Hi, Moonscribe here. Just a reminder. If you're interested in reading the NC-17 rated versions of Obi-Wan and Aalea's love scene which will be coming up in these chapters, I've posted them in a separate fanfic entitled "Romantic Interludes". But, as I said before, you won't miss anything if choose not to. The plot is the same in both versions. Thanks!

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Chapter Seventy-Three

As Aalea looked out the cockpit window at the approaching landing field of the capital city of Sylvonna, she smiled. It had been ten months since her and Obi-Wan's mission here and, as Nadira had predicted, she had had her babies. Twins, born a month ago. Obi-Wan and Aalea had been invited to Sylvonna for the naming ceremony. The ceremony where, they had also discovered, they were to be designated the twins' goddess-parents.

As Obi-Wan guided the skipship, which the Jedi Council had given them permission to use, towards the area set aside for them, Aalea looked over at him. Since they'd been invited to Sylvonna as private citizens and not as representatives of the Order or of the Republic, they were not wearing their Jedi attire.

Obi-Wan wore a dark gray belted tunic and snug-fitting pants with black knee-high boots which, Aalea noted, showed off his trim waist and broad shoulders. She was wearing a gown Cian had purchased for her. They had changed into their clothes upon entering the Sylvonnan system.

Aalea sighed. During the last ten months, although she and Obi-Wan were now fully aware of how much they loved each other, they had not expressed that love physically since returning to Coruscant. They'd both made an extra effort, over the last few months, to walk the straight and narrow path as they tried to make amends to the Jedi Council for having disobeyed Yoda when they went to Jalat to aid Master Qui-Gon in his search for Cian.

And, although the two of them had avoided any serious repercussions for their actions, based in part on First Minister Shiro's intervention, both were also uneasy about doing anything that would get them into further trouble. Therefore, they had kept their love for each other hidden, not so much from themselves, but from those around them. What had occurred here between them the night of the wedding feast now seemed like a dream to Aalea. And yet, as she continued to gaze over at Obi-Wan, she recalled how warm his skin had been under her lips and the way his arms had felt around her.

Obi-Wan looked at Aalea and smiled. He had heard her thoughts through their bond. She blushed and looked quickly away.

As Obi-Wan landed the skipship she pointed out the cockpit window.

"Deja vu, Obi-Wan," she said as she watched Marni, King Tahal's Chief Eunuch, running at a dead heat towards the ship.

Obi-Wan grinned as he unbuckled his seat.

"Want to bet we're late?"

Aalea smiled as she followed him out of the cockpit.

Obi-Wan opened the skipship's door and lowered the ramp.

Marni stood staring up at them as they emerged. He frowned.

"Can you Jedi ever be on time for anything?"

"Sorry, Marni," Obi-Wan began, "but we ran into a...."

Marni shook his head as he interrupted Obi-Wan's explanation.

"You have just enough time to take your things to your quarters. Then we must hurry to the shrine for the ceremony."

Obi-Wan and Aalea quickly went back into the ship and retrieved their travel cases. They then followed Marni to the palace.

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Marni took Aalea and Obi-Wan swiftly through the palace and to the uppermost floors. He then led them to an ornately decorated door which was located at the end of a long corridor. With a wide flourish, he opened it and gestured for them to enter.

They walked in and Aalea gasped. Wavering rays of late afternoon sunlight drifted dreamily through the large windows of the sitting room, gilding the smooth gloss of the varnished redwood walls and making pale gold pools on the lush moonstone carpet.

On the red and green lacquered tables, tall blue vases overflowed with flowers---pink, purple, deep red, pale yellow gold---and filled the air with their heady perfume.

Aalea could also see, just beyond an arched doorway, a bedroom. Inside it was a dressing table, a large wardrobe and an incredibly huge bed, heaped up with golden pillows. All the furniture was of an exquisite blondwood with fancy gold patterns inlaid in the surface. A thick woolen carpet of gold and blue covered the floor. Diaphanous sky-blue curtains sewn with gold and silver threads billowed at the open windows.

"It's lovely," Aalea said to the Chief Eunuch. "Whose quarters are these?"

"They are yours."

"Mine?"

"No, yours."

"Mine or Obi-Wan's?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?" Obi-Wan asked.

"They are yours," Marni repeated, a note of exasperation apparent in his voice.

"You mean both of ours?" Aalea asked, her voice rising in surprise.

"Yes, yes!" Marni cried, shaking his head. "What is there that is so difficult in understanding? You are both to stay here. This suite was personally assigned to you by Princess Nadira herself."

Obi-Wan and Aalea exchanged looks.

Obi-Wan then turned to Marni.

"I'm afraid there's been a mistake---"

Aalea reached over and touched Obi-Wan's arm.

"It's all right, Obi-Wan," she said.

He turned to her and, when he saw the look in her eyes, his pulse beat hard in his throat.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, then turned to Marni.

"Thank you, Marni. The quarters are more than acceptable."

Marni glanced quickly between them, a soft crinkle of a smile on his fleshly lips. He bowed.

"I'll shall be waiting outside for you so that I may lead you to the shrine. Do not be too long."

He then turned to Obi-Wan and winked. With a wide sweep of his perfumed robes, he left the suite, closing the door behind him.

Obi-Wan turned to Aalea. "I'll sleep on the couch---"

Aalea reached up and touched his mouth with her fingers.

"You will do no such thing," she said softly. "There will be no sleeping on the couch this time, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Obi-Wan's heart lurched in his chest. She gazed up at him, her violet eyes deep and warm.

He swallowed. "Then, may I ask, where will I be sleeping?"

Aalea smiled and stroked her fingers across his lips.

"Where do you think?"

Obi-Wan reached up and grabbed her hand. He softly caressed it, his thumb stroking the edges of her fingers as she continued to touch his mouth.

"Aalea..."

"Obi-Wan, we're alone, for the first time in months. No duties, no decorum to maintain or tenets to uphold. And for once, even if it's only for this one night, I don't want to be a Jedi or a servant of the Republic. I just want to be a woman, in the arms of the man I love. Is that so much to ask?"

Obi-wan shook his head. "No, it's not."

He looked down at her and was again struck by how beautiful she looked in her gown. It was of a shimmering rose silk. Her shoulders were bare and her night-black hair flowed over them. The gown was cinched about her slender waist, then billowed out over her hips. It was also, Obi-Wan noted with a tight throat, cut low enough in the snug-fitting bodice that the full swell of her bosom was visible. His eyes lingered there for a moment. Then he quickly cleared his throat.

"We'd better go."

Aalea nodded and they left the suite.

To be continued....