AN: I wanted to thank everyone for the response for the last chapter. I was really excited to share that chapter, and was glad to see my readers like it as well. I usually write in chronological order, but the previous chapter had been written before a lot of other chapters. I've seen sitting on that chapter for quite a long time. Thanks for all the reviews. I read each one of them.

Chapter Fifteen: The Daughter

Leia yawned as CZ-7OB continued its math lesson. She found her eyes kept looking away from the holoprojector which displayed colorful numbers. Instead she kept looking out the window. Her mind kept thinking of the flowers and the trees of the gardens. She thought of grass between her toes. She thought about letting down her hair from its tightly coiled buns and letting the wind blow through it.

"Princess," came the masculine voice of the droid. "Please pay attention."

The five year old turned her attention back to the droid. "Sorry SeeZee-Seven," she mumbled.

"Princesses do not mumble. They speak with a clear voice," the droid corrected.

Leia took a deep breath in and straightened herself. "I am most sorry SeeZee-Seven," she said in her most-princess voice. "You have my full attention."

"Good," said the droid. "Now let's practice what you just learned with these new problems."

When the midday break finally came, Leia could hardly stay in her seat any longer. She let a handmaiden guide her into the dining room for lunch. Leia ate alone. Her parents and aunts were all busy doing whatever it was that they did. After she finished eating, Leia excused herself to the go to the refresher.

Her mornings were filled with academic lessons of reading and math. Her afternoons would be filled with history and etiquette training. At the moment, Leia had no interest in sitting through any more of CZ-7OB's boring lessons. So instead of going to refresher, she ducked down a different hallway. She made sure the guards and maids weren't watching, before she scurried through the palace and made her way outside.

She was careful to avoid all grownups, afraid that one would alert someone that would drag her back to her lessons. She was lucky she made it all the way to her favorite spot in the gardens. She set about taking off her shoes and running through the grass. It wasn't long before she heard the first shouts.

"Leia! Princess Leia!"

Leia pursed her lips together. She wasn't ready to go back in yet to learn how to bow and sit properly. She gathered her shoes and made her way over to the hedge bushes that divided up parts of the garden. She knew exactly where there was a small opening in the base of the bushes. She wiggled her way in and once through a small tunnel of branches, she found herself in an open dark clearing in the middle of the hedges.

She loved this spot. Her secret little spot. She couldn't be seen from the outside. If she put her head to the ground, she could look back out of the little tunnel she crawled in. She did so as she heard the calls for her name get louder. She saw the boots of a guard walk by and then later the hems of skirt of a handmaiden.

Leia smiled each time a person passed but didn't think stop and look for her in the bush. But eventually the calls faded away and Leia grew bored. She sat up and busied herself amongst the branches. She watched some little bugs crawl along a branch. A few carried small pieces of leaves. She broken off a small twig and started digging into the dirt.

It was only when a small breeze made its way through the thick foliage, that Leia realized she had stopped hearing the calls of her name. She listened and found the gardens quiet and peaceful. Maybe they had moved the search elsewhere? Leia sighed thinking it was no fun that no one was looking for her.

But she was getting a little cold and bored. She was just going to get in more trouble the more she was out here. She could already feel her father's disappointed eyes that he had right before he gave her a lecture on proper behavior expected of a princess. Leia swatted at some nearby branches, listening to them rattle, before she started to pull on her shoes.

As she finished she heard heavy boot falls walking on the path that ran along the hedges. She quieted and held her breath. The steps grew louder and louder and then they stopped. She lowered herself to the ground to peek out her tunnel. Standing right in front of the entrance was someone wearing black boots, black pants, and a black cape. Leia frowned. The guards didn't wear anything like that nor her father nor anyone Leia could think of.

Then a voice asked, "Are you having fun in there?"

Leia stilled instantly. Was that voice talking to her? How had they known where she was hiding?

"Will you come out?" the voice asked again. "Leia?"

When her name was said, there seemed to be a vibration in the air. A hum. A buzz around her that she couldn't quite place. She made her way through the branches, along the tunnel, and crawled out of the bushes. She dusted the dirt as best she could from her white dress before she glanced up at the stranger.

