Serendipity: Jovana And The Duke

As all the thoughts rushed into Jovana's brain and a sense of fear started choking her, she suddenly understood why people stayed out of Caspian's way. 'No. I need to stay calm. He has nothing, or we wouldn't be here playing games. All I have to do is to get a grip on this, and put his mind far from where I go when I'm not at social events.' Jovana mused silently, and then looked up at the Duke with a smile, so sharp that it could cut through armor. It was not the time to be shy.

"Well, Lord Clifford, the only reason I stayed this late is because, up until now, you spared me the boredom of courtship." Jovana said, and Caspian stopped in his tracks.

"The attention of men bore you?" He asked, a surprise glint in his eyes.

"The clumsy attempts of wannabe men to get my attention bore me, Lord Clifford." Jovana answered, as their eyes met again. The voices and the music of the event felt a thousand miles away.

"So there should be no flowers for Jovana Stafford?" Caspian asked, and Jovana raised her chin up, like a proud cock.

"She can grow her own flowers to her taste." She replied. The Duke came closer, keeping his eyes on her.

"And no serenade should be sung beneath her window?" He said, 

"If Jovana Stafford wants a serenade, she'll call a minstrel, not an aspiring husband." She answered. The Duke kept shortening the distance between them, and Jovana could almost feel the air becoming electric.

"She sounds like a ruthless, insensitive woman." Caspian said, at that moment, they were so past the respectable distance between a man and a lady, that Jovana could feel the warmth of his body. "Isn't it, my dear lady?" He hissed against her ears. His strong rough voice, the impossible smell of charred wood, musk, and leather. The closer he came to Jovana, the more she felt pulled in.

Jovana swallowed hard, and wet her lips. The action didn't go unnoticed by the Duke as his eyes trailed to her lips, "Or maybe just a woman that knows what she wants." as she said that, their lips were so close that they were almost brushing each other.

"And what is it that you really want?" He asked.

Jovana pushed up the tips of her toes to reach his ear, and whispered, "You'll have to guess it yourself, Caspian….if you can." Jovana then pushed back and kept walking with him as if nothing had happened. Her heart raced so hard that for a moment she was afraid the Duke could actually hear it, but she was so excited about how she managed the situation that she didn't really care. 'It's almost a pity Xena wasn't here, she would have been so proud.' Jovana mused.

She and the Duke continued their walk and Jovana didn't even realize that she had walked back to the secluded spot where she had fallen asleep earlier that day. 'I wonder if it was just a coincidence or by design.' Jovana mused, and glanced at the Duke. They were all alone and far away from all the others. 

Jovana's heart pounded in her chest as she thought, 'Oh, God! Is he planning to do something with me?' her mind became so crowded with every sort of romantic thought about unexpected love of the kind she had read about in books and poems.

'I know he's the last man I should fool around with…. But between the need to distract him and Xena's blabbering about testing your lovers. There's nothing I can do to stop this. Jovana thought excitedly, but step after step, the Duke did nothing more romantic than walk and smile graciously at her. And step after step, her delusion and frustration grew. 'I can't believe it. Even a modest, voluptuous person like Caspian Clifford has no physical desire for me? What's wrong with me?! Jovana said in her mind, feeling so ashamed and embarrassed that her whole body started to shake.

The Duke noticed her agitation, and gently took her hand, looking at her with a reassuring smile as he said, "I would hate it if my reputation makes you think you're not safe with me, Lady Stafford." He had mistaken her insecurity for fear. Caspian continued, "In fact, I can assure you that there is no safer place in the whole kingdom than at my side." 

Jovana looked at him, not knowing what to think or say. There was only one that popped into her mind, 'Safe, eh? If only he knew that I'm the Serendipity creator he's looking for.' Jovana was so tense that, when the irony of the situation struck like a bolt of lightning, she couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Hahaha!"

She had just laughed straight in the face of the most powerful man in the kingdom after the King. There was a sudden shift in Caspian Clifford's eyes. The caring dandy disappeared, and the cold stare of the head of the Secret Service pierced through, freezing Jovana to the spot. 

Caspian grabbed her and pushed her against the trunk of a tree. She tried to move, but his grip tightened. He snarled, "Are you making fun of me? Do you think I'm here to amuse you?" his voice sounded like a deep growl in a frozen desert. His hands felt like shackles around her arms and Jovana felt her heart beating so hard that she could feel it in her ribs. She was short of breath and couldn't stop quivering, but it wasn't fear. Feeling his hands on her, his body against hers, and those soul-stealing eyes… Jovana had never had a man so close to her in her entire life, and the chemistry in her body was going off like fireworks.

