Sabé sat limply in the garden. She hadn't mean to snap at the others like that, she thought ruefully. But it really wasn't any of their business. She sighed, and twirled her fingers in the still water of a pond that was situated next to her. She heard a noise and looked up to see a Jedi coming towards her – one of the ones she didn't know.
"May I sit?" she Jedi woman asked politely. Fed up with being polite, Sabé shrugged and turned back to stare at the water. "I am Adi Gallia; I've been sent to see whether you wish to come for a mid-chlorien count."
Sabé looked up at her again, noting the dark skin and white head…things that the Jedi had. She looked back down at the water again. "I'm not ready," she said shakily. Adi Gallia moved to sit next to her on the grass.
"Are you alright?" she asked carefully. Sabé gave her a sarcastic look. "Can't Jedi read minds?" she asked coolly. "Why ask me that when it's obvious I'm not?"
"Would you be comfortable telling me about it?" the Jedi inquired. Sabé looked back up at her, measuring her with a look. "Have you ever been in love?" she asked suddenly. Silently, Adi Gallia shook her head. "I think I am," Sabé explained quietly. "But I don't know. And I snapped at my friends."
"Why did you snap at them?" Adi asked softly. Sabé shrugged. "They were poking about in my business," she explained. "They always do that – ever since…" She looked down. "Ever since I killed my mother," she finished quietly. To her credit, Adi Gallia exhibited no surprise, and she didn't say anything about it.
"Who is it you think you're in love with?" she asked instead. Sabé looked up at her, meeting the dark eyes. "You don't know?" she asked dryly. "I would have thought you would."
Adi realised with a sickening of her heart. "Obi-Wan Kenobi," she murmured. Sabé nodded. "And he'll go, and I have my duties here," the handmaiden muttered. "And besides that, there's so much else to keep us apart."
"Is he in love with you?" Adi asked carefully. Sabé nodded. "He said he is," she admitted. There was a noise, and she raised her eyes to see another Jedi approach – Depa Billaba.
"Mistress Gallia," the Jedi bowed. Adi rose and bowed in return. "Are you ready, Lady Sabé?" she asked the girl. Sabé sighed and stood. "Might as well," she muttered. A rustling in the bushes caught her attention, and she turned to see the leaves waving slightly in the breeze. She frowned…something was wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it. And if the Jedi didn't sense anything, she told herself, it couldn't be anything.
She moved to walk between the Jedi Mistresses, and another sound caught her ear, and she turned to glimpse a dark shadow slipping between the bushes.
"Shazit," she cursed, wishing she'd thought to bring her blaster or a knife with her. As it was, she was barefooted, and neither of the Jedi with her was carrying a lightsaber.
As the two Jedi turned to her inquiringly, she put a finger to her lips. "There's someone in the bushes," she mouthed. Depa frowned, and turned her concentration on the place Sabé indicated. A moment later, three dark figures leapt from the bushes and grabbed Sabé.
Sabé yelled, and tried to get away, but her captors had her in a firm grip. Depa Billaba raised a hand and shoved one of them away from her, but before anything more could be done, the other two had Sabé into the bushes and over the wall, which Sabé realised with dread was lower at that place.
She was bundled into a transport, and a blindfold was placed on her. "Who are you?" Sabé demanded angrily. "What do you want?" there was a low chuckle, and a familiar voice spoke close to her ear. "Why, Sabé, I'm surprised at you. Has it been so long?" Then something hit Sabé on the side of her head, and she fell limp, unconscious.
In the palace, the Jedi had taken the man they'd caught to Captain Panaka. The mask was ripped off him, and Panaka nodded in satisfaction.
"I should have expected you, Hick," he said with no preamble. "Where is Sabé?" Sabé's brother, who bore little resemblance to the girl that Panaka had grown used to, chuckled slightly. "Would I tell?" he demanded. "I never have before – after all, I'm not a traitor."
Panaka rolled his eyes. "Take him back to the prison," he ordered the guards. "Same cell as before." As Hick was led away, he looked up at the two silent Jedi. "You saw nothing that could give us anything?" he asked, a little desperate.
"Nothing," Jedi Gallia replied calmly. "Might I ask who that was?" Panaka sat back in his chair and sighed. "You know, of course, that Sabé is from a family of thieves?" he asked. The Jedi nodded. "The ones we'd caught, on Sabé's information, were sent to detention camps during the invasion. Then, when everyone was set loose, they were too, presumably by mistake. Hick," he nodded towards the door, "is Sabé's elder brother. I assume that the others were her father and uncle."
