Preys and Predators 3 Love Binds, Family Destroy Chapter 18

 

18. 

 

Lord Dante Montague had made a quiet entry to the house and was stopped by the words spoken there in the garden.

“He shall not make me a joyful bride.” Those words were heard.

“Is she not proud?” Another retorted back with more words.

“Proud I can never be of what I hate.” The first spoke on the line.

“What is hate when one is to be joyful?” The reply was heard. (adapted from Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare).

“Where there is joy, then the hate will subside.”

Lord Dante Montague cut in and then appeared to the two who were engaged in what was said to be stichomythia, wherein characters participate in a short, quick exchange of one-upmanship.

“Father, you returned.” His daughter Juliet rushed to her father. His daughter, Juliet, had grown to be a fine lady then. She had on the V-neck long shade of blue gown, with sleeves heavily ornamented, worn over a kirtle or under-gown, with a linen chemise with the high fullness over the belly, replaced by a V-neck, often cut low enough to reveal the decorated front of the kirtle beneath.

“Should I not be?” The father said.

“As much as he wants to.” The daughter smiled. They continued in the exchange of stichomythia.

“And who may you be?” Lord Dante Montague asked of the lady standing there.

“I am Jessica Judas, daughter of Shylock Judas.” The lady dressed plainly but was of good taste.

“Ah… The daughter of Shylock. How is your father?” Lord Dante Montague remembered the moneylender.

“He is well, Lord Dante Montague.” Jessica did a curtsy and then took leave.

“Does she come often?” Lord Dante Montague asked his daughter. She had grown much and looked more like the mother.

“We are friends. We met at the square and soon became friends. She is of the same age as me.” Juliet smiled. “Come, Mother will be glad to see you.”

“She does not go to church?” Lord Dante Montague asked.

“No, she is Jewish. She attends their own version of the churches.” Juliet pulled the father alongside. Lord Dante Montague was happy to be home. He had missed his family very much, and even more so his mistress, Angeline.

“She is at the library with another.” Jessica replied. “Are you here to see me or her?”

“You are my reunion reason, my child.” Lord Dante Montague smiled.

Reunion was also the task of Friar Lawrence; though of the Catholic faith, he held himself to the task of uniting family members that went astray in the wars. In his younger days, he had travelled far to Kosovo to offer aid to the refugees of the war. He held no affiliation to the faith that they belonged to, but his assistance was fair to all. He had travelled there with the huge sack and his faith that all will be well. He collected wild fruits or the small bits he could collect from the kitchens, and thus he fed the ones in need.

“Father…”

“I am a friar, son.” The friar prostrated himself by the frail prisoner at the dungeon. When he was not at Genoa, he was on the move from battlefields to the dungeons. He told the boyars that all were the children of God, and they all deserved the mercy of God.

‘Go forth, friar. Say your last rites or whatever to them. We will not halt your intention. But beware of the faithless or the heathens. They may not take kindly to your tidings.”

The friar was not fearful of the wrath of man, but he feared more of that from God. He took his path where it may lead and did his best. His welcoming words were the same: “I come bearing some fried fruits and my prayers to share with you.”

The jailers welcomed him, for with his prayers they may get to Heaven, for the task of the jailer was not without sins. He prayed with them and with the prisoners.

“Thank you, Friar. I have... I have sinned.” The prisoner was named Vlad Tepes. “My sins are ……”

“Take your time, son. God will not forsake you, Vlad Tepes.” The friar looked to the man who had been there for some years. He saw the sticks there with the carcasses of the rats on the flooring. He knew it was the prisoner’s work and did a prayer. “He heard your prayers and ……”

“My prayers to HIM were for my family. I love them. We as a family are torn apart due to my other love. I… did what I could to preserve my love for the people there, but I am now in despair and await my death. The other prisoners… they were taken, but I am spared or in wait.”

“Say a prayer with me, son. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me." The friar prayed for the prisoner. “Your day will come and you will be freed.”

“I care not for mine alone, but for my people. They deserved peace and harmony.” Vlad Tepes cried. “Why must war divide families?”

Families divided by war was the result of it.

Shylock was of a divided opinion. His family business was divided by the unscrupulous traders. He had taken over his fathers’ business—both fathers’, to be exact—and he learned the trade the hard way. It was not easy years when the traders heard of the young money lender. They pressed on him for the loans and haggled on the rates. He found no guidance from the associates of the same trade; they all viewed his failure as their gain.

Leah took her seat next to the husband. She was with a child, their second one after so many years after Jessica. It was different when you worked or learned the trade from listening, until the actual negotiations fell on you.

“My love, the traders are putting you on their chopping block.” Leah told him. “We have to think differently.”

