Leia's dresses were crooked again as she tripped over her own feet during the intense quarrel, combat, and chase that followed.

She was dragged into the lounge before madame Vesta for all the others to see. She noticed Arn Horada, her tutor, bald and long white beard, folding his arms, his face rigid. She frowned at them with dismay and glanced over to where her friend Winter sat among the others. She looked abashed, her silver hair neatly plaited.

Leia saw Corla Metonae. Her dark hair scruffy and dishevelled, her dresses torn, bruises spreading over her face. She was crying, the stains both inflicted by Leia and Vesta clear on her petite body. Corla was a niece of Raymus Antilles, the same house where her mother Breha belonged to. Raymus was famous for being a fanatic Rebel supporter, to the degree he was discussing an open Rebellion against the Empire. Maybe his firey tendency inherited to her niece.

The girls huddling around never knew much of politics or history than Leia did. Her mother, on her occasional visits, replaced her bedtime stories with lectures about the Galatic history. Her mother was always a better teacher than Horada; patient, soft, and far more sensible. And Leia herself was a good learner. Even Horada admitted she was gifted in intellect.

But it was not Corla's insult to her that made Leia strike her. She was used to it. It was her insult to her mother that triggered her. She said her mother was a collaborator for the Empire, that she was quisling of Darth Vader. Leia remembered the dazed face when Corla made when her little face received the first blow. Corla did not and was not supposed to know who she was mocking. No one in this room would ever understand her resentment, of course, except Winter.

Leia noticed Winter giving her a concerned look. Occupying a natural grace and dignity, she was often mistaken for 'Princess Leia' by visitors. She was resolved to be a refined lady no matter what, unlike Leia. Winter could sew, dance and sing. She knew how to dress, speak and smile properly, while Leia was interested in running around, hiding, learning to fight and making mischievous. Though possessing a reputation of being somewhat passive and biddable, she never rejected taking part in Leia's little adventures as well before it seized to exist for near a year.

Vesta didn't speak, as always. Maybe Leia could argue with Horada. Though dull and stuffy, he was a man to be reasoned with, but she would not speak to Vesta the hag. She strolled in front of the girls, their heads down, sitting in rows. Vesta was brought here from the 'Alderaan Select Academy for Young Ladies' to inject courtesy into the young girls. Leia was the first to be an example and the first of many. She remembered the days she used to be beaten by that hideous rod almost daily and the other girls enjoying Leia's humiliation while she tried to take back tears. They hid their feelings, sat like the motionless, pretty dolls they were before Vesta, but Leia could always feel their disdain. To them, Leia was nothing more than a lowborn orphan girl lucky enough to be picked by the royal family of Organas to bear their name. They whispered Leia's parents might be nothing more than a slave, and every time she heard them, it resulted in a fistfight, which she rarely lost. Vesta would smack her with the rods every time Leia would get involved in such fights.

But at least, Leia knew those were lies. Her mother was a Senator, and she told Leia her father was an officer in the Republic Army. They were not slaves or low-borns. Unlike Leia, Winter never had the privilege to see any of her parents alive. Everything she had was a hologram of her mother, and everyone knew that.

Bail said that her parents died bravely and valiantly, and Leia was clever enough to recognise it was a euphemism for a horrible death. Padme had once told Leia about Winter's mother, Sheltay Retrac. She worked with Padme briefly to acquire proofs for another Senator's corruption. She described her as a tenacious and resourceful politician, just like herself. Winter's father was vastly unknown, just like Leia's. Leia did not even know his name. The only thing she knew about him was that he was an artist living in the Castle Lands.

Some whispered that Winter might be a bastard between Bail and Sheltay and that it was Bail that killed her to conceal his deeds. Others said that Sheltay had abandoned her daughter, running off with another lover. Leia disdained those horrible theories, but she could not find proofs to deny them.

And when her mother once saw Leia's tattered legs, blue and bruised, while bathing her on her next visit, she became furious. Ever furious than Leia ever saw. That night, she heard through a chink in the door her mother growling to the Organas. Breha said that Leia should be treated equally amongst the court. Padme stated equality by violence was not worth it, pointing out that corporal punishments weren't necessary to teach courtesy. Bail cut her arguments short, telling her by it was not her place to meddle in their educational institution. Padme declared she would take Leia if they did not withdraw their cruel ways of tutoring. Bail warned she would not be allowed to leave with her, claiming Leia was their daughter as well as hers. Padme accused that the Organas were behaving like the Empire. Bail warned again not to insult them. Finally, Amidala walked right in front of them as she whispered something. Leia could not hear what she said, but Bail flinched. Breha stepped back while Leia's mother glanced coldly at them.

