Chapter 24: plans for a state dinner
When they got back to the suite,
Aunt Rogue and Aunt Tia were waiting impatiently, since they were 3 minutes
late, and Leia was also being monitered for punctuality.
"Well, Leia, General Solo
called, to see if you were back yet, but we told him that even if you were, you
can't speak to him." Rogue informed the princess.
"I understand, but could you be
a little more polite next time?"
"There will be no next time, until you are finished
your training."
"Now," Rogue continued primly, "I want to check the princes-like outfits you bought, model them, if you please."
Leia took the first bag from Luke,
she noticed her aunt had said princess-like, outfits, and she knew with her
aunt in a bad mood, she shouldn't even see the other outfit. "Luke,"
Leia whispered as Luke accompanied her, "take the dress I bought for the
date and keep it in your apartment, locked, please. Aunt Rogue doesn't like the
style, and with her in a bad mood...."
"All right," then he put
the other bags, except for the one with the un-princess-like dress in it, in
Leia's dressing room.
Leia first put on the one she had
bought for state dinners. She made up her hair for such events. All in all that
took 23 minutes. When she came into the room everyone clapped. "This is
the outfit for state dinners." She said.
"Very good, you remembered the
exact outfitting fixture for state dinners. Oh, by the way, I was talking just
now to the shop clerks of the shops you were in. I saw the holo's of how you were
behaving, except for one slip, you did well, I believe you work better in real
life situations then in these hypothetical tests, so we," she said,
motioning to all the house Organa members, "have voted and decided that
instead of hypothetical tests, we will test you in real life situations, and
the only one left is state dinners. We have seen holo's of your diplomatic
missions and they were perfect in regality."
Leia sighed, at least it wasn't
meeting foreign dignitaries, she reminded herself. Count you blessings.
"All right, when is it."
"Tonight, and Jedi Skywalker,
your presence would be appreciated."
Translation- Luke thought, be there
or be square. He grimaced, he had NO talent for these sorts of things, if
Leia's only task was state dinners maybe she would have a break, and he could
ask her to give him the basics. As Leia started talking, he realized there was
more that he didn't know then he thought.
"Oh, Aunt Rogue, who is coming,
I will need to research a little of their history."
Tia beamed,
"See, she hasn't forgotten everything." She shot at her sister,
"Honey, Threkin Horm, and the King and Queen of Seqwet in the Senex( the
senex was the sector of the galaxy still ruled by monarch's) as well as there
court, that is it, we thought we should start small in case you mess up."
Leia grimaced, start small? The
court would consist of at least 20 fam-couples, she reminded herself. In old
Houses they were touchy about being distanced from each other. A power game,
because they wanted to be close to the King, and associated as such.
Chapter 25: Rogue vs. Han, resolved
"Well," Leia's Uncle
Cistene, Bail's younger brother who had stayed out of most of the proceedings
said," the state dinner is at 7 sharp, if u want to go associate with you
brother and General Solo, you may do so, oh, and remember, the Official
Messenger must deliver his invitation, YOU may not, and until she comes, don't
mention the dinner." Then she looked around, and seeing that her sisters
weren't there she whispered, "Rogue, Rainier, and Tia really don't dislike
General Solo as much as you think. They just dislike the fact you haven't
confided in them yet."
"Confided," Leia, asked,
confused, "about WHAT?"
"When you were a baby Bail was
afraid you would turn out like your mother, and marry someone who would turn
evil, so he called a fortune teller, a well-reputed one, of course, and asked
her whom you would marry. The lady had said, General Han Solo, of the New
Republic, hero of the rebel alliance. Everyone had gotten scared, because it
was the time at which the Old Republic hadn't yet COMPLETELY fallen, but then
they realized it meant that the Republic would rise again. She said, General
Solo was an ex-smuggler. Naturally, Tia had snickered at that point and said NO
HOUSE ORGANA MEMBER WOULD ASSOCIATE WITH A SMUGGLER. The lady then said, he
would win your heart by saving your life, and would be dedicated to you more
then his own life and have a co-pilot Wookie named Chewbacca."
"And would have a colored past,
a past that was very sad and full of tragedy and the tragedy lead him to
smuggling. Then, he met you, in very life threatening circumstances, and
together you fixed each others life."
"Wow, well Han really never
talks about his past and other then the marriage all of its true."
"You mean, you mean you and Han
aren't married, or an item."
"Well-" Leia said,
starting to blush, "I love him, and I think he loves me, but we are going
on our first official date a couple days from now."
"Okay, well, somehow convey
this message to your aunts. THAT'S most of the reason they are being frosty
towards general Solo because they think you aren't telling them about what's
going on."
"Is that what it is, I noticed that Aunt Rogue called
him by his official title a couple times in a row, which she never does unless
she is mad at the guy."
"Misunderstanding major." Her uncle agreed.
Just then Luke came to the door. He
gestured with his hand for Leia to come out and talk to him. "Well, I will
see you at the state dinner."
