She had found the gardens.

The first rays of sunshine were just penetrating the glass roof when she stepped into the indoor greenhouse.

It was large, with an assortment of trees and moss covered rocks lining the stone pathways. The sound of gushing water drew her deeper into the forest like atmosphere, until at last she rounded the corner to see a waterfall.

Satine blinked. If she wasn't careful, she could easily forget she was in the middle of a palace instead of in an exotic jungle.

Absently, she wondered if this was what the Room of a Thousand Fountains was like. Obi-Wan had always described it as such, with the magnificent waterfall being the dominating element.

Sitting down by the edge of the pool that was formed at the base, Satine dipped her feet in the water, reveling in the feeling of the cool liquid around her toes.

"Duchess. I should have expected you to be here."

She didn't even look up. "So you know who I am."

He came and sat down beside her, crossing his legs meditation style. "Since this morning. I apologize for not recognizing you earlier. I'm afraid I've been very out of touch."

"I take no offense. I fear that very few people outside of the political circle recognize me."

"May I ask you a question?" He asked after a moment of silence, fiddling with the edge of his robe.

"You may, though whether or not I choose to answer is at my own will."

"The man who was with you… he was a Jedi, correct?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Yes, he was. How…?"

He hesitated. "Before the crash, he tried to make contact with us. I recognized his voice."

"You knew Obi?"

A sad, almost regretful smile crossed his face. "We crossed paths a few times several years ago. He was a great man."

She swallowed as unshed tears clogged her throat. "He was."

"I don't think I've ever met someone as devoted to anything as he was to the Jedi." He chuckled softly. "It could be annoying at times, but I admired him for it."

"It was impossible not to," she agreed. "Even if you might hate him for it."

He was silent for a moment, and she could feel his eyes on her. "You knew him well, then?"

"I… he was sent to me when I was younger, and we became… close." She smiled at the memory. "We didn't see each other for, oh, almost twelve years, when I ran across him at Padmé's apartment after his padawan's death. We've been friends ever since."

"You knew his apprentice?"

"No, I never met him," she confessed. "It's funny, I don't even have the slightest clue what he even looked like. The only holo I've ever seen of him was when he was ten. All the others were locked up after his death. Did you know him?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. "Yes, I saw him a couple times."

She turned to him, interested. "What was he like? Obi never wanted to talk about him, and Padmé always broke down in tears whenever I mentioned him."

"He was a boy. Mischievous, arrogant, passionate, reckless. Not exactly the ideal Jedi." He smiled. "It seemed like every few minutes Ma… Master Kenobi was lecturing him on something."

She smiled. "That sounds right."

His head cocked to the side. "Wait, what's your name again?"

"Kryze, Satine Kryze of Kalevala," she replied, confused at his sudden change of subject. "And yours?"

"Ah, that would be right." He laughed. "I should have guessed you were like that."

She gave him a curious look. "Like what?"

He smirked. "Master… Kenobi's lover."

Heat rose in her cheeks. "Why would you say that?"

"He always had a thing for girls with blonde hair and blue eyes. Especially ones whose names started with the s sound."

"Really?" A bit of irritation started to mix in with the curiosity.

"Yep. Let me see, there was his first girl, Cerasi, when he was about fourteen, but she died. Then there was Siri, who he was on and off with since they were about seventeen. I remember a girl named Sadira, though it turned out her hair was bleached. There were a few others, too, but I can't recall them all from the top of my head. He was quite the ladies man."

"Indeed," Satine muttered darkly as she thought about how many blondes there were in the galaxy with names that started with the letter s.

"So you guys were like that?"

She flushed, shaking her head. "No." The skepticism and disbelief seem to radiate off of him and she groaned. "We were teenagers, loaded with hormones, left alone for a year. What did you expect us to do?"

"Really? You guys actually did the dirty?" For some reason he seemed surprised.

She wrinkled her brow. "What were you expecting?"

"A kiss, maybe. I mean, Mas… Obi-Wan may have flirted with every blonde he saw, but he never took them to bed. He always seemed too… he wasn't like that." The corners of his lips turned up in an amused smile. "You thought I was saying he slept with all those women?"

Her cheeks grew redder as she looked back down. Wrinkles were starting to form on her toes, so she pulled her feet out of the water and rested them on the stone floor as she muttered, "no."

