Chapter 8, Post 1
Sabé lowered her hood as she carried Mara in her arms, following behind Bail as she, Saché, and Rabé approached his personal cruiser. There was a lingering fear on her mind that the airmen on duty would recognize her, Saché, Rabé and Mara and they would arrest her, but as a former bodyguard and decoy, Sabé knew the best thing she could do was remain calm, even if they were identified.
"Captain," Bail greeted the airmen.
"Your highness," he said, checked his clearance. Sabé could see he took out a holopad, reviewing his clearance and then occasionally, glanced at Sabé, Saché and Rabé before switching off the pad and allowing Bail to pass. Sabé sighed, following behind Saché and Rabé but was startled when she felt the airmen's hand on her arm. "Hold on a minute, m' lady. Is this your child?"
Sabé smiled uncomfortably, holding Mara closer to her. "Yes."
The airmen glanced at the handmaidens and then smiled, making kooky faces at Mara. "She's adorable, so cute. My brother-in-law has a baby girl too, but she's a little younger than her. But she's still really adorable."
Sabé smiled. "Um, thank you...may we go now?"
"Oh yes, of course. Have a safe trip!" he said as she followed Bail, Saché, and Rabé.
Sabé ran up to Saché. "I thought for a minute he recognized us and was going to arrest me."
Rabé shared her worry.. "I thought the same thing too, but I doubt the Chancellor has put out notices to watch for anyone in particular leaving Coruscant. If Obi-Wan and Padmé were able to leave safely, there's no need to worry. But we haven't even left the ground yet, so it isn't entirely impossible that we won't be caught."
"Rabé's right," Bail added and placed his hands around Sabé's shoulders, "Have faith, Sabé -- we will get through this." Sabé looked back at him and smiled, and caught up again with Rabé and Saché.
Sabé guided Mara into her seat, and then she reached to the right shoulder and pulled down a strap and buckled her in, as Saché and Rabé entered the cabin and sat down. Sabé looked at them and smiled wryly.
"How are you doing?" Rabé asked first. "I talked to Bail up front and he said when you called him, you were dazed and panicked."
She shrugged. "How am I supposed to be? My husband left me, which he promised he wouldn't do before I got back, and now I have to go into hiding with Mara until he finds us, which I doubt is possible at this moment because I don't know where we are going."
"We're going to Alderaan," Saché added. "Alderaan is neutral territory, Bail said, so we'll be safe there. He said we'll be living inside the palace." she smirked.
"What is that for?" Sabé asked, sitting down with them.
"What was 'what' for?" she asked innocently.
Rabé snickered. "She was talking about the smirk, Sach. What was that for? Does someone have a little crush on our host?"
Saché made a face, sitting back in her chair, "No. I'm just saying, we get to stay in a big palace once again, but this time we won't be handmaidens, Rabs. We'll be guests."
"Or prisoners," Sabé added. "It isn't exciting, Saché, and most likely Bail won't allow us to leave the palace, otherwise risk arrest or someone recognizing us."
"True, but we'll be prisoners living in luxury," she said. "The bigger plus outweighs the minus."
Rabé shook her head and laughed. "You will never change, will you, Saché? Always the party girl, fantasizing in your own little world, and never facing reality."
Saché shrugged. "If you grow up too quickly, there's always a risk of becoming too mature quickly. There are times to be serious and there are times to relax and let happen, happen. And to not worry so much about things, because if you worry too much, you'll always worry and you'll grow old. And I don't want to become old so quickly."
"Ah, now that makes sense. I always thought there was no reason why between the six of us, you never grew up." Sabé teased.
"I like to think of myself as growing up, but very slowly ...I don't mind that at all."
Sabé glanced back at Mara, and then looked at Saché. "Your life lessons, Saché, are indispensable. Never change," she said, and then left them, walking up to the cockpit.
"Bail, I need to ask you one more favor," Sabé started.
Bail side-glanced at Sabé and then put the craft on autopilot and swiftly turned his chair to her. "Sabé, if this is about Mara..."
"Oh no, this isn't about Mara. It's about her father," she paused and sighed. "I was wandering if there is a way for you to find out where he has gone with Padmé."
Bail frowned. "I thought you had given up hope of reuniting with him?"
"I just want to know where he is," she said and stood up from the co-pilot chair, pacing the cockpit. "Mara's too young to understand any of this, but I do know if she ever asks when she is going to see her father again, I won't know what to tell her. I won't know, for the most part, because I don't know where he is. Even if we never see each other for a long time, I still want to know."
He sighed, rubbing his head. "I don't think he took registered transport and if he was able to leave Coruscant, he probably left under an assumed name, Padmé too ...It'll hard to track them both.."
