Roses for Rosalind

Rosie stayed up almost all night.

Early the next morning, a terrified scream pierced the quiet sky above Capulet's house. "My God! My God! My God!" Juliet's nurse staggered out of her room, shouting as she ran, "Miss is dead! My good lady is dead!!"

What should have been festive music was turned into a melancholy knell, a hymn was turned into a mournful dirge, and a lively wedding feast was turned into a mournful funeral feast.Everything that had been prepared for celebration now, sadly and ironically, became a ready-made funeral.

Juliet was wearing a bright yellow dress, lying quietly in the white coffin, her hands clasped neatly on her lower abdomen.The temperature of her body became freezing cold, and the blood in her veins had stopped flowing.Her cheeks and lips, which should have been bright, lost all their color and turned into a lifeless gray; her eyelids were also tightly closed, as if the day of life had been closed by the hand of death.

I don't know who put a bouquet of bright red roses on her chest.This bouquet of roses, like Juliet, should have bloomed in the hot summer, but now it is about to be sent to the cold tomb, where it slowly waits to wither.

It was just dawn, and although the invited guests had not arrived at the scene, Earl Paris and the musicians had already arrived.Naturally, there will be no fools playing happy tunes according to the original plan. They hold their instruments and stand at a loss waiting for the employer's order, looking at each other.In the silence of the room, Mrs. Capulet's mournful cry seemed particularly shrill.

Rosie stood beside Juliet's "corpse" with her head down, not daring to let others see her expression.In order to prevent being exposed, she had to howl from time to time to cooperate with Mrs. Capulet who was about to cry and faint beside the coffin.

"My only child, my life!" Mrs. Capulet was distraught: "Juliet, wake up! Open your eyes! You are dead, how can I live?"

Viscount Capulet looked as if he had suddenly aged ten years.He held his hand tightly on the side of the coffin, muttering something to himself.

Paris, who lost his wife on the wedding day, bent down sadly, and reached out tremblingly to touch Juliet's already cold cheek.His eyes scoured Juliet's face carefully, not letting go of any tiny place.

Rosie and Father Lawrence who rushed over looked at each other, and nodded knowingly.

"It seems that the god of death took your daughter one step ahead of us." Father Lawrence put his hands together and said to Viscount Capulet very sincerely: "I am sorry, viscount. Death is like a frost that falls before autumn , destroyed this most tender and delicate flower."

"Since he married my daughter, why doesn't he take away what he deserves?" Viscount Capulet's eyes were painful: "Since Death is my new son-in-law, he is my heir, everything I have Everything was passed on to him; so why doesn't he just take my life and my fortune?"

Lady Capulet on the side cried even louder.

"Okay, okay, stop doing these unnecessary crying." Father Lawrence whispered to comfort the unknowing Capulets couple: "God shares this good daughter with you, and now she is just a blessing. God’s calling, it’s all about returning to the Lord’s side early. Isn’t this her honor? At the Lord’s side, although her body cannot avoid perishing, her soul can gain eternal life.”

Mrs. Anderson whispered the same words to the grieving Mrs. Capulet.

"Father, I don't know how to thank you." Viscount Capulet said with difficulty: "Thank you for your mercy... My child is dead, and my future joy is destined to be buried with her forever .”

"I beg you to pray sincerely for my daughter, that her soul may rest in peace. This is the only and last thing I can do for her as a father."

"I will, of course I will." Father Lawrence nodded solemnly: "Wipe your tears and spread the white fragrant flowers on her beautiful body. According to the custom, go and change her into a beautiful dress Comb her hair, wash her face, dress her properly, and carry her to your family's grave. I will personally come and pray for her soul, and pray that she can rest in peace .”

"Auntie, don't be too sad."

Rosie seemed gentle, but in fact she firmly lifted Mrs. Capulet from the side of the coffin.Time waits for no one, and they have no time to procrastinate.

Lady Capulet changed Juliet's clothes with her own hands, and recombined her hair.Juliet lying on the mattress looked even more beautiful, like the Sleeping Beauty in a fairy tale waiting for the prince to awaken.Weddings become funerals, weddings become funerals.The mighty funeral procession carried Juliet's coffin across half of the city of Verona to the tomb of Capulet's ancestors.

