The night of Anakin and Padme's wedding...

Everyone was getting onto the dance floor. Many were dancing with a partner, most of those pairs of partners being loving couples, or guys and girls who finally gathered the courage to ask their crushes for a dance. But one particular boy had not yet found the courage to approach the girl of his dreams.

Boba looked at Roya as she was sitting at a table, looking so lovely in the traditional garb of her kingdom. The moment Boba met her had been so embarrassing. He ended up calling her pretty without thinking, and then he got all nervous and tried to introduce himself but ended up calling himself Roya and forgetting his own name until Gabby whispered it to him and he finally regained his composure.

Roya didn't tease him about it, but just the slight giggle she gave, Boba felt like he could hear her laughing at him when she left.

What should I do? Boba thought to himself.

"Princess Roya," Boba practiced. "Would you do me the honor of... No, that sounds too cliche. Uh... Roya, I'd love to dance with- No. That wouldn't be heartfelt enough."

"Nervous about asking Roya to dance?" another voice asked.

Boba looked at Wysteria in surprise and said, "How did you-?"

"I saw the way you've been looking at her all day and every time we were all in the same place while planning the wedding."

And it was true; the moment Boba looked at Roya, he had a hard time taking his eyes off her. Not in a creepy way. More like in the same way one looks in awe at a beautiful flower blossoming on the first day of spring after a very cold winter.

Wysteria then made a pink lotus flower appear in her hand.

"Here. Lotuses are her favorite and happen to be a symbol of beauty and prosperity in her kingdom." Wysteria told Boba.

Boba still looked unsure, so Wysteria gave him a push. Literally.

"Just go talk to her."

Boba nervously walked up to Roya with the lotus behind his back. His cheeks turned pink as he approached the half-genie princess.

"H-Hi... Roya." Boba said nervously.

"Oh, hello, Boba." Roya said. "You did great out there. Your dancing has really improved a lot."

"Thanks." Boba scratched his head nervously. "I... I heard you like lotuses, and I found this one and thought of you."

Boba presented the flower to Roya, who accepted it.

"Oh. Thank you, Boba. That's so sweet." Roya sniffed the flower and placed it in her hair.

"I was wondering... would you like... would you...uh?"

Boba knew what he wanted to say, but for some reason found himself very unable to say it. He couldn't explain why, but when he looked at Roya, he started to feel this odd sensation running through his body. It was as though there were something about Roya's beautiful skin, silky hair, and beautiful eyes that made her so attractive to him. But it wasn't just her appearance. It was her sense of fashion, her intelligence, and the way she had both a sweet side and a feisty side that showed she was not a girl to mess with.

"Would I what?" Roya asked.

"Would you dance with me?" Boba said, getting it out quickly, but covering his mouth as he wondered if he made the right choice.

Roya smiled and said, "I'd be delighted to dance with you, Boba."

Boba nervously offered his arm, and Roya held it as he escorted her to the dance floor.

Boba held Roya the same way she'd taught him during their dance lessons and took one slow step after another.

And conveniently or inconveniently, a very romantic song began to play

There's a calm surrender
To the rush of day
When the heat of a rolling wind
Can be turned away
An enchanted moment
And it sees me through
It's enough for this restless warrior
Just to be with you

Boba twirled Roya very gracefully the way Anakin did Padme.

And can you feel the love tonight?
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer
That we got this far
And can you feel the love tonight
How it's laid to rest?
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds

It looked so effortless and flawless the way the two kids were dancing together.

Believe the very best

Boba found himself looking into Roya's beautiful brown eyes. Despite brown being the most common eye color, somehow, Roya made it look exquisite as though there was a kind of magic to them, and not just because she was half-genie.

There's a time for everyone
If they only learn
That the twisting kaleidoscope
Moves us all in turn
There's a rhyme and reason

To the wild outdoors
When the heart of this star-crossed voyager

Roya batted her eyes at Boba as they continued to dance, and the boy felt his face heat up in a way that he couldn't explain.

Beats in time with yours
And can you feel the love tonight?
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer
That we got this far
And can you feel the love tonight
How it's laid to rest?
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best

Boba found himself still holding Roya as the song ended and leaning a little closer.

"What are you doing?" Roya asked.

Boba froze and shook himself out and stopped holding Roya too close, feeling embarrassed that he'd been holding Roya so closely without realizing it.

After his parents left for their honeymoon, Boba lay in his bed at his maternal grandparents' house. He couldn't stop thinking about his dance with Roya. It felt so magical, so... wonderful.

It was a lot like the fairytales in some of Gabby's storybooks with princesses meeting a handsome prince at a ball or a lowly stable boy falling in love with a beautiful princess. In this case, he figured he was the stable boy because he was born on an ocean planet, he had no royal blood, and he did have a horse now, but not a royal horse. To his knowledge, there weren't really many princes with unicorns who could break dance or had a scruffy mane.

Boba had never felt this way about any girl before. But to be fair, he'd hardly been around any girls before he got adopted. And now he was getting to about that age where he'd start liking girls.

Suddenly, he felt this weird sensation in his chest. His heart was beating really fast, but he couldn't explain why.

Boba shook himself out of it and just hugged his lion close and went to sleep. And after a while, he was able to stop thinking about it, but not for long.