The waters of Naboo sloshing against the shore in their dark tremor was a simplicity of beauty. The lake rippled quietly in the night which cast its icey countenance over the sheet of glass which danced and glimmered, finally, under a gentle light from inside the room beyond the balcony. Lush, green vines stringed up the side of the lintels just beginning to blossom with what were grapes for the best Naboo wines.

Many people took it for granted, the natural beauty of Naboo for it was much the norm for them, but to those who'd seen the coldness of other planets, they would see it exactly for what it was – a gift of the Force. It was never cold and most people were over all friendly. Always, there would be the perfect sunrise and the perfect sunset – even the winter was only a minor cold which looked like a Christmas card topped off with the few flakes of snow that were always promised to come.

Except-

Now, those snowflakes were replaced with small beads of rain falling from the radiant heavens and drifting to the ground with a light plink. It was a cool liquid that gathered on the silent form leaning over the railing over the balcony which gathered onto his long hair and trail down his face. For the years he'd lived on Naboo its mercy and forgiveness, its majesty and gentles ness in the galaxy never ceased to leave him awe-struck. A light rain fall like this he'd witnessed perhaps a thousand times and more but those were cold, dry rains in the wicked company of a stony galaxy. Not like here. Here, on Naboo, there was a sense of tranquillity to even the most rare yet snarling of storms.

To Anakin Skywalker, the retired Jedi Knight and Chosen One, Naboo was the only thing in the galaxy that could inflict peaceful wonder upon him.

He smiled dully, his mind wandering towards what lingered beyond the door just behind him. Naboo could inflict peaceful wonder on him, but than again, so could she. She always had. Her soft, chocolate eyes were as soft as a calmly winter and her flowing brown hair long down her back was a symbol of the flowing trees in which ever direction she would sway. Padme Nabrerrie Amidala Skywalker was human perfection in his eyes and nothing short of it.

Not long after the council had found out their secret union shortly before the end of the Clone Wars, after the events on Imperial Hand, Grevious ship, the two had chosen to retire on Naboo to strike out on their own and create new memories by themselves. It had only been a year since and the two lived on the lake country estate, Japlena, Nubia. It took only a brief stay of three months with Padme and her parents in central Theed to find a place of their own but to Anakin, contrary to how Padme felt, it felt more like a year.

But not in a bad way. Living in the home of Jobal and Ruwee Nabrerrie with Sola, Ryu, and Pooja running around was something reminiscent to the life he'd dreamed of on Tattooine and well into his years under the serving shield of the Jedi. It was simple, contenting and had a very homey feeling if it was to be for Anakin Skywalker and back in Theed, that was how it was and it was the same now, in the house hold of the two.

A wide smile found its way to Anakin's lips. He vaguely wondered where all the time had gone since he was the pitiful boy slaving away in a junk shop with only his dreams to sustain him. He believed he'd grow up, be a podracer and that was as good as it got. Instead, it got better. Instead, he fulfilled his dream and became a Jedi Knight, married a queen and retired in wealth in the greatest planet besides Alderaan in the galaxy. It was now that Anakin knew that nothing could beat this.

"Anakin," the familiar, lyrical voice called out behind him, "we're supposed to be leaving in an hour."

Anakin left his place over the railing and stood straight, giving one last glance to the dark river. "Alright, I'll be there in a second!"

He smiled, tugging his cape free of the peg on the wall and walked into his modestly furnished home. Next to the fire crackling lightly on the hearth, there were two brown, leather easy chairs propped on the beige carpet accompanied by a soft, black sofa between the two perfectly slanted on both sides. It was no surprise when Anakin would boast it was his choosing since it very much resembled the synth leather on his old Jedi robes which still rested relatively untouched in his and Padme's closet.

That smile was still on his face when his eyes found her coming through the hall adjacent to the room. Soon, it twisted into one of his genuine, wide grins he'd found himself expressing lately whenever he'd see her but now it was something different to now. Now, she was perhaps the most beautiful she'd ever been with her returned smile and the elegant beaded, black, satin dress that complemented her slim, petite figure.

"I know you can't resist the rain," she said, her hand going to rest on her hip, "but honestly, did you really need to stand in it without protection on the night of Pooja's coming out ball?"

Anakin shot her a rueful, sheepish grin. "I'm sorry, but you know how impossible it is for me to resist."

"But it's still her coming out ball." She said slyly, a mischevious grin on her face- quite an irregular expression on the usual stoic, calm face of the former senator.

She'd really got him there and Anakin had to fumble for a useful retort however it was to no avail as he received to her the weak excuse, "And it's still the Naboo rain." She perked an eyebrow at him and Anakin became serious and pleading at the same time. "Oh come on, you know that this is the first rain on the planet that I've seen."

"We could argue about this pointless thing all night but I'd much rather make it to the ball room, before we're late."

With the particular stress on those last three words, Padme turned towards the door leaving Anakin to trudge behind her, muttering the words, "I know it's so important to you but did they have to have it on Demoince?"