"Be careful, and gently carry the coffin in. Viscount Capulet, you go in; Madam, you also go in with him, and it is right to see the gentle and poor Juliet for the last time." Seeing Capulet Madam still seemed to want to hold on to the coffin, and Father Lawrence was a little anxious: "Don't delay any longer, Madam." He was afraid that Madam Capulet would stay here all night tonight, so he couldn't help but speak a little more emphatically: "Since the wrath of heaven has come upon you, please don't disobey his will again, so as not to cause even greater disasters." He paused, feeling that he might have gone too far, so he quickly added: " Of course, I will sincerely pray for her, ma'am." He raised three fingers and swore: "I promise you that I will stay here all night and pray for Juliet devoutly."

At last Mrs. Capulet was helped out weeping.As soon as she left, the others followed suit one after another.Rosie quietly walked to Father Lawrence's side: "How about I stay tonight too?" She asked in a low voice: "Help me, just in case or something?"

"No need," Father Lawrence declined, "you can follow them away."

"But..." Rosie was still hesitating.

"There's nothing but me here alone is enough." Father Lawrence gently but unquestionably pressed Rosie's shoulders and pushed her away: "I have a reason to stay here, but you are an unmarried Miss, it's really shameful to stay here. Come on, there's nothing I need your help here."

"If you really want to do something," he said to Rosie, "just pray to Heaven as I do."

So Rosie also walked away step by step, leaving only Lawrence and Juliet in the empty tomb.Father Lawrence sighed and walked to Juliet's pure white coffin. "Saint Francis," he murmured and sighed, leaning on the edge of the coffin, "... I beseech you to bless all the best."

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"Whoa! Benvolio!" Romeo tightened the reins suddenly, and stopped in front of an inconspicuous small house in Mantua: "Benvolio!"

"Romeo, you are finally here." Benvolio greeted him impatiently.After seeing Juliet's handwritten letter, he finally came back to life from the muddle of exile.He kept asking: "Did you bring any new news? Is the plan going smoothly? Did nothing go wrong? And what about Juliet? Is my Juliet safe?"

"The plan is going well. Juliet has drank the medicine and fell into a deep sleep, and was sent to the tomb of the Capulet family." Romeo took a breath and patted Benvolio's shoulder vigorously: "Godfather Lawrence is There awaits us. Now, Benvolio, go and fetch two swift horses. We must hurry back to Verona at once."

"As long as Juliet is safe, everything will be fine." Benvolio was so happy that he could fly up immediately: "God, I can sleep peacefully next to my lover tonight! Romeo, you understand Well, at this moment, I am so happy that I am like a king!" He let out a strange smirk: "It is just a dream that has not been realized, but it can make people feel such joy, when it is really realized, how much it will be Sweet!"

"Yes, my supreme majesty." Romeo said helplessly: "Can you go and bring the horse now? We must start at once while the night is dark."

They rode their horses and galloped wildly, their vigorous figures looking particularly magnificent in the blood-red sunset.The distance between Mandoya and Verona was not too far, and the outline of the city wall appeared in front of them after more than ten minutes.He stopped at the entrance, and before the horse stopped, Benvolio couldn't wait to throw off the rein and get off the horse.

"Come on, Romeo," Benvolio kept urging.If it weren't for the fear of making too much noise, he would probably have run wildly: "Stop dawdling! You are seventeen and not seventy, why do you slow down like an old man?"

Romeo generously didn't care about him, because Benvolio, who had fallen into a state of madness, had no reason at all.He followed Benvolio and ran all the way in the direction of Capulet's tomb.Because of Rosie and Father Lawrence's prior management, there were not many guards around the tomb.Benvolio and Romeo arrived at the entrance of the Capulet family's tomb without any problems.

However, an accident happened at this time.

A strange figure stood at the entrance of the tomb, which should have been empty.The man was holding a torch, wearing a gorgeous dress, with his back turned to Romeo and Benvolio, leisurely looking up at the decorations on the entrance gate of the tomb, shaking his head from time to time, as if to express his disapproval.

This time without Romeo's words, Benvolio himself stopped vigilantly.His right hand reflexively touched the saber at his waist, and roared dangerously: "Who is it?"

"You are finally here. I have been waiting for you here for a long time." Hearing the movement behind him, the man turned around calmly.Count Paris's familiar face suddenly appeared in front of them: "Benvolio, Romeo Montague." He calmly called out their names, and even calmly greeted them as if they were old friends meeting each other. Greeting: "How about we make a deal?"