Amidala sagged into her chair.
"What was that about?" Anakin asked as soon as the door was shut behind them. "What's a kinanah? And why did you lie to him about us?"
Anakin we're in a mess!" She said, with a hardened expression.
"Its all my fault..." He began and was about to tell her about the ring incident in the infirmary, but Amidala stopped him.
"No Anakin, its MY fault, I have to be fair and take the responsibility. I should've explained every thing out there on the mesa-I would have if anger hadn't gotten the better of me." She said sighing heavily.
"If it is proven that we're not married..." She paused.
"Then what?" He asked, stretching his legs on the chair next to her. The idea of being called the queen's husband sounded quite appealing to him.
"At the least it will cause a scandal that will strip the chief off his leadership and me of my throne. At the most we could die?" She said grimly.
Then after a pause "I don't know about me but they certainly won't spare you".
"Die?" Anakin repeated incredulously as he sat up straight.
"Why?
"Because you have violated the law of itohi,"
"Why is this law so important? Asked Anakin, scrunching his brows together "don't think I've heard about it before.
"The Capa have many laws governing the tribe. They made twelve laws-which they call the greater laws of life and hundreds of other lesser laws. Mostly the laws stressed human harmony with nature. But the greater laws could never be broken. The penalty for doing so was death. And itohi-...is one of the greater laws.
"Death for trespassing, don't you thinks that's gross?"
Before she could answer the maid came in to clean up the breakfast table.
Amidala walked over to the window and stared out at the endless vista of green disappearing up into the mountains, trailing the rocky behemoths like a gigantic mantle.
Anakin watched as the maid left the room and closed the door behind her. Leaning on the window frame, arms crossed on his chest, he observed the serene features of the queen as a cool breeze gently swept back loose strands of hair off her face. He could see the far off mountains reflected in the dark pool of her brown eyes.
"So you were saying?" Anakin questioned, hating himself for disturbing the beautiful picture before him.
She broke out of her reverie with a startle, surprised to find him standing near her.
"You were telling me about their savage law, the one about bachelors."
'Oh Yes! Itohi- the ban of a bachelor from the main village at pain of death. Boys of age fifteen are moved out to the warrior villages where they stay till they are married, then only are they allowed back in to the main village."
"Agreed such a law is cruel, but what's that got to do with us?" Anakin asked nonchalantly.
"If it cannot be proved that you are my hus…band, you'll be hanging from one of those Kara trees outside the village gate before sundown." She said. Suddenly she reached a slender hand, placing it lightly on his arm.
There was a silent pause as the two stared at each other. Anakin saw the concern in her eyes.
"Isn't that going too far!" He snorted, throwing up his arms in a helpless gesture. "Death for wondering into the village by mistake! Surely there must be more lenient with outsiders who're ignorant of their laws."
"You remember about the Capa's opposition to the last government that I told you about. Well this particular law was the cause of that bloody and lengthy conflict in which several hundred warriors gave their lives."
Anakin shook his head in dismay," Why should they be paranoid about a bunch of bachelors?" He said. "I mean all the other peoples of Naboo are usually peaceful and extremely tolerant."
The queen walked over to the corner with the arranged sofas. "The Capa are not indigenous to Naboo-They've been here for only about 3000 years." She said as she sat down in one of the armchairs. Anakin raised an eyebrow. "The Naboo were here 7000 years before them!" She added in reply to his gesture.
"From where did they come and how did they land here?" Anakin asked plopping heavily onto the settee facing the queen.
"It's a long story!" she said. Observing her nails, which were in dire need of a good manicure-though Anakin would've considered them perfect.
"So we have all day!" Anakin said, as he stretched out on the plush coach, resting his hands behind his head.
Amidala too leaned back and began to recount Capa history.
The Capa are a race that originally migrated from a planet called Azmoria, now long forgotten. It was one of the biggest and technically advanced planets of the great Ceza system. Ruled by the planet's elders for millennia it enjoyed a peaceful and quite existence where modern technology and traditional values coexisted in harmony. They also co-existed peacefully with its smaller neighbors. War and destruction were unknown to them.