The Jedi exchanged worried glances. "We must return to the Council," Billaba said finally. "Please keep us informed, Captain." Panaka nodded, and they left, to be replaced soon afterwards by an irate Saché.
"Do you know here Sabé is?" the handmaiden demanded of Panaka. Panaka sighed. "You haven't heard?" he asked heavily. Confused, Saché shook her head. "She's been kidnapped," he explained shortly. "By the Belacque family."
To her credit, Saché didn't show her shock in any other way than in that the blood ran from her face. "I will inform the Queen," she managed, before turning and almost running from the room.
********************************************************************************************
Sabé groggily awoke to the realisation that she was gagged and tied to a bed. There were no windows in the tiny room, so Sabé had no idea what time it was, or even what day it was. She could hear voices outside the door, but she had no idea what they were saying or who they were.
Then the door slid open, and Sabé's eyes widened as she recognised her father and her uncle, Enyos. She struggled against her bonds, but they would not move. She narrowed her eyes, and relaxed as Enyos and Randy stood over her.
"What shall we do with her?" Enyos asked in a low voice. Randy looked down at his daughter in disgust. "The Queen would pay a lot to get her pet handmaiden back," he said suddenly. "Perhaps we should send her a message."
Enyos smiled cruelly, and as Sabé made a muffled sound underneath her gag, he cuffed her sharply, sending her reeling against the wall. "Quiet," he told her sharply. "You've done enough damage with that tongue of yours."
Sabé calmed herself, then sent a message into the men's minds. I'll do more yet, you miserable old shlikcers! She used an insult from her native dialect. Enyos and Randy jumped.
"How did you do that?" Randy spluttered. He quickly unbound her gag, and the first thing Sabé did was spit at him contemptuously. He wiped the spittle of his face with a gloved hand. "How did you do that?" he repeated.
"You never told me about my midi-chlorien count," Sabé said bitterly. "I should have thought it was obvious." Randy paled. "How did you find out about that?" he rasped. Sabé raised an eyebrow. "And I should tell you…why, exactly?" she inquired sarcastically. Her father reddened, and raised a hand to strike her. Sabé winced in anticipation of the blow; Enyos stopped him.
"What does it matter how she knows, the point is that she knows. Calm down, for heavens' sake!" he said savagely. Randy nodded slowly, and turned, storming from the room. Enyos stared down at his niece for a moment more. "You'd better hope your precious queen will pay for your safety," he warned her. "Else I'll have no qualms about murdering you in cold blood, like you murdered Mara."
Then he was gone. Sabé turned to hide her face in the thin pillow as if she was crying, but in fact no tears ran down her face. She knew better than to cry and show weakness before her relatives. She knew where she was now – had heard sounds from outside when the door was open. It was a city north of Theed, another of the Belacque hideouts, rarely used but still safe.
Obi-Wan, she called as loud as she could in the safety of her own mind. Obi-Wan, help me. But she got no reply, and soon drifted back into unconsciousness.
Fifty miles away, Obi-Wan Kenobi looked up from braiding Anakin Skywalker's padawan braid and heard her. Sabé, he called back. There was no answer, nor could he feel even the faintest of echoes from her call. She was far away then.
Anakin turned around, his face worried. "Master?" he asked softly. Obi-Wan looked back down at his new padawan and forced himself to smile. "It's alright, Anakin," he reassured the boy. "Let's finish this off, then I must speak with the Council." Not satisfied, but accepting his master's word, Anakin returned to his original position and sat impatiently as Obi-Wan finished the braid and tied it with a coloured thread.
"Off you go," he told the boy, smiling at him. Anakin beamed back, and ran off somewhere. Obi-Wan rose, and swiftly left his rooms to seek out the Council.
He found them in the gardens, talking quietly about something or other. As Obi-Wan approached and bowed, they all turned expectantly to him, predicting that this was about Anakin…again.
Except Yoda. The small Jedi Master shuffled forward to greet Obi-Wan, watching him shrewdly. "About Skywalker, this is not," he muttered.
"No, my Master," Obi-Wan agreed. "I have had a mind call from Sabé." Adi Gallia looked sharply at him, and as Obi-Wan met her eyes he realised that she knew something about Sabé and himself.
