A Forsaken Life

Chapter Two – Birthday Wishes

Cordellia looked up into Breha's compassionate face and something snapped inside. She buried her head in the Queen's clothes and sobbed. The bed shook with the force of her sobs. She barely heard the soothing words of comfort Breha whispered in her ear, nor felt the comforting back strokes she was getting. Her pain was so great, after 4, almost 5 years, she had kept her feelings bottled up inside. Eventually the tears stopped. Cordellia lifted her head and sniffled, wiping the tears away. She sent an apologetic smile towards Breha.

"It's alright, dear. I understand you had to get those feelings out. I just wonder what we're going to tell Leia…" Breha mused, talking first to Della and then to herself.

As if she was actually summoned, Leia's head poked through the bedroom doorway, looking in apprehensively.

"Can I come in, Mother?" she asked softly.

At her mother's nod, she tiptoed in, watching Della. Leia walked towards the bed, and gingerly sat next to her. Leia looked at Della's tear-streaked face, tears forming in her eyes. One lone tear did fall down her cheek as she wrapped her arms around the older woman's waist and hugged her.

"I'm sorry Della for making you cry." the little girl said, barely able to be heard, since her voice was muffled against Della's dress material. Soon the little girl's shoulder started to shake, and she moved away, tears running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry for giving you that ring."

"Oh no, don't be sorry, hun. I'm very glad you gave me back my ring; I thought I had lost it. It is very important to me, thank you, Leia. It just brought back some memories."

Leia wiped her tears and smiled slightly. "Good memories?"

Cordellia smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, good memories."

All this while Queen Breha had been looking on from her position on her left of Cordellia. She smiled and stood slowly, turning to look at them.

"With all this commotion I almost forgot to ask you, my daughter, about your birthday party!"

Leia sat and thought about it, her face scrunched up in concentration. "Can I have a small birthday party, Mother? Just you and Daddy and Della? I heard the talk you had with Daddy about having a huge ball following tomorrow, which really is my birthday. I want the ball after my little party with you and Daddy and Della…is that alright with you, Mommy?" Leia asked fearfully, not liking the look on Breha's face. In fact, Leia misunderstood Breha's look to be aimed at her, instead of the woman next to her. Della all this while had gone off into her own little world again, her eyes glassy, no emotion on her face. Breha smiled, and nodded, turning to look at her daughter.

"Yes, that sounds wonderful to me. We'll have a little birthday party before the ball." Queen Breha said, she couldn't help but smile back at the cute smile Leia had on her face. She held her hand out.

"Come, little one, let's go talk to your father about that little party, I believe that Cordellia needs more time alone, to think." Breha sent Della an understanding nod, and when Leia took her hand, they walked out, Leia chattering away.

Cordellia sighed, and still clasping the ring, walked slowly to her own bedroom.

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The next morning, as Leia was sitting in her room, in front of the huge mirror on her wall, she sat there and let Cordellia do her hair. She continued to chatter away, smiling at her hair dresser in the mirror ever so often. Cordellia continued to smile and nod every once in awhile, not really into what she was talking about. Pretty soon Leia noticed that Della wasn't paying attention, and she swiveled in her chair to look up at her.

"Della…what's wrong?? You seem to be far away right now." she said, swiveling back to face the mirror.

Cordellia smiled apologetically and continued to make up Leia's hair, putting it subconsciously into a style not quite so different from what she used to wear, before. Before the disaster had happened…

"I'm sorry, hun. Just lost in thought."

"Oh," was all she said.

Silence grew between them, in which Leia's hair became even more beautiful. Finally her hair was done, and the dress was ready to be put on.

"Alright, hun. Time to put your dress on, and we'll see just how beautiful you are."

The dress was put on, a white shimmering dress, with pearls decorated on the front and back, making it shimmer in the light even more. Leia put on her white stockings, and her white dainty little shoes, and looked at herself in the mirror, beaming. Behind her stood Cordellai, beaming as well. Her hazel eyes wandered across Leia's face, her brown eyes and brown curly hair, just like her mother's…Della fingered her not quite curly enough dark blonde hair, and wished for her brown curly locks again. She put her hands on Leia's shoulder and looked at her through the mirror.

"You look beautiful," she said, murmuring Obi-Wan's words to her from so long ago.

Leia smiled, blushing slightly. She took Della's hand and walked out the bedroom, looking for her mother and father. They eventually found them in the parlor, discussing all the details about the party and having everything cleaned up.

