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The Fate of Romeo

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Darelzel

Darelzel

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The bartender went on. "The two of them searched all over Varrock for Romeo and Juliet. But of course, they didn't find them. By the time they found out Romeo and Juliet had left town for Lumbridge, and then Falador, it was too late."

"But did that stop Draul Leptoc and Phillipa? No. Draul Leptoc went over to the Feldip Hills hunting area, to see about finding a Broav to help him. And as far as I know, he and Phillipa are still out searching for Romeo and Juliet. But I'd be surprised if he finds them. After all, he doesn't even know what they look like now, or what their new names are."

"I suppose that's a good thing." I said.

"Still, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it." the bartender replied. "I think that if he did find them, his anger toward Romeo will have gone by then, and he would just be missing his daughter and just wanting her to be happy. It's possible Draul and Phillipa will return to Varrock some day, but I think Romeo and Juliet have left for good."

"Do you think I'll ever see them again?" I asked.

"You probably wouldn't recognize them if you DID see them again. That's the whole point. And I'd be surprised if they let you know who they were. But the lady who told me this story did tell me that they remembered you, and wanted me to give you a message."

"Oh? What does it say?" I asked.

"She said 'Romeo wishes to tell the adventurer this: 'My great thanks to you for trying to bring me and my beloved Juliet together. Though you did not quite succeed, you at least made a good attempt. I wish you well in your adventures.'"

The bartender continued. "And then she said 'Juliet wishes to say this: Thank you for your attempt to help me. I knew your heart was in the right place from the start. Romeo and I are free to make a new life for ourselves elsewhere. Perhaps one day you, too, will find love and happiness. Until that day comes, continue trying to change people's lives for the better. Yours sincerely, Juliet.'"

(continued)

04-Oct-2010 17:22:42 - Last edited on 04-Oct-2010 18:25:27 by Darelzel

Darelzel

Darelzel

Posts: 3,587 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
"Who was this lady?" I asked.

"I'm not sure." the bartender replied. "She was tall, well tanned, with long brown hair pinned up. I have my suspicions, though. But I knew it was best not to ask. She left and has not been back since."

"So that's the story? It sounds like a happy ending." I said.

"Indeed it is." the bartender replied. "As happy an ending as they're ever likely to get."

"And I didn't even have to do anything." I noted.

"Indeed, you didn't. Sometimes we can work out our problems ourselves, believe it or not." the bartender said with a wink and a smile.

"Well, I suppose I should go now. It's been nice chatting with you, but I've got skills to train and new quests to do." I was about to leave, when Chancy spoke up.

"Leaving so soon?" Chancy asked, with a smile. "You haven't even heard my story yet. Of course, I'm not surprised you're leaving after hearing the bartender's story. Like many of your adventuring kin, you love happy endings. So you were more than willing to accept that story as the truth of the matter, weren't you?"

"Well, I was thinking I'd heard enough stories for now." I admitted. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't get curious again."

"Allow me to set the record straight. Hops and I both heard this one from a reliable source who we cannot name." Chancy began. "He paid us not to reveal this information."

"Oh, really?" I asked. "Go, and tell me your story then."

"Oh, it's all very simple, really. No treachery or treason, no murder or revenge, no conspiracies or tragic mishaps, and no lovers running away." Chancy said. "The truth of the matter is, Romeo and Juliet weren't real in the first place."

"WHAT?!?" I shouted, in surprise.

"Oh sure, you met people who went under those names, but those weren't their real names. They were actors. You weren't even really doing a quest." Chancy said.

"What was really going on then?" I asked, completely confused.

(continued)

04-Oct-2010 17:22:56 - Last edited on 04-Oct-2010 18:26:29 by Darelzel

Darelzel

Darelzel

Posts: 3,587 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
"You see, the people you knew as Romeo and Juliet were both the lead stars, and the director and producer, respectively, of a play. A play they had adapted from a script that they found somewhere." Chancy said.

"Fell from a hole from another world, the script did." Hops chimed in. "Or so our source said."

"Yes. Well anyway, the original play was a tragedy, and Varrock, they felt, had too much drama already. What with the Wilderness to the north, Morytania to the east, the dark mages to the south, and the barbarians to the west." Chancy continued. "So they rewrote it as a comedy. And not only did they get Father Lawrence, the Apothecary, Draul Leptoc, and Phillipa to act in it, but they also got passing adventurers to be a part of it, too."

