Old Time's Sake (A Much Ado About Nothing Fanfic)

Hero And Beatrice

The next morning, I was playing my lute once again to earn coins, I felt my stomach rumbling...hunger. I haven't ate anything since the piece of stale bread yesterday afternoon. As a young woman with no place to stay, I have no idea where my next meal is coming from or where to sleep.

A few minutes into playing my lute, I saw two ladies to my left dancing together. They were giggling, they looked as if they were close friends...or maybe even sisters. One was very young and pretty with long dark brown hair, the other woman was older with long light brown hair. When I got finished with a song, the girls walked to me and clapped.

"Bravo!" The younger one said.

"How lovely!" The older one said.

"Thank you very much madams," I said.

"Where did you learn to play so beautifuly?" The young one asked.

"When I was a child, I was told to pick one intrument to learn and I picked the lute."

"A remarkable choice. What's your name?"

"Regina."

"I'm Hero and this is my cousin Beatrice."

"It's a pleasure."

"Stay away from her, she's nothing but a lowly peasant, so low to be stooping for the governor's flesh and blood."

I saw a man in soldier's uniform walk to us, he had very light hair and light and gray whiskers.

"Benedick..."

"Beatrice..."

It was like the two knew each other.

"Why should we not be kind to the citizens of Messina?" Hero asked.

"Because she's way below us, a beggar, look at her, dressed in rags, hair is a rat's nest, sitting on the ground as filthy as her!"

"That's enough Benedick!" Beatrice said.

"She's making an honest living playing the loveliest music we ever heard," Hero said.

"Musician eh, you, play us something!?" Benedick asked pointing at me.

I started to play but as bad as possible, I stopped and laughed, the girls laugh as well.

"Oh come off it peasant! You think this is a joke to you!?"

"Being asked by a man who's named after something that pops out of a chicken's ass, yes it is."

The girls laughed harder. Benedick was in a rage.

"Get up, get up right this minute!"

I stood up, he grabbed my shoulders hard.

"You dare speak ill of your superiors?"

I slapped him, the girls gasped.

"You dare speak ill of a poor young woman who's trying to survive on the streets?"

He left in a rage after letting go and giving me a dirty look.

"Regina, that was intense what you just did, we'll show that ignorant bastard. To show him, how about staying with us for a little while?" Hero asked.

"That's kind of you but I don't deserve such luxury."

"Oh come now Regina, don't worry, you will be our guest. Have you lived in Messina a lifetime?"

"I was born in Aragon but moved to Napoli as a child, I just arrived here last night."

"Then we will be your first friends, you will stay with us until we arrange a place for you here in Messina."

We smiled.

"Thank you Hero."

I grabbed my things and walked to their home.

Leonato, the governor, Hero's father had agreed to let me stay for a while, I was shown my own chamber to sleep, I will be provided with some new clothes tomorrow.