A/N: Final chapter to this story. Hope you're looking foward to the next story!
Chapter 8
Padme gathered her skirt, moving down the hallways toward the turret room. She, as well as her handmaidens and guards, had been invited to the knighting of Obi-Wan. She wouldn't have enough time to change before the parade and had decided to wear the same outfit for both events.
She had spent what seemed like hours in front of her closet, debating on which of her elaborate outfits to wear. She had learned of Obi-Wan's strong distaste in her headpieces, in which she had glared at him, so decided to go without one.
She had eventually decided on a beautiful silk gown with a tabard down the front and a parasol collar on her back. A fluffy cloak in pastel colors was worn over it, completing the outfit. She had gone with little makeup and only cared to add the essentials. Her hair was done in another unusual but beautiful fashion.
She had taken a good amount of time getting ready, her mind still in a blur from last night.
Of course, it never got past a heated kiss. Obi-Wan had pulled away when she was working to untie his belt. He had come up with the excuse that he was grieving and he shouldn't do this just to take away the pain. Padme, though disappointed, had agreed and left him sleeping on the couch. His cries in the middle of the night had left her tossing and turning.
Nevertheless, she slept for a solid three hours, enough sleep to get her through the parade and ceremony.
She arrived soon enough, taking a seat next to Captian Panaka. A large amount of people were seated in the cushioned chairs, murmuring among themselves. Yoda and Mace Windu were seated across the room, discussing among themselves. Anakin and Obi-Wan were seated in the corner, covered by shadows.
A few minutes passed before Mace Windu stood to his feet, calling for everyone's attention.
"Thank you all for coming. Today is a very significant day in a young man's life. As you all know, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi dueled a Sith in Naboo less than forty-eight hours ago. While his Padawan was able to best the Sith, we suffered a great loss. Qui-Gon has become one with the Force…"
There were faint murmurs of sympathy as the High member continued.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi was brought to the temples at a young age. His anger and fear made him vulnerable to the dark side. At the age of thirteen, he was given one last chance to prove himself worthy as a Padawan. After a spar with Bruck got to out of hand, he was sent to Bandomeer as a farmer."
Padme glanced into the shadows, trying her hardest to catch a glimpse of Obi-Wan's face.
"The Force intertwined Qui-Gon's and Obi-Wan's destiny. Qui-Gon took Obi-Wan as his Padawan soon after a battle with his former apprentice. Obi-Wan pushed himself far beyond his peers, trying his hardest to make Qui-Gon and the Council proud. I can honestly say that he is one of the strongest and most dedicated Padawans I've ever seen. However, during the Naboo invasion, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were at odds. In his dying breath, he asked Obi-Wan to train a young boy. Obi-Wan has proven himself worthy of the position of a Jedi Knight."
Obi-Wan stood to his feet, coming to a halt in front of Mace Windu. He knelt down on one knee, bowing his head. Padme felt her lips twist into a smile at the sight of Obi-Wan. Yoda stepped forward, igniting the green lightsaber in his hand. Mace cleared his throat before he spoke.
"Do you, Obi-Wan Kenobi, take on the responsibilities, as well as the expectations, of a Jedi Knight?"
Obi-Wan raised his head. "Yes, Master."
"Do you, Obi-Wan Kenobi, take custody of Anakin Skywalker, willing to train him in the Force?"
Obi-Wan's eyes rested on the crouched boy in the corner. "Yes, Master."
"Please recite the Jedi Code."
Obi-Wan bowed his head, closing his eyes as the Order he lived by came to mind. He easily recited it, but hesitated on the line that spoke of passion. He quickly masked his doubts and recited the rest.
Padme noticed the hesitation and the way his shoulders tensed…was she making things worse?
Yoda raised his lightsaber, the humming echoed through throughout the room. He brought it down to Obi-Wan's shoulder and in one swift move, removed the braid. He picked it off from the floor and handed it to Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan stared at it for a minute, before he met Yoda's gaze. "Thank you, Master."
Yoda gave a quick smile, something rarely seen. The short Master stood to his feet and sat down in the cushioned chair.
Mace raised his voice above the murmuring once again. "Qui-Gon discovered a young boy on Tatooine. He believed this boy to be the 'Chosen One' due to the midi-chlorian count. He is now to be taken as Master Kenobi's Padawan."
Anakin stood before the tall Master, bowing his head. Mace instructed him to face the crowd, in which he did. A small razor like object was brought to Obi-Wan. The newly Knighted Obi-Wan stepped forward, switching the razor on.
He started at the young boy's neck, cutting down the long hair. His rough fingers shook as he reached out in memory, trying to remember how to cut the hair correctly. Within a few minutes, he had shortened Anakin's hair until it was in the Padawan style, leaving it longer in the back as well as one strand to the side. He tied back the hair in the back and then kneeled in front of him to work on the braid. His hands worked mindlessly as he went, relying on his own memory. He stepped back to admire his work, throwing Anakin a small smile.
