Preys and Predators 3 Love Binds, Family Destroy Chapter 30

 

30.

 

Arranged marriage was then the norm.

“And I will say no once more.” Jessica looked at her mother. “Mother, there is a …… boundary of being wedded that requires ……”

“Love does not exist.” Leah bit her own tongue. “Not until you are wedded. The two of you will appreciate each other then.”

“Having the young ones clinging to my skirt, not one but perhaps a dozen. And he is off to the tavern. He comes home drunk…” Jessica was fuming with anger.

“Enough, Jessica. I will discuss it with your father and Abram.” Leah cut in. “The matter is now closed.”

“It is not. Why do you deny me my choice of love? Is Lorenzo below our status of a …… richness?”

“Jessica, being wealthy does not concern us. But Lorenzo is a Capulet. He is also a Christian. We are… traders too, but our wares are coins. We have been dealing with the Capulet, and we ……”

“Because he is a bastard among the Capulets. He holds no say in their business. He holds no leverage in the transactions. He ……”

“Yes, it is about business. We cannot have a disruption to the business dealings.” Leah sighed. “We cannot risk the business with such a marriage.”

“What about Abram? He is of Montague. ….”

“He is not but works for them. He may work for the Capulets or the Santinis, but he is Jewish. That was all we asked for.” Leah admitted it.

“And if Lorenzo becomes one like us. Will you approve?”

“I do not know. I need to talk to your father. It is ……”

“Business. Why am I not surprised at that?” Jessica then stepped away and made her way to the square. She saw Antonio and Bassanio approaching the house. She ignored their greetings and walked on.

“She looks upset.” Bassanio looked at the departing lady.

“Does it matter? We are to see the father.” Antonio kept on walking. He was weighing the last news they had on the shipment.

“Gentlemen, I cannot delay the repayment of the ducats. It was an agreed arrangement.” Shylock, when met, told the two gentlemen. “If……”

“Levy on us the interest for the delay. We will cover that.” Antonio looked to the lender.

“It is not the question of the interest rates. I have other reputable borrowers who want the coins soon. I cannot delay them, or I will lose my business to the others.”

“Gentlemen, I will insist on the repayment on the due date, or ……”

“A pound of my flesh, you said so. I will not give it to you, for I will pay. Shylock, you are a ……” Antonio was upset. “Abi gezunt dos leben ken men zikh ale mol nemen.” Sounds nice in Yiddish, right? Translated, it means roughly, “Stay healthy, because you can kill yourself later.”

“I am offended, Antonio. For that, I will not negotiate on the extension of the due date. Good day, gentlemen.” Shylock dismissed the two gentlemen. They left him, and Leah joined him there.

“I overheard the discussion. You are too rash to say no.” Leah offered the husband the drink of tea.

“I was to negotiate, but he cursed at me. I will be foolish to give in.” Shylock was upset. He had been humiliated many times by the traders, and ever since he got Abram on his side, the traders were more kind in their words.

“Antonio crossed the line there.” Leah comforted her husband. “But we are in the line of lending. Antonio …”

“Hardly pays on time. He holds the backing of Lord Gencio Capulet, which is how he flaunts himself at me. I will get him on his debts this time.” Shylock took a sip of the tea offered. “How was Jessica? Did she agree?”

“Your daughter is as stubborn as the river flow. She will not agree.” Leah sighed. “Maybe we could ….”

“As she is now my daughter, she will follow my call.” Shylock stood up to leave. “I am to see someone on business.”

At the square, Jessica took her walk to the café where Juliet was waiting. Once seated, Jessica poured out her woes on the love with Lorenzo. Juliet listened, but her thoughts were on her own. She cut in then.

“Jessica, I am in the same dilemma.” Juliet sighed. “I am in love with a man I cannot be wedded to.”

“What happened to us? Are we in the same nightmare?” Jessica looked at her friend. “Who is it?”

“Romeo Capulet.” Juliet whispered the name out. “We met at the ball, which you did not turn up for. We danced and then danced. And soon after…”

“How was he there?” Jessica asked.

“He came under the name of Ramone Alger, and we danced. And ……” Juliet smiled.

“Oh, God. Do not tell me you ……” Jessica had the expression as if Genoa were sinking.

“No, we did not. I am more respectful there. We met the next day at the market, and then we talked. Soon, …… well, we met several times…at the church, the cemetery….”

“Gracious me, you met him among the dead persons?”

“At the other side, none we knew, and anyway, they are dead.” Juliet smiled. “The dead do not tell.”

“I cannot be sure. They may in our nightmares.” Jessica laughed. “My dead aunt…”

“Seriously, Jessica. You know the rift between us and the Capulet.” Juliet looked towards the other. “Speak no more. The Capulets are here.”

