Serendipity: Jovana And The Duke

The night was alive with music and bright with lights around the royal palace where the nobility from all over the Kingdom gathered. It was the Debutante Ball, and Jovana had waited for a long time for the moment.

'Well, this is it. The Debutante Ball is finally here, and so am I. I might be a dance away from meeting my future husband.' Jovana mused silently in her mind, and without even noticing, she gripped her brother's arm more tightly. He was escorting her inside.

"Is everything alright, Jovana?" Elijah asked, 

"I'm not sure, Eli. I've been waiting for this moment for so long….Now I don't know what to think." Jovana replied, and Eli smiled at her.

"Well, I do. And I'll stay very close by your side to counter the horde of pretenders that will swamp you as soon as we step inside." Elijah said, and Jovana giggled.

"Oh, stop it." 

"I'm just telling the truth. You are the most beautiful girl this palace has ever seen." Elijah remarked, 

"Thank you, Eli. I'm glad you always have my back." Jovana replied, flashing him a toothy grin. 

Elijah rubbed her head lovingly and said, "Don't mention it. It's the least I can do for my little sister." 

"You really believe in me, don't you?" Jovana asked, tilting her head up to look at him. 

"Of course. You're my pride and joy." Elijah responded, as he looked at her, and Jovana could feel a shift in his emotions, "And Mom and Dad would be proud of you as well." 

Jovana's eyes wandered to the stars with a sad smile, and she thought, 'I wish I could hear that directly from them.' 

Their parents had been killed in the battle between the Veridian Kingdom and their neighboring kingdom, or so everyone had thought. 

Elijah held her tight, and they walked together into the ballroom. The ballroom was the biggest and most luxurious room Jovana had ever seen. It could make an entire army feel small. Jovana leaned closer to her brother's ear and whispered, "This place is unbelievable." 

Elijah nodded, and replied, "Yes, the whole palace was built on a scale that matched the personality of the King." 

Jovana's eyes darted towards the room, and she recognized some of the many participants, but for every known face there are at least ten she had never seen before. "Eli, how many people are in here?" Jovana asked, curious.

"Many. Even some family with a piece of land in the Kingdom is here tonight, hoping to strike a good deal." Elijah responded, and Jovana nodded her head, as she watched them. In every corner, mothers were checking every detail of their daughter's appearance.

"Why didn't you wear the necklace I chose? This one makes your neck look shorter." A noblewoman said to her daughter.

"It's fine, Mother. This one goes better with my eyes." The daughter responded, as she pointed at the multi-strand pearl necklace she had on. 

"It will be fine when you'll have secured the younger Northerton. Go now." The noblewoman urged her daughter on. 

Jovana shook her head slightly at the scene, and turned to the other side of the hall where fathers was conversing with young heirs.

"I'm Darren Warth, Heir of Warth Castle and all the lands above Narrow Lake. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Barrel." The young nobleman said, 

"The pleasure is all mine, Darren. What kind of agricultural yield have you had in the last five years?" 

Jovana looked away from them, and grumbled in her mind, 'I can't believe these people! I get that a title imposes family duties, but dignity should have its place as well.' Turning to Elijah, she remarked, "This place is like a meat market. These people are acting like they're giving away their daughters to the highest bidders." 

"Some of the low ranking families do exactly that. But it shouldn't be your concern. Our family still has plenty of credit to spend on high-end society." Elijah said,  

'We could have hit rock bottom, but Dad would have never given me away to a stranger just to run up a few steps on the social ladder. He was the kind of Lord who thinks that nobility is dictated by action, not by birthright. And Eli is the same.' Jovana mused silently in her mind. 

"Just try to enjoy the evening. A girl gets only one Debutante Ball in her life." Elijah said, and Jovana thought, 'Thank God for that.' 

"Don't worry, Eli. I'm fine." She said, as Jovana and Elijah were evaluating the situation, She spotted her best friend, Xena, across the room. She was graciously handing out smiles to all the men she deemed worthy of her charm, grace, and status until she noticed Jovana and her brother. Then, Xena rushed through the crowd to reach them. She welcomed Jovana with a warm hug. 

"Jovana, Eli! I finally found you." Xena said, her smiles infectious.

"Xena, you are such a joy for the eyes tonight that if you hadn't found us, we would have definitely found you." Elijah remarked, and Xena turned her eyes away, as her cheeks turned red.

