AN: For those of you that are unfamiliar with the characters in this, they are originals, so do not take them. This is a prequel of sorts, to "The Unsung Hero". Enjoy!
The cool night air was thickly perfumed from the colorful flowers. The petals were like silk, and their colors could have challenged that of a rainbow after a gentle spring shower.
It was among these flowers and the deep, lush, green foliage that a lone figure found solace.
The dark midnights blue sky seemed to encompass all, stretching past the horizon to eventually meet the ocean. Throughout this mass of darkness, came heavenly light. The stars seemed to be brighter than ever, entrancing all who paused to marvel at the beauty. The moon shone brightly, as if the sun had passed its light to the moon. The beams from this lunar beauty seemed to touch the entire landscape.
One such moonbeam fell on a long figure, seeking solace.
It was not the clothing of the person that seemed to make her stand out. The maroon robe covered the royal blue dress that was beneath it. The hood of this robe had been pulled back, and light brown hair shone under the moonlight. It was twisted and held in place by a simple silver clasp.
The woman's bright blue eyes were on the skies above, lost in thought and wonder.
The sight would be been comforting, except for the tears that slid down her cheeks, silently. They fell onto the hem of her robe and the ground, the woman not bothering to wipe them away.
Another person was taking in this entire scene, though it felt almost intrusive. The man stood in the doorway to the grand palace. Inside, the sounds of laughter and music could be heard. The strands faded, however, as the man with blue green eyes, and blonde hair started down the stairs to speak to the woman.
"Katri?" the man asked as he came a bit closer to her.
The young handmaiden turned in surprise as she attempted to wipe her tears carefully, without smudging the makeup she wore. "Derin? What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you," he answered. "You weren't inside. It is the ball, and I thought you would be dancing. But since you weren't, I thought I might find you here."
"I needed to get away. It was too much. Besides, there was no one in that room I wanted to dance with." There was a slight pause before she added, "I thought you were supposed to be guarding the Queen."
"I thought that was your job," the man gave a small smile to her, which faded when he saw she was not smiling in response. "Katri? What is it? What's wrong?"
Averting her eyes, her glance went from the ground and then quickly to the heavens above. "Derin, I don't know what to do. I feel so…so lost."
A concerned look came over Derin's face as she led her to a marble bench, holding her hand as she sat down. "Just the other day you seemed so sure of yourself. What changed?"
There was a long pause until Katri spoke up. "We can't do this, Derin. You know that. We aren't supposed to love each other."
"But we do! And I can't change that."
"We aren't supposed to though. Our duties are to the Queen. We were warned about having romantic relationships like this because it would make the Queen second and she and Naboo should be first," Katri reminded him.
"But that isn't going to be a problem anymore," Derin told her gently.
"What?" Katri finally turned to him, tears still unshed in her eyes.
"As of next week, I will no longer be working as a guard," Derin had a small smile on his face.
"What? Why not?"
"Because I got into medical school. In just a year or two, I will be a medic," Derin announced.
Katri's eyes brightened and she hugged him tight. "I am so happy for you. I knew you would pass those exams."
"Your faith helped me. I would never have dreamt to do that without you there to keep me from giving up," Derin took one of her hands in his, kissing the top of it, smelling the soft light perfume she wore.
Katri blushed slightly at this, thankful that even in the bright moon, it was dark enough to hide the color in her cheeks.
"And you know I would support you in anything. I still think you should think about a title, such as Queen," Derin continued.
Sighing, Katri pulled her hand away. "I don't want to be though. When I was younger I did. Not now though."
"What do you want to do then?" Derin asked, a bit confused by her behavior.
"I was supposed to be a Jedi," Katri whispered.
Derin's mouth dropped open. "What?" he asked, voice low. "A Jedi?"
"I was trained as a child. My parents couldn't decide what was the best course for me. I came home often to visit. When I was ten, I saw the victory celebration against the Trade Federation. A Master chose me too. She was kind and taught me a lot. At the age of twelve, I build my lightsaber. It is blue…" Katri let out a deep sigh, longing coming over her again.