Bail and Breha beamed as they saw Leia walk in the parlor, wearing her beautiful dress. They stood up and each kissed and hugged her, telling her she was beautiful, and telling her a happy birthday. For some reason, to Leia, when Della had said she was beautiful, it had meant much more to her than when her parent's said that, and it made her confused. When they were upstairs, and Della had been doing her hair, it had felt as if they had made a moment together, Leia had never felt so comfortable, and so peaceful around her as she did anyone else…not even with her own mother.

Leia continued to listen to her mother and father talk about the party, but soon got bored. Cordellia had left to go dressed for the party, nothing fancy, she had been told by Della, just something better than her normal wear. Leia left quietly, not going unnoticed by her parents, but not being told to stay either. She walked down the corridors and down a flight of stairs, and finally reached Cordellia's bedroom. She knocked on the door, waiting as it opened, to see Della in a beautiful antique moss colored dress. It fit her perfectly. Leia walked in, beaming at the sight of her friend. Della smiled as well and moved over to the mirror, running her fingers over the silk charmeuse material of the dress. The 'sexy', as Sabe would have named it, if she were here, plunging V neckline with twisted shoulder straps did wonders for Cordellia's body, molding to her perfectly. When she moved, the feminine flounced hem bounced around her ankles, making Leia giggle at the sight. Della picked up the scarf and put it around her waist and holding it, at the elbows. She already had her shoes on, and so, turned to Leia and held an arm out.

"Ready to go to your own little party?" she asked, Obi-Wan's words to her echoing in her head.

Leia nodded and bounded off the bed, holding Della's hand, she couldn't wait to see what her parents got her.

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That evening Leia walked around the ballroom, maneuvering around all the people that had come to the ball to celebrate the princess' 5th birthday. She beamed and nodded her head to those who looked down and wished her a happy birthday. Her heart soared when she saw Della standing by her daddy and mommy, talking to some politician. Her nose scrunched up in thought, she didn't like politics or politicians. They were too boring.

When she finally reached her family, she had about talked to everyone that had come, and as soon as she stood next to her daddy, she was introduced to another senator...Senator Mon something or other. Leia smiled and curtsied, murmuring a polite hello. She faintly heard her father saying something about that this senator was his friend, but Leia wasn't really paying attention, she was remembering the little party that she had had with her own little family.

//"Happy 5th Birthday, my little girl!" Breha had announced as soon as Leia had walked into the dining room, Della at her heels. Leia's eyes grew wide as she saw the cake that was being brought into the room. The three adults couldn't help but chuckle as an astonished 'wow' passed her lips in a hushed whisper. Leia bounded up and hugged her father tight, a huge smile on her face.

"Thank you, oh thank you Daddy for this little party! I love it already!"

"Is that because you got such a big cake?" Della couldn't help but tease the little girl, she looked just like herself when she was excited.

The three adults laughed at her vigorous nod, she was still staring at the cake.

They sang a happy birthday and finally, to Leia's relief, they cut the cake and everyone got a piece.

"Yuummmyy!" Leia said, licking the frosting off her lips. "Just what I wanted, thank you Daddy, and Mommy.

Soon afterward she got to open the presents, she got a new dress that was so pretty from her mommy, and a new datapad and many new books that she could read comfortably in the library. She waited patiently for Della's present, but it never did come. Della told her that she would give her the present later, which piqued Leia's curiosity.//

"…and this certainly was a good idea, wasn't it, my love." Bail said, smiling lovingly at his wife. Leia started and blinked, trying to act as if she had not wandered into her memories.

"Tell me, little one. Are you enjoying your ball? Has anyone asked you to dance yet?" Asked the friendly Senator with red hair and pale skin, which she had been introduced to earlier.

Leia said yes at the part of enjoying, but shook her head at the dancing part, clasping her hands behind her back. Mon Mothma tsked, and looked at Bail, smiling. "Well, my dear, I do believe that this is the last dance, and I believe that your dear father should save this dance for you."

Leia smiled, giggled, and looked at her daddy. Bail nodded his head in understanding, and held out his arm.

"Would you care to dance, mi'lady?" Bail asked her, smiling, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Leia curtsied and took his arm, smiling.. "Of course, Father."

And so they danced, with every guest and every maid and servant looking on, watching as father and daughter danced to the last song.

Cordellia looked on, tears in her eyes, half standing in the shadows, watching them dance, a whole different party in her mind, and with a whole different couple dancing across the floor.

End of Chapter Three. Hope ya'll enjoyed!

TBC…