Thank you all so much for the warm reception to this new story :) As I mentioned previously. it's more light-hearted than Shackled was. On to Chapter 2!

I take a breath and hold on tight
Spin around one more time
And gracefully fall back to the arms of grace.
- Lifehouse

###

Princess Leia Organa glided up the steps that led to the Great Room, impatience plain in her hurried walk. She hated when Father interrupted her studies to meet visiting dignitaries. Yes, she knew she had to play nice, she would be joining the Senate in less than two years, but her training for the Rebellion was far more important than making appearances. And the combat training was vital, particularly in light of the death threats.

Upon entering the Great Room, Leia spied her father at the other end. He stood with a man who, from here, did not appear to be a dignitary. His stance was far too casual, his clothes too plain. As she drew closer, her eyes found his face and Leia was struck by how handsome he was. It sent a sparking jolt through her that took her by surprise.

"Leia," the Viceroy said, taking in her appearance. She was still wearing the sparring gear but had arranged her dark cascade of hair into a long, tight braid. "I asked you to make yourself presentable."

"How is this not presentable?" she asked her father sweetly.

The answering sigh was well-worn. "Leia, this is Han Solo. I have hired him to be your bodyguard until we reveal this threat. Solo, this is my daughter, Princess Leia Organa."

Her eyes became slits and her mouth slanted downward as she turned on her father. "I thought we discussed this." Her voice was calm, yet held a hint of anger.

He smiled patiently. "We did discuss it. And I went ahead with my decision."

She made a soft sound of derision that was decidedly un-princess-like. "What is the point of my combat training if I don't use it?"

"The combat training is a precaution and you know this."

Forgetting the bystander entirely, she stood her ground more firmly. "Father, there is security throughout the Palace, I see no reason for more."

"Sometimes, a little extra is required."

"If you would just allow me to carry a weapon—"

"A weapon is only as good as the one who wields it. You need more practice." He sighed. "I hate that things have come to this. I miss the simpler times, when Alderaan's policy of no weapons spoke for the safety of our planet."

Leia could see there was no way that her father was going to change his mind. The man standing next to him was proof of that. She had been fairly good, from a young age, at determining when there was room for an argument. She sighed and rolled her eyes before turning to the bodyguard.

"What was your name again?" she asked in a clipped tone.

His mouth hardened. "Han Solo."

"Right. Solo. Come along," she called.

The Princess walked ahead of him at a brisk pace. Was she seriously saddled with this off-worlder? It was insulting that her father felt she needed someone to watch over her so closely. She stopped suddenly and turned to face him and the man skidded to a halt.

"What exactly are your qualifications for this position?" she asked, head held high.

"What?!"

"Your qualifications," she repeated as if he were a dumb child.

It took him a moment to answer. "My qualifications, Your Highnessness, are that I can keep your Spoiled Royalness safe!"

Her cheeks blazed red and her eyes went momentarily wide with sharp shock before they narrowed to pointed slits. "How dare you speak to me in such a manner!" Her voice was a murderous whisper.

"Someone needs to knock you down a peg or two," he muttered.

Leia was stunned. Who did this man think he was? "You work for me!"

Han stepped closer to her, staring down his nose. "I work for your father."

"That is no different!"

"It is different. You're just a kid."

She drew up to her full, unthreatening height, jaw tight. "I am not a kid."

"What're you?" he sneered. "Fifteen?"

Her lips clenched at his near-accuracy. "Never mind my age." In spite of her anger and indignation, while she glared up at him, she noticed the unique green and gold of his eyes. They were dark and mirrored her own frustration. "I expect that you won't get in my way."

"Trust me, I don't wanna 'get in your way,'" he snapped. "Your father hired me to protect you and that's what I'm gonna do."

"Do you have a weapon?"

"Of course."

"Do you know how to use it?"

"That's a stupid question."

Her smile was mockingly ingratiating. "I'm sure you are an expert on stupid questions." She turned and continued walking. This man's attitude was maddening. How long would she have to endure it?

He was at her side before she could register his presence. "You're not much like a Princess." His tone was biting.

"I'm sure you've known many princesses to compare me to," she flung sarcastically, staring straight ahead. She would tolerate his presence…barely.

He muttered something under his breath and Leia was glad she hadn't heard him. She already knew she hated him.

###

From the bedroom that adjoined that of the Princess, Han leaned back on the bed, fingering his blaster, wishing he could use it to stun that stuck-up, little brat. He would be sleeping here, in the chamber of her former, childhood nanny, close by to protect her from any possible threat. At the moment, he felt as if he might be her biggest threat.

