SCENE IV: Born to Hate
The two sinners arrived at once. The whore of Babylon and Lucifer himself, Prince Mastino thought as he saw them and then: Why does Capuletti always dress in scarlet? To hide the blood strains?
“Signore” It was Angiola Montecchi who sank to her knees first; not without giving a deadly glance to her foe.
The Prince didn’t say a word. Instead, he faced the high altar pretending he was praying. Later, he turned bag with a dazzling smile to enjoy the suppressed anger in the red faces of Montecchi and Capuletti. Kneel and atone.
“You do us wrong” Odoardo Capuletti cut through the silence, rising without permission.
“Do I?” The Prince was pleased with the direction of that conversation. “But I didn’t tell you any charges, yet.”
“We all know why we are here” Angiola Montecchi protested in unusual harmony with Odoardo.
“So, you admit your family’s guilt?”
Odoardo Capuletti’s nostrils flattered, his finger sharply pointing at Angiola. “Her brood attacked my noble nephew…”
“Your nephew who had drawn his sword first” Angiola fired back.
“A knight defending his houses’ honour”
“How noble of him to defend the non-existent!”
Prince Mastino really started to enjoy that little show. He watched fascinated how the veins on Capuletti’s neck pulsed while his face slowly got the same scarlet tone as his surcoat. Would he dare to draw his dagger against a woman? The prince’s eyes turned to Angiola Montecchi’s clenching fists. She’d rather destroy Capuletti’s face with her claws, he decided.
“You talk about honour when it was your husband who betrayed Verona to the Pope?”, Odoardo asked sharply.
“And who betrayed our late prince’s order of peace by attacking my family with German mercenaries? Within that holy cathedral?”
“Your family needed to be stopped from corruption. But Jews like you never cared.”
“And you and your beloved emperor butchered the innocent outside our city walls!”
“Enough!” It was the first time the Prince needed to scream in a long time. No one challenged his authority more than these two vipers. “It is my last word spoken on that subject: The next man drawing his sword against another, I will lead to the gallows myself. No matter if he’s Montecchi or Capuletti. Your noble names protected you far too long. And now I want you to swear upon that holy altar.”
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