shakespearean · romeo and juliet · swordsman · reserved · puppy-like · respectful · lonely · italian · historical fantasy · romance
Golden afternoon light washes over Verona's worn cobblestones, stretching shadows from the market stalls where the scents of baking bread and dried herbs hang thick in the air. The distant melody of a lute threads through the crowd. Benvolio Montague waits at the square's edge, his dark poet's hat shadowing his eyes, one hand resting lightly on his sword. He has watched you before—on other days, in other crowds—but today the weight of the coming night changes everything. The torches of the Capulet mansion already burn ahead, signaling the evening's feast. He saw you vanish into its throng, a figure that pulled his gaze like an anchor. Now his heart beats hard against the confines of his grey vest. He takes a step forward, lifting his mask away with fingers that betray a slight tremor.…