Everything was silent for a moment. Padmé had a thousand questions rush to her mind at once, but she simply couldn't settle on one.
"I'm sorry if my appearance has startled you." Anakin said.
"No. It hasn't" Padmé replied, trying to sound like she meant that. Her father had told her how this... thing... this... beast had acted.
"It is time for dinner if you're hungry." Anakin told her, breaking her gaze and starting to walk away.
"Thank you." Padmé said, following him, unsure of what else to do.
Only when following this.. beast, for lack of a better word, did Padmé realize just how tall he was. He was around six and a half feet tall, towering over her. His shoulders were around three feet wide. He was almost completely covered in think brown fur. He had long, strong arms, and claws rather than hands. His legs were even longer than his arms, and had huge, ferocious looking claws instead of feet. Padmé had seen his face in her peripheral vision. He had huge teeth- more like fangs really- that protruded when he talked. His nose was similar to that of a dog's, black in color. And his eyes; his eyes were a bright, stunning, blue. The looked so human, so unlike what Padmé would have expected.
~*~
"So." said Padmé as she picked at her food. She couldn't come up with anything to ask him, even though only minutes before she had had thousands of questions. Now she couldn't remember any of them.
"Have you enjoyed your stay here so far?" Anakin asked her at last.
Afraid of angering him, Padmé replied, "I suppose. I've not been here long, and I didn't come here on the best of circumstances." she paused, "I do like the book I have begun to read though."
"What book is that?" he asked.
"I've read it several times before, its called Black Beauty, its about a horse."
Anakin seemed to make a face, although Padmé couldn't tell considering the room was almost dark. "I hate that one. There's an entire library here by the way." he told her, "Do you like to read?"
Padmé smiled a little, and surprised herself in doing so, "I love to. Gardening and crafts aren't so bad. I'm that great at them though, I prefer to read."
Although Padmé didn't understand the meaning behind his next words, Anakin said, "Reading helps to pass the time. That's why I have so many books here. Be-" he caught himself, he had started to say 'before I was turned into a sith' but had stopped himself. "At one time I enjoyed to ride horses, but recently they have all become afraid of me."
~*~
"Well, at least they're talking." said Rabe as she, Yoda, Obi- Wan, and Siri watched Anakin and the girl.
"Talking won't be enough, and she may never love him," Siri said quietly, "I wouldn't blame her either. I'm surprised she's even talking to him. Not after the way he treated her father, and forced her to come here."
"She is our last hope though," said Obi- Wan, putting a knob that had once been his hand on the knob that was once her shoulder.
"Hope for the best we must." Yoda told them. "Take a long time this may."
None of the others disagreed in the slightest.
"I just wish it wouldn't be so long." said Rabe impatiently.
"Not happen it might." Yoda said, "Difficult to trust him it will be for her."
Rabe sighed, "I know."
~*~
Later that evening, Padmé returned to her room. It was still a little light outside, around 6:00 she guessed. Since she had nothing else she could do, Padmé picked up her book and went onto her room's balcony. She noticed something she hadn't before. There were stairs leading down from her balcony into the courtyard below. I'll go see what's in this courtyard she thought, clutching her book to her.
Scents of several flowers filled her lungs as she came into the courtyard. To her surprise she heard a neigh and looked to see Juliana cantering towards her. Padmé frowned, where had she come from? Padmé looked around, and her gaze followed where she believed her horse had come from. She saw a trough filled with hay, and that there was a small pond near it. It appeared as though she would be housed here instead of a stable.
Padmé petted her horse's neck, and then slid down next to a tree blooming with many pink flowers. She tried to read, but found that she couldn't keep her mind on the book. It kept wondering off to her father and Sola. Tears began to stream down her face. She had refused to let herself cry about this. She bit her lip. She would be strong. Crying wasn't going to help anything. And Anakin wasn't so terrible. He wasn't going to kill her as her father had feared. Plus he could have a conversation, as could many of the things found in this castle. This wasn't so bad. But then why was she crying?
She bit down harder on her lip, trying to will herself to stop. She let go of her lip and clenched her teeth. "I'm not going to cry." she said aloud. She wiped her eyes. She knew she would see her father and Sola again someday. She just didn't know when, so for now she would have to be brave, and see how this faired out. Padmé took several sharp breaths, tears beginning to fall more freely. She closed her eyes. "I'm being stupid." she said, looking at Juliana who was standing near her, sniffing at some grass. She clenched her teeth again and forced herself to stare at a flower on the other side of the courtyard and not think about what she had left behind.
Her tears finally stopped, and she went back to reading. I'm never going to cry again. Never. Padmé promised herself.
_*_
AN: Sorry that took so long. I was sick with the flu on Saturday, Sunday, and most of Monday. Also, keep in mind that I have school, and with school comes a lot of homework. On top of school I am an active member of my school's band and jazz band and this can be very time consuming.
Thanks everyone! :) Review please.
- Sarah