Chapter 6: Lady Vader's Début
Vader knew her dress was uncomfortable and Padmé knew that he was enjoying watching her squirm. Per his orders, the dress was black and was sleeveless so as to flatter her beauty. The top part shimmered and was quite snug, but the skirt part fluffed out in a mass of feathers. In her carefully pinned hair were dozens of diamonded pins and they matched the extravagant necklace and earrings she wore. Black gloves stretched up past her elbow.
Earlier, when she had put on her japor necklace that he had given her as a child, Vader had screamed at her and, ripping it off her neck, had thrown it across the room.
Padmé would have done anything to have been able to wear that simple token of a child's affection, but alas, the dazzling necklace was to coldly replace it.
Brusquely, he took her hand and harshly gripped it in his own so tightly that she cried out in pain. His sharp blue eyes seemed to laugh at her. "Are you ready for your introduction into society, Lady Vader?"
Turning her head away from him, she refused to answer. Her heart was pounding wildly, and all for a good reason- to upset her, Vader had arranged a huge ball where he could formally introduce his secret wife. On the other side of the grand doors waited friend and foe, all of them waiting to stare and whisper about her.
"My lovely, why do you shun me?" he whispered, roughly grabbing her jaw and forcing her to look at him.
"I do not think shunning is the appropriate term," she said stiffly.
He surely would have hit her, but at that moment, a servant a asked, "My Lord, are you ready to enter into the ballroom?"
Nonchalantly waving his hand, Vader tightened his grip even more on her hand. "Smile and be pretty," he hissed into her ear.
The doors flung open and it was all Padmé could do to not faint right then and there. Still, Vader did not notice her uneasiness as he practically led her through the door and to the top of the stair well.
No applause rang out- all of the guests gasped as they saw the man behind Vader's mask.
And who Lady Vader was.
The Hero With No Fear and their beloved Senator from Naboo had betrayed them.
Somewhere in the crowd, the Senator from Alderaan held his two-year-old daughter close.
An evil smirk was on Vader's face as he gazed down on the people of whom he held with an iron fist.
It was Breha Organa who noticed how afraid Padmé looked and she covertly whispered her thoughts to her husband. From there, the opinion rippled through the crowd of guests.
Silently, Vader led Padmé down the numerous steps, going at his own pace though it caused a struggle for her. With a malicious look, he realized that she had intentionally slowed down and, with a sharp tug, yanked her to his side.
Suddenly filled with dread, Padmé realized where he was taking her.
To the Emperor.
A sick look was on Palpatine's face as he watched Vader drag his reluctant wife towards him.
To the crowd's horror, they watched Padmé struggle against her husband, but all knew that there was nothing that they could do to help her.
"My Lord," Vader said as soon as they were both standing before Palpatine.
"I see you are enjoying yourself," the Emperor sneered. "Lord Vader, I enjoy watching your progress with her." With a dismissive wave, he strode away, leaving Padmé trembling.
"Why don't you go join your rebel friends?" Vader said coolly, looking towards Bail Organa and raising his eyebrows. "See how they love you now? Go on," he urged when she resolutely remained by his side, "I would hate for you to miss out on one of the few human interactions you will get for a long time."
Wondering if he was just baiting her, Padmé remained still until he lightly shoved her forward. Stumbling, tears filled her eyes as she tried to not weep in pain. Eyes, many eyes were watching her and she could literally feel them boring through her, reading the weakness that was written on her heart.
As he raised his hand in warning, she rushed over to where Bail stood, but unlike what Vader had requested, she just stood there, too humiliated to say anything.
That is, until she found a curious pair of brown eyes peering up at her.
Startled, Padmé found herself looking into eyes much like her own.
"Padmé, you have given birth to a daughter," Obi-Wan said in a hushed tone, gently holding out the squirming baby for her to see.
Intense love washed over Padmé as she saw the beautiful little being that she had carried for the past eight months.
"Leia," the name rolled off of her tongue. "Leia Skywalker."
With a start, Padmé stood stiff.
Leia Organa.
Leia Skwalker.
"Hello Leia," she said, a smile covering her rosy lips.
The little two year old looked up at her in confusion but then slipped her little hand into Padmé's.
Silently, the Organa's gasped and Breha's hand reflexively tightened on Bail's arm.
"You're a cute little thing," Padmé said as she sat down on the nearby couch, Leia scampering to sit on her lap.
Force, how much Leia looked like Anakin!
Gently, and almost reverently, Padmé touched the soft curls that adorned Leia's head. How hard it was for her to believe that, just two years ago, this precious little girl had been growing within her.
Before Vader took her baby from her.
"Mommy says that," Leia grinned.
This hurt Padmé more than anything and, for a moment, her smile wavered. "You have wonderful parents, Leia."
Reverently, the little girl nodded. "I love Mommy and Daddy."
By looking at her friends, Padmé could easily tell that this was true, for Bail and Breha, under the tight smiles they wore, were obviously frightened.
"Ah, Padme, how do you like the little Organa princess?" Vader said from behind them. All of the adults jumped while Leia didn't even blink. Hastily, Padmé returned the little girl back to Bail.
"Charming," she replied tightly as she stood up. "She reminds me of the child… we lost."
"Good," said he, "because she is going to be your housemate for quite some time."
Afterall, as they
said, treachery was the way of the Sith.
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