Nevertheless, after that incident, Vesta never committed her punishments to Leia. When Leia would misbehave, the other girls received chastisement instead of her.

From then, Leia acted how Vesta wanted her to do. Soon enough, she became one of the best students to obey her. Breha seemed to be glad. She praised Leia for finally becoming a kind girl. She was also proud that Leia had contemplated the consequences of her actions, taking others into account. But that was not the truth. The only thing Leia was worried about in this court was Winter, her only friend. She feared it might be Winter to get her punishment instead of her, leading her friend to hate her. Leia could not bear that. Leia was sure even her eccentric abilities were developed from that fear.

A month ago, Leia's teacup slipped from her palms, slippery with sweat. Failing in table manners would result in a single but hard blow from Vesta's rod. Maybe another girl would get it. Maybe Winter would. But no one got it that day. It was less than a second, but the cup suspended in mid-air, earning time for Leia to grab it back, preventing it from unseemly falling to the ground. Maybe that might have been nothing but a phantom. But Leia could feel an unknown spark within her at that moment, pleasant, warm, and suggestive, chanting to her heart. After rushing back to her chambers, she tried hard to reenact the scene, meeting a success. When concentrating hard on the object and the air between it, she could now lift up small things for seconds.

But this time, her abilities would not help in escaping this situation. 'It won't be Winter', Leia prayed. 'It couldn't be', There were twenty-six girls here, twenty-five of them disdaining Leia. It would be good if one of them would be picked. It was nearly a year ago, but she clearly remembered the other girls colluding together to frame Leia for thirty lashes. If it was not Winter, whoever it is, serves you right, she confirmed herself.

Leia gazed through the herd of banthas cuddling with each other. Everyone waited for Vesta to point her finger out at the unfortunate scapegoat.

The eternity of silence halted.

'No', Was all Leia could think of.

Leia saw Winter obeying immediately like a yielding young girl she always was, skipping to the platform, her hands rolling up the gown to reveal her calf.

Leia lunged towards Vesta, only to trip over her dress. Her nursemaid rushed in a flurry, holding Leia by her shoulders, helping her stand back. Whack, Leia heard and shut her eyes tight as the cane struck Winter again. She flinched, and Leia screamed. Red and purple stains made themselves clear on her friend's legs.

Tears were trickling down her cheeks. She never let herself cry in front of anyone, save 3PO. It was her last piece of dignity left, but she did not care for now. Leia shook and flounced so bad that the nursemaid's hands restraining her body was trembling with it. Leia closed her eyes. She could not make more words to possibly describe her frustration nor seek a method to hold back her tears, so she decided to scream, forbidding the horrible sounds of strokes from reaching her tympanums. Whack, the rod sounded, whack, whack, whack.

Vesta's punishments were going severe due to Leia's scream, not behaving as she bid her. Vesta had uncontested authority in disciplining the girls in court, no one but Breha allowed to interfere. Horada turned around, clicking his tongue. Leia's old nursemaid squeezed Leia, cuddling her. The other girls were sitting in rows, motionless, heads down, well carved beautiful puppets.

Soon, a glimpse of fear tossed its head amongst the rain of fury. She imagined Winter amongst the other girls, silently mocking her with a cold smile. The imagination itself made her guts twist as paranoia swept through her brains. Leia could not hear her screams anymore, and tears quickly dried out. Vesta's strikes never seemed to stop.

She hated Vesta. She hated her at first sight, but this time, it was different. Her foreboding images of Winter went hazy, and slowly in her screams, thoughts went blank. Feeling the storms of fire, followed by streams of wind flurrying through her body into the air, she felt safe. She has never felt so secure in her life. It was the same power she used to float objects. But it was far more fierce and less subtle, whispering right in beside her. She threw herself in, her passion and fury reinforcing the grip. Suddenly, she felt power singing through her, to the extent her ears were ringing due to it. Leia stretched out her arms, letting it serve her instinct for her. The energy rapidly escaped from her, through her limbs. Leia did not notice the halt of the whacking sounds until the ground pounced on her.

Her sensory systems perceived Vesta's one hand on the throat, the other one placing on the floor, kneeling, coughing and retching. She felt her old nursemaid's disconcerted hands on her shoulders. Horada's distant, hoarse voice was heard, calling for a doctor or a medical droid was heard, as she felt the thumping of people's feet booting the ground. Leia closed her eyes, every bit of energy drained from her body.

—✥—

Leia found her horizon between dark and light uncertain. She is burning up with fever, the sheets beneath her doused with sweat. She reached for her duvet, the chills echoing through her bones. Leia rolled over the bed where her mother absent, printless except for the scent of her millaflower cologne. Leia turned over, managing to dulcify her senses on the pillow mother laid her hair on a few nights ago, now soaking her tears and sweat streaming from her closed eyelids.