"I know, but please try Bail." she said
Bail promised he would try, and then Sabé left the cockpit, rejoining Rabé and Saché.
"What are you doing?" she asked as he stood in the middle of the cold floor, moving out slowly in a series of exercises.
Ben shrugged, following through with the katas' final moves and then once he reached the last one, he glanced at Padmé briefly. "I made a mistake."
Padmé frowned, confused by his tone. "What are you talking about?"
"I shouldn't have left without her...and Mara. I promised her I wouldn't and then I was gone, I went ahead without her and left her that note on the holopad, trying to explain my actions," he almost spat, disgusted with himself for doing it. "It wasn't right." He finished the kata and turned to Padmé. "She...Sabé deserved better than that."
"Probably, but after knowing her for so many years, one thing Sabé does NOT do is hold grudges. She may be angry with you for lying to her but she won't hold it against you, because in the end, she'll realize you had no other choice. She'll understand why you did it."
Ben frowned, still doubtful of his actions. "But Mara...if something happens to her...she can barely defend herself...She was only learning how to use a lightsaber before all of this happened."
Padmé was quiet, she didn't know how to comfort him. Mara was a brave girl, strong like her father, smart and fast but her skills, she only understood small things, not the bigger things she could do or would be capable of. "If Sabé wants her to continue training, she will, if she thinks it would help her."
"But how can she train Mara? Sabé knows nothing of the Jedi arts. True, she was married to me, but she isn't a Jedi," he said and sighed again. "Perhaps, it would be best if she not continue. Sabé's alone now, she doesn't have me with her and as a current single mother without a father, who happens to be a Jedi, it would look suspicious if she trained Mara in secret. They need each other now, and the last thing Sabé would want is to put Mara's life in danger because of it." he concluded.
Padmé looked away briefly, feeling the weight of his words. She was a mother now, and most likely, her children could not learn the ways of the Jedi because of everything going on. It would be too dangerous for them to learn too early and it would be too dangerous for them to be kept together. She could die -- Anakin would never know about her death, and if she were in hiding, her death would not be recognized as a significant event. No one would know, her children wouldn't know.
Finally, Padmé looked back at Obi-Wan. He was relaxed or trying to relax himself doing another set of katas. She watched him as he moved slowly from once stance to another, and vaguely recognized the way he was moving was like watching Anakin train with his lightsaber. "How do you do these things again?" she asked suddenly. "I remember watching Anakin practice one of these exercises -- you probably told him to. He didn't like it too much and joked with me there were other ways he could relax."
Obi-Wan chuckled and said, "I don't recall ever using that line with Sabé." He turned to Padmé and positioned her a couple feet from him, and made her hold out her hands in front of her. "The first thing to remember is that each stance blends into another. An experienced Jedi would move faster as he went through each stance but for our purposes, you must move slower so you can get a better feel of the moves and the changes."
He planted his feet on the floor and moved around slowly, his hands and arm flowing outward, pushing and stretching. "Actually, Qui-Gon would make me practice katas if during a lightsaber practice I was sloppy on my moves, which is probably why I made Anakin do them."
Padmé laughed to herself and then calmed down as Obi-Wan finished and then Padmé mimicked what he had done. When she was through, Obi-Wan applauded her. "Very good. Between you and Anakin, I'd say you're the better student."
"You were always a good teacher and friend, Obi-Wan." Padmé said and smiled. Still, Obi-Wan frowned and grabbed his shirt, put it on and sat down on the crates against the wall. Padmé frowned and sat on the crate beside him. "You were always a good teacher. Anakin, he was just --- stubborn, reckless and..."
"...impulsive?"
"Those are things that made him Anakin. But those characteristics are not a reflection of your abilities as a teacher. You and Anakin were two different people. He chose darkness because ...because..."
Obi-Wan finished for her.. "...because he wanted more. He wanted more than you, he loved power and control more than he should have loved you." Padmé sat speechless. Obi-Wan wasn't sure if she was appalled by what he had said, or was deciding if she should slap him and demand to leave, or all three. "I'm sorry. I was out of line with that comment.."
"No, I think you're right," she said, "He wanted more than me and what he wanted was something I could not give him."
"When I first learned about your marriage, I was angry and felt betrayed. Then, I realized how much he must have hated that Sabé and I were allowed to lead the life he wanted ...I knew how to relate him because I was married and had a child, and then I also realized it was more than that. He wanted acceptance. He wanted a lot of things he was forbidden to have, while I was given the easy road to all of things he could have."
Padmé bit her lip, and touched his shoulder. "I know he's not coming back, and talking about what once was is pointless because we can't go back. You don't have to pretend that -- and you cannot blame yourself for his mistakes either, Obi-Wan. Those were his decisions alone. I don't blame you."
