Han spun around in search of the shooter, trying to see who had been shot. His guards all stepped away just the few inches far enough for Han to make this action as well as fall to the floor and start crawling away. Immediately following the shot, chaos ensued and it was easy for Han to sneak away. Although, he wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't even see Leia anymore. For all he knew, she could be on the other end of the room already. Han's only fear was that she'd been shot.
Han hurried to one end of the room and braced himself against the wall. A fight had suddenly broke out and Han had no idea
was going on. His eyes surveyed the mess until he saw a familiar walking carpet headed his way. "Chewie!" Han called out to the wookiee and, in an instant, his best pal had him up in his arms, Han's feet hanging above the ground. "Hey, buddy!It's great to see you, but I'm not going to lie. I'm kind of mad at you for bringing Leia here."
[No,] Chewie shook his head, his furry hands holding Han by his shoulders. [I'm helping you. You can thank me at the wedding.]
"But, Chewie-"
[I think the princess is over there,] he pointed across the room. [She needs you, Han; her scoundrel in shining armor.]
Again, Han had no words. He understood that his friend was only trying to help, but Chewie didn't seem to understand that it was going to make things worse. He needed be sure Leia was away from here. He did another visual scan of the room, this time looking for Jabba. Whatever was going on, he had to get back to his plan. Quick and simple. He needed to turn himself in. And now.
Han pushed through the crowd, trying to make his way to the dais. He managed his way through and found Jabba there again, his face not betraying his outrage. Swinging his hands around his head, he shouted at Han, [Solo! I shall have you hanging on my wall for causing this outrage-]
"It wasn't my plan. I swear! I didn't call them here."
Jabba considered Han's words. He motioned one of his guards forward and told him, [I want the girl, too. Whoever she is. Bring her up to my dais.]
The place was a mess, everyone caught up in a brawl that Leia had no idea how it'd even started. All she knew was that it was a good distraction to stall for time to find Han. That, and angry patrons were swarming around her. She pulled a staff from a guard's grasp and held the mob back at bay. Suddenly, Sabé came to her side and smiled. "I got your back."
"Thanks. I have no idea what's going so, so it's good to have some help."
"I don't either. I assume a furious patron didn't care for the interruption in punishing your boyfriend and was aiming for you. I'm not sure if someone was actually killed or not. I'm just glad you're okay."
"I thought Han might have been shot, but I swore I heard him yelling a minute ago."
"I have no idea. Let's just hope for the best, shall we? Now, as for these angry customers, I get the ones to your right."
"Thank you."
Leia continued fighting off her attackers with her newly-acquired staff when something else caught her eye. Sitting on the dais, appearing rather afraid, was one of Jabba's slaves, a twi'lek dancing girl. Pity and sympathy grabbed at Leia's heart and she called out to her, "What's your name?"
The girl turned to look at Leia and frowned, shaking her head vigorously.
"No! Calm down! I mean you no harm! All I mean to tell you is that . . ." she gestured with a nod of her head to her chains and Jabba. "Now's your chance."
The girl looked at her chains and at Jabba, too. Understanding flooded her system and she smiled at Leia. "Oola," she said. "My name is Oola."
"Alright, Oola. You know what to do. Pull. Tight."
Oola nodded and threw her chains about her master's neck. Jabba let out a startled scream and his fat tail thumped against his platform. But, amidst the chaos, no one took any notice to the crime lord as Oola began tugging tighter and tighter on her chains. Leia cheered her on, encouraging her, urging her to pull tighter and tighter . . . until the hutt was nothing more than a dead, gooey, mess of lob on the platform. Leia smiled both to congratulate the twi'lek and out of relief. She turned back to the fight, dealing with a persistent male twi'lek. Finally, she settled to shoot him. That was when she heard his scream.
"No," Han muttered, his gaze swinging back to the crowd in search of Leia. And there she was, near the middle of the room, battling a twi'lek and other rather angry patrons alongside Sabé. He watched her bring an elbow back to knock the twi'lek off of her, but the twi'lek was hanging on tight. Out of much more options, Leia pulled out a blaster and shot the man in the chest. Jabba's henchmen's moods worsening, a gamorrean finally pulled out his own weapon. A hand grenade. The gamorrean started taking aim for the ceiling and, Han realized in horror, it was going to cause the ceiling panels to fall and land on the crowd in the center of the room. On Leia.
"Nooo," he muttered again. And, without a single moment's hesitation, Han threw himself forward, racing for her. When he got close enough, Han jumped, tackling Leia to the ground, his body lying on top of hers. She let out a muffled scream, but that was it. It was hardly a nanosecond later that the panel had landed on top of them, crushing them against the ground.
