"Hi! Anakin said grinning from ear to ear as he stood over her. Amidala jumped up. She didn't think he would come back so soon.
"Mesa back!" Anakin said in a jovial Jar-Jar accent.
Anakin flung a lifeless, white furry creature with big ears towards her, handing her a knife he asked her to skin it while he lighted the fire. Amidala looked at the poor creature and couldn't avoid grimacing. She swallowed hard, repulsed by the idea of her skinning an animal. I think I'll make the fire she said, taking the lighter from him. Anakin agreed, with a shrug, giving her the bundle of firewood he had brought back from the forest.
Deftly he skinned and carved the creature. Cutting the meat into tiny pieces and skewering them onto thin sticks. He looked at the Queen from the corner of his eyes, an amused smile playing on his lips as he watched her struggle unsuccessfully to get the fire going.
Her face was red with blowing on the fire and her eyes were watering from the smoke. She was down on all fours blowing at it till she turned blue but it refused to light.
Anakin walked over and sat by her side, the same grin on his face; he took the lighter from her and had the fire running effortlessly in minutes. She sighed defeated envying the ease with which he did the job.
"You sure are not the ideal camping partner," he said as he lined the meat sticks on the fire.
"I'm a Queen, I was never cut out to make fires," she said with an icy tone, standing up and crossing her arms across her chest. Anakin looked at her and a snicker escaped his tightly closed lips.
"Anakin Skywalker may I know what's so funny!" She said a little agitated.
"Nothing!" he said nodding his head from side to side as he tried again to keep from laughing. He avoided eye to eye contact with her.
"Look at me when you speak,' She commanded. Anakin got up from the fire and stood before her. A burst of laughter escaped his sealed lips, which he tried to cough away.
"I did suggest that you could do away with protocol, but you are being down right uncouth young man!" She went on, wagging her jeweled finger at him.
"But Oh!" Anakin thought " if only she could see herself."
A mosaic of soot crisscrossed her face, but what made her more comical was the way she was playing all proud and dignified without being aware of her face.
"You are being very unjedi! Snickering like a teenaged girl." She lectured, hands on her hips.
"Unjedi!" he repeated with a creased forehead, "That's a new one, but since the Great Queen Amidala of the Naboo has coined it won't be long before the press catch onto it." He said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Next Yoda will be accusing me of being unjedi," And I'll have to thank you for it.
"Your Majesty! Did I tell you what a good job your handmaidens have done on your face," Anakin said his eyes twinkling with mirth. He caught her off guard, for a moment she just looked blankly at him.
"What! She said puzzled.
"Its your new makeover he said grinning. "Amidala wished she had a mirror.
"Let me clean that for you."
She backed away a bit when he reached out to her. Anakin took the corner of his tunic and holding her head in one hand he began to clean the black soot marks from her face.
"Anakin I… I think I'll wash it," she stammered. But Anakin just looked at her, raised his eyebrow then continued cleaning the queens' face very lovingly. His hand on her bare neck was making her very uncomfortable.
Finally she could stand it no more, pulling his hand away she burst out, "Anakin Skywalker I will not take anymore of your derision," she said as she stepped forward to strike him. Anakin caught her hand in the air; twisting it behind her he went on.
"But there are a few flaws her and there," he continued in the same vain looking her over, "here let me adjust it," He said. The Queen struggled against him turning her head from side to side.
"Anakin I'm warning you!" she blurted out between clenched teeth, this is no joke."
"No! No! Your majesty we don't want the honorable chief seeing you like that-we wouldn't want to scare him do we?
"Anakin! I'm not in the mood for games," she was fuming by now.
"Ooh! The Ice Queen is angry, she actually has emotions," Anakin stopped what he was doing to look at her.
"I must be a very lucky man. I Anakin Skywalker have seen the Queen in all her fuming, raging glory."
Now you hold still Padme he said as he wet the shirt with his tongue and was about to bring it to her face. That proved just too much for Amidala. She pulled herself free and pushed his hand angrily away from her. "Don't call me that," she spat out, only my friends call me that."
Anakin suddenly stiffened. His eyes became hard steel ingots with blue flames of hate and anger swirling through it. He glared right in her face his nostrils flaring. Then suddenly it was gone. His eyes became the soft blue as before-albeit the twinkle had gone out of them. Sighing heavily he bowed his head.
" I'm sorry Your Highness, I don't know what got over me." He said hoarsely.
She could hardly hear his voice.
"I…I…just thought. I thought I was one of your friends-but I'm just an ordinary bodyguard."
