Jovan often wondered about peculiarities of life, especially after his parents passed away when he was just a child. His contemplation on life only intensified the day his beloved grandmother Bojana left him in a rather abrupt way. He began to understand the value of honesty and pure intentions, but most importantly he began to understand that deceipt had no place in his life.
The oddest thing about deceit, in Jovan's eyes, was the fact that those who deceived others always assumed they would not be caught, that they would not be discovered bending the truth into their own mold of reality, and that they would be free to run on their half-truths for as long as they saw fit - or necessary. That's why Jovan considered deceit to be one of the worst vices of human nature. Likewise, he considered deceit to be one of the most obvious of vices, if someone was wise enough to know where to look for its evidence.
He wasn't a fool. He did not dismiss that nagging feeling down in his gut that something wasn't right the moment he kissed Jagoda in the cell when he reached her. It wasn't just a hunch. It was the lack of that gleam in her eyes that Jovan had come to long for. And most certainly the lack of any feelings whatsoever in their kiss. The fact that Anil confirmed his suspicion about Jagoda made Jovan all the more convinced that Zora was the most evil woman he ever came across in his life. And it made him that much more... determined.
As he leaned back against the cave wall, Jovan spoke cautiously with Anil and watched as Kinga embraced her supposed best friend. He was already devising a plan which Zora would never have suspected. Why? Because he realized that Zora had one weakness - she underestimated her opponents.
"You are a very odd man, Jovan The Valiant," Anil sized his companion up and down but kept a grin on his face for good measure.
"Took You a long time to figure that one out, didn't it?" Jovan replied and continued to grin without taking his eyes off the woman who pretended to be his beloved and the protector of justice of the land they were trying to defend.
"I knew it long ago," Anil shook his head while trying his best not to reveal his feelings in the tone of his voice. "But I just cannot fathom how You can stand here so calmly, knowing Zara is among Us, all the while not knowing where she imprisoned Our beloved Jagoda?"
"How?" Jovan asked and leaned in closer toward Anil, making sure to smile each time his beloved's impostor looked their way. "That's simple. Just knowing with full certainty that this woman is here, I worry less about what she might do to Jagoda."
"That... makes sense somehow," Anil narrowed his eyes. "How come You always end up making sense of things whenever I seem to think that You lost Your mind?"
"Because, my dear rabbit friend, confusion is the path to clarity," Jovan chuckled and patted Anil's back. "And it confuses the opponent."
"Just like playing dead when shot at with a poisoned arrow?" Anil could not resist commenting on his observation.
"Exactly," Jovan chuckled again.
"And yet, I cannot understand how You can deal with the fact that we don't know where Jagoda is being held captive?" Anil grew worried.
"That, my dear friend, is information I intend to find out," Jovan sighed and crossed his arms at his chest. "Where there is a will, there is always a way, Anil."
"I wonder who You will turn to for that information?" Anil asked. He pointed toward Zora and chuckled sarcastically. "She isn't just going to tell You where she hid Jagoda, that's for sure."
"Oh, she will," Jovan looked back at Zora and sent her a flirtatious smile. "She most definitely will."
"I knew there was a reason why You smell like a cheap version of the rakija liquor. You aren't just mad, You are drunk as well!" Anil looked at Jovan, shocked and surprised to say the least.
"Never judge a man by his choice of liquor," Jovan narrowed his eyes on Anil.
"This time I think I should," Anil sized him up and down again.
"Judge me all You want, but I will get that information out of her," Jovan said after a moment. "Sooner than You think."
"And how will You do that?" Anil raised his eyebrow.
"I'll kiss it out of her if I have to," Jovan said and shivered at the sheer idea of it.
"That's both disgusting and disturbing," Anil shrugged.
"At least we agree on something, for a change," Jovan clicked his tongue. "Enough chit-chatting. I will do everything in my power to find Jagoda. I can't stand here and pretend to smile at the woman who thinks she deserves to be treated like my Sultana."
"She's not Sultana. Not until she gets rid of Our dear Jagoda and weds," Anil crossed his arms at his chest. "The law is still the law, even in her case."
"That's it!" Jovan turned to Anil and embraced him as hard as he could. "You are a genius! Pure genius, rabbit slayer!"
"I... am?" Anil almost choked, overcome by Jovan's strength. "What does that mean?"