Padme smiled as Obi-Wan placed his hand on Anakin's shoulder, standing behind him.
"Master Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker have a taken a new step in their lives. Thank you for coming."
The room suddenly erupted into a thunderous applause, congratulating the new team. Anakin immediately ran to Padme as people shuffled out the room. He threw his small arms around her as words of praise escaped her lips. She looked around for Obi-Wan, finding him talking to a group of Jedi.
He didn't look as excited as she had expected him. He stood in the middle of the group, braid in hand, and occasionally forcing a smile onto his face. Anakin had walked over to Yoda, bending down to talk to the small Master. Yoda handed him the traditional attire for the Jedi, smiling as he did. Anakin could only stare at awe at the soft texture.
She smiled as she turned away and headed down the hallway to finish the preparations for the parade.
Children laughed and danced along to the drum rolls, humming their own childish tunes. The Gungun soldiers beamed at them as flower petals rained down on them. Padme gave a genuine smile in the direction of the children.
Behind her was Sio Bibble, a few guards and the entire Jedi Council. She was standing between Obi-Wan and Palpatine. Artoo beeped and whistled as he stood in front of the handmaidens. Anakin looked to his side, scanning the small droid. He wore the tunics that had been given to him earlier this morning, while Obi-Wan wore a similar tunic and a cloak.
Padme glanced over to Anakin, sharing a smile with him. She looked to Obi-Wan, who tore his gaze away from his Padawan and forced it onto her. He didn't look truly happy…his eyes were sad and tired. He didn't even attempt to smile as his eyes held her gaze. She gave him a concerned look before returning her attention to the parade.
Boss Nass and his guards rode the Kaadu down the beautiful streets of Naboo, Jar-Jar and General Ceel followed. As they approached the Queen, Jar-Jar hopped of his Kaadu, only to have his foot stuck in the stirrup. The children giggled as they watched the clumsy Gungun.
Boss Nass gracefully hopped off the Kaadu, walking up the steps as Jar-Jar caught up to him. They stopped before Padme and stood by her side. Padme presented the globe to him, smiling as he held it above his head. The entire city shouted and cheered as the parade marched on. Padme smiled, feeling her heart at ease once again.
People danced to the music, some getting a little too into it. Jar-Jar bobbed his head, throwing his hands up in the air as the music picked up speed.
Obi-Wan sat at a table near the dance floor. The celebration was held out in the courtyard near the gardens. Panaka and the handmaidens had worked to set up tables and decorations. It truly was beautiful, especially with the setting sun to the west.
"Master?"
Obi-Wan turned to the young boy that sat beside him, eyeing him carefully. "Yes?"
"Can I go play with them?" He pointed across the room towards a group of laughing kids.
"Go ahead."
Anakin smiled, giving him a quick hug before he bounded off in that direction. Obi-Wan stared after him, slumping back in his chair. He brought the glass of wine to his lips, taking a small sip. He wasn't drunk and wasn't planning on it.
"Obi-Wan?"
His eyes traveled upward, meeting the concerned eyes of the Queen. He gave a light smile as she took a seat beside him, placing a hand on his knee.
"Yes?" He closed his eyes, exhaustion from the lack of sleep settling in.
"I want to show you something." She wrapped her hand around his, pulling him through the crowd. She pushed through them all until she came to a wide door. She pushed in a code, the door sliding open as she walked in.
Obi-Wan looked around, scanning the marble pillars that held the ceiling above them. The sun reflected off the marble floor, highlighting the design. The end of the hallway came to an end, in front of them was a truly spectacular sight.
Flowers, found only on Naboo, were planted throughout the small garden. A large waterfall rained down into the rocks, before splashing into a river that ran across the heavenly place. A small bench was placed in the back, looking over the haven.
She pulled him towards the bench, taking a seat beside him. He was still scanning the area, lost in a sea of thoughts.
"It looks like the Room of a Thousand Fountains, yet different…"
She smiled, squeezing his hand. "I thought you might like it."
Obi-Wan smiled, looking towards her. His eyes suddenly darkened and he looked away. "We need to talk about last night."
"Oh…" She gave a silent nod, fearing the worst.
"I'm attracted to you, Padme. I truly am, but I'm a Jedi now. We are forbidden to have attachments; if someone were to find out I'd be expelled."
"What about the other girl?"
"What other girl?" He gave her a confused look.
"The girl that's missing…" She tried to think of another description, but Obi-Wan seemed to get this one.
