At last, the big day was here. Padme's coronation day as Princess of Solaris. Everyone was dressed up to their best, and so many of Padme's friends and her family arrived for this momentous occasion.
It was all over the news that this was Padme's second coronation ceremony, her first being as Queen of Naboo, the position that would someday go to her firstborn daughter Gabriella. Now, she was getting a permanent role as a royal, as she'd been a princess without even realizing it the moment she married Anakin.
Anakin stood in the ballroom with his family, eager to see his wife in her new coronation gown. No one had seen it yet except for Roya, who designed it, but it was supposedly amazing.
And then, a spotlight shone at the top of the grand staircase, Padme standing in the most amazing coronation gown.
It was a beautiful sky blue off-shoulder gown with beautiful sparkles all over it twinkling like the sun on the crystal waters of Naboo with matching gloves, a sparkling royal blue cape hanging from the back, her hair in gorgeous curls with little blue flowers in it. People gasped in astonishment when they saw how lovely Padme looked in her gown. But none were in as much awe as Anakin when he saw her.
He hadn't seen a dress so gorgeous since his and Padme's second wedding. But then again, she could be dressed as a servant and she'd still be the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
On a blue pillow sat Padme's crown. A beautiful gold tiara with blue sapphires on it, its center jewel in the shape of a heart.
Padme's family smiled very proudly as Qui-Gon placed the beautiful tiara on his daughter-in-law's head and presented her for the very first time as Princess Padme Julianna Naberrie-Amidala-Skywalker of Solaris.
People clapped for Padme as she stood with her beautiful smile. And her husband took her hands and looked into her eyes with no other expression but love.
"Princess of Solaris, and Queen of my heart." He said, leaning into a kiss with Padme.
Neither half of the couple seemed to care that there were hundreds of people surrounding them as they were kissing. Anakin especially couldn't care less who was watching as he kissed his wife. Every time he did, it felt more magical than the last time. She made him feel alive, complete; like he had a reason to keep fighting for the rest of the galaxy.
Anakin looked at Carmine, and they nodded to each other and got ready to do their surprise.
Anakin stepped up to the microphone and called for everyone's attention.
"Good evening, everyone. I'd like to personally welcome and thank everyone who came out tonight to celebrate the birthday and coronation day of my beautiful wife Princess Padme, the queen of my heart." Anakin then looked right at his wife. "To this day, I still don't know how I could've been so lucky to win such a perfect, angelic lotus flower like you, Padme. But every day, my love for you continues to grow and I always want to prove it to you. Tonight is no exception. Any old day I could do it by giving you flowers or chocolate, all that old stuff. But tonight, I've decided instead that I'll confront a challenge I've hidden from for such a long time. This is a special song I chose that I will be singing for you, my love... with a little help from my twin Carmine."
Carmine got his guitar and waited for the signal. Anakin nodded to signal him to go, and Carmine began playing the music for Anakin to sing.
Anakin:
Sparks fly, it's like electricity
I might die, when I forget how to breathe
You get closer and there's
Nowhere in the galaxy I'd rather be
Time stops, like everything around me is frozen
And nothing matters, but these
Few moments when you open
My mind to things I've never seen
Anakin sang very clearly with a new confidence in his voice, and with so much passion as he thought only of Padme and his undeniable, undying love for her.
'Cause when I'm kissin' you, my senses come alive
Almost like the puzzle piece I've been trying to find
Falls right into place, you're all that it takes
My doubts fade away when I'm kissin' you
Padme felt so touched as her husband serenaded her with this love song in front of so many people. As far as she knew, he'd never been willing to sing in front of anyone but her and Gabby when he sang a lullaby, which surprised her as he tended to love showing off. And here he was now, singing his heart out, all from the love within his heart.
When I'm kissin' you, it all starts making sense
And all the questions I've been asking in my head
Like are you the one, should I really trust
Crystal clear, it becomes when I'm kissin' you
Past girls, they never got very far
Walls up, made sure I guarded my heart
And I promised I wouldn't do this
'Til I was with the girl I love
But no one (Carmine: no one), no girl that I met before
Could make me (Carmine: could make me) feel so right and secure
Other audience members felt their hearts being touched as they heard Anakin professing his love for his wife. Women hoped their husbands felt the same way about them or wished Anakin were singing that about them (despite his marriage, many women still were attracted to him), and men started to wonder if they should do this kind of thing to prove their love to their wives or girlfriends.