He heard the fresher door open in her room through the door that was slightly ajar between them, and the sounds of her moving about. She had declared that she would take a shower then dismissed him with an absent wave of the hand. What had sounded like a cushy job now seemed like a royal pain in the ass.

But, he had suffered worse employment, he would get through this too. It would get him back to Chewbacca and the Falcon, and that was what mattered. He could deal with an insufferable teenage girl if he had to.

At first sight, her small stature had caused him to mistake her for twelve or thirteen years-old. He had been struck by what a beautiful, young girl she was, her porcelain skin, large, dark eyes, and that impossibly long braid that hung down her back. When she opened her mouth to speak, he could tell she was somewhat older than she appeared. The exchange with her father had surprised him. She spoke as if she were his peer, rather than his child. Her voice was oddly mature and self-assured. For a moment, he pegged her as nineteen or twenty. But, the girlish roundness that still framed her face suggested fifteen or sixteen. She hadn't responded to his question of her age, which told him he had hit it close to the mark.

The moment she dismissed him, as if he mattered not at all in the scheme of the universe, was the moment he decided he didn't like her. He consoled himself now with the thought of all the money he would be making by guarding her. In spite of her, it was a great opportunity and had come at just the right time. Maybe his luck was turning around. And this Palace was a nice place to stay. The bed was, quite possibly, the most comfortable on which he had ever rested.

It was some time before Han realized he hadn't heard any noise from the Princess' room in quite a while. He stood, went to the door that separated their rooms, and knocked quickly.

"Princess?"

No response. He knocked again.

"Hey, Your Royalness? What're you up to?"

When she still did not respond, he pulled the door back the rest of the way and entered her bedroom, privacy be damned. His eyes roamed over the large bedchamber, but she simply wasn't there. There were no signs that anything suspicious had happened to her. The only conclusion he could reach was that she had given him the slip.

Great.

So, it was going to be like this, was it? She was going to thwart him at every turn?

Han was loathe to admit to the Viceroy that the daughter he was hired to protect had evaded him. It wouldn't exactly inspire confidence in his abilities.

He grumbled to himself in frustration and left the room. He would find her on his own.

It was late afternoon. What might a Princess do at this time of day?

He couldn't imagine. Well, it was as good a time to explore the Palace as any other.

Wandering through room after room, each one more lavishly decorated than the last, he smiled at the servants he encountered, all the time, assessing each as a possible threat.

His search provided no sign of the Princess. Just as he was about to admit defeat and call for the Viceroy, he came to a final, closed door. It slid open and, at last, Han found the questionable prize he was searching for.

The room was cozier and much less formal than the others, with several overstuffed chairs, three computer terminals, and a holoprojector in the middle of the far wall. It was decorated in muted tones of brown and blue and had a number of activated holos on a long table to Han's left.

Seated at one of the terminals, the Princess looked up as the door hummed open, and her brow wrinkled sharply.

Han's voice was loud in the silence. "It's not nice to give the slip to someone who's trying to protect you."

Her voice was cold and steady. "It is also not nice to interrupt someone while they are working."

Han snorted and dropped into the nearest chair. His body was enveloped as it adjusted to his contours, proving to be the most comfortable chair he could have imagined. "What're you doin'? Homework?"

She glared at him. "I am reading about the history of the conflict on Grazdin. I will be accompanying my father on a diplomatic mission to Grazdin next week."

"Great," Han declared, placing his hands behind his head. "Never been to Grazdin. Can't wait."

She frowned. "You will be long gone by then."

"Only if your father's investigators find this threat."

"Regardless, this inconvenience will not last long." With a shake of the head, she returned her attention to the computer in front of her.

Jaw set, he watched her as she concentrated on the screen. This child, who clearly thought she was older than she was. Han tried to remember being her age. He guessed that he must have thought he knew more than he did too. Maybe that was just the way of teenagers.

His eyes wandered to the array of holos to his left. The first one showed the Princess, appearing to be about five years-old, Han guessed. She was wearing a casual jumpsuit and holding a doll, a brilliant smile beaming from her face.

In the next one, she was older, perhaps ten. Her father leaned from behind her, his arms embracing her, and she held her cheek up against his. It was sweet and it made him smile against his will.

The third was a formal portrait of both parents and child. This one was stiff and the smiles they all wore seemed forced.

The final holo showed the Princess much more recently, wearing a formal gown and sporting that same, genuine smile from the first holo that seemed to sparkle and radiate joy. Based on his experience with her thus far, he couldn't imagine her smiling like that.

His eyes sprung back to her and caught her studying him before her gaze returned to the terminal with a pinched expression. He grinned to himself. She was curious about him against her will. Han was certain that he was very different from those she normally associated with.