PADAWAN ROYALTY 21

With Ahsoka/Third POV

As Ahsoka followed Elsa she began to realize just how young and innocent her escort truly was, behind the façade. With her head high, her arms by her sides, her legs moving in confident strides, her eloquent tongue, and a curtsy that could put any princesses to shame, Elsa proved to be older at first glance. Upon closer inspection, it was noted that both her head tails and lekku were getting close but still a few years from adolescent growth, which would make Elsa around 12 years old. What was a seemingly typical twelve year old doing working as hired help? What she was sure of was that Elsa was somehow bound to Roku either innately, as atonement for some past petty crime or by free will. The only way to know for sure was to start with the little questions, then the more personal ones.

"Elsa?"

The girl's cyan blue striped head tail quivered for a moment, as she picked up the sound. Elsa paused and respectfully turned to face her guest. She was waiting for Ahsoka's approval before speaking.

"Permission to speak, milady?"

Ahsoka nodded despite her deep discomfort with the title. Milady? She never wavered nor accepted the offer for the throne. She was not familiar with her potential subjects. She hadn't been in the castle since she was three. And as far as she knew, Roku was still in control of the kingdom.

"You must think me a bad hostess for not making you feel welcome. I offer my sincerest apologies for making you feel invisible, milady. Oh I'm sorry. I must be... "

Elsa started to drone off, as she realized Ahsoka wasn't paying any attention. Ahsoka's hands were on Elsa's small shoulders, forcing the preteen to stop ranting and look into Ahsoka's eyes. Elsa, still very much intrigued, bit her lip anxiously, and waited for the young princesses' next response.

"Number One: please call me Ahsoka; after all we are friends here. I need you to help me rule this kingdom. Number Two: I grant you permission to speak freely whenever you find yourself in my presence. Again, your views matter and make the difference between a successful kingdom and a divided kingdom. Lastly, I just wanted to know a little more about you and the kingdom, since I've been gone a while. It will help me better serve my people."

The girl just stared at Ahsoka, intrigued by the royal's confidence, humility, and eagerness. How, could this future Queen want to learn from a street rat like her? Want to learn from an inexperienced servant like her? No one ever paid that much attention to her. She must be dreaming, if someone wanted to hear her opinion. She resisted the urge to pinch herself out of her daze. Meanwhile, Ahsoka discovered the disbelief, the relief, the curiosity, the confliction and the confusion welling inside the girl. The girl was having trouble, yet couldn't completely resist trusting her. The girl wanted to believe her, but couldn't shake the hurt inside her. The hurt was holding her back from happiness. But, why was she hurting and therefore discontent? Roku could not be the source. Roku was benevolent and amiable; he treated Elsa just as he would any other child under his dominion. But, in Ahsoka's absence could he have forced Elsa to become something she was discontent to be? Could Elsa have been his second chance at Ahsoka?

Ahsoka looked away for a moment

"Something is bothering you, hurting you."

Elsa looked away, and tore herself from Ahsoka's control. She tried to continue walking but stopped dead in her tracks not too long after. Her voice was low.

"It's best that I don't trouble you with that, Ahsoka."

Ahsoka tried a different approach: personal testimony. It was due time for a trip down memory lane.

"I was abandoned before, or so I've been told. A few years back, Master Yoda told me that Adrin and Bekk weren't my real parents. I was discovered, obviously abandoned on the palace front step; and since Adrin and Bekk could bear no children themselves, they adopted me as their heir. Depressing origin stories aside, I have grown to accept what happened to me. After all, there is nothing I can do, but hope that my real parents abandoned me for a greater cause. I can only be thankful Bekk and Adrin took me in when no one else would…"

Elsa was looking at Ahsoka now, her hand cradling Ahsoka's hand. Ahsoka couldn't lie about something of that sensitive nature. She wouldn't. She was a Jedi. She is a Jedi. They had an honor code.

"Tell me something first, Ahsoka, then I swear on my honor that I'll give you the answers that you seek"

Ahsoka nodded, "Go on."

Elsa needed no further encouragement.

"You're hurting too. I can see it in your smile. It never reaches your eyes. Before you answer, please promise me that you will speak in truth."

Ahsoka put her right hand to her heart, "Elsa, you have my word."

Elsa moved her hand from Ahsoka's shoulder, lowering her eyes. Ahsoka didn't want to burden her new acquaintance with her doubts and shortcomings. She didn't want Elsa to think any less of her, to question her ability to lead a kingdom in the desired direction. She didn't want the young girl to patronize her. But, she had to take the plunge. It was the only way to gain her trust and figure out what was hurting this girl, as well as what was going on in the kingdom around them.