“But how? I applied every trick my father taught me, but we are minions to their strength.” Shylock was nervous. He held no power of strength to gain back his dues. He hired the mercenaries, but they are as good as the winds on the sails of the boats. They come and go when they please.

“We need to get a powerful ally.” Leah told him. “I am in the advanced stages of my second birth. It had been hard and difficult for me. Soon, I will be away from your side. We need to collect more than we give.”

Shylock took to the tavern to search for allies in the form of mercenaries. He saw some that he had hired and left with a bigger dent in his treasury. He took off from there and walked to the synagogue. He saw the young boys there doing their studies by the elderly. He took his place to pray for guidance and love.

“I pray for my second child soon to come, and also for peace, but it seems to elude me every time.” Shylock heard the prayer and looked towards the direction. It was a man who was offering his prayer to God. He heard of the man and only knew his name.

“Abram…”

God does listen, and sometimes, too well.

“Romeo Capulet, you will be hoe-bound till I am satisfied.” Lord Gencio Capulet looked to his son, who was off his teenage years, but his antics were still of that. The conflict with the boyar’s son reached his ears. He had ordered the son to appear before him at the library. The others followed suit, and there was the head of the household there, Reynard.

“Do you know the Lord Helmut is the powerful one among the German barons? He has the king’s ears at court. If his son was hurt, it may not only be your head but mine too that he will demand.”

“Father, all I did was……”

“Silence!” Lord Gencio Capulet looked at Sampson and Gregory.

“I expected you to coach my son, and yet he runs circles around the two of you.” Lord Gencio Capulet did hire the two veterans to protect his son, and that includes the coaching of fighting skills. He, himself, had learned that at an early age as part of his training to be a trader, and the need to know how to fight was needed on the journeys. He did not train to be a warrior but could protect himself in those fights.

“Reynard, I want you to take over the role now. Sampson and Gregory will follow me on all business.” Lord Gencio Capulet needed protection in view of the many mercenaries in the city. The wars were still ongoing with the Ottoman Empire, but the ones at the city were the discards or maimed ones. They were the rascals or thugs in their new roles, and thus the traders and nobles required guards.

“Lord Gencio Capulet, I will coach the boy.” Reynard was then old in age, but his firm grip on the sword was still strong. He could not run fast nor jump higher, but he knew how to fight dirty if needed.

“Father, I must protest.” Romeo, ever outspoken, looked to the older man. “I have……”

“That will take care of it.” That was the voice of the mother, Lady Sofia. She had arrived on her son’s excuses. She looked to the Lord and said to him.

“Romeo will be at home. I will make sure he is.” Lady Sofia looked towards her son. Lord Gencio Capulet knew better than to remain silent and then erupt into a family argument. The lord stood up and then took leave of the library, followed by the two assigned escorts. He was late to the court, and God knows when he will return unless Romeo upsets another lord’s family.

“Romeo, you will be assigned a daily schedule planned by myself and Reynard, and no excuses will be entertained.” The lady told the son. She then referred to Reynard.

“I will speak to Romeo myself now.” It was not a request but an order. Reynard took his leave of the mother and son. The mother then turned towards the son.

“Romeo, where art thou? If not in the tavern drinking, you will be upsetting some ladies in the park.” Lady Sofia sighed. “What……”

“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and my mother is the sun!” (Adapted from Romeo & Juliet from Act 1, replacing Juliet’s name with the mother, as radiance to the light of the sun.)

“I am distressed, Romeo. Your antics are funny, but be serious. Your father held high hopes for you.” The mother snapped at the errant son. “We have only you, and no brothers or sisters.”

“A half-brother, Mother. I have Lorenzo.” Romeo looked at his mother. “He is your child too.”

“Yes, Lorenzo is mine, but he is not a true Capulet. You are, and your father held high hopes of you.”

“I will be obedient, Mother.” Romeo prostrated himself before his mother. “That I promise.”

 

 

Preys and Predators 3 Love Binds, Family Destroy Chapter 17

 

17. 

 

Fifteen years was not a lifetime, but to some it was a long time. Vlad Tepes, imprisoned by the King of Hungary, was angry. He had ruled Wallachia as his father did, and loved his people as they loved him. His goal was to build Wallachia into a powerful, truly independent state, rather than a puppet buffer tossed back and forth between Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. He learned his lesson when he was held hostage there. This was a situation that the local nobility used to their advantage to keep the state weak and themselves unaccountable to any authority beyond their own.

