Hi, I just want to thank ShnookersGab, Aiska Kenobi and Brown Eyes for all
your lovely reviews. You guys don't know how close I was to giving up on
in after the first chapter when I received a bad review from a well known
writer of this pairing on another site. It just made me think who the hell
am I thinking I can write this stuff. My confidence builds with every
review and I've learnt to take the bad with the good. Ok well enough now.
Here's the next chapter.
It was time.
He'd spent the last couple of hours preparing himself for his dinner with Padme and he was finally ready.
An hour of meditation had helped him find his centre and release all the tension that had filled his body at the knowledge that he would be alone with her again.
After that he'd taken a long shower to relax him further.
Then 30 minutes had been spent picking his outfit and getting ready.
The invitation had said there was no need to wear his Jedi clothes, so he'd had to ask for help on locating clothes that he could wear while staying on Naboo.
Thankfully they had a tailor who worked specifically for the palace and he had been able to make an outfit for tonight, and was in the process of making him some more clothes for the rest of his stay.
He was wearing black trousers, not unlike those of his brown Jedi ones.
They were loose fitting but still managed to show a hint of his powerful thighs.
He'd requested that the tailor make belts that would fit in with the rest of the outfit, to hold his lightsabre.
There was no way that he could be separated from it, a Jedi's lightsabre was his life.
He wasn't expecting to have to use it but there was always the possibility that he would have to, no one could be totally sure of what the future may be.
He'd also decided to go for a black shirt, that way he'd look casual but still smart at the same time.
The shirt had long sleeves but because the palace was still quite warm of an evening, he'd rolled them up to mid arm so that they wouldn't be too clingy.
He just hoped that it didn't make him look too casual, after all he was having dinner with the Queen and should look smart no matter what the invitation said otherwise.
And now it was time to leave.
He took one last look in the mirror, to make sure he looked presentable, then a quick look at his room.
Once satisfied that the room was secure and he hadn't forgotten anything, he left the room and made his way to the East wing.
.........................................
.........................................
It was almost 8 'o' clock, he'd be arriving any minute.
Just one last finishing touch of perfume to her neck and wrists and she was finally ready.
She looked in the mirror and saw Sabe smiling at her.
"Well, what do you think?"
She knew that she'd get the truth from her most trusted friend and handmaiden.
"You look perfect m'lady, just perfect."
"Thank you Sabe."
She rose from her seat and they made their way to the room where she was to have dinner with Obi-Wan.
She was so glad that she was finally happy with her outfit and appearance, it had almost been a complete disaster.
The dress that she had planned on wearing had gone missing and was no where to be seen.
So a couple of handmaidens had gone on a search for it, while she tried to choose one that she could wear in its place, if they didn't find it.
Once that had been done she had a bath, after which she was having her hair done, but it seemed that today her hair didn't want to comply with the style she required.
So she decided to go for something more simple and it eventually began to work.
Time had been running out and her dress still hadn't turned up, but while she was getting into her reserve, her handmaidens had returned with her original choice.
She thanked the heavens; everything was beginning to fall into place.
But now that she was sitting and waiting for him to arrive, she was becoming very nervous.
She truly didn't want to ask this of him but she would have to.
She was a little worried about how he would take it.
She knew that him being a Jedi he would feel that it was his duty to help in any way he could, but he'd already done so much to help.
She didn't want him to do more.
She was interrupted by the light knock on the door.
He was here.
.........................................
.........................................
It had taken him no more than 5 minutes to make his way to the East wing of the palace; it was fairly straightforward.
Upon his arrival he was greeted by a guard that would take him the rest of the way.
As they walked down a couple of hallways and were obviously getting closer to their destination, he could feel her through the force.
He was picking up a dull feeling of her emotions but nothing he could pinpoint at the moment, but the feeling of her presence near by was much stronger.
The guard stopped at the third door down this particular hallway and began to lightly knock on it.
He suddenly felt a little nervous.
Very soon after, the door opened to reveal the same handmaiden that had delivered his invitation.
Then the guard announced his arrival.
"Jedi Kenobi m'lady."
"Thank you, please enter."
The guard stepped aside and allowed Obi-Wan to pass by and enter the room.
Once he was over the threshold he took a few more steps and looked straight through the medium sized room.
He stopped dead in his tracks and almost forgot hot to breathe when he first laid eyes on her.
He didn't think it was possible for a living create to look as angelic as she did right now.
