Chapter Fifty-Five

Obi-Wan lowered his head and covered Aalea's mouth with his. She passionately returned his kiss and he could feel her heart beating furiously against him.

He held her even tighter and their kiss became a soldering heat, melding their bodies together. They kissed for long soul-shuddering moments and, as Obi-Wan moved his mouth slowly over hers, nothing in the universe existed but her lips.

Then, her mouth still firm and moist against his, Aalea slid her arms from about his neck and began pulling urgently at his clothing and Obi-Wan knew she also yearned for what he most wanted at that moment; for the two of them to make love right there on the moon-drenched grass under the star-dappled Sylvonnan sky.

She wanted him and he wanted her and the part of Obi-Wan that was slowly lowering her to the ground told him that was all he needed to know, but the other part, the accountable part, was telling him this was wrong. Though their mission was nearly over, he was still Aalea's acting master and he had a responsibility, both to her and to himself. He would not take advantage of her like this.

Obi-Wan quickly broke their kiss and grabbed her arms.

"Aalea," he said firmly as he shook her, her hair flying wildly about her flushed face. "Listen to me! You've been drugged. Use the bio-techniques you were taught to neutralize the effect of drugs. Do it now! That's an order!"

Aalea shook her head numbly as she looked up at him, her eyes dazed, her breath short and sharp. Then she slowly nodded and closed her eyes.

Obi-Wan watched as the aphrodisiac's hold on her dissipated. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around.

"Master?"

"Are you all right, Aalea?"

She nodded. "What's going on? Why are we outside?"

"You don't remember?"

"No. I just remember feeling dizzy and lightheaded." She glanced quickly away from him. "Was it something in the candles?"

"Yes, some kind of aphrodisiac," he said as he stared at her. Aalea wouldn't meet his eyes. But before he could say more Marni ran into the garden.

"There you are," the eunuch said reproachfully, his plump face glistening with sweat. "I've been looking everywhere for you two."

Marni glanced approvingly around garden.

"Hmmm, a nice private spot you Jedi have found."

He then swept his gaze appreciatively over Obi-Wan's tangled clothing, Aalea's loosened and tousled hair and her kiss-swollen mouth. He looked slyly over at Obi-Wan and winked.

"What do you want, Marni?" Obi-Wan said curtly. He was in no mood to deal with the Chief Eunuch's antics.

"Well, no need to get huffy," Marni said sniffing. He lifted his head and gazed down his long nose at them. "I have been ordered by King Tahal and Queen Samar to escort the two of you to their bedchamber."

"What?" Obi-Wan cried.

"Yes. You and the young lady have been chosen out of all the wedding guests for the great honor of enjoying this nuptial night with them." He then gave them both a lascivious look. "And by the looks of it, the two of you are more than ready to join them."

Obi-Wan gritted his teeth. He glanced over at Aalea who was watching him with wide eyes. By the Force, he couldn't wait to get off this benighted planet. He looked irately back at Marni.

"Please convey to their dread majesties my most heartfelt thanks for this...'great honor'," Obi-Wan said tightly, "but I'm afraid we must humbly decline."

"What? Decline? But---" Marni sputtered.

"Yes, my apprentice is not feeling well. Isn't that right, Aalea?" Obi-Wan said, his brows rising as he looked over at her.

"Oh, uh, yes. I'm not feeling well. I think I may be coming down with something; something contagious," she finished weakly.

Marni stared at the two Jedi for a long moment. Then he inclined his head.

"I shall convey your message to my most dread majesties."

With a swirl of his scented silk robes, he quickly left the garden.

Obi-Wan let out a deep sigh. He looked over at Aalea.

"You're sleeping with me tonight," he said.

Aalea's eyes widened.

Then Obi-Wan realized what he had said.

"No, no," he said quickly. "That's not what I meant. What I meant is you should sleep in my quarters in the Tarkasian complex, away from the palace, until the effect of the candles wear off."

"Yes, Master. I think that would be a good idea," Aalea said as she glanced back towards the entrance leading to the banquet hall. They both could hear the passionate moans and cries of the wedding guests as they surrendered to the influence of the candles.

Obi-Wan gestured for her to accompany him and they made their way through the gardens, off the palace grounds and to his quarters.

Obi-Wan opened the door. Aalea stepped inside. He then went into the bedroom and found some extra blankets. He took the blankets into the front room and laid them on the couch.

"I'll sleep here. You can have the bed," he said.

"No, Master," Aalea said quickly. "I wouldn't think of putting you out. I'll sleep here."

Obi-Wan spread the blankets on the couch. He turned and looked over at her.

"Aalea, I'm too tired to argue with you. Do as I say and take the bed."

Aalea nodded. She looked down, her hair falling like a curtain about her face. Obi-Wan could see a faint blush along her cheeks. Fearing he had been too severe with her, he touched her arm.

"I'm sorry, Aalea. Forgive me if I sounded harsh. But, I am quite tired."

"You don't have to apologize, Master," she said softly. She turned away and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Obi-Wan sat on the couch. He couldn't believe what had almost happened in the garden. He and Aalea had to get off this world before they both wound up doing something they would later come to regret.

He took a deep breath and focused his mind on a Jedi mantra of self-control for his thoughts were still in turmoil and his lips still tingled from her kiss and his body still burned from her touch. After a bit he achieved some measure of calmness.

Then he found himself thinking about Aalea's words that it had always been him. What she had said had both excited and troubled him. For the truth was he loved Aalea and had loved her from the moment he saw her lying unconscious and bruised in Qui-Gon's arms when they had rescued her from Luba the Hutt.

But, Obi-Wan hadn't known what to do with his feelings and he had therefore kept them hidden. Then he had discovered she was in love with his master. He had seen it in her eyes at his birthday dinner, the way she had gazed adoringly at Qui-Gon. As a result, he had suppressed his love even more, pushed it down so deep he had been certain he no longer cared for her.

But he did. Yes, she was willful and a bit too high-spirited to be a proper Jedi, but that was part of what he loved about her. She was everything he had once been and sometimes wished he still were.

Obi-Wan sank deeper into the couch. Yet, he was also afraid to love because it made him do and say things he never would have thought possible. As he'd learned that morning when he saw the sadness in her eyes when told her she could not wear that dress to the wedding. He realized he never wanted to see that look in her eyes again.

So, on the spur of the moment, he had rushed to the market place and bought her that silk ribbon. On his way back to the palace, he had been afraid she would spurn the gift or laugh at him for being silly.

Instead, she had said it was beautiful and her eyes had softened as he wove it through her hair.

Obi-Wan sighed in the darkness. Just a few steps away she was lying in the bed he'd been sleeping in for the past few days and, he imagined, her black hair was probably spread like dark moonlight across the golden pillows, her lithe body sliding along the satin sheets.

Obi-Wan twisted as he felt his body hardening in response to his imaginings. Gods, even without the influence of those cursed candles, his thoughts were still feverish.

He quickly shook his head, took a deep breath and focused on a meditation that would help him maintain control over his body. Once he was satisfied he was in control of himself again, he laid down and pulled the blankets over him.

He gazed off into the shifting shadows of the room. It was all so confusing. No wonder Qui-Gon had once told him love only made the life of a Jedi harder. It was hard enough trying to understand the Force. But love? That was even harder.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes as he willed himself to sleep. He had not asked for this, he thought, as he slowly drifted off into slumber.

He had not chosen love; love had chosen him.

To be continued....