Fate - Marcus Hogan

The origin of the famous name Capulet is not Italian but French. Interesting.

And I suspect you didn't know when their faction settled in Verona, Juliet's parents didn't lead their glamorous house as primo Don and prima Donna. It was her aunt and uncle who settled in Verona first and clashed with Romeo's faction, the mighty House of Montecchi.

As newlyweds the Capulets arrived from Lyon to visit a far flung relation, a sister who couldn't attend their nuptials. At that turning point of their marriage tour, two weeks were allowed to enjoy their time in Verona. Once returned to France, they would be expected to assume their new stations as premiere Sieur and Dame of the House of Capulet.

That's what was expected.

Capulet is their story, an epic genesis tale (6 volumes) that begins shortly after the tragic death of Saint Joan with the hopeful betrothal of two children, Armand de Capulet and Ilaria Marchand. The separate threads of their lives converge through their upbringing, courtship and a hasty war marriage that triggers their tour to Verona. Then a cascade of dire events ignites the famous feud and forces the newlyweds to linger.

Armand's brother Tristan is summoned in support, intent on a swift return to Lyon until he meets Valentina (who will become Juliet's mother). Now three Capulets are held in Verona when a compatriot, the Duchess de Paris, arrives in pursuit of trade and proposes an alliance. The Capulets stay. The faction rises.

But towering ambition comes at a towering cost. As a result of their bitter and bloody rivalry, more than one dear life is taken on both sides.

Other familiar characters populate their story of course: Prince Escalus di Treviso, Count Astor de Paris, Thibault and Rosaline de Capulet, Friar Lorenzo, Juliet's nurse Galyna, revealing the beginnings of their associations with one another.

Yet this is not only the tale of how the Capulets came to Verona, but of how the Capulets and Montecchi came to be at each other's throats and... well sweet friends you know their ending. Now it's high time you knew their beginning. 

Capulet is the love story of Armand and Ilaria, from their betrothal in Lyon (Book 1) 'til the day the sweeping events of the bitter feud, hand the reins of power over to Juliet's parents (final chapter of Book 6). At that moment, Armand and Ilaria's daughter Rosaline, is eight years old. Eight years later, two months before Juliet turns 14, Rosaline will meet Romeo.

Take a deep breath and come along with us to reveal the untold story.