He smiled, bowing his head slightly, "Thank you, m'lady and I promise, from now on, m' lady, there will be no more talk of the past and the decisions that were made."
tbc
Chapter 8, Post 2
"Welcome to back home, m' lord," Carrisa greeted, as Sabé, Rabé and Saché stood behind him, Mara standing closely next to Sabé, hiding in her skirts. The handmaiden smiled at Rabé and Saché and then noticed Mara hiding and smiled. "Hello, what's your name?"
Sabé nudged her daughter and Mara moved away from her mother's skirts. "Mara."
"Welcome to Alderaan, Mara," she said and looked up at Sabé, and then directed her attention to Bail. "The quarters you requested are ready."
Bail looked over the holopads as they walked through the garden to the royal palace. Saché smirked as they entered through the grand hall. Mara stopped hiding behind her mother's dress and ran ahead of them, staring in awe of the palace. The Jedi Temple was the only place she had lived in that was big, but the palace looked a lot bigger. "Mara!" Sabé called and she stopped staring, running to catch up with the group.
"Carrisa, will show you to your quarters." Bail said and Sabé, Saché and Rabé grabbed their things, following the handmaiden. Mara almost lost them while she was looking but quickly followed again.
"You're Sabé Maberrie, former Nubian Foreign Ambassador," Carrisa said. Sabé looked at her, alarmed and then she smiled. "It's all right. No one here agrees with Palpatine or what he is doing in the Senate. We're not a "warring" society. War nearly destroyed Alderaan the first time it got involved and the Prince has made sure, in every crisis, that he does not involve us."
Sabé shrugged. "The Naboo doesn't like war, either...but politics isn't my arena anymore. It hasn't been for some time."
"I think that's good," she said. "It can be bothersome sometimes and overwhelming."
"You were in politics before you became a handmaiden?" Saché asked from behind.
Carrisa looked back at her and laughed. "Oh no, my mother was, but she quit after she married my father. She said the only politics there should be in our house is that mom and dad are always right, and pleading for extra allowance is asking for trouble."
Rabé laughed. "Oh, I know, believe I know all about that. I have two daughters."
They turned a corner down another hallway and then stopped. Carrisa pulled out an ident card and slid it through a scanner and the door opened. Sabé sighed, and then walked inside. A grand queen-sized bed rested against the wall to the left and in the back of the room were a dresser and coffee table. "There's an adjoining room for you two," Carrisa said and removed an extra ident card and gave it to Rabé. "Your room is identical to this one except there are two separate beds. I have an extra card to come in and out to do house cleaning."
Carrisa smiled at Sabé and Mara, and then left. Rabé grabbed her bags and told Saché to check out the other room, while Sabé walked over to the bed and dropped onto it.
"Here we are," Obi-Wan said as the handmaiden showed Padmé inside the hut, located not far from the Alderaanian Palace. He knew if he asked Bail to give them quarters, he would but Ben didn't want to bother him. Padmé was a good friend of his, but even she didn't want to inconvenience him. Padmé looked again at their new, temporary home -- it was small, a single living room, the kitchen and main room became one and further back, she could see two separate small rooms. "Thank you, handmaiden, for your assistance."
She smiled. "Is this your first time on Alderaan?"
"I've stayed here before," he said and looked at Padmé. "Um, how far is the Palace from here?"
"Not far, the royal garden is 10-15 minutes from here," the handmaiden said. "Do you have an appointment with his highness?"
"No, I don't -- actually, I'm an old friend and I wanted to talk to him," Ben said. As he talked with the handmaiden, Padmé wandered around the hut, exploring the rooms. When she came back, the handmaiden had gone. "I need to talk to Bail sometime while we're here about something, but first, we need to get you settled."
"Um, I think I'll take the room on the right side of the hall."
Ben looked at her suspiciously. "What if I like the room on the right?"
"Trust me, you won't. It's for a woman," she said and went back to her room. Obi-Wan's face turned red, and then he followed Padmé, going into his room on the left.
"What are you doing?" Rabé asked curiously as Saché sat in front of the holo center, scrolling through a directory. Much to her own dismay, Rabé stopped unpacking and walked over, and kneeled next to her. She only saw the names and but once she recognized the accented "é" on all of them, she knew instantly what Saché was planning to do. "Saché, no, you can 't...!"
"Yes, I can," she said and clicked on Yané's profile. She copied down Yané's address and personal number. "We already volunteered to look after Sabé and Mara. Don't tell me we can do the jobs all by ourselves, because I know it can't be done."
Rabé huffed, crossing her arms. "You're simply impossible, Sach. We can't bother them with our business..."
