The ride to the palace wasover quickly, and it was a good thing, Obi-Wan decided. The construction of the convertible vessel not providing an adequate windbreak to make conversation possible, and the King drove way too fast for his taste.
The man pulled the speeder up behind the back entry gate of the palace and walked forward through it, leaving the attendance of the vehicle to a servant. Obi-Wan walked quickly to keep up with his long strides, the knight's eyes moving to and fro, attempting to capture just a glimpse of the Lady of Lonessa.
Another servant took the King's cloak as he continued walking into a large room with an impressive fireplace and mahogany desk, the walls comprised of shelves teeming with holonovels. The large man took a seat behind the desk and motioned for Obi-Wan to sit in front of it.
The young knight dropped his pack on the floor and eased into the comfortable, leather-backed chair.
"Lady Amidala informs me that you are a Jedi Knight." He began, lacing his fingers together and leaning over the massive table.
"That's correct." Obi-Wan kept his answer succinct.
"Fascinating." The older man replied, his blue eyes twinkling as he leaned back in his seat. "I have studied the history of the Temple and the Sith. I have several novels on the subject. I think I should have been trained as a Jedi." He continued with a grin. "But alas, I lack the genetics."
Obi-Wan sat in silence, listening to the man speak. Indeed, he would have been a powerful Jedi. His very presence demanded attention. But a strong personality and athletic build were not prerequisites to becoming a Jedi. If it were, Qui-Gon Jinn would have been a Master.
Suddenly, the large man beamed and rose from his seat. "Ah, there you are, my dear."
A blush crept along Obi-Wan's neck as he rose from his seat as well and turned to face the one person he was dying to see and at the same time never wanted to see again.
He held his breath as the King grasped Padmé's hand and leaned far down to place a tender kiss on her cheek.
"I was just speaking to your rescuer." He said to the young woman, turning his head immediately, revealing a slightly embarrassed grin. "I'm sorry. I never asked your name."
"Obi-Wan Kenobi." The knight replied, unable to tear his eyes away from the brown orbs that so conveniently dismissed him and settled upon the King.
"I was about to ask him to stay with us a few days. Perhaps he would like to attend the wedding ceremony."
Obi-Wan wondered if anyone in the room had heard his loud gulp as he listened to the King's thoughts.
"What do you think of the idea, my dear?"
Only then did Padmé turn her head to gaze upon the young man, her head held proud, her face defiant. "I'm sure that Jedi Kenobi has other things he should be doing."
The very thought of her trying to get rid of him strengthened Obi-Wan's resolve. So, she thought she could dismiss him as easily as that, did she? And so he quickly chose to speak up for himself.
"I need to contact the Jedi Temple, but I'm sure that there is nothing urgent for me to attend to. I would be pleased to spend some time here on Naboo and be your guest at the wedding ceremony."
He kept his eyes focused on Padmé's face and grinned broadly at the noticeable twitch of her left eye.
"Excellent!" The King stated loudly, clapping his broad hand firmly onto the back of the young knight. "I will be sure to have a seat saved for you in the chapel close to the front. I wouldn't want you to miss a thing."
"Neither would I." Obi-Wan replied with a smirk, keeping his focus on the young woman, who had indeed turned several shades of red during the conversation, but her eyes had widened with aggravation, and Obi-Wan nearly regretted his haste in his decision.
"Now, before third meal is served, I would very much like to you to demonstrate the use of your lightsaber. I've read all about them, but I've never seen one up close."
Obi-Wan turned his attention to the taller man and inclined his head in agreement. "Of course."
This seemed to please the King immensely and he took Padmé by the hand and moved to leave the room. However, the young woman stopped him. "Qui, before Knight Kenobi does his weapons demonstration, I would like to have a word with him." At the King's raised brow of query, she hurried on. "I would like to thank him personally for saving all of our lives."
"Of course." Qui-Gon replied, placing a tender kiss to the woman's forehead. "Knight Kenobi, I will meet you in the south garden by the stables. The servant outside of the door will show you the way."
"I look forward to it." Obi-Wan answered genuinely and watched as the King exited the room, a grin brightening his face. The man was everything he had read about him and more. Easy going, friendly, intelligent. Under different circumstances, they might have been great friends.
His smile disappeared however, as he turned and met the glare of the Lady of Lonessa.
"What do you think you're doing?" She blurted out, placing her hands firmly upon her hips.
"Accepting a generous invitation, Mi'Lady. Naboo is a beautiful planet. I would like to see more of it."
Padmé's eyes narrowed skeptically.
"You're not fooling me one bit, Jedi Kenobi."
"Call me Obi-Wan."
A dramatic sigh escaped Padmé before she continued. "You're not fooling me one bit, Jedi Kenobi," she enunciated more clearly this time. "But you're wasting your time. I'm getting married in two days and there's nothing you can do or say to stop that."
Obi-Wan chose not to reply to her accusation, but merely smiled in response, apparently infuriating the young woman even more as she turned and stormed from the room.
His words, "We'll see about that" floated on a whisper behind her.