Anakin was not cozily cuddled in bed with the queen, as the soldiers were wont to believe-he wasn't even in bed. The maid came in with the breakfast tray, only to find the male guest's head occupying the table, his mouth gaping like some dead fish. She set down the tray heavily on the table waking him up with a start. He squinted at her, before realizing where he was.
Anakin walked over to the Queen and felt her forehead.
"Good! No fever." Anakin thought.
Amidala opened her eyes as soon as he touched her. She gave him a weak smile. He turned her around so he could see her arm, it was a bit swollen, but there was no sign of infection.
"This man is a miracle healer!" Anakin said as he sat down besides her.
" I agree! I feel much better than before." She said weakly, "But I don't think I can face another journey on your speeder yet." she added
"You don't have to!" Anakin replied.
"I have sent a messenger to Thal Weil and if we're lucky we'll be traveling by Bongo. We'll have a bed ready for you and you can sleep all the way."
"When will it be coming?"
"Can't say, the messenger will have an answer when he returns today evening," Anakin replied.
The maid eyed them suspiciously as she set the table, then took her leave. A heavy silence followed.
"Nice place we have here." she said looking around the room and pulling her self into a sitting position.
Anakin nodded absent mindedly as he stared at the ceiling. Amidala looked up at the spot he was studying; scrunching her forehead in an effort to find out what was so absorbing. Looking back at him, she guessed he was keeping something from her.
"You have something to say?"
She saw him gulp and his eyes widened, as he vigorously nodded a no.
"Come on Anakin, out with it!" She commanded, gripping him by the arm with her uninjured hand and forcing him to face her.
"Anakin startled at her touch, putting his hand on hers he pressed it against his arm, "Padmé! I'm really sor...ry. It's all... my fault." He stammered. "I really didn't..."
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," a voice said from the door. Anakin sprang up like a jack-in-the-box at the chief's voice. His faced turned sickly pale as he stammered a welcome.
"Ah! Your Majesty is awake and well. Am I glad to see you?" The chief said as he walked towards the queen. He took her hand and kissed it bending a little. He was a proud but simple hearted man and Amidala was very fond of him.
"Chief Wakabu, I am so indebted to you for your help," she said.
"I know my presence here is endangering your people. You are very brave to let me...us stay here." She added looking at Anakin.
"No! No!" The Chief said shaking his head," this is the least the Capa can do to thank our benefactor from Theed. The Capa are ready to shed their last drop of blood for you."
Then picking up her hand he pointed to the ring, "This ring identifies you as one of my daughters-thus you are a Capa just as any one else in the village-it is the duty of every Capa to defend and protect one of theirs." Amidala could hardly swallow the lump forming in her throat.
"Your breakfast is still untouched! Come, come I'm sure you're very hungry." He said helping her out of the bed and into a chair.
They had their breakfast in silence, the chief offering them to have the shiftalu puje or remarking on the health benefits of kaadu milk.
"I didn't know you had taken a consort my daughter?" He asked after a short silence. Amidala nearly choked on her tea. It took her some time to recover; the chief quickly offered her a glass of water. She drank taking her time. Then she straightened up and smiled- Anakin swallowed hard, he was tense as a rope but managed to keep his composure.
"Well..."she started trying to think of something. She saw Anakin staring into space again, and drumming his fingers on the table.
"Actually it was a quite affair, a very, very quite affair." She stammered trying to avoid the chief's piercing gaze.
"Only a handful of my closest aids and close family were present at the wedding." At the word "wedding" Anakin's head jerked around, he stared at her, his jaws hanging, she kicked him hard under the table, which got his jaw back to where it belonged.
Twirling a loose lock of her hair in her fingers she turned to look at him, giving him a shy love struck smile.
He straightened up and composed himself nodding his head at the chief. "Yea! Only close friends." He repeated, nodding like a fool, with no idea where all this was going.
"It was my intention of making it official on my birthday two month later. My people would naturally want to make it a grand affair. But this coup got in the middle and..." Amidala shrugged.
Couldn't you wait until the official ceremony?" he asked.
"No!" She cut in abruptly thinking fast for an answer. She gave Anakin another kick.
"Well we...er hmm... thought we would have some time to our selves!" Anakin said playing along with her. "After the official ceremonies I will be bestowed by some official title, which will keep me too busy. I feared we would not have enough time to our selves." He said shrugging and over gesturing in a manner that had her giggling behind her hand.
"I see!" the chief said with a skeptical look on his face. So do you have the witness list?
"No!" Amidala cut in; "we sort of left in a hurry."
Actually, my people were concerned that a Kinanah was taking refuge here. He said looking her straight in the eyes. The fact that you don't have proof of your marriage compounds the problem immensely.
"Amidala's heart missed a beat."
"Unfortunately we city dwellers don't go round carrying our marriage certificates with us," Amidala said in a solemn tone.
"But the Capa do! "
Amidala raised an eyebrow in surprise! Chief Wakabu called out to his guard. He pointed to the amulet tattooed on the guard's arm, a flying bird of some kind.
"Each family had their own individual tattoo." he explained.
