Chapter 9
Luke's POV
I arrive at the Palace around noon. I knew father had a long meeting at 11:30 and I needed some time before he would start asking me about Leia. He tried contacting me after the news broadcasted my capture of her, but I didn't answer.
I land my speeder and immediately head to the security section. All the servants and guards are shocked when I pass by them, I wasn't supposed to be back for at least another week. I march into the security office and demand to see the security footage from the last six years along with the logs of when guests visited.
The guards scramble to meet my demands quickly. I recognize one of them. It takes me a minute, but I remember that he was one of Eryk's groomsmen. He is running around the office looking for something. In less than five minutes I am seated in front of a holoscreen with all the items I requested on it, in a private room.
I type in the date of the night Zeth Anderson died. Leia told me to look at the footage from the ball, right after we had our fight on the dance floor. I put in my security code, but my access is denied. I frown, I should have access to all footage.
I call one of the guards in. "Why won't this let me see the footage from this night?"
The guard frowns and says, "That's strange, it shouldn't do that. I'll get a tech droid to fix it." He walks out of the room and comes back with a droid.
The droid hooks into the holoscreen and sits there for a while fixing the problem. The guard grows concerned and says, "I don't know why it's taking so long."
"Is it my identification?"
"No, all personnel who work at the palace have access to basic footage."
The droid beeps and the holoscreen turns on with the security footage I wanted.
The guard says "I'm sorry about that Prince Luke, I will check the droid to see why it took so long."
"That is fine, it is working now." The guard nods and is about to leave the room when I add on "Oh, and thank you." The guard is shocked, it is rare that I thank anyone besides father. He leaves the room still shocked and I turn my attention to the footage.
I fast forward through the night until I see us dancing. I watch as Leia and I fight, then I storm off. Almost immediately after I turn my back, Eryk is there. He whispers something in Leia's ear, Leia shakes her head no, but Eryk manages to get her off the dance floor. Eryk pushes Leia out of the ballroom and into a hallway. I switch the footage in order to follow them. Eryk takes Leia through a few service hallways, parts of the palace I haven't even visited yet. Leia is struggling to get out of his grip, but doesn't have any success. They reach a hallway not far from the ballroom, I can still hear the music playing faintly on the footage.
"C'mon we are going to have some fun" Eryk whispers in Leia's ear so quietly that I had to use the force to hear it.
"Eryk, just take me back to the ball, I don't feel like playing games right now. Please Eryk, you're drunk" Leia whimpers. I can see Eryks grip is painfully tight on her.
"You can go back in a minute Princess." With that he pushes Leia into a room. I look for that room's camera footage, but there is none.
I call another guard in, "Why is there no video for this room?" I demandingly ask.
The guard answers nervously "That is a storage room sir, there are no cameras in there."
I fume "Get out!"
I stare at the screen for what seems like forever. I didn't need the footage to know what happened in that room. I could see Eryk's intentions in his eyes. That bastard raped my sister.
Anger washes through me along with hatred and guilt. How could I have let this happen? I should have been watching, I should have seen the signs. I never bothered to ask Leia why she hated Eryk so much. I blamed it on her for being childish. I should have been there for her.
The hallway video is still playing. Eventually Leia bursts out of the room with tears streaming down her face. She runs down the hallway, back to the ball. Eryk slowly follows her with an evil smile on his face.
I follow Leia back to the ball on footage. She runs through the crowd, past me, and up to Zeth. I see him pull her into an embrace. I can't hear them, but I know she is telling him what happened. Zeth grows angry and storms to the hallway, where Eryk is still taking his time to get back to the ball.
I see Zeth run up to Eryk and punch him in the face, Leia runs up behind him and watches, still crying. Zeth throws a few more punches at Eryk, who can barely dodge most of them. Zeth is screaming "YOU SICK BASTARD! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Zeth pins Eryk to the wall, guards rush in and break up the fight.
After the guards successfully separate the two, Zeth screams "LET ME GO!" Leia breaks down in sobs and everyone turns their attention to her. Eryk tries to walk up to her but Zeth gets in the middle and spits at Eryk "Stay away from her." Zeth puts his arm around Leia and brings her into a bathroom, where I assume he tries to comfort her and help her reapply make-up for the end of the ball where I see her again.
All those years ago I hated Zeth. I thought he was just some immature spoiled brat who was using Leia for fame. But now I'm glad he was there. He was there when I refused to be. The weight of the situation bears down on me.
'Father told Eryk to do this' I think. My head is pounding. How could father want this? What did he think this would accomplish? I have never questioned father's decisions, but I don't see any rational reasoning for this.
