William Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet and Vampires

ADAPTED FROM

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

BY CLAUDIA GABEL

Cover

Title Page ROMEO & JULIET & Vampires ADAPTED FROM WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE BY CLAUDIA GABEL

PROLOGUE PROLOGUE TRANSYLVANIA, 1462 For the past six years, the Wallachian Province of Transylvania was ruled by Vlad the Impaler, a ruthless prince responsible for the deaths of forty thousand European people during his reign. Vladimir couldn’t have accomplished this horrific feat alone, of course. A special part of his constituency—a family of vampires known as the Capulets—helped him carry out this murderous rampage by feeding off “undesirables” one by one. In exchange for their “work", the Capulets were given a large, imposing castle in the southern part of the Carpathian Mountains near the city of Transylvania and anything else their hearts desired. They enjoyed the benefits of being wealthy aristocrats by day, bloodsuckers by night—opulent clothes; priceless jewels; supernatural powers; and immortality. They owned most of the land in the area and had servants to tend to their every whim. One might say that to be a Capulet was to be both envied and abhorred. However, if you were talking with a Montague, he would have told you that the Capulets were mercenaries of evil who had to be destroyed. Blessed with a keen sense of intuition and vampire-slaying skills that could not be matched, the Montagues fought the Capulets at every opportunity to keep them from terrorizing the citizens of Transylvania. Their hope was to rid the world of these beasts, once and for all. But recently the rules of war were changed. Prince Vladimir was ousted from the throne and imprisoned, leaving his half-brother Radu in power. Radu’s first act as prince was to institute a peace treaty in the region of Wallachia, thereby forcing the Montagues and the Capulets into a truce. But could peace really exist between sworn enemies, especially when one was as bloodthirsty as the Capulet family? From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-cross’d lovers were fated to find out. Citizens of Transylvania, With Vlad the Impaler imprisoned for his crimes against humanity, the era of his violence is officially over. A peace treaty has been reached between the new government and Vladimir’s mercenaries, the Capulets. If any humans or vampires commit a violent act that results in the injury or death of another, their lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. Abiding by this simple, yet definitive law should lead to civility and tranquillity in our kingdom. —Prince Radu

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOUTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

EPILOGUE

About the Author

EDITOR’S NOTE

Chapter One PLAYING PILGRIMS

Copyright

About The Publisher

TRANSYLVANIA, 1462

For the past six years, the Wallachian Province of Transylvania was ruled by Vlad the Impaler, a ruthless prince responsible for the deaths of forty thousand European people during his reign. Vladimir couldn’t have accomplished this horrific feat alone, of course. A special part of his constituency—a family of vampires known as the Capulets—helped him carry out this murderous rampage by feeding off “undesirables” one by one.

In exchange for their “work", the Capulets were given a large, imposing castle in the southern part of the Carpathian Mountains near the city of Transylvania and anything else their hearts desired. They enjoyed the benefits of being wealthy aristocrats by day, bloodsuckers by night—opulent clothes; priceless jewels; supernatural powers; and immortality. They owned most of the land in the area and had servants to tend to their every whim.

One might say that to be a Capulet was to be both envied and abhorred. However, if you were talking with a Montague, he would have told you that the Capulets were mercenaries of evil who had to be destroyed.

Blessed with a keen sense of intuition and vampire-slaying skills that could not be matched, the Montagues fought the Capulets at every opportunity to keep them from terrorizing the citizens of Transylvania. Their hope was to rid the world of these beasts, once and for all.

But recently the rules of war were changed. Prince Vladimir was ousted from the throne and imprisoned, leaving his half-brother Radu in power. Radu’s first act as prince was to institute a peace treaty in the region of Wallachia, thereby forcing the Montagues and the Capulets into a truce.

But could peace really exist between sworn enemies, especially when one was as bloodthirsty as the Capulet family?

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-cross’d lovers were fated to find out.

Citizens of Transylvania,

With Vlad the Impaler imprisoned for his crimes against humanity, the era of his violence is officially over. A peace treaty has been reached between the new government and Vladimir’s mercenaries, the Capulets.

If any humans or vampires commit a violent act that results in the injury or death of another, their lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.

Abiding by this simple, yet definitive law should lead to civility and tranquillity in our kingdom.

—Prince Radu

Juliet sat on her bed and stared at her reflection in an ornate gilded mirror, which she held close to her face. With her fingertip, she traced the outline of her rose-hued lips on the glass, repeating the same movement over the subtle slope of her nose and the smooth youthful brow above her indigo-coloured eyes.

She was not one to be vain. But in three days, the simple act of checking to see if a chestnut-coloured tendril had fallen loose from one of her hair combs would not be so simple. Truth be told, it wouldn’t even be possible, for Juliet’s reflection would cease to exist.

“Keep your chin up, my lady,” said a voice from behind her. “God knows it will improve your posture.”

Juliet felt her breath catch in her throat, surprised to hear that someone else was in her chambers. She set the mirror down on her lap and turned towards thedoor, where her beloved nursemaid stood, dressed in a white smock and holding a wooden brush in her hand.

Juliet sighed. Her nurse was here to help her prepare for a lavish ball that her parents were hosting this evening. However, Juliet would rather hide in her chambers for the night than play the role of dutiful daughter in a room full of vampires and strangers—especially since she was in such a sombre mood.

“I have more important things to be concerned about than my posture,” Juliet said as she rose from her bed, still clutching the ivory handle of her mirror.

She walked over to the leaded terrace window and gazed at the snowcapped mountains that lined the far reaches of Transylvania. As a child, she’d dreamed of leaving the castle and disappearing into the hills, where she’d befriend all the wild animals and live off berries. How foolish she had been.

“I suppose you are referring to your birthday.” The nurse strode across the room, her short, meaty legs pounding the marble floor. She stood behind Juliet and removed her mistress’s robe, quickly pulling it off both her arms. “Most girls look forward to turning sixteen. Or am I mistaken?”