. "Speaking of, I was walking around the city yesterday and came across a scene. A brawl in the middle of the street. From rival families, I hear?"
Escalus couldn't help but sigh. "The House of Capulet and Montague. There was some… misunderstanding between two family members. Mild issue. The matter was easily resolved."
"Really? There were some pretty nasty threats thrown around between the brawling parties. Quite creative, I might say." Oberon picked his own tea, holding his cup daintily with three fingers, and took a small sip.
Escalus cleared his throat. "King Oberon, out of curiosity... From what I got from your earlier comment about gentlemen, it seemed you did a bit of study?"
"Oh, yes! A group of travelling humans passed by the forest the other month. Foreigners, I believe. Lively bunch. Well-dressed ladies and a couple or three young gentlemen. They were sitting on a large cloth on the ground—I believe it's called a picnic?—and they were talking and complaining about their husbands and men in general. I must say, I never realized how problematic human males are these days. I've learned quite a lot listening to them."
Escalus just continued drinking his tea rather than answering.
"Anyway! It made me realize that it has been some time since I went on a vacation, so here I am!"
The Prince of Verona put down his cup and straightened his back, leveling Oberon with a gaze. "While I'm flattered that I'm important enough for the Fairy King, I also know you well enough that you never venture out of your realm without good reason." He gestured at the other's cup. "You seemed to be also finished with your cup, so I would like for us to continue with the business."
Even with the morning light, the Fairy King's eyes glowed eerily gold. For a second, both men were still, locked in each other's gaze, before Oberon chuckled lightly, breaking the growing tension in the room.
"You've grown sharp, little prince. I'm impressed." He leaned back in his chair. "And my business is not really with you, so no need to get your feathers in a ruffle. Oh, but I did plan for a visit! I just thought I'd do my business at the same time. Saves me the hassle, you see."
"Hearing you say that makes me even more worried."
Oberon rolled his eyes. "Do humans lose their sense of humor once they grow old? Honestly, what do you think I am? Don't answer that, it's rhetorical," he said while raising his hand before the prince could say anything.
"Then, pray tell, what is this… "business" you had in Verona?"
"Ah, I'm afraid that I'm not allowed to divulge anything. Client rights and everything, you see."
Escalus's brows furrowed even more. "Client… rights?"
"Well, I have to protect those requesting my services. I feel like it's proper." Oberon tapped his chin in thought. "Hmm, maybe I should start this as a trend."
"Since when do you offer services? Oberon, what are you really doing here?"
"Relax." Oberon stood up, stretching his arms over his head. "I assure you, no form of damage or any scale of cataclysm would occur. Verona will be left completely unscathed after I'm done with my business."
Escalus couldn't help but raise a brow at that. "Those couples from Athens would probably beg to differ."
"That was ONE time! And the problem was solved before the night ended, right? Titania and I even blessed their union! You know we don't do blessings that often."
"You turned someone else’s face into a donkey."
“Details, details. Who lists past issues like this?”
“It almost turned into a scandal!”
"Eh, it saved their little love rivalries. I'd say we made things better. Who knows, you might end up benefiting from this venture of mine." Oberon waved jauntily at the prince as he walked towards the door. "If I finished things ahead of schedule, let's meet up again and play something!"
Silence returned as the door closed. Escalus sighed deeply and sank in his chair inelegantly in a way that would probably make his old tutors wince, but damn it, he felt as if he was on his wits' end. He still needs to find some ways to deal with the bad blood between the Montagues and Capulets; now, he has to keep an eye on the possible disaster that Oberon would most likely inadvertently cause.
"I wish I had a brother," he muttered as he massaged his temple. "Maybe then, I could just push the crown and all this nonsense to them."
The sound of the door opening broke him out of his musings. The palace staff offered a bow, "Your Highness, someone wishes to ask for your presence."
Oh, who is it now? "I see. Please see to them for a moment as I readied myself."
The staff looked unsure. "Well, you see…"
Any words to be said were cut off as another familiar figure entered the room. "Cousin! I need your help!"
Escalus’s eye twitched. "Paris?" It had been a couple of years since he had seen his younger cousin; definitely a head shorter back then, and less manic-looking as he strode towards where he sat.
Escalus couldn't help but feel that any future headaches coming his way had only doubled.
"I need your help," Paris repeated as he leaned on the table. "To find the most beautiful woman I have ever met."
"Pardon, Lord Capulet? A weir— I mean, there's someone who wants to have an audience with you. He said you're expecting him?"
Lord Capulet, a tall, elder man with a perpetual cold face and voice, merely blinked and hummed, signaling the maid to let the person in. Cane in hand, he moved to stand at the floor-to-ceiling window, where he could see a tall, white manor just a few blocks away; the Montagues' manor. He glared at it, hands folding into fists behind his back.
"You know, most people would avoid anything stressful this early in the morning. Wouldn't want to ruin the rest of their day, you see."
"Ah, King Oberon. I am expecting your arrival—" Lord Capulet stopped as he took in the other's choice of wardrobe. "Uh, pardon, but I believe I didn't catch what you said earlier..?"
Oberon gestured at the window, "Gazing out the window is usually done for relaxation, and yet you've been glaring at it for some reason."
Lord Capulet looked out to where his nemesis's manor was. "I am relaxing. In my own way, at least. And I believe I will find even more peace once I crush my enemies like gravel under my shoe."
Oberon watched with interest as the patriarch of the Capulet family's face twisted into a sharp sneer. He could never really understand how humans work and think, though he could at least see the appeal in rivalries. While he does love and appreciate his queen, Titania always, so effortlessly, gets on his nerves that he thinks it's a cultivated art she trained diligently.
He also had a feeling that using that as an example would offend the other man. "I'll get on with business then. Shall I take it that the deal we talked about before will continue without any changes?"
"Yes, yes, I have no objections to the plans. You will help raise my family's status by the union of my beloved daughter Juliet and Prince Escalus' cousin, Paris, and secure a strong line with the royal family. Finally , we'll be able to beat those arrogant Montagues to their proper place." Lord Capulet took the seat across from the Fairy King. "Though I admit I'm still a bit skeptical about the success of the plan you proposed."
"Ah, but that's why I'm here! Rest assured that I take any ventures seriously." He blinked and added, "Even those made with humans. Besides, it's not that complicated. I mean, arranged marriages are still a trend in the human world, correct? Plus, Escalus loved that cousin of his enough to give him the title prince, and he's supposed to be good-looking by human standards. It's a good match, if I say so myself."
"Um, I guess it is." Lord Capulet seemed to ponder it for a moment. Oberon wondered if having a pointier nose would make the man a bit more good-looking.
The human nodded, "Very well. As such, you are welcome to stay in our manor for the duration of your stay. You may give us a list of everything you'll need; the Capulet family will make sure that you'll have utmost care in our home."
"Wonderful! I'll be taking your offer then!"
Oberon stood, but Lord Capulet suddenly stretched his arm in his direction. "Wait! I don't believe we've discussed the price yet." At the other's confused look, Lord Capulet elaborated, "You were willing to help us secure our place in the royal family of Verona, found a good match for my daughter, and even arranged their marriage. But you never once mentioned your price for your assistance."
The look on the Fairy King's face made the ever-serious Lord Capulet swallow. "Don't worry, I will ask for my payment soon. For now, I suggest you focus on your end of the plan. I’ll return after the union is complete. I’ll have what I need from you by then." He waved lazily as he walked to the doors. "I'm wishing you good luck. Any further concerns can be relayed to Puck; I'm sure you've already met him. He can deliver your messages to me."
The doors closed with a click, leaving Lord Capulet looking confused. "Who's Puck?"