Outside, Sabé and Obi-Wan moved to a corner of the balcony that contained floral decorations which offered some concealment.
"We can't stay gone too long, you know," Sabé whispered. " At least I've got you out of Liraé's clutches." She giggled softly. "I think that's the first time the Queen's acted as a decoy for me."
"Does that girl always behave in such a brazen manner?" Obi-Wan asked. He was chuckling as quietly as he could.
"No," Sabé answered. "in fact she doesn't. She's fairly new at the job, but I've heard that she's usually very serious and dedicated to her duties. Keeps to herself and is rather bookish otherwise. This is a side of her we've not seen before. I believe Saché's rather put out that her position as Palace Flirt was just threatened."
"Please be careful," Obi-Wan's tone turned serious. "My feelings tell me she bears watching. Not that I should worry. You've handled two situations already tonight. Should I tell you that you've impressed me?"
Sabé smiled at the compliment, and felt her cheeks burn and her pulse quicken, but tried to play it off with a shrug. "Jaquill was drunk, that's not exactly a challenge. I overdid it, breaking his arm and leg. It's just that when he grabbed me, I knew I wouldn't take it." She shook her head. "Now that you mention what you sense about Liraé, I can't quite remember how she got here. I didn't recruit her, Panaka brought her to me. I must dig and find out more..."
"But not tonight," Obi-Wan said. "We're safe for now." He took her hand. "Let's go for a walk before we return to the party. I want to hear more about Meira."
At his touch, Sabé looked into Obi-Wan's eyes. She saw that he hadn't lowered all his resistance to accepting Meira and the path that Sabé had set her on, but he was willing to work at it. She wondered just how much to tell him about the girl. She centered, and decided to let instinct guide her.
"What would you like to know?" Sabé asked.
"Why did you go to all the trouble to hide her from me and the Temple? Even if the tests and her paternity brought her to our attention, you could have always refused. We don't take babies by force." Obi-Wan's expression saddened for a moment. "I'd at least known of her and not missed this part of her life."
"You heard the cover story?"
"Yes. A war widow, Sabé? That took me by surprise," he said.
She looked away for a moment. "A necessary deception under the circumstances. I'm sorry it turned out this way. My family and my position are prominent enough to make it important to avoid even a hint of impropriety. As soon as I found out about the pregnancy, I was going to resign, but Panaka and the Queen asked me to take on the new job of Junior Minister. Amidala wanted me to stay, both as a friend and as a member of her team, even when I could no longer serve her as a handmaiden."
Obi-Wan sighed as he gazed out into the night. "I can understand. I wouldn't want you or the baby put in a bad light. If that is what your society demands, then you took the right course of action. But you still could have told me. I did behave badly before I left, but I would have helped you in any way possible." He hesitated a moment before looking straight at her. "Perhaps we gave up on each other too soon."
Sabé looked up, a hint of regret in her eyes. "Perhaps. But we did have many other things distracting us at that time. You had ascended into Knighthood with a new Padawan. I had to help my mother and our world recover." She shook her head. "It just wasn't in the cards for us then, Obi-Wan. Now that you know, will you please stay in touch?"
"I will. She's my child after all. I'll see you both tommorrow before I leave for my meditations. I'm going camping for a while. I need to find some answers," he said.
Sabé studied his face and saw the uncertainty reflected there. "If that's what Master Qui-Gon suggested to you, that's what you should do," she reassured.
Obi-Wan bit his lip. "I haven't heard from or seen my Master since his...departure. I've come close to feeling his presence, but no more."
Sabé realized what a difficult admission that was to make for the Jedi. It also signaled to her just what sort of state he was in before he arrived at Naboo. "You haven't?" she asked with concern. She broke away from Obi-Wan and started pacing. "That could be a good sign, maybe it means that he thinks you don't need his guidance. Or it could be...," She stopped, and gave him a grave look. "You should go, as soon as possible. The Force will draw you to the right spot."
Obi-Wan was puzzled. "How do you know that?"
Sabé shot him a look of sympathy. "Just trust me, I do. See what your feelings tell you."
