Queen Mab (18 page)

But Juliet had only half an ear for such tempered words.  With her eyes fixed upon the blade, she murmured her resolve, "I'll to the friar who married us to hear his good reply.  If I am powerless to forestall this fate, I shall always have the power to die."

J
uliet lowered her hood as she stepped inside the chapel.  As she turned the corner, she jumped back, startled by the face of one she had just met just two days ago at her father's masked ball.  Only today, he did not wear his mask.  No, he wore his face brazen and plain for any at all to see.

"Fair Juliet," said Paris.  "Whither do you wander?"

"I confess to confession with my confessor," she spoke and tried to duck out of the way, but he was too fast.  Twenty-one years at least and well acquainted with the excuses of women, her youth was no match for his guile.

"Juliet, there seems to be something changed about you.  A spring to your step.  A color to your cheeks."

"The day is quite warm, Cousin Paris.  Now, if you will permit me to continue on my way, my nurse is awaiting my return and I must not delay."

"Let me stay and walk you home, gentle coz.  The streets of Verona are scarce a place for a girl such as yourself to find yourself alone."

"Nay, not alone, but kept company by my silent prayers and reflections of holy love."

"So your mind does stray to thoughts of love?  Tell me, Juliet, do those dreams of love contain room for one who stands before you?"

"Yesterday it would have depended upon the suitor," she replied, "But I am afraid that today, there is only room in my heart for one man."

Paris took her roughly by the arms and drew her close.  "A word of kindness.  A symbol of some tenderness and you would turn the grayest day to one of shining joy.  Tell me, Juliet, have you any kindness in your heart which you might spare me?"

"No, sir, I do not," she replied as she struggled.

"Do not spurn me, for I love thee."

"I shall spurn thee, for I love thee not."

"A woman does not know her mind.  Juliet, you will soon see me as a man worthy of being thy lord and master."

Juliet finally broke away and stepped back.  She brushed back her hair which had come loose as she struggled.  "Not until the sun does shine at night and the moon shines in day. No, Paris.  I shall not have thee.  Never shall I have thee."

"Juliet, I shall catch thee.  The chase makes the victory taste only that much sweeter."

Friar Laurence cleared his throat.

Paris and Juliet turned to find him looking on.  The old friar's gaze was cold and his godly presence a challenge to her delay. 

"Fair Juliet, come thee to confession?" asked the Friar.

"Indeed, Father, until I was interrupted by this man."

"Well, come now.  My confessional is empty and God would like it if it were filled with thy words."

Juliet stepped resolutely past Paris, eyes as angry as a storm and followed the Friar into his inner sanctum.

The room was dark with only shadowed light from the slits in the narrow windows.  Mab followed, watching Juliet's hands tremble as she removed her cloak. 

"Oh shut the door!" Juliet wept, now in the safety of the Father's room.  "And when you have done so, come weep with me.  It is past hope, past cure, past help!"

Mab felt the young girl’s pain as if it were her own.  She knew and understood it as if she could feel the tears upon her own face.  She lifted her fingers to her cheeks and, strangely, when she pulled away, they were wet.  She could not fathom this feeling, this sense of understanding.  It was almost as if Juliet had painted a dream for Mab and had welcomed her into her own world. 

Mab wondered what this young woman's life would be like if she had not stolen a father's kindness. Would this girl cling so tightly to her Romeo?  If Mab had not interfered, would Juliet be happily wed with no hatred or prejudice to keep her from her love?  Could this marriage have been one of joy and not of death?

The Friar spoke, trying to calm the child, to let her know that he understood her anguish, but as Mab's heart felt the pain as if a knife plunging through her heart, the words were nothing but sounds.

Indeed, Juliet removed a knife and spoke of a way in which to end this suffering, to enter a world of eternal dreams.

Mab looked upon the girl and the kernel of an idea sprang within her mind.  As the Friar tried to comfort his young charge, Mab took out her wand and the empty vial that once held Lord Capulet's kindness.  Mab's gift, her strength, was sleep.  If the passage of time was too painful, perhaps time could pass without the girl having to endure its march.  Perhaps Juliet could close her eyes and wake when her husband was near.  Mab waved her wand and, as if writing a letter of amends for all the trials she caused this family, she placed the sweetest, deepest dreams inside the bottle.