Vlad III knew that to succeed, he had to overcome the disruptive power of the nobility, and to do so, he had to use violence and terror, because he did not have time to breed them out or politically outmanoeuvre them. In addition to that, he also had to maximize the revenue coming into the treasury. Wallachia was not of Poland, Hungary, or the colossus of the Ottoman Empire. To do so, he had to maximize internal efficiency and do what he could to grow the Wallachian economy at the expense of foreign trading partners, like the Saxon merchants in Hungary and Transylvania. For those like the Transylvanians, he had to go to war with them and imposed a settlement after committing several atrocities against them. With the Ottomans, Vlad had done everything he could control to improve his position. He had offered sureties in ducats, delayed the payments, and even executed the emissaries.

His position was ever precarious due to the threat by the others to invade Wallachia. It was meant to be the last outpost of Christianity on the Danube front, or the buffer for the Ottoman Empire, depending on which side was looking at it.

For all of that, he had failed.

His greatest regret was his love for his family.

“Katharina……” Not his first love, for he was wedded to Anastasia Holszanska, the Queen of Poland's niece; a union of convenience then, but Cupid struck at his heart. He saw the other, Katarina, while he was riding through the city. It was said that love at first sight was pure love, and Vlad felt that.

Katharina Siegel, a beautiful seventeen-year-old blond girl with blue eyes. He wanted to wed her, and corresponded with the Pope asking him to grant an indulgence letter so that Vlad could cancel the marriage to his first wife, Anastasia Holszanska.

Vlad was denied.

Vlad was to wed Katarina, but had several children with her till his imprisonment.

Vlad's time at the dungeon was marked by his mind thinking of Wallachia. He still has his aspiration to rule Wallachia once more. He was not visited by Katharina, but she sent him letters through friends. She was not a noble, but she knew some traders.

One of them was Lord Gencio Capulet.

“Who rules Wallachia now?” Vlad asked.

“For a while, it was your brother, Radu, and then Basarab Laiotă cel Bătrân. Both Lord fought and claimed the seat several times.”

“And my house?” Vlad asked.

“Katharina is well. She is at your home and takes care of the children.” He had met Vlad at the court of Hungary, and in a short time, they became friends. They spend time talking about Wallachia. Lord Gencio Capulet was keen to know about Wallachia, for it was a land of tussle between the two great powers. When the Voivode was imprisoned, Lord Gencio Capulet made his visit there with the permission of the King.

“Impalement was my show of deterrent to the enemies, more so the boyars who defied my rule. If I had not done so, I would be considered weak.” Vlad told Lord Gencio Capulet during one of their talks. The once proud Voivode was reduced to the ragged tunic that reached his knees, and his feet were wrapped with the strips of cloth in place of the sandals.

“You …… impaled women and children.” Lord Gencio Capulet cut in with the accusation. “Turks and my own people.”

“I did… or did not, it was survival. I had to do what was needed to create the fear there. I am sure; however, I said to impale the men, but the executioners may have exceeded their anger towards the innocents. I was away here or on the battlefield. News of such acts reached me much later for me to stop.”

“Did you stop them?” Lord Gencio Capulet was pushing the limits then.

“Stop? I could have, but there were so many battles……... the Saxons, the Bulgarians, and …… not forgetting the Turks. Kill or be killed. And survival was the essence.” Vlad replied.

“At one battle, I killed the Turks; twenty thousand or more in one battle. I told Corvinus in a letter. I was told that Sultan saw his men impaled there. He was upset and had the bodies taken down and burned on the ground there.”

“In retaliation, the Sultan took the slaves of the population, horses, and cattle.” Vlad sounded upset then. “Do you know what it was like to be a slave? A hostage is the same as slavery. Death was preferred to that.”

“You were in the army before, Lord Gencio Capulet? Tell me what you preferred? Death or live as a prisoner?” Vlad looked at the other. “Do not tell me. Our values differ.”

Lord Gencio Capulet excused himself without replying. He did offer the Wallachian his coat then, but the other declined.

“My cold nights here are nothing compared to my feelings that I hold now. I am in a state of misery here alone. Leave me, Genoa trader. I will be fine till death takes me over.” Vlad shook his head. “Just send words to my family, that I am alive. Blood runs thicker than water, Lord Gencio Capulet. That I valued most.”

More was to be said of the Capulet family, for Lord Gencio Capulet was not around for the initial years for his son; then lord was in the Court of Corvinus. He had resigned from the army and staked his position as the trader there. He had sent gifts to Romeo, his son, and to his mistress, Lady Sofia, aka Wendy, along with the wealth to transact more supplies for the warring factions. He had left the family to his cousin, Tybalt, to oversee the business.

Tybalt Capulet is the son of Lord Gencio Capulet's brother and Juliet's hot-headed first cousin. He had served in the cavalry for Genoa and had participated in the war with the Ottomans before, but the wounds of the battle left him with only sight in the right eye.