"Exactly, this is our business, which means only family can be trusted to look after them," Saché said and then clicked on the personal ID link and a new screen came up. "You know if one us were in trouble, they'd drop everything they were doing to come and be with us. Sabé needs their support, too."
Rabé hesitated, unsure what to say. She moved forward slightly, Saché moved forward, and then Rabé moved back and Saché relaxed, and then Rabé leaned forward again, back, forward and then the fourth time, she moved forward, she backed down and let Saché compose the message.
It read:
iDear Yané,
Rabé, Sabé, Mara and I are on Alderaan, staying in the Alderaanian Palace...can you come and see us? We have a lot to talk about.
Hope to see you soon,
Saché/i
Day 1:
As Sabé stood at the center of the Royal Garden, she noted the fountain in the center at the opening and on opposite sides, there were two entrances to the maze. She left Mara with Rabé and Saché so she could go out for a run, something she hadn't done since her handmaiden days. She remembered Captain Panaka made it regulation for all the handmaidens to run for two hours each day, to not only stay healthy, but keep them alert as well. The adrenalin helped them become aware of situations and taught them how to look at their surroundings and anticipate actions. Sabé also remembered how much Saché hated those runs because she didn't like to wake up early.
She studied the maze, anticipating the turns and possible errors if she chose the wrong path and how long it would take to get back to the original point before her error.i /Or I could just run the maze, instead of standing here and thinking about it./i she said to herself.
Sabé looked up at the sky, noting the time and then looked again to the two entrance ways. She closed her eyes and held up her hand, pointing to her destination. When she opened her eyes, her finger was pointing to the right. Sabé smiled and ran towards the right entrance.
"Are you sure it was wise to let her out on her own?" Saché asked as Rabé received their lunch from Carrisa. Rabé thanked Carrisa, and then she left as Saché continued to shadow behind her. Mara watched her caretakers curiously. She remembered meeting her aunts one time, but she had never met any of her mother's friends. These two seemed to be an odd couple, almost the complete opposite personality. Saché was carefree and rarely did anything that wasn't impulsive, and Rabé was more like the motherly figure but Mara found to be more strict and conservative. It was an interesting contrast. "What if someone recognizes her while she's out there?"
"And why are you suddenly worried?" Rabé shot back. "Didn't you say awhile ago it was a good idea because it was close to the Palace?"
Saché shrugged. "Yes, but that was before I realized there are very few guards posted out there..."
Rabé smirked. "I'm sure, because the Palace belongs to the royal family, and we are guests here, his highness has guards monitoring her during her run. He wouldn't let her run carelessly through without anyone watching her."
"Shadow guards?" she asked, "...but what if...?"
"Saché, I thought you weren't supposed to worry too much because you said, if you did, that would mean you're growing up, and that is one thing you don't want to do?" Rabé interrupted her.
Saché stopped talking, replaying her own words and then once she remembered, her cheeks turned rosier and she backed down, sitting at the table, next to Mara, waiting for her meal. Rabé sighed and sat down herself, serving the two other "children" at the table.
Sabé bent down on her knees, breathing heavily as she looked up at the trail in front of her. She wasn't sure where she was in the maze; she could have been in the middle or way off the real path. The purpose of the run was to clear her mind of everything that had been happening in the last hours. Sabé didn't want to think about what had happened on Coruscant, how things were quickly falling part before her eyes, and so many other things...Anakin...He was one of those things she didn't want to think about either.
All of it had started with him. He became jealous of Obi-Wan because he was allowed to marry and have a child, family, comfort, and all the things Anakin envied about him. Then, he married Padmé in secret and then she became pregnant, and now Anakin was gone, leaving behind a widow and unborn children. Sabé muttered something to herself, and then wiped her forehead of sweat and continued on through the maze.
"When is Mama coming back?" Mara asked as she played with her food.
Rabé looked at the girl and smiled. "She'll be back soon. She just needs to clear her head. Mommy needs her private time too, Mara."
"She does have a point..it has been awhile since she last checked in." Saché said, eating some of her food.
"She'll be fine. Remember, we were all trained to defend ourselves in certain situations," Rabé said, and then went over to the closet, grabbed a scarf, and left the suite.
He watched her. He followed her moves as she ran about the maze. She had been there barely even a day and already she was running about. It was careless, in his opinion, but she had always been that way. She was hard to control. He moved away from the window and sat down again at his desk. He had no long-term plan for her stay there. The handmaidens had volunteered to go with her as Mara's nurses, but maybe it would have been safer if they stayed on Coruscant. Alderaan was still dangerous ground - he had to talk with her as soon as she finished her run.
"Milord."
Bail turned, facing his handmaiden. "Thank you, Carrisa, for coming. I want Lady Sabé to see me as soon as she's finished her with run through the maze," he said. "Have Mara's nurses settled in alright?"
