Chapter Seventeen

Sabe pulled on the strings of Padme's corset, wincing every time she had to take a little more oxygen away from Padme. But what really disturbed her was the fact that Padme wasn't making a sound. Normally when she tied Padme's corset, Padme just protested against the need for women to wear them at all. Unnecessary, she had always said. But now, she was painfully silent, almost like she was about to be led to her execution. But one would think that she would at least put up a fight. Or be dragged kicking and screaming the whole way. But Padme remained expressionless and never said a word.

Even Jobal couldn't get Padme to speak. It was as if she were already dead.

Padme lifted her hollow eyes to the dress that was now being slid over her head. Her faded chocolate orbs closed momentarily then flew open with renewed strength. She would get through this. She could do it as surely as she could allow Anakin to walk away from her. The guests had arrived, the musicians were setting up, and Bail was, undoubtedly, pacing in a room not to far from her own. Yes, it would be a piece of cake.

Padme's thoughts were brought to a halt as a knock was heard from the door. For a fleeting moment, she hoped beyond hopes that Anakin had come to take her away from all this, but her hopes were shattered yet again when Sabe opened the door to reveal a solemn Bail.

"Why, Senator Organa, it is very improper for you to see your bride before the ceremony…" Jobal started before Bail unfeelingly held up her hand to stop her. Jobal opened her mouth to speak again, but shut it quickly in shocked response to the way her future son-in-law had just treated her. Bail strode to where Padme stood, his eyes flicking over her with disapproval at her failure to cover herself up.

For the first time that day, Padme showed some life. Her dull brown eyes turned into black shards of ice the second Bail took a step towards her. She was on the defensive and she had a sinking feeling that this was how it was going to be for the rest of her life.

Bail glanced quickly at the other women in the room and motioned for them to leave. Jobal was the only one to object immediately but she hastily followed suit when she saw the cold stare Bail was casting her direction.

Padme lifted her chin and asked haughtily: "What makes you think you can come in here like this, and order us around?"

Bail's eyes narrowed and he had to fight back the urge to laugh. "Because in about an hour, you're going to belong to me, that's why."

She stared at him in a mixture of shock and horror. He had actually had the nerve to say that to her! Even now, after seeing her reaction, he was looking down at her like some hunter who had finally killed his long sought-after prize. He was looking at her like she was his possession.

"I don't appreciate you speaking to me that way." She bit back icily.

"Really? I wasn't even going to mention this, but now, you leave me no choice. I know exactly what went on at the Lake Retreat. Every last detail. You're in love with that Jedi and you had sex with him. Did you really believe I was never going to find out? You'd better wipe away any thought of reconciling with him because if you do, I promise you will be sorry."

She was too shocked and frightened to speak, even if her mind had been clear enough to come up with a response to that…that…she couldn't even put a name to what he had just done to her. To her dismay, Bail continued with delight.

"I've watched you, Padme. I've watched you for years. I've watched you grow into the woman that you are and I've wanted you. I even stood by while that Jedi romanced you the first time two years ago. I knew I couldn't possibly allow anything to come of that and was extremely pleased when your mother unknowingly gave me my opportunity by telling you to end it with him. I knew you would never accept me on your own, so naturally, I spoke with your mother about marrying you, and she thought it was a novel idea, of course."

Padme winced when he paused to let his eyes trail over her. Now she knew exactly why she had wanted to vomit every time she looked at him. He was vile and absolutely insane.

"I gave you everything you could possibly want. I was good to you, I was kind to you. And how do you repay me for my kindness? You turn around and sleep with that…that worthless Jedi."

Bail immediately stopped and took a deep breath. He was letting himself get too worked up but he would be damned if he didn't let her know how it was going to be once they were married.

Padme eyes narrowed into suspicious slits and somehow, she found the courage to speak.

"That's why you pushed the wedding up, isn't it? You found out what you knew all along was going to happen. So to punish me, you're making me marry you today."

A hearty laugh rumbled from Bail's chest and he fought the urge to kiss her. "I'm not trying to punish you, darling. I'm simply protecting my investment."

"Investment? You can't speak to me like this, it doesn't matter that we're to marry, you cannot talk to me like I'm…some kind of…"

"Whore?" He finished for her. He grinned down at her and took her forcefully by the shoulders. "Listen to me, darling, if you mess this up, if you do something to stop this wedding, I swear to you I will make you sorry you were ever born."

Padme's lips quivered for only a second, then she regained her composure and lifted her head in defiance. "Fine. Now will you please leave so I can finish putting my wedding dress on?"

Relief flashed through Bail's face and he nodded, now with newfound respect. "Of course, darling."