She whispered in the good Friar's ear, "Tell her of a sleeping potion, of death which will lead to life."

Mab then placed it upon a table, as if such a draught was a home remedy that anyone might keep lying about.

The Friar's eyes lit up like he had realized the perfect plan.  And so, as Mab whispered how the events must proceed, he unfolded a story for Juliet to take a vial which would cease her breath and still her heart, but she would be in sleep not death.  And when she woke, he would ensure her Romeo was there to take her away.

Mab whispered, "Give her this ring and with it my protection."

The Friar handed it over, as if in a trance, and Juliet accepted it gladly.  He wrote a letter to Romeo and placed it in the outgoing post, swearing to Juliet that his holy brothers would deliver it at once, and by tomorrow, her husband would be there.

While the Friar issued Juliet out the door, Mab took the letter and placed it in her pocket.  She would see to it.  Faunus had a way of leading notes astray.

As Juliet raised her hood, Mab could feel the girl's heart ablaze with love for the life she was to share with her Romeo.  This lightness, this joy, gave Mab a moment of hope.  She would play her part and in one night's dreams, Juliet would be reunited with her love.  And in doing so, Mab prayed the balance would tip and once again the House of Montague be returned to its glory... and Mercutio to her arms.

L
ord Capulet dismissed two servants with their instructions to make ready for the wedding feast.  He turned to see Juliet as she returned to the stronghold. 

"How now, Juliet! Where have you been gadding about?" asked Lord Capulet.

Mab whispered in her ear, "Make peace.  Tomorrow you shall be with your love and this kind deception will be a comfort when you are gone."

Juliet swallowed before bowing her head in shame-filled apology, being careful that her father could not see her eyes. "I have been to see Friar Laurence, to talk to him and in his wise ministrations, I have seen the wickedness of my disobedience and repent for my sin.  I beg your pardon, Father, and from hereafter shall be ruled by you."

Lord Capulet's rage was at once dispelled, his anger replaced with joy.  He called to a page and pointed out the way.  "Go to Paris!  Tell him that the wedding shall happen in the morning!"

Lord Capulet's booming voice drew Lady Capulet and the nurse.  They seemed in wonder at this transformation. 

Lord Capulet held out his hands to his wife and clasped hers with exuberance.  Laughing he explained, "My daughter has seen the error of her ways!"  He turned back to the page. "Go to the Friar and tell him to be here tomorrow to join these two in holy matrimony made the sweeter with a daughter's submission to her rightful place as wife."

Lady Capulet took her husband's arm.  "No, not until Thursday.  There is no need to proceed with such haste."

Lord Capulet shook his head at her reluctance, and spoke directly to the nurse so that there would be no mistake to his words.  "Nurse, go with Juliet.  We shall go to church tomorrow."

"We are not prepared for such a wedding.  One more day and everything you might desire will be here," said his wife.

"It will all be well."

Juliet turned to her nurse and sweetly asked, "Will you help me to choose my wedding gown?"

Mab saw that her father's cruelty had found a place within this child, for it was not a wedding gown that the nurse would help to pick.

"Go to Juliet.  Help to prepare her for tomorrow," Lord Capulet commanded the nurse. "I am off to County Paris to ready the bridegroom.  My heart is wondrously light when I think of tomorrow, since this same wayward girl is so reclaimed."

J
uliet's gown was laid out upon the bed as darkness fell.  It was green for fertility and the children Juliet would be expected to bear.  But Mab reflected that it was as green as Mercutio's eyes, and hoped the color would not carry the cut of sadness for all the rest of her days. 

"This is my most becoming dress?" Juliet asked her nurse.

"Aye!  You shall be the most lovely bride in all of Verona."  She came over and brushed back Juliet's hair.  "You are so wise to bend to your father's wishes.  It is a great showing for your upbringing and you bring honor to your house."

"It is lovely, made the more lovely with your hand to make the choice." Juliet said as she hugged her tight.  "Now, please, leave me by myself tonight.  I must have time to speak with my Maker, to ask His blessing, and make peace when I have been so full of sin." 

The door opened and Lady Capulet came in.  "Are you busy?  Do you need my help?"

