Amidala clung to the rock outcropping, her eyes raw from crying, and her throat sore from shouting his name. But she got no reply.
She did not believe he could die so easily-He had evaded death more times than she could count. She had kept on calling him-eager to hear his voice to calm her tormented heart. But after a long, while when none came, she panicked and began to reproach herself.
What was she to do? She had just killed her bodyguard.
"I have just murdered an innocent soul-through my irresponsibility,"
"What got into you?" She reprimanded herself. "You of all people..."
She looked at the rushing water-She saw herself in restraints, being tried in a criminal court. She would definitely give herself up and admit to her crimes. She would never be able to live with a guilty conscience
But what about the shame, the dishonor and humility all this would bring to her parents, her family and to the crown of Naboo. They were all so proud of her and she had let them down-and killed a man, a man who had loved her.
"Die!" An inner voice ordered. "Thus you will save many the embarrassment and humility."
She shut her eyes and slowly loosened her grip on the rock-immediately the wild currents dragged her into its deadly arms, her lower body flayed up and down as she clung to the rock with just one hand-hesitantly she loosened her grip on the rock. Suddenly something grabbed at her hand and for a moment she hung between the currents and the rocks then a pair of strong arms yanked her up and out of the water.
Amidala was numb emotionally and physically, the ice cold water had almost paralyzed her reflexes. Her eyes were still shut and she did not realize that she was in Anakin's arms, who stood there in his trousers, dripping and bleeding from several cuts on his arms and chest.
She opened her eyes and stared blankly at him-a distant thought occurred to her.
"Were they united here in the land of the dead, had she joined him? If death was so painless why did all creatures dread it so much?"
One look at her pale face, her blank eyes and blue lips was enough for Anakin to know that Amidala had gone into shock and was suffering from hypothermia.
He rushed her outside. Pulling the mattress out into the sun he laid her there and ran to the bike and retrieved the thermoblanket and wrapped it around her. He then proceeded to rubb her feet to get some blood into her toes.
Amidala's teeth began to chatter and she began to shiver uncontrollably. Anakin decided he had to remove the wet robe off her before he could get her to warm up.
Bringing the blanket up to her chest, Anakin eased her arms out of the robe, then pulled it out from under the blanket without exposing her. Kneeling down he gathered her into his arms and pressed her tight against his chest. Amidala complied without protesting, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest.
Anakin closed his eyes he concentrated, he could feel the air around him warming. He called up the energy of the force, twirling it around them. The temperature rose-the air turning balmy then warm. He held her thus till beads of sweat ran down his face and body. He looked down at the queen. Her eyes were closed and she seemed contented. She wasn't shivering any more and her face and lips were back to their rosy, healthy state.
Anakin heaved a sigh of relief.
"Thank the maker I have you back," he whispered into her ears as he pressed his face against her damp hair. He began to rock her gently back and forth as he stared compassionately at her serene features. It seemed every hour he spent with her he was becoming more and more fascinated by her.
"I love you!" he whispered. "You may never be mine but I will always love you, I'm just happy to see you alive my lovely angel." A small smile escaped her lips. Anakin frowned.
"Even after I nearly got you killed!" She said her eyes twinkling.
Anakin was caught off guard, he thought she was out-he was sure that's how he had read her.
"Your highness I...I thought you..." He stammered throwing her down. Amidala fell onto the mattress unceremoniously.
"Anakin is this how you treat your lady love," She said in a pretentious tone as she picked herself up. Anakin went red as a beetroot.
"I'm sorry it wasn't right of me to..." He scrambled to get up, but she caught his hand.
"No! Anakin you must forgive me!" She said grabbing his hand. He stood like a wooden statue, unsure what she was talking about. All he could think about was the feel of her hand on his.
"No...no! You didn't mean it. There's nothing to be sorry about. I panicked I should have used the force to retrieve my pants." his words were coming out rather unnatural as though his tongue was made of lead.
Amidala smiled back sweetly and for a moment he thought his heart would stop. It reminded him of the day she had first given him that special smile all those years ago during the victory celebrations. It was etched hard into his memory and he would never forget it.
She stood up gathering the blanket around her. She looked into his face and her eyes took on a dreamy appearance.
"Anakin I'm so glad you were assigned for my protection. You have saved my life so many times I don't know how to thank you!" She said as she squeezed his hand. Anakin for his part lost his tongue completely. Instead he grinned away like some crazy toad. Her touch was driving him mad.
"I...I...No!...It ish nothing" He stammered. "Sith!" He thought. He tried again.
"Force...the...thank!" He stammered.
"Sith! I mean thank the force." He corrected himself. But by then Amidala was giggling away uncontrollably. Anakin rolled his eyes and threw his arms up in a helpless gesture. It looked like he was about to cry.