"From where?" Master Mace asked then, and Obi-Wan transferred his attention to the Master. "I'm not sure," Obi-Wan admitted. "It was very faint, and from far away. I think it was from the north, but that's all I was able to get."
Yoda nodded. "Then to the north, we will start our search." He looked straight at Obi-Wan. "A sample of her blood, we have tested, Knight Kenobi. A high count, she has. Not good, this is."
"Yes, my Master," Obi-Wan muttered. "Thank you for telling us," Mace told him. Obi-Wan nodded. "May the Force be with you." Obi-Wan bowed and left them. Detaching herself from the group, Adi Gallia walked with him.
"Strange that you felt her call and we did not," the Jedi mused as she matched his stride pace for pace. A smile was on her face as she glanced at the young knight, and Obi-Wan smiled slightly. "Not so strange, Mistress," he contradicted her. "But you knew that."
Adi nodded, and stopped walking to face him. Obi-Wan stopped too, turning to watch her. "She is in love with you, Obi-Wan," the Mistress said softly. "Do you return her love?"
"I do," Obi-wan nodded. Adi nodded thoughtfully. "This complicates things," she thought aloud. "But perhaps it is for the best." She flashed him her rare smile. "It is not many who find love at so young an age, Knight Kenobi," she told him softly. "You are indeed lucky." Then she returned to the Council, leaving Obi-Wan to continue alone.
*********************************************
The door swung open again, and Sabé looked up to see one of her younger cousins enter her cell with a tray of food. She struggled to sit up, and the girl, Mira, unbound her hands so that she could eat.
Sabé took the tray with a muttered word of thanks. Mira sat silently watching her as Sabé ate the meagre food – no knife, she noted with disappointment but not much surprise. Then Sabé looked up again.
"Thank you, Mira," she said softly. "How are you?" Mira rose, her face bitter. "You ask me that?" she demanded. "When you put my parents in jail?" She bound Sabé's hands again, and took the tray, flouncing from the room.
Sabé sat back against the wall with a sigh. Her legs were starting to feel cramped from lack of movement, and the small room was starting to heat up with the sun that Sabé realised must be reaching its noon position.
Obi-Wan, she called again, not really expecting an answer. Obi-Wan, can you hear me? For a long moment she felt nothing, then a flicker of movement at his end of the bond.
Sabé? she heard, his voice sounding as if he was right next to her instead of fifty miles away. Sabé, where are you?
Meda, she sent back quickly. Fifty miles north of Theed. It's on Redgrave Street, a large white house. Hurry, Obi-Wan!
I'll be there as soon as I can. Already the voice was fading, but Sabé felt warmed by even that little.
Then the door swung open again, and Randy and Enyos came in. Sabé glared at them until she noticed that her father held a small child in his arms.
"She's new," she murmured. She raised her eyes to meet her father's. "Whose is she?" Randy grinned cruelly. "We call her Callé," he told her. "After her great-grandmother."
"Whose is she?" Sabé demanded again, horror in her heart as she touched upon a dangerous possibility…that her parents had lied to her yet again. Enyos chuckled. "Just like you to not recognise your own daughter," he remarked. Sabé paled and sat utterly still for three seconds.
Then she began struggling against her bonds, calling her relatives every name she knew in Naboo dialects, and several in various other languages. When she finally subsided and gasped for breath, Randy laughed.
"You told me she'd died," Sabé managed finally. A single tear fell from her eyes; she cursed it even as it fell. "Yet another lie, right, Dad?" Enyos and Randy exchanged bored looks. "Of course we lied, Sabé," Enyos told her. "You were already starting to disobey us. While you grieved for your child, we still controlled you."
They rose and started to leave. Sabé, leaning against the wall, her eyes closed, managed a request. "May I hold her?"
Randy paused. He glanced down at the small girl laughing in his arms. He looked up and met Enyos's eyes. He shrugged, and moved to untie Sabé's hands, handing her the child. Then the two men left.
Sabé carefully shifted the child so that she was more comfortable, and carefully brushed a finger over the chubby cheek.
"I guess you're nearly one, huh?" she murmured to the girl. "Callé – my little Callé." Another tear fell, but she wiped it away so that it didn't fall on the girl. Bright green eyes stared up at her, a reminder of the man who'd raped her when she was only fifteen. Brown fluffy hair covered Callé's head, and a beaming smile captured Sabé's heart. She moved to touch wonderingly the small fingers, and Callé caught her finger, holding it tightly. She gurgled and laughed, and Sabé couldn't help but laugh with her.
