While She Is Here in My Arms
Disclaimer: I don't own.
Chapter 3: Wedding Preparations
The day after Han proposed, Leia and Padmé went into wedding preparation mode. Han, Luke, and Anakin escaped the house as often as possible. During the next couple of weeks, they managed to decide on several things, including the date (two months after Han had asked her), the location (Varykino, where Anakin and Padmé had married), a best man-er, well, Wookiee (Chewie), two groomsmen (Luke and Lando, an old friend of Han's), and two bridesmaids (Leia's cousins Ryoo and Pooja). What they did not have was a maid of honor. "She has to be someone who won't be afraid of a Wookiee," Leia mused as she and her mother brainstormed about it.
"True," Padmé agreed. "What about-"
Leia's eyes lit up. "I know!" She stood up and darted over to her comlink.
"Hello?" a voice on the other end answered.
"Hi. It's Leia."
"Leia! How are you?"
"I'm doing great...actually, I'm getting married in a few weeks."
"No way! Really? To Han?"
She grinned. "Yes."
"Well, congratulations! Are we invited?"
She smirked. "But of course. You should be getting formal invitations soon. However...I was hoping that you would be my maid-well, matron-of honor."
"Are you sure? I mean, I'm honored, but-"
Leia cut in. "I'm sure. Besides, I was your maid of honor a few months ago. Now you can return the favor."
She chuckled. "Fair enough. See you soon, then?"
"You bet, Jyn. Say hi to Cassian for me."
"Will do."
Leia disconnected the call and smiled at her mother. "Matron of honor, check."
*WSIHMA*
A few days later, a day when Anakin had not been able to escape, he was watching a podrace on the holonet. Behind him, Padmé and Leia were talking about the guest list for the wedding. "So, who are we missing?" Padmé asked.
"Uh…do we have Biggs and Wedge?"
"Yes…and I still think that it's very sweet of you to be willing to invite your brother's best friends to your wedding."
"Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru?"
"Yes." The podrace got louder, and Padmé signaled her daughter to wait for a moment. "Ani!"
"Yes, Angel?" he answered.
"Could you please turn that off? It's really difficult to plan a romantic wedding with crashes and announcers reveling in death in the background."
He laughed. "Can I wait to see who wins? They should announce that in a second."
"All right." She turned back to their daughter. "Anyone else?"
"What about…oh! Kes and Shara?"
"Also here."
"Good. Oh, Sabine? Hera?"
"Yes and yes."
"Let's see…Bodhi, Baze, and Chirrut?"
"Yes."
"Uh…all the Senators in the Senate?"
Padmé chuckled. "Not all, but most of them." She bit her lip. "Speaking of…did you ask him?"
Leia shook her head no.
"Well, you need to, darling. If you're going to ask him permission, do it now; we've got to start sending these invitations."
She nodded and approached her dad, brown eyes wide and hopeful. "Daddy?"
"Yes, princess?"
She bit her lip, hesitating. "Would...would it be all right with you if I invited Bail and Breha to the wedding? I mean, they did raise me for nine years, and-"
Anakin put a finger over her mouth. "It's your wedding, princess. You don't need my permission to invite anyone."
She smiled. "Thanks, Daddy."
He blinked rapidly to try to clear the tears welling up there. Leia reached up to wipe them away before she placed her hand in his, and the two began to slowly dance to inaudible music. "Do you remember the first time I danced with you?" she asked softly.
A melancholy grin spread across his face. "Of course."
"I was nine, remember?"
"You'd only been living with me for a couple of months."
"I knew that you were my dad, but, of course, you didn't know that."
"Stop rubbing it in. Anyway, you came up to me while I was doing some paperwork, and, looking as adorable as possible, you told me that you were going to a ball that night and that you needed to practice dancing."
"Then I used the puppy dog eyes on you and said, 'Please, Mister Vader, please?'"
"I wasn't able to tell those big brown eyes no." He winked. "Never have been, probably never will be."
She smiled, snuggling closer to him. "Do you remember my first Senate ball?"
"Vaguely...I tend to block those events from my memory as much as possible...who escorted you again? I should remember, but I don't."
"Ezra, because, at the time, the only boys I really knew were him, Luke, Uncle Obi-Wan, and you, and I wasn't going to go to my first ball as a Senator with my dad, brother, or uncle."
"That's right...the only thing I distinctly remember is you asking if I approved of the dress you were wearing, and then you asking my help to practice for it."
"You, of course, were glad to do so."
"I'm always willing to dance with my baby." Anakin sighed. "Now you've got a ring on your hand, always glowing as you tell us guys all you and Mom planned that day."
Leia smiled. "Dad...my wedding's still a month away, but I do need to practice dancing. Please, Daddy...please?"
Anakin smiled, and the two continued to sway to nonexistent music.
So I will dance with Cinderella while she is here in my arms, cause I know something the prince never knew. I will dance with Cinderella; I don't wanna miss even one song. Cause, all too soon, the clock will strike midnight, and she'll be gone.