The Jedi closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He let the image come to him. Slowly he recognized it as where he and Sabé had been together those two years ago, the place where Meira was conceived.
"It's strong in the Force, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes," he answered. "Especially with the Living Force. That's what facilitated the conception. It would have also enhanced the child that was created there. Have you noticed her gifts?"
"I have seen that she has remarkable insight. But you shouldn't worry about that right now. We'll be here when you return from your meditations. That will be the time to talk." Sabé glanced back at the ballroom. "We'd better get back before Panaka sends someone out after me. He's worse than my father sometimes." She took Obi-Wan's hand again. "Come, I know a back way."
They took a side hall through a dark corridor and came to a curtain. "On the other side is the ballroom. Just stay by the Queen if you don't want to dance anymore. You're a guest of honor, but you're also a protector, so you're allowed to be there. I'll stand by Saché on the end."
They emerged, and each took their place. Obi-Wan planted himself firmly by the Queen, who acknowledged him with a nod. Sabé glided smoothly to the right and assumed her position on the end. They both noticed Liraé's baleful glare towards them from the far side of the room. Obi-Wan ignored it, but Sabé permitted herself to return it with a slight smile.
Raisa came from nowhere to stand next to her daughter. Sabé felt a question on the way before it was ever voiced.
"Has the Jedi come for you and Meira?" the older woman inquired politely.
Sabé turned to face her mother. "What do you mean?"
Raisa responded with a stern look. "I know I've had my problems, and that you and I are not close, but I didn't get my position by being a fool. Even if the baby didn't have any of the Jedi's features, it's apparent that there's some relationship between the two of you, just from the glances that you steal at one another."
"He was looking at me today." It was a statement of affirmation and hope for Sabé.
The older woman heard her question answered in that sentence and its delivery. "He didn't come for the two of you. He didn't even know about her. My girl, you've gotten into a mess."
Sabé reverted back to a controlled manner. "It's all right, Mother. Everything will happen as it should."
Raisa made a noise expressing her doubt, and moved back to the floor to join her husband.
Rowan and the Queen exchanged knowing glances. Amidala smiled and nodded at him. She signaled Yané, who responded by walking over to the orchestra.
The music didn't stop, but it was lowered considerably. Yané, Eirtaé and Jeré stepped from the platform and cleared a space on the floor. The crowd started chatting, wondering what new surprise was about to take place.
Rowan stepped to the center of the open space on the floor. "Ladies, Gentlemen, Honored Guests. I have been blessed with the love and affection of a remarkable lady, our own dear Rabé. Would you please come down, Love?"
Rabé's mouth had fallen open when Rowan started his speech. At his request, she glanced at the Queen, who gestured to her to join the guard.
He took her hand when she reached him. "We were brought together by a crisis. We didn't know if we'd live through it or not, but we did. We survived to work together and start to rebuild our world. There is still much to do, but I know one thing. I want you by my side as we continue to protect our beloved Queen and make Naboo not what it once was, but something better. Rabé, will you stay with me as we do these things...as my wife?" He went down on one knee.
Rabé was silent for a moment as she absorbed the full meaning of what Rowan had asked her. Every witness present was holding his or her breath, waiting to see what the outcome would be.
Tears began to run down her face as she nodded. "Yes! Yes, Rowan!"
Everyone in the ballroom cheered and the applause was thunderous. Yané and Jeré jumped up and high fived. Saché did a little happy dance. Even dignified Eirtaé waved her hand in the air.
At the beginning of the celebration, Liraé had peeked out from behind the curtain that covered the door to the dressing area. When she saw what all the fuss was about, she ducked back and returned to the preparation room.
Rowan took a ring from his pocket. He slipped the small band with a glittering white stone on her finger, then jumped up, caught his fianceé up in his arms and whirled her around the room. They quickly exited, hand in hand to more cheers.
After few more toasts and dances, the end of the festivities drew near. Sensing the imminent closing ceremony, Obi-Wan and Sabé bid each other a covert goodnight. The afterglow of Rowan's proposal was still in effect, causing them to send warm feelings over their bond.