“Where is Romeo?” Tybalt asked when he arrived at the home of the Capulets. The household knew not where the young Capulet. He had himself got news that Romeo was in a duel with some other noble’s son.

“Where are Gregory and Sampson? Those idiots are to protect Romeo.”

Unknown to Tybalt, the Capulets were in the city, doing their pranks on the streets, with Romeo, the antagonist, sneaking up on the ladies and calling them names. Some of the ladies were escorted by their beau, or guardians, and the confrontation will arise. The Montagues were dressed like most in Genoa. The full through the upper body and the sleeves were of the doublet sleeves to make puffs, especially at the elbow and the back of the arm. The affordable ones had their shirts decorated with embroidery or applied braid. Over the shirt was worn a doublet; tight-fitting doublets, tailored to be tight at the waist, giving in effect a short skirt below, was the fashion. The form-fitting hose on the leggings, and long pointed shoes or thigh-boots to lend a long-attenuated appearance below the waist, and a stout, solid one above.

“Hold your hand, Sir. I had not done anything to her.” Romeo will deny his pranks besides calling the ladies by surprise. He will be defended by the two escorts with him in any possible confrontation. Gregory and Sampson, both swordsmen by training, had served with Tybalt in the same column. They were more than twice the age of Romeo.

“I will shoot you, scoundrel.” The beau had drawn out the musket rifle. He had carried it after having used it to shoot at the pheasants in the woods.

“A rifle? I am petrified.” Gregory laughed. “Son, I had faced those in the war. By the time you load and light the wick, I would have thrust my sword into your liver.”

“Arghh…… You kill me, dear Sir.” Sampson imitated the dying throes of the man. “Kiss me, my dear, before I die.”

Romeo and his escorts laughed. He was then armed with a dagger as befitted him for his personal defence. He was told by Tybalt to let Sampson or Gregory handle any duels.

“You are mean gentlemen!” The lady said towards the Capulets. “Let us be on our way, or I will have my father called on your honour.”

“As you wished, my lady.” Gregory bowed to the lady. He had seen her dressing and guessed she was not of any commoners, and to avoid any troubles, it was best to step aside. The young couple took their way, with the beau dragging his musket. His day was marred with disaster; he had not shot any pheasant that morning despite his intention to impress the lady.

“Tell your father, I am Romeo of Capulet.” The young brat called out to the departing couple.

“Romeo, my dear …… I may remind you that we do not need more enemies around us. The Montagues are more than enough for us to handle now.” Sampson cautioned the young Capulet.

“I am sure you can fight any of them single-handedly.” Romeo stepped up to his two escorts. “Uncle Tybalt …….”

“He speaks too highly of us, but we are mortals here. We can die.” Gregory added.

“These violent delights have violent ends. And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,” Sampson reminded his friend. They had fought side by side and met many adversaries, but their fear of death had given them caution to know when to fight or flee. (Adapted from Romeo and Juliet – Friar Laurence means to warn Romeo about the dangers of his overwhelming feelings; his sinister words foreshadow the tragedy to come.

“Oh, I am fortune’s fool!” Romeo laughed. He laments the cruelty of fate by referring to himself as “fortune’s fool.” Despite his best efforts, he does not seem to be able to avoid tragedy. (Another quote from Romeo and Juliet).

“Halt your victory celebrations,” Sampson told Romeo. “The Montagues are seen.”

It was the servants of the Montagues who were seen taking their path towards the Capulets. They were escorted by one named Abram of Montague, who was a soldier too, like the duo, but he was older.

“She has a man's brain--a brain that a man should have been, he much gifted--and a woman's heart. The good God fashioned her for a purpose, believe me when He made that so good a combination.” Bram Stoker, Dracula.

“What did you say, servant of Capulet?” Abram was hot-headed. He saw Romeo had his right thumb in his mouth. It was an insulting gesture at the Montague. “Are you insulting my mother?”

“I …….” Romeo was to retort, but Gregory cut in.

“Hold your hand, Abram. No reason to shed blood here. Young Capulet was …… talking of his friend who just left us.” Gregory smiled. “It is near noon, and we best be going back too.”

Sampson had grabbed Romeo’s arm and half-dragged him away. Romeo was to argue, but the grip on his left arm was tougher to fight off. Gregory smiled and then walked off to catch up with them. He, in turn, grabbed the other arm of Romeo and made their way away.

“Imbeciles!” Abram muttered under his breath. He was not keen to do a sword fight on the street that day, nor was he shy to do one.

“Be patient, for the world is broad and wide." (Romeo and Juliet; Act 2, Scene 3) The voice was that of Friar Dino Lawrence, who served the poor and desolate in the city.

“Good day, Friar.” Abram turned towards the friar. “I was not …….”