*********************************************
Less than three hours later, Royal Guards swarmed the Belacque safe house. Most of the family were there, and the raid was the most successful yet. As Panaka and Obi-Wan frantically searched the house for Sabé, Enyos was wrenching Callé from Sabé's grasp.
He ran from the room scant minutes before Obi-Wan found her. "Obi-Wan, get me out of these," Sabé told him, indicating her bonds. Her withdrew his lightsaber and cut them carefully, drawing her into an embrace, which she relaxed into for a moment then moved from.
"Where is he?!" she seethed, moving from the room like a thunderbolt. Obi-Wan followed, worried. He followed her as she searching all over the house, finally finding Panaka.
"Sabé, you're safe!" Panaka exclaimed. His relief showed on his face, and Sabé took a split second to wonder at it. "My uncle, where is he?" she demanded. He frowned. "Which uncle?" he queried. Sabé made an impatient noise. "Enyos," she enlarged.
"He's downstairs," said another guard nearby. "We just caught him – he has a child. Can you identify her, Lady Sabé?" Sabé almost collapsed into Obi-Wan's arms. "Callé," she managed. "My daughter."
Dead silence ruled. Sabé, her numb legs finally giving out on her, leant heavily on Obi-Wan to remain standing, and he helped her gently. Panaka, glancing between the two, realised exactly where Sabé had been the night before, and narrowed his eyes.
"Come on," he said, a little roughly. "Let's get out of here." Sabé nodded, and managed to stand and walk from the house.
The family were kneeling in a guarded group outside, their hands on their heads and murder in their eyes. As Sabé wearily stepped from the house, a murmur went through them.
A guard was holding Callé gently, and Sabé carefully took her child from him, thanking him in a low voice. Then she turned to glance at Enyos and Randy. She met their eyes, then turned away, discarding them. She followed Panaka into the transport, Obi-Wan after her, and sat down wearily.
"Your daughter?" Obi-Wan asked softly. Sabé smiled softly down at Callé, who was looking up at Obi-Wan with a giggle. "It's a long story," she replied. She rested her head on Obi-Wan's shoulder, and he put an arm around her. "I'll tell you later." Then she closed her eyes and dozed.
When they arrived at the palace, Sabé refused to go to the med. centre to be checked over, insisting that she wasn't hurt. Panaka and Obi-Wan exchanged amused glances over her head as she wrapped the blanket closer around her child.
"I'd better go see Padmé," Sabé murmured then, lifting her head to meet Obi-Wan's gaze. "Oh – except I was supposed to be having a midi-chlorien test…"
"They managed to get a sample of your blood from the med. centre," Obi-Wan told her, hiding a smile. "Go see Padmé." Sabé nodded, and moved off. Obi-Wan's face grew slightly grave, and he turned to Panaka.
"Did you know she had a child?" he inquired. Panaka shook her head silently. "I don't think even she did," he commented, watching the fast disappearing girl.
Sabé quietly keyed the door open to the Queen's apartments. She didn't expect anyone to be in there – Padmé should be in the throne room with her handmaidens, after all, but when she entered the rooms, Padmé, Eirtaé and Rabé were all there, getting Padmé's hair changed for another dress.
They looked up and stared. Sabé smiled slightly, and raised her eyebrows when nothing was said.
"Sabé!" Eirtaé exclaimed at last. "You're safe!" Sabé shrugged carefully. "I was always safe," she explained. "They wouldn't harm me. But they might have hurt…" She trailed off, looking down at her sleeping daughter.
"Who's that, Sabé?" Padmé asked, standing and coming to greet her friend. She looked down at the little girl, and saw Sabé's soft smile. "Padmé, this is Callé," she introduced. Padmé met Sabé's eyes. "Sabé," she murmured. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
"If she is, she has some explaining to do," Rabé spoke up, moving to stand next to Padmé. Sabé stared at her. "It's none of your business, Rabé," she said, quietly but clearly. "Neither is my relationship with Obi-Wan, or my whole life for that matter." She carefully gave Callé to Padmé, who held the child in wonder. "I have had enough of all you poking into my affairs."
She turned to Padmé, who was looking less surprised about this than the other two were. "I'm sorry Padmé, but it's the truth. I'm seventeen, not a kid like Yané. I can take care of myself."