He leaned over and placed a light kiss on her cheek and she tried with all the strength left in her not to recoil and vomit right onto his wedding attire.

It was only moments after Bail closed the door that Padme finally fell apart. Tears flowed down her face and…she started laughing. She laughed so hard that new tears formed in her eyes and spilled onto her dress. Her hands lifted at the skirts of the dress she was to wear in the mockery of a dress and her laughter only increased. She wasn't afraid of him at all. Gods, she didn't even want to think of what Anakin would do if he ever found out about what had transpired between Bail and her. Well, she knew what he would do…and it definitely involved a light saber.

With that last hilarious thought running around in her mind, she determinedly marched toward the church's entrance. If he wanted a wedding, she was going to give it to him.


So far, the wedding was running along smoothly, at least in Bail's estimation. His bride showed no signs of running from him, in fact, she even seemed remotely happy. He could only admire her acting skills, which he was sure were being put to good use today. However, things took a swift turn for the worse when the holy man began to lead the vow recitation.

Bail, naturally, recited his quickly and expertly, then turned his attention to Padme. As the holy man waited patiently for Padme to repeat what he had just said, she looked confidently, defiantly up at her former husband-to-be with a glimmer of laughter in her eyes.

"No."

A hush fell throughout the church as it anxiously waited for the bride to continue. She did.

"No, I don't."

Now, a loud murmur echoed throughout the enthralled crowd as it watched expectantly. Bail's face changed from several different shades of red to a very frighteningly deep purple in a matter of seconds. He took his 'bride' seemingly politely by the elbow and whispered furiously into her ear.

"What do you think you're doing?"

She looked up at him, mutiny in her eyes and a triumphant grin playing across her lips. "I'll tell you what I'm doing. I'm not marrying you."

His lips twitched with fury and gripped her elbow so fiercely she almost cried out. "If you do this, I will tell everyone about you and that Jedi. His former Master is here, you know. Everyone will know and your Jedi will be kicked out of the Order because of your stupidity."

She knew it was meant to be a threat but her grin only grew wider. "Go right ahead. Then I'll tell them all the nasty things you said to me earlier. I'll tell you about the threats you made to me. And I'll tell them that you've lusted after me since I was a fourteen-year-old Queen! It would simply…ruin your reputation. Can't have that, can we now?"

She watched with a smile as he ran his hands through his hair shakily and she knew she had won. If her nasty little secret came out, so would his. Bail was left with no choice. He watched helplessly as his bride fled back down the aisle, amidst the gasps of the crowd, the cheering of her mother, and the curious gaze of one intrigued Jedi Master.


Padme raced through the halls of the Lake Retreat, her heart soaring to the clouds just above the walls. She felt like laughing, crying, and screaming all at the same and couldn't decide which to do first. Instead, she ran happily outside, past the glittering lake, and into the grassy meadow that had always been a solace for her. Her hair flew out behind her, her white veil long ago cast into the wind, and the skirts of her wedding dress brushed wildly between her legs and the blades of grass.

She stretched out her arms as far as they could reach and embraced this newfound feeling that engulfed her. Freedom. And she had won it for herself. She had needed no knight with his blazing blue sword. She had needed no one. The feeling, this freedom she had earned and she had won it for herself.

Then she began to laugh at she had almost allowed to occur that day. She had realized within a split second that even her pride was not worth destroying her life for. Anakin had been right about that. And the man she was supposed to marry wasn't the worth the carpet he had stood on as he showed his true colors. She wished with everything in her that Bail would some day pay for the injustices he had done to her. Someday, she knew, he would get what was coming to him. She just hoped it was sooner rather than later.

She took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh scent of the meadow and the waterfall. It was calm here and she could stretch her wings here. She smiled faintly as she thought of the social disaster she had wisely fled from. But she knew that her mother could handle it, just as she had promised she would.

The galaxy was hers now to do whatever she wanted with it. She wasn't completely sure what she was going to do yet, but she knew that she made the right decision. The most important one of her life, she knew for certain. She had the time to figure it out though.

The only thing nagging at her now was the fact that Anakin wasn't here to bask in her triumph with her. He should be here because he had had a part in her newfound strength. Even if the part he played had been somewhat small, that didn't change the fact that what he had done had been out of pure love for her. And she had let him walk away from her. Maybe she was just meant to be alone. Maybe…

She immediately shook those sorrowful thoughts from her mind. This was a happy time. She needed to celebrate, and celebrate she would. There were no more worries, no more feelings of doubt and pain. Only happiness.

Throughout Padme's exuberant rejoicing in the peaceful meadow, she had failed to notice the ship landing near the Lake Retreat or, for that matter, the soft footsteps approaching her laughing figure in the grass.