I look at the time, it is 1:30. Damn it, father's meeting ends at 3:00. I hurry and look at the logs. I look over the ones for when Eryk visited Leia's suite. The list was longer than I hoped it would be.
I enter in the date of Eryk's first visit and request the footage for Leia's suite. The date is a little over a week after the ball and the day after Zeth's funeral. It takes a minute for the holoscreen to give me access, but it eventually pops up.
I skip to the time Eryk is said to have entered the suite. Leia is sitting on her couch moping with her legs tucked in so she was in a ball. Her eyes are red and puffy, she must have been crying. She looked so, small. SO vulnerable.
Eryk walks into the suite and sees her on the couch. Leia doesn't acknowledge his presence.
He sits next to her on the couch and says mockingly "Hey Princess, how have you been?"
"Go away Eryk. Not today" Leia says in a small heartbroken voice.
"I thought we could spend some time together. You know, as soon to be husband and wife."
Leia glares at Eryk the best she can with tears in her eyes "You think I would ever marry you after what you did to me?"
"It's not up to you Princess. Remember, it's all up to your father, and he wants us to get married. I thought we discussed this at the ball."
Leia turns away horrified, probably having a flashback to that night. She whispers "Go away."
Eryk puts his arm around her, she tries to get off the couch, but he holds her down. "Come on Princess, I thought we were past this."
"GET OFF OF ME! I'll CALL THE GUARDS!"
"They won't help you Leia. I told you before. Your father told me to tame you in whatever way I see fit. Since this seems to be the only way for you to learn your place, well, I am happy to follow orders."
I stop the footage, not wanting to see the next part. I check a few other dates and the same thing happens. Eryk visits Leia, messes with her mind, and pushes her down underneath him.
The months of Leia's depression are beginning to make more and more sense. The emptiness in her eyes, the way she followed every order Eryk gave her, how she just stopped caring about life. Eryk made her feel this way. Like nobody cared about her, like she was some wild animal that needed to be controlled.
I pause at that last thought. I helped make her feel that way. Eryk may have done the worst part, but this was also my fault. I was never there for Leia. I never bothered to tell her I cared or that I loved her. I would just tell her to grow up and do what she was told. Guilt weighs down on me. I can't breathe.
No wonder she never told anybody. After Zeth and her head guard died, she thought she didn't have anyone who would stop Eryk. Father gave Eryk permission to do this and she probably thought I also knew of it.
I don't know how long I sit there, but eventually father is in the room with me. He tells me "I was told you were in here. Why haven't you been answering my calls? Where is your sister?"
"I let her go."
"WHAT!?" father screams.
"I said I let her go."
"Why would you do that?" father hisses.
"To keep her away from you and Eryk."
"What are you talking about Luke?" father asks.
"I think you know."
"No I don't. Why did you not bring your sister home where she would be safe?"
"She is safer now than she was here."
"What? Luke look at me" father demands.
I slowly turn my chair around so I am staring at him. I look up at his face, the face I trusted and admired my entire life. I used to be proud when people would comment about how much father and I looked alike. Now it sickens me. It sickens me to know I look like the man who ordered this torture on my sister.
Father looks at me, trying to hide his frustration. He says more gently while looking into my eyes "Luke, why isn't your sister safe here? What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about when you told Eryk to do this." I press the play button. The screen continues where it left off. Eryk is pinning Leia down on the bed and disrobing her. I can hear her pleas for him to stop, but he just whispers to her that she need to learn her place.
Realization crosses fathers face. I expect him to come up with some excuse or reason explaining himself. But he surprises me.
Father's face becomes furious. He glares at the screen and says in his angriest, horrified, most hate-filled voice I have ever heard him use
"What does he think he is doing to my baby girl!?"
Ruwee's POV
I yawn and stretch in the chair I am sitting in. My wife Jobal is sitting across from me in her seat reading a book.
"Getting tired dear?" she asks smiling.
"Yeah, it's about that time. How about you?"
"I am feeling a bit sleepy. It is almost eleven."
"Well how about we go to bed?"
Jobal nods and we head to the stairs. About halfway there the doorbell rings. Jobal and I looked at each other in confusion. Who would be here at eleven o'clock at night?
"You go ahead, I'll see who that is."
Jobal shakes her head "No, I'll go with you."
I nod understandingly. We both walk to the front door. On our way the doorbell rings again. I open the door to find a young woman standing there. A shaggy looking man and a wookie are a little farther back.
"Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie?" the girl asks.
I get a good look at her face. I am shocked when I recognize who it is.
"Yes" Jobal answers, not yet realizing who is at our door.
"Princess Leia?" I ask astonished. The young princess looks up at me with worried eyes. I ask her "What are you doing here?"
"I…I think I'm your granddaughter."
