Preys and Predators 3 Love Binds, Family Destroy Chapter 33

 

33

 

The death of Radu was kept a secret by the Chorbaji, while the funeral was simple and attended by the select few. Lord Dante Montague was one of the few selected. Soon after the funeral, he bid farewell to the Janissary commander.

“I will be returning to my land now.” The Chorbaji told Lord Dante Montague. “You have your task, and mine is with my Sultan.”

Lord Dante Montague rode to Wallachia and was told that the Voivode was at war with Stephen III against the Turks. He was reluctant to leave the letter to the household and rode back into Hungary to seek the widow of Radu.

His audience was granted, and it was then he met Lord Gencio Capulet, surprised at Hungary. They were in the courtyard of Stephen III.

“Dante, I finally get to meet you …… again.” Lord Gencio Capulet smiled and approached the other. “How are you? It had been months since we last spoke.”

“I have been better, Lord Gencio Capulet.” Lord Dante Montague smiled. He was apprehensive about wasting time there. He has other business at Genoa.

“Lord Gencio Capulet? Do trust me, Dante. We have been friends for a long time. Do not ignore me. Why do we dislike each other?” Lord Gencio Capulet looked at the other. “Were we not good friends before?”

“I held no grudge against you, Lord Gencio Capulet. Whatever you may have thought of, will be undoing of your own mind.” Lord Dante Montague wanted to move on.

“No, Dante. You have harboured mistrust of me ever since we were at the palace. The Empress jewel was the cause then. You were upset, but you were not unfairly treated by the Sultan. You had your wares bartered then.”

“Enough, Gencio. I am not here to talk about our past. I ……” Lord Dante Montague snapped out.

“Was it Juliette? I never courted her. I did of ……”

“I cared not for Juliette anymore. She is the wife of the lord in England now.” Lord Dante Montague has set aside the rejection by the mother of the lady.

“Then was it, Angeline?” Lord Gencio Capulet. “I did ……”

“Leave my wife out of the issue. Angeline wedded me on her own will.” Lord Dante Montague was upset that the matter had dragged on. “You have …….”

“I wedded ……. Sofia, but she was not Sofia then. She was …… A barmaid then. It was a vengeance against you against …... Angeline. Everyone knew of my bastard son, Lorenzo. He is not mine, but I treated him as one, like my family.”

“Lord Gencio Capulet, whom you wed, was not of my concern. And leave Angeline out of your web of deceit.”

“Deceit, Dante? Was that what you viewed as one? A man of deceit?”

“Those are your words, Lord Gencio Capulet. Ever since then, I have moved my trades elsewhere. I did not compete with you.”

“And you got Albert imprisoned.” Lord Gencio Capulet snapped out. “He was my blood kin. He helped me trade the shipments.”

“Which you got illegally. I had known, and did not drag your name in.” Lord Dante Montague looked at the other. “For our old times, I did not implicate you.”

“We are traders. We do the barter where we can if there is profit to be made.” Lord Gencio Capulet. “It was a fair barter.”

“At the expense of the ones who were to defend our borders? Did you see the starvation on them?”

“Dante, you were not there at the border. I was and fought the Turks. I knew we were defeated and …... will not be paid then. Nor fed. I did what was needed to recoup my coins.”

“Can we move on? I have other matters to take care of.” Lord Dante Montague chose to move away.

“Dante, did you hear of the rumours that the Empress' jewels are missing? The very same ones …… I traded them to the Sultan.”

“I did not concern myself with rumours.” Lord Dante Montague said. It was the major rift that split their friendship.

“It is said that the Empress jewels are in Hungary to be shipped to Genoa.” Lord Gencio Capulet looked at the other. “Perhaps this time you may get to buy it. I am sure you want to ……...”

“I am uninterested.” Lord Dante Montague said and then saw the arrival of Prince Escalus and bowed to the prince.

“Gentlemen of Genoa, I could hear you from the corridor. Have you not called a truce to your feud?” Prince Escalus said. “Your feud lined back so far ……. That rival that of Vlad Tepes from his youth times to now.”

“It is time to put it under the bridge.” Prince Escalus reminded the duo. “Now tell me what you know of the Empress jewels? I overheard it.”

“Nothing that I am to know.” Lord Dante Montague replied. “I must leave now. I have other matters to attend to.”

Prince Escalus was upset that the lord took off without his permission. He looked towards the remaining one standing there.

“I will assume you know nothing, too.”

“Regarding what. Prince Escalus?” Lord Gencio Capulet asked.

“The Empress Jewels? You traded it to the Sultan, and now rumours that it was given to the Tepes, but we do not know which one.”

‘The Empress Jewels? Unbelievable. At this age, it will be priceless. To whom did you get this rumour?” Lord Gencio Capulet asked.

“From the court of King Corvinus. He favoured the jewel as many others do. What do you know of it?”

