As Titanic was on its third day of the voyage, Serena's grip was slipping. Oleana made friends with other high-class women, namely Countess Muchmoney and Duchess Diantha, so she would often take Serena to join them for tea to meet other members of high society. Mivashkama would be around to wish Serena good morning and good night and join her and Oleana for dinner with Oleana's friends. Aside from that, he spent most of his time mingling with businessmen, politicians, industrialists, and high-ranking military personnel.
Occasionally, Mivashkama would send Morfious to check on Serena just so he knew where she was. Those moments unsettled Serena the most: seeing the manservant come to her with his yellow eyes filled her with fear as though one wrong move and he would attack her like a rabid animal. His bald, bony head made him look like he was the embodiment of death, dressed like a gentleman.
On the third night, Mivashkama, Oleana, and Serena attended a party with Chairman Rose and other people of high status. Serena hoped that Aunt Sonia and Timothy would be there too, as they were the only people friendly toward her. Unfortunately, Aunt Sonia was dining with other friends, and Timothy was in his cabin designing future ships with his supper brought to him.
While everyone was enjoying themselves, Serena sat down, distant from everything around her. By this point, it hit her that she was truly trapped in living her life as if she had already lived it. All that was left of her life was to marry Mivashkama, produce an heir, and otherwise attend parties, vacations on yachts, polo matches, and the like. Her passions and identity would have to be suppressed and forgotten for narrow people like Mivashkama and Oleana, who partake in mindless chatter. No one paid any mind to Serena, least of all her fiancee, who was concerned with business and politics, and her stepmother, who loved talking with Chairman Rose when she wasn't mingling with Countess Muchmoney and Duchess Diantha. As long as Serena gave herself to Mivashkama to be his wife and gain financial surety for Oleana, they had no reason to notice she was there.
Half an hour into the party, Serena excused herself, saying she wasn't hungry. Mivashkama gave her a wave of his hand and a wooden smile, and Oleana gave a half-hearted "Fine" with her eyes still fixed on Chairman Rose. Serena left the dining saloon and headed up to B Deck, ignoring any bystander who wished her good evening as she passed by. She went into the suite and flipped the light switch on.
"Molly? Molly?" she said.
There was no response. It was likely Molly was eating her own supper with the other help. Serena frowned and walked over to her room, deciding to remove her dress herself. She tried to reach for the top button at the back of her dress, using her mirror to look where she was reaching, but she couldn't get to it.
"Come on. Come on. Come on," Serena grumbled.
Finally, she managed to grab the button with the tip of her index and middle finger, and she pulled so hard that she ripped the button off, leaving a tear. Serena stood still with her left eye twitching before screaming and ripping the back of her dress. She then knocked her hair accessories, music box, and hairbrush off her dresser and began picking some up to throw them against the wall. With another scream, Serena burst out of her bedroom and out of the suite. She ran down the hall as fast as her legs could carry her, sobbing as she went down the nearest stairs to C Deck. She didn't know where she was going. She just wanted to run and let out her grief.
The next thing Serena knew, she was at the stern, leaning against the railing at the very end of the ship. Looking ahead, all she could see were stars and waves coming from Titanic's propellers disturbing the otherwise calm water. Beyond that, all she could see was darkness, and in Serena's eyes, the calm sea represented the void, which was barely any different than the situation she was in. The longer she stared at the dark sea, she considered throwing herself off the ship. If her life was already about to be lived if she stayed, there was no point beating around the bush.
With a sob, Serena climbed over the railing and turned to face the darkness again with her hands still holding onto the railing. It was so simple. Let go, and she'd be one with darkness. If she was lucky, the fall alone would end her life. Tears continued to run down Serena's face as she held her head high, ready to embrace her fate.
"Lord, forgive me," she whispered. "Daddy, see you soon."
"Don't do it."
Serena turned her head to see Ash standing a few feet from the railing. His hand was stretched out to her as he looked at her, terrified.
"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" Serena shouted.
"Come on. Give me your hand. I'll pull you over," Ash said, stepping closer to Serena.
"I'll do it! I'll let go!" Serena shouted.
"No, you won't," Ash said, unfazed.
"What? Don't presume what I will or will not do. You don't know me," Serena rebuked.
"Well, if you were going to do it, you would have done it already," Ash said.
"You're distracting me! Go away!" Serena shouted.
"I can't. I'm involved now," Ash said. "You jump in, and I'm going to jump after you."
Serena gave Ash a confounded look as he removed his jacket and began untying his shoes.
"Don't be absurd. The fall alone would kill you," she said.
