Serendipity: Jovana And The Duke

"Sadly, I feel a little under the weather today, and I won't be able to attend it with you." Elijah commented.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that! But I can stay home and take care of you." Jovana said, but Elijah shook his head at her.

"Oh, no! I won't deprive you of this experience just because I have a cold. I already asked the Westwood family to accompany you." Elijah said, as he did his best to appear happy and casual, but Jovana could clearly see through his smile, and she thought with a sad face, 'He got so much worse that he's afraid he can't hide his condition anymore. He's sending me out to make the right impression on society and to give me the best chance to find a good husband that will care about me.'

The thought of her brother in pain and fear, and constantly worrying about her, crushed Jovana's heart. She took his hand into hers, and squeezed it gently as she said, "We have been through so much together, Eli, that I think there's nothing we can't solve when we have one another. It doesn't matter how impossible it seems."

Elijah's lips trembled slightly, and he ruffled Jovana's hair before a smile appeared on his face as he said, "Aren't you being a bit over-dramatic about my absence at a single concert?"

'I can't believe his inner strength. My sweet brother, my rock.' Jovana mused, then hugged Elijah tight, burying her head against his chest. "You know me, I miss every moment I'm not with you. And I swear that I will never let you go." Jovana said with determination laced in her voice, then she pulled away from him, she smiled at him and stroked his hair while Elijah leaned into his sister's warmth as they stayed in silence, a comforting silence that spoke volumes more than words could.

*****

Jovana went to the Symphony Hall with Xena and her family. "I'm so excited about this event. This concert is exclusive even among noble families. It's quite an honor to be here." Xena said, as she smiled and felt happy, but Jovana could somehow tell that she was tense.

"So I heard…. The Royal Orchestra is playing tonight, isn't it?" Jovana said, while Xena nodded her head.

"Yes, they usually play only for the King and a few selected guests," Xena replied, as she kept fixing her dress, even though it looked perfect, and adjusting imaginary strands of hair. She was wearing a beautiful locket with a sapphire around her neck. It was the present Elijah had given her for her birthday, and one of Xena's hands was always on the locket.

'She must be worried about Eli. I bet she was looking forward to this concert so she could see him. Not to mention her birthday party going horribly wrong.' Jovana mused, as she looked at Xena. She couldn't help but feel guilty about it as she thought, 'I know I'm trying to save Eli, but if it weren't for my vials, Xena wouldn't be tormented by nightmares.'

Jovana sighed, and looked at Xena with a smile on her face as she said, "Well, after your birthday I don't think this will feel so exciting."

Xena scrunched up her brows at Jovana's words, "What do you mean? My birthday was a disaster."

"Are you kidding? A girl in danger, the fabled Falcon Ridley, saves her. Not to mention the presence of Caspian Clifford. I have never heard of the Duke going to a birthday other than the King's. Your birthday was legendary." Jovana said with a flourish.

"Well, I never saw it in that way," Xena mumbled.

"You should, because there will never be another birthday like that." Jovana said, and Xena smiled as she took Jovana's arm to walk together.

"Thank you, Jovana. I'm so lucky to have a friend like you," Xena said.

"Xena, why don't you take advantage of my brother's ticket and come watch the concert with me? Eli took a whole box in the first row," Jovana said, and Xena beamed at her.

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Jovana." Xena said, as she went to say goodbye to her parents and then went with Jovana up the stairs to the first row of the boxes. Suddenly, Xena waved to someone and turned to Jovana, "Give me a minute, Jovana. I will be right back."

Jovana was searching around for Caspian or Falcon, but there was no trace of them, and she sighed as she thought, 'It feels like today, nothing is going according to plan.'

Xena came back to Jovana with a big smile on her face, and she leaned towards her ear. "I just got a very special invitation to join the Artherius family heir a couple of boxes away. Their son is very hot. Could you cover this little detour with my parents?"

Jovana sighed, and then answered, "Of course I will. Isn't this what friends are for?"

"Yes! I knew you would have my back." Xena said, as she quickly kissed Jovana on the cheek and ran towards the Artherius family.

Jovana proceeded along toward her private box, closed the velvet curtain and sat down. 'Let's just hope this concert won't be too boring.' she thought to herself, as the lights went down and in the half light the orchestra started playing heavenly music.

The notes filled the air, lifting Jovana's spirit and washing all the anguish and grimaces from her soul. As Jovana sat there and looked down at the orchestra, she had the strange impression of not being alone anymore. All the hair on the back of her neck woke up, and she got goosebumps along her arms. Jovana took a deep breath, and did her best to stay calm.

"Quite often, false indifference screams louder than interest. Don't you think, Jovana?" Caspian said behind Jovana.

"I think that, if it's true, you should repeat it to yourself more often, Caspian." Jovana retorted, and Caspian smiled at her comeback.

"I'm glad you're feeling better. How is your friend Xena doing? She looked pretty scared during that incident." Caspian said, as he took the seat next to Jovana.

"She is doing fine now. She just doesn't like surprises unless she's the one arranging them," Jovana responded.

"I see. And how do you feel? Your control of the situation was quite impressive," Caspian said, and Jovana turned to look at his face, but his expression gave nothing away. By looking at him, people would think Jovana was in the middle of a poker game.

'Why does everything become an interrogation with him? Is he actually concerned? Does he suspect something? He's like an ancient puzzle, and the price could be a hug or a pair of shiny shackles.' Jovana's mind bubbled with doubts, the clock was ticking, and the Duke was still waiting for an answer. 'I can't lose my mind in this way. It's clear that he's looking for something. I need to play smart and omit the right details.' Jovana thought to herself, and then replied to the Duke. "Yes, I was scared, but I don't want to sound silly."

"I may give the impression of doing many questionable things, but I don't judge people for the way they feel, Jovana." Caspian said, and despite the depth in his words, there was something utterly comforting in his smile.

"Death is on the heels of my family, Caspian. It took my mother, then it took my father. And I can't shake the feeling it's following me around, waiting for the right moment to manifest itself again. That's what I thought happened when that girl fell on the ground. It was terrible." Jovana said, as she folded her arms, holding herself and staring at some distant point with blank eyes.

Until she felt the warmth of Caspian's hand over hers. He gently squeezed her fingers and said, "Forgive me, Jovana."

"For what?" Jovana asked.

"For almost forgetting that despite your sharp mind, your young heart has had to experience more suffering than anyone should ever experience. But bad luck is just a fairy tale. The hard truth is that life is much more volatile than we like to accept," he said, while Jovana tilted her head to the side.

"Have…. Have you suffered many losses?" She asked, and the Duke nodded.

"Too many. Every mission for the kingdom is a man I send to die. And as the body count grows, it becomes more and more difficult not to lose my mind." Caspian answered, while Jovana felt her heart ache for him.

"How do you find the strength to cope with all that? Because sometimes I just wish for the darkness to swallow me and finally let me forget about all the anguish."

Caspian gave her a sad smile. He stroked her cheek and lifted her chin until her eyes met his. He said to her, "Every time your burden becomes too much. Every time you think, you can hear the scythe of the grim reaper slicing the air above your head. I want you to remember that I'm keeping him very busy. He won't have the time to bother you."

Jovana felt her heart skip multiple times at his words, and she smiled sweetly at him, "That's the most creepy and sweetest thing someone has ever told me."

Caspian smiled back at her, and took her in a long, silent hug. She could feel his hand gently stroking her hair and the rhythmic beating of his heart. So calm, so steady. His lips touched Jovana's forehead in a tender kiss.