Her hair was down and wavy from her natural curls, all except for a couple of strands that she had plated and pulled back to hold the rest of her hair in place.
Her face was free of the heavy make-up that she would normally have to wear; instead she appeared to hardly have any on, which showed off her natural beauty.
She was wearing a light blue dress that flowed down to her mid calf and had thin straps. It had a soft square neckline that wasn't too low cut.
He managed to blink and swallow hard as she began to walk towards him.
"Jedi Kenobi, thank you for coming."
He bowed to her upon her approach.
"Good evening m'lady, thank you for the invitation."
"Please come and take a seat."
He nodded and they made their way over to the table where they were to eat.
The table was a lot smaller than he'd expected.
He'd thought that Nubians liked to do things on a large scale but it seemed that his assumption was wrong.
This table was designed to seat two and no more.
He followed her to her chair and pulled it out for her, before sitting in his own chair.
There was an awkward silence between them while they waited for the first course to be brought out to them.
She was shielding her mind efficiently and he wasn't picking up anything from her, but it was becoming clear to him that she was nervous about something.
His mind started running through the various possibilities.
He eventually realised that he hadn't mentioned anything about her appearance, he'd been so caught up in the sight of her.
He knew from experience that women liked a man to make some kind of comment about either their dress, hair, shoes etc.
Force, he could be so stupid at times.
........................................
........................................
What was taking them so long?
She wanted the food to arrive so that she could put off talking to him for a little longer and therefore put off asking him a certain question.
She was even more reluctant to ask now that he was sitting directly opposite her.
She couldn't even bring herself to look at him, and that was a pity because he looked completely gorgeous in his all black outfit.
He had acted so strange when he first came into the room, just standing there staring at her.
She hoped that there wasn't anything wrong with the way she looked, the last thing she needed was her make-up running or better yet, a spot on her forehead.
She heard him clear his throat and she finally turned to looked at him.
His eyes held hers and she saw him smile before he spoke.
"Forgive me m'lady, I've neglected to tell you how truly stunning you look tonight."
She hadn't been expecting that and was completely unprepared and she couldn't control the deep blush that rose into her cheeks.
"Why thank you Obi-Wan."
It was all she could think of to say.
He just nodded in response and then their starter course was placed in front of them.
She dismissed the waiter and they were alone again.
"So how did you like your first free day on Naboo?"
First and last if he was to go through with the plan.
Another smile came across his face before he answered.
"I liked it very much. It's been such a long time since I last had a day to myself, I found it extremely refreshing."
Now she felt even worse.
"I suppose Jedi don't get a lot of time off."
"It is a rare occurrence but it doesn't really bother us. We live to serve and ask for nothing in return. But I'm sure that it's the same for you, a Queen can't get much holiday time either."
"That is true but I do have some time in the summer although not long, so I can't complain."
She'd never thought about the comparisons between their two occupations before ad there seemed to be plenty.
They both weren't free to be their own person most of the time and they both had their duties to perform.
She began to relax a little at the insight.
Obi-Wan would understand that it was duty that would force her to ask the dreaded question and nothing else.
.......................................
.......................................
The next two courses had flown by and both were delicious.
Padme had overcome her shyness and had made him tell her a few stories of his life as a Jedi, which she seemed to enjoy a lot.
Making her laugh had been easy and he loved the way that she looked when she did so.
Her cheeks would flush and she'd tilt her head back, exposing her slender neck.
He'd found it hard on more than one occasion to not take advantage of the opportunity to touch the skin.
The force had been begging him to do so but he'd remained in control, much to his relief.
He was brought back to the present when the waiter approached with their warm cups of Nubian coffee.
He closed his eyes and let the aroma of it fill his senses before taking his first sip.
"What do you think?"
Her soft voice floated into his ears ad he re-opened his eyes to look at her.
She was eagerly awaiting his answer, her chocolate eyes wide and her pink lips slightly parted.
Why did she have to look at him like that?
"Its. Its."
He couldn't think of anything other than how much he wanted to lean over and capture her lips with his.
"Yes."
She was growing a little impatient.
"Its. very. good."
Gods that sounded lame.
"Good? Is that it?"
"What else did you want me to say?"
She pulled her bottom lip in and began to chew on it slightly.
He had to look away, the temptation was too much.
"I don't know but I hadn't thought that that was all you'd say."
"I'm more of a tea drinker."
Lame again Kenobi.
"Oh ok."