"It'll hurt. I'm not saying it wouldn't," Ash said. "Frankly, I'm more concerned about how cold the water is."
Serena's frown faded. Ash's words made her realize she was shivering from the cold air. She looked down at the water and hesitated before looking back at Ash.
"H-how cold?" she asked.
"Freezing. Optimistically, I'd say a couple degrees over," Ash said. "Have you ever been to Blackthorn City?"
"What?" Serena asked.
"Blackthorn City. It's on the northeast corner of the Johto region," Ash said. "There's a large cave north of the city full of icy ponds perfect for ice fishing. Ice fishing is -"
"I know what ice fishing is! I've done it! " Serena barked.
"Alright, sorry. You just don't seem the outdoor type," Ash said. "Anyway, I was traveling with my buddy, Goh, and we decided to go ice fishing in the cave. I fell through some thin ice, and I'm telling you, water that cold, like down there, hits you like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body. You can't breathe. You can't think. At least not about anything but the pain. And that's why I'm not looking forward to jumping after you. Like I said, I'm too involved now. Kinda hoping you come over the rail and let me off the hook."
Serena was flabbergasted that Ash would tell his story and claim he'll jump after her so calmly. By this point, he had removed his jacket and vest and untied his shoes, proving he was not backing down.
"You're crazy," Serena said.
"With all due respect, Miss, I'm not the one hanging on the back of a ship," Ash said as he stretched out his hand. "Come on. You don't want to do this. Take my hand."
For several seconds, Serena did nothing. She turned back to the sea, and the thought of letting go into the cold water felt less appealing. She then turned to Ash's hand and then at Ash, who gave her a pleading look with his hazel brown eyes. After a moment of debating, Serena took his hand with her right hand and turned around, facing him. Ash sighed in relief and gave Serena a toothy grin.
"I'm Ash. Ash Ketchum," he said.
"Serena Judith Emily Yvonne," Serena replied.
"That's kinda a mouthful. You'll have to write that down later," Ash said with a chuckle. "Come on, let's get you over."
Serena smiled and took another step. Unfortunately, she stepped on the bottom of her dress and her foot slipped. Ash tightened his grip on Serena's hand as she fell, almost pulling him over the railing. Serena screamed and kicked her legs in the air.
"No! No, help me! Help me, please!" she screamed.
"Hey! Hey, Serena, look at me!" Ash shouted. "I'm not going to let go! Pull yourself up! You can do it, Serena!"
Serena looked up to see the sincerity and determination in Ash's eyes. She grabbed the bottom railing and pulled herself up with every ounce of strength she had. She lifted her leg to the edge and pushed herself up further, allowing Ash to take her other hand. Ash pulled until Serena stood on the ledge with both feet again, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her over the railing. He lost his balance, and they both fell onto the floor, with Serena on her back and Ash on top of her.
Serena breathed heavily, relieved yet shaken. Ash gave Serena an edge of a smile until he heard rushing footsteps. He looked to see Quartermaster Eldritch and four sailors standing a few feet in front of him and Serena. Ash's eyes widened as he looked at his jacket and vest on the floor and realized he was on top of Serena. Before he could speak, two crewmen grabbed him, one on each side, and pulled him away from Serena.
"Wait. You don't understand," Ash said.
"Silence! You stay back!" Quartermaster Eldritch shouted, pointing his finger at Ash.
"Hang on. Isn't that Lord Herløv's fiancee?" one of the sailors asked.
Quartermaster Eldritch looked at the sailor as he helped Serena up, then studied Serena, and his eyes widened.
"Bugger me. It is," he said before turning to the last two sailors. "Justin, fetch the master-at-arms. Todd, find Lord Herløv!"
"Yes sir," the sailors replied.
"Wait. Please, this is just a simple misunderstanding," Ash pleaded.
"I said silence, you!" Quartermaster Eldritch barked.
Ash turned to Serena for help, but she was still shaken from nearly falling to her death. Within 10 minutes, Justin came back with the masters-at-arms, who cuffed Ash, and Todd returned with Mivashkama, followed by Morfious and Captain Drake, who happened to be nearby.
"What happened?" Mivashkama asked.
"We were doing our rounds when we heard screaming. We ran over and found this man on top of your fiancee with his jacket and vest off," Quartermaster Eldritch reported.
Mivashkama and Captain Drake looked at the sailor, shocked, before the former turned to Ash with a dark look. Morfious reached into his jacket, but Mivashkama held his hand up without looking at him. Mivashkama stormed toward Ash, who opened his mouth to protest again before Mivashkama smacked him.
