Chapter 1
Thalia smirked as she looked down into the looking veil, the very same one her mother would look into when she was training her. She looked through the veil seeing the palace coming into view and the image of Padme and Obi Wan laughing and watching their children Jacen and Kiara playing out in the gardens. Padme was holding their youngest daughter on her lap.
The royal protector stood a few meters away watching over them. Thalia brought his face into view seeing her smirk - handsome, strong minded and was tough to break. It took her mother controlling his heart to have him help them.
"You, Anakin Skywalker, along with your brother and the queen are the reason I have no parents and so I will finish what my parents started" she speaks "This kingdom will be mine" she adds. The images disappear leaving her smirking.
Jacen and Kiara both fussed in their steps as they stood beside their uncle Anakin whilst their parents stood a few meters in front of them awaiting the arrival of their guests, the neighbour King and Queen, Bail and Breha. Anakin held the littlest princess Lily in his arms. Like Kiara, Lily knew how to make her dad and uncle melt.
"Mommy" Kiara whined "I'm bored, can uncle Anakin take us to the marketplace?" She asks as Jacen shook his head "Uncle Anakin said he's going to take me down to the training grounds" he snaps as Kiara pouted "No fair!" She cries looking up at her uncle, "Please uncle Anakin, can we go to markets?" She asks in her sweet voice and making her little brown eyes go as wide as they could, it was a look that usually had her parents and uncle, mainly her father and uncle melt, she still had them wrapped around her finger.
"Perhaps we'll go down to the marketplace this afternoon but right now, you both need to be here for your parents and greet our guests" he reminds them. Jacen straightened up and nodded but Kiara moved closer to her uncle, her hand grasped in his. He smiles down at his niece as they hear the royal announcer
"Presenting the King and Queen of the kingdom Alderaan, Bail and Breha Organa!" He announced as Padme and Obi Wan both watched the man and woman, both with dark brown hair and dressed in beautiful elegant royal blue robes make their way towards them.
Obi Wan slipped a hand into Padme's, smiling over at her. Padme smiles back before she looks back towards her guests. She hadn't seen Bail since shortly after Lily was born and they were willing to strengthen their kingdoms relations after Palpatine and Shira both tried to take down Padme's kingdom.
Bail smiled as he reaches Padme, taking her hand to kiss "Padme, it is always a pleasure to meet you" he smiles as Obi Wan and Breha greeted each other. "Thank you for making the journey to meet us" she replied "Ever since Shira and Palpatine tried to overthrow my kingdom both times, I've wanted to ensure my kingdom has its allies" she replies turning to look back at her children "And my family" she beams.
Obi Wan and Padme both led Bail and Breha over towards where Anakin stood with Jacen, Kiara and Lily. Breha smiles when she sees Lily in Anakin's arms. "Oh my goodness, look at how much big Lily's gotten" she notes seeing the little girl bury her head into Anakin's shoulder as Obi Wan moves over towards his brother taking his daughter into his arms.
"Yes but still shy" he comments as Anakin leads Kiara over towards them as Padme takes Jacen's hand and leads him over towards their guests. "You remember Jacen and Kiara" Padme tells them as bail knelt down towards Jacen and Kiara. "Of course, Jacen kept telling me all about his sword practice and is Kiara still following her father and uncle around" he points out as Anakin laughs.
"Nearly every day sir" he answers him. Bail laughed as he saw Kiara remained close to Anakin just as Jacen stepped forward "Your highness, my mother and father said I can show you my training" he proudly smiles as Bail,Padme and Obi Wan all chuckle
"Ah, yes your father mentioned your training and I'm keen to see how its coming along, soon you'll be defending your kingdom" he points out before he looks over at his wife who was still playing with lily whilst Kiara stuck by Anakin.
"Kiara, come over here and meet our guests" Padme tells her. Kiara remains beside Anakin before he gently takes her hand and leads her over towards Padme, Obi Wan and Bail. "Sorry, your highness, seems the princess is a bit shy or tired from running away from me after I caught stealing cookies from the kitchen earlier" he reveals.
Kiara pouts "Uncle Ani's lying mommy!" She cries as Padme shakes her head before she kneels down to her daughter "Kiara!" She cries "It's not nice to lie and why would Anakin lie?" She asks as Kiara tries to act innocent. Anakin laughs "It's alright Kiara, your mother just wants you to meet her friends" he tells her kneeling beside her tickling her tummy making her giggle. Bail smiles down at her. "Your children are just so adorable" he tells Padme and Obi Wan
"Thank you Bail, perhaps you and Breha can join us for lunch then while we talk about strengthening our kingdoms, Anakin will take the children to the marketplace" she suggests before she took Lily in her arms as Obi Wan took hold of Kiara with Jacen walking alongside his father leaving Bail and Breha to follow them in the direction of the dining hall whilst Anakin followed behind.
A short time later, Anakin stood outside the dining hall whilst Padme and Obi Wan enjoyed a delicious lunch with their children and their guests. The hallway was awfully quiet and Anakin never knew the palace to be so quiet, something wasn't right.