“Nothing at this moment, Prince Escalus. If I do have any news, I will inform you.” Lord Gencio Capulet smiled.

“So, you will not toss me over the bridge?” Prince Escalus smiled. “Or stab me in the back under the bridge.”

Under the bridge was where murderous things happened, but on occasions, young lips meet, and it was there, Jessica met Lorenzo. He held her hands and pleaded.

“I am unsure of where we are leading to? I can speak to your father.” Lorenzo looked at Jessica.

“It is not the time. My parents are not ready to see you.” Jessica lied then. She could not tell of Abram. “It is best we delay things for now.”

“Jessica, we could ……. Elope. I have some coins saved.”

“Elope? I am unsure. It will bring the wrath of my parents, your parents, and our…”

“Does it matter? We can be in a place where no one knows us.” Lorenzo looked at his love. “I am not the rightful son of Capulet. I am his bastard, and Romeo will not have me standing should the father die.”

“Do not think bad vibes of Romeo. He is a good man.” Jessica said.

Good or bad, Romeo was in a predicament then. He was to face the man named Mercutio once more. They met at one of the courtyards of the city. They were alone on the invitation of Romeo. It was to discuss the insult to the Montagues’ ladies.  He wanted to apologize and be friends again. It was a flat refusal of Mercutio to the friendship.

“Mercutio, just days ago, you told me you are my friend. And now we faced each other like enemies.”

“I am your friend, but the Montagues are mine too. And you insulted the ladies, which stands above that, and I am in need to protect their integrity.”

“Alas, Mercutio. Chivalry is past its time now. More to it, I did not insult them. I was to apologize for that action, as it was done by Gregory. He did it.” Romeo explained. It was then that Tybalt rushed in. The latter had seen the meeting when he was passing by the area.

“Who dares to challenge my kin?” Tybalt, in his emotional, hasty self, had stood in-between Romeo and Mercutio. “Mercutio, why are you here?”

“I stand for the Montague. These kins of yours insulted the ladies here. Would you stand for it if they were Capulets?” Mercutio looked to the one he named as a friend.

“I will, but for the honour of the Capulet, I need to stand with them.” Tybalt looked at Mercutio. They knew each other on the battlefields.

“Tybalt, let it rest.” Romeo intervened.

“Yes, let it rest.” Gregory cut in. He was with Tybalt and joined in. “Them ladies of the Montague held no honour we need to concern ourselves with.”

“Gregory!” Romeo cried out, but the insult was heard by many. Mercutio had then his schiavona drawn.

He levelled it at Romeo.

“Drawing a sword against the Capulets is an insult to me.” Tybalt drew his own schiavona and deflected the schiavona held by Mercutio. It all happened so fast then, when Mercutio's reaction to the deflection was to attack Tybalt. He swung his schiavona in from the right and was parried by Tybalt then. He drew back his swing and went for a forward thrust at the Capulet kin. The thrust was parried with the inswing by Tybalt, who then adjusted his schiavona for the reverse swing on Mercutio.

The slash was effective when the blade of the schiavona cut into the left arm of Mercutio.

“Touche!” Tybalt cried out, and he stepped back to regain his fighting posture. Mercutio, injured on the left arm, stepped forth with a slash from the right.

Tybalt stepped aside to avoid the slash, but he was to fall off his feet when he mis stepped. He fell to the ground, and Mercutio followed through with the right slash move with another swing from the left. The blade cut at the left shin of Tybalt. 

“Aargh! You cut me.” Tybalt pulled his left leg back. “Bastardo!”

“Stop the fight!” Romeo rushed towards Tybalt, and Mercutio grabbed the young man by the right shoulder.

“You must not intervene….” Mercutio pushed the young man off the path, and Tybalt took on anger towards the other.

“Unhand him, scoundrel.” Tybalt raised his sword and slashed at Mercutio's left leg. It was a reaction of Mercutio to fight when he was injured twice. He thrust the schiavona at Tybalt, still on the ground, at the right thigh. The blade cut in deep there.

“Aargh…. You wound me deep.” Tybalt cried out. He was not to give up then, and thrust his schiavona at Mercutio. The latter parried the schiavona off and turned to look at Romeo.

“Go before you ……” Mercutio's instinct guided him to the next move by Tybalt, who was swinging the schiavona from the left. Mercutio stepped aside to avoid the slash and, in turn, thrust his schiavona at Tybalt’s chest.

It was done.

Tybalt felt the blade pierce his chest and wound his heart. It would have been, but Tybalt avoided the thrust. That caused the blade to cut deeper into the heart. Tybalt cursed out and then lay on his back. Romeo saw Tybalt lying there, dead, and cried out in anger. He picked up the schiavona dropped by Tybalt and thrust at Mercutio.

Mercutio felt the blade pierce his torso and then exit at the back.

It was deadly.