He turned around and walked away-his shoulders slumping, head hanging.
"Mesa back!" Anakin said in a jovial Jar-Jar accent.
Anakin flung a lifeless, white furry creature with big ears towards her, handing her a knife he asked her to skin it while he lighted the fire. Amidala looked at the poor creature and couldn't avoid grimacing. She swallowed hard, repulsed by the idea of her skinning an animal. I think I'll make the fire she said, taking the lighter from him. Anakin agreed, with a shrug, giving her the bundle of firewood he had brought back from the forest.
Deftly he skinned and carved the creature. Cutting the meat into tiny pieces and skewering them onto thin sticks. He looked at the Queen from the corner of his eyes, an amused smile playing on his lips as he watched her struggle unsuccessfully to get the fire going.
Her face was red with blowing on the fire and her eyes were watering from the smoke. She was down on all fours blowing at it till she turned blue but it refused to light.
Anakin walked over and sat by her side, the same grin on his face; he took the lighter from her and had the fire running effortlessly in minutes. She sighed defeated envying the ease with which he did the job.
"You sure are not the ideal camping partner," he said as he lined the meat sticks on the fire.
"I'm a Queen, I was never cut out to make fires," she said with an icy tone, standing up and crossing her arms across her chest. Anakin looked at her and a snicker escaped his tightly closed lips.
"Anakin Skywalker may I know what's so funny!" She said a little agitated.
"Nothing!" he said nodding his head from side to side as he tried again to keep from laughing. He avoided eye to eye contact with her.
"Look at me when you speak,' She commanded. Anakin got up from the fire and stood before her. A burst of laughter escaped his sealed lips, which he tried to cough away.
"I did suggest that you could do away with protocol, but you are being down right uncouth young man!" She went on, wagging her jeweled finger at him.
"But Oh!" Anakin thought " if only she could see herself."
A mosaic of soot crisscrossed her face, but what made her more comical was the way she was playing all proud and dignified without being aware of her face.
"You are being very unjedi! Snickering like a teenaged girl." She lectured, hands on her hips.
"Unjedi!" he repeated with a creased forehead, "That's a new one, but since the Great Queen Amidala of the Naboo has coined it won't be long before the press catch onto it." He said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Next Yoda will be accusing me of being unjedi," And I'll have to thank you for it.
"Your Majesty! Did I tell you what a good job your handmaidens have done on your face," Anakin said his eyes twinkling with mirth. He caught her off guard, for a moment she just looked blankly at him.
"What! She said puzzled.
"Its your new makeover he said grinning. "Amidala wished she had a mirror.
"Let me clean that for you."
She backed away a bit when he reached out to her. Anakin took the corner of his tunic and holding her head in one hand he began to clean the black soot marks from her face.
"Anakin I… I think I'll wash it," she stammered. But Anakin just looked at her, raised his eyebrow then continued cleaning the queens' face very lovingly. His hand on her bare neck was making her very uncomfortable.
Finally she could stand it no more, pulling his hand away she burst out, "Anakin Skywalker I will not take anymore of your derision," she said as she stepped forward to strike him. Anakin caught her hand in the air; twisting it behind her he went on.
"But there are a few flaws her and there," he continued in the same vain looking her over, "here let me adjust it," He said. The Queen struggled against him turning her head from side to side.
"Anakin I'm warning you!" she blurted out between clenched teeth, this is no joke."
"No! No! Your majesty we don't want the honorable chief seeing you like that-we wouldn't want to scare him do we?
"Anakin! I'm not in the mood for games," she was fuming by now.
"Ooh! The Ice Queen is angry, she actually has emotions," Anakin stopped what he was doing to look at her.
"I must be a very lucky man. I Anakin Skywalker have seen the Queen in all her fuming, raging glory."
Now you hold still Padme he said as he wet the shirt with his tongue and was about to bring it to her face. That proved just too much for Amidala. She pulled herself free and pushed his hand angrily away from her. "Don't call me that," she spat out, only my friends call me that."
Anakin suddenly stiffened. His eyes became hard steel ingots with blue flames of hate and anger swirling through it. He glared right in her face his nostrils flaring. Then suddenly it was gone. His eyes became the soft blue as before-albeit the twinkle had gone out of them. Sighing heavily he bowed his head.
" I'm sorry Your Highness, I don't know what got over me." He said hoarsely.
She could hardly hear his voice.
"I…I…just thought. I thought I was one of your friends-but I'm just an ordinary bodyguard."
He turned around and walked away-his shoulders slumping, head hanging.