He laughed. He actually threw back his head and laughed. "You don't have much trust in your boyfriend, do you?"

"No… I mean, yes, but he's not my…"

"Fine, then, lover." He stood, the grin still firmly fixed on his face as he offered her a hand. "Breakfast will be ready soon. It was good speaking to you, Duchess."

She nodded, her cheeks still burning. "Good day."


Padmé groaned as she forced herself out of bed. The maid had come in ten minutes ago to tell her that breakfast would be ready within a half hour, and she still hadn't had the will to get up.

It was ridiculous. Before, she had never had a problem with waking up. But then again, her mattress on Coruscant was nowhere near as soft and welcoming as the one that had been in the room the Master had provided for her.

The room in itself was remarkable. With it's color scheme of pale pinks, yellows, blues and tans, it reminded her of the Lake House. Stone floors also added to the effect, and homesickness mingled with the happiness of being in a place that felt familiar.

It was strange, though. First the wardrobe, and now this. It was as if the Master had anticipated her coming, and planned accordingly, days, weeks, maybe even months ahead. It wasn't possible for all this to be arranged so quickly.

Was it?

"Milady?"

Padmé turned to see a young girl standing in the doorway. Like all of the servants here (or slaves, she wasn't sure which), she was an Ehren, the natives of the planet.

So far, the only ones who weren't Ehren was the Master and his two bodyguards.

The girl, like all the other female Ehren Padmé had seen, was slim and elegant, with long, silvery white hair and silver skin. The men were usually more muscular, with darker, short hair and darker, almost grey skin.

She returned the smile. "Yes?"

"Master thought Milady might require some assistance."

Padmé glanced at the mirror to see her brown hair in a tangled mass. Hadn't it been smooth when she went to bed? "Yes, thank you. I would appreciate some help…"

"Acca, Milady."

"Can you pick a dress for me, Acca? I can't choose," Padmé confessed, looking at her walk in closet. Everything was so beautiful and new, there was no way she could make a choice.

The girl nodded, entering the miniature room. "Master say this was a favorite," she remarked, holding one out.

The dress was a sunny yellow, reminding Padmé of the dress she had been wearing during her and Anakin's picnic. Pushing away the bittersweet memory, she took it from the girl. "I think this will be fine."


The Master had not arrived for breakfast, or lunch. One of the guards came to inform her that he was conducting business elsewhere and would most likely not arrive back before dark. However, would she mind waiting up for him in the library…?

So, after dinner came and went and Padmé could no longer see out of her window, she went to the room.

It seemed to her that he had done nothing on a small scale. The library was massive, with floor to ceiling bookshelves built in a circle. In the center was a giant rug, begging for someone to curl up and read a book on it. This was where she found Satine, her head bent over an ancient volume that was probably six times as thick as the romance novel Padmé had selected.

Looking up, Satine closed her book and set it aside. "Padmé, what are you doing here?"

Padmé held up In Bed with the Mandalorian sheepishly. "Just some light reading."

Satine tilted her head to read the book title before pursing her lips. "I read it before. I didn't really enjoy it, because their perspective of a Mandalorian man isn't very correct. Otherwise, it was very…" she coughed, "erm, descriptive. You'll find Katus makes a very passionate lover."

"Don't they all?" Padme teased. "With their impossibly broad shoulders, towering stature, chiseled face, deep voice, and rippling muscles?"

The older woman laughed. "So very accurate, though not all women want that."

Padmé stretched out on the rug. "What would your ideal lover look like?"

She hesitated. "You first."

Padmé didn't even have to think about that one. "Well, he would be tall, with golden hair and blue eyes. Broad shouldered, rippling muscles," she laughed. "But I don't want a chiseled face. All I want is a button nose, a dimpled chin, and plump lips." She smiled. "Now your turn."

"Unlike you, Miss Cliché, I would want my love to be of a more solid built nature. Doesn't have to be very tall, but wit is a must. A modest amount of sarcasm." She smiled softly. "As to facial appearance, I can't say I have an exact look I would favor above any other."

Why did Padmé get the feeling her friend was lying? "What is it like?"

"What is what like?"

"Being in love."

Satine's cheeks grew pink. "You were in love with Anakin, you should know."