"I had to confirm it from you; though I am aware that your moral standards are as high as any Capa maiden's but some elements in my council prefer to label all outsiders as debauched." With that the chief got up, advising the queen to rest some more.
"I am sure you two would want some time together." He said as he headed for the door.
Anakin walked over to the Queen and felt her forehead.
"Good! No fever." Anakin thought.
Amidala opened her eyes as soon as he touched her. She gave him a weak smile. He turned her around so he could see her arm, it was a bit swollen, but there was no sign of infection.
"This man is a miracle healer!" Anakin said as he sat down besides her.
" I agree! I feel much better than before." She said weakly, "But I don't think I can face another journey on your speeder yet." she added
"You don't have to!" Anakin replied.
"I have sent a messenger to Thal Weil and if we're lucky we'll be traveling by Bongo. We'll have a bed ready for you and you can sleep all the way."
"When will it be coming?"
"Can't say, the messenger will have an answer when he returns today evening," Anakin replied.
The maid eyed them suspiciously as she set the table, then took her leave. A heavy silence followed.
"Nice place we have here." she said looking around the room and pulling her self into a sitting position.
Anakin nodded absent mindedly as he stared at the ceiling. Amidala looked up at the spot he was studying; scrunching her forehead in an effort to find out what was so absorbing. Looking back at him, she guessed he was keeping something from her.
"You have something to say?"
She saw him gulp and his eyes widened, as he vigorously nodded a no.
"Come on Anakin, out with it!" She commanded, gripping him by the arm with her uninjured hand and forcing him to face her.
"Anakin startled at her touch, putting his hand on hers he pressed it against his arm, "Padmé! I'm really sor...ry. It's all... my fault." He stammered. "I really didn't..."
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," a voice said from the door. Anakin sprang up like a jack-in-the-box at the chief's voice. His faced turned sickly pale as he stammered a welcome.
"Ah! Your Majesty is awake and well. Am I glad to see you?" The chief said as he walked towards the queen. He took her hand and kissed it bending a little. He was a proud but simple hearted man and Amidala was very fond of him.
"Chief Wakabu, I am so indebted to you for your help," she said.
"I know my presence here is endangering your people. You are very brave to let me...us stay here." She added looking at Anakin.
"No! No!" The Chief said shaking his head," this is the least the Capa can do to thank our benefactor from Theed. The Capa are ready to shed their last drop of blood for you."
Then picking up her hand he pointed to the ring, "This ring identifies you as one of my daughters-thus you are a Capa just as any one else in the village-it is the duty of every Capa to defend and protect one of theirs." Amidala could hardly swallow the lump forming in her throat.
"Your breakfast is still untouched! Come, come I'm sure you're very hungry." He said helping her out of the bed and into a chair.
They had their breakfast in silence, the chief offering them to have the shiftalu puje or remarking on the health benefits of kaadu milk.
"I didn't know you had taken a consort my daughter?" He asked after a short silence. Amidala nearly choked on her tea. It took her some time to recover; the chief quickly offered her a glass of water. She drank taking her time. Then she straightened up and smiled- Anakin swallowed hard, he was tense as a rope but managed to keep his composure.
"Well..."she started trying to think of something. She saw Anakin staring into space again, and drumming his fingers on the table.
"Actually it was a quite affair, a very, very quite affair." She stammered trying to avoid the chief's piercing gaze.
"Only a handful of my closest aids and close family were present at the wedding." At the word "wedding" Anakin's head jerked around, he stared at her, his jaws hanging, she kicked him hard under the table, which got his jaw back to where it belonged.
Twirling a loose lock of her hair in her fingers she turned to look at him, giving him a shy love struck smile.
He straightened up and composed himself nodding his head at the chief. "Yea! Only close friends." He repeated, nodding like a fool, with no idea where all this was going.
"It was my intention of making it official on my birthday two month later. My people would naturally want to make it a grand affair. But this coup got in the middle and..." Amidala shrugged.
Couldn't you wait until the official ceremony?" he asked.
"No!" She cut in abruptly thinking fast for an answer. She gave Anakin another kick.
"Well we...er hmm... thought we would have some time to our selves!" Anakin said playing along with her. "After the official ceremonies I will be bestowed by some official title, which will keep me too busy. I feared we would not have enough time to our selves." He said shrugging and over gesturing in a manner that had her giggling behind her hand.
"I see!" the chief said with a skeptical look on his face. So do you have the witness list?
"No!" Amidala cut in; "we sort of left in a hurry."
Actually, my people were concerned that a Kinanah was taking refuge here. He said looking her straight in the eyes. The fact that you don't have proof of your marriage compounds the problem immensely.
"Amidala's heart missed a beat."
"Unfortunately we city dwellers don't go round carrying our marriage certificates with us," Amidala said in a solemn tone.
"But the Capa do! "
Amidala raised an eyebrow in surprise! Chief Wakabu called out to his guard. He pointed to the amulet tattooed on the guard's arm, a flying bird of some kind.
"Each family had their own individual tattoo." he explained.
"I had to confirm it from you; though I am aware that your moral standards are as high as any Capa maiden's but some elements in my council prefer to label all outsiders as debauched." With that the chief got up, advising the queen to rest some more.
"I am sure you two would want some time together." He said as he headed for the door.