Amidala couldn't believe she had just slapped some one. That too a Jedi, a former slave and hero of Naboo. She looked at her hand accusingly as though it had acted against her will. She looked at the boy-Yes! That was a boy- sitting on the ledge his legs dangling down and head bent dejectedly.
She went to kneel by his side and placed a kind hand on his shoulder.
"Anakin I'm sorry!" Anakin gave her a doleful look then turned his attention back to the valley below.
"You shouldn't be", he said morosely, lips tight.
"If anyone's to blame then its me. I have been trained all my life in matters of dealing with all kinds of people. Of all people, I should know how to behave with a Queen, instead I allowed myself to be carried away. I'm ashamed of myself. I really am sorry. If the council hears of this"
"Anakin don't be silly the council won't hear of it. You expect me to tell on you?"
"No!" Anakin replied brusquely, nodding his head from side to side.
"I'll tell the council and I'll face the punishment I deserve."
My master has so much faith in me and I let him down. He just doesn't deserve it.
"Anakin! It's no big deal." She said sitting by his side.
"Look I'm sorry what I said about you calling me Padme. I lost my cool, which is bad; a leader shouldn't loose her cool in any situation. You piqued me, but that's no excuse for lashing out. It's a pathetic reaction and I have never reacted like this before." She said, squeezing his arm gently.
There was a long silence, "You will always be my friend,She said at last. That seem to cheer him up a bit, he turned to her a forced smile on his face.
"Yes! No matter what we'll always be friends." He took tiny hand in his and began to examine it, still not looking at her.
After a pause she drew in a long breath, "Anakin I have never been alone with a man before, I... I don't know? Guess I panicked or maybe my internal alarms went off. I just don't know what happened? Ani I'm so confused," Another pregnant pause.
Suddenly she perked up. Sniff! Sniff! Ani I think our food is burning."
They both jumped up and ran to the fire, just in time to save their breakfast.
As it turned out the kabob was delicious. Amidala didn't remember eating anything this good in the palace.
Later Anakin suggested she get some rest. He opened the storage compartment and took out what looked like a folded sheet, unfolding it he threw it onto the small patch of grass just to the left of the ledge beyond the cave opening. It inflated to a full sized mattress before hitting the grass. Amidala looked longingly at the mattress lounging in the warm sun, its soft curves inviting her weary bones to just plop onto it and slip into dreamland.
"You go ahead and sleep. I'll have to clean up first-We don't want to scare the chief do we? She said with a smile. Her smile was so infectious he couldn't help but smile back-his heart beating wildly.
"Okay! but you must be careful. These cavern streams are notoriously strong. One wrong step and you'll be swept down to the next cavern before you have time to call for help." Anakin admonished her sternly.
"Okay! Okay! Papa, I promise not to wander too far into the stream." She said with a lopsided smirk.
Amidala headed for the cave-taking Anakin's cloak with her. Anakin took out his damp tunic and underclothes and spread them out on the boulders to dry. He laid on the warm mattress wearing only his trousers, wallowing in the warm rays of the sun as he drifted to sweet oblivion.
By the time Amidala came back he was snoring away, his jaw hanging loosely as he lay face down-hugging the inflated pillow to his chest. Pulling the cloak around her, she looked at his big frame stretched haphazardly across the mattress.
"OH! Anakin! I am so tired." She wailed throwing her hands up in an exasperated gesture.
"Sith! He's heavy," she grumbled as she tried to push away a leg. She heaved and pushed and managed to push him on his side till she had vacated enough of the mattress for her to fit onto. Panting heavily, she pulled out the pillow from under him and then she curled up inside the robe with her back to him and was soon in a snoring competition with her bodyguard.
She went to kneel by his side and placed a kind hand on his shoulder.
"Anakin I'm sorry!" Anakin gave her a doleful look then turned his attention back to the valley below.
"You shouldn't be", he said morosely, lips tight.
"If anyone's to blame then its me. I have been trained all my life in matters of dealing with all kinds of people. Of all people, I should know how to behave with a Queen, instead I allowed myself to be carried away. I'm ashamed of myself. I really am sorry. If the council hears of this"
"Anakin don't be silly the council won't hear of it. You expect me to tell on you?"
"No!" Anakin replied brusquely, nodding his head from side to side.
"I'll tell the council and I'll face the punishment I deserve."
My master has so much faith in me and I let him down. He just doesn't deserve it.
"Anakin! It's no big deal." She said sitting by his side.
"Look I'm sorry what I said about you calling me Padme. I lost my cool, which is bad; a leader shouldn't loose her cool in any situation. You piqued me, but that's no excuse for lashing out. It's a pathetic reaction and I have never reacted like this before." She said, squeezing his arm gently.
There was a long silence, "You will always be my friend,She said at last. That seem to cheer him up a bit, he turned to her a forced smile on his face.
"Yes! No matter what we'll always be friends." He took tiny hand in his and began to examine it, still not looking at her.
After a pause she drew in a long breath, "Anakin I have never been alone with a man before, I... I don't know? Guess I panicked or maybe my internal alarms went off. I just don't know what happened? Ani I'm so confused," Another pregnant pause.
Suddenly she perked up. Sniff! Sniff! Ani I think our food is burning."
They both jumped up and ran to the fire, just in time to save their breakfast.
As it turned out the kabob was delicious. Amidala didn't remember eating anything this good in the palace.
Later Anakin suggested she get some rest. He opened the storage compartment and took out what looked like a folded sheet, unfolding it he threw it onto the small patch of grass just to the left of the ledge beyond the cave opening. It inflated to a full sized mattress before hitting the grass. Amidala looked longingly at the mattress lounging in the warm sun, its soft curves inviting her weary bones to just plop onto it and slip into dreamland.
"You go ahead and sleep. I'll have to clean up first-We don't want to scare the chief do we? She said with a smile. Her smile was so infectious he couldn't help but smile back-his heart beating wildly.
"Okay! but you must be careful. These cavern streams are notoriously strong. One wrong step and you'll be swept down to the next cavern before you have time to call for help." Anakin admonished her sternly.
"Okay! Okay! Papa, I promise not to wander too far into the stream." She said with a lopsided smirk.
Amidala headed for the cave-taking Anakin's cloak with her. Anakin took out his damp tunic and underclothes and spread them out on the boulders to dry. He laid on the warm mattress wearing only his trousers, wallowing in the warm rays of the sun as he drifted to sweet oblivion.
By the time Amidala came back he was snoring away, his jaw hanging loosely as he lay face down-hugging the inflated pillow to his chest. Pulling the cloak around her, she looked at his big frame stretched haphazardly across the mattress.
"OH! Anakin! I am so tired." She wailed throwing her hands up in an exasperated gesture.
"Sith! He's heavy," she grumbled as she tried to push away a leg. She heaved and pushed and managed to push him on his side till she had vacated enough of the mattress for her to fit onto. Panting heavily, she pulled out the pillow from under him and then she curled up inside the robe with her back to him and was soon in a snoring competition with her bodyguard.