"Then how did you end up here?" Derin asked after a long uncomfortable pause.
"It was supposed to be my last visit home. I was thirteen. Up until that time, I had been sheltered. I hadn't been on any missions or been in any dangerous situations. I went to say goodbye to my parents, and my sister, Ari. But while I was visiting, she died. I was so upset…and the Jedi felt the attachment I had with her had been too great. They told me I had to choose. At this same time, I was told that the schools in Theed were looking for gifted individuals. I took a test and was accepted. I had to get away from everything. But when I decide to go back to the Jedi, three months later, I was not allowed."
Silence fell over the couple again, until Derin wrapped an arm around Katri's waist, kissing her cheek. "But Jedi are not allowed to love. And then we would never have met," he told her gently.
There was a pause before Katri answered. "You are right. And I can't imagine my life without you," the beautiful young handmaiden leaned her head on the handsome guard's shoulder.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Derin smiled and then shifted, causing Katri to lift up her head. His hand moved to his side pouch as if checking something. "Katri, we have known each other a long time. We have had meetings like this in secret for over a year."
"But soon it won't be secret. As it is, many already know about us. But with you as a medic, it wouldn't be frowned upon. Then everyone, even the Queen's advisors would know. I mean, the other handmaidens know and the Queen and…" Katri trailed off as Derin leaned over and kissed her sweetly.
Sinking into his kiss, Katri deepened it slightly; how it made everything right, perfect, to be in his arms. His kiss was intoxicating; more so than the finest wine on any planet.
Finally, the couple pulled away, both slightly breathless. "Katri…." Derin gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I love you."
"I love you too," Katri whispered, eyes locked with his.
Taking a deep breath, Derin slowly sank to one knee and Katri's breath caught in her throat.
"I love you. I always will. Whether you are a Jedi or a handmaiden or Queen. No matter what, Katri I love you more than my own life. More than anything else. And it is because of this that I want to spend forever with you." He pulled out a small box and opened it to reveal a small simple diamond ring.
At this, Katri gasped, feeling as if she couldn't speak. She already knew the answer before he asked the question.
"Katri Malesa Telara, will you make me the happiest man in the universe, and marry me?" he asked. Derin was so nervous that he was shaking. He had wanted to ask her for a long time now. The time was never right. Until now. Now it was right. He loved her, and everything he had told her was true. He loved her. More than words could explain.
Katri was still in shock. A tear fell, then another before she threw her arms around him with such a force that they both fell backwards. "Yes, I will marry you," she managed to whisper.
Even though he was unceremoniously on his back, Derin quickly sat up, looking at Katri, a relieved smile on his face as he took the ring and slid it onto her left ring finger. It fit just right.
Staring at it in wonder, Katri continued to cry, this time from happiness. Lifting her chin slightly, Derin kissed her again. The kiss seemed to last forever, and yet not long enough as the two finally parted.
"Katri Malesa Narabe." Katri whispered. "It sounds beautiful."
"Just as you are," Derin answered, taking her hands in his. He stood up, then helped her up as well.
"I can't believe this," she stammered, finally wiping her eyes, which were shining with excitement.
"I am so glad you said yes…." He replied. The two were unable to pull away until Derin's com light blinked, letting him know that he would be needed.
Sighing, Katri finally took a step back. "You should go," she whispered.
Derin paused. "I will. But there is something I have to request first with a certain beautiful handmaiden."
"And what would that be?" Katri asked.
"That she dance with me. Our first dance. However, it will not be our last." The faint strands of a slow song started as Derin took Katri in his arms.
Katri's arms went around his neck and she rested her head on his shoulder. "You are the only one I wanted to dance with," she whispered as they started to sway slowly, Derin's arms around her waist.
"Forever," he promised her, kissing her again.
The stars from heaven still shone down on the young couple. However, they did not notice. To them, nothing outside of that silver moonlight mattered. That would fade soon, as would the music. However, their love would live on, beyond the music and beyond that night.
AN: Please R&R. There might be more to this short story. Either a sequel or this will be a trilogy if there is interest.