Verona awoke Sunday to fresh scandal: young Romeo Montague, heir to the Montague household, was spotted inside the Capulet estate during their much-anticipated masquerade ball. Romeo entered under cover of a mask — as did his companions Mercutio and Benvolio — but his identity was eventually uncovered by at least one sharp-eyed guest.
Sources inside the ball report that Romeo, having attended in pursuit of the fair and entirely uninterested Rosaline, promptly forgot she existed upon first seeing Juliet Capulet across the room. The two were observed speaking privately near a corner of the great hall, and — our source cannot stress this enough — holding hands within approximately four minutes of meeting.
"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!"
Lord Capulet, far from being outraged, reportedly found the whole affair amusing, telling his irate nephew Tybalt to "let him alone." Tybalt, predictably, did not find this satisfactory. He has been seen practicing his swordsmanship at a rate described by neighbors as "concerning."
As for Romeo: he left the party and, by all accounts, did not go home. His parents reported him missing before midnight. His friends confirmed he slipped away toward the Capulet orchard. His feelings on Rosaline are believed to be no longer relevant.