“The conflict of man is not of the man but the devil's work at the man’s heart. If we cling to that, we will always be doing the devil’s works.” Friar Lawrence smiled. “Patience is the virtue given to us by God to still our heart's desire most times, weigh its implications, and then do we use the mind to do what the heart may fail to tell us.”

“I was not to spill blood here, Friar. I share your words wisely. If only the young would learn more of this.”

“We are all young, and some of us never grow out of it. Some do when younger, and for those who did will know what it was when they were younger. Have a better day, my son. I am to visit my care now.” Friar Lawrence took his leave then.

“I am to the synagogue later.” Abram, who was a Jew, said.  

 

Preys and Predators 3 Love Binds, Family Destroy Chapter 16

 

16.

 

Lord Gencio Capulet was blessed with a son then; he named Romeo Montague that year. The name Romeo meant the ‘man from Rome’. The Roman Empire ended in AD 453, when the western Roman Empire came to an end. The eastern Roman Empire, more commonly known as the Byzantine Empire, survived until the fall of Constantinople. The father of the child wanted his son to be remembered greatly like the Roman Empire.

“Thank you, my lady Sofia.” Lord Gencio Capulet kissed his lover then on the left cheek. “You gave me an heir to the business.”

Lady Sofia smiled. It was a difficult birth, but she was happy that she delivered the baby. The midwives were concerned during the birth because the mother did not have the wide hips to accommodate the delivery. It was the determination of the mother to push the baby into the world that he lived.

“What is our son’s name?”

“Romeo Capulet.” Lord Gencio Capulet told her. “He will be a man among men, and remembered his name for ages; they will call upon him. I have placed the chaplet made of laurel, ivy, and parsley at the door.”

It was a Roman tradition, but Gencio, though of the Christian faith, held to some of the traditional ways of the Romans. Genoa flourished under the Roman Empire for years, although the distance between Rome and Genoa was far.

“Lord Gencio Capulet, we must bathe the mother and child now.” The midwives shooed the proud father out of the chamber. When outside, the lord was met by his family and friends.

“Good tidings, Gencio.” It was Antonio who wished him. “Your son's birth has good news for you. Here are the ducats I was to pay last moon.”

Antonio was always in dire need of bridging his loans, but he does return the coins, albeit late than never.

“Have you heard? The Montagues have another child. I was told it was a girl.” Antonio told Lord Gencio Capulet. “Lord Dante Montague is still away.”

“Do not speak ill of Lord Dante Montague.” Lord Gencio Capulet protected the name of his friend. “Where is he now?”

Lord Gencio Capulet had not harboured any anger with the Montagues then. Their rivalry was the dividing point in their friendship. He knew that Lord Dante Montague had wedded Angeline, but she did not like him, so it was no real loss. Lord Dante Montague knew that he had taken on a new mistress to his home. In his mind, the child of the mistress, to ridicule him, although everyone acknowledged Lady Sofia as his wife.

Rarely known to him, Lord Gencio Capulet’s name was mentioned elsewhere, too.

“I am unsure. I heard he is at the Court of Corvinus.” Matthias Corvinus was King of Hungary as Matthias I. He is often given the epithet "the Just". He was the son of John Hunyadi, Regent of Hungary.

“Lord Gencio Capulet is an opportunist where trade or profit can be made.” Another trader said to the King.

“Aye, he may be, but he is ever willing to help the friends of his.” Antonio defended Lord Gencio Capulet. He had arrived to speak to the King about new trades.

“And you are here on Lord Gencio Capulet to negotiate trades?” The King looked at Antonio. “Now that Lord Danio Capulet is busy at home.”

“Yes, your Highness. May we discuss?” Antonio was never one to miss an opportunity. He knew that Lord Dante Montague was there earlier. It was then that Lord Dante Montague got news of his daughter. He was elated and sent back to his home the gifts for his daughter and her mother. His letter was brief.

“I am happy that we have a new member of the family. Do take care. I will be back soon.”

Lord Dante Montague was holding an audience with the other Lords at the court. The war with the Ottomans was ongoing, and Vlad Tepes was dethroned by the boyars. Wallachia was without a Voivode, and the Ottomans placed the young Radu as the Bey of Wallachia.

The new prince returning from the Ottoman Empire to replace his brother was willing to grant concessions to the Transylvanian Saxon merchants, who had come into bitter conflict with Vlad Tepes. The latter, not to give up, sought assistance from Matthias, and they met in Brassó (now Brașov, Romania).

“I pledged my loyalty to you, King Matthias.” Vlad had bowed to the new King of Hungary, replacing John Hunyadi.

“Your history with my father was well recorded. How could I trust you then?” The King of Hungary asked.