She could not keep her from thinking about her mother. The real mother, not the pretender Breha sought to be. She hoped her mother would be beside her right now.

When the doors of her chambers opened that dulling late afternoon, mother seemed to be different. Instead of her standard khaki military jacket or the heavy dark cloak, she was in a smocked and pleated inner silk dress, fluorescent azure, covered by a dark, thick velvet cape. The capes were held by four silver shining ornaments, two beneath each shoulder. Leia recognised those as Imperial code cylinders.

Leia had never seen such dominant attires and sentiment despite being a princess, nor never imagined her mother wearing such. Her mother told stories when she was a Queen and a Senator, but those nevermore came as lucid as yesterday. The fragrance of her distinctive cologne was ever so heavy enough to screen every other odour from disturbing their esthesis.

As Leia ran to her mother, her lips managed to form something resembling a smile, trying to heft Leia, only to find out she had grown too heavy for her to do it. Leia eventually found herself on her mother's lap while Padme mutely demanded the other to leave the chamber, her lyncean eyes piercing through Breha.

Appreciating the delicate textures of the novel clothes her mother was wearing, Leia carelessly managed to pull down her outer cloak, struggling to be cradled into her mother. She saw a brilliant large, flat, floret necklace on her mother's neck. Alluring large oval sapphires totteringly held together by micropore diamonds. Leia reached out to the trinket, only to notice a faint but sharp scar above her collarbone, pressing out of the inner dress, previously concealed by the cape. Leia reached out her palm on the shocking stain, her orbs meeting her mother's amber, shaded and consumed by exhaustion and blues. She did not join the shower to wash Leia, assigning the task to 3PO, nor change into nightgowns, never revealing her arms and shoulders. Leia feared how many scars her mother carried beneath that dress. She hated her mother to be hurt, as much she hated it herself.

She wanted to see her mother so badly, hoping she was beside her with her soft, gentle, caring hands.

She instead woke up to hear C3PO's mechanical, posh voice. It was a droid presented by her mother on her fifth birthday. Gold-plated, polite and quirky, he was rather ingenuine for being a droid. After his arrival, Leia was freed from any household chores or boring afternoons. Making a retort to the droid's overstated comments was enough to chase off her tedious times.

"Little mistress"! The droid said. "I thought you would never wake up! I will assign this medical droid to check your vitals immediately".

"How long I was like this"? Leia asked.

"I concern it was sixty-three hours and twenty-eight minutes in standard Imperial time", C3PO said. "It was well over three days in Alderaanian time, my lady".

She managed to lift her eyelids. Her hazy sight revealed 3PO's shining, golden posture, some medical equipment rolling around in the tray beside her. The grey medical droid stood beside her, scanning her with its sensors. And, there was ... mother, crouching down beside her bed.

"Mommy ..."? Leia murmured, popping out of her pillow, turning around, trying to reach for her.

"Oh, little lady. You must stay in bed and avoid sudden movements until the medical droid finished your scanning". 3PO said. "And mistress Leia, I should indicate she is not Lady Padme. She is lady Sabe from Naboo".

'No', Leia thought. It did not make sense. It was her ... She looked so much like her mother ...

But gazing through her amber eyes, she was forced to admit 3PO's claim. She had slightly more pronounced jaws, keen eyes and sharper but more humble posture. Even after adjusting to age, her mother had big, limpid eyes, just like hers. And Leia could feel she was not her mother. Her scent, the temperature, the ambience was wrong. Her mother would not let Leia alone like this. She would stroke her, cuddle her and embrace her until Leia felt safe. This woman was just looking at her awkwardly. Leia reached out for one of the pillows on her bed, throwing it to the pretender, but it fell weak on the edges of the bed.

"Lady Padme has sent a message for you, little mistress". C3PO said. "But I suggest you see this after you are fully recovered".

"No. I want to see it now". Leia said obstinately. Her voice was locked and hoarse. The droid looked between his mistress and Sabe before Sabe nodded for permission. 3PO obeyed, a hologram projector in his hand. Leia cracked a smile, seeing the blue figure of her mother. She was not in her 'formal' garments, but her everyday gowns seemed better than Breha's best dress, even in the blue holograms.

"I heard you were ill, Leia. I hope you feel fine by the time you see this message. Mommy is so sorry I can go to Alderaan to be with you now. There are duties here that require my presence, and the situation here is too risky to call you directly. I am sending Sabe to take care of you and protect you when necessary. Sabe has been my faithful friend since we were very young. I hope Sabe could be a good friend and teacher of yours, Leia". After hesitating for a moment, her mother continued her message. "After everything is over, we can all live together, Leia. I promise. For now, trust Sabe. Trust me, Leia. Trust only, in our families".