A group of ambitious young people calling themselves the modernists rose to power. They promised a much better life and more power to the people of Azmoria. To them tradition and religion were meaningless obstacles to Azmoria's ultimate destiny-to rule all of the Ceza system.
The Capa hold their ancestor in great respect but the modernist contented that there was no point in worshipping the dead. They ruthlessly prosecuted the elders and any one who backed their ideas. Within a century the whole social structure of Azmorian society changed drastically. Even the sacred covenant of marriage was scorned; giving rise to a new sexual freedom that destroyed the last fabric of the family structure and was replaced by selfishness and greed. The cities became hives of criminal activity.
Some people still hung to their old ways-though surreptitiously. They gathered other like minded people and escaped the planet. Some 5000 left the planet; they searched for several years staying here and there till they found Naboo, which was very similar topographically to their planet.
The Nubians being less in numbers themselves welcomed them when they learnt that the Capa were only interested in living in isolated villages and would not compete with them for agricultural land or industrial resources. Just like they had accepted gungans-whose interests did not overlap that of the Naboo. So the three races live in harmony.
Azmoria was destroyed by its own ingenuity. Stressing power and strength the modernist invested all the planet's resources into weapons stockpiles. Newer and more formidable weapons were developed which were ultimately used against them.
Azmoria may have been big and technically more formidable than its neighbors-who though smaller were greater in numbers. Perceiving Azmoria as a threat to their existence the smaller planets joined forces against the common enemy. War broke out and Azmoria was completely wiped out in the ensuing battle, when a freak enemy fighter crashed into a main depot storing extremely hazardous biological and chemical weapons. Nothing remains on the once great planet of Azmoria except a vast desert and poisoned seas.
The Capa vowed such a fate would not befall them or their descendants in their new homeland. The remaining elders formulated new laws-laws much more formidable than prevalent among them in Azmoria.
Anakin nodded his head knowingly. "This is pretty serious but there must be some way out. I'm sure there is." He said, as he looked at the sullen faced queen.
"What was that about?" Anakin asked as soon as the door was shut behind them. "What's a kinanah? And why did you lie to him about us?"
Anakin we're in a mess!" She said, with a hardened expression.
"Its all my fault..." He began and was about to tell her about the ring incident in the infirmary, but Amidala stopped him.
"No Anakin, its MY fault, I have to be fair and take the responsibility. I should've explained every thing out there on the mesa-I would have if anger hadn't gotten the better of me." She said sighing heavily.
"If it is proven that we're not married..." She paused.
"Then what?" He asked, stretching his legs on the chair next to her. The idea of being called the queen's husband sounded quite appealing to him.
"At the least it will cause a scandal that will strip the chief off his leadership and me of my throne. At the most we could die?" She said grimly.
Then after a pause "I don't know about me but they certainly won't spare you".
"Die?" Anakin repeated incredulously as he sat up straight.
"Why?
"Because you have violated the law of itohi,"
"Why is this law so important? Asked Anakin, scrunching his brows together "don't think I've heard about it before.
"The Capa have many laws governing the tribe. They made twelve laws-which they call the greater laws of life and hundreds of other lesser laws. Mostly the laws stressed human harmony with nature. But the greater laws could never be broken. The penalty for doing so was death. And itohi-...is one of the greater laws.
"Death for trespassing, don't you thinks that's gross?"
Before she could answer the maid came in to clean up the breakfast table.
Amidala walked over to the window and stared out at the endless vista of green disappearing up into the mountains, trailing the rocky behemoths like a gigantic mantle.
Anakin watched as the maid left the room and closed the door behind her. Leaning on the window frame, arms crossed on his chest, he observed the serene features of the queen as a cool breeze gently swept back loose strands of hair off her face. He could see the far off mountains reflected in the dark pool of her brown eyes.
"So you were saying?" Anakin questioned, hating himself for disturbing the beautiful picture before him.
She broke out of her reverie with a startle, surprised to find him standing near her.
"You were telling me about their savage law, the one about bachelors."
