#tebaldo capuletti

[romeo-and-juliet-sims]

Scene VII - The Ball

I don’t want to dance, Romeo decided when they arrived at Capuletti’s palazzo. His heart was still sick with love for Rosalina. May his friends be jolly, he couldn’t.

He wandered around in hope he’d raise no suspicion. The other guests were dressed as if it was still carnival. He saw the lord and lady of the house all in red and gold. And he kept an eye on Tebaldo, dressed as Lucifer himself. The young Capuletti in all his cruel beauty danced with young lady.  But he had no eyes for her. His gaze always wandered to another, Romeo noted.

He searched for her himself and found her dancing with the god of the forest. Romeo watched her closely: she was dressed all in gold and was shining brighter than the sun. Something about the girl fascinated him. The way she moved. Her smile. Romeo drew his breath. His mind was completely preoccupied with the heavenly image before him, moving so gracefully to the music. She was an angel. She stood out from the other girls like a snowy dove in a field of crows.

He couldn’t watch any longer and decided to make a move. The girl’s partner bowed and departed right then. Romeo’s chance. His heart was beating faster. She’ll reject me, his conscience told him, but his voice had already spoken:

“May I ask for this dance?”

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[romeo-and-juliet-sims]

Scene V: Sweet Offers

„Think of my offer, Signore,” the young count suggested. Tebaldo couldn’t stand him any longer. Paris was the man’s name. Paris - what a silly name! As far as Tebaldo knew, Paris was the city where the French king resided. So, why name a boy Paris?

“Your request of marriage honours the House of Capuletti” Odoardo seemed flattered. Well, when Tebaldo looked at that slimy Paris he knew why. He was rich. The boy was dressed all in gold with stupid knickerbockers and female jewellery. His childish face and carefully trimmed beard looked ridiculous. How old was he? 21? Tebaldo despised him.

“But be careful. Mistakes are made too easily” Odoardo reminded his guest. Right choice, Tebaldo thought.

Even his aunt Caterina seemed quite impressed with the young lord. She constantly smiled at him. Maybe she’d prefer him in her own bed.

“You know I’ll make the perfect groom” Paris declared. “Your Giulietta will be one of the most respected ladies in fair Verona. My heart will not rest until she is mine.”

His heart! Tebaldo was about to laugh. But his uncle told him not to intervene. As hard as it was, he better obeyed.

But his uncle apparently had doubts, as well: “She's just a child, fourteen tender years. To take a heart before its time, would be a rash, irresponsible crime. Come to our ball tonight, meet her, charm her and maybe you’ll catch her heart… if she wants.” As he said so, he put his arm around Paris’ shoulder and together they went off.

Tebaldo spat out when they were gone: “Whom does he think he is? Why does uncle even consider such a marriage?”

Caterina laughed out loud.

“My sweet Tebaldo! Someone is very jealous. You have nothing to fear from Paris. He’ll marry Giulietta, I’ll take care of this. But you are still your uncle’s heir. Nothing will change.”

“You have no idea…”

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[romeo-and-juliet-sims]

Masquerade: Tebaldo

“Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting...”

[romeo-and-juliet-sims]

Scene II: Of Hot Blood

The great fountain was always a favourite place of Benvolio. Despite is noble birth, he grew up at the city’s piazza. Here, with his feet in the cold water beneath the monument of some glorious prince, he had his first kiss.

 Here, the young and fierce ones of Verona, regardless of their origin, found together. And more than once they had to fight over that elysium with the Capuletti…

Benvolio glimpsed scarlet cloaks over leather, gauntlets and greaves, shining gold and silver swords. "Behind!" he heard Mercutio cry. "Make way or die!"

"The boy is protecting his lover, I see," their leader said. They wore the colours of Capuletti.

Benvolio walked forward, step by careful step. “Tebaldo. We are not here to quarrel. Just let us leave.”

"I don’t think so. My sword wasn’t red from Montecchi blood in a while"

“And I haven’t slit a Capuletti throat for months”, Mercutio corresponded. No, don’t join his game, Benvolio thought but it was too late.