The holoprojector terminated in 3PO's hand, turning itself to a small heap of ash. Leia still blankly gazed at the place where the hologram existed.

"Hello, Leia, I'm Sabe", She said, raising her hand. Leia still pouted while meeting her eyes. She could not feel malice or deceit. She had the feeling they were lying when she saw Breha or Bail, but Leia did not get the same whiff from her, though she did not say a word except for a simple greeting.

"Hello", Leia breathed. "Where's mo ... aunt Breha"? There was no point in calling Breha her mother right now.

"Her grace went to Coruscant yesterday". Sabe answered. "They were invited to attend the Empire day. Queen Breha nursed you with me before she had to leave here".

"And ...Winter"? Leia asked again.

"You mean your friend with the silver hair"? Leia nodded as affirmation. "She went to Coruscant with Queen Breha. Most of the Alderaanian nobility was invited, as well as your ...friends in court".

"Can I go to Coruscant"? Leia murmured, gulping on the glass of Water Sabe suggested.

"No", she denied. "You still need to rest and healed. And your mother thinks you might be safer here on Alderaan".

Leia pouted, plumping back to bed. It was frustrating to be left alone, but it gave her a glimpse of satisfaction as well. It meant she was free from all that relationships for now, at least for some days. Maybe Sabe would be tolerant than Vesta, she thought.

"The patient has some dehydration and malnourishment due to long periods of unconsciousness. My scanning circuits indicate she passed out from severe exhaustion". The medical droid said.

"Is that all"? Sabe said. "3PO said she was fainting for more than three days. I see an eight-year-old fainting for such time no certain reason is not a very familiar thing".

"It is indeed, lady Sabe. You should diagnose little mistress once again, you malfunctioning lump of scrap heap". 3PO chimed.

"There are no symptoms I could diagnose further". The medical droid said in its monotonous, artificial voice.

"Can you tell me what happened, Leia"? Sabe asked after a moment of placidity. "Breha or Horada didn't want to talk in specific".

"I fought Corla". Leia answered uneasily. "She said mean things. And ...Vesta hit Winter for that".

"I can't get it". Sabe said. "Why would Vesta hit Winter because you fought Corla"?

"Because mommy did not want me to get hit by her. Aunt Breha told Vesta not to hit me, so she started to hit others when she wanted to do it to me".

"And then ...I can't remember". Leia said. "I just ...passed out".

Sabe let out a long sigh. Leia could feel confusion colliding through her mind. After a pause, Sabe proceeded to sit on her bed, holding Leia's hands quite firmly.

"You shouldn't have fought Corla, no matter what she said". Sabe said calmly. "Hitting people is a bad thing. That is why you think your former ...teacher is bad, isn't it"?

"Yes", Leia said. She knew it meant Vesta. "But Corla said bad things first. She was wrong. I was angry". Leia huffed.

"Your mother and Horada told me you are a very clever young lady". Sabe said, still calm and firm.

"Yes". Leia answered.

"Then you may refute their claims to prove they are wrong instead of beating them". Sabe said. "Do you know what 'refute' is"?

"Yes, rebutting". Leia murmured.

"You are really a lady of your reputation. Maybe we could speak more professionally". Sabe said while giving Leia a stern but genuine smile. "Your mother is trying to win people through arguments on the Senate. She wants to stop greedy people from extorting others. She wants justice back in the Galaxy. But through speaking. Not through violence. Don't you want to be like your mother"?

"I do". Leia murmured. Sabe's words were so confident, endearing, and alluring to deny. Besides, she wanted to be a Senator someday, probably representing Alderaan after Bail.

"I was a politician far ago. I may teach you how to win an argument". Sabe said. "But before then, promise me that you won't hit or fight other girls again. That is a wrong thing".

"Okay". Leia settled, though her lips still remained a pout.

"Good". Sabe said. "After we have some time, maybe we can visit Corla to request a reconciliation. I am sure Corla will apologise to you as well".

Leia highly doubted it, but she did not want to start a new argument with Sabe. She wanted to be her friend, and her mother wanted her to be hers too ...so Leia would have to behave kindly, she judged. And maybe if Winter decided to hate her, Sabe would be the only one to cling to.

As Sabe rose, promising to bring something to eat, Leia swore she saw a blaster pistol between Sabe's long cloaks.

Notes

1. Winter: wiki/Winter_Celchu
She is Leia's friend who appears in Star Wars legends.
2. Corla: wiki/Corla_Metonae/Legends
3. Horada: wiki/Arn_Horada
4. Vesta: wiki/Vesta
She is a bit who appears in Star Wars legends. Most of her deeds are fabricated.