Chapter Five: The Fever
Padmé tossed and turned. Her body was burning from the inside. She was coated in sweat. The pain inside her head pounded and tore her thoughts apart. No matter how she tossed in the bed, she was never comfortable. Her body ached even when still. Moving caused the muscles to scream and tear anew, but she found she couldn't stay still for long. The aching and the burning heat was too much after being still for too long.
Through all of this she kept her eyes closed in a pathetic attempt to lure herself to sleep. When she finally seemed to calm her body down enough, it was her thoughts that would go off. She thought back to the cell. To Rion. To Vader. To the bargain she had agreed to.
"I'll be- I'll be yours completely and willingly." she had said softly.
"See," Vader said in a low voice. "Everyone has their price." Padmé opened her eyes and looked over Rion. His eyes were closed, possibly passed out or asleep. But he wasn't dead. His chest rose and fell. Padmé couldn't stop the sob that escaped from her.
Vader shifted so his body came closer to her's. He brought his mouth up to her ear. "Now," he whispered, "Prove it." She let in a small gasp. His hands were cupping her cheeks as he brought her face towards hers. His lips met hers. She tried to pull back, but his grip was too strong.
"Completely and willingly," Vader whispered to her. He drew his face back and looked at Rion over his shoulder. The IV flew out his arm, the liquid splashed across the floor. The bacta patches were ripped off by an invisible force. She heard the high-pitched humming of the torture machine starting to wind up, ready to unleash bolts of electricity into Rion.
"Let's try this again," Vader said as he turned back to Padmé. Again he drew her face up to his. Again their lips met. She was hesitant, but then she opened her lips. Her whole body felt frozen and numb as his tongue moved inside her mouth. "You're not convincing me," Vader whispered.
She weakly kissed him back. Then again and again. She let her tongue move with his. She was finding it easier with each kiss. Her body hadn't forgotten his. She quickly found her groove as their lips moved with each other. She took in deep breaths whenever they parted for a small bit, before once again he was on her.
Finally he pulled away looking extremely satisfied. He took in a deep breath and licked his lips. As he pulled his hands away from her face, he let his thumb slide across her lips.
In the bed, Padmé felt her body shudder violently. She brought a hand up to her mouth and tried to wipe away the sensation of his mouth against hers. Yet no matter what, the ghost lips seemed to be there.
After that encounter, Vader had released her restraints and ordered her to follow him. However she quickly found she couldn't walk very far. Her body was weak, dehydrated and hungry. Her muscles cramped and were numb from poor blood circulation. She had crumpled to the ground after only a few steps. Vader had swept her up into his arms and carried her.
She couldn't remember much of the journey to this room. The fever was starting to settle in. She remember seeing the long gray corridors. The journey in a lift. The thing she remembered the most was his secure grip on her. He didn't hurt her, just held her close to him. Her head rested on his shoulder. She could hear his steady heart beat pounding in an even rhythm. She let the sound lure her to sleep.
When she awoke she found herself in the large bed with expensive silky sheets. She was in her undergarments, the same ones she was wearing before. She thanked her gods that at least those weren't gone or had been replaced. A cold shiver ran through her mind at the thought of what that would entail. His hands on her naked form.
Padmé found her fever had gotten worse. She had stayed in bed, tossing and turning, chasing after sleep. Yet once she was asleep the dreams would haunt her. Then she wanted nothing but to be awake. She was in a cruel cycle where true rest was always out of reach.
Her dreams were a mix. Some of it went back to her time in the cell with Vader and Rion. The scenes would play out over and over. Then other times, perhaps her mind thinking it was doing her a kindness, would replay memories of her and Rion.
"Padmé?"
She lifted her head from her folded arms. She had fallen asleep at the small table in her room aboard the Helios Eclipse. Rion stood in the doorway. His brows were creased heavy with concern.
"Sorry . . . I feel asleep . . ." she said. She brought her hand up to wipe her eyes and found there moist and swollen with tears. She recalled crying herself to sleep. Rion walked into the room. The door swished shut behind him.
"Are you alright?" he asked. She gave him her best smile, but knew her it didn't reach her eyes. "What are you thinking of?" Rion didn't know her full past. He wanted to know what pained her. What brought her to tears so often. What haunted her dreams and caused her to wake up screaming. He knew of her, of course. He knew she had been a famous senator and previous queen, but he didn't know the whole truth. The deep painful truth.
In truth she wasn't sure what had brought her to tears this time. Her desperate attempts to right the wrongs of the current state of the galaxy that she herself had unknowingly helped create? The despair at seeing the galaxy casted further and further into darkness, often at the times of the man she was once loved completely and wholly? The ache for revenge against the sith lord who used her innocence and love to bring the galaxy under his thumb and turn her husband into a monster? Or was it for the monster himself? The deep fear and heartache she had for him, that she felt she would never be free of until he was dead?
Yet she didn't speak of any of these things to Rion. For all he knew Padmé weeped for the loss of the Republic and democracy. That she had failed in her attempts to get the Chancellor to cede his powers with the Petition of 2,000. Perhaps Rion had an inkling that there was more to his heartache. Perhaps he guessed she had lost a love. She didn't know. He never asked. She never told her.