"Siri…" He shook his head, bringing his hand to his forehead. "I was stupid…I risked my entire life and everything I've been working for just so I could have five minutes of pleasure."
"So are you saying this is the end?" My heart sunk, feeling all the hope that I had been holding onto wash away. He was silent for what seemed like hours, trying to calm the conflict that was taking place in his heart.
"No." His voice shook as he breathed the word.
"What?" Her eyes widened in shock at the answer.
He took both of her small, fragile hands in his large, tough ones. He met her gaze, giving her a small smile. "Jedi are forbidden to have attachments…I will learn to love without being attached."
"Is that possible?" She held his gaze, searching his eyes.
"I'll find a way, Padme. I won't lose you." His entire body shook, indicating the raging battle that heightening.
"Obi-Wan?" She laid a hand on his shoulders, feeling the tense muscles.
The young Knight said nothing as he tilted her chin upward, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. She was surprised at the actions, since it was out of character for Obi-Wan to do this. His body calmed, the battle had ended.
He pulled away, giving her one last look before he stood up. "When we are in public, we can't show any signs of attraction toward each other. It would be best if we don't show signs of anything…even friendship."
She nodded, feeling her lips curve upward as he placed the hood over his head, casting a shadow on his handsome face. They walked to the entrance together, returning to the party. They tried they're best to remain unnoticed and finally stopped in front of the field were the Padawans were playing in a game of 'Force tag'. He bowed to her at the waist, smirking as he did.
"I'll see you tomorrow, milady."
She nodded, smirking herself. She stood up, nodding her head in his direction. "I'll see you then, Master Jedi."
A smile spread on his lips from the title and his eyes lit up. The gleam that had been there so many days ago was gone, replaced with a dull light. A piece of his heart had broken off, falling into oblivion along with Qui-Gon.
She noticed how well he masked the inner pain in his heart. She knew of those emotions, the emotions that pulled you apart, threatening to destroy you from the inside out.
He turned away, walking into the center of the crowd to join a group of his friends. She stood there, watching as he mixed into the crowd.
She ended up spending the rest of the night dancing with several men, occasionally stopping for a quick drink and a chat with her friends. She felt her spirits fall as Obi-Wan retreated from the party, heading towards the guest room. Anakin had trudged along, rolling off a list of complaints in his head.
"Obi-Wan!" The cry rang through the air, reaching the ears of his young Padawan.
"Please no!" Obi-Wan sunk to his knees, clasping his hands over his ears. Tears rolled down the dirty cheeks, staining his burnt tunic.
"We are brave." Padme knelt down to his level, lifting his chin to meet her gaze. Obi-Wan shook his head, trembling at the touch. Confusion was running through his veins, shaking his mind from the reality.
"Padme…what's going on?" His mind clawed at the situation, trying to figure out what was going on.
"Why would you want to avoid attachment?" She ran a hand over his spiky hair, dragging her other hand across his chest.
"What?" Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed, shrinking back in surprise at the question.
"Do you not wish to be with me?"
"What are you talking abou-" His sentence ran off as pain shot through his abdomen. His neck felt the warmth of a lightsaber and it dawned on him.
These were memories…
He had felt this before…he had hear Padme say those words…He was stuck in the sea of memories and they were warning him.
"I'm sorry for my actions. Please don't be mad at me." Padme's words were a mere whisper, barely reaching Obi-Wan's ears.
The pain continued to increase and a dull drum roll ran in his ears.
"Don't let it happen again, Obi-Wan. You are becoming far too distant."
It was Qui-Gon…
Obi-Wan doubled over at the sound of his Master's voice, the heartache mixing with the pain in his stomach. His head throbbed as he struggled to gain control.
"Don't let emotions take control and twist your mind. We don't need history repeating itself."
"G-go away." He stuttered, crawling away from the sound of the voice. He called out to the force, asking what the purpose of this was.
"You'll be a great Jedi Knight, I know it." Padme was in front of him again, gently trailing her lips down to his.
"They always say a Padawan takes after his Master." His own voice cut in the air, holding the lighthearted humor that had once rested in his voice. He reached up, laying a hand on his throat, shocked by his own words.
"They had a vision of him falling in love…again."
"He's not allowed to love."
Obi-Wan felt his shoulders droop in defeat. A sudden blow to his legs sent him to his knees, struggling for breath.
"Anakin…no…" The voice was hoarse as it gasped for breath. Obi-Wan knelt down to the fallen figure, pressing a hand to the burning cheek. It was Padme and she was out cold.
"You turned her against me!"
Obi-Wan glanced up, his eyes glued to the person in front of him. It was a man, young in the face. His eyes held hatred unknown to Obi-Wan. He had no memory of meeting this man, or the reason for his outburst.
Lightsabers ignited, clashing together in a violent fashion. He found his eyes meeting the young man's again, unsure of what to think.
