Serendipity: Jovana And The Duke

Jovana had been in her room for a while now, but she couldn't sleep. She kept tossing and turning in her bed. 'There's one thing I still don't understand. Why did the Duke suspect Eli? Of all people, why my brother?' Jovana said in her mind, as she got out of bed. 'That's it, I need to find out. I'll never have a better opportunity than this.' 

As Jovana was about to leave her room, she found a note underneath the door. It was from the Duke, and it read, "I would never dream of invading your privacy, but you have every right to invade mine." Jovana couldn't help but smile as she thought, 'If only he knew that he's using the entire Secret Service to invade my privacy.' 

As Jovana reached the Duke's door and put her hands on the carved bronze handle, she was surprised by how calm she felt. 'After all, what should I worry about? I'm invited, and even if one of his servants were to see me, he couldn't tell anyone.' Jovana opened the door and closed it behind her back. The Duke was at his desk, writing. He gazed at Jovana and stopped writing. The pen stayed pressed on the paper, making a large ink stain, but he didn't even notice it.

"I must have fallen asleep while I was working, and now I'm haunted by beautiful, dreamy visions." The Duke said, while Jovana leaned against the door, looking at him. He feels different when he's not so dressed up, and less intimidating. The Duke was putting on a casual silk robe wrapped around his body. 'I like him more casually. It gives back a more intimate feeling.' Jovana thought to herself.

"Hello, Caspian," Jovana said, her voice sounding coquettish to the Duke's ears. He loved the sound of his name on her lips, and he would do anything to hear her call him by his name more often. As Jovana realized that between her and the Duke there was nothing but air and a desk, her heart started beating fast. She showed him her invitation, "I found this under my door. I was wondering if you knew anything about it." 

Caspian looked at the invitation, then back at Jovana, and he said, "If you read it carefully, I'm pretty sure you will find the name of the person who wrote it in the bottom right corner." 

Jovana smirked at him, "I know, that's why I'm here." 

"Then why the question?" The Duke asked with raised brows.

"I thought you liked interrogations. You invited me to your place because of my brother, right, Duke Caspian?" Jovana said, shooting him a glare.

Caspian chuckled, and ran his hands through his hair as he gazed at the little woman who was becoming the center of his curiosity. "I have spoiled you too much, haven't I, My pretty lady?" he said, and when Jovana raised her chin like a proud cock, an amused smile shined in Caspian's eyes as he continued, "For how long do you plan to hold against me what happened with your brother?" 

Jovana shrugged, "It depends, I guess. As long as it takes to." Jovana trailed off when a knock sounded at the Duke's door.

As the knock broke the moment, the Duke shot a harsh gaze at the door. "Can you excuse me for a moment?" He said, as he walked towards the door and cracked the door open. Jovana couldn't see who was in the dark corridor nor hear their conversation as they were whispering. The Duke stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

'That must be one of his spies reporting.' Jovana mused, as her eyes went to the Duke's desk, currently unattended. 'If I want to find out what he has on my family, I won't have a better chance.' Jovana thought, as she carefully moved to the Duke's desk and searched through the drawers. Since the Duke was at his desk, they were all unlocked. She looked through the reports, everything was carefully labeled. 'North front, treason, investigation, hit men. Serendipity here we go.' Jovana mumbled in her mind, as she opened the report and quickly scanned through the thorough handwriting of the Duke.

"It has been reported that the Serendipity vials were delivered by orphaned men called shadows. No trace or news about who is guiding them or what their base of operations is located." Jovana read, and took a sigh of relief as she thought, 'Thank God they have nothing on Keith.' 

She continued, "Elijah Stafford is extremely active on the charity front when it comes to orphans. But both the secrecy of his involvement and the generous amount of his donations could mean that it's not just selfless generosity." Jovana snickered, and mused in her head, 'They suspected Eli because of his charity work? They really don't know where to turn their heads.' 

"His donations could be funding Serendipity operations. It's also suspicious that he's the only young lord that hasn't lost his mind around those vials." Jovana closed the report after reading. She could finally breathe that her name wasn't there. 'This is good news. That's why we are here. He wanted to look deeper into my brother. I'm clear.' Jovana said in her mind, as she put everything back in its place, making sure it was exactly the way she found it, and stepped back from the desk.

After a few moments, the Duke entered his room, and gave Jovana an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, the reign never sleeps." 

"I see. But that was an awful interruption. I'm afraid you will have to work hard if you want to earn my forgiveness." Jovana said, blinking at the Duke with her turquoise eyes while Caspian felt his heart skip a beat at her action. 