"Yes, M' lord," she said, and then looked to the window, and then noticed the way Bail looked at her. "Excuse me, M' lord, but where's the girl's father? I did not see him when you arrived."
"He left them...He had other priorities to attend to."
"Oh," Carrisa whispered, bowed and quietly left the room.
Rabé stood at the foot of the balcony, overlooking the maze. Her eyes followed the maze from its entrance as she traced the turns. Sabé probably did something like that before she headed out, but probably didn't stand there long. Finally, Rabé caught sight of her not far from where she started in the maze. Rabé backtracked and then left the balcony, running down the stairs to the entrance of the garden.
"Rabé, how did you find me?" Sabé asked as her old friend walked towards her and started to escort her out of the maze. "Is Mara all right?"
"Mara's fine, Saché just got worried about you. We made a mistake, Sabé. We shouldn't have let you run by yourself," she said. On their way back, Sabé took note of the path she was taking and the missed turns she should have made but didn't. Rabé smiled. "If you want to run it again later, wait for me or Saché."
Sabé smiled thanks and didn't say anything else until they left the maze, and walked inside the foyer. Carrisa looked up at them as they came inside, and she rushed down the stairs, greeting them. "Your highness wants a word you," she said, her comment directed at Sabé.
Rabé looked again at Sabé, and then she nodded for her to return to Saché and Mara, and as the former handmaiden left, Sabé followed Carrisa to Bail's office.
"It was foolish," he said, looking out the window as Sabé sat in front of his desk. "It was probably my mistake in not telling you not to go off on your own, around the Palace." Bail turned to Sabé, his hands clasped around his back as he looked at her.
Sabé shrugged, looking down and whispered, "I'm sorry for the disrespect, m' lord." She glanced at him. "If there's nothing else, I'll return to Mara now..."
"No, wait," Bail said and beckoned her closer. "Perhaps I haven't been the best host during your stay here ...I want you and Mara to have dinner with me, tonight."
Sabé blinked, taken aback by the sudden change in conversation. "Dinner? I um, thank you, m' lord, but Mara and I were going to have dinner tonight with Saché and Rabé."
Bail smiled. "I understand. Tomorrow night, then. There's a lot we need to discuss, including about the whereabouts of your husband."
Sabé couldn't help but smile a little. Even if she wouldn't be able to reunite with him, it was still good to know if he was safe somewhere else and Padmé too. She worried because of Padmé's condition. "Thank you, m' lord." Sabé said, rose and quietly left the chamber.
tbc
Chapter 8, Post 2
"Wait a minute, he asked you to join him for dinner tonight, but you declined?" Saché asked. Sabé sat next to Mara at the table, cleaning her mouth. She turned briefly but didn't say anything as she and Rabé exchanged amused glances.
"And you said no because you wanted to have dinner with us?" she asked. "That's nice that you made us your excuse, but he's a Prince, royalty, and he asked you to dinner and you said "no"? What were you thinking! Are you out of your mind? I would jump at the chance to have dinner with royalty!"
Sabé laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you would Sach -- but I don't think I'm ready yet."
Rabé looked at her curiously, and then understood her reluctance. "Personally Sabé, I don't think that is the prince's intentions. He knows you're still in love with Obi-Wan, and would want nothing more than to be reunited with him."
"Yes, but what if he does feel that way?" she asked. "I don't want to lead him on and make him think I feel that way too, when I don't have those feelings for him. I love Obi-Wan, I spent six years married to him ...I loved him my whole life."
Saché studied both women, trying to decipher their conversation until she realized what they were talking about. "You think Bail Organa is in love with you?"
Sabé froze and suddenly felt uncomfortable, her face went pale and she reached over the table and poured herself some juice. "First of all, I don't know what this dinner tomorrow night is about. He mentioned there was a lot to discuss -- that could mean anything. But since we're only his guests, he'll probably lay down some ground rules for us to follow while we're here. If he happens to mention where Obi-Wan is, or how he's doing, that'll be nice. At least then, I will know. And finally, if he confesses his undying love to me, I will let him down gently and tell him I'm not ready for another relationship so early after Obi-Wan."
Saché's jaw dropped, totally floored and confused. "Have you ever thought about who will raise Mara in the event something happens to you? He could provide that security for her..." Rabé glared at Saché but she continued. "I know, you're still hoping for Obi-Wan to come back for you, Sabé, but we have to think realistically here...Oh, did I just say that?"
Rabé smiled. "You did, but Saché does have a point. Saché and I will eventually return to Naboo to be our families ...I worry each day about my girls."