The man was wearing all black with a long cape. He was leaning over, and a curl of his hair had fallen over his face. She had seen this man before, but she couldn't place where she had him. Was he a friend of her father or mother? A politician? He looked military, but not like the Alderaan military. Maybe he was of the Imperial military?

"Hello," Leia said as she remembered her manners. "I'm Princess Leia."

The man only smiled and said, "Hello." Leia frowned. He was being a bit rude. He was suppose to give his name back, so then Leia could respond with how nice it was to meet him. "I'm sorry to call you out of your hiding place," he said.

Leia looked back at the hedges. Looks like she wouldn't be using that hiding spot anymore, now that it had been discovered. She would need to find another one.

She gave a slight bow to the man. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my studies."

"Then I shall accompany you back to the palace," he said. She pursed her lips slightly, but then nodded. He was being polite and she should be polite back. The two walked side by side. Leia kept glancing back up at the man. He was smiling down at her.

As they approached the palace, they came to a large circular fountain. Instead of moving to walk around it and towards the large double doors of the palace, the man walked up to the side of the fountain. He stared at the sculpture in the center. It was abstract made up of smooth curving shapes. Leia followed him. In truth she was not eager to go back to her studies or for the upcoming lecture from her father. She sat on the edge of the fountain and looked over at the man. He was studying her with blue eyes.

"Can I ask you a question Leia?" he asked.

"Princess Leia," she corrected him. He was not a member of her family nor a friend.

"Ah I'm sorry. Princess Leia," he corrected himself. She nodded her head slightly with her approval. "What do you know of your parents?"

That was an odd question she thought. But she started to answer, "Well papa-" she stopped then corrected herself. She was suppose to refer to her father as 'father' since that was the proper way princesses spoke. "My father is a senator of the galactic senate. And my mother is the queen." She looked up at the stranger, who continued to look down at her.

"I wasn't talking about the Organas," he said, "I want to know what about your real parents."

She looked over at the rippling water of the fountain and bit her lower lip. She did know that her parents weren't her birth parents. On her fifth birthday her parents had sat her down and explained she had been adopted. She was a big girl now and was old enough to know the truth.

"Even though we didn't give birth to you, we love you very much. You are our daughter."

"I don't know really know about them," she finally replied. It was the truth.

"You don't know anything?" his words sounded painful. She looked back at him. The man was sad, and that made Leia feel bad.

"They said my birth mother gave me to my mother and father, because she wanted to go help people. Most importantly she wanted to help save my birth father," she replied.

"Save your father?"

Again Leia bit her lip. She didn't know if she should being telling this stranger these things. Her parents had said she was a big girl who handle the truth. It seemed like it was something special, a secret. She wasn't suppose to tell anyone about her birth parents.

The man placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. "Leia," he said. "You can tell me."

She let out a long breath and with it some tension she hadn't been aware she had been holding ever since she heard the man's voice when she was in the bush. As she took in her next breath she as finding herself much more at ease. The sun felt warm but there was a nice cool breeze coming off the fountain.

"My birth father became an Imperial." The words suddenly spilled out of her. "My birth mother didn't like that. So she became a rebel to stop the Empire and save my birth father." She paused. Why had she told the man all of this? "Please don't tell my mother and father I told you this! It's a secret!"

The hand that was on her shoulder was placed on top of her head. The man started to gently stroke her head, careful not to loosen her buns. If her father found out what she had told this man, then Leia would really get a long lecture. Plus this man looked Imperial. True he wasn't wearing an Imperial uniform, but his clothes kind of looked like it.

Leia knew that she was always suppose to act especially good in front of Imperials and say things about good the Empire was. She always knew that her parents didn't really like the Empire. The Empire was mean and scary and did bad things to people. Her mother had said that's why sometimes her father was gone for long periods of time. He was doing his best as a senator to help people. Her birth mother had given her to her parents so her birth mother could fight against the Empire. It would be too dangerous for her to have a baby with her.

