Qui-Gon brushed by Padmé's petite form as she stood in the doorway and entered her personal cabin, ducking his head under the doorframe as he went.
"I need to speak with you, your highness." The revered Jedi Master said before moving to the opposite side of the room in order to gaze out the space portal.
Rabé's eyes widened in surprise as Sabé pointed toward Qui-Gon's back, a similar question on her own face. Not one for uncomfortable confrontations, Eirtaé had already fled the room.
Padmé raised her hands and arched her brows in order to show them she had no idea why Qui-Gon had barged in, and why he appeared so aggravated.
Once realizing that the man was obviously waiting for them to be alone, Padmé thumbed the other girls toward the door. Sabé brushed her arm sympathetically before she left.
"What's on your mind, Master Jinn?" Padmé boldly opened the conversation.
"I know what you're after, your highness. Or should I say: I know what you've been up to." He replied without turning around.
Padmé's mouth gaped open and she immediately felt sick to her stomach. How had he found out? And what would he do with that information?
Padmé inhaled a deep breath and relaxed her hands she had unknowingly fisted into tight balls.
"What do you mean?" She began cautiously, her heart beating rapidly with dread as the much taller man turned to face her.
"I shun your affections and you immediately turn your attention toward my apprentice? Obi-Wan is not innocent, but then neither are you, apparently." He stated with a smirk. "My concern is that my apprentice is not aware of the reasons behind your actions: That you have an ulterior motive for your flirtations."
Padmé pondered Jinn's accusation, relief blossoming on her face. She tried to disguise her reaction quickly, but by the curious gaze that Qui-Gon now wore, she was afraid that she had revealed too much. She spun away from him to hide her face.
He didn't know about her deal with the Trade Federation after all!
"That's not what's going on, Master Jinn." She attempted to assure him, using her regal tone of voice.
"Isn't it? You have approximately five months before your sixteenth birthday. I am aware of your responsibility of marriage before that time. I am also aware of the Holonet site that you visit frequently."
Padmé blushed as she swept her hand up and over her mouth. What had she ever seen in this man? All he ever did was embarrass her.
"I admit that the handmaidens and I visit that site from time to time." Padmé noted as she turned to meet his piercing gaze. "And I admit that my interest in you was merely a crush. A crush which I've completely gotten over, by the way." She added with her own smirk, making a mental note of the point she scored, evident by the look of surprise on Qui-Gon's face.
"Which only confirms my initial belief that you are an immature and fickle young lady." He replied with venom.
Padmé's victorious smirk quickly turned to a frown.
"And how convenient for you that the object of your affections, being myself," he continued, strolling closer toward her, "just so happened to be assigned to intervene on your behalf…"
Qui-Gon's words tapered off as a sudden realization began to dawn.
Padmé recognized the change in his features and her heart fluttered with worry. She hurried to explain, hoping to distract the Jedi Master's current train of thought.
"I assure you, Master Jinn, that my feelings for Obi-Wan…" She began, but was abruptly silenced by a raised hand.
"Very convenient." Qui-Gon stated with focused accusation. "You set this up, didn't you? There was no treaty with the Trade Federation."
"There most certainly was!" Padmé countered defiantly, but she couldn't hide the shame written on her face and Qui-Gon had seen right through to it.
"You lured us here under false pretenses in order to arrange a marriage so that you could keep your throne."
Padmé opened her mouth to convince him otherwise, but the words wouldn't come. She was tired of the deceit and the lies. Maybe it was time for everyone to know the truth.
Well. Almost everyone.
Qui-Gon's intense gazefocused on her once more. "Regarding your recent actions, your highness, I don't believe you deserve to keep the throne."
Qui-Gon moved toward the doorway as if to leave, but Padmé pursued him, grabbing a hold of his dark brown cloak. His words had stung, mostly because they were true, but before he left, there was something she needed to know.
"Obi-Wan doesn't know, does he?" She asked with a pleading tone.
"Not yet." Qui-Gon responded flatly as he moved into the hall, but Padmé followed him.
"Please don't tell him."
"He has a right to know. At least for the sake of the mission. Either you tell him, or I will." The Jedi Master responded with finality, and Padmé believed him.
"I'll tell Obi-Wan. I promise." Padmé replied as Qui-Gon stormed away, but this time, she didn't stop him.
"Just not yet." She murmured quietly before spinning around to retreat back to her cabin, but her path once more was blocked by a man wearing a dark brown robe.
"Tell me what?" asked Obi-Wan.