.........................................
.........................................
She'd managed to put off asking him all through dinner and now she was running out of time.
She'd exhausted all other conversation topics and the last comments about the coffee was proof enough of that.
It was now or never.
She could put it off no longer.
She light cleared her throat before speaking again.
"Obi-Wan, I have a rather important question to ask you but before I ask it I want you to know that I don't agree with asking you and wouldn't if I could have it my way."
She watched him while he took in what she'd just said and waited for him to signal for her to continue.
"Please go on."
She took in a deep breath to steady her nerves.
Here goes nothing.
"I was informed earlier today that we have received threats from a rebel group here on Naboo who were in alliance with the Trade Federation. It would appear that they're seeking revenge for our victory and that their main objective is removing me from power."
She paused so that he could take in the information properly and also so that she could focus on the next part.
She closed her eyes for a moment and was a little startled when she felt Obi-Wan's hand upon her own.
"Padme please do not be nervous about asking what you need to of me, I will try to help you as best I can."
She was put at ease a little when she heard him use her name.
She looked into his eyes and nodded.
"We talked through the options we had available and it was put to a vote, which I lost."
He squeezed her hand and she smiled her thank you at the gesture.
"I am to leave the palace and go into hiding in a more secluded part of Naboo. Anyway, what I need to ask is can you please come away with me and be my protection while I am in hiding?"
There she'd said it, now that wasn't so bad was it.
Or was it?
......................................
......................................
He was thinking over all she had said and her question.
There was no doubt that his answer would be yes, the force was guiding him to that conclusion but he must have spent too long in thought because he soon heard Padme's nervous voice.
"I didn't want to ask this of you Obi-Wan. I fought it all the way until they put it to a vote and I lost. I don't want you to think that we're taking advantage of you. I."
He interrupted her.
"Shhh calm down."
He took hold of both her hands with his.
"Its ok Padme, I understand. I know you wouldn't ask this of me unless you had no other choice."
"You do?"
Her voice had taken on a childlike sound.
"Yes I do. And I want you to know that I don't feel used. Of course I'll help you."
"You will? Oh thank you Obi-Wan, I don't deserve you."
She let go of his hands, got out of her seat, walked the two steps to him and began to hug him tightly.
"Thank you"
Thank you once again for reading and sticking with me. I know its going slow but I need it to so that it feels real and not stupid. I'll have the next chapter up hopefully within the week. Please review!!!!!
It was time.
He'd spent the last couple of hours preparing himself for his dinner with Padme and he was finally ready.
An hour of meditation had helped him find his centre and release all the tension that had filled his body at the knowledge that he would be alone with her again.
After that he'd taken a long shower to relax him further.
Then 30 minutes had been spent picking his outfit and getting ready.
The invitation had said there was no need to wear his Jedi clothes, so he'd had to ask for help on locating clothes that he could wear while staying on Naboo.
Thankfully they had a tailor who worked specifically for the palace and he had been able to make an outfit for tonight, and was in the process of making him some more clothes for the rest of his stay.
He was wearing black trousers, not unlike those of his brown Jedi ones.
They were loose fitting but still managed to show a hint of his powerful thighs.
He'd requested that the tailor make belts that would fit in with the rest of the outfit, to hold his lightsabre.
There was no way that he could be separated from it, a Jedi's lightsabre was his life.
He wasn't expecting to have to use it but there was always the possibility that he would have to, no one could be totally sure of what the future may be.
He'd also decided to go for a black shirt, that way he'd look casual but still smart at the same time.
The shirt had long sleeves but because the palace was still quite warm of an evening, he'd rolled them up to mid arm so that they wouldn't be too clingy.
He just hoped that it didn't make him look too casual, after all he was having dinner with the Queen and should look smart no matter what the invitation said otherwise.
And now it was time to leave.
He took one last look in the mirror, to make sure he looked presentable, then a quick look at his room.
Once satisfied that the room was secure and he hadn't forgotten anything, he left the room and made his way to the East wing.
.........................................
.........................................
It was almost 8 'o' clock, he'd be arriving any minute.
Just one last finishing touch of perfume to her neck and wrists and she was finally ready.
She looked in the mirror and saw Sabe smiling at her.
"Well, what do you think?"
She knew that she'd get the truth from her most trusted friend and handmaiden.
"You look perfect m'lady, just perfect."
"Thank you Sabe."
She rose from her seat and they made their way to the room where she was to have dinner with Obi-Wan.