"It means we have a wedding to plan!" Jovan patted him on the back even harder and made his way toward Zora.
"He cannot be serious..." Anil shook his head, but sucked in air in disbelief when Jovan walked up behind Zora and embraced her tenderly. "I guess he is..."
Much to Zora's surprise, and to her delight, Jovan smiled at her, and kissed her hand in an over pompous way that she deemed utterly appropriate for someone of her status. She smiled with approval when Jovan embraced her again and made her believe that her plan had worked. She beamed with satisfaction. She fooled everyone. She made Jagoda's man swoon over her. And she penetrated her enemy's lines - all of which she was able to accomplish without even trying.
"Words cannot express how much I have missed You, my dear Sultana," Jovan used his best tactical skills of survival to ensure that Zora would not pick up on the way his gut revolted inside of him.
"I am glad that You came to my rescue," Zora nodded innocently. "I counted heartbeats so I wouldn't go mad in that cell."
"Worry not, Sultana. You are here, where no more harm can come to You," Jovan inclined his head. The formality of his gesture caused Zora to smile from ear to ear, and caused Blagun and Kinga to look at one another.
"You really are a Valiant man," Zora swooned over him.
"If You all permit me, I would like to whisk my beloved away so that we can speak in private," Jovan advised those gathered around them.
"Whisk her away, but be sure to return soon. We cannot be careful enough. For all we know, Zora's men could have followed Us on the way back from Our staged siege of the city," Kinga warned him.
"Zora would be too wise not to have done so," Jovan nodded at Kinga and made sure that Zora heard him. He leaned in toward Kinga and whispered into her ear.
"Understood," Kinga all but curtsied and smiled at Zora. "Please be back soon."
"You have my word on it," Jovan replied and escorted Zora toward the entrance of the cave and into the moonlight.
"You two seem to get along quite well?" Zora posed the question to Jovan as they stepped out into the moonlight.
"Kinga and I?" Jovan pretended to be mildly offended by Zora's observation. "I would rather say I tolerate her for Your sake."
"You could have fooled me," Zora raised her eyebrow. She considered all others to be easy to figure out. But a man like Jovan intrigued her and attracted her - which she found oddly compelling.
"My dear Sultana, I would tolerate spending the rest of my days in that musty dungeon if it meant spending the rest of my life beside You," he said and bit his lip to keep it from grimacing.
"You would compare Kinga to a musty dungeon?" Zora replied, surprised and amused.
"If I had to, but please, do not mention it to her. My ego still hurts because of the way she belittled me before Blagun. If she hears of the way I spoke of her just now she will surely make me pay for it," Jovan said in a distasteful manner.
"She... belittled You?" Zora raised her eyebrows.
"Yes. The moment You were captured she made it clear to me that I was the root of all problems because You spent every moment with me instead of her," he added.
"That sort of behavior does not befit someone of her position," Zora shook her head.
"I... I fell for You not knowing who You were. Finding out that You really are a Sultana made me realize that You are out of my league. And Kinga reminds me of that each chance she gets," Jovan continued in a sulking tone of voice.
"You are the one I chose. I would have assumed she of all people would understand," Zora said through her teeth.
"Why do You say that?" Jovan asked genuinely.
"As my confidante and a friend, she should know not to undermine my... feelings," Zora explained, though Jovan could sense that she wasn't telling him the entire truth.
"Sultana..." Jovan turned her suddenly toward him. "I... I need to confess something to You."
"You do?" Zora replied and noticed how strong his arms felt around her.
"Yes," he whispered and caressed a strand of hair away from her face. "I thought I would lose my mind when I found out You went to the Fortress and were captured."
"You did?" Zora whispered, as if in a trance.
"Yes. I missed Your beautiful face. I missed Your delicate hands. I missed Your passionate kisses." Saying so, Jovan lowered his lips to hers, stopping half a breath away from them. She could feel the tingle of a promise of his kiss. She could sense the anticipation building up inside her. She could almost taste his lips upon hers. Except, the kiss never happened. Instead, he tipped his head back, and looked deeply into her eyes.
"Marry me, Sultana. Marry me and make me the luckiest man on earth, for I cannot wait for You to call me Your own," he whispered and watched as Zora's eyes grew wider, not from passion, but from blinded greed and ambition...