"I know, but I'm not ready...If Bail feels that way about me, I can't return those feelings and it wouldn't be right for me to be in a relationship with him, if only for Mara's sake incase something happens to me. I couldn't do that."
"I think that's enough debate for today," Rabé declared. "We won't know anything about the prince's intentions until tomorrow night, unless Sabé tells him tonight."
Sabé crossed her arms, looking at her friends suspiciously. "You two don't want to have dinner with me and Mara?"
Saché smiled and patted her shoulder. "It's not that we don't love you and want to spend time with you, Sabé, but ...I mean, he's a prince and offered dinner!"
"All right, all right, I'll talk to him tonight," she said. "You two can be so bossy sometimes."
Rabé and Saché smiled. "Yes, but we know what's best for you, sister," Saché said.
Sabé stood there, in the middle of the hallway, going over what she would say. She didn't know why she was so nervous. Bail was a good friend of hers. i/A friend/i, she realized, i/a good friend and nothing more../i Sabé checked her hair in the mirror one more time and then entered the study. Carrisa said he would be there, but the room was empty, and then Bail entered from another room.
He crossed the floor and sat down at his check, holding two holopads in his hands. He barely noticed Sabé at the door. After awhile, she cleared her throat and he looked up and smiled at her. "Oh Sabé, I didn't see you there ...Didn't I just talk to you?"
"You did," she said and walked over to the seat in front of his desk, "but after talking with Rabé and Saché, I realized my mistake. I should have said "yes" the first time that you asked me. Your highness, I would ---" Sabé stopped, thinking about her next words. She didn't want to lead him on. "I would like to have dinner with you tonight."
Bail smiled. "Good. I was hoping you'd change your mind," he said. "As I said before, we have a lot to discuss."
"Um, your highness ---."
"Bail, Sabé. We're old friends, it's okay to call me Bail," he interrupted her.
Sabé smiled and blushed a little. "Bail, I -- I don't know how to ask this. Tonight, at dinner...is it formal or informal wear?" i/Formal or informal wear? You were supposed to ask his intentions, you idiot! Fine, lead him on, make him believe you feel the same way./i her conscious yelled back at her. She smiled kindly, replying back to herself. i/I'll tell him tonight, I'll tell him tonight/i
"I only asked because I didn't bring my whole wardrobe to Alderaan, only what I could manage." she said.
"Whatever you like, although we won't be dining in the grand dinner hall."
Sabé frowned. "Grand dinner hall?"
Bail smiled and laughed. "I'm kidding, we don't have one of those." Sabé laughed uncomfortably as he continued, "Carrisa will set you up with a dress, if you like, and give you the details of where to meet me."
"Wonderful," Sabé said and stood up. "Thank you, your -- Bail. I'll see you tonight."
"I look forward to it."
"Padmé, I'm going out to the market to get some food," Obi-Wan called to her room. "One thing I forgot to do before I left Coruscant is grab the leftovers. Alya, the handmaiden that showed us in yesterday, will stop by to keep you company."
Padmé came from her room, carrying her book, nibbling on some cookies. "How long will you be?" she asked between bites.
Obi-Wan shrugged. "I don't know, we don't have that much food and between the two of us, you'll probably be eating more than me." He grinned. "I won't be long. Hopefully, I'll be back before dark. You have my com number, in case you need to reach me."
"All right." she said and then went to sit down at the table, eating her cookie and reading the rest of her book.
tbc
Chapter 8, Post 3
Sabé twisted her hair and put it to one side of her neck as Saché and Rabé watched her from behind. She reached for the brush on the table and then started to comb her hair and then Rabé walked behind her, taking the pins on the table and began to play with her hair. "You don't have to do that," she said.
"I can't believe you didn't ask him what this dinner was about, but you still insist it's nothing. Now, here you are, playing dress-up and will probably make a fool of yourself," Rabé said, and then looked at Sabé's reflection in the mirror. "I think it's better to keep your hair down. Up is too formal."
"But, if she keeps it up and he sees how much trouble you put into getting ready, you never know..."
Sabé frowned, laying out all of the make-up on the table and then handed one powder box to Rabé. "Oh, stop it, Saché! Bail knows we're just friends, and it has always been that way and it will never change. So stop the insinuations!"
Saché shrugged. "Between the three of us, I've always thought I was the smart one. We know he's your friend, a good friend, but what if underneath it all, maybe he means more to you than you think..."
"He doesn't. You two need to stop putting ideas into my head, this isn't a romantic dinner. It's a diplomatic dinner, a dinner between two old friends and nothing more. You can either stay here and help me get ready, or leave and I'll prepare myself."
"And what were you planning on wearing for the evening?" Saché asked curiously, snooping through her dresses.
Sabé looked at Saché's reflection in the mirror. "The one hanging on the closet door."