She was so glad that she was finally happy with her outfit and appearance, it had almost been a complete disaster.
The dress that she had planned on wearing had gone missing and was no where to be seen.
So a couple of handmaidens had gone on a search for it, while she tried to choose one that she could wear in its place, if they didn't find it.
Once that had been done she had a bath, after which she was having her hair done, but it seemed that today her hair didn't want to comply with the style she required.
So she decided to go for something more simple and it eventually began to work.
Time had been running out and her dress still hadn't turned up, but while she was getting into her reserve, her handmaidens had returned with her original choice.
She thanked the heavens; everything was beginning to fall into place.
But now that she was sitting and waiting for him to arrive, she was becoming very nervous.
She truly didn't want to ask this of him but she would have to.
She was a little worried about how he would take it.
She knew that him being a Jedi he would feel that it was his duty to help in any way he could, but he'd already done so much to help.
She didn't want him to do more.
She was interrupted by the light knock on the door.
He was here.
.........................................
.........................................
It had taken him no more than 5 minutes to make his way to the East wing of the palace; it was fairly straightforward.
Upon his arrival he was greeted by a guard that would take him the rest of the way.
As they walked down a couple of hallways and were obviously getting closer to their destination, he could feel her through the force.
He was picking up a dull feeling of her emotions but nothing he could pinpoint at the moment, but the feeling of her presence near by was much stronger.
The guard stopped at the third door down this particular hallway and began to lightly knock on it.
He suddenly felt a little nervous.
Very soon after, the door opened to reveal the same handmaiden that had delivered his invitation.
Then the guard announced his arrival.
"Jedi Kenobi m'lady."
"Thank you, please enter."
The guard stepped aside and allowed Obi-Wan to pass by and enter the room.
Once he was over the threshold he took a few more steps and looked straight through the medium sized room.
He stopped dead in his tracks and almost forgot hot to breathe when he first laid eyes on her.
He didn't think it was possible for a living create to look as angelic as she did right now.
Her hair was down and wavy from her natural curls, all except for a couple of strands that she had plated and pulled back to hold the rest of her hair in place.
Her face was free of the heavy make-up that she would normally have to wear; instead she appeared to hardly have any on, which showed off her natural beauty.
She was wearing a light blue dress that flowed down to her mid calf and had thin straps. It had a soft square neckline that wasn't too low cut.
He managed to blink and swallow hard as she began to walk towards him.
"Jedi Kenobi, thank you for coming."
He bowed to her upon her approach.
"Good evening m'lady, thank you for the invitation."
"Please come and take a seat."
He nodded and they made their way over to the table where they were to eat.
The table was a lot smaller than he'd expected.
He'd thought that Nubians liked to do things on a large scale but it seemed that his assumption was wrong.
This table was designed to seat two and no more.
He followed her to her chair and pulled it out for her, before sitting in his own chair.
There was an awkward silence between them while they waited for the first course to be brought out to them.
She was shielding her mind efficiently and he wasn't picking up anything from her, but it was becoming clear to him that she was nervous about something.
His mind started running through the various possibilities.
He eventually realised that he hadn't mentioned anything about her appearance, he'd been so caught up in the sight of her.
He knew from experience that women liked a man to make some kind of comment about either their dress, hair, shoes etc.
Force, he could be so stupid at times.
........................................
........................................
What was taking them so long?
She wanted the food to arrive so that she could put off talking to him for a little longer and therefore put off asking him a certain question.
She was even more reluctant to ask now that he was sitting directly opposite her.
She couldn't even bring herself to look at him, and that was a pity because he looked completely gorgeous in his all black outfit.
He had acted so strange when he first came into the room, just standing there staring at her.
She hoped that there wasn't anything wrong with the way she looked, the last thing she needed was her make-up running or better yet, a spot on her forehead.
She heard him clear his throat and she finally turned to looked at him.
His eyes held hers and she saw him smile before he spoke.
"Forgive me m'lady, I've neglected to tell you how truly stunning you look tonight."
She hadn't been expecting that and was completely unprepared and she couldn't control the deep blush that rose into her cheeks.
"Why thank you Obi-Wan."
It was all she could think of to say.
He just nodded in response and then their starter course was placed in front of them.
She dismissed the waiter and they were alone again.
"So how did you like your first free day on Naboo?"
First and last if he was to go through with the plan.
Another smile came across his face before he answered.