“Does the river flow backwards? No, it does not. I am to move forward from here. Your …… The conflicts of mine with John Hunyadi were in the past. We had our differences, but over the years, I have come to terms with them. I admit youthful brashness prevailed over me. I am now more inclined to work with Hungary.”

It was a good presentation, but the rift of the Wallachian Voivode ran deep. Vlad was then betrayed by the Saxons. They presented Matthias with a letter that was allegedly written by Vlad Dracula to Sultan Mehmed, in which the prince offered his support to the Ottomans.

Much to the dismay of the lords there, Matthias had Vlad imprisoned. It was then that Lord Dante Montague decided to leave the court to see his newly born daughter. Meanwhile, Radu, with the Janissary under his command, began attacks and raids on Vlad III's mountain stronghold on the Argeș River, Castle Poenari.

“My King, we are under threat by the Ottoman Empire.” King Matthias Corvinus was not at war with the Ottoman Empire; however, assembled a new army.

“My King, Mehmet II had taken to siege Jaice.” One of the nobles spoke out.

“Then we will fight them.” The King called for the assembly of the new army along the River Sava. Mehmet II saw the assembled army and raised the siege.

“No reason to stop there. We will attack.” King Corvinus gave the command. It was then Lord Gencio Capulet stepped in.

“My King, I hold a shipment of weapons at port. Can you acquire it for a fair price?” Antonio appeared for Lord Gencio Capulet raised the bill of lading. It was agreed, and the army was given the supply.

“Good move there, Antonio.” Lord Gencio Capulet sent words to Antonio. He had changed allegiance to the King from Vlad when he heard the news of the war. He knew that the war was going will mean more supplies needed. The King will plunder the cities that he captured, and that wealth will pay for the supplies.

Lord Dante Montague, back home, found renewed interest in his life with the birth of his daughter. He wanted a name for her to be remembered. His memory rose to the name Juliette, but he found distaste then.

“Juliette is not a name. It is an abbreviation for a slut.” Lord Dante Montague was angry then. “I shall not name her after that…...”

“Juliet, not Juliette, and it means youthful. She will always be youthful, even at death.” The midwives told the father by letter. “Her mother wants that name.”

Lord Dante Montague did not argue with the mother of the child's preference and agreed.

“Juliet will be her name. She will be youthful in her life.”  That was how Juliet got her name: Juliet Montague, the youthful Goddess.

The births did not stop there.

Leah gave birth to a girl, and Shylock was not exactly thrilled. He was expecting a son who would carry on the business as he did for his father.

“Shylock, she is our child. She is God’s gift to us.” Leah told him. He looked at the child and looked away. “Why do you look away from her? She is God’s gift.”

“She is God’s gift to us. It has too many boys in the families. “Shylock’s mother stepped up to the newborn. “I can see her looks that hold some of mine.”

“Shylock, accept her, for she will make you great.” The mother of Shylock told her son. “I am proud to have her with me.”

“Give a name, mother,” Shylock said.

“She is God’s gift. A Yishai, which to us means a gift. Jessica is “to behold,” “to see before,” or “God beholds” in Hebrew. She is the 'gift from god' or 'grace of god’.” Thus, the baby was named Jessica.

“I do not like the name. Or the child.” Shylock told his mother.  

“I am her grandmother. She stays with me.” Shylock’s mother took firm action. “I will raise her as my daughter.”

Shylock was devastated and walked off. He passed the spear that was given to him. He had yet to deliver the message. He did so that day after the long delay.

“Your son died in the war in Kosovo.” Shylock met the family then. “He told me to tell you. I am late because I was wounded and needed time to recover.”

Shylock lied then.

“Thank you for telling us now. We had expected that news after such a long time.” The mother of the dead infantryman said. “War has taken his father and now him. I am left with no one to take care of me.”

“This may help.” Shylock, for the first time in his life, was charitable enough to give some coins away. “He would like you to have it.”

“You bear God’s gift, but I am dying. Take the coins back.” The lady pushed the coins away. “I shall die in peace, knowing that I have not taken any coins from strangers I do not know.”

“It is not mine. It belongs to your son.” Shylock said. “He wants …….”

“My son told me that if ever he returns, it will be with his life. He did not offer me any coins. I am a believer in that. If he is truly dead, then I am glad for him. Life was not easy for him. He has the pain in him, but he worked hard to support me. Coins will not bring him back, but his words did. Please take your coins back.”

Shylock left the lady and met a friar on the way. He explained to the priest what was said.

“Son, the lady is right. Coins you have are blood money from the ones slain. She wants no part of it. All she wanted was the return of her son, his love for her, or his spirit.” The friar told him. “Judas once took thirty silver coins to betray Jesus. He regretted it, and before he died, he had it returned to the priest. Even the priest will not keep it and had it bought a potter's field. Your coins could do the same.”

