Chapter 17: Princess Leia's New Lessons

Life as a student is routinary. You quickly get used to a schedule, because you don't really get much of a choice. She woke up early, showered, put on her uniform and descended the steps for the first class of the day. Then the second and third and so on… She liked most of the teachers and she loved learning… but life as a princess had been much more exciting. Having a friend like Mara Jade helped in that regard. Though most of her classmates were nice and friendly, Mara was enigmatic and mysterious. She would not reveal her age, the girl seemed a year or two younger than the princess, so for most classes they weren't actually together. Some days she would disappear without notice, then she would stealthy appear just as randomly. Whenever Leia questioned her about it, Mara skillfully avoided the subject, disguised in jokes or what appeared to be jokes.

The treatment was so unlike what Leia was used to. She was for once being held to the same standard as everyone else. She didn't have to be the role model, the perfect princess, she was just another girl out of hundreds. It was almost getting to the point she'd feel normal—until a visitor from the palace arrived.

"Miss Sabé" Leia had almost forgotten what it was to have a handmaiden attending to her every need. "What a surprise."

"Hopefully not an unpleasant one. I have come to start new private lessons."

"Oh," she was disappointed. "I thought you were starting to miss me. Oh, don't frown, I am kidding. My father must think I have a brain the size of a moon. Does he expect me to spend every waking moment studying?"

"This isn't the kind of lesson any of the teachers here might help you with. We will need no books."

"What will we need then?"

Sabé responded by pulling a blaster on the princess, which made her flinch.

"Alright, could you not point that at me?"

"Banter will not be allowed, Princess Leia. This is a serious topic."

Sounds fun…

"I actually know a little about it—"

"I doubt it. Come along, we have four hours and then you must return to the dorm."

"Four hours!"

"Is there a problem?"

"Um, no, of course not…" always a cheerful companion, Miss Sabé…

Leia was taken to a type of shooting range. She wanted to impress the Nabooian handmaiden, so she made sure to listen attentively and do as she said. Sabé was ever the serious, focused woman, yet Leia found the hours pass by quickly, as the lesson was quite fun. She was a natural when it came to handling a blaster—no matter how unimpressed her teacher looked. Blast! She shot her target every time, picturing a dark awful figure being blown. Try and choke me again, she thought, breathing heavily. Try and threaten me! Just try to put those cold metal hands on my neck again! Evil Sith—

"Leia!" Sabé called, "You missed for the second time! Focus, Your Highness, you're being too emotional now."

Shut up.

"I am trying, alright—"

"Don't interrupt. You're covering your left eye, lower the blaster—"

Fire exploded from her palm, making loud noise and drowning Sabé's words. Leia took down every target.

She smiled proudly.

"You were saying?"

"Vanity is quite the fault to possess, Your Highness."

"Would it kill you to acknowledge when I do something right?"

"No, but it might kill you to stop to smile every time you shoot someone in the battlefield."

"What battlefield? You're being so intense—"

"A woman in your position should always be ready for war."

About ten sharp comebacks came to mind, but she was for the first time that day mature enough to hold her tongue. So I am a woman again, not a normal girl. It would be too selfish perhaps, to think I am anything but the princess of Alderaan.

"I'm sorry, Miss. Please, let's continue."

"I believe that's enough for today. We will have blaster practice three times a week, at first at least. I will report progress at the end of the week back at the palace. If you improve in a month or two… you will get another teacher."

"Who?"

"You'll see in time."

"Okay, but who are you talking about?"

"I see your time in the school didn't teach patience just yet," Sabé grinned at her, for the first time that day looking something other than solemn.

It seemed like Bail was really determined to prepare her for… life, or whatever was to come. Apart from the usual lessons in the castle, and Sabé's blaster practice, she had once a week an hour with a coach from the Palace to learn how to fly a speeder. Which, unfortunately didn't go as well as the rest of her lessons. But she was sure she would improve with time—well, I better get good if I want any kind of freedom next year—

With such a busy schedule she hardly had any time left for socializing or doing anything for herself.

On the weekend she had the last day to rest, though, and she did what she always wanted to… the thing that most consumed her thoughts before: thinking about her forgotten hero.

He died in Imperial Center, Coruscant, as it was called in those years. Perhaps, if I go there I might find some new information…

Father had banned her from going there, so it was very unlikely she could do that. If I get better flying a speeder… the next thing would be flying a ship… imagine the freedom of being able to go anywhere in the galaxy…

"Well hello stranger," a friend, as she considered her, said behind her.

"Will you ever appear from the front, Mara? Or do you enjoy startling me every time you come see me?"

Mara laughed. "I like making an entrance. Long time no see, uh?"

"I've been busy studying."

"Hm, I bet. Are you free now?"

As free as I'll be…

"Yes."

"You want to go for a walk?"

"Whatever happened to your offer of teaching me… how to dance?"

"Well, you're a hard girl to find, Leia."

"I thought that was you."

Mara laughed again. "Besides, you have your hands full. Dancing is intricate, I would need your full attention and devotion."

"You would get it."

"Right, so you wouldn't be daydreaming… thinking about who knows what?"

"I don't daydream…"

"Some other time, perhaps. Today I just want to relax."

Those words were sweet music to Leia's ears. She could really use a break. It seemed like Mara Jade knew exactly what the princess needed, as if she had been paying attention to her all this time. Leia lowered her guard, thinking happily she at last had a real friend, not subservient, not trying to get something from her, not expecting something from her. She didn't have any other person in her life like that. And Mara knew that.