"I just miss my friends."

It wasn't a lie. It was half the truth. She did miss her friends, but she missed Lux the most. She missed how self-assured he was. How they could talk about anything. How he always seemed to know that right things to say to make her feel better. But, she didn't need him at this moment.

"Ahsoka, in my twelve or so years, I've realized that all is not what it seems. "

She turned her wise eyes on Ahsoka.

"Ok. I missed one friend in particular. He seemed too eager to let me go. I guess I was hoping for too much out of our relationship, so much so that I scared him away."

Elsa started to walk again, gesturing with her head for Ahsoka to follow suit. The two Togruta walked side by side. Elsa had her hands clasped behind the small of her back.

"Maybe, he just didn't want to be the reason why you neglected your people."

"Maybe. "

"They say if you can willingly let something go, then you truly love that something. "

Ahsoka's lip upturned. How was it that a twelve year old girl ,who likely had never experienced romantic love, was counseling her on her love life? You'd think it'd be the opposite. Then again, sometimes wisdom can come from the strangest places. Recently, the Force had been working in the most bizarre of ways.

"When I was five, I saved a baby akul from scavengers. I nursed it back to health and released it back to its family once it gained its strength. When I was eight, the akul came back and helped me escape from some trouble that I got myself into. I let it go and it came back to me in an hour of need."

"I see, but enough about me. What's hurting you?"

Ahsoka had a suspicion. She had fragments of the reason, but she just couldn't put it all together. Elsa had closed her mind before she could seize a glimpse at the big picture. If only Elsa could let her see.

Elsa sighed," It's a long story. "

"You don't have to tell me..."

Elsa raised one of the ringlets around her right eye in confusion. How else could she tell her, other than by word of mouth? Could Ahsoka read her mind, her every thought. As a precaution, Elsa instinctively locked up her thoughts, fearing Ahsoka would uncover her feelings for Jai among other things. It seemed she was too late, because Ahsoka already noticed a change in her thought process.

"Is something wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

Elsa tried to hide her blush.

"No..."

"I know that there are things that you don't want me to know, but...I promise on my birthright that I won't pry into your other memories. I just need to see what happened to you, why you're hurting."

Before Elsa could answer or respond, they reached the Ahsoka's room. Elsa paused in front of the door with her back to Ahsoka.

"I need you to swear that whatever you see, you won't mention to anyone. Not even your friends."

"I swear on my life."

Elsa released Ahsoka's arm and tried to relax her body. Ahsoka put her hand on Elsa's hand, squeezing softly. She could feel Elsa slowly relaxing.

"You have to trust me now."

Elsa nodded and focused on Ahsoka's eyes.

Ahsoka searched through Elsa's consciousness for the memories associated with Elsa's aversion to trust, her source of unhappiness. And, after a few minutes she found what she was looking for.

Elsa was five at the time; her parents were killed in some accident in which she was the only survivor. She turned to a life of petty crime at eight: stealing from street vendors, and pick pocketing people. She was caught and put into multiple boarding houses, but none had any lasting reforming effect on her. She quickly turned back to her petty criminal behaviors. On her ninth birthday, during the royal parade, she decided to break into the royal palace, hoping to find something valuable to sell on the Black Market. She was going to use the revenues to buy her akul out of the zoo. She ended up running into Roku, who took her under his wing, after making her swear under oath that she would never commit crime again. In Ahsoka's absence, he treated her like an only child. He spoiled her and made her swear under oath that she would never leave him. At that young age, Elsa Nyl did not realize that every gift Roku gave her ingrained her further into her oath of fealty to him. She trusted him, and he forced her to change and become someone she didn't aspire to be: Ahsoka's replacement. But, wait there was something else...

Unfortunately, the connection was abruptly severed by Elsa.

Elsa opened her eyes, and took a step back from Ahsoka. She had give Ahsoka sufficient information. Even a little too much. She hoped Ahsoka would keep her promise.

"I...uh...I have to go."

"But Elsa…"

"Sorry Ahsoka, but there are some things I can't tell you. Roku made me swear an oath. Bring the topic up with him and he'll tell you anything you want to know about the kingdom. "

She already started walking away, so Ahsoka called to her, hoping to halt her retreat for a few moments longer. What were these things that Roku didn't want her to say?

"Wait. Will I see you at dinner?"

Elsa didn't look over her shoulder.

"I don't know."

In Elsa's wake, Ahsoka was left with an empty room and questions. What were they hiding from her? Why did Roku make Elsa swear an oath?

What is Roku hiding?