The Romeo & Juliette Story

(Year 235, Summer) You probably heard about this couple and their romance. But do you actually know how the story goes? Why they ran away, where they went - and not the least - why did they return to the neighborhood they once escaped from to protect their true love? It's time for an update!

Juliette (Capp) Monty (58) and Romeo Monty (58) arranged a chat session with us in their lovely home at Bellacorde, region Tredony. Back then, this house was the home of House de Monty, while Juliette grew up not so far away.

- House de Monty is just a bit more than a century old, not as old as House de Capp, and we never held a barony, Romeo explains. - My older brother Mercutio was raised to lead the House into the future. Our father was long gone, so Mr Mercutio actually took over at the young age of 16, probably assisted by our mother.

- So, my parents were sort of superior, Juliette chimes in. - My uncle, Kent Capp, was Baron de Bellacorde, and because he had no children, my older brother, Tybalt, expected to inherite his barony via our mother, Cordelia Capp. It was all about prestige and expectation, and my uncle took the opportunity to suggest marrying me off to the Count of Crafthole. Houses of Capp and Paris were allies since about a generation, I think, a marriage might have been planned since my birth. I was just a teenager, with no vote at all.

But then Juliette and Romeo fell in love at a masquerade ball arranged by the Capps, where Romeo was not on the guest list but managed to sneak inside. The engagemment was of course a huge problem to the young couple. Both families of Aristocracy, but the teenagers had to meet secretly in the backstreets of Bellacorde.

- My uncle wanted to marry me off, and I had no vote at all, Juliette recalls.

- It was a terrible situation, Romeo recalls. - The count ranked so much higher than me, and his rank was naturally the reason why baron Kent had offered Juliette's hand. But we were so much in love that the unwanted engagement could not stop us, so we kept dating secretly.

- The year before growing into young adults, when my promised marriage to Count Paris would get fully legalized, we decided to either kill ourselves or to escape!

The young couple had no money or belongings to bring, and no relatives they could know for sure that would not alarm baron Kent or count Paris.

- One of my three aunts might have been understanding enough to help us out, but the others are way to traditional, Juliette says. - All of them resided in regions quite far away, anyway. I know my sister Hermia supported us, but she was even younger than myself and residing at home there was no way she could help.

- We climbed down a balcony and a town wall, Romeo continues. - At the market square we hid in a filthy carrage that brought us to the harbor. We jumped onto a ship and it took us all the way to Innisgreen in Sea kingdom, too far away for our parents to trace us.

When baron Kent was informed by his sister, Mrs Cordelia Capp, that Juliette had escaped, he got furious as it was a huge disgrace to House de Capp. Count Paris got real angry, too, and Year 201 baron Kent decleared the Capp-Monty rivalry. Meanwhile, the young couple found shelter in Innisgreen, up north in Sea kingdom.

- We had no money and lived directly from nature. Then we got help from a convent, the nuns offered us shelter and some food but could only help us while we were teenagers. They normally help teens expelled from some local nature families, I think they mentioned fairies but I might have gotten that wrong. The two nuns were really sweet, we were allowed to pay for their hospitality by help crafting candles.

- I think we might be the only members of Aristocracy that are experienced candle makers, Romeo laughs. - They sold our candles at the market to raise funds for the convent.

- They were called Sisters of Cosecha, Julette adds. - I really want to return to them one day to pay my gratitude!

Convent of Cosecha offered the young couple food and shelter for a year in Innisgreen.

When the couple became young adults, they had to move on. Burt not for the reason you might think.

- We wanted to get married as teenagers, Juliette says with a smile. - We discussed finding a priest to marry us, but decided to wait one year to grow up. We wanted it to be normal. But then we learned that marriage is not normal in Innisgreen, couples simply organize their reproduction in a different way than ours. So we traveled south to Verdemar to find a Priest. Then we had a simple yet romantic wedding!

- Later we found a small apartment in the harbor quarter, where we settled.

The couple gets silent for a few seconds, they realize they will need to share more details. Juliette takes the word.

- We had a baby, but unfortunately it died very early. So, although we were happy and grateful that we managed to build a life for the two of us, a very tough period followed. Romeo started to study culinary while I dedicated hours to swordsmanship.

- She became real good at it, didn't you even win some tournament?

- Yes, I did. But it's a long time ago and my current skills are quite rusty. Then you did better with your gourmet cooking!

- I worked at a small restaurant in the harbor. It was very interesting and I could think of something else than our lost child.

- And I got served some real tasty food in our small kitchen at home, Juliette nods eagerly.

Today Romeo runs a small business gourmet restaurant in Bellacorde.

The years flew by, and one day the news from Bellacorde reached them; Juliette's uncle baron Kent was dead, and her brother, Mr Tybalt, had inherited the Bellacorde barony. With a new generation they thought things might be different, and that year they decded to return to Bellacorde.

- Not only was Juliette's angry uncle gone, but my younger brother, Mr Mercutio Monty, had been killed in a sword duel the year before. He had been Head if House, and unless I claimed his place my father's House would go extinct.

- And, I was safe from Count Paris. He was still single, but I was already married and per defination no longer his fiancee.

So, Romeo and Juliette left Thebia and returned to Romeo's family's old house in Bellacorde. However, that's when they learned about the rivalry, and Juliette's brother Tybalt hardly would speak to her.

- We still hardly talk. His three children were obviously trained to avoid the Monty family, too, but I'm sure we will find a way in the future.

- The Capp vs Monty rivalry is still a thing. There's no forgiveness.

Juliette and Romeo settled in Bellacorde, and Romeo opened a small outdoor restaurant serving gourmet food. They now have a son, Dante.

- He is 19, and we hope he will find true love and not chase a partner in order to satisfy everyone else.

Romeo's gourmet restaurant is popular with tourists.

The story came to an end. Juliette is now Dame of Ondarion, and Romeo is still running his little restaurant, being Head of the House de Monty. But there is more to the story...

- When I told my sister Hermia about Sistres de Cosecha and the convent, she decided to trvel to Innisgreen to join them as a nun! I'm not sure if she did so to escape from the rivalry, or to help me paying our gratitude. We are still trying to come up with a way to pay our debt.