The look upon her face was as if she finally realized that by tomorrow, she would be letting her daughter go.  But Juliet would not give her the affection that she seemed to crave. "No, madam.  We have made our choices and now are to bed.  Please leave me alone and let the nurse stay with you tonight.  I am sure that you are quite in need of rest after all of the work you put into assembling these pieces to create tomorrow's picture of joy."

Lady Capulet nodded her head, as if somehow making light would make the painful truth less harsh.  "Good night, then.  Get to bed and rest.  You will need it." 

Lady Capulet kissed her upon the forehead, and the Nurse followed her out.

Juliet sat upon her bed.  "Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again."

She removed the vial from her pocket and looked upon it.  "A faint cold fear thrills through my veins, that almost freezes up the heat of life.  I'll call them back again to comfort me.  Nurse!"  Juliet paused.  "What should she do here?  My dismal scene I needs must act alone."

"Nay, not alone," said Queen Mab.  She stepped out of the shadows, allowing the moonlight in her veins to light the room.

Juliet stepped back.  "Do I dream?"

"Always.  But I appear to you in corporeal form to bear witness and stay by your side."

Juliet looked upon Mab.  "You know what works I do?"

"Indeed, I am the one who planted those thoughts there and shall give you the strength to see them to the end."

"You seem a guardian angel, sent to me in this darkest hour."

Mab took the young girl's hand.  "A guardian am I, though an angel I am not, but I shall stay with you until the end."

Gently, she helped Juliet to stand and aided her change in her wedding attire.  Mab brushed her hair smooth and prepared her for the moment that was to come.  Juliet lifted the sleeping potion.  "Come, vial."

The vial stopped on its way to her lips.  Juliet looked at Mab.  "What if this mixture do not work at all?  Shall I be married then tomorrow morning?"  She picked up her dagger.  "No, no.  This shall forbid it."  She placed it by her bedside.  "Lie thou there."

Mab did not dissuade her.

"What if it is a poison which the Friar gave to me to have me dead, lest in this marriage he be dishonored because he married me to Romeo? I fear it is."

"He has tried to be a holy man," Mab replied.  "Do you think that he should deceive you to this end?"

"What if when I am laid into the tomb, I awake before Romeo comes to redeem me?  Shall I be able to breathe?  Shall I die, strangled by the poisoned air before Romeo comes?  Or die of fright from the decaying bones of my own cousin Tybalt, who shall be lying there as my only company?"

"Do not fear," said Queen Mab.  "For I shall guide your dreams and if you wake before your time, I shall be there to comfort thee."

Juliet nodded her head, all argument lost and the path clear, and lifted the vial to her lips.  "Romeo, I come! This do I drink to thee."

Queen Mab tied her hair in faerie knots so that in the morning, the family would know who had been there and who was responsible for this death.

Q
ueen Mab sat with Juliet as her breath stilled in her chest, as the cold crept over her body.  She sat as the sun rose and finally, as the sounds of the house moving filled her ears, she allowed herself to fade gently away.

She watched as the Nurse and Lady Capulet entered the room and threw back the heavy curtains.  They scurried around in the excitement of the day, calling for spices and dates and quinces for the bridal feast, not noticing that the bride had not yet risen. 

The strange kindness in Mab's breast wanted her to call out and tell them that the anguish they would soon feel was not a bitter as it might seem, but it was her memory of Mercutio and that not just Juliet and Romeo, but Mercutio's existence demanded silence be her friend. 

Lord Capulet called up to the nurse, telling her to wake his daughter, crying out that the bridegroom was near. 

Queen Mab held her tongue as the nurse shook young Juliet, merrily pronouncing, "You slug-a-bed!  Marry, and amen, how sound is she asleep!"

Queen Mab kept still as realization slowly dawned upon the Nurse.  Oh, but the Nurse's heart did break as she beheld the child she raised at her own bosom, the bond closer than even mother and child.  As she noticed Juliet in her bridal attire, as the shock that she did not move settled in, as she cried, "Help, help! My lady's dead!"

Now Lady Capulet finally saw what her hand had done, all the days that were lost, all the years of not seeing.  "O me, O me! My child, my only life, revive, look up, or I will die with thee!  Help, help! Call help."