"This is the end for you, my Master."
Master!?
He was alone again in the pitch black. His body trembled as he staggered to his feet, feeling the pain in his mind double. A faint sound of humming reached his ears and he stumbled towards it. As soon as he saw the source, he turned away. The unwanted image of his Master dying replayed behind him.
Obi-Wan sat up, wiping the sweat from his forehead. His heart wrenched in pain from the images. He slipped his tunic on, clipping his lightsaber to his belt.
He stood to his feet, checking his image in the mirror. Obi-Wan entered the living room, surprised by the presence of his young Padawan.
"Anakin?"
The boy turned towards him, a smile creeping on to his face. "Good morning, Master."
"What are you doing up so early?" He sat down on the floor beside him.
"I like to watch the sunset." Anakin's gaze returned to the sun as it crept over the trees. The rays lighting up the beautiful city, signaling the time to awake.
"It's quite a sight."
"Master?" Anakin reached up to fumble with the braid that hung behind his ear.
"Yes?"
"When do I get a lightsaber?" His eyes betrayed his excitement, and Obi-Wan let out a small chuckle.
"Soon, Anakin." Obi-Wan stood to his feet. "Hungry?"
"No, Master. I ate when I got up."
"What did you eat?" He opened the cooler, grabbing a small fruit from the shelf.
"The same thing." He gestured to the small round fruit in Obi-Wan's hand.
"Any bread?"
"No…" He trailed off, looking down at the ground.
Obi-Wan picked out a small piece of bread, handing it to the boy. "Eat up." He gave a small nod before disappearing out the door. He found himself at the entrance to the Queen's chambers.
He hesitated before lifting his hand and knocking on the door. A few minutes passed before Padme opened the door, a smile immediately crossing her features.
"Come in." She opened the door fully as he stepped into the large room. She closed it behind him, locking it. He turned around, giving her a weak smile.
"What's the matter?" She sat on the couch, patting the spot beside her.
He took the seat, staying silent until she ushered for him to speak. He gave very little detail but went on with the descriptions of his dreams.
Padme stayed silent, registering the information. She took his large hand into her fragile one, squeezing it gently. "Don't worry about it."
Obi-Wan nodded, unable to resist the urge to meet her lips. He leaned forward, meeting her halfway. His tongue dove into her mouth, savoring the delicious taste. He tore away, showering her neck with light kisses.
"Do you want to do something tomorrow?" She asked between gasps of pleasure.
"I can't…We leave for Coruscant soon."
She pushed him away gently, eyes saddening greatly. "What?"
"I have to get back in order to start Anakin's training. He's already behind compared to those his age." His eyes lowered, afraid of her reaction to his departure.
"When do you leave?"
"Tonight." His eyes trailed over her body, before resting on her face.
Padme wrapped her arms around him, tears threatening to spill. She kept shaking her head, murmuring something about it being unfair and in all honesty it was.
Their lips met another passionate kiss, this time a certain sadness flowed through it.
"I'll miss you, Obi-Wan." She wept as they broke away, leaning on his shoulder for support.
"I'll miss you too…but my feelings won't change. You can call me on my comlink sometimes, okay?"
She nodded, breathing in his scent and allowing his warmth to shield her. She wanted to stay like this…to stay in his embrace forever…
"Did you say goodbye?" Obi-Wan looked towards Anakin as he strapped himself into the chair.
"Yes. Will we see her soon?" The innocent boy gazed at his master, strapping himself in.
"I don't know, Anakin. Only the Force knows." He pressed a few buttons, gently grabbing the controls as he readied the transport for take off. He turned his attention to the figure standing on the palace's balcony in the far distance.
Padme wrapped the brown cloak around her shoulders, hugging its warmth to her. Obi-Wan had given it to her, saying it would serve as a reminder. She had protested saying that the Council would suspect something. He had shaken his head, saying he had at least at home.
His scent remained on the fabric, providing Padme with the comfort she needed. She watched as he took off into the sky, leaving a trail behind them. A tear trickled down her cheek, falling onto the cloak.
She looked down, feeling lost. She returned to the couch, letting the sadness seep in. She knew that in time the pain would fade, leaving her with nothing but warm memories.
When Padme found herself thrown into chaos with two Jedi, she never imagined it would lead her to love…a more romantic and exciting love. It was a love that many people wished they could experience.
It was Forbidden love.
A/N: Stay tuned for the sequel. PLEASE REVIEW FOR THIS CHAPTER! Also, leave me suggestions. I need a vote on when my next story will take place.
Options are that it could take place in between AOTC and TPM, or it could just follow the AOTC plotline (with a few twists) or it could be after TPM but before AOTC and work up until the end of AOTC.