And have you noticed I lose my focus
And the world around me disappears
'Cause when I'm kissin' you, my senses come alive
Almost like the puzzle piece I've been trying to find
Falls right into place, you're all that it takes
My doubts fade away when I'm kissin' you
When I'm kissin' you, it all starts making sense
And all the questions I've been asking in my head
Like are you the one, should I really trust
Crystal clear, it becomes when I'm kissin' you
Every word that Anakin sang, it was all true how he felt. With Padme by his side, even when they were apart, everything became clear no matter how gloomy it was before. And every time they kissed, Anakin came alive and came back stronger than ever. Her kisses were that magical to him.
I have never felt nothing like this
You're making me open up
No point even trying to fight this
It kinda feels like it's love
'Cause when I'm kissin' you, my senses come alive
Almost like the puzzle piece, I've been trying to find
Falls right into place, you're all that it takes
My doubts fade away when I'm kissin' you
When I'm kissin' you, it all starts making sense
And all the questions I've been asking in my head
Like are you the one, should I really trust (Carmine: I really trust)
Crystal clear, it becomes when I'm kissin' you
Everyone clapped as the song concluded. Anakin felt so much adrenaline running through him as he'd actually sung in front of a large crowd without being afraid even for a moment.
And when Anakin got off the stage, his wife kissed him so passionately. Anakin felt the music in him go from a crescendo to fortissimo as he returned that kiss.
"That may be the sweetest thing you've ever done, Ani." Padme smiled once she'd finally pulled away.
"Nothing is too good for you, my queen." Anakin said.
Anakin looked at the necklace Gabby gave him, and he knelt down to his daughter to thank her.
"This magic necklace you loaned me really works." Anakin said. "Thanks so much, Gabby."
"You're welcome, Daddy." Gabby said. "But... there's something you should know about that necklace."
"What?" Anakin was confused.
"It's not magical. It's just a necklace I found in my jewelry box."
"You mean...? Why would you lie to me about a necklace being magic?"
"Well..."
Three days ago...
Gabby and her friends started looking through different books for a solution to Anakin's stage fright. Gabby scoured the internet while Lamenta and Boba
"There's gotta be some way to help Uncle Anakin." Lamenta said. "All these books say is imagine the audience in their underwear, take a deep breath, or shake the nerves out before performing."
"Remind me again why we don't just use a bravery spell?" Boba asked. "Or a spell that removes fear?"
"Because there are warnings that such spells make the victim's reckless and a threat to society." Gabby said.
Gabby then found a website on how doctors cured tricky patients, and she found something interesting. In one case, a doctor gave their patient a sugar pill and told them it would cure them. And because the patient believed it would cure them, they got better. This method was called a placebo.
"Maybe Daddy doesn't need a cure for stage fright..." Gabby said, getting an idea. "Just a placebo. But what would be a good placebo?"
And then, when Anakin worried about not being able to sing solo, Gabby started thinking, and somehow she recalled in a movie she saw about a little elephant who learned to fly after being told a black feather he was given was magical and would give him the power to do it, and he succeeded. But since Anakin couldn't carry a feather, she figured maybe he could wear a piece of jewelry. And then, she found that little one with the tiger.
Present Day...
"You needed to believe in yourself, Daddy." Gabby said. "The necklace was just a placebo. And now that you've performed and you know the necklace wasn't magic..."
Anakin realized what his daughter was saying now. He'd just performed in front of a large crowd of people without being scared, and without the aid of a magic spell. He conquered his fear of singing in front of people, and now he felt like he could really do anything he set his mind to.
"Care to share the first dance with me, Padme?" Anakin asked, offering his hand to Padme.
"I'd be offended if you didn't offer." Padme smiled, taking her husband's hand.
The couple shared a kiss and came together into a beautiful waltz, one in which they ended with another kiss.