'Oh Yes! Itohi- the ban of a bachelor from the main village at pain of death. Boys of age fifteen are moved out to the warrior villages where they stay till they are married, then only are they allowed back in to the main village."
"Agreed such a law is cruel, but what's that got to do with us?" Anakin asked nonchalantly.
"If it cannot be proved that you are my hus…band, you'll be hanging from one of those Kara trees outside the village gate before sundown." She said. Suddenly she reached a slender hand, placing it lightly on his arm.
There was a silent pause as the two stared at each other. Anakin saw the concern in her eyes.
"Isn't that going too far!" He snorted, throwing up his arms in a helpless gesture. "Death for wondering into the village by mistake! Surely there must be more lenient with outsiders who're ignorant of their laws."
"You remember about the Capa's opposition to the last government that I told you about. Well this particular law was the cause of that bloody and lengthy conflict in which several hundred warriors gave their lives."
Anakin shook his head in dismay," Why should they be paranoid about a bunch of bachelors?" He said. "I mean all the other peoples of Naboo are usually peaceful and extremely tolerant."
The queen walked over to the corner with the arranged sofas. "The Capa are not indigenous to Naboo-They've been here for only about 3000 years." She said as she sat down in one of the armchairs. Anakin raised an eyebrow. "The Naboo were here 7000 years before them!" She added in reply to his gesture.
"From where did they come and how did they land here?" Anakin asked plopping heavily onto the settee facing the queen.
"It's a long story!" she said. Observing her nails, which were in dire need of a good manicure-though Anakin would've considered them perfect.
"So we have all day!" Anakin said, as he stretched out on the plush coach, resting his hands behind his head.
Amidala too leaned back and began to recount Capa history.
The Capa are a race that originally migrated from a planet called Azmoria, now long forgotten. It was one of the biggest and technically advanced planets of the great Ceza system. Ruled by the planet's elders for millennia it enjoyed a peaceful and quite existence where modern technology and traditional values coexisted in harmony. They also co-existed peacefully with its smaller neighbors. War and destruction were unknown to them.
A group of ambitious young people calling themselves the modernists rose to power. They promised a much better life and more power to the people of Azmoria. To them tradition and religion were meaningless obstacles to Azmoria's ultimate destiny-to rule all of the Ceza system.
The Capa hold their ancestor in great respect but the modernist contented that there was no point in worshipping the dead. They ruthlessly prosecuted the elders and any one who backed their ideas. Within a century the whole social structure of Azmorian society changed drastically. Even the sacred covenant of marriage was scorned; giving rise to a new sexual freedom that destroyed the last fabric of the family structure and was replaced by selfishness and greed. The cities became hives of criminal activity.
Some people still hung to their old ways-though surreptitiously. They gathered other like minded people and escaped the planet. Some 5000 left the planet; they searched for several years staying here and there till they found Naboo, which was very similar topographically to their planet.
The Nubians being less in numbers themselves welcomed them when they learnt that the Capa were only interested in living in isolated villages and would not compete with them for agricultural land or industrial resources. Just like they had accepted gungans-whose interests did not overlap that of the Naboo. So the three races live in harmony.
Azmoria was destroyed by its own ingenuity. Stressing power and strength the modernist invested all the planet's resources into weapons stockpiles. Newer and more formidable weapons were developed which were ultimately used against them.
Azmoria may have been big and technically more formidable than its neighbors-who though smaller were greater in numbers. Perceiving Azmoria as a threat to their existence the smaller planets joined forces against the common enemy. War broke out and Azmoria was completely wiped out in the ensuing battle, when a freak enemy fighter crashed into a main depot storing extremely hazardous biological and chemical weapons. Nothing remains on the once great planet of Azmoria except a vast desert and poisoned seas.
The Capa vowed such a fate would not befall them or their descendants in their new homeland. The remaining elders formulated new laws-laws much more formidable than prevalent among them in Azmoria.
Anakin nodded his head knowingly. "This is pretty serious but there must be some way out. I'm sure there is." He said, as he looked at the sullen faced queen.