Twelfth Night: A Amourshipping and Rocketshipping Story

Chapter 6

The duke was away on business when Serena returned to Satoshi's estate. Brock was eager to discover what happened, for the officers who escorted Serena to Sonia's estate could only report that Satoshi's new page went inside before Giovanni sent them away. Brock and the other pages surrounded Serena, insisting that she told them if she gained an audience with Sonia.

Serena hesitated, uncomfortable with so many surrounding her. Then she told her story, starting with her argument with Giovanni and James before Sonia let her approach. Brock and the pages listened with intrigue as Serena elaborated on what she told Sonia to woo her. She ended the story with Sonia only giving permission for Serena to come back, leaving out Giovanni giving her the ring.

For the rest of the day, Serena was tutored for page duties Brock hadn't taught yet. Her lessons ended with her and the other pages taking a fencing class, which was required for their position. Serena struggled, having never held a sword before, and it didn't help that the instructor constantly used his hands to adjust her position, unaware of how uncomfortable Serena was with her chest tightly wrapped to hide her gender.

Shortly after Serena and her coworkers had their supper, Brock told Serena that she had been summoned. Serena grew worried about how Satoshi had reacted to Sonia rejecting his feelings. She went up the stairs from the staff dining room to the main floor and down the hall to the living room. There, to Serena's confusion, Satoshi was playing solitaire at a table in the center of the room with a happy-go-lucky smile. Serena stared at Satoshi momentarily before she cleared her throat, catching his attention. Satoshi looked up from his cards and laughed as he put down his cards to applaud Serena.

"There he is. Timothy: the man of the hour," Satoshi said. "They all doubted you. Everyone from Brock to Trevor said you wouldn't fare any better. 'Too big of a task for a new page,' Brock said. But I knew it. I knew you'd gain an audience and express my love to Lady Sonia, and now my foot is in the door."

"Er, I am grateful for your praise, my lord, but how is your foot in the door?" Serena asked. "I'm sure I told them that the countess has rejected you and only wants me to come back to tell me how you take the news and to list why she doesn't love you."

"They did, but just because Sonia says she can't love me now doesn't mean it's over," Satoshi said. "My dear countess hasn't realized that by allowing you, one of my pages, to return to her estate, we can keep wooing her until she accepts my feelings. We'll devise new ways to express my love until her heart is overjoyed by it. We have a chance as long as she allows you to come see her. Hence, my foot is in the door."

Serena didn't know whether to be relieved or unsettled. She secured her job by pleasing the duke, and part of her wanted to believe there was a chance Sonia could change her mind. Yet, as a woman Serena wished Satoshi would accept her fellow woman's rejection rather than remain persistent. Moreover, Serena was uncomfortable with seeing Sonia again, knowing she had fallen for her. After a moment, Serena resigned to smile, pretending to be as optimistic as her employer. Satoshi chucked with a toothy grin before he waved his hand to the piano.

"Come. Play me a song," he said. "Something cherry to match my mood."

Serena bowed and then walked to the piano to play a tune. As Serena played the piano, she constantly glanced at Satoshi, who returned to his game. The duke began to hum as he recognized the tune. Serena's heart raced upon seeing the man she loved so upbeat. She wished she was sitting beside him as his wife, with her and Satoshi humming together while someone else played for them. Her smile vanished as she thought of the idea, reminding herself of her lowly status and that the duke was in love with a countess.

"Sonia is a really lovely lady. Isn't she, Timothy?" Satoshi said.

Serena winced as though someone had slapped her hand.