Sword Crossed Lovers

These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends

The chapel is calmly lit and the natural light fills each crevice.  Almost illuminated with the fragrance of hope and light of love, Romeo impatiently waits with the friar by his side for his love.  Dressed in his fine blue robes, nothing too special as to not raise suspicions, he still looks smart and aware of his appearance.  The Friar is flaunting his only wedding uniform, christened with the three power-house family crests, the Capulet on the right, Montague on the left, and Escalus in the center.  The irony lies in how Romeo intended to stand on the Capulet side and the place for Juliet is under the Montague House crest.

Perhaps Romeo seeks some atonement for his family's hatred towards the Capulets and wishes to meet his wife-to-be under the more neutral Escalus emblem.  Or perhaps it is to better greet the future of his new life and potential bloodline.

Romeo glances impatiently once more at the friar and Lawrence sighs, "So smile the heavens upon this holy act that after-hours with sorrow chide us not.  Be patient, good Romeo.  She comes, she comes!"
"Amen, amen," he states, tossing his arms up before him impatiently.  The thought of waiting a second longer for his true love to become lawfully his seems unbearable for the hot blood rising in his veins.  The call to youth might overturn this cool-headed man.

The friar places a calming but assuring hand on Romeo.  "Have heart my son.  Have heart."
"But come what sorrow can, it cannot countervail the exchange of joy that one short minute gives me in her sight.  Do thou but close our hands with holy words, then love-devouring death do what he dare; it is enough I may but call her mine," he gushes, the joy contagious to the older man basking in the lover's presence.

The friar slightly turns away and sighs, "These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume.  The sweetest honey is loathsome in his own deliciousness and in the taste confounds the appetite."  He catches Romeo's eyes.  "Therefore love moderately. Long love doth so.  Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow," he warns tenderly.

Suddenly the room becomes lit with another eternal fire.  Juliet Capulet has arrived and Romeo can feel it in his soul.  He turns before his eyes even find her body.  He opens his arms and begins striding down towards her at the front entrance.  Although the friar had prepared them to be married in a back room, he had still decorated it modestly but in respect to their joyous occasion.

The candles all around only make Juliet glow.  Her eyes dance in Romeo's gaze and at once the lovers embrace.  Her nurse stands behind the girl, tears of joy welling in her eyes.  She pulls out a tissue and takes her seat on the Capulet side.  Benvolio and Mercutio too take their seats on the Montague side.  Nurse greets the two other boys with a head nod and they return with a tip of the hat and a small bowing gesture.  Romeo's guests had been so quiet, he had almost forgotten them.
"Here comes the lady. Oh, so light a foot will ne'er wear out the everlasting flint.  A lover may bestride the gossamers that idles in the wanton summer air, and yet not fall.  So light is vanity," grumbles the friar, rolling his eyes as the lovers embrace and kiss passionately.

With the fire welling in their blood, threatening to burn right through them, he is forced to separate them.  As they pull back, he eagerly gives Romeo the look and he sees the youth's eyes droop with respectful understanding.
"Good even to my ghostly confessor," bows Juliet to the friar, taking a small bow.  With grace, she moves her white make-shift wedding dress outwards to curtsy and the friar respectfully bows back.  Romeo stands shocked at her beauty and even up close, she looks like an angel.  With a care to his gaze, he overviews her form slowly.  He starts with her hair, noticing the small jewels embedded in her curls.  He then moves to her eyes, her soul beating through each speck of blue dancing in the universe of her pupils.

Romeo takes her hand in his and can't help but kiss the top of it.  He moves slowly and bows as she blushes, smiling.  He maintains her gaze and lets his kiss caress her skin just slightly, holding back his urge to take here there and make her his by letting his lips breach holy barriers across her flesh.

"Romeo shall thank thee, daughter, for us both," replies the friar, giving the youth a wink.

Romeo raises his head and turns his back on the pews.  He hears Mercutio snicker in the background but he forces the annoyance from his mind.  Tonight is about him and his Juliet, not those two rascals.

"Juliet, if the measure of thy joy be heaped like mine, tell me about the happiness thou dost imagine we'll have in our marriage," blushes Romeo, taking her other hand and facing her.
"Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, brags of his substance, not of ornament.  They are but beggars that can count their worth.  But my true love is grown to such excess I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth," she replies in a hushed giggle.

Almost baited by her laughter, Romeo leans in and without a second heartbeat, presses his lips gently against Juliet's.  She presses back into his kiss and allows her arms to find the nape of his strong neck.  She feels the soft cloth of his collared shirt and he finds the small of her back with his arms.  Together then lean in closer, their bodies threatening to merge into one and all in the room can feel the heat begin to pulse from the two lovers.

"Come, come with me, and we will make short work.  For, by thy leaves, thou shalt not stay alone till holy church incorporate two in one," snaps the friar, pressing the lovers apart from each other once more, rolling his eyes.