Saché held the dress in her hands, taking a good look at it. It was a traditional white corseted gown, with long sleeveless gloves and low neckline. "I'd say you picked a good one. If you don't talk about whatever Bail wants to talk about, he can always shower you with poetry and sonnets about how beautiful you look."
Sabé glared at Saché, and she hung the dress back on the door.
Bail glanced at the chrono on his desk, and then stood up, walking to the adjoining dining room. Carrisa was giving another handmaiden last minute directions. She looked at Bail, and then told the handmaiden to go the kitchen. Carrisa bowed. "M' lord, everything is nearly ready for m' lady," she said.
Bail thanked her and then she left the prince to his thoughts. In the back of his mind, he wasn't sure why he asked Sabé to dinner. He wanted to talk to her about rules she and Mara, and her handmaidens, should follow while she was there -- and the location of Obi-Wan and Padmé. A local woman told one of his handmaidens about a couple, a pregnant woman and a man renting a hut not far from the market place. The woman looked to be seven months pregnant and she recognized the man as "General Kenobi" - known throughout the Republic.
Still, he wasn't sure what to do. He could tell Sabé he knew Ben was on Alderaan, but she would leave the palace ground, even if he insisted it wasn't safe. However, since Obi-Wan hadn't asked him for protection, probably meant he had the situation under control. And he wasn't sure if Sabé was ready to see him after he had abandoned her and Mara on Coruscant.
He remembered when Sabé came to him. She was a wreck, emotionally and physically. In his opinion, she seemed on the brink of insanity. Mara probably wondered when she was going to see her father again, and it wouldn't matter to her the circumstances why he left. But to Sabé, it would matter.
Bail saw two possible scenarios of what would happen if Obi-Wan and Sabé reunited: Sabé could be angry with him for doing what he did, and sever ties with him completely, or she could forgive him and realize he did it because he had to and reunite with him. For some reason, the second scenario scared him.
He felt pity for Sabé when she came to him for help because he cared about what would happen to her and Mara. Obi-Wan had been her foundation for many years, and he was gone, and she had no foundation, no one to support and care for her...
Bail stopped himself, and then went back to the study. As he neared his desk, he looked up, and standing there at the front door was an angel. He studied every detail of the dress, and tried to remember every detail in his mind - the way the curls of hair rested her shoulders, the corset of the dress hugging her body in all the right places. It wasn't diplomatic dress for a diplomatic dinner.
"I wasn't sure what to wear..." Sabé started and then Bail moved aside and he guided her to the next room.
"You look fine," Bail said, not averting his eyes from her as she sat down across from at the table. Bail signaled Carrisa and she came out with two other handmaidens, carrying trays of food. A third servant appeared and poured wine for both of them.
Sabé laughed, drinking the wine. "Are you sure this is a diplomatic dinner and not a romantic interlude?"
"I didn't say it was romantic or diplomatic, but I did need to talk to you about many things," Bail said and then cleared his throat. "First, ground rules for you and Mara staying here. You cannot leave the palace unless you have a handmaiden with you. It can be yours or one of mine, it doesn't matter. Second, I would advise you not to leave in the early morning but late afternoon. You must be escorted by a handmaiden at all times if you are walking about..."
"Sounds like a prison." Sabé muttered between drinks.
Bail frowned and looked at her. "It's for your safety, Sabé. If something happens to you, who will take care of Mara? You have Rabé and Saché, but they probably won't stay long. Rabé has family back on Naboo and she'll want to return to them."
"Um, that's something else," Sabé added. "I have family there too; my sisters and parents. I haven't talked to them since I left Coruscant and they probably don't even know I've gone. I need to let them know I'm all right."
"Done. Word will reach your family about your safety," Bail said and then continued. "There are other house rules, but I don't want to talk about them now. How are you and Mara settling in?"
Sabé shrugged. "We're doing fine ...Sorry I couldn't bring her along. Rabé put her down for a nap after lunch."
Bail waved his hand and smiled. "Another time, perhaps." He looked at the table. "I believe Carrisa ordered her chefs to make Nubian dishes..."
"...it was sad he wasn't able to make Mara's 7th birthday, but duty calls. He and Anakin were told by the Council to go to Eol Sha to rescue a bunch of refugees. It would have been selfish of me to ask him to stay, if only for Mara's birthday," Sabé explained to Bail as they both sat on the couch, still drinking wine. "If I asked him to stay, it would be a dead argument. He would have to go in the end because people needed him."
Bail shrugged, pouring more wine. "Yes, but he could have asked the Council to give the assignment to another Master and Padawan."
