"Lord and Lady Byrne! You are most welcome on this happy day!" Sheev Skywalker's voice boomed across the vast entrance hall of the manor. Just this morning the once-glided chamber had laid empty as a plundered tomb. The great furniture and artworks which had enriched their family for generations had piece by piece been carted off to sale across the years, cloaked by night, by the few and far between servants who remained until there was nothing left to take.
Now the room had been carefully filled with beautiful items far beyond the reaches of the destitute Skywalkers, intricate works of art lined the walls, bright and bold, matching with perfect balance the grand, gold-laden clocks, armchairs and cabinets. Everything was smoke and mirrors, Anakin struggled not to grimace as he glanced around. In a few short hours, the mask would slip this house would be empty once more.
Well, there would be one more person here to call the barren walls home, he supposed.
The invited guests flounced into the room with an effortless grace Anakin had rarely noticed before. Lady Byrne wore a gown of fine, foreign silk and a thick fox fur wrapped around her slim shoulders to stave off the cool autumnal air. Her small riding hat sat perfectly tipped upon her head, made of the same gleaming materials of her gown – it probably cost more than his uncle had to his name. The woman's dark hair was scooped up in a fashionable knot at the nape of her neck. Though she was older, Lady Byrne was certainly a beautiful woman and looked well-matched on her husband's arm.
Lord Byrne strode inside, tall and slim, dressed just as impeccably as his wife in a suit of wonderfully crafted materials Anakin could not name. From the finely veiled envy shining in his uncle's eyes, it had to be eye-wateringly expensive. His greying hair was mostly hidden beneath the gentlemanly hat upon his head, the kind all proper men wore to be respectable around town.
"Sheev!" Lord Byrne smiled as his eyes wandered the hall without subtlety. No doubt there had been whispers of the financial state of their family, but the careful planning of his uncle meant the truth would not reveal itself until it was too late. Until Anakin was well and truly married. "How wonderful it is to see you again, old friend. You know my wife, Zalea," he gestured vaguely to the woman by his side, "and of course, this is my daughter… Dorme…"
The small-framed woman trailing behind the couple stepped between her parent's parting arms and into the still dim light of the room. Raven-haired like her mother, Lady Dorme was made of moonlight and shadow. With dark eyes and pale skin, she was a beauty most men dreamed of enjoying even a mere scrap of attention from. Her deep purple gown of velvet complemented her colouring beautifully – even Anakin, surly as he felt, could appreciate that.
Swallowing tightly, he rubbed his palms across the back of his coat as subtly as he could manage. Why was he sweating? He knew Lady Dorme was coming today, of course, but her presence in the hall of this house sent spiralling, leg-shaking panic crashing through every inch of his body. She was here. They were here. It was all shamefully, painfully, inescapably real. Everything had felt distant before, vague even, but Lady Dorme stood before him shyly glancing through her lashes as air evaded his lungs.
Don't panic! Don't panic! Act normal, Anakin…
What was he supposed to do? Wait for his uncle to introduce him? Or was he to stride forward and introduce himself? But then, who did he speak to – Lady Dorme or her father? God, his uncle hadn't gone over any of this! Why? Why had it all fallen on him? He was woefully unprepared and the pressure did not yield where it pressed hard and harder upon his shoulders.
"My nephew," Sheev said at last, though each syllable was strained as it slipped through his thin lips and Anakin knew he had made a mistake. His hesitancy had displeased his uncle and shamed him. He felt himself begin to sag. At least with tonight being the wedding, there would be no time or opportunity for the old man to take it out on him. If things went well enough, by the time he returned from the rushed honeymoon, Sheev would be far happier with his new mines settled. "Anakin Skywalker," his uncle continued, "my future successor. Fit and healthy, I'm sure he will make a perfectly satisfactory husband to your lovely daughter."
Still unsure, Anakin forced himself to rush forward and prayed it was the right thing to do. The lessons his uncle had always forced him to sit through on proper decorum had been the bane of his life growing up and he had blocked most of it out. Couldn't Sheev have given him a small refresher before today just to be safe? Lady Dorme slowly lifted her eyes to find his own wide gaze as he scooped her pale, slim hand into his own far larger and brought her knuckles to his lips. "My lady," he muttered hoarsely, "it is a pleasure to finally meet you."
A reluctant smile tore at the corner of Lady Dorme's lips as she managed to nod the very tip of her chin and no more. Perhaps she was as unhappy about the match as he was? The thought settled some of the nervousness raging inside his stomach. If they were on the same page, things might go far easier for them both. "Thank you, sir," she said quietly, glancing backwards at her mother for assurance.