"Before it." Her uncle
said, firmly, "you need to talk to your aunt about your relationship, or
non-relationship, with General Solo before your aunt does something drastic,
and as you know she is very capable of it."
Leia bid her uncle farewell then
went outside and met with Luke who had his usual Jedi calm, but Leia could
sense he was very nervous. "Luke, what is it?" She asked.
"Your aunt showed me the
seating arrangement for the state dinner. I am seated up on the head table with
you, at first I had thought I could make an appearance then disappear, no one
would notice, but now..."
"Relax," Leia said,
soothingly, " I will help train you, one thing, where was Han
seated."
"On the other side of me."
Leia groaned, she knew what her aunt
wanted, Han to make a fool out of himself. "My uncle just told me why my
aunt is mad at Han, she thinks we are an item, and haven't told her. And when
people don't tell her these things she gets jealous, and when she gets
jealous....she gets revenge. She wants Han to make a fool out of himself, and
with Senex leaders, 99% of whom are conceited, selfish, and look down at anyone
not of Ancient Houses..."
Luke hid a grin, with those half
grins of his. He knew as well as Leia did about how easy it was for Han to make
a fool of himself in those circumstances. "Well, we will warn him, and
maybe before you help me, talk to your Aunt, who knows how much she could plan
in the time. Then, we will have Han charm your aunts, so she likes the guy you
are going to...date." Luke caught himself in time, he had almost said
marry.
So Leia talked to her aunt,
explained what happened. "Oh, dear me." was her Aunt's reaction,
"I must apologize to, General Solo, then my behavior towards him was
uncalled for. Still, Leia, I don't know what is going to happen at this first
date, remember what I said about a Alderaanian princess's marriage, plus,
General Solo should get used to state dinners if he is going to court you, so I
am keeping the seating the same, with General Solo on the other side of the
Jedi Knight, at the head table. But now, I will give you a chance to explain to
him how it works. Before I wanted to see him fall on his face, but
now...."
Leia knew that was the most
apologies she would ever get. She kissed her aunt on the cheek and then headed
to Luke's apartment, she knew Han would be there.
Meanwhile- "Those aunt's of
Leia's." Han ranted, enraged.
"Han, what if I told you they
had a good reason, and an apology MIGHT be on the way."
Han turned to Luke, disbelieving,
"what, a good reason to not let me talk to Leia." Then he remembered
Luke's last part, "An apology."
Luke laughed, "It was a
misunderstanding, Leia is going to explain it to her aunts, then lets see their
reaction."
"All right, so do you think Leia
will be allowed to go on that date with me."
"Without a doubt." Luke
said.
"All right, any suggestions,
since you ARE her brother."
"Yes, don't be rude." Luke
hesitated, he was deciding whether to tell Han about the State Dinner, or not.
He decided not to. After all, Leia was going to do it soon.
Just then Leia came in. "Hey,
Han, hey Luke." She said, swinging herself into Han, who had opened his
arms, arms.
Luke did that half smile of his. So
what if officially they weren't dating, they were still in love. And this, Luke
decided, was the purest form of love, not physical, but mental. "Han, has
a messenger droid come in here yet."
"Nope." Han asked,
puzzled, "how come."
"Well...I can't tell you, and
hope Luke didn't either," she said, staring into Luke's eyes, he did a
Force telling to her head, telling her what he had told Han, and what he
hadn't, "Han, see I just figured out why my Aunt's were being rude. See,
I've never kept secrets from them before, if I was on a classified mission, or
something that would endanger the Alliance, thats what I would say, can't tell
you that. But I would never not tell them, or lie to them, do you get it,"
Han nodded, "Well, they thought we didn't tell them that we had a
relationship in place, which we don't," the Leia mumbled, "at least
not an official one."
Han didn't catch that, but Luke with
his enhanced Jedi senses did, he hid a smile, again, (as you can tell, that is
something Luke does A LOT)
Han looked sharply at Luke.
"Oh, by the way, Aunt Rogue sends her formal apologies, and knowing her,
you will get a face to face apology later. She always says, if you make a
mistake and don't acknowledge it it is a great sin. But if you make a mistake
and acknowledge it, it is only a partial sin, and if it is something not nice
about another person, and you apologize face to face, and they forgive you,
there is no sin. You also can't press for forgiveness, it's there choice."
"Ah." Han said.
Just then a messenger droid(robot)
came in with trumpets, a recording, blaring the Alderaanian House music.
"Greetings, General Solo, I must make audial identification."
"This is Han Solo."
"Thank you, identification
confirmed.
Then Aunt Rogue's face appeared,
"Greetings, General Solo, I speak as the official representative of the
House Organa, the House of Alderaan. The House requests your presence at a
State Dinner, to be held tonight at 19 HRS, in the Honor of the Rebuilding of
relations of the House of Alderaan, and the Senex. I understand that the
Princess is with you, she shall provide with the details, and I hope she hasn't
forgotten protocool and done it earlier. Now a message from me speaking as
Rogue, not the official rep. I think there has been an misunderstanding between
the two of us, and I would like to get a chance to clear it up, tonight. Thank
you."