Not your Romeo and Juliet

s i x t e e n

"Juliet. I'm here. Open your eyes." Is the first sentence I hear when I open my eyes.

And the voice belongs to Romeo.

I'm in a carriage with him. Alone. It's going up a hill.

"What's happening?" I hold my head as it is throbbing with pain, probably due to the poison.

"We escaped. The King handed you to me in the evening. We are on our way out of Verona. It's over." He hugs me, but it feels as if my heart is broken.

"Stolen moments that we stole as the curtain fell, it was never enough. Now I get to hold you forever." He whispers, calming my heartbeat.

"But I don't get to hold my family." I break the hug.

"We'll make a family." He smiles.

That's when the carriage stops abruptly. Romeo leaves me to check up on it. I stay in my seat, reconsidering the situation.

But I can't return now. It's finally over.

"The wheel got stuck in a rock and broke. We'll have to look for another ride." Romeo informs me from the window.

I take the two bags in the carriage with me outside and Romeo carries it on our way.

It's night. The stars are twinkling brightly, giving hope for a better future. Our future.

A carriage stops by and a lady comes down. Upon seeing me, she pauses and runs here.

"You're alive !" Rosaline hugs me.

This is not going according to the plan.

"You must be mistaken by the night, my lady. She's my wife." Romeo turns away from us and answers in a rough voice.

"You're abducting her!" She pulls him to face her and the look on her face is pure terror.

"ROMEO!" Her eyes widen.

"Before you misunderstand any abduction, we are married." I stand up for my husband.

"You got married?! But you are married to the King. How dare you--"

"Didn't he cheat on you?" Romeo asks me.

I don't know where this is going.

"He who could not attain one of the Capulet daughters wishes to marry the other, when you couldn't get me, you settled for my sister? Are these your standards?" Rosaline asks Romeo.

"Trust me, my standards are high. I never knew until I met Juliet." Romeo answers.

"Juliet, come with me. We'll return to the palace. I won't let you run with this pseudo." She pulls my hand.

"It's mutual, Rosaline. I'll be fine. Forget this encounter had ever taken place and deem me as dead. I wish this." I snatch my hand from her.

"You thought I can handle it? Tybalt's death broke me enough, and you dying killed me. But apparently, you decided to run away with his murderer." She accuses me.

"She said she doesn't want to return. That's her choice. Leave." Romeo points at her carriage.

"And here I was, wishing to see your grave and grieve." She leaves.

"You did not just command her." I gasp.

"I like to push my luck." He smiles.

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We find a carriage soon after. We pretend to be traders about to go for our next voyage, and the driver buys our lie.

"You look like a lovely couple." The driver comments and we give him a warm smile.