They saw each other sparingly. Until they finally had a class together. Leia immediately smiled at her when she saw her entering the gymnasium.

Mara sat on the bleachers, away from the class. She called Leia to sit next to her. "I am very curious to see what kind of physical condition you have, Leia," she said as a tease.

Leia was confident in herself.

The class was simple. Stretching, running, jumping, in a graceful manner –whatever that means— it was fun but not very challenging. At least, according to Mara Jade. About fifteen minutes into the class most of the girls looked sweaty and a little out of breath. Mara laughed at them, which Leia didn't appreciate. "Most of us here aren't dancers, Mara."

"Clearly," Mara found them amusing. "What a waste of our time… Hey what do you say we start a real lesson now?"

Leia immediately understood that. "You mean," she whispered, "skip this class?"

Mara nodded.

Leia shook her head nervously. "No need. We can do that after the class is finished."

"Fine," Mara stood from the bleachers, "I have to practice. Coward."

The teacher was occupied with the students actually paying attention, Leia watched her closely, as well as Mara who was disappearing… and when the teacher turned to the bleachers again, both the red head and princess were gone.

"Could you not look so guilty?" Mara sighed as they walked outside the building.

"Sorry, did you know that there are cameras in the hallways? My father will know about this."

"Yeah… angering your father is part of being a daughter, you know."

Oh better than anyone…

They walked outside campus for about five minutes, then Mara jumped, over the fence, in a way so impressive that left Leia with an open mouth. "Come on, Leia!"

"I can't jump that high!"

"Try!"

Leia tried, one, two, three, many times… it seemed useless. Around the sixth time, something strange happened. It was one of her worst attempts, she barely reached half the fence's height when she felt herself being pushed upwards, as if by an invisible hand. She screamed—was someone behind her? She should have fallen to the other side yet she was gently placed on the ground next to Mara. She looked at her companion, again astonished.

"Did you do that?!"

"What?"

"Y-you lifted me! You picked me up in the air and got me to cross the fence!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Leia. That was all you."

Liar.

"Mara—"

"Come on, let's keep moving, Princess!"

"Where are we even going?"

"I don't know, afar from the school. That confining prison was starting to drive me mad. Come!"

Mara ran towards the woods, Leia followed after her but it was hard. The little girl was ridiculously fast and agile. Leia tripped a few times, she gasped for air and even cursed under her breath. She still couldn't catch up to Mara. At some point she couldn't even see her. There seemed to be nothing but tall trees and fallen leaves, dancing around her to the whistling wind. "Mara!" she called, a little scared now. Gods, why did I follow her? "Mara!"

She fell to the ground, which was more rocky than grassy at this part. "Ow," she complained.

"What a little princess," Mara said behind her.

Against herself, Leia released a little scream of shock. Was the girl a ghost? How did she appear without making any noise?

"What the hell was the point of that? Ahhh, let me catch my breath! Why are you laughing?"

"I expected better from you. It might be you are not ready for a… dance lesson."

"If I have to jump in the air, run fast like a car, and disappear like a ghost… yeah, I would be inclined to agree."

"Save the sarcasm, Your Highness, you will do all of that and more."

"Let's go back, please."

Mara bit her lower lip, deep in thought. "Yes, of course. Follow me."

Leia suddenly didn't trust her again, but she had no choice.

She followed Mara, who walked as if she really knew the way. But—

"Look at that waterfall, we didn't see that on our way here. We must be going in the wrong direction."

"Hardly, I just want some water."

"That current looks dangerous Mara."

"You were a lot fiercer before we came to this school. Is that uniform so strong as to hold back your strong will?"

"Oh shut up, let's just—"

Mara ignored her and ran to the river, again with that astonishing speed. Leia was not going to go after her again, but her heart almost stopped, watching Mara fall into the river and being dragged by the current.

"Damn it, I told you—" this was not the time to waste with words. The princess ran, trying to be as fast as possible. She stopped before the water, frightened as she had never been before. She kept running, trying to reach Mara Jade. The young red head managed to grab onto a large branch. "Help me!" she cried. "Please!"

Leia looked around, desperate but not so lost anymore. "I'll hand you something to grab!" What, what… "Here! Take this branch. I-I will pull you—ah!" the branch broke. Leia jumped into the water. The current punched her everywhere and it dragged her with a force never felt before. But a stronger Force directed her towards Mara, it helped her reach her and though she wasn't sure how it happened exactly, the two were outside the water.

"Oh my, are you all right…?"

Once more she was stunned. Mara Jade seemed perfectly fine.

Leia didn't want to think about what was happening. She trembled with quick anger. "That was cruel! You made me think you might die!"

"It was quite harmless, Princess. And anyway, cruelty is a necessity at times."

"Stupid jerk," She turned her eyes to the river. "How are we getting back now? We are on the wrong side."

Mara Jade lifted her hand, for once it seemed like she was really struggling, a large log was lifted and it fell perfectly as a bridge for the two to cross. Mara took her hand and walked her to the other side and Leia found that for once in her life she didn't know what to say. Until they were back in the school grounds. "You're a Jedi." The words felt wrong coming out and they seemed worse when her companion processed them.

Something dark passed over Mara's pretty face. "Never say that again. They are gone. And with good reason."

"Wha-what are you then?!"

Mara Jade stared at her, in a way that completely terrified her. She made sure they were face to face, and though her lips didn't move at all, Leia heard her words, somewhere in her head: "Never mind what I am; you just had your first lesson."