Matthew 27:7-10; the "potter's field" refers to a field purchased with the money Judas Iscariot used to betray Jesus, which was then used as a burial ground for strangers and the poor.

“Could you do this for me?” Shylock asked.

“No, my son. I cannot. The coins belong to you, but your heart holds onto them. The gift is not sincere. When you are sincere, embrace God and ask for forgiveness. Remember, God's Word tells us what is right and that we should desire to eagerly do His will. “I will run the way of thy commandments . . .. I shall observe it thy Law with my whole heart” (Psalm 119:32, 34).”

Shylock looked to the departing friar and thought of his own sincere gift at home. The gift was not what he wanted, but it was still a gift from God.

 

Preys and Predators 3 Love Binds, Family Destroy Chapter 15

 

15. 

 

Much was to be said of relationships; Dante had courted Angeline for two seasons before he popped the question to her. She was unsure, being young, and the man was twice or more her age.

“Let me…… Wait, were you not in love with Juliette before she got married?” Angeline looked at the man. “Why me?”

“I love you now… more. Juliette was my interest then, but we drifted.” Dante sighed. “I was sure of some love, but your sister was... unsure.”

“Juliette was …….” Angeline bit her lips. She knew her sister was not content with one lover but held many on the side. She knew that Juliette was also with Lord Gencio Capulet, which was why she rejected him then. She was new to the city, but she had her keen observation of who was around. Somehow, she felt that Gencio was more sincere in his approach.

“Love?” Angeline smiled to herself.

“This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath, may prove a beauteous flower when next we meet. Come to thy heart as that within my breast. O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?” (Romeo and Juliet).

“Pardon me……” Lord Dante Montague uttered. “Was it…….”

“No, it was a passing thought of mine.” Angeline looked at the man. Was she his second offering then, when Juliette had absconded to England? She then told him her decision.

“Talk to Mother. Let her decide.” Lord Dante Montague was told. He felt let down by that. His previous attempts were denied, but with Angeline, he felt he could do better. He approached the lady’s mother later that day.

“I take it that your gifts are ……. The hand of my other daughter.” The mother looked at the cases of jewels and coins. “What of Juliette?”

“I …….” Lord Dante Montague stammered and moved the subject. “I came alone, for my parents are dead. I am the head of my household. I do not intend to …….”

“The matter is decided. Angeline will wed you this season. It is about time for her to find a partner. Her sister, Juliette, is engaged to a lord in England. I am too old to watch over her, too.” The lady said. “When I married the father, he was twice my age, too.”

Lord Dante Montague got his reply; that was amazingly fast and without much fuss. He wedded the young bride within the month and left out many friends from the reception. He does not want some drunkard fool to talk of his past exploits.

The young couple took their honeymoon to Venice, where the young wife introduced him to her friends. 

On that same day of Lord Dante Montague’s wedding, Shylock approached Leah’s father. The older man was taller than him and thinner than him, but his expression was close to resembling the vulture perched on the low branch. Leah was not present then, for it was customary for the men to talk without them, especially in such matters.

“Leah told me about you. You have been sneaking to see her behind my back.” The older man looked at Shylock. “You are Jewish?”

Shylock nodded.

“Do you know the tradition of ours?” The older man looked at Shylock. “If her mother were around, there would be shidduch (matchmaking) talks, but she is not with us now.” Orthodox Jews often participate in a matchmaking system (shidduch) to find partners within their community, starting around the age of 18. 

“I am here.” Shylock’s mother appeared at the doorway. “I can discuss shidduch with you. Shalom Aleikhem ("Peace to you,"). The older man invited the lady in. “It is not ……”

“Isiah Toreh, my mother was your family's appointee to talk to your wife’s family. You had no mother to do the shidduch then.” Shylock’s mother knew the family well, being of distant blood relations. “His father is unwell and unable to move. Death awaits him soon, and his wish is to see his son get wedded before he takes on the new journey.”

“I ……” Leah’s father was at a loss for words.

“We are the elders now. We can discuss and agree.” The elderly lady pressed on. The discussion was short, for the lady was direct with her demands, and then the agreed date was set.

At the ceremony, the young couple underwent the ritual required: the ketubah (marriage contract) that is signed by two witnesses, a chuppah or huppah (wedding canopy) was set up, and a ring owned by the groom that is given to the bride under the canopy, symbolizing the new home being built by the couple when they become husband and wife. And the breaking of a glass; the groom breaks a glass, crushing it with his right foot.

The guests were few, but the majority were moneylenders. They all applauded the knitted relationship between the two families.

The young couple then took their home at Shylock’s house.