"What made you think you could put your hands on my fiancee?!" Mivashkama growled. "Answer me, you filth!"
Mivashkama slapped Ash harder, snapping Serena out of her shock. She opened her mouth to protest but stopped, realizing she couldn't explain what had happened without bringing up her suicide attempt. She looked down, brainstorming until she got an idea and stepped between Ash and Mivashkama.
"Mivashkama, wait. It was an accident," she said.
Mivashkama paused with his hand up to slap again.
"An accident?" he asked suspiciously.
"Yes, it was. Stupid, really," Serena said. "I was leaning far over to see the propellers."
Mivashkama, Captain Drake, the master-at-arms, and the sailors looked at Serena confused. Ash tilted his head, and Morfious raised his eyebrow.
"The propellers? Serena, you can't see the propellers. They're underwater," Mivashkama said.
"Oh, well, I didn't know that. Comes to show I've never been on a ship before, I guess," Serena said with a giggle, playing dumb. "Anyway, I slipped, and I would've gone overboard if Mr. Ketchum hadn't saved me and almost fell over himself."
Mivashkama, Captain Drake, Morfious, the master-in-arms, Quartermaster Eldritch, and the sailors looked at each other, skeptical of Serena's story. Serena gave Ash a pleading look to play along. Her eyes showed fear for each other, confusing Ash before the master-at-arms turned his head to look at him.
"Was that what happened?" he asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, that's what happened," Ash said without thinking. "She was barely holding on to the railing, so I took off my jacket and vest and ran over to her, prepared to jump in if she fell."
"That's right. I saw him run over to me as I was calling for help," Serena lied.
"Is that so?" Captain Drake asked before giving an admiring smirk. "Well then, Mr. Ketchum is a hero. Well done. Richard, let him go."
The master-at-arms nodded and uncuffed Ash. Ash rubbed his wrist and began putting his vest and jacket back on. Mivashkama gave Ash a half-hearted smile before taking off his jacket and wrapping it around Serena.
"You must be freezing, dear. Let's get you inside," he said.
Captain Drake raised an eyebrow and then cleared his throat.
"Excuse me, Lord Herløv, but perhaps you could give a little something for the young man?"
Mivashkama frowned, wanting to go back to his brandy after taking Serena inside. It was like he was being forced to do as the captain suggested to keep his appearance as a gentleman.
"Of course. You're right, captain," Mivashkama said. "Morfious, I think a 20 should do it."
"20?" Serena asked, glaring. "Is that the going rate for the future Lady of Hammerlocke?"
Mivashkama raised his eyebrow and smirked, amused that Serena spoke up that way. 20 dollars back in the 1910s has the purchasing power of nearly $650 today, so Mivashkama must've seen giving Ash that kind as a perfectly generous amount. Based on the stories I've heard about Lord Mivashkama Herløv, it's likely he wasn't willing to give a penny more to a third class man even if he saved his fiancee's life.
"I see. Serena is displeased. What to do? What to do?" he said before snapping his fingers. "I know. What if we invite Mr. Ketchum to dinner tomorrow night?"
Serena hoped for a more expressive way to show that Mivashkama was truly thankful, and yet for all that she knew about life in third class, a night experiencing the finer things in life might be appropriate. She wanted to be around the man who saved her life a little more if nothing else. She gave Mivashkama a nod, and Mivashkama's smirk grew before walking over to Ash.
"Would you like to join us for dinner tomorrow evening? You can regale our group about your heroic deed," he said.
Ash stared at Mivashkama for a moment, unsure that a lord was asking him to a first-class dinner. He looked past to see Serena giving him a small smile then he looked back at Mivashkama with a grin.
"Sure. Sounds like fun," he said.
"Wonderful. We'll see you tomorrow night then," Mivashkama said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I best get my fiancee back to our suite. Good night."
Mivashkama left with Serena following him. Captain Drake gave Ash a nod of respect before going up to Boat Deck, followed by the master-at-arms, Quartermaster Eldritch, and the four sailors. Ash continued to smile as he watched Serena until she was out of his line of sight. He took a couple of steps to go inside until he realized that Morfious was still there looking at him with a hard, skeptical look.
"What?" Ash asked.
"You'll want to tie those," Morfious said, pointing down.
Ash looked down to realize that his shoes were still untied. He chuckled sheepishly and knelt down to tie his shoelaces.
"It's interesting," Morfious said. "The lady said that you ran, taking off you're jacket and vest, but she never said something about you finding the time to untie your shoes before coming to her rescue."
Ash froze halfway through tying his left shoelaces and kept his gaze on the floor as he gave the first response he could think of.
