Last On: Leia gets devious in her plans to get Ben to agree to come on a Holiday Week vacation. She invites Rey too. Rey is new to the whole Vacation thing. They are going to Naboo, to a niece of Padme Amidala's house.
Chapter 23
Rey didn't know what she was expecting, but this wasn't it. They landed in a private hanger where intricately carved columns held up a ceiling full of windows. A trickle of water could be heard from a fountain which stood against one wall, and a floral scent wafted off of every bush in every corner of the octagonal room.
They were greeted immediately by a crowd of servants and the house butler, Conner Le Brian. Leia didn't pay any heed to the servants as they boarded the ship and began unloading the cargo. Instead she went straight up to the butler and gave him detailed instructions. Ben didn't do more than glance at them as they walked past, but Rey was enthralled.
They had carts they loaded crates and luggage bags onto, and wheeled them off of the ship and past another doorway. Each servant had an expression of complacency. They moved with grace through the hanger, each knowing their tasks and roles. Then something caught Rey's eye and filled her with panic. She saw her own bag on one of the carts, and she reached out to stop them with a protesting cry, only Ben's hand gripped her shoulder. She stopped and quickly turned to him instead.
"They're bringing it to your room. It's their job." Ben's voice was calm. His hand left her shoulder and fell beside him.
"Madam, the lady of the house wishes to extend all formal greetings to you and your guests. She asks that you would comm her once you are settled. May I lead you into the house." The butler gave a polite bow.
"Yes, you may." Leia gave him a short nod, then followed the butler through a different door then the one the servants brought their luggage through. Ben and Rey followed Leia into the house.
Each room in the house was grander than the last, and Rey walked through it with her mouth open in a permanent awe. Colorful curtains adorned each window, and hand woven rugs centered each space.
When Conner, the butler, brought them to one of three large lounges, this one he called the Parlor, Leia instructed him to comm Pooja Naberrie. He disappeared and a few minutes later, a holographic woman, dressed in a fine silk dress, appeared in the center of the room.
"Leia, you've arrived. It's so nice to see you again. I hope you found your trip well." Pooja walked up to Leia and attempted to kiss her cheeks.
Leia curtsied. "It's so nice to see you, too. And we had a peaceful voyage here."
"I had all of my aunt's belongings that could be found brought out of storage. Conner can show them to you when your ready. I instructed them to treat you, and your guests, as family, because well, you are family. Anything you need, you have only to ask Conner for. I will be in Theed for at least a few more days, but I will join you when I can finally get away."
"How wonderful, we look forward to your arrival." Leia gave another curtsy, and the holograph disappeared.
While they were talking Rey found herself admiring a row of porcelain figurines lined up on a mantle. The fireplace it was attached to stretched up at least two stories, and was covered in light gray stones. Rey felt an unnatural pull to touch one of the figurines, and as she did so, her hand accidentally brushed one of the other figurines. It knocked into the one beside it, which collided into the next, and before she knew it the last figurine was teetering off the edge. Rey froze, but it was too late, as gravity finally pulled it the rest of the way. As it fell she held her breath, but then instead of crashing, it stopped falling mere inches from the ground. Rey looked over, and Ben was motioning with his hand, as the figurine floated up and back into place on the mantle. "Thank you," Rey mouthed the words to him, as she took a deep breath.
Next they were led to their rooms, which was another surprise for Rey. Rey and Ben's rooms were across the hall from each other, while Leia's was in a separate wing altogether. Rey's room had the biggest bed she had ever seen. The fabrics in the room, both on the bed covers and the curtains, were white with red and yellow flowers. The furniture was all wooden, with fancy carved edges. There was also a vanity with a large mirror, and a chair in front of it.
On the vanity was her own hair care kit. The one Ben bought her on Calabria. She recognized it immediately. Also on this table was her lightsaber. Both she knew had been in her bag from the ship. It was a little disconcerting to realize someone had been through her belongings, but she was relieved they were in her room, as Ben said they'd be.
Through a pair of glass doors was a balcony, looking down on gardens below. Through another door was a gigantic closet, which already had her clothes, plus more outfits she did not recognize hung up. And through a third door was a private bathroom, all her own. This made Rey especially giddy. It had not one, but two sinks, a large shower, and a tub. The soaps and shampoos, of which there were many, all smelled beautiful. And Rey smelled every one of them. She thought they smelled beautiful and she couldn't wait to bathe in them all.
After exploring her bathroom Rey was interrupted by a knock at her door. Rey ran right away to answer it, and found a young woman, about the same age as herself, behind the door.
She Curtsied. "Ma'am, is there anything I can assist you with?"
Rey thought for a minute. She was going to refuse the offer, but then she remembered the garden she saw out the window, below the balcony. "Yes, can you take me to the garden?"
