chap 46
He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes letting the information sink in. He did not know what to make of it-not at this moment.
The Queen marrying his padawan-was that good or bad? What would the council say? Was he to blame in anyway? He wished he'd listened to Panaka and personally accompanied the Queen it was his fault entirely.
Obi-Wan opened his eyes, letting out a huge sigh he straightened up again.
"Husband?" Obi-Wan repeated as he shook his head from side to side. Things were going too fast for him. He just did not know what to make of it. This was a completely unforeseen development. He had concentrated on training his padawan to be a Jedi, training him in discipline, self-defense and the art of negotiating and implementing peace in the galaxy. Marriage was something that never even occurred to him. However, deep down he was relieved immensely that Anakin had not betrayed him just for base pleasure. He was sure his padawan had a good reason to marry the queen.
"Well…I guess then its not such a…" He stopped and stared up at his padawan, suddenly aware of the man before him. He wondered when in the last couple of months had the boy grown into a man.
"How?" Was all he could muster.
Anakin squirmed uneasily," it's a long story master."
"But… Anakin she's so much older, a queen, you're not even a knight yet!"
Anakin shrugged his shoulders, "It was destined master, and I had no choice in it." There was a long pause.
"I knew it a long time ago-when I first set eyes on her at wattoo's shop. It seems the force doesn't have the same reservations about age as us mortal do," Anakin added in a low voice as he examined the floor.
"The council had scheduled your trials for next month,"
Anakin's head shot up.
"But I deferred it until this little crisis was over." Obi-Wan continued.
"This new developments will probably delay things at the least…"
"Ah the groom is up!" A cheery voice called up from behind causing both of them to turn their heads. They were met by a wide, all too familiar, toothless grin.
Obi-Wan greeted the elderly chief with a small bow of his head.
"Well! Well! The chief exclaimed looking Anakin up and down, a lopsided grin gracing his weathered face. Anakin did not like the look of it. He shuffled his feet, pulling his shirt tight around him. He felt naked and bare whenever the chief gave him the once over.
"Quite a night you've had, my boy." The chief quipped.
"Oh! Oh!" Anakin groaned, as he began to wipe frantically at his face, "I'm sure I got Padmé to clean her make-up before she got into bed." Anakin thought.
"Heh! Heh! The chief chuckled, "Your face is quite clean, but your buttons are done all wrong, is this some new fashion? And oh these seams standing up on your shoulders are quite becoming indeed."
Just then, Captain Panaka joined the group. While the chief was busy greeting the Captain, Anakin glanced cautiously at his shoulders from the corners of his eyes- his cheeks turned red when he realized he was wearing his shirt inside out.
"Why is the force punishing me?" Anakin groaned and closed his eyes as the group broke into laughter. Even his master was laughing.
"What could be worse than to be humiliated in front of one's master?"
He heard giggling from behind. He spun around sharply.
There in the doorway to their room stood Padmé, her hand on her mouth trying hard to appear dignified.
"Oh! No! Anakin groaned."
"Good morning gentlemen!" She announced in a cool voice, composing herself as soon as she realized she had attracted the attention of the company. The three men bowed in greeting. Anakin just stood there.
"Please come in," She said in a crisp voice.
Captain Panaka, Obi-Wan and the chief filed past the waiting queen and into the room. Amidala waited for Anakin.
He just stood there frozen-his head turned back an awestruck expression plastered on his face. He forgot about his shirt and just stared at the figure standing in the doorway
Padmé was dressed in a pastel pink sleeveless gown made of a soft shimmering material. The gown had a loose flowing skirt but the bodice was rather form fitting, accentuating her firm breasts and small waist. A long scarf was draped across her neck. Her hair was gathered up in a neat bun, except for a few loose tendrils, which hung down delicately down both cheeks. Anakin swallowed hard as his pulse began to race.
.
Padmé raised one arched eyebrow quizzically, as she waited for him to respond.
"Well?" She asked.
But he just ogled at her. He could see her almost glowing like some ethereal being as the early morning sun streamed in behind her from the open balcony.
"You ARE an angel!" He said softly.
She smiled; pleased at the effect her appearance was having on him. "Aren't you coming in? I really think you should come in and change that shirt if you want to avoid further embarrassment."
"Huh! Oh! Right!" Anakin said looking himself over and feeling foolish again. He rushed past her, deliberately brushing his body against her; he glanced at her longingly one more time, before disappearing behind the panel screen set up near the fresher door that passed of as a temporary dressing room.
Amidala turned to enter the room, a small smile still gracing her face, when she came face to face with the ice-cold stare of Captain Panaka.
