Padmé's handmaidens tease her about her "love burn."

Mark of Possession

by the Yellow Dart

(This story can also be found at the Pad-Ani Fanfic Archive (www (dot) padanifanfic (dot) com).)

"Senator Amidala, what is that on your neck?"

Padmé turned away, unwilling to meet either of her handmaidens' eyes. "I do not know what you are talking about."

"She's blushing, Ellé!"

"I am not!" Padmé brought her hand up to the bright red spot on her neck that Ellé and Moteé were talking about. She remembered very well how she had gotten this small love burn, but she was not going to give her handmaidens any fuel for their gossipy minds.

"That looks like a hickey!" Ellé reached up to pull Padmé's hand away.

Padmé stood and took a few steps away from Ellé so the younger woman could not further scrutinize her neck. "A hickey?"

"You know what a hickey is." Moteé followed Padmé to a corner of the room.

"No, I have no idea what you are talking about. And, please, I would appreciate a moment's privacy so I can continue to dress. I must be at the Senate in less than a standard hour!"

Ellé shook her head. "You know, Senator, a hickey, the ancient mark of possession."

"From a lover," Moteé added.

"You two are ridiculous." Padmé pulled her robe over her shoulders and then slipped her feet into her shoes.

"Who is the lucky man?"

"What happened when you were at home last month?" Ellé added.

"I -- Nothing! Now, I am insisting the two of you end this line of questioning immediately." She practically stomped out of the room with the two handmaidens on her heels.

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

"I heard that!"

Ellé grabbed Padmé's shoulder. "Please, just let us help you camouflage the mark." Her voice became not more than a whisper when she said, "You can tell us, M'lady. Was it that handsome Jedi who accompanied you?"

"Yes, Anakin Skywalker does have it especially bad for you, M'lady."

Padmé touched the redish welt with her fingertip. "What do you want me to tell you? That Anakin and I had a wild tryst in the lake country that ended with our declaring our undying love for each other and marrying?"

"Well . . ." Ellé looked at Moteé and they both nodded.

"What would you do if I told you that this mark was a symbol of our undying commitment to each other?"

"Are you serious?"

Moteé added, "You are teasing us."

Padmé shrugged and stormed toward the door. "If you are so sure this is a lover's possession mark, then why not a marriage seal?"

"We never --"

"-- If you think I had a torrid affair, then why not a secret marriage?" As they entered the windowed lift, she turned her attention to the Jedi temple far in the distance.

"We are sorry, Senator. It's just . . ." Moteé brushed her hand across her forehead.

Elle continued, "We saw a Holo-recording this morning --"

"-- Admittedly, it wasn't from the most reputable news source --"

"-- But, M'lady, they produced a holo-pic of Padawan Skywalker and they asked the question --"

"-- What woman won the handsome Jedi's heart? They showed his possession mark . . . and it was in precisely the same place as yours."

"Oh," was all Padmé could say in response.

The End.

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