It was then he heard a voice "You can still join me" they spoke as Anakin, one hand on his weapon turning around to see Thalia dressed in black and eyes dark and yellow. He glared straight at her "You shouldn't be here" he warned her as Thalia smirked. "And yet you haven't alerted the Queen and King to my presence" she points out
"Don't think I won't, I won't let you harm them" he informs her as she places one hand on his chest. "Aren't you tired of just being a royal head guard?" She simply asks "You deserve more" she tells him. "I can make her love you and you can raise those children" she explains.
"I won't let you kill my brother" he warns her as she grins "You won't have a choice" she cautions him. "This kingdom will be mine and I will finish what my parents started" she insists. Anakin stares back at her. "Your father and Mother murdered the king then tried to murder his daughter and her husband whilst corrupting me and their son" he points out.
Thalia then grabs his face in her hand, her eyes became locked with fierce anger "This kingdom will be mine if you don't join me, you will die alongside your brother and the queen for what you did to my parents" she informs him "You are the only man I want" she tells him as Anakin pulls back "This kingdom will never be yours" he replies as Thalia smirks. "Just watch out for your allies" she warns and then she was gone just as he hears Padme calls out to him.
Anakin took a deep breath before he then entered the dining room, deciding it would be best to keep his encounter with Thalia a secret for now, and not worry Padme and Obi Wan while their guests were here. Kiara's eyes lit up when she saw him. "Uncle Ani!" She cried getting off her seat as Obi Wan lifted Lily into his arms. Jane then looked over at his mother. "Can I go to the training grounds with father now?" He asks as Padme smiles down at her son
"Your father's not going to the training grounds yet, so why don't you go with your uncle and sisters to the marketplace while your father and I talk with Bail and Breha" she suggests.
Jacen looked a little upset before he nods and gets off his seat and rushes over towards Anakin and his sisters before Anakin leads them from the dining room.
Bail turns back to Obi Wan and Padme. "You have beautiful children Padme" he tells her. Padme smiles over at her friend "Thank you Bail, Obi Wan and I are very lucky. We could have lost Jacen four years ago when the Sith witches attacked and then we had Lily which surprised us" she admits.
Breha smiled, it was no secret that she had been wanting a child for years and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous that her friend had what she wanted. Bail took his wife's hand in his before he went on "It's not secret that Breha and I want children, we hope one day soon" he admits.
Padme smiles, taking one of Obi Wan's hands "You two would make wonderful parents and I can only hope one day you both have that chance" she admits "If you'd like to follow us, we'll head to the council chamber" she tells them before Bail and Breha followed Padme and Obi Wan out of the dining room, little did their friends know just how soon their desire for children could happen.
Flashback - 1 month ago
Bail stared in horror at the woman before him who held his wife's heart in her hand. He hadn't heard much about the Sith Witches but didn't want to come across one and now here one stood in his throne room, holding his wife's heart in her hand.
"Please, don't kill my wife" Bail says hearing her chuckle "I have no desire to kill your wife" she admits as he breathes in relief before she went on "Just as long as you both do as I ask and you both live and the right people die" she explains in a cold voice. "Your friend Queen Padme and her husband" she scoffs. Bail stiffens as he remains unafraid. "Padme and Obi Wan are good people, friends to us" he tells her.
Bad idea, as he heard his wife cry out for Thalia had just squeezed her heart slightly but not crushed it. "They murdered my parents, them and the King's brother!" She cried. "Help me and you will have all you desire" she insists "Their children" she informs him.
Bail's eyes widen - they wanted children but he couldn't just let this witch murder his friends and raise their children. Thalia glared straight back at him. "Do we have a deal?" She asks. Squeezing his wife's heart just a little bit more. Bail took a deep breath before he looked to his wife, her eyes with tears as he sighs - he didn't want to but he couldn't see his wife die - "We will help you" he only replies seeing her smirk.
End of Flashback
The marketplace was filled with townspeople going about their business, purchasing food and items they needed for their families and homes. Many smiled seeing the young prince and princesses walking alongside their uncle and royal guard.
"Uncle Anakin!" Kiara cries looking over at one of the stalls selling colourful and beautiful jewellery. Anakin smiled, it was one thing Kiara admired shiny, pretty necklaces, Lily pointed to a purple bracelet "Pretty!" She cried as Anakin picks it up handing it to her. "And what do you want Kiara?" He asks as she sees a sparkling pale pink bracelet "That one" she exclaims as he hands it to her then hands the seller some gold coins. "Jacen, did you want anything?" He asks as Jacen shook his head.
"Can I have a new sword?" He asks curiously as Anakin chuckles moving further down the marketplace. "I don't think that's a good idea, your mother will probably not like that" he admits then he had a thought "But perhaps a smaller dagger, and I'll show you how to use it in surprise attacks" he suggests
Jacen smirks "Thanks uncle Anakin" he exclaims as they move over towards a fruit stall as Kiara spoke up "I'll tell mommy about it" she says as Anakin kneels down towards her "I think it's okay to have one secret from mommy" he teases tickling her as she giggles "I love you uncle Ani" she says throwing her arms around him as he held her close, realising that he would not let Thalia take them down once more.