"I know you can," Padmé replied softly. "I never for a moment thought you couldn't. We just care about you, that's all, Sabé." Sabé's face relaxed slightly as Padmé carefully handed back the tiny child. "Now, why don't you sit down, and you can tell us exactly how you were kidnapped." Sabé's eyes met Padmé's twinkling ones, and they sat down together on the couch. Eirtaé and Rabé moved to sit on the floor next to them.
"May I – may I hold her?" Eirtaé asked, almost timidly. Sabé nodded, and held out the child. Eirtaé took her with wonder on her face. "You know, it's times like this I'm reminded how much older than me you are, Sabé," the blonde handmaiden gave a chuckle. Sabé sighed. "Not that much older," she reminded her. "I've just…lived a lot."
*********************************************
Adi Gallia and Sabé made their way through the palace halls to where the Jedi Council was meeting for the last time this evening. The following day was the Celebration Day, and the Jedi were anxious to speak to Sabé before then, as they would be leaving at some point during the day.
Callé was under the watchful eyes of Yané, Rabé, Saché, Eirtaé and Padmé, all of whom were utterly infatuated with Sabé's surprise daughter – not that Sabé herself could claim to feel any different, she reminded herself with a smile as Adi motioned for her to enter the antechamber were the Jedi had congregated.
Twelve Jedi, including Adi Gallia, where seated around a table. Mace Windu motioned for Sabé to sit at a gap at the table, and she did so, shivering slightly in the thin handmaiden robe she was wearing.
"We were able to test your blood for midi-chloriens when you were kidnapped," the dark-skinned Jedi told her. She nodded silently. "It is indeed very high."
"Leave one of us with you, we will, if you wish training," Yoda spoke up. Sabé looked over at the Jedi Master, struggling with a decision.
"I don't know," she confessed softly. "I have responsibilities, obligations…"
"You speak of your child," Ki-Adi-Mundi observed. Sabé looked quickly at him then nodded. "You did not know of her existence."
"My parents hid her existence from me so that I would continue to work for them," she explained levelly. She met Adi Gallia's eyes. "Just as they hid my Force-potential from me," she finished softly.
The Jedi looked at each other, conferring silently, and Sabé sat back in the chair, waiting their comments.
"Mistress Gallia has volunteered to remain to train you, if you wish it," Mace said at last. "Considering your age, it would not be thorough Jedi training, but considering your midi-chlorien count, it would be beneficial for you to have at least partial training."
"And it wouldn't interfere with my handmaiden duties, or my responsibilities to Callé?" Sabé inquired. Adi Gallia shook her head. "Fine, then. I'll do it."
Yoda chuckled at her words, and it wasn't until days later that she understood why. For now, she was content to frown slightly and take her leave.
She walked through the halls again, taking a moment before she returned to her room. She saw Panaka talking to one of the courtiers, and wheeled around, wanting to avoid him. Obi-Wan stood in front of her. She smiled.
"Obi-Wan, what are you doing here?" The words came out as slightly accusing, and she winced. "I'm sorry, I just meant…"
"I know what you meant," Obi-Wan smiled softly. "Can I talk to you?" He indicated the window seat near them. "Sure," Sabé agreed, slightly puzzled. "What's wrong?"
"You didn't tell me you have a child." Sabé closed her eyes, for a moment wishing the situation away. Then she opened them again. "I didn't tell you because I didn't know," she explained softly.
"How can you not know you have a child, Sabé?" he demanded. She turned to gaze blankly out at the darkening city of Theed. "I was raped," she said calmly. He stiffened. "It's alright, Obi-Wan, I got over it a long time ago. But the result was, I was pregnant. I didn't want to give my baby up, so I carried her to full term. It was a difficult birth, and by the time I regained consciousness they told me that my child was dead." She turned her eyes to him, and he was taken aback with the blank-ness in them. "They hid her from me, Obi-Wan. They hid her from me for eleven months. My own daughter."
"Are you angry with them?" he asked quietly after a moment. She shrugged. "Why expend the energy?" she asked rhetorically. "I have her back now, and that's what counts." She glanced down at her chronometer. "Speaking of, I really have to get back." She stood, and turned back to look down at him.