Tebaldo smiled. "Heard your uncle shit himself when he died? Didn’t deserve better, I think."

Benvolio understood. Tebaldo provoked Mercutio to draw his sword first. And Mercutio did.

He ripped his longsword from its sheath. "Show me your steel, Bastard.”

The Capuletti men had drawn their swords. Eyes watched from nearby windows and the market, but no one was about to intervene.  And so, the fight began. Even for Benvolio…

The whole Piazza was burning within minutes. 

Chaos envolved, Red fought against Blue, merchants were hiding their goods, women escaped screaming. 

...

...

And then, there was only silence.

People bent their knees and rose again, when horses trembled. But not the brave men of Montecchi and Capuletti.

“Stop this madness”, a voice commanded from above and ended the bloody rush.

The Lord Mastino of the noble della Scala family looked down to the fighters, anger in his eyes. Not even Tebaldo dared to speak to him.

“I will not tolerate your feud any longer within my city walls,” his Highness continued. “What are you? Animals? Constable, restore the order here and send for Odoardo Capuletti and Angiola Monteccchi. It’s time to show them who’s the law here…”

[romeo-and-juliet-sims]

House of Capuletti

Proud and valiant, the Capuletti are counted among the first families of Verona. Though they are of no noble descent, they hold their status as free citizens very high. Over the centuries, Capuletti have gained great influence in the city’s affairs. They were counsellors to the Prince, but lost such position due to their continuing feud with the Montecchi. Their war could be seen as a smaller version of a far more important conflict: The feud between the Emperor and the Pope. Odoardo Capuletti had joined the Emperor’s service and gained glory on the battlefield while Rinaldo Montecchi, his great rival, supported the Holy See.

 Odoardo Capuletti

...fought the Emperor’s wars as a Condottieri who offered his military service for gold. Rumour spread that he secretly dreamed of becoming Lord of Verona. But all his ambitions of whichever nature shattered when Pope and Emperor made peace. Capuletti was dismissed and returned home where he filled his days with endless hate for the Montecchi. No matter what people say about him, even a Montecchi must admit that Odoardo is a true knight. But old age had darkened his soul…

Caterina Capuletti 

...was born in an minor branch of Rome’s famous Colonna family. A younger daughter, she was destined to join a convent but religious life was never something Caterina desired. When her family needed to forge an alliance with the Imperial party, she offered herself as bride for Odoardo, an older man she never met before. Not wanting to give a more valuable bride to a man of lower status, the family agreed. Since then, Caterina has settled into marriage life with a husband who was merely around for years. Only one daughter came from their union, many children were lost. With Odoardo on the battlefield, Caterina searched her pleasures elsewhere after Giulietta’s birth. Her affairs produce endless gossip, but Odoardo rejects such words as Montecchi propaganda.

Giulietta 

...is the jewel of the House of Capuletti. As only daughter she is considered quite a match when she reaches adulthood. As a child, Giulietta was fragile as a flower and escaped death more than once. This, however, hasn’t warmed her Mother’s heart but her nurse’s. It was Giulietta’s begging which convinced her parents that the Nurse must stay. Nowadays, Caterina is searching for an eligible man to marry her daughter. Giulietta does not care at all. Her views of love are deeply shaped by Dante’s and Petrarch’s Sonnets dedicated to their beloved muses. She dreams of being loved in the same way by a man with a pure heart. Her days are spent quite lonely with no one but her Nurse for company. Her father prefers to keep her inside in order to protect her from the bloody feud.

Tebaldo 

...is the son of Odoardo Capuletti’s late brother. Growing up with knowledge that Montecchi men may have murdered his father, hate shaped his feelings ever since. As long as Odoardo was still hoping for a son of his own, Tebaldo was destined to become a priest or even better a cardinal. The wild boy hated the thought of it alone. Tebaldo grew up as a spoiled and indulgent child with a cruel streak within him. Finally, his uncle named him his heir and took his nephew with him to the battlefields where he was knighted and slaughtered dozens of men in a wild rage. Tebaldo never admitted, but he desires his cousin Giulietta and hopes to make her his bride one day.