Serendipity: Jovana And The Duke

When Jovana reached her room, Xena was all smiles and excited, and she gave Jovana a knowing look as she said, "So, party girl, did you enjoy the big surprise in the garden? Was I right?" 

Jovana sighed dramatically, as she smiled at Xena. She said, "You were right. It was a very fun night, it's hard to deny." 

"Of course it was. All nights can be fun if you face them with the right attitude." Xena said, and Jovana shrugged.

"Well, maybe I'll be less rigid in the future." 

"Of course you will. I will make sure of that. In fact, let's get moving on. We have an Academy to visit." Xena said, 

"There is one thing I don't understand, though. Why are you so excited about the Academy? You always thought science was boring." Jovana said, and Xena nodded at her.

"Oh, dear, of course science is boring. But do you know what's very interesting? Handsome and smart young lords." Xena said, and Jovana looked at her, lost. "Think about it. Scholars don't drink their brains to death, they have no interest in gambling games. And they don't count many womanizers in their ranks. Basically, they're the prototype of the perfect husband." 

"Wait a minute. Are you saying that the Academy will be swamped with debutantes?" Jovana asked.

"Of course, my naive friend. It will be a fierce battle for the best altar material our Academy can provide." Xena said, as she slammed back the door of Jovana's closet. "Come on. Wipe off that sad face and get ready. I refuse to walk next to anything short of perfection."

An hour later, Jovana glanced at the huge building of the Royal Academy, and her lips broadened into a smile. Jovana doesn't have the best track record for surprises, as destiny was often harsh on the Stafford family. But today was one of those rare moments of unexpected joy for Jovana to remember forever. 'The Academy. Finally. I have been waiting so long for this moment. I might even learn something that will help me improve the formula for serendipity and save Eli.' 

Xena was walking at Jovana's side, and she had just pulled out a vial of serendipity from her purse as she said, "I really hope this one will make me smarter. I bet it will help fight the competition." She raised the vial to the sky like she was making a toast. "Oh, Gods of chance, bless me with your good luck." Xena murmured, and drank the whole thing.

'That vial is from the new batch. I wonder what will happen.' Jovana mused, as she watched her friend with curious eyes.

"Je ressens exactement la mēme chose." Xena blurted out, while Jovana looked at her stunned before howling with laughter.

"Are you sure you feel exactly the same? Because you're speaking a whole different language," Jovana said.

"C'est impossible." Xena said with a shake of her head.

"Maybe you don't realize it, but that's exactly what's happening. Oh, come on. Don't make that face now. I think it gives you a unique, exotic charm." Jovana said, as she glanced at her surroundings and saw that Xena was not the only one relying on Serendipity. All the other debutantes were drinking vials and making sweet eyes to members of the Scientific Society and their students.

Jovana kept her distance from the main group, and headed toward a huge bookcase. Apparently, she was in the organic chemistry section. 'Well, well. Isn't this another stroke of luck?' Jovana said in her mind, as she started reading through the book covers, when a familiar voice came out of nowhere to interrupt her.

"Jovana Stafford, always preferring books to men." Falcon said, and Jovana turned around to find him, leaning in the shadows against the bookcase with a volume in his hand.

"Or maybe I know that the best books and the best men often share the same location. I see that you don't lose the habit of hiding in dark corners when debutantes loom on the horizon." Jovana said, coming up with a perfect comeback for Falcon.

"Oh, you make me sound like a monster. I don't hide, I just provide the right conditions to exert the necessary means of crowd control. And, as you can see, it works." Falcon said, as he closed the book with a swift movement and smiled.

"Anyway, I am happy to see you. To be honest, I was wondering from what dark corner you were about to pop up." Jovana said, while Falcon chuckled at her statement.

"Would you like a tour of the Academy? I suspect that could be very interesting for a keen woman like yourself." Falcon suggested, and Jovana bobbed her head at him.

"Yes," she answered. Falcon offered her his arm and started walking her through the main locations of the Academy. The building was a maze of huge halls filled with more books, laboratories, and testing facilities that she could count.

"I have to say, I'm pleased with the King's decision to open the Academy today." Falcon said,

"Really? I wouldn't have thought that scientists liked being annoyed by heaps of noisy debutantes." Jovana said, while Falcon grinned at her.

"Well, as you can see, real scientists know how to manage heaps, and I get to show you my alma mater. I can't think of a better place for a first date." Falcon said, and Jovana stopped in her tracks, surprised by his last words. 

"We are on a date?" She asked.

"Of course. You are a debutante, I'm a noble bachelor, and we are going to spend some quality time together. I believe that's the textbook definition of a date." Falcon said, and at that moment, Jovana couldn't help but think of her brother's words.

Jovana looked back at him, as he kept pointing at his favorite things in every room they crossed. "And in that corner is a super-capacitor. In theory, it should be able to store the energy of a thunderbolt. But practically it gets destroyed every time we test it. That's iteration number seven," Falcon explained.

"But isn't it dangerous?" Jovana asked.

"Yes. Extremely dangerous. George Warthon, the head of the project, becomes very nervous every time it starts raining." Falcon said, and he and Jovana chuckled at the Lord's expense. They spent the day around the Academy, labs, testing facilities, the many libraries, and the beautiful gardens. The last stop was Falcon's own office as he opened the door for Jovana and let her in.

"Welcome to my sacred place." Falcon said, and as Jovana stepped in, she couldn't hold back an expression of wonder. 'This feels much more comfortable than my dungeon.' she mused, as Falcon closed the door behind her. 

"So? What do you think?" Falcon asked.

"It's truly amazing," Jovana answered and thought to herself, 'Falcon Ridley. Scientific genius and the youngest member of the Royal Scientific Council.' 

"What did you have to go through to get to all of this?" Jovana blurted out, and then gave Falcon a sheepish smile. She didn't mean to express the question out loud. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so bold. I just feel overwhelmed with."

"It's fine, Jovana." Falcon said, as he cut Jovana's words midair. "I don't mind bold questions when they're interesting. In fact, I usually encourage them." 

"Oh, I see." Jovana mumbled, and said in her mind, 'I'm always so focused on appearances that I forgot how good it feels to be direct with another person.'  

"So, you wouldn't mind telling me your story?" She asked.

"Absolutely. But only if you promise to stop me immediately as soon as it gets boring." Falcon said, and Jovana bobbed her head at him.

"I promise I won't hold back," Jovana said, as they both sat on a very comfortable couch.