"What?" he asked, when she didn't speak for moments. She half-smiled, her eyes dancing a little. "Just enjoying the view," she whispered. She leant down and pressed her lips against his, relaxing for a few short moments before she moved away from him. "I'll see you sometime," she whispered into his ear. He smiled, and she hurried away. Obi-Wan looked up to meet Panaka's cold, measuring gaze. Then the Captain moved away, and Obi-Wan hurried off to find his padawan, thoughtful.
Sabé returned to the queen's quarters, and was practically chased into her own room by the five who were looking after her daughter. As Saché put a dress, that was obviously one of her own, on the bed, Sabé loudly demanded what was going on.
"We're looking after Callé for the evening," Saché told her airily, running a brush through Sabé's hair. "You're busy."
"Busy doing what?" Sabé asked suspiciously. "I was actually hoping to spend some time with my daughter, you know, get to know her?"
"Plenty of time for that tomorrow, and the day after that, and the weeks and months after that," Rabé told her sternly, breezing in to take the brush from Saché. She held a basket of hair ornaments, and Sabé frowned. "Those are Padmé's," she murmured. "What are you doing with my hair and Padmé's things? And what's with the dress?"
"You'll see," Yané breezed, helping Rabé comb Sabé's hair into several different sections. They started plaiting each section, quickly finishing one then moving onto another. Sabé rolled her eyes.
"Need any help?" Eirtaé asked, peering around the door. Rabé shook her head silently, concentrating on winding the five plaits around the crown of Sabé's head, carefully combing the rest of her hair so it practically crackled. She carefully braided tiny sections of it, intertwining silver and blue beads and ribbons into the brown hair.
"Okay, what is going on here?" Sabé demanded again. Yané and Rabé exchanged secretive glances but didn't reply. "Okay, done," Rabé said at last. "Get into your dress, you don't have much time."
"Much time for what?" Sabé cried. Padmé hurried in, shooing the other three away. "Go play with Callé," she told them with a smile. "I'll help Sabé with the dress." Yané, Rabé and Saché nodded, leaving Sabé's room.
"No, I'm not telling you what's going on," Padmé smiled at her handmaiden. "It wasn't our idea, we're just going along with it."
"Along with what?" Sabé cried in frustration. She stood, her hair moving with her. Padmé's eyes twinkled. "You'll see," she promised. "Gods, Sabé, your hair is longer than mine!" Sabé shrugged. "I'm thinking of having it cut," she said in a bored voice. Padmé's eyes widened, and she took a step towards Sabé. "Sabé, don't you dare cut it off!" she protested. "It's gorgeous!" She picked the dress up from the bed. "Come on," she commanded. "Get that robe off. We don't have much time."
Resignedly, Sabé pulled her handmaiden dress off and took the robe Padmé handed her, surveying it critically. "You don't have a choice in this," Padmé warned her. Sabé glared, sighed, and carefully pulled the soft fabric over her head.
The full skirt of the dress flared as the top half of the dress slipped snugly onto Sabé's body. Padmé tightened the strings of the bodice slightly, tying them into a simple knot, and smoothed the tight sleeves on Sabé's arms. Sabé moved to the mirror, the dress rustling as she moved.
"Wow," she murmured. The dark blue skirt flared from her waist, and the silver bodice was topped by a sewn-in blue overcoat, which was embroidered in white thread. The arms were tight on her skin , ending at the wrist, and the neck was just right, edged in silver. The silver and blue in her hair glistened, matching perfectly.
"Wow," she said again. Padmé moved behind her, surveying her critically. "You'll do," she murmured, but her eyes showed how impressed she was. "Oh, shoes," she cried suddenly, and darted from the room, returning an instant later with soft blue slippers, which Sabé slipped on quickly.
"Do I get to know what's going on now?" she asked, turning to face Padmé. Padmé shook her head. "You'll see," she insisted again. Sabé rolled her eyes, and followed her queen into the main room.
The handmaidens looked up from where they were watching Callé play with some blocks, and grinned at the girl. "You look good," Saché approved. "Better than I look in that gown, anyway."
Sabé rolled her eyes, and dropped carefully to her knees to be nearer her daughter. Callé beamed at her, holding out her arms, and Sabé lifted her carefully into them. "My daughter," she murmured. "My Callé."
"Careful, you'll spoil your dress!" Yané admonished, taking Callé from her. "You just want to hold her," Rabé ribbed her. Yané blushed, but didn't deny it.
