date: may 1
time: 5:50 am
location: castelvecchio bridge
open: ALL
She briskly pads down the Castelvecchio to clear her mind, bandaged shoulder concealed by the oversized black jacket she dons. And it’s befitting, really, that the golden Daly chooses black to wear days after the loss of her man-made king, her friend’s father. Her heart breaks for the Capulet princess who lost both her kingdom and her father in one fell swoop; her heart breaks for all the Capulets who have been uprooted from their home carelessly tossed aside as if they were a child’s toy rather than an empire that demanded respect. Her hands ball into fists as the night replays on an endless loop in her mind–Theodora’s words, Juliana’s heart-wrenching wail, Grace’s knife, and Regina’s retaliation are all she can see, all she focuses on until she notices another figure on the bridge.
Her stride slows considerably as she sizes them up and tries to determine if they’re a friend or a foe. Just for good measure, she glances over her shoulder to assure herself that they are the only ones present. To calm her nerves, her hand roams to settle–albeit, very uncomfortably–on the handle of the knife that she now keeps tucked against her hip. It’s no longer safe to walk through Verona defenselessly as she used to do so often, as her Capulet affiliation now does nothing in her favor. She slowly crosses her injured arm atop the one that grips at the knife to try to alleviate some suspicion.
“It’s rather early,” she begins casually to test the waters with her newfound company. The Daly woman’s soft words startle a few birds who were perched on the ledge of the bridge, and she hardly budges as they ruffle their feathers and prepare for flight. “Or very late, if you’ve not been lucky enough to sleep.” Her lips twist into a wry grimace as she realizes that avoiding sleep could be just as good as succumbing to it. Nowadays, terror comes and goes as it pleases, with or without rest. “Something keeping you awake?”