Lord Gencio Capulet had brought Wendy into his home. As he was without a wife, he had her named as the mistress of the house. She was to supervise the household staff, including the butlers. Lorenzo was given a chamber of his own and accorded the title "young master.”

The mistress shall be addressed as Lady Sofia. That will be her name from now on.” Gencio told the household. He then turned to his mistress.

“Sofia, take care of my home. I am to battle the Turks.” Lord Gencio Capulet told the mistress. She tried to stop him, but he was insistent. She then asked him a favour.

“Lay with me. Give me your seed once more. If we are blessed, you will have a child when you return.” Lord Gencio Capulet looked to his new lover. He was without an heir. He nodded to the request.

All was not well for Vlad. He had new conflicts with the Ottoman Empire when he defied the Sultan then.

“Your brother had delayed his jizya to me.” Mehmet II shouted at Radu. “Who does he think he is dealing with? We …….”

“He is not my brother anymore. We cut ties when he went back to Wallachia.” Radu declared. “Give me my command, and I will bring back his head.”

“No, I will wait my time.” Mehmed sent envoys to Vlad to urge him to pay the delayed jizya.

Vlad Țepeș provoked Mehmed by having the envoys killed. In a letter addressed to the Transylvanian Saxons of Kronstadt (today: Brașov), he warned them of Mehmed's invasion plans and asked for their support.

“Be with me. I had not paid the annual jizya of ten thousand ducats for some years. The Sultan demands a thousand boys from me who are to be trained as janissaries; in turn, they will fight you. I had refused the demand.”

In retaliation, the Turks crossed the Danube and started to do their own recruiting, to which Vlad reacted by capturing the Turks and impaling them.

“The Turks invaded me, and I punished them.” The conflict continued until Mehmed asked the prince to come to Constantinople and negotiate with him. Vlad Țepeș wrote that he could not afford to pay the jizya, as his war against the Saxons of Transylvania had emptied his resources; ‘they had rebelled against me.’

“Does he take me for a fool?” Mehmet II roared out. “Vlad holds an alliance with Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus. I will confront him soon.

The bey of Nicopolis, Hamza Pasha, was sent to stage a diplomatic meeting with Vlad at Giurgiu, but with orders to ambush him there and thereafter take him to Constantinople. Vlad was forewarned about the ambush and planned to set an ambush of his own. Hamza brought with him a thousand cavalry, and when passing through a narrow pass north of Giurgiu, Vlad launched a surprise attack.

“Take no prisoners.” Lord Gencio Capulet, in command of Genoa’s finest, was in command then. He had volunteered for the front line; despite his age, he was given the command. The Genoese army was armed with the new gunpowder weapon. The hand cannon consists of a barrel, a handle, and sometimes a socket to insert a wooden stock. Extant samples show that some hand cannons also featured a metal extension as a handle. The hand cannon could be placed on a rest and held by one hand, while the gunner applied the means of ignition himself.

The Wallachian army had the Turks surrounded and fired with their hand guns until the entire expeditionary force was killed.

“The battle is half won. We need to regain the fortress taken by the Turks. I want volunteers for the raid.” Lord Gencio Capulet was one to join in. “It will be how Troy was taken.”

In Greek mythology, the Trojan Horse was a wooden horse said to have been used by the Greeks during the Trojan War to enter the city of Troy and win the war.

“We will ride into the fortress on horses,” Vlad told the raiders. “Its gates will be opened for us.”

Vlad and the other raiders, disguised as Turks and advanced with his cavalry towards the fortress, where Vlad, riding in front, called out in Turkish and commanded the guards to open the gates. Once the gates were opened, the cavalry charged in and slaughtered the guards there. The main army, hidden from sight, charged in, and the battle to regain the fortress was underway.

Lord Gencio Capulet was, during the battle, taking down the Turks in his path. He was a different man then. He fought with strength and without mercy. The battle was won, but Vlad was not ready to celebrate. He went on a campaign and slaughtered enemy soldiers and populations that might have sympathized with the Turks, first in southern Wallachia and then in Bulgaria by crossing the frozen Danube. His strategy was rapid deployment without the enemy to regroup; he divided his army into several smaller groups and covered great distances and killing many Turks.

Vlad Tepes has broken the truce with the Sultan. The great army of the Sultan, eighteen thousand strong, led by the Grand Vizier Mahmud, was also defeated then when they tried to destroy the Wallachian port of Brăila.

Vlad Țepeș’ fortune soon changed then; he was welcomed as a hero by the others. Many Turks were now frightened of Vlad and left the European side of their empire and moved into Anatolia. Mehmed, when hearing about the events, abandoned his siege at Corinth and decided to go against Vlad Țepeș himself.  

 

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