"She did a very brave thing, Leia," Queen Breha said. "She wanted you to have the best life possible. She couldn't bring you into danger and let you get hurt. So she gave you to us. But never think it was because she didn't love you. Your mother loves you so much."

"And what will happen when your real mother comes back?" the man asked pulling Leia out of her thoughts. He pulled his hand from head. He paced away from Leia. He seemed annoyed. "Would you go with her? Your real mother? Would you leave these imposters behind?" He turned towards her. He was clearly annoyed with a frown on his face.

"I . . . I . . ."

Honestly she had never even thought about it. Having to choose between her parents and her birth mother. Granted she hadn't known she had another set of parents until recently. But somehow she just imagined her birth mother would come live with Leia here at the palace. They could all be a happy family together.

She wondered what her birth mother was doing right now. Was she out there fighting the Emperor? The Emperor . . . the Emperor . . . Leia looked up at the man and really looked at him this time. She thought she had recognized him.

"You're the Emperor!" she said pointing a finger at him.

"Yes, I am," he said softly as he walked back to where she sat on the edge of the fountain.

"Oh," was all Leia could say in response. She was speaking to the Emperor. She had told him about her birth mother, and that her birth mother was a rebel! Her eyes went wide and she grabbed onto his shirt. "Please don't hurt my birth mother! I know she's a rebel! But-but please don't hurt her!" she pleaded.

"Oh Leia," the man said as he sat down next to her. "I would never hurt your mother."

"Really?" she asked. Her brown eyes seeking his blue eyes to see if he was telling her the truth. She had heard a lot of stories of people being kidnapped and disappearing because they made the Emperor mad. Sometimes the kitchen ladies would wave a spoon at Leia if she was being naughty. "If you continue to steal sweets you'll get locked up by the Emperor!"

"Of course. I love your mother."

"You love her?" Leia's eyes went wide. The man took both of Leia's small hands into his two big gloved hands.

"Yes," he said warmly and with a smile. The way he said it appeared as if the Emperor really was in love. "She's my wife." Leia just continued to stare at the man. A small frown started to form on the Emperor's face when Leia didn't say anything. "Leia that makes me your father. Your real father."

Wait. No. This wasn't right. Her father wasn't the Emperor.

"I understand this is probably all very confusing," he said as his hands left hers and he brought her into an embrace. "But I'm trying to make things right. Trying to make it the way things should be."

The Emperor was right, Leia was confused. How could he be her father? And yet she could somehow sense that he wasn't lying. She wanted to say he was lying, yet he wasn't. He spoke the truth. She somehow knew it was true. He was her father.

Then she felt a gloved hand on her cheek and her head was gently lifted so she was staring at the blue eyes of her birth father. His brows were creased with concern. His gloved thumb gently rubbed back and forth on her cheek.

"Come, let's bring you home," he said. He stood up and then scooped Leia into his arms. She wanted to protest, but found herself suddenly too tired. Instead she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his neck.

He walked her into the palace. She noticed he wasn't taking the route to her classroom nor to her rooms. He wasn't even going towards the residential part of the palace at all. That was when she noticed the halls were very empty. She saw no guards. No maids. No servants. No one. But then she saw the first stormtrooper. She squeezed the Emperor tighter and he responded by putting a hand on her head.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," he said in a soft whisper.

Then she saw more and more troopers along with other Imperials in gray uniforms. She didn't see anyone who worked in the palace. She was scared. Something was wrong. Really wrong. Where was everyone? But then the fear seeped away, and she felt more and more tired. Her body felt heavy and once again her head came to rest on the shoulder of the man.

She was fighting to keep her eyes open when she noticed they were in the hangar. The man was carrying her to shuttle, but stopped by a man who stood near the loading ramp.

"Your majesty," the man greeted the Emperor with a short bow.

"The prisoners?" the Emperor said. Leia couldn't help but shiver. His voice sounded completely different than when he had talked to her or comforted her just moments ago. This voice was cold and dark.

"Already on the Devastator, your majesty," the man replied.

"Good," was all the Emperor replied before he turned from the man and walked up the loading ramp. The last Leia saw of her palace home was the white floor of the hangar through the closing loading ramp.