Rey walked out into the garden. The air was surprisingly cold, and Rey shivered as she walked. All around her were flowers. This was surprising because the trees that grew a distance away were all bare of their leaves. The flowers were red, and their petals were folded in a shape like a droplet of water. Rey stopped and bent down to touch one.
"Winter's Blaze, miss." Rey looked up to see who spoke to find a man wearing rougher clothing than any of the servants wore. His skin was tanned and he held a rake. When he saw her, he spoke again. "The flowers, miss. They're called Winter's Blaze."
"They're beautiful." Rey began to shiver again, this startled the man.
"Oh, my! You must be freezing. Beth, get her a coat, will you!" He motioned to the servant who led Rey down to the garden. She had been standing near the door. Apparently waiting for further instructions. She immediately ran into the house, as if she were lit on fire. "Think they're beautiful, you wait til they bloom, miss."
Leia and Ben walked out a moment later. They were both wearing different clothing than they arrived in. Leia had on a dark gray two-piece suit with thicker fabric, and a coat with fur cuffs and neckline. Ben wore all black again, with a jacket on his shoulders. Since coming to the resistance he had been wearing lighter clothes with a more varied color scheme. Leia would have it no other way. It was unusual seeing him back in black again.
When Leia saw Rey she immediately looked worried.
Ben, looked irritated, as he tore off his jacket and threw it over Rey's shoulders.
Running over to Rey, Leia held the ends of Ben's jacket together. "Rey, sweetheart, you're gonna get sick if you don't stay warm."
"We're on top of it, ma'am," said the man in the garden. He motioned to reveal Beth, running down the path carrying a large coat.
It was thrown over her shoulders as Ben retrieved his own coat. The new coat was all white with fur lining the rim of a hood. It felt very warm and comfortable.
Leia then led Rey back inside, where servant's immediately helped them all shed their coats. Rey didn't understand what the big deal was, but then Jakku was rarely anything but blazing hot.
"There is a light lunch prepared for you in the next room," said the servant who took Leia's coat.
"Thank you." Leia nodded to the servant.
Rey ran ahead at the mention of food.
Behind her Ben grumbled, "I told you."
"Oh, it was one incident, and it's over now. Quit your fretting," Leia ordered, before speaking up so that Rey could hear. "Rey, I'm sorry. We should have told you how cold it can get here this time of year. I packed several outfits for you that are more ideal for this climate."
"No problem, and Thanks" answered Rey with a mouth full of crackers.
Lunch was a bowl of warm soup, and sandwiches made from some type of cold meat and cheese. Served with the soup were salty crackers, shaped like some type of sea creature with long tentacles.
"Before Starkiller, I couldn't have imagined a planet could get so cold," said Rey, after a while.
"Oh, there are even colder worlds out there. Hoth, Hoth was frigid. You know, there was once this time when Luke nearly froze to death on Hoth. Han had to carve open a Tauntaun and stuff him inside to keep him warm."
Ben sighed as soon as Luke was mentioned.
Rey's eyes went wide. "You can freeze to death!"
"Yes. Cold inhibits blood flow, causes confusion, and frostbite," Ben listed on his fingers. Rey's eyes were big and filled with worry.
"Only in extreme cases. Nothing you have to worry about here." Leia gave Ben a serious look. "Ben actually had a stuffed Tauntaun when he was little." Ben glared at his mom. She continued anyways. "What was it's name...Dolly… no Polly..."
Ben's hands went over his face to hide a blush. After a while he corrected, "Molly."
"Molly, that's it. It was a gift from one of my old political contacts, and he LOVED that toy. Of course it drove Han crazy mad that his son carried around a toy named Molly." Ben kept his eyes hidden, as Rey and his mom laughed at the story. "I didn't want to take Molly away from him, but then one day he came home from school in tears because the other kids were teasing him. Han had always argued that would happen."
Ben looked up at this. He didn't remember being teased over the toy. He figured his parents took it away because it hurt their image, not his.
"What about you, Rey. Did you have a favorite toy growing up?" Leia asked.
"Um..." Rey thought about what to say. Ben worried this attention on what Rey didn't have growing up would make her feel bad, and he was about to speak up, when Rey continued. "I had one toy, yes. There weren't many other kids to play with there, in Nima Outpost. And most of those there were, didn't want to play with me. But one day there was an older boy, a teenager. He had these toy dolls, action figures he called them. They were dressed in orange clothes, and flew in toy ships he had. I watched him play a few times. I remember he was kind to me. Then, one day I made a doll of my own, to look like his toys."
"And did he play with you, after that?" Leia asked. Her eyes were soft, like she pulled from the story more pain than Rey shared.
"No, I never saw him after that. His parents must have moved on. But I kept the toy, to remind me sometimes people can be kind." Rey finished her story with a slight smile. It, to her, was a happy story. A time when she didn't feel completely alone.
I have recently uploaded this story to AO3 as well, under the same username. I will continue to upload it both places, so you may choose where you read it.