Rion walked over to her and kneeled in front of her. She found her arms wrapping around him, seeking comfort to chase away her negative thoughts. She wanted relief, even if it was fleeting, from her depression. Rion was all too willing to comply to her request as he lifted her up the short distance over to her bed.
Rion was so different from Anakin. Love-making with Anakin had been deeply passionate. It took over her complete mental and physical being. It was often energetic and joyful, and at times possessive and desperate when the two reunited after being seperated for long stretches of time. Where Anakin had been like a storming ocean demanding everything of Padmé (which she had willingly given to him), Rion was like a calm lake. He was soft, sweet, and gentle. He let her lead as much as possible. Never pushing too far or going too rough.
Padmé would awake from her memories with tears stinging her eyes as she again recalled Rion's fate in the cell. His lost hand. The shocks tearing through his body. The screams echoing through her bones. As she slipped between waking and dreaming she found herself more disoriented. She sometimes wasn't aware if she was awake or not.
Then there were the hands and the voice. Gentle hands that would caress her. Hands that would help her sit up to drink water or sometimes feed her broth. The hands would bring a cool wash rag to wipe to the sweat from her burning body. The voice was soft as well. It called her name warmly. Told her to rest and regain her strength.
"Padmé," the voice said softly to her. "Everything is alright." A hand was on her forehead, the thumb gently caressing her skin. She felt another one on her shoulder. It traced lazy circles on her hot skin. "You're where you need to be. You're by my side."
She opened her eyes and looked over at him. Her vision was blurry and hazy. She couldn't quite make him out. Yet she knew him. She scrunched her eyes and brows in attempts to focus. Slowly his face came into focus.
"Anakin," she let out a soft gasp. "Anakin . . . Anakin." Tears welled in her eyes and started to softly roll down her cheeks. She didn't notice the small flinch he gave at the sound of the name. He brought the hand that was on her shoulder to her cheek. His thumb wiping away the tears as his palm rested around her face.
"Padmé. I'm here," he said. He leaned over and brought his face to hers. His lips kissed at her cheeks, soaking and licking up her tears.
"Anakin . . . why did you leave me?" Her voice barely escaped her. She could feel him tense. He stopped his kissing and she could feel his eyes on her.
"I- I never left you, Padmé," he said. There was something off about his voice, but she couldn't quite place it with the pain and the heat of her fever. "You left me."
"No . . ." she whispered. What nonsense was he talking about? "I never left you."
"When I came back, you were gone," his voice was deep but a whisper that matched hers. There was an edge to it. An anger. A darkness.
"Obi-Wan . . ."
"What about Obi-Wan?" he hissed. The hand on her forehand clenched into a fist. Some of her hairs were tightened into his grip.
"Anakin," she sobbed. "He said he was going to kill you! I- I couldn't let that happen!"
"Tch. That weak fool could never stand against me."
Padmé ignored that comment and continued. "I went to warn you. To see if you were safe . . . but . . ." Her lips were still moving, but no sounds came out. Only a few parts managed their way out. " . . . was hiding . . . blacked out . . . Obi-Wan . . . when I awoke, you were gone." Her eyes filled with tears again. "You were gone! You left me!"
The two were quiet for a long time. The only thing she heard were her own sobs and deep breathing. His hand unclenched and again was making soothing strokes across her forehead. The other hand did the same on her cheek. Eventually sleep claimed her.
This time she slept without dreams. She awoke still heavily groggy with the hands grabbing her. She was lifted out out the bed and carried a short distance. Her clothes were removed. She was too weak and disoriented to protest. Then she felt the water as she was placed inside a tub. She was in a bath.
He washed her with the utmost care. He lathered and rinsed her hair. He scrubbed her body free of the sweat and grime of the fever. He lifted her free from the water and gently toweled her down before bringing her back to the bed. This time he joined her. His body flushed against hers. Something inside of her was telling her to push away, but she was too exhausted and once again succumbed to sleep.
When she awoke she found he was still there, spooned around her. His body felt hot against hers. One arm was wrapped around her waist, the other around her shoulders. Pinning her against him.
"I see you're awake," came his voice from behind her. She could feel his warm breath fluttering through her hair. "Your fever has died down. How are you feeling?" She didn't respond. She just laid there still letting her mind whirl about her as she collected her memories. Cold seared through her as she recalled everything. Her capture. The cell. Rion. The fever. And him.
There were large gaps in her memory during her fever. Her mind raced. She wasn't sure how much time had passed. Her body flinched a bit as if to test to see if she could move. His arms tightened around her, drawing her closer to him. Her back was firmly pressed against his chest. His head came to rest on top of hers. His lips sat next to her ear.
"I've missed this," he purred into her ear. He kissed her ear. He licked it then gently bit it. "I've missed you." His breath raced across her ear and side of her face. He continued to kiss her ear. She became very aware of the heat of his body. It was getting stronger, especially between his legs.
"No!" she gasped and pushed herself up and away from him. She ungracefully but quickly scrambled away from him across the bed. She toppled off the side onto the cold gray carpeted floor. She let herself roll over and then she pushed herself up to look back over at him.
He was sitting up, glaring at her. His gold eyes seemed to glow. The room appeared to get colder. Padmé could feel goosebumps popping up along her exposed skin and her hairs standing on end. It appeared as if the room darkened around him.
Finally he spoke. "I see," was all he said. He rolled off the opposite side of the bed and stormed from the room.