So, I started writing this when we read Othello in my sophomore year in high school, I was inspired by some...very interesting lines. I wanted to write what I thought the back story was, what I thought everyone was thinking before Shakespeare wrote them down, and then I forgot about it until...well...today. I tried really hard with this one, so I hope you enjoy! really...oh, and review please. I need all the help I can get =3 I would like to give special thanks to my friends Ma-chan and Ko-chan, thanks for listening to my horrible stories!

Cast o' Characters (in case you forgot)

Iago- Villain with a past

Cassio- The happy fool with a dark secret

Roderigo- Innocent boy with unrequited love

Othello- The moor of Venice

Desdimona- Has personal linen in the wrong place at the wrong time

Emillia- Strong in spirit, but not strong enough

Bianca- Caught up in this whole stupid mess

(There are more people, I just won't use them because I'm lazy...and I make up characters when I need to)

Part one: Iago

Iago hadn't moved, feeling the warm morning sun on his bare chest; a rustling of the sheets made him screw his eyes shut. Emillia got out of bed and called to their servant "Bianca! Could you help me get dressed please?" she walked towards the chest of drawers and stopped. He could feel her turn to him; he pretended to still be asleep. He felt her climb back on the bed, her soft hair tickled his face and her breath teased his ear. She kissed his face, her soft lips hovering over his cheek, his ear, stopping on his forehead. "Wake up love" she cooed, kissing his lips. Iago opened his eyes, staring into her face. Emillia wasn't bad looking, with auburn curls and a straight nose; some people would call her pretty. For some reason though, Iago was not attracted to her at all. She kissed his ear and Iago just wanted to shove her away "Please Emillia, not now" he said shortly. Emillia sat up and looked at him, her lower lip trembled for a second and then she bit it to hide her anger. "Yes mi'lord" she said stiffly, she slid off the bed with her back to him and opened the door for Bianca. The maid helped her into her heavy gowns and she left, not turning back. Only after she was gone Iago got out of bed, arching to stretch his stiff muscles. He eased over to the mirror and slowly pulled his tunic off, gingerly touching the love bites allover his chest. He grinned sheepishly; Cassio had been a little rough the other night, but he wasn't the only one that had left with a few bite marks he thought ruefully. Iago was about to reach for another tunic when Bianca returned to the room. She stopped; they both froze in place and her eyes wandered over the marks that the mistress obviously didn't create. She blushed and turned her eyes to her feet, snatching a fan from next to the bed she tried to rush from the room, Iago grabbed her arm "If you breath a word of this to Emillia…I can think of many punishments deserving of a whore like you" he hissed, Bianca didn't meet his eye "Such things happen in great houses…I won't tell mistress Emillia mi'lord" Iago tightened his grip for a second and then let go. Bianca scurried out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Iago breathed a sigh of relief and then his knees gave out, he sunk to the floor and rested his head on his arms. If Emillia had been the one to walk into the room…he shuddered to think about what would happen. He didn't think that she would scream, or throw things like other scorned and angry women. He could already see in his minds eye the hurt and unforgiving expression on her face, she would never trust him again; she would probably even withdraw from everything around her and never talk again. He shook the thoughts from his head and pulled on a new tunic, he found some leggings in the bottom of a pile of clothes, when he was finished dressing he ran down the stairs to the main part of the house. He found Emillia in the kitchen, listlessly sorting through a pile of clean handkerchiefs. A weird feeling came over him and, on an impulse; he kissed her on the top of her hair. "I'm going out" he murmured in her ear, the smile she gave him could have melted any stone hart, except it couldn't melt his own "I'll be waiting for you mi'lord" she replied. Bianca only stared at the floor as he walked out of the house.

Iago had been married to Emillia for only a month and he was already having an affair. It was an arranged marriage, one without love, and only for the wealth that her family had wanted to marry into. Iago had the luck (or was it misfortune) to be born into a wealthy merchant family, he was never without tutors or rich clothes growing up. Iago's large family had lavished their attention on him and his older brother Antonio, always throwing suitors at them and taking special attention to their studies. He had grown up into a life of great happiness, being groomed to become part of the Italian armed elite while his brother would take over the family business. His favorite people in the world had been his younger sister Maria and his best friend Anthony, the gardener's boy, he couldn't remember Anthony's family name now, and it had been so long ago. Iago had been fourteen…or was it fifteen? When he had met his fiancé Emillia, that had been the same year he had kissed Anthony behind the gardening shed, the same year his sister had gotten sick. His parents had found out about the kiss and had carted Anthony off to the country, his sister died a few months later from the plague. It had been so long ago that he had almost forgotten, probably Anthony had forgotten and was now married to some village wench with a huge brood of children. He kicked a rock angrily from his path, fuming from the memories that he tried to forget. He didn't love his wife, but so did half of the aristocracy! But in the back of his mind, a little voice kept telling him that what he was doing, where he was going, was going to destroy him and Emillia in the end. He never listened to the voice anyway, he knew it was wrong and against his marriage vows, but he still went. It took him a few minuets to get to Cassio's house; Cassio always left the back door unlocked for him. Iago went through the door and up the back stairs, trying not to step on the squeaky steps as he went. Cassio was in his library, maps and books were thrown about and old cups full of rancid wine littered the floor. Bookshelves were on every wall, stuffed with books and strange things picked up from Cassios travels. The maid refused to clean the room until Cassio learned to tidy up after himself, her request was out of line but Cassio loved her like a mother and just lived with the mess. Cassio was sprawled across the couch, asleep with a book in one hand and a glass in his other. His hands were ink stained and he had a spot of jam on his cheek from a piece of bread that had slipped to the floor, his whole look was disheveled. Iago tiptoed up to the couch to not startle the sleeping occupants, he brushed a golden curl from the young mans face and kissed his forehead. The hand that was holding the book dropped it and grabbed Iago's wrist, pulling him on top of the previously asleep Cassio and onto the couch. Iago gasped is surprise at the trickery, but was soon silenced by Cassio's mouth on his.

~Cool! Hope you liked the beginning chapter