Then the doorchime rang. Padmé looked up, excitement evident in her face. "Okay, Eirtaé, answer it," she ordered, striving for calm. "Sabé, come here." Obediently, Sabé rose and stood before her queen, facing away from the door. Padmé held up a blindfold, and Sabé frowned slightly before her eyes were covered by the thick velvet material.
"Padmé!" she protested. The girl chuckled, and turned her around. "She's all yours," Sabé heard her say. "Just bring her back in one piece."
Whoever it was didn't reply, and the last thing Sabé heard was all five of the girls laughing at her.
"What's going on?" she demanded, as she was led into the corridor and the door slid shut behind her. "Who are you?" She heard a soft chuckle, and identified it in an instant. "Obi-Wan! What's going on?"
"You'll see," came the cryptic reply. Sabé shook her head, bemused, and allowed him to lead her through the palace. "Where are we going?" she asked after a while. She felt Obi-Wan smile, but he didn't answer. A moment later she felt a breeze on her skin, and she frowned slightly. Then she was outdoors, and her slippered feet were walking on stone.
"Where are we going?" she repeated. Obi-Wan laughed at her. "We'll be there soon," he told her. "You'll have to wait until then." She pouted, and he stopped her, moving so he was in front of her, pressing a kiss to her lips. "Soon," he promised. Sabé nodded reluctantly, and he took her arm again, guiding her.
Soon they could hear the sound of water rushing past them, and Sabé paused. "The waterfalls?" she demanded. "How come we're near the waterfalls?" Obi-Wan chuckled again. Then he hesitated. "I need to carry you for a bit, Sabé," he told her. "Okay," she said slowly. He lifted her off her feet, and she squealed slightly. She managed to get her arms around his neck, and leant her head against his chest.
She could feel them descending stairs, and she frowned again. "Where are we?" she demanded yet again. Obi-Wan didn't answer, and soon he carefully placed her on the ground.
"Not long now," he promised. He led her across grass, then paving, then grass again, and then branches brushed her face. Sabé could smell candle wax, and she frowned again. "Where are we?" she demanded. Obi-Wan halted her.
"Courtesy of her highness," he murmured, untying her blindfold. Sabé gazed around in wonder at the clearing. A small offshoot of the river ran through it, and a blanket lay on the ground, laid for a meal. Candles flickered all around, and the waterfalls could be distantly heard through the sweet-smelling trees. Obi-Wan stood behind her as she took a step forward, taking it all in, then turned back to him.
"You did all this for me?" she asked, hardly daring believe it. He nodded, a little embarrassed, and she launched herself into his arms. "I love you," she murmured into his ear. He smiled at her. "I love you too," he replied softly. For a moment, Sabé thought he was going to kiss her, then he nodded at the blanket. "Food's getting cold," he reminded her. She smiled, and let him lead her to sit by the blanket.
They ate and talked, talked about inconsequential things and serious things alike. There were long moments where they just looked at each other, then one or other of them would blush slightly, and look down at their plate.
Finally the meal was over, and Obi-Wan moved around to hold Sabé as they lay gazing up at the stars.
"I don't know which are which from here," he murmured. Sabe giggled. "You mean all that Jedi knowledge and you don't know that?" she teased. He raised an eyebrow. "So enlighten me," he suggested. Sabé hesitated for a moment, then looked back up at the sky.
"That's Coruscant," she said, pointing out one of the brightest in the sky. "And…Alderaan. That one over there is Malastare." She looked over the stars again. "There's the twin suns of Tatooine," she pointed. She felt Obi-Wan plant a kiss on her neck; she turned to look at him, an eyebrow raised. "You're not listening," she accused.
"I'm enjoying the view," he replied in a low voice, that made Sabé wriggle in his arms so she was facing him. She suddenly needed to know why he had done this.
"You're leaving tomorrow, aren't you?" she demanded quietly. He met her eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Is that why you did all this?"
"Partly," he sighed. "But I wanted to do something for you, Sabé. You had a really weird day, as I recall." Sabe stifled a giggle. "I did indeed," she agreed. She looked down for a moment, then looked back up at him. "What's going to happen to us?" she asked.
"What do you want to happen?" he asked softly. She shrugged. "I don't want to lose you," she told him. "But we both have duties…obligations." "Let's not think about that now," Obi-Wan urged. "We have tomorrow to think about that in."
Sabé smiled suddenly. "Plus we have all evening," she pointed out. "It would be shame to waste it talking when there are so many other things we could be doing."
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