Serendipity: Jovana And The Duke

"All right, let's do it." Jovana said, and Keith nodded as he left the lab to prepare for the new distribution network. Jovana fires up the jar and all her stills to start production of the new batch. 

After some hours of working in the lab, Jovana sneaked back to her room using the secret passages and with very light steps. 'One thing I won't miss about this whole thing is moving like a thief in my own house.' Jovana said in her mind, as she closed the door behind her and took a deep breath of relief.

'I don't want Eli to see me until I wash the lab away.' Jovana thought as she washed in one of the new large gas-heated copper bathtubs that was conveniently installed directly in her room. She washed away the smell of the chemicals with plenty of soap and wrapped herself in a dressing gown.

Late afternoon lights slanted through the long windows. Her bed, so soft and cozy, was watching Jovana from the other side of the room, and she stretched her arms eager to bury herself in the sheets as she mused silently to herself, 'I'm so glad I cleared my schedule for the rest of the day. No mind games, no troubles, just well deserved res...'

Jovana's thoughts trailed off when someone knocked at her door, and she grumbled, "Who is it now?" She tightened her gown and cracked the door open. It was Elijah.

"Good Afternoon." Elijah greeted.

"Hey, Eli. Good Afternoon. I wasn't expecting you." Jovana said, stifling a yawn.

"I know. I'm sorry to invade your privacy. To be honest, I thought that you were still out galloping around." Elijah said,

"I got back not long ago, I had just taken a bath, and I was about," Jovana trailed off when Elijah interrupted her.

"Good, because we're invited to the royal palace for a dinner party," Elijah said, and Jovana scowled.

"Please, tell me you're kidding me. What dinner party?" She said, almost rolling her eyes at Elijah.

"Believe me, I don't want to go more than you do. But we have no choice. It's in the honor of the war heroes." As soon as Elijah said that, Jovana knew why they had to go.

"We are invited because of Dad, aren't we?" She asked.

"Yes. They wiggled around with the date for a while, but in the end they decided it would be tonight, and we can't skip it." Elijah said weakly, while Jovana could see that her brother had not yet recovered from last night's event, but it wasn't just that. There was a deep sadness in his eyes. Jovana knew he still felt guilty about their father's death. After all, when Elijah was drafted, he followed his father on all the most dangerous deployment missions. But when their father had died, Elijah wasn't there, and this thought had been torturing him ever since. 

Elijah had always thought he could have saved their father and every time he talked about him, it was like he was admitting his failure as a son. Jovana leaned her head against the door and sighed. "Anyway, you should get ready," Elijah said, and as he was about to leave, Jovana leaned forward and hugged him, keeping him close to her chest. Though caught by surprise because of her sudden hug, Elijah hugged Jovana back as he leaned his head against her shoulder and held her tight.

"It wasn't war that killed Dad, Eli. It wasn't a bullet. It was the loss that broke his heart. And no one can help someone else with a broken heart. Not me, not even you." Jovana whispered softly, and Elijah held her tighter. He didn't sigh nor did he flinch, but Jovana could feel his tears that wet her neck.

"I'm having such a hard time accepting it, Jovana. He was such a true warrior." Elijah croaked out, his voice thick with emotion.

"I know, Eli. I know. But he has made us into warriors, hasn't he?" Jovana said, and Elijah nodded. Both siblings looked at each other, wiping away each other's tears. "And then, for God's sake, we'll fight even if the battle is a stupid dinner party." 

Elijah smiled, and stroked Jovana's cheek, "You would have been a hell of a general, you know?" 

"Anyone is a hell of a general when I could count on soldiers like you. Now let's get ready for this damn party." Jovana said.

Elijah clicked his heels, and snapped to attention as he said in a teasing tone. "As you command, My Lady." he went to his room with newfound positivity.

******

Caspian Clifford entered the huge banqueting hall of the royal palace where the War Heroes' dinner party was about to take place, and he mumbled in his mind, 'What a great way to honor useless deaths. I guess that to stop sending soldiers to the slaughterhouse just for the fame of the ass that sits on the throne seemed too easy.' One by one, the faces of long-gone friends flashed in front of his eyes, all the empty seats that the Duke always carries with him. 'I can already hear the King's lame toasts to the soldiers of the nation.' Caspian said in his mind.

He breathed in sharply when he heard the spoiled kids of powered families that have never seen real action but talk big game. 

"Okay, I'll tell you what. To save ourselves from this lousy dinner we need to be smart." One of the young noble people said.

"Are you challenging me?" Another asked. 

"Of course. Here's the challenge: the first one that kisses the next girl that enters the room is the champion." He said, and the other noble person raised his chin up.

"Challenge accepted." He agreed, while Caspian, who was listening to them, shook his head in dismay as he thought, 'I can almost feel sorry for the poor girl that will–" 

Caspian's thoughts trailed off when he saw Jovana enter the banqueting hall. 

"Look at that smoking hot doll. Today is my lucky day." The young noble person said,

"I believe you meant my lucky day." The other retorted as they started pushing each other to decide who was going to go first, like chickens in a feeding frenzy. 

Suddenly, the Duke went from feeling sorry for the girl, to feeling sorry for the boys. He approached them with long, hard steps that produced a dour echo against the marble floor. When the steps stopped right behind them, the two snooty boys froze like a sheep that smelled of a wolf for the first time. They both turned towards the Duke. Caspian's steely eyes drained the color from their faces.

"Lord Clifford." They stammered, as Caspian looked at them, then at Jovana and then back at them.

"Don't you dare." He warned, and they shook their heads at him.

"No, no, of course not." 

"We would never. Nothing is going on here." The two young men turned on their heels and almost ran away. 

As Jovana entered the room, she came across the two men that were storming out of the room, and keeping their eyes on the ground. They were avoiding looking at Jovana's direction like a plague. "Is he still there?" One of them said,

"Of course he is. Shut up and keep walking." The other said, 

'What the hell is wrong with those two?' Jovana mused as she glanced away from them, and looked towards the Duke who was boring an intense gaze at her. They were the kind of eyes that would make a girl blush from a distance. As he looked at her, Caspian bowed, paying Jovana homage in public, which made her stunned as she looked dazedly at him.

Elijah touched Jovana's arm, and snapped her out of her daze, he said, "I hope you will excuse me, Jovana, but I have a couple of friends to meet in the Officer's quarter." Jovana nodded, and as Elijah left, the Duke calmly approached her.

"Good evening, Lady Stafford." Caspian greeted her, sounding awfully distant, and Jovana frowned as she thought, 'Good evening? That's it? After what happened last night?' 

She masked her disappointed face with indifference, and responded to him, "Good evening, Lord Clifford." 

"I didn't expect to see you here, Lady Stafford." Caspian said, 

"I would have gladly done without coming, Lord Clifford. But apparently my family can't resist the call of the battlefield." Jovana said.

"I'm very sorry about your father. He was a brave, honorable man," Caspian said, and Jovana smiled wistfully.

"I know. But sometimes I wish he was less brave and more alive. Excuse me now, Lord Clifford. I think my brother is looking for me." Jovana said, as Elijah appeared at her side, cutting through her conversation.

"Lord Clifford, what a pleasure to meet you again." Elijah said, looking at the Duke with narrowed eyes.

"Lord Stafford, the pleasure is all mine. I heard that your career is getting brighter and brighter every day." Caspian responded.

"Thank you, Lord Clifford. Things went pretty far from that time in the Highlands." Elijah said, as they both nodded at each other.

'Wait. Did they fight together? Eli never mentioned a thing about what happened during his missions.' Jovana mused, as she smiled, and listened to their conversation, trying to pick out details.