//Tomorrow, before I leave, then?//
//Yes, in the Palace gardens, in the morning//
"We can't stay gone too long, you know," Sabé whispered. " At least I've got you out of Liraé's clutches." She giggled softly. "I think that's the first time the Queen's acted as a decoy for me."
"Does that girl always behave in such a brazen manner?" Obi-Wan asked. He was chuckling as quietly as he could.
"No," Sabé answered. "in fact she doesn't. She's fairly new at the job, but I've heard that she's usually very serious and dedicated to her duties. Keeps to herself and is rather bookish otherwise. This is a side of her we've not seen before. I believe Saché's rather put out that her position as Palace Flirt was just threatened."
"Please be careful," Obi-Wan's tone turned serious. "My feelings tell me she bears watching. Not that I should worry. You've handled two situations already tonight. Should I tell you that you've impressed me?"
Sabé smiled at the compliment, and felt her cheeks burn and her pulse quicken, but tried to play it off with a shrug. "Jaquill was drunk, that's not exactly a challenge. I overdid it, breaking his arm and leg. It's just that when he grabbed me, I knew I wouldn't take it." She shook her head. "Now that you mention what you sense about Liraé, I can't quite remember how she got here. I didn't recruit her, Panaka brought her to me. I must dig and find out more..."
"But not tonight," Obi-Wan said. "We're safe for now." He took her hand. "Let's go for a walk before we return to the party. I want to hear more about Meira."
At his touch, Sabé looked into Obi-Wan's eyes. She saw that he hadn't lowered all his resistance to accepting Meira and the path that Sabé had set her on, but he was willing to work at it. She wondered just how much to tell him about the girl. She centered, and decided to let instinct guide her.
"What would you like to know?" Sabé asked.
"Why did you go to all the trouble to hide her from me and the Temple? Even if the tests and her paternity brought her to our attention, you could have always refused. We don't take babies by force." Obi-Wan's expression saddened for a moment. "I'd at least known of her and not missed this part of her life."
"You heard the cover story?"
"Yes. A war widow, Sabé? That took me by surprise," he said.
She looked away for a moment. "A necessary deception under the circumstances. I'm sorry it turned out this way. My family and my position are prominent enough to make it important to avoid even a hint of impropriety. As soon as I found out about the pregnancy, I was going to resign, but Panaka and the Queen asked me to take on the new job of Junior Minister. Amidala wanted me to stay, both as a friend and as a member of her team, even when I could no longer serve her as a handmaiden."
Obi-Wan sighed as he gazed out into the night. "I can understand. I wouldn't want you or the baby put in a bad light. If that is what your society demands, then you took the right course of action. But you still could have told me. I did behave badly before I left, but I would have helped you in any way possible." He hesitated a moment before looking straight at her. "Perhaps we gave up on each other too soon."
Sabé looked up, a hint of regret in her eyes. "Perhaps. But we did have many other things distracting us at that time. You had ascended into Knighthood with a new Padawan. I had to help my mother and our world recover." She shook her head. "It just wasn't in the cards for us then, Obi-Wan. Now that you know, will you please stay in touch?"
"I will. She's my child after all. I'll see you both tommorrow before I leave for my meditations. I'm going camping for a while. I need to find some answers," he said.
Sabé studied his face and saw the uncertainty reflected there. "If that's what Master Qui-Gon suggested to you, that's what you should do," she reassured.
Obi-Wan bit his lip. "I haven't heard from or seen my Master since his...departure. I've come close to feeling his presence, but no more."
Sabé realized what a difficult admission that was to make for the Jedi. It also signaled to her just what sort of state he was in before he arrived at Naboo. "You haven't?" she asked with concern. She broke away from Obi-Wan and started pacing. "That could be a good sign, maybe it means that he thinks you don't need his guidance. Or it could be...," She stopped, and gave him a grave look. "You should go, as soon as possible. The Force will draw you to the right spot."
Obi-Wan was puzzled. "How do you know that?"
Sabé shot him a look of sympathy. "Just trust me, I do. See what your feelings tell you."
The Jedi closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He let the image come to him. Slowly he recognized it as where he and Sabé had been together those two years ago, the place where Meira was conceived.
