Leia stood on the balcony of her room, Naboo called to her in some way that
she couldn't understand.
She was sixteen, which meant she was supposed to be an adult but she felt so....lost. This was some birthday, and her father hadn't even acknowledged it was her birthday.
She felt the force close in around her and felt her father's presence. He too seemed affected by this place, by the woman he was supposed to protect. She knew he would not answer if she asked.
"Here," Anakin handed her a tightly wrapped bundle. Inside was another rock, Leia had been collecting them. It was a beautiful red colour and Leia traced the top with a loving hand.
"Dad, it's beautiful" she felt her spirit leap.
Anakin smiled the first genuine one he had shown her in a while. Instantly she whirled walking hurriedly to her bags and placing the new treasure amongst her other stones.
"You know you have so many of those soon you won't be able to bring them on missions with you" Anakin warned as he watched his daughter gently place the container of stones on her bedside table.
Leia flashed him a grin, over her shoulder. "Unlikely"
Anakin pretended to acknowledge this as he said thoughtfully.
"You'd probably never leave the temple, I think you love the stones more then you love me" he said, aggrieved.
"A Jedi knows no attachments" Leia chided him, glad to have her father back, the real Anakin Skywalker not the pensive, withdrawn man he had become.
Anakin laughed once again and comfortable silence fell upon them. Anakin sat on the edge of her bed as Leia took a seat on one of the plush seats that littered the room.
"Dad you look like you want to have a talk," Leia said narrowly. Anakin nodded,
"But I know about the facts of life, remember you took me to see that holomovie?"
Anakin's expression remained drawn so Leia dropped her attitude. She was seriously worried that something was wrong with her father, her heart stopped momentarily as she thought, maybe Obi Wan was sick.
"Leia are you happy?"
Leia was nonplussed, was she happy? She was sixteen years old; she didn't understand why her father was asking this. But she could tell this was important to him so she tried to answer truthfully.
"Yes. I have you, that's what's important"
"Leia do you ever think of your mother," The question caused a frown to appear on Leia's face. Did she think of her mother? Yes of course she did, but for no longer then three minutes at a time.
"Leia, your mother and I split up because we weren't ready to be married and we were two very different people, it wasn't because we didn't love each other"
Leia felt uncomfortable and seeked refuge in standing, she didn't want to look at her father and the mention of her mother caused her heckles to come up.
"Dad you told me this before"
"Sweetie Chancellor Amidala was...is your mother"
Leia crossed her arms over her chest, many beings would have stared, would have screamed or shouted or yelled but Leia didn't she just looked at her father and said flatly and firmly
"No,"
Anakin stood, walking closer to Leia but keeping his distance, knowing she needed to come to grips with this without her father interfering.
"Leia its true" now he was the stern Jedi master and he told her a story she didn't know.
"I met your mother when I was ten, I fell in love with her, we were separated for ten years but we met when her life was threatened by assassins. I was her protector."
Leia lunged for the door, not wanting to hear anymore but she stopped short of the door.
"We were still kids Leia, but we loved each other and we got married."
Leia didn't turn away from the door but she didn't try to run either. Anakin came to stand behind her, trying to soothe the pain away but knowing he couldn't. This was hard on him too. He hadn't spoken to anyone about his marriage to Padme to another living being before.
"Jedi aren't allowed to marry" Leia's voice was thick with anger and denial and Anakin flinched. Despite her wild ways Leia was dedicated to the code and would not think of ever breaking any of the rules.
"We did it in secret, here on Naboo, no one knew but Master Obi Wan and the droids."
Leia slowly turned.
"I can't believe you did this to me. On my birthday."
Slowly she walked away.
N.B Padme and Luke next!
She was sixteen, which meant she was supposed to be an adult but she felt so....lost. This was some birthday, and her father hadn't even acknowledged it was her birthday.
She felt the force close in around her and felt her father's presence. He too seemed affected by this place, by the woman he was supposed to protect. She knew he would not answer if she asked.
"Here," Anakin handed her a tightly wrapped bundle. Inside was another rock, Leia had been collecting them. It was a beautiful red colour and Leia traced the top with a loving hand.
"Dad, it's beautiful" she felt her spirit leap.
Anakin smiled the first genuine one he had shown her in a while. Instantly she whirled walking hurriedly to her bags and placing the new treasure amongst her other stones.
"You know you have so many of those soon you won't be able to bring them on missions with you" Anakin warned as he watched his daughter gently place the container of stones on her bedside table.
Leia flashed him a grin, over her shoulder. "Unlikely"
Anakin pretended to acknowledge this as he said thoughtfully.
"You'd probably never leave the temple, I think you love the stones more then you love me" he said, aggrieved.
"A Jedi knows no attachments" Leia chided him, glad to have her father back, the real Anakin Skywalker not the pensive, withdrawn man he had become.
Anakin laughed once again and comfortable silence fell upon them. Anakin sat on the edge of her bed as Leia took a seat on one of the plush seats that littered the room.
"Dad you look like you want to have a talk," Leia said narrowly. Anakin nodded,
"But I know about the facts of life, remember you took me to see that holomovie?"
Anakin's expression remained drawn so Leia dropped her attitude. She was seriously worried that something was wrong with her father, her heart stopped momentarily as she thought, maybe Obi Wan was sick.
"Leia are you happy?"
Leia was nonplussed, was she happy? She was sixteen years old; she didn't understand why her father was asking this. But she could tell this was important to him so she tried to answer truthfully.
"Yes. I have you, that's what's important"
"Leia do you ever think of your mother," The question caused a frown to appear on Leia's face. Did she think of her mother? Yes of course she did, but for no longer then three minutes at a time.
"Leia, your mother and I split up because we weren't ready to be married and we were two very different people, it wasn't because we didn't love each other"
Leia felt uncomfortable and seeked refuge in standing, she didn't want to look at her father and the mention of her mother caused her heckles to come up.
"Dad you told me this before"
"Sweetie Chancellor Amidala was...is your mother"
Leia crossed her arms over her chest, many beings would have stared, would have screamed or shouted or yelled but Leia didn't she just looked at her father and said flatly and firmly
"No,"
Anakin stood, walking closer to Leia but keeping his distance, knowing she needed to come to grips with this without her father interfering.
"Leia its true" now he was the stern Jedi master and he told her a story she didn't know.
"I met your mother when I was ten, I fell in love with her, we were separated for ten years but we met when her life was threatened by assassins. I was her protector."
Leia lunged for the door, not wanting to hear anymore but she stopped short of the door.
"We were still kids Leia, but we loved each other and we got married."
Leia didn't turn away from the door but she didn't try to run either. Anakin came to stand behind her, trying to soothe the pain away but knowing he couldn't. This was hard on him too. He hadn't spoken to anyone about his marriage to Padme to another living being before.
"Jedi aren't allowed to marry" Leia's voice was thick with anger and denial and Anakin flinched. Despite her wild ways Leia was dedicated to the code and would not think of ever breaking any of the rules.
"We did it in secret, here on Naboo, no one knew but Master Obi Wan and the droids."
Leia slowly turned.
"I can't believe you did this to me. On my birthday."
Slowly she walked away.
N.B Padme and Luke next!