This chapter and the next will be a little shorter than I'd originally planned, but it is all going to be super fluffy and might be leading to something a little smutty so... look out for that.

Chapter 8

There was a mix of pride and exhaustion that she felt radiating from herself as she settled into her vanity chair at the end of the long day. Sola had dismissed her handmaids to allow them a night to themselves since it was the very least she could do after they had tirelessly helped her rearrange her schedule for the day and sorted through the things that needed to be done urgently so that other less pressing matters could be done later. It was hard work for them and with her day done, all she had left to do was take her hair down and sleep. Her feet ached from the heels she had worn most of the day and her eyes felt heavy even under the light layer of natural colored makeup she wore. She reached into her hair and pulled out the pins that held her tight bun together, letting her brown locks fall to her shoulders. With a brush, she carefully ran it through her hair as she took great care to untangle any knots that had formed.

Overall, she was satisfied with how her day had been. It had taken several meetings with several other companies and negotiating for a reasonable price on the new building for the Foundation for Children, but after a series of potential contractors, she found one that came within a reasonable price. N.G. Industries had sent one of their company reps, a man named Lott Dod, to present their estimate to her and after a little back and forth with the number, he came out to £1.87 million— a much more reasonable price for her to commit to. A quick gander at the contract to make sure all was sound, and then her signature and seal gave the company the approval to begin construction. A few weeks from now, she'll be unveiling her first charity contribution as Queen. She couldn't wait.


Their lips fused in a slow languid kiss as they lay out in the field. Padme sat atop him, her legs straddling him as her hands ran through his hair. His hands stayed on her hip, climbing only as high as her back as his neck craned to chase her lips and keep the kiss going. This wasn't what she had originally planned when they first arrived in the meadow for a nice picnic lunch. The lush grass danced in the breeze from the roaring wind caused by the waterfalls that surrounded them on three sides. Things had started out well enough, with light conversation about things she hadn't thought about in years, and he had playfully mocked her political ambitions; but as their food ran out, he had come up with a brilliantly stupid idea.

The fields were home to a large herd of deer that roamed the grassy terrain. For the most part, they were quite docile and happy enough to share the space with people… at least until one Anakin Skywalker decided to try and pet one. The doe in question had been grazing peacefully with her fawn when Anakin tried to approach slowly. He had gotten within touching distance, when the buck let out loud grunt and charged, startling the herd to flee while the male aimed to fend off the perceived threat. Naturally, Anakin ran, hoping that the buck wouldn't try to skewer him on his antlers, but the animal was too fast and Anakin ended up tripping over his own feet as the buck reached him. A loud thud and Anakin was rolling on the ground as the buck trampled over him, stopping a few feet from him and turning back to let out another warning grunt before running off in the direction of the rest of the herd.

Padme had watched the entire scene as it unfolded and once the buck had left, she waited where she stood, her hands twitching with nervousness as Anakin tried to push himself up but only to fall back down onto the ground. Worried, she rushed to him, calling out his name as she fell in beside him and rolled him onto his back to see the damage that had been done. But where she expected him to be groaning in pain, with a few cuts and bruises, she found him laughing historically. He had tricked her. He made her think he had been hurt and with a mix of anger and relief that he was alright, she hit him repeatedly on the chest for scaring her. Anakin didn't seem to mind, instead grabbing her by the waist and rolling her onto her back, but Padme was not content to give up the fight and so rolled him onto his back. Over and over they rolled until they were both out of breath and Anakin was laying in the grass with her on top of him. They were both smiling, blissfully content as they stared at each other.

A small glint in Anakin's eye and the way his lips parted though, had Padme cock her head to the side. "What is it?" She'd asked.

He was still out of breath, as he gave a small shake of his head, "You're just… so beautiful," He said, so honestly and unabashed, that it made her heart flutter in her chest and she could not fight the urge she had in that moment to simply kiss him.

They stayed like that for a long time, enjoying the feel of each other's lips, giving in to the adoring feelings, cautious about going too far, but still wanting so much more. His fingers twisted into her hair, pulling it free from its ties as she ran her fingers along the light stubble on his jaw. Every action felt coordinated, as they seemed to move in sync with one another.

They way she was positioned over him, had her back feel a little stiff, but it was nothing compared to the feel of lips on hers, the heat that seemed to radiate into her from his chest. It was a little uncomfortable, she had to admit, but a little shifting had her sliding down to a position that was a bit more comfortable, though to her unexpected surprise, his sharp intake of breath and the way his hips shifted, gave her a little warning of the affect she had on him. The moment she felt the hardened evidence of his arousal, Anakin was the first to pull back. His cheeks were flushed and his jaw was slack as he shifted under her, clearly embarrassed by the natural reaction his body had.

Neither of them seemed to want to acknowledge it, neither really knew how anyway; so, instead, Padme simply smiled at him and rolled onto her side next to him. Curling into his side, she ran her hand through his hair again, petting him with affection before kissing his lips again. The day had been so perfect that the last thing she wanted to do was talk about something like that. For now, she was more than content to simply forget about it and leave it for another day.