"I suppose," Sabé whispered. "That's when it happened. I don't know all of the details because he didn't tell me everything, but he dueled against Anakin, and Anakin fell into one of the volcanoes. I think he'd been on Eol Sha for a couple more days before leaving for Coruscant."
He nodded, "I never met Skywalker, but I heard he was very gifted, and you were, in a way, an adoptive mother to him. What was that like?"
Sabé smiled. "I didn't give him orders to clean his room when it was dirty, or give him curfews. He lived in the Senate building, and Obi-Wan couldn't stop by everyday and check up on him. I couldn't because I had my Basic classes, and looking after Mara too," she paused, "but I think that's where it all went wrong. No one checked up on him."
"Maybe," Bail said. "You can't blame yourself for not being there less and less. You didn't know Anakin would turn to the Dark Side."
"Actually, I think I did know. I knew all along it would happen. There were signs everywhere. Not long after Mara was born, she developed this sixth sense about people's emotions. She sensed in Anakin, there was something dark about him. Every time he came near her, she cried. Then later, after she had gotten older and knew Anakin a little bit better, she stopped crying. And then there was Palpatine, he scared her too. There were a lot of missed signs, and I almost came close to connecting it all, but I didn't want to believe it was possible."
"Things always happen for a reason," Bail said and fingered his glass. "Can I ask you something, Sabé? How do you feel now?"
Sabé shrugged, "Right now? I feel relaxed, of course, that could be because of the wine..." She raised her glass, looking at it.
Bail laughed. "I meant how do you feel now about Obi-Wan?"
"I don't know, actually. Before I left Coruscant, I was scared and angry. I didn't know how to interpret Obi-Wan's leaving. I remember asking him not to go anywhere until I got back because I wanted to drop Mara with Rabé and Saché. And then I got back and he was gone. I felt betrayed that he lied to me. I didn't know if he had planned to leave all along, or if he couldn't wait for me to return." Sabé paused. "When I ran in the maze, it helped me to see things more clearly. I know if he had any suspicion Padmé's life was in danger, he'd see to it she was protected. He even told me she had married Anakin and was pregnant with his children. I didn't know that. And I guess there a lot of things I will never know." Sabé took another sip of her wine, the last drop in her glass. "Oh, we're out of wine. Mine as well, I don't want to go back to my room, a drunken woman."
Bail laughed. "Some dessert, perhaps?"
Sabé shook her head. "Oh no, please." But she still nibbled on nearby brownies. "Why did you ask about my feelings for Obi-Wan?"
"I was curious. I mean, him leaving all of the sudden like that and then the way you reacted afterwards and now you're here on Alderaan..."
"Is it something more than my state-of-mind?" Sabé interrupted.
Bail shrugged. "I was curious about that too. You weren't exactly sane when you asked me for help."
"I don't remember the way I acted. I've sort of blocked it out of my mind, but I guess that means I was probably close to going insane," Sabé theorized. "But as far as I know, I haven't done or said anything since to make people around me to think I'm insane."
"There's a fine line between sanity and insanity," Bail said. "I'd say you were on the boundary."
Sabé raised an eyebrow. "Then, I must have found some way to be sane again. When I figure out what it is that made me sane again, I'll let you know," she joked, "But other than that, why did you ask?"
Bail fidgeted. "I don't know how to say this ...You're a very good friend of mine, Sabé. I respect your views on matters, your quick whit, grace and ...I don't know if I should tell you this now. You've only been separated from Obi-Wan one day."
"No, whatever it is, say it, otherwise I might have to schedule another dinner tomorrow night to find out."
"That too. I love your whit and the way..."
Sabé turned away from him, feeling uncomfortable again. "Oh no," she muttered. "Rabé and Saché warned me about this but I didn't listen to them. Don't tell me. You're going to tell me next how much you love everything about me, and that you love me. Am I right?"
Bail frowned, listening to her words. "I wasn't sure how I felt before, but essentially, I would say yes."
Sabé moaned and hid her face in her hands, mumbling Nubian curses.
"But I'd say I'm in love with you, deeply."
"No, you can't. You can't be!" she cried, standing up from the couch and pacing about. "I'm sorry, Bail, but this can't happen. Even though Obi-Wan and I are separated, I'm still married to him. And I still love him. I've loved him since I was a girl when I first met him as a Padawan. I can't love anyone else. Our love was fated to be, destined. I knew it then and I still know it now." Sabé set her wineglass on the table. "I have to leave now. I shouldn't have come here."
"No Sabé, wait," Bail pleaded, holding her wrist as she stood there at the table. Sabé looked at him scornfully, and then Bail leaned down and kissed her. Sabé struggled for a moment, relaxed and then pushed herself away. She stared at him for a moment, and then ran from the room.
Dinner was officially over.
tbc