But Jovana didn't care about what her body wanted, she was a lady, and she had an image to uphold. Frowning, and meeting his hard gaze, Jovana's lips parted, "Get your hands off me, Duke. I'm not one of your courtesans." 

The Duke seemed surprised by her hostile reaction. He loosened his grip, but he didn't take his hands off her. He doesn't look angry anymore but instead looks amused. "I would never have guessed that you had a fighter in you, Jovana."

Jovana slowly regained her composure, and answered back, keeping her chin held high, "It's Lady Stafford." Before the Duke could respond to that, they heard the sound of footsteps nearby, and they both turned towards that direction. The Duke stepped back from Jovana a pace or two to maintain appearances. 'Oh God, please, be kind and send everyone but Eli.' Jovana pleaded inwardly. As the steps were approaching, Jovana held her breath, glancing at the Duke.

When the mysterious walker appeared, it was clear that the gods have a wicked sense of humor. It was the king. Caspian was quick to put some distance from Jovana before the King noticed, and Jovana dropped a docile curtsy, looking modestly at the grass. 

Jovana had heard all kinds of stories about the king's mood swings. 'Once he stripped a family of their lands and titles because their younger daughter was left unattended during a banquet. And another time, on a similar happenstance, he declared himself godfather of the unattended child.' Jovana mused, and slowly raised her eyes from the ground as she thought, 'So, will he congratulate the Duke for his new catch or banish my brother for not caring enough about his sister?' 

While Jovana was wondering about her immediate future, the Duke stepped forward to properly greet the King. "Your Majesty, what an honor. I hope you are enjoying this evening as much as we are." 

"I wish I could, Lord Clifford. But, as you can see, I'm alone and sober. Both horrible conditions if one wanted to have a good time." The King said.

"True, Your Majesty. But a man like you can change both those conditions with a snap of his fingers." The Duke commented, while Jovana took advantage of the disguise offered by the Duke's towering figure to drink a vial of serendipity.

She turned around pretending to straighten her dress, when in reality she was looking for the right vial in her secret pocket. The vials all have the same shape, but the decorative pattern was different for every effect, so Jovana could feel it with her fingers. 'There it is. The 'convincing' vial.' Jovana took the vial out, drank it quickly and then acted like nothing happened.

The Duke and the King were still talking. "Maybe later, Lord Clifford. And speaking of company, you haven't even bothered introducing yours." The King said, while Jovana stepped forward, and paid homage to the royal presence.

"Your Majesty, your attention honors me. I hope I'm not getting in the way of important matters that you have to discuss with the Duke." Jovana said, and the King waved her off.

"Ah, Lady Stafford, isn't it? You are not getting in the way of anything, dear. This is the debutante's picnic. Today the palace is the property of all young women, and I'm just a guest." The King said, and Jovana smiled at him.

"Your Majesty, your generosity is matched only by your magnificence." Jovana said, and the king chuckled with satisfaction.

He looked at Caspian with a cocky smile, and said to him, "Hear that, Clifford? It looks like I'm on my way to beating your fame."

"Compared to your glory, I can only be second, Your Majesty." Caspian remarked, and the King snorted at him before turning to Jovana.

"Listen to your King, young lady, and don't get lost in the spell of this one." The King said, and pointed at the Duke. He continued, "I would like to see the Stafford bloodline continue, and Lord Clifford is already married to his country. He wouldn't go against his duty and the throne, so he would make a horrible husband and an even worse father." 

"I can only bow to your wisdom, Your Majesty. I will keep your precious advice in mind." Jovana said, as she smiled at the King, but her eyes were on Caspian.

"Your Majesty, I can't see your escort around." The Duke suddenly commented, looking around the King, confused.

"Nonsense, Clifford. I needed to think, and I can't think with all those noisy bastards around." The King complained.

"That moving prison keeps you alive, Your Majesty." Caspian quipped.

'Wow, that was pretty harsh!' Jovana mused, looking between the King and the Duke. And she was right, because she could see the shift of emotion in the king's eyes. 

"What's the point of being the King if I can't even take a walk in my own bloody garden? You'd better think about your assignments, and get results, Lord Clifford. Where I walk shouldn't be your concern." The King stated in an angry tone.

Caspian cleared his throat, nodding in Jovana's direction, and that's when the King suddenly remembered that they were not alone. Jovana smiled like a beautiful, unaware doll, but she knew perfectly well what the King was talking about. The King shook his head, like Jovana doesn't matter, and turned back to the Duke, "Just find what I asked, Lord Clifford. The whole nation is in your hands." 

"I'll get to work, your Majesty." The Duke said, and the King nodded in agreement, but as he was about to leave, another figure approached along the path.