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Gangs of Verona (Part 3)

The foul Paris wasn't the only man she still dreamed of. The other dreams were much worse, for they hinted at the path her life could have taken. She still dreamed of laughing green eyes and a smile that crushed her heart as it released a swarm of butterflies in her belly. That was before the deaths, before the banishment, and their secret union. Before a stolen night and pact to follow each other to the grave. One they both failed to carry out thanks to the interference of their respective families.

When she'd woken in her bed, sore and broken from the events of that night, her mother informed her of many things. The first was of his survival. The second was the Prince's forgiveness. Both families received pardons for their near loss, it was the only thing that kept them from war at the time. Her mother then informed her she would never see the son of Montague again.

Now she was sold as a broodmare to the House of Montague, right along with Rose. Fate had finally delivered the coup de grace. It would have been better to die.

"Where are you now, Romeo?" she whispered into the night, caressing the raised ridge of flesh between her breasts. Situated closer to the heart of the city, House Capulet was able to save Jules with a far smoother recovery than House Montague situated across the wastes. She'd heard the rumors Romeo was now nothing but a twisted version of himself, forced to rely on a respirator to breath. The brush with death left him without proper oxygen for too long, resulting in nerve damage through his limbs. She couldn't imagine what he looked like now but he was no longer the handsome boy who swept her off her feet into infatuation and foolishness.

Rose stood at the foot of her bed, her dark eyes owlish in the dark. "You sleep at all?"

"No," said Jules, slipping from her bed for the last time. "You?"

Her cousin shook her head, confirmed by the dark circles beneath her eyes. "It's time."

The rig made its way through the decrepit structures and refuse of the once thriving Verona. It wasn't the city of her younger days. The Prince's last war finally broke the infrastructure. The Prince lost a great deal of his standing and power, leaving the Houses to squabble and scrap as precious resources continued to dwindle, cut off from outside trade. After what happened between Jules and Romeo, the Houses lost complete faith in their Prince.

Outside the city was a wasteland, the earth salted and charred by conquest and battle. A landscape of gnarled trees and abandoned homesteads. Jules soaked it all in as Sampson steered the rig outside the city proper, heading for the Montague estate.

House Montague was situated over an underground stream, affording them the ability to irrigate their own crops and water their live stock. The House was autonomous but that didn't stop them from raiding House Capulet or any of the other salvaging Houses. Her mother was a fool if she thought the bastard would stop the raids once he had Jules and Rose. Then again, her mother did have something Montague lacked. For all their abundant resources, they had an appalling lack of females.

The House rose in the distance, a strange bit of architecture that blended with the natural rock formations to make it look like the building grew out of the earth. The windows were few and far between, thin sparse cut outs in the rock that lent the whole structure a foreboding gloom.

Rose's hand slipped into hers, squeezing her fingers for both Jules's comfort and her own. Despite her cousin's fear, she wondered if she would see Romeo again. What would he look like now? Would he recognize her beneath the mess of fur and body paint? Or did the Lord Montague keep his once favorite broken son locked away somewhere?

"We're here my lady."

They were indeed, and an entourage awaited them. Jules throat went at the familiar face that waited for them, a rifle resting casually in his hands. He watched as Rose and Jules clambered down from the rig and approached, the laughter long gone from his face. He used to have such a lovely laugh.

"Hello, Ben," said Jules, studying him through the screen of her outfit. It concealed much of her, making her unrecognizable until she got close. Did Romeo's beloved cousin know of the arrangements made by their parents? Perhaps they were meant to be his wives. She doubted they would be so lucky.

Her fears were confirmed when Ben's eyes widened. "Juliet?"

Ah, there it was then. There were few males in the actual Montague line the Lord would go through the trouble of securing a breeding female for. Not unless the aging Lord intended to secure the line for himself. "Who are we here for?" She whispered to Ben, his darting gaze confirming her fears before the words left his lips.

"The Lord secured both of you for himself."

Rose leaned into her for strength. So unlike her cousin, who usually kept her going through the day. She hugged an arm around Rose's shoulders, wishing she could do more than merely comfort.

"I'm here, Rose, we are in this together."

Ben led the two women to an antechamber eerily similar to her mother's. She fought the urge to pace, waiting for their entrance to Lord Montague's receiving room. Her nerves thrummed with awareness, the chill in the shadowy hall and Rose's fear prickling along her skin. Her cousin's fear had been slowly escalating since the Lady Capulet's decree. Rose was not meant for this life. She never wanted this life. Neither did Jules.

The doors opened, a servant bowing them inside with a flourish. The Lord Montague squatted on his seat like a toad, bloated and pasty. Jules swallowed down a wave of nausea at the smirk that played on his puffy lips. How had such a horrid man had such a beautiful son. Had. It was the sound that drew her eye.

Jules felt her chest tighten, her gaze irrevocably drawn to him. Rumors didn't do justice to the damage. He leaned against the wall, supported by two canes. His once proud frame sagged, the muscles atrophying from long disuse. A mask covered half his face, the hoarse wheeze what attracted her attention in the first place but she would know him anywhere. Romeo was acquiring the same pasty complexion as his father but his hair was still a lush tangle of brown curls. His green eyes were dull, unfocused, but still vibrant in color. Seeing him like this, knowing their tryst was the cause, wrenched her heart in two. She bit down on a sob as Lord Montague rolled to his feet, approaching her with his hands extended. She prayed she didn't scream at his touch.

"My dear girl, pay no mind to my son," said the Lord, clasping her hand. She noticed he didn't mention her name. Their concealing garb only made too much sense now and what a cruel revenge it was. She forced herself to keep her eyes on Montague, afraid he would do something to further his son's misery to spite her. In the corner of her eye, she saw Ben slide along the wall next to him. The Lord's eyes also shifted their way, which made his next words all the more cruel. "Come Rosaline, Juliet. Let us get you settled in your, ah, rooms."

Jules closed her eyes as Romeo startled violently. He would have fallen to the ground if Ben wasn't there to catch him. It didn't escape her notice the Lord Montague did away with calling them ladies. Now they were chattel.