Jessica turned and saw the approaching trio: Romeo, Sampson, and Gregory. She avoided her sight and looked at Jessica, but the mischief was on then.

“I see two doves in wait of the hawks.” Gregory stepped up to the ladies. ‘Lady Juliet, how was the ball dancing? I heard you danced well. Was it with the devil?”

“Let us move, Gregory. We have our own matters to attend.” Romeo stepped in to stop the other.

“It is okay, young master. I am just …….” Gregory was interrupted then.

“Stay your distance, dogs of Capulet.”

“Who are you to call us dogs?” Gregory turned to the one who had intercepted their fun.

“Mercutio. I am with Count Paris of Verona, a friend of Lord Gencio Capulet and of the Montagues. He is a kinsman of Prince.” The man stepped towards Gregory. “Whom, may I ask, are you?”

“I am Gregory……” The Capulet guard was interrupted by Mercutio, who then addressed Romeo.

“Young Romeo, I should have seen you earlier. How are you? Is your father with you? And …… I do not see Reynard? Is he here too?” Mercutio pressed on with the questions. He then apologizes to Romeo.

“My blunder truly. I have asked so many of you. Please accept my apology.” Mercutio bowed to the young man. “This is the Lady Juliet Montague, and this… pardon me, lady. I have not heard of your name.”

“Jessica Judas.” The other lady said.

“Mercutio, these brutes intruded on my tea with my friend.” Juliet glared at Gregory.

“Yes, I had to intervene. Do pardon the brash attitude of the young here.” Mercutio smiled at Juliet. “I will handle it from here.”

“Mercutio, I want to……” Romeo was to offer his apology when another intervened there.

“Mercutio, when have you played the knight to rescue the damsel in distress?”

“Ah, Benvolio Capulet.” Mercutio looked to the newly arrived member of the Capulet. “Your arrival is ever timely. Your …… men were rude to the ladies.”

“And we will apologize. My name is Benvolio Capulet, cousin of Romeo. I duly apologize for the behavior of the Capulet.” Benvolio Capulet, in his late forties, is a member of the cavalry that rode with Count Paris. He had just returned from Moldavia to see the Lord of the Capulet. He is also the friend of Mercutio and had not taken any sides with the Capulet and Montague. He was more of a mercenary in the wars.

“Be off, the three of you. I am sure the Capulets have their own paths to take.” Benvolio shooed the trio off. He then looked at Mercutio.

“I would like to have some goblets with you when I am here. We have much to discuss.”

“On what?” Mercutio asked.

“Wallachia and Moldavia.”

At Castle Poenari, Lady Justina stood at the grand hall of the castle. That was to be the new home when Vlad was at war. The castle, as it was known then, was a citadel situated on top of a mountain and accessed by climbing long steps of stairs. It was located on the plateau of Mount Cetatea, facing the west side of the Transfăgărășan, on a canyon formed on the Argeș River valley, close to the Făgăraș Mountains. The castle, perched high on a steep precipice of rock, was further constructed by Vlad Tepes, using the boyars imprisoned by him to make it larger and fortified.

The boyars had claimed that in the night the temperature was much lower than usual in the castle, they smelled rotten flowers although there were none, and many suffered from bizarre nightmares. It was attributed to the prisoners’ state of mind then. (Adapted from Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopaedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters, Visionary Living, Inc. Pages 57-60. Retrieved 15 October 2019.)

“Lady, we have the chamber assigned to you.” Lady Justina was told. She turned to the commander of the guard assigned to the castle.

“Where is the Voivode?”

“To my knowledge, he is with Stephen III. They ride for Snagov.”

Vlad Tepes was not riding there; with the army that he assembled by forced recruitment, he was riding around in Wallachia. King Corvinus had not sent the reinforcements required by Vlad for his battles.

“I am on the brink of the war once again, and yet I am without an army to challenge the Turks.” Vlad looked to those gathered there at a village. He saw among them were a few boyars, old and tired-looking; their successor probably was sent off to avoid the call-up. With the boyars’ army and his combined, they numbered not more than five thousand. It was a meager figure compared to the Turks, who may be in the range of twenty or thirty thousand. 

“We cannot back down.” Vlad told the gathered. “We need more recruits.”

“Send out the words to the peasants. I want volunteers …… No, I will be bringing them in as part of my army. They will be given weapons and assigned to the veterans of the war. Men and women who can fight. It is not a marriage of convenience but a sacred duty to defend our land.”

“For now, do what is needed. I am to leave for a period.” Vlad then left the gathering.