"Eli is right, you are ravishing tonight." Jovana added, and Xena's smile widened.

"You two are the sweetest. I did my very best." 

"Well, I hate to go, but now you can count on each other's support. There are duties that need my attention. Ladies…." Elijah said, as he bowed, and glanced at Xena one last time before turning his back. Xena's eyes followed him through the crowd as she let out a sigh.

'Poor Xena. She does her best, but my brother is more of a soldier than a husband. His country will always be the main love of his life.' Jovana thought, and decided to cheer her friend up, she asked, "So, Xena. Any good catches out there?" 

Xena shrugged, as she answered, "A few….but most of the line up is dull and interesting. But luckily for us, I've got the means to turn it around." As she said that, Xena slipped a vial into Jovana's hand.

'Oh dear…' Jovana gasped inwardly, and berated Xena, "Xena, what are you doing? This is not the time and the place for this!"

Xena raised her eyebrow, "You think?" She moved closer, and with her eyes, she indicated those all around. Many people were talking, smiling and exchanging vials.

Xena then said, "Let me tell you, Jovana. This is going to be a very fun night." 

"How can they possibly exchange vials like that in an event so important?" Jovana said, and Xena waved her off.

"Why not? The right vial of Serendipity can turn this whole event around. The other day Susanne Shelby took one and then started painting an amazing portrait of me." Xena explained, and Jovana exclaimed.

"A portrait?" Everyone in the kingdom knew how bad Susanne was in the work of art.

"Yes, she was exuding pure artistic talent." Xena confirmed.

"Fine, but what about the time Missy Hunzburger became a compulsive liar for the whole afternoon?" Jovana said, and Xena shrugged her arm lightly.

"Missy is already a compulsive liar, vial or not. Plus, that's the beauty of the vials; everytime you get something different." Xena said, and Jovana looked around, still not sure about what to do. Suddenly, her attention was drawn to a young man who was drinking his vial.

"So, how do you feel?" Someone had asked him.

"I..I feel like singing." The young man replied, his voice suddenly converting into a melodious tune, "Shine…bright like a diamond. Shine…. bright like a diamond." He serenade, causing a wave of awe to ripple through the crowd.

"Wow," Someone exclaimed. 

"That's nothing. The other day I took a vial and jumped ten feet high." Another voice chimed in, and the conversation continued, with people sharing their incredible stories of serendipitous events.

Jovana turned her vial over in her hand, she felt the sharp edge of the glass and said, "Fine, I admit that with the right vial it can be fun." 

Xena beamed, "Finally, here's the friend I know and love. Maybe the vial will give you the push you need to finally embrace your appealing nature." 

"Maybe…but what will I do when the effect ends?" Jovana asked, and Xena rolled her eyes at her.

"It is an adventure, Jovana, not an exact science. You can't plan every step. You just need to jump in, and have fun." Xena said, as she winked at Jovana.

"That's not the way I usually have fun…" Jovana commented,

"I know, dear. But the men worth marrying in the room won't choose the best knitter as their wife." Xena said, 

"Well, that's a shame, because I'm a great knitter." Jovana said, shaking her head.

"With your pretty face and perfect body you could be a great lover too. You just lack the experience." Xena commented,

"Maybe, but I like the idea of taking one step at a time." Jovana said,

"Do what you think is right, but remember; special men have needs too. And 'Until death do us apart' is a very long time. Keeping things interesting in the bedroom is half the battle." Xena retorted, and Jovana looked around at all the giggling, and the infectious smiles that filled the room she couldn't help but felt that she was lagging behind.

All of a sudden, the weight of the vial in the hidden pocket of her dress felt comforting, she finally relented, "You won, Xena. Let's do it and see what happens. I might get lucky." 

Xena gave her a toothy grin, "Yes! Now we're talking. I'll find a quiet spot to take mine. We'll see each other here in five minutes." She said, and Jovana nodded, and did the same, finding a quiet corner away from the ballroom, and prying eyes.

She took out the serendipity, and examined the vial; a bluish drink that simmered in the glass. Jovana pulled off the cork and drank the vial in one go. 

The liquid felt warm as it burned down her throat, but left a fresh feeling behind. 'Now, I just have to wait and see what the vial will do…' Jovana thought, sitting patiently. After some time had passed, she noticed n

o changes or differences at all. Jovana then returned to the crowded hall, forgetting about the serendipity altogether.