For Romeo Hath Been Slain

XI

My first kiss with Hera had been a startling moment in my life. I had always been afraid of being this intimate with a girl and when the moment came I was scared to nuts. I haven't been the best with physical contact so surviving the intimacy of locking lips was nothing less than a profound accomplishment on my part. This speaks a lot about who I really am, doesn't it? A simple kiss was already a notch on the belt, how can anyone expect anything from me? If I do see Hera again, all I could really say is—

—thank you for trusting me.

***

Sweat trickled down my neck as I hear a commotion from inside the castle. People must have noticed the fire by now. I look up at a clueless Juliet in her balcony and felt a shiver down my spine.

"I came here to warn you. There's a fire that's in your home. You've got to leave now or else..." I gulped down the end of my sentence.

"A... a fire? In this house? Oh my... I've got to tell my father..." Juliet's voice drowned in the screams and cries that were getting louder.

"Your father probably knows by now! He shouldn't be in any danger. Look, how about you climb out of the balcony by these vines. That's the fastest way out of the castle!" I said desperately as I pointed at the vines that hung from her balcony.

"Oh... Thee hast a point. But I am afraid... Please, stand below the balcony. Catch me if I fall..." her voice drifted away in what sounded like intense fright.

"Of course," I said with a warm smile, before proudly adding "Thank you for trusting me."

She nodded and after an almost unnoticeable moment of thought, she hesitantly reached out for the thinnest vine. And then she began to climb down the vine steadily. Her actions were careful and calculated as if she had done it before. I calmed my nerves and was confident that she would be able to descend to the ground safely.

CRACK!

Everything happened too quickly. The vine snapped. A scream of horror. I opened up my arms. She fell right in them. I breathed heavily. I had time to breathe. Cool.

I held her in my arms and time froze at that moment. It was now her turn to gaze into my eyes. It was a look I would never forget. Her eyes overflowing with innocence, fear and a subtle pinch of anger, much to my surprise. She was so close to my body at that I moment, I would be able to hear her every breath only if the thumping of my heart hadn't been louder.

"Kind sir, thee... Thee hath saved me!" Juliet said with watery eyes and she suddenly thrusted her lips upon mine.

It was a surreal moment. Well, none of this is actually happening in real life because all this is just my fantasy and I'm just hallucinating in a laboratory but whatever. I like to live in the moment. Especially when such moments don't come by anymore. I mean, I don't think I can ever hold my ex-wife in my arms and kiss her in ancient Italy again, right?

I enjoyed the passionate moment. Heck, maybe I should try to fall in love with this hallucination of mine. Who cares if it's all in my mind. It's as real as it can get. I now push forth my lips upon hers. And she gnawed on mine hungrily.

I'm not really sure how much time has elapsed but it was probably quite long a kiss. She was weightless in my arms as her head laid in my arms and she saw her pendant across my neck.

"Oh! That is my pendant! How did thee find this sacred treasure?" she exclaimed as tears welled up in her eyes.

I gave a brief smile, unclipped the pendant and secured it tightly to her neck. Her skin was smooth, too smooth. Too perfect.
"We met a moment ago. Father said you were with the Montagues, framing our house for the murder of their... heir? Thee looks a good man with a good soul. Is this true?" her voice became raspy and my eyes immediately darted away from hers.

"I...I...no," I wanted to admit it. To own it. Really. To be responsible. To speak the truth. But I couldn't. It wasn't my fault that Romeo died. I am not to be blamed.

"...no, it was not me." were the words that spurted out.

She gently stroked her pendant and rolled her eyes. "Then, why dost thee look so frightful when I asked. Methinks thee knows the truth but is tied by the tongue." Juliet snapped at me, much to my surprise.

Before I could answer her with another blatant lie, the crackling of the flames grew largely audible and we realised were standing outside a burning and castle and should, like rational people, vacate the premises promptly.