Padmé felt her throat tighten. "Yes, I know the feeling. But… what is the experience like? No running from your feelings, no secrets, just you and the person you love."

"It's… never what you expect," she said slowly. "Yet, in a way… it is. It's hard to explain…"

"Fine. What's being with a guy like, then? I don't… I've never been…" Padmé flushed. "You know…"

The older woman's cheeks blazed. "Who says I've ever been with one?"

"Obi-Wan. Remember that one day when we were talking about Nubian chastity laws and he teased you about never being able to keep them because you can't change the past?"

Satine groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "It was a long time ago…"

Padmé sat up straighter. "Was it with the guy you were talking about yesterday? The one who died?"

"Yes."

"So?"

"So what?"

It was obvious Satine wasn't going to make this easier on her. "So… what was it like?"

A tomato couldn't have been more red than Satine's face at the moment. "I don't know what you want me to tell you. I told you, it was a long time ago. I was what, seventeen? Eighteen? I barely even remember."

"Did it hurt a lot?"

Satine gave her a look. "Why the sudden curiosity?"

"It's not sudden. You're just the first woman that I've had a chance to talk to about it." She grimaced. "Giving the exception of my sister, but that's just disgusting."

"What about all those handmaidens you had?" Satine asked, carefully adjusting her skirt as she turned over. "Surely one of them was willing to share the sordid details of their extracurricular activities?"

"Technically, they're not supposed to have 'extracurricular activities' of that sort," Padmé pointed out. "Every Nubian woman is supposed to remain pure until her wedding. And handmaidens must be unmarried, with their duty to me and the crown first. So, even if they had indulged, I would be the last person they would want to tell."

Satine played with one of the tassels on her robe. "Do you wish to remain chaste?"

Padmé groaned, falling back onto the soft carpet. "I don't know. Right now, yes."

"But?"

"That's right now, when there's no one to tempt me."

A look of understanding crossed Satine's face. "I know how that feels. Before I met… him… I thought I would be fine being a virgin my whole life. And since he died, I'm once again content with not engaging in amorous relations. But if another would come upon the scene that I should feel similarly for, I don't know."

Padmé smiled sadly. "Would you want to feel the same for someone else?"

"No. What we had was sacred, and I… I promised him he was my only." Tears gathered in the blue eyes. "I don't want to break that promise. Even though he is dead, I don't want to tarnish his memory."

"Even though Anakin and I never got that far, I feel the same," Padmé confessed. "But now… I think that being so completely separated from the male species has not been the wisest action. The slightest touch of a man is enough to set me on fire. Or maybe… maybe I'm hitting that mid life period."

Satine barked out a laugh. "I hope not. I have yet to hit mine, and if you are already hitting yours, that doesn't speak well of the length of your life."

"Then what is it? I have been perfectly able to remain unattracted to and detached from every man I've met over the past three years. Why is everything changing now? And with a perfect stranger, whose name is as much of a mystery as his face?"

The older woman shrugged helplessly. "Whoever knows why we're attracted to those we don't even care for? Why we fall in love, if it almost always leads to heartbreak?"

"Words of wisdom. Listen to your friend, my pet," the Master said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. Padmé sucked in a breath as he knelt beside her, tracing her jaw with the back of his gloved hand. "Or your heart will be broken."


So, Padmé and Satine got to have a really girly talk! I wonder how much the Master heard...

Thank you, MumsieDo, for your description of the Ehren! I loved it!

Now, to our new followers and favorite(r)s: the dark emperor, Dark Lady 52, MumsieDo, CLance5, MorningStar666, thank you, thank you, thank you!

MumsieDo: I would tell you, but then it would make no sense to keep writing this, would it?

MMM73181: hehehe. I think you will actually be very surprised, in a chapter. Or two. Or five. Or twenty. (I know, I'm evil)

Guest: Thank you for your long review! I'm glad you're enjoying my story. Don't worry, soon (or not so soon) everything will be revealed.

Guest: thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! (No spoilers)

Hahaha, I'm cracking up over here because everyone seems to think 'The Master' is insane. Well, he is kind of crazy…

Please, if you're a guest, leave some sort of name so I can identify you when I'm replying to your review! Thank you!

(I just realized FanFiction has not been inserting my enters between pov changes. I'm so sorry, and will make sure to check it in the future!)