"I liked it very much. It's been such a long time since I last had a day to myself, I found it extremely refreshing."
Now she felt even worse.
"I suppose Jedi don't get a lot of time off."
"It is a rare occurrence but it doesn't really bother us. We live to serve and ask for nothing in return. But I'm sure that it's the same for you, a Queen can't get much holiday time either."
"That is true but I do have some time in the summer although not long, so I can't complain."
She'd never thought about the comparisons between their two occupations before ad there seemed to be plenty.
They both weren't free to be their own person most of the time and they both had their duties to perform.
She began to relax a little at the insight.
Obi-Wan would understand that it was duty that would force her to ask the dreaded question and nothing else.
.......................................
.......................................
The next two courses had flown by and both were delicious.
Padme had overcome her shyness and had made him tell her a few stories of his life as a Jedi, which she seemed to enjoy a lot.
Making her laugh had been easy and he loved the way that she looked when she did so.
Her cheeks would flush and she'd tilt her head back, exposing her slender neck.
He'd found it hard on more than one occasion to not take advantage of the opportunity to touch the skin.
The force had been begging him to do so but he'd remained in control, much to his relief.
He was brought back to the present when the waiter approached with their warm cups of Nubian coffee.
He closed his eyes and let the aroma of it fill his senses before taking his first sip.
"What do you think?"
Her soft voice floated into his ears ad he re-opened his eyes to look at her.
She was eagerly awaiting his answer, her chocolate eyes wide and her pink lips slightly parted.
Why did she have to look at him like that?
"Its. Its."
He couldn't think of anything other than how much he wanted to lean over and capture her lips with his.
"Yes."
She was growing a little impatient.
"Its. very. good."
Gods that sounded lame.
"Good? Is that it?"
"What else did you want me to say?"
She pulled her bottom lip in and began to chew on it slightly.
He had to look away, the temptation was too much.
"I don't know but I hadn't thought that that was all you'd say."
"I'm more of a tea drinker."
Lame again Kenobi.
"Oh ok."
.........................................
.........................................
She'd managed to put off asking him all through dinner and now she was running out of time.
She'd exhausted all other conversation topics and the last comments about the coffee was proof enough of that.
It was now or never.
She could put it off no longer.
She light cleared her throat before speaking again.
"Obi-Wan, I have a rather important question to ask you but before I ask it I want you to know that I don't agree with asking you and wouldn't if I could have it my way."
She watched him while he took in what she'd just said and waited for him to signal for her to continue.
"Please go on."
She took in a deep breath to steady her nerves.
Here goes nothing.
"I was informed earlier today that we have received threats from a rebel group here on Naboo who were in alliance with the Trade Federation. It would appear that they're seeking revenge for our victory and that their main objective is removing me from power."
She paused so that he could take in the information properly and also so that she could focus on the next part.
She closed her eyes for a moment and was a little startled when she felt Obi-Wan's hand upon her own.
"Padme please do not be nervous about asking what you need to of me, I will try to help you as best I can."
She was put at ease a little when she heard him use her name.
She looked into his eyes and nodded.
"We talked through the options we had available and it was put to a vote, which I lost."
He squeezed her hand and she smiled her thank you at the gesture.
"I am to leave the palace and go into hiding in a more secluded part of Naboo. Anyway, what I need to ask is can you please come away with me and be my protection while I am in hiding?"
There she'd said it, now that wasn't so bad was it.
Or was it?
......................................
......................................
He was thinking over all she had said and her question.
There was no doubt that his answer would be yes, the force was guiding him to that conclusion but he must have spent too long in thought because he soon heard Padme's nervous voice.
"I didn't want to ask this of you Obi-Wan. I fought it all the way until they put it to a vote and I lost. I don't want you to think that we're taking advantage of you. I."
He interrupted her.
"Shhh calm down."
He took hold of both her hands with his.
"Its ok Padme, I understand. I know you wouldn't ask this of me unless you had no other choice."
"You do?"
Her voice had taken on a childlike sound.
"Yes I do. And I want you to know that I don't feel used. Of course I'll help you."
"You will? Oh thank you Obi-Wan, I don't deserve you."
She let go of his hands, got out of her seat, walked the two steps to him and began to hug him tightly.
"Thank you"
Thank you once again for reading and sticking with me. I know its going slow but I need it to so that it feels real and not stupid. I'll have the next chapter up hopefully within the week. Please review!!!!!