She did not believe he could die so easily-He had evaded death more times than she could count. She had kept on calling him-eager to hear his voice to calm her tormented heart. But after a long, while when none came, she panicked and began to reproach herself.
What was she to do? She had just killed her bodyguard.
"I have just murdered an innocent soul-through my irresponsibility,"
"What got into you?" She reprimanded herself. "You of all people..."
She looked at the rushing water-She saw herself in restraints, being tried in a criminal court. She would definitely give herself up and admit to her crimes. She would never be able to live with a guilty conscience
But what about the shame, the dishonor and humility all this would bring to her parents, her family and to the crown of Naboo. They were all so proud of her and she had let them down-and killed a man, a man who had loved her.
"Die!" An inner voice ordered. "Thus you will save many the embarrassment and humility."
She shut her eyes and slowly loosened her grip on the rock-immediately the wild currents dragged her into its deadly arms, her lower body flayed up and down as she clung to the rock with just one hand-hesitantly she loosened her grip on the rock. Suddenly something grabbed at her hand and for a moment she hung between the currents and the rocks then a pair of strong arms yanked her up and out of the water.
Amidala was numb emotionally and physically, the ice cold water had almost paralyzed her reflexes. Her eyes were still shut and she did not realize that she was in Anakin's arms, who stood there in his trousers, dripping and bleeding from several cuts on his arms and chest.
She opened her eyes and stared blankly at him-a distant thought occurred to her.
"Were they united here in the land of the dead, had she joined him? If death was so painless why did all creatures dread it so much?"
One look at her pale face, her blank eyes and blue lips was enough for Anakin to know that Amidala had gone into shock and was suffering from hypothermia.
He rushed her outside. Pulling the mattress out into the sun he laid her there and ran to the bike and retrieved the thermoblanket and wrapped it around her. He then proceeded to rubb her feet to get some blood into her toes.
Amidala's teeth began to chatter and she began to shiver uncontrollably. Anakin decided he had to remove the wet robe off her before he could get her to warm up.
Bringing the blanket up to her chest, Anakin eased her arms out of the robe, then pulled it out from under the blanket without exposing her. Kneeling down he gathered her into his arms and pressed her tight against his chest. Amidala complied without protesting, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest.
Anakin closed his eyes he concentrated, he could feel the air around him warming. He called up the energy of the force, twirling it around them. The temperature rose-the air turning balmy then warm. He held her thus till beads of sweat ran down his face and body. He looked down at the queen. Her eyes were closed and she seemed contented. She wasn't shivering any more and her face and lips were back to their rosy, healthy state.
Anakin heaved a sigh of relief.
"Thank the maker I have you back," he whispered into her ears as he pressed his face against her damp hair. He began to rock her gently back and forth as he stared compassionately at her serene features. It seemed every hour he spent with her he was becoming more and more fascinated by her.
"I love you!" he whispered. "You may never be mine but I will always love you, I'm just happy to see you alive my lovely angel." A small smile escaped her lips. Anakin frowned.
"Even after I nearly got you killed!" She said her eyes twinkling.
Anakin was caught off guard, he thought she was out-he was sure that's how he had read her.
"Your highness I...I thought you..." He stammered throwing her down. Amidala fell onto the mattress unceremoniously.
"Anakin is this how you treat your lady love," She said in a pretentious tone as she picked herself up. Anakin went red as a beetroot.
"I'm sorry it wasn't right of me to..." He scrambled to get up, but she caught his hand.
"No! Anakin you must forgive me!" She said grabbing his hand. He stood like a wooden statue, unsure what she was talking about. All he could think about was the feel of her hand on his.
"No...no! You didn't mean it. There's nothing to be sorry about. I panicked I should have used the force to retrieve my pants." his words were coming out rather unnatural as though his tongue was made of lead.
Amidala smiled back sweetly and for a moment he thought his heart would stop. It reminded him of the day she had first given him that special smile all those years ago during the victory celebrations. It was etched hard into his memory and he would never forget it.
She stood up gathering the blanket around her. She looked into his face and her eyes took on a dreamy appearance.
"Anakin I'm so glad you were assigned for my protection. You have saved my life so many times I don't know how to thank you!" She said as she squeezed his hand. Anakin for his part lost his tongue completely. Instead he grinned away like some crazy toad. Her touch was driving him mad.
"I...I...No!...It ish nothing" He stammered. "Sith!" He thought. He tried again.
"Force...the...thank!" He stammered.
"Sith! I mean thank the force." He corrected himself. But by then Amidala was giggling away uncontrollably. Anakin rolled his eyes and threw his arms up in a helpless gesture. It looked like he was about to cry.