Twelfth Night: A Amourshipping and Rocketshipping Story

Chapter 8

Serena began the day barely awake. By the time she decided to focus on falling asleep, she had only 5 ½ hours to sleep before Brock knocked on her door, telling her to get up. Serena whimpered before she got out of bed and put on her disguise. At breakfast with the other pages, Serena helped herself with more tea than she would normally drink, hoping the caffeine would give her enough energy to go through Satoshi's new plan to woo Sonia with him. Satoshi gave his favorite page 3 hours to prepare before sending Serena to the Magnolia estate.

Serena read the notes she had written down while discussing Satoshi's plan as she walked from one side of Viridian City to the other. Occasionally, she stopped and thought of what to say to let Sonia down if the countess tried to make a move. By the time Serena was close to the Magnolia estate, she felt ready to convince Sonia to stop being in love with her and focus all her affections on Satoshi instead. When she reached the estate's walls, she found Nando sitting on a bench beside the gate, playing a happy tune with his guitar without a care. Roughly remembering seeing Nando while she was in the courtyard trying to convince Giovanni to let her see Sonia, Serena cleared her throat to grab Nando's attention, and he turned to her and gave her a friendly smile.

"Good morning to you," Nando greeted.

"And to you, good sir," Serena said. "You are a member of Lady Sonia's staff. Are you not?"

"Indeed, I am her fool. Her jester. Her musician," Nando said. "Though, may I ask what business it is of yours?"

"My name is Timothy Durbin. I am the messenger Duke Satoshi sent to see the countess yesterday," Serena said. "The lady permitted me to come here today to have another audience. Would you be willing to open the gate so I may see Lady Sonia?"

"The gate isn't locked, and my lady is expecting you," Nando said. "Although, given your improper behavior yesterday, I wonder if I should let you in. I think I can speak for my mistress when I ask if you come with a more proper demeanor worthy of being in her presence."

"Er, if I must be frank, sir, I come bearing both good and bad news," Serena said. "The bad news may hurt her feelings, but I hope that the bad news will be considered minor compared to the good news I pray that she will embrace."

"Well, God guide you to accomplish your mission then," Nando said. "The lady of the house is by the courtyard fountain. She's been cheerful since your last audience, so I speak for the rest of her house when I say I hope you will keep sweet Sonia in such a delightful mood."

As Nando opened the gate for her, Serena fought the urge to show any unease. The fool gestured to Serena to come in with a wave of his hand, and she briefly bowed her head before entering the estate. The disguised honey-blonde woman's hands shook as she walked down the courtyard path, feeling pressured to please Sonia while still rejecting her love.

Serena came to a halt as she saw Sonia sitting on a bench by the fountain and reading a book. Her funeral outfit was replaced with a blue gown as bright as her smile and her long peach hair was tied to a side ponytail on her left side. Serena's unease grew as she noticed the heart-shaped hair clips on Sonia's ponytail, expressing that her heart was full of love. Serena gulped and made a cross with her hand before walking over to the blissful countess.

Sonia looked up from her book upon hearing Serena's footsteps. Her eyes widened, and her smile stretched to the sides of her face. Serena forced a smile as she stopped in front of Sonia and took a bow.

"Good morning, Timothy," Sonia said warmly.

"Most excellent lady, may the heavens rain blessings upon you," Serena said.

"Oh, Timothy, you're such a flatterer," Sonia giggled while playing with her hair with her finger. "You certainly know how to charm a lady."

"Actually, my greeting comes from Duke Satoshi, my lady," Serena said.