Lady Byrne gave her own barely perceptible nod of approval and Dorme once more cast her eyes to the black and white marbled floor beneath their feet, leaving Anakin alone in their exchange. Where was he supposed to look? What was he supposed to do? Clearing his throat, he retreated backwards into the unsteady space beside his uncle.
"Well then," Sheev clapped his hands together, sucking all the attention in the room to himself as he preferred. "I believe we should let our guests settle in! We have a lot to prepare for after all. Until tonight," he continued. Anakin felt his shoulders practically sag with relief as the Lord and Lady looked away to smile at his uncle instead. It was as if they saw through him, through the disguise his uncle had clothed him in and saw the shaking, penniless boy he felt like beneath the ruse. Something about all of this felt… wrong.
These people were trusting him with their daughter, him! Anakin would be in charge of everything – or at least what little his uncle did not concern himself with. They believed their daughter was marrying into a family as great as theirs, wealthy enough to keep her as she was used to and it was lies. If Sheev's plans did not come to fruition, Dorme would be put out onto the streets with them when she could have married somebody – anybody else who could take proper care of her. Anakin felt his jaw clench. It was unfair. It was wrong… but what other choice was there?
Lifting his gaze, he found Lady Dorme's own studying him curiously, as if he were not quite what she expected to find awaiting her in this manner. For that, Anakin couldn't blame her. He wasn't like the other men these people socialised with despite his uncle's best efforts. He hoped she might be different too. Maybe they could get along? They might even become… friends? It would be nice to have an ally here.
"Ah, did you hear?" The deep, husky voice of Lord Byrne tore his attention away once more, "Duke Clovis will be in attendance this evening also. He was nearby overseeing some work on his manor by lake Naboo. It will be nice to have such esteemed guests at your wedding, right, darling?"
"Of course, father," Dorme smiled sweetly, "I'm honoured he would find the time for our celebration."
"Wonderful!" Sheev smiled widely but Anakin saw through the cracks of the mask he wore, he could see the thoughts racing inside his uncle's head. Another guest meant more food and further expanse. It meant another room to make up at the very last minute. If someone as high ranking as a Duke had heard about and decided to attend this wedding, who else might? The manor was hardly fit to host anyone much less a Duke right now.
He was quiet as Sheev ordered their new steward to show their guests to their rooms, a man whose employment would be very short-lived should this gamble not pay off exactly as he planned. Another life at stake in this game of his. Of theirs. Wasn't he implicated in every single way someone could be in schemes like these? His guilt and Sheev's were hopelessly tangled and knotted and Anakin would never be able to unpick his conscience and free himself.
It was done. The wedding was in a few short hours. There was no turning back now.
Everyone disappeared up the wide staircase leaving Anakin alone to his thoughts as shame and remorse pulled at him. He had to marry Dorme to save his uncle from destitution. He owed him for taking him in – there was no choice! But how could he risk this woman's life like this? What if it all fell apart around Sheev's ears and they were even worse off? What if Dorme's family wouldn't help her to avoid the shame of it staining themselves?
Suddenly, the slight weight of the cushioned box tucked safely within the pocket of his coat felt like a bolder wearing him down. Anakin couldn't not feel it in there, waiting to seal both their fates forever. What was he supposed to do? Marry a woman he didn't love and pray everything worked out as Sheev promised it would? Or maybe he could tell the truth? He could tell Lord Byrne what was truly happening and let him whisk his daughter away before it was too late.
What would happen to him and Sheev then? Penniless on the streets. Their family honour would be stripped. They would be reviled. He had heard of the terrible conditions within poor houses, his uncle was too old to survive anything like that! Damn it, he wished he could just disappear and have no part in any of this! Why did his mother have to die? Why couldn't she have lived and kept him far, far away from this mess?
Beginning to sweat, Anakin rushed for the door and ran out of the manor as quickly as his legs could carry him. His uncle would be looking for him soon, but he needed to get out. He had to clear his head if he was going to get through any of this. Get married or tell the truth. Whatever he was going to do, he needed some space to make up his mind properly.
As he raced through the cobblestoned town, Anakin panted and ignored the surprised glances of people darting out of his way. It wasn't often people saw a groom-to-be running from the wedding, after all. He didn't blame them. Hopefully, no one would go to the manor and tell his uncle which direction he had gone in. If Sheev came after him, he would drag him back kicking and screaming regardless of what Anakin wanted.