He walked closer and closer to Jovana until she was in his arms, and he murmured against her ear. "I have excellent convincing skills, Jovana. No one ever questioned them." Caspian's eyes mirrored hers, and his fingers gently ran through her straight long black hair as he slowly leaned forward.

Jovana felt her heart racing in her chest, and she swallowed hard as she locked her eyes on him, biting her lower lip. "There is always a first time, Caspian. I have the impression most of the people around you are extremely unfriendly." 

Suddenly, with a low growl, Caspian picked Jovana up effortlessly and sat her on top of his desk. Jovana placed her index finger in the middle of his chest and pushed him back. "Is that how you host other ladies that come to your abode, huh?" She said, her tone dripping with a hint of jealousy.

The Duke raised his brows, and wrapped his hands around her waist as he husked in her ear. "Is that jealousy I hear from you, my pretty lady?" 

Jovana pushed him away, and scoffed. "You wish." 

Caspian grinned, as he looked at the woman spitting fire from a ball at him. Is she aware she's the first person to ever talk to me like that?' He mused, an amused smile curling on his lips. Suddenly, the expression on Caspian's face changed, and he turned serious as he said, "Would you like to tell me what you were looking for at my desk?" 

'Oh no.' Jovana exclaimed in her mind, her heart raced in fear and she gulped hard. "I just wanted to know you better. You know I thought." she trailed off when the Duke loomed over her. His eyes shimmered like metal in the dimmed light of the room.

"You thought what?" He asked, his voice was so calm and cold at the same time.

'Oh Jovana, this is the time to put your acting into use.' Jovana mused in her head, as she answered. "I don't know." She then burst into tears, and her body trembled. "I am so sorry, Caspian. I'm just a stupid, nosy girl." 

Caspian suddenly had a headache as he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. He didn't like it. He got closer to her while Jovana was still crying and shaking out of control. He pulled her into his arms, and wrapped his hands around her, enveloping Jovana in his warmth that she had begun to crave. "Please, don't cry. I don't like to see you cry." He said, as he wiped away her tears with a silk handkerchief.

Jovana looked up at him, and saw that his eyes didn't look like dead mirrors, instead he looked very sorry. 'Ah, Caspian, I finally have you wrapped around my little fingers.' Jovana thought gleefully, and sniffled as she said, "I'm sorry once again. I shouldn't have invaded your privacy." 

"You are my guest. You should be able to do anything that doesn't make you feel like a stranger in my house. And I should watch my temper. Mine is an awful job to take home. I hope you will forgive me." Caspian said, as he took her in a very protective hug. 

The Duke looked at Jovana and stroked her cheek with a faint smile. "Let's go, I'll walk you to your room." he opened the door for her and then cleared his throat. "You know, Jovana, I don't bring women here as often as people think. And it's a strange feeling having you here, but it's not an inconvenience at all." 

Jovana giggled, and craned her neck to look at him as she said, "Did anybody ever tell you that your compliments suck?" 

"I'm afraid you're the first one." Caspian answered with a grin, and Jovana thought to herself, 'It's cute when the dark leader of the Secret Service tries his best to be nice.' Jovana entered her room with a warm feeling spreading inside her. The Duke followed her, locking the door.

"Before wishing you good night, there is one last question that I would like to ask you." He said, 

"Of course, ask me anything." 

"What do you think of the King?" Caspian asked, his voice sounded serious, and it felt like he was looking directly into her soul.

Though taken aback by the question, Jovana decided to b honest to him, and she said, "He is a tough man and an ambitious ruler, but he doesn't care about the price that others have to pay to fulfill his greed and thirst for conquest." Caspian was surprised by Jovana's direct answer, but she wasn't going to back down from her statement. "The king's ambition took my father, and I live in the fear of the day it will take my brother as well. And for that, I will never forgive the crown." 

The Duke looked at Jovana with an intense gaze while she looked back at him, stretching out her arm with the wrist crossed. "Am I going to jail for this answer?" 

The Duke grabbed Jovana's wrist, holding her for a moment. Then he broke the imaginary chains Jovana put on herself. "I'm afraid you will just go to bed for this answer." He answered, and leaned forward to put a soft kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, my pretty lady." Caspian left the room, and once again Jovana found herself alone with her doubts.

'I don't know why that question was so important to him. But I liked his reaction.' Jovana thought, as she got to her bed, and closed her eyes. At that moment, Jovana was so exhausted that she was about to pass out, but it was hard to put her mind at ease. 'If the head of the Secret Service goes around asking questions that can put both of us in danger, there must be a good reason.' Jovana mused silently and couldn't help but wondered what it was before she let sleep consumed her.