"Wait a minute. Are you trying to tell me that..." I began.

"Exactly. You were in a play, and you didn't even know it. They didn't tell any of the adventurers it was a play." Chancy said. "They wanted the adventurers' reactions to be natural and unrehearsed, and knew that if the adventurers believed it was a quest, they'd go along with everything they were told to do. In fact, all you had to do was just deliver a few things, right?"

I nodded.

"And so it went. Come on, you saw how that 'Romeo' was overplaying his part. You don't seriously believe he was as dense as he made himself appear to be, did you?" Chancy said.

"Well, I did think it was kind of odd. But some of those other stories had explanations for it." I replied.

"Indeed. But anyway, they did the 'Romeo and Juliet' play for some time now. You might be interested to know that Draul Leptoc and Phillipa weren't even in the early drafts of the play, and were just offstage presences. They only became part of the play in later revisions." Chancy replied. "But Draul Leptoc was always the sponsor for the play, and paid for all their expenses and their living arrangements."

"So, what happened?" I asked.

(continued)

04-Oct-2010 17:23:08 - Last edited on 04-Oct-2010 18:28:21 by Darelzel

Darelzel

Darelzel

Posts: 3,587 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
"I was just getting to that part." Chancy replied. "You see, Draul Leptoc has a gambling problem. The other day, he got a little drunk, and made this outrageous bet with Chieftain Gunthor of Barbarian Village. He bet his house and all his possessions that he could catch more squirrels than Gunthor. Had Leptoc been sober, he would not have made that bet, nor would he have lost it. His hunting skill being affected by drink, he lost the competition to Gunthor, and was forced to give Gunthor his house and possessions. Including the hunting trophies."

"And as a result, the actors no longer had the money to produce their play." Hops added.

"Exactly. And so Draul Leptoc and Phillipa left town in embarrasment. As for the actors you knew as 'Romeo' and 'Juliet', they told Reldo the play was over, so there was no point in keeping their characters' names in the Varrock Census to perpetuate the illusion. And so they left and haven't been seen since. They're probably looking for a new play to produce now." Chancy concluded.

"So what you're saying is all this time, they were fooling people?" I said. "And they even got Reldo to go along with it?"

"That's what I'm saying. But officially, you didn't hear it from me." Chancy said. "It's a closely guarded secret, and that's all I'm going to say on the matter. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get this table set for my gambling buddies."

"I got nothing more to say." Hops added. He then went to the bar to order another drink.

I turned to the bartender. "You said your story was the truth. And now Chancy comes out with another one which he claims is true. Which is it?"

"I'm afraid I have no real evidence." the bartender said. "I wasn't given any letters or notes, just told the story and the messages. And I'm afraid that's all I can say."

"I guess this time I'll be going, then." I said.

(continued)

04-Oct-2010 17:23:20 - Last edited on 04-Oct-2010 18:29:50 by Darelzel

Darelzel

Darelzel

Posts: 3,587 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
And with that, I left the Dancing Donkey, passed the gate, and headed out to Varrock Square where this whole series of investigations had began.

Indeed, Romeo's absence from Varrock Square was still strange. But it sounded as if he was not likely to return, so I had best get used to it.

I had now heard six different stories explaining the disappearance of Romeo and Juliet. Were any of them true? Would I ever know the real story?

I do not know. Perhaps, in time, I will find out more information. But for now, I have decided it is best to move on and continue in my adventures.

How about you, dear reader? Of the six stories, which do YOU believe? What do YOU think happened to Romeo and Juliet?

The End.

---
Afterword: So, there you have it. My attempts to give some closure to Romeo and Juliet.

I have been a RuneScape player since the summer of 2005, and Romeo and Juliet have been a part of RuneScape for even longer. As Chancy notes in the story, Draul Leptoc and Phillipa weren't even in the original version of the quest, but were added in a later revision (2006, I believe).

Anyway, I couldn't just let Romeo and Juliet go away without a few possible explanations as to what happened to them, could I? In the end, I leave it up to you to decide which, if any, are true. It's possible some of what's said above may be either confirmed or denied by later updates, but for now, we can just draw our own conclusions.

Well, that's the whole story. You can post now. Feel free to give me your comments.

04-Oct-2010 17:23:33 - Last edited on 04-Oct-2010 18:34:31 by Darelzel

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