"I-I didn't take them off while I was going to rescue her. They probably got untied without me noticing," he said.
Morfious raised his eyebrow momentarily, then left out a dry "Hmmm" before walking away. Ash kept his gaze on the floor as if Morfious was a ravaging beast ready to suddenly attack at the slightest hint of movement. If Morfious had said anything implying he believed Ash, Ash would ease up, but the lack of a direct response indicated that Morfious didn't believe Ash and that he had his eye on the poor man. Ash waited half a minute after Morfious left to finish tying his shoes. He stood back up and took a deep breath before going back inside, looking forward to telling Goh and Chloe everything.
When Mivashkama and Serena entered their cabin, Molly was there, having just helped Oleana change into her nightgown before her mistress went to bed. Mivashkama decided to leave Molly to take Serena to her room, and so kissed Serena's cheek before going back to mingling with the businessmen and politicians in the first class smoking room. Serena pretended to smile as her fiancee left. She then heard Molly open her bedroom door, and she suddenly remembered she had her breakdown. Molly gasped at the state of Serena's bedroom, and Serena apologized, saying she had a "random fit" before going on a walk to the stern of the ship. Molly was puzzled by Serena's explanation, but Serena had never lied to her before, so she let it be and helped Serena clean up the mess.
After helping Serena put on her nightgown, Molly left to turn in for the night. Serena sat down and opened her music box to listen while combing her hair before bed. Though the box played a soothing melody, Serena was still in a slight shock from almost falling to her death. She was prepared to ask the Lord for forgiveness multiple times while saying her nightly prayers and was unsure whether she would get any sleep.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Mivashkama let himself in before Serena asked who it was. He was holding a thin, black box in his left arm and looking at Serena through the mirror with a sad look.
"Not with your friends?" Serena asked.
"I was about halfway up the stairs when I decided I should be here," Mivashkama said. "You've been melancholy. I don't pretend to know why, but I know you're unhappy."
Serena didn't know how to respond. After so much time of Mivashkama boasting about his position and his businesses and otherwise ignoring Serena, she didn't know whether or not to be impressed that he noticed that she had been low in spirits. It begged the question as to why he was trying to comfort her then instead of any time before her suicide attempt. For a moment, Serena wondered if Miashkama was attempting to be genuinely concerned for once until Mivashkama turned off her music box without her consent and sat on her dressing table with a smirk.
"I had planned to do this at our engagement gala next month, but after your little scare back in the stern, I thought tonight I'd show I'd give you this as a reminder of my feelings for you," he said.
Mivashkama opened the case to reveal a white, oval jewel attached to a gold chain. The center of the jewel shined in multiple colors. Some claimed it shined 17 or 18 colors, such as pink, purple, blue, green, red, yellow, and so forth. Serena's eyes widened as she stared at the jewel, amusing Mivashkama.
"Good gracious," Serena said. "Is it a -?"
"Diamond, yes. 56 carats to be exact," Mivashkama boasted. "It was worn by King Giovanni the 5th. A jewel so rare and so valuable that all paid homage to him. Giovanni called it the Gieldanstone. Gieldan, of course, meaning -"
"To yield," Serena finished.
"Yes. People all over Kanto yielded to the will of whoever wore this, ensuring Giovanni's reign until his death," Mivashkama said. "I want to see you always wearing this when we're married. It's a jewel fit for royalty, and we are royalty, Serena."
Mivashkama took the necklace from the box and put it around Serena's neck. The Gieldanstone felt like it was trying to pull Serena's head down as though it were a metal ball instead of a pretty jewel. Serena forced herself from showing any pain as she kept her head straight.
"It's overwhelming," she said.
Mivashkama's smirk grew, and he rubbed Serena's shoulders as he looked at Serena through the mirror.
"You know, there's nothing I can't give you. There's nothing I'd deny you if you do not deny me," he said. "I want you to open your heart to me, Serena."
Mivashkama kissed the top of Serena's head and then left the room, leaving Serena to her thoughts. The moment the door closed, Serena took off the necklace and put it back in its box. She glared at her bedroom door through the mirror as though Mivashkama was still there as she rubbed her neck.
"To think I thought for a second he was being sincere," Serena thought. "He thought he could win my heart and body with a pretty jewel. Of all the shallow gestures."
With a huff, she stood up and hopped onto her bed, declaring herself done brushing her hair. She rushed her prayers, turned off the lights, got under the covers, and laid on her side, crossing her arms. At first, she lay down glaring at the wall, then her face softened, and she rotated to face the ceiling while covering half of her face with her blanket.
"But what other choice do I have?"