No. No. He would go back. He had to go back. Just not yet. There were several hours until the wedding and Anakin wanted to use them to clear his scrambled mind before it was too late. What if he panicked and made the wrong decision? Each of them was permanent. There could be no going back after the choice was made. Married or homeless. Honourable or honourless. Which was worse? Which could he live with?
Racing across the narrow bridge that arched above the streaming river leading to the beautiful lake Naboo, Anakin headed for the dark shroud of the woods. No one would think to look for him there. If his uncle or others came looking, they would check the taverns and inns first and that would take some time. In the mist and shadow of the wood, he could find the quiet he desperately needed.
Long, thick trees arched and entwined their branches at the mouth of the woodland, creating an arched doorway into the thicket which lay ahead. Anakin felt almost as if he was walking into another world as dried leaves and broken branches snapped beneath his shoes with every step. High above his head, he heard the flap of birds' wings and the small impact of their feet as they landed upon their nesting branches but there was no song, he realised with a start. Everything was silent.
"Ah!" Anakin cried as a wide, red falling leaf kissed his cheek upon its descent, turning his body in fright as he walked further and further along the orange path its predecessors laid before him. His voice echoed for a moment before fading to nothing as the woods stilled around him. Even the breeze seemed to be locked out of the otherworldly area the trees protected from the town outside.
Risen, nobbily roots tried, again and again, to trip the groom-to-be as he reached into his pocket and tugged out the small, black box his uncle had given him three days ago. The last expense they could scrape together was a ring suitable for a woman like Lady Dorme – something which would not shame her before her parents and in turn shame Sheev and out his financial troubles. Anakin plucked the dainty little thing from its cushioned bed and snapped the box shut as he walked deeper and deeper into the trees without care of his direction.
Very little light clawed through sparse gaps within the tunnel of branches and bark he had found himself within so the deep-blue sapphire did not sparkle as it had when he first laid eyes upon it. In the darkness, the stone appeared almost black and strangely ominous as he examined it. This was to be a symbol of his commitment and devotion to a woman he didn't know. It hardly made any sense. Without the emotions, wasn't it all meaningless? How must Lady Dorme feel about it? Maybe he should have tried to speak to her before rushing away.
No matter how he felt or what he wanted to do, Anakin knew he could not betray his uncle. Sheev took him in when he did not have to. He had never been kind or affectionate, but there were certainly worse lives he could have been thrust into after his mother died. He owed him. Dorme was… well, he would do his best to be a good husband to her. And Sheev was a smart man, he was sure his uncle would pull off his schemes to great success and all three of them could cut out some small piece of happiness in the life ahead. What other choice was there?
"I have to go back," he muttered, rubbing his hand over his face. He had to go back, look Dorme in the eye and say the vows his uncle had given him to practice. Afraid to stutter and embarrass himself in front of everyone, Anakin had read them again and again and again until he knew them by heart. As he reached a thick, age-old tree, he cleared his throat. "What is it again? Right, that's it…" he pinched the ring between his thumb and index finger, carefully balancing it as he straightened his back. For his uncle, he had to be perfect tonight. "With this hand, I will lift your sorrows," he recited the vows he would give Lady Dorme later, "Your cup shall never be empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way in darkness… And with this ring," he lifted the ring as a sparse peak of sunlight shone through a gap above, "I ask you to be mine…"
The ring flicked out of his grasp and darted forward to land upon the small stretch of grass ahead. Anakin gasped and dashed forward to catch it before the darkness and grass swallowed it forever. His uncle would kill him if he lost it! They couldn't afford another! Just as he reached the tree, the ground began to tremble and quake beneath him, groaning as it cleaved in two before his eyes.
"What the…?" Anakin stumbled backwards, wide-eyed as a zig-zagging crack tore the ground apart as the world shook all around him. What was happening? His breath caught in his throat as a pale hand appeared upon one half of the torn islands and then another, both clad in long, filthy sleeves as a woman's face, concealed by a thick lace veil lifted beyond the split laid out before him. Shaking his head, Anakin wanted to scream. This couldn't be happening! This wasn't possible! He stepped backwards, jaw agape as the woman tore herself free of the crack just as he tripped and slipped, collapsing upon the damp bed of leaves behind him.
"I accept!" A soft, feminine voice filled the air, breaking the frightening silence surrounding them. Almost at once, the world around him faded to black as Anakin was swallowed by the stretching tear racing through the earth.
And then there was nothing.