He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes letting the information sink in. He did not know what to make of it-not at this moment.
The Queen marrying his padawan-was that good or bad? What would the council say? Was he to blame in anyway? He wished he'd listened to Panaka and personally accompanied the Queen it was his fault entirely.
Obi-Wan opened his eyes, letting out a huge sigh he straightened up again.
"Husband?" Obi-Wan repeated as he shook his head from side to side. Things were going too fast for him. He just did not know what to make of it. This was a completely unforeseen development. He had concentrated on training his padawan to be a Jedi, training him in discipline, self-defense and the art of negotiating and implementing peace in the galaxy. Marriage was something that never even occurred to him. However, deep down he was relieved immensely that Anakin had not betrayed him just for base pleasure. He was sure his padawan had a good reason to marry the queen.
"Well…I guess then its not such a…" He stopped and stared up at his padawan, suddenly aware of the man before him. He wondered when in the last couple of months had the boy grown into a man.
"How?" Was all he could muster.
Anakin squirmed uneasily," it's a long story master."
"But… Anakin she's so much older, a queen, you're not even a knight yet!"
Anakin shrugged his shoulders, "It was destined master, and I had no choice in it." There was a long pause.
"I knew it a long time ago-when I first set eyes on her at wattoo's shop. It seems the force doesn't have the same reservations about age as us mortal do," Anakin added in a low voice as he examined the floor.
"The council had scheduled your trials for next month,"
Anakin's head shot up.
"But I deferred it until this little crisis was over." Obi-Wan continued.
"This new developments will probably delay things at the least…"
"Ah the groom is up!" A cheery voice called up from behind causing both of them to turn their heads. They were met by a wide, all too familiar, toothless grin.
Obi-Wan greeted the elderly chief with a small bow of his head.
"Well! Well! The chief exclaimed looking Anakin up and down, a lopsided grin gracing his weathered face. Anakin did not like the look of it. He shuffled his feet, pulling his shirt tight around him. He felt naked and bare whenever the chief gave him the once over.
"Quite a night you've had, my boy." The chief quipped.
"Oh! Oh!" Anakin groaned, as he began to wipe frantically at his face, "I'm sure I got Padmé to clean her make-up before she got into bed." Anakin thought.
"Heh! Heh! The chief chuckled, "Your face is quite clean, but your buttons are done all wrong, is this some new fashion? And oh these seams standing up on your shoulders are quite becoming indeed."
Just then, Captain Panaka joined the group. While the chief was busy greeting the Captain, Anakin glanced cautiously at his shoulders from the corners of his eyes- his cheeks turned red when he realized he was wearing his shirt inside out.
"Why is the force punishing me?" Anakin groaned and closed his eyes as the group broke into laughter. Even his master was laughing.
"What could be worse than to be humiliated in front of one's master?"
He heard giggling from behind. He spun around sharply.
There in the doorway to their room stood Padmé, her hand on her mouth trying hard to appear dignified.
"Oh! No! Anakin groaned."
"Good morning gentlemen!" She announced in a cool voice, composing herself as soon as she realized she had attracted the attention of the company. The three men bowed in greeting. Anakin just stood there.
"Please come in," She said in a crisp voice.
Captain Panaka, Obi-Wan and the chief filed past the waiting queen and into the room. Amidala waited for Anakin.
He just stood there frozen-his head turned back an awestruck expression plastered on his face. He forgot about his shirt and just stared at the figure standing in the doorway
Padmé was dressed in a pastel pink sleeveless gown made of a soft shimmering material. The gown had a loose flowing skirt but the bodice was rather form fitting, accentuating her firm breasts and small waist. A long scarf was draped across her neck. Her hair was gathered up in a neat bun, except for a few loose tendrils, which hung down delicately down both cheeks. Anakin swallowed hard as his pulse began to race.
.
Padmé raised one arched eyebrow quizzically, as she waited for him to respond.
"Well?" She asked.
But he just ogled at her. He could see her almost glowing like some ethereal being as the early morning sun streamed in behind her from the open balcony.
"You ARE an angel!" He said softly.
She smiled; pleased at the effect her appearance was having on him. "Aren't you coming in? I really think you should come in and change that shirt if you want to avoid further embarrassment."
"Huh! Oh! Right!" Anakin said looking himself over and feeling foolish again. He rushed past her, deliberately brushing his body against her; he glanced at her longingly one more time, before disappearing behind the panel screen set up near the fresher door that passed of as a temporary dressing room.
Amidala turned to enter the room, a small smile still gracing her face, when she came face to face with the ice-cold stare of Captain Panaka.