"It's strong in the Force, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes," he answered. "Especially with the Living Force. That's what facilitated the conception. It would have also enhanced the child that was created there. Have you noticed her gifts?"
"I have seen that she has remarkable insight. But you shouldn't worry about that right now. We'll be here when you return from your meditations. That will be the time to talk." Sabé glanced back at the ballroom. "We'd better get back before Panaka sends someone out after me. He's worse than my father sometimes." She took Obi-Wan's hand again. "Come, I know a back way."
They took a side hall through a dark corridor and came to a curtain. "On the other side is the ballroom. Just stay by the Queen if you don't want to dance anymore. You're a guest of honor, but you're also a protector, so you're allowed to be there. I'll stand by Saché on the end."
They emerged, and each took their place. Obi-Wan planted himself firmly by the Queen, who acknowledged him with a nod. Sabé glided smoothly to the right and assumed her position on the end. They both noticed Liraé's baleful glare towards them from the far side of the room. Obi-Wan ignored it, but Sabé permitted herself to return it with a slight smile.
Raisa came from nowhere to stand next to her daughter. Sabé felt a question on the way before it was ever voiced.
"Has the Jedi come for you and Meira?" the older woman inquired politely.
Sabé turned to face her mother. "What do you mean?"
Raisa responded with a stern look. "I know I've had my problems, and that you and I are not close, but I didn't get my position by being a fool. Even if the baby didn't have any of the Jedi's features, it's apparent that there's some relationship between the two of you, just from the glances that you steal at one another."
"He was looking at me today." It was a statement of affirmation and hope for Sabé.
The older woman heard her question answered in that sentence and its delivery. "He didn't come for the two of you. He didn't even know about her. My girl, you've gotten into a mess."
Sabé reverted back to a controlled manner. "It's all right, Mother. Everything will happen as it should."
Raisa made a noise expressing her doubt, and moved back to the floor to join her husband.
Rowan and the Queen exchanged knowing glances. Amidala smiled and nodded at him. She signaled Yané, who responded by walking over to the orchestra.
The music didn't stop, but it was lowered considerably. Yané, Eirtaé and Jeré stepped from the platform and cleared a space on the floor. The crowd started chatting, wondering what new surprise was about to take place.
Rowan stepped to the center of the open space on the floor. "Ladies, Gentlemen, Honored Guests. I have been blessed with the love and affection of a remarkable lady, our own dear Rabé. Would you please come down, Love?"
Rabé's mouth had fallen open when Rowan started his speech. At his request, she glanced at the Queen, who gestured to her to join the guard.
He took her hand when she reached him. "We were brought together by a crisis. We didn't know if we'd live through it or not, but we did. We survived to work together and start to rebuild our world. There is still much to do, but I know one thing. I want you by my side as we continue to protect our beloved Queen and make Naboo not what it once was, but something better. Rabé, will you stay with me as we do these things...as my wife?" He went down on one knee.
Rabé was silent for a moment as she absorbed the full meaning of what Rowan had asked her. Every witness present was holding his or her breath, waiting to see what the outcome would be.
Tears began to run down her face as she nodded. "Yes! Yes, Rowan!"
Everyone in the ballroom cheered and the applause was thunderous. Yané and Jeré jumped up and high fived. Saché did a little happy dance. Even dignified Eirtaé waved her hand in the air.
At the beginning of the celebration, Liraé had peeked out from behind the curtain that covered the door to the dressing area. When she saw what all the fuss was about, she ducked back and returned to the preparation room.
Rowan took a ring from his pocket. He slipped the small band with a glittering white stone on her finger, then jumped up, caught his fianceé up in his arms and whirled her around the room. They quickly exited, hand in hand to more cheers.
After few more toasts and dances, the end of the festivities drew near. Sensing the imminent closing ceremony, Obi-Wan and Sabé bid each other a covert goodnight. The afterglow of Rowan's proposal was still in effect, causing them to send warm feelings over their bond.
//Tomorrow, before I leave, then?//
//Yes, in the Palace gardens, in the morning//