Leia Organa woke up in the med-ward of her family's palace. The fresh lemony scent of floor polish filled her nostrils, helping her back to awareness quicker. Slowly, she sat up, surveying her surroundings. She was sitting on a med-bed, dressed in a patient's white and blue gown. She didn't feel hurt or injured. She noticed a couple bruises around her body, but that was the extent of it. So, she wondered why she was here. And then she remembered what had happened at Jabba's palace. The angry patrons, the blaster shot, the fighting. The ceiling panel. She recalled hearing Han scream her name. And the panel falling. Had it fallen on top of her? Surely, if a ceiling panel had fallen on top of her-small, petite, little Leia-it would have crushed her and her injuries would be far worse than just a few light bruises. But she hadn't moved out of the way of the panel before it'd fallen. How could she be healed so well?
"Good afternoon, Princess," a soft voice greeted. Leia looked up and saw Memily enter with a light, almost forced smile. "Memily," she began to ask. "What happened at Jabba's palace? How am I not hurt? I remember the panel falling above me-"
"You didn't see what had happened?" Memily frowned. She crossed the med-room and took a seat on the edge of Leia's bed. "Well, you got really lucky. Han saw that the panel was about to fall. He came racing from Jabba's dais. And he jumped on top of you. The panel never hit you. Han took the damage instead."
Nearly overwhelmed, Leia laid back down and closed her eyes. Fear for Han consumed her, but she was almost too afraid to ask. "Is he okay?" she managed.
Instead of answering her question, though, Memily told her, "It's been a couple days since then. We left right away."
"Is Han okay?"
Memily hesitated. " . . . He took a hard hit for you, Leia. You were really lucky."
Yes, Leia thought. She was lucky Han had been there to save her. He'd sacrificed his own life to save hers. Over and over again, he did this and Leia wished he would just stop already. Turning Memily's words over in her head, considering the woman's hesitance to tell Leia how Han was . . . Leia turned over on her bed and cried into the thin pillows, squeezing them between her hands. "No!" she sobbed and Memily rubbed her back in comfort. "No, you stupid Solo! You're stupid, Han Solo! How could you do this?"
"Hey, relax, Princess. Take it easy. . . . You've got a busy week ahead of you."
Before she was released from the med-ward, Isolder came to visit her. He spent at least half an hour babbling on and on to her, telling her how relieved he was that she was okay and hadn't been injured and their wedding would go on as planned. Even her aunts came to join the party while Isolder was there. All happy and cheery were they. All Leia heard was taunts, mocking. He's gone, her mind reminded her every minute. Her chest ached and her heart was weightless, hanging in her chest, completely empty.
She hardly even remembered the week passing by. She somewhat remembered meetings and sitting through lessons with Rouge and Celly while they planned her wedding. Again, Leia prayed they'd marry her in a dungeon cell, someplace that would reflect the hurt and emptiness she felt. It haunted her, this shadow of grief. It followed her everywhere, refusing to let go. She just wanted to be done, for some kind of end to come to all of this, but Han wasn't here with her. She didn't have the luck anymore.
She watched HoloNet every night, watched every reporter as they reported live from the scene of her and Isolder's wedding venue. Leia didn't even know where it was. She'd thought it was going to be the Organas' own palace grounds, but, apparently, Isolder's mother had changed it to the Hapan Fountain Palace. Just like her own birthday ball, all of it was being planned by her aunts and the Hapan Queen Mother. 'The wedding of the century', they were calling it and Leia had to wonder if anyone was considering how she felt about it. She was tired and exhausted and she was slowing losing the will to care about anything. She didn't even bother listening anymore.
Every hour passed by so slowly; Leia felt like a gray blob of mere existence among a bustling crowd that went about their own colorful lives with purpose. What was hers? It was all happening as Leia had known it was going to. Soon, she was going to be married to a wealthy prince. Inheriting his riches, she would be able to support the Alliance with all the resources it's ever needed. Then, finally, they could crush the Empire under their foot as they'd always planned. This was a good thing. A great thing! She was helping the Rebellion, destroying the Empire. She was going to be married. Shouldn't she be happy? Leia didn't feel happy. In fact, she wasn't sure she felt much of anything at all.
Right now, she was in one of those horrible meetings. No, not one having anything to do with the Rebellion or the Senate or anything of a bit of importance. No, she was meeting with her aunts, fiancé, future mother in-law, and a wedding consultant to discuss wedding matters. Seated the farthest away from all the flimsis and datapads of plans, Leia figured the others had forgotten she was even there. She didn't feel like she was there. Overcome with a desire to sleep, Leia slipped out of the conference room and up to her room. Without even bothering to slip off her shoes or switch into more comfortable sleep wear. She fell on top of the mattress, pulled the pillow close. And cried herself to sleep.
It was early afternoon and Sabé was trying to keep her mind busy by keeping her body at work. By making a point of busying herself, it only seemed to make it worse. She couldn't shake her thoughts away from Leia and Han. She wasn't sure what exactly had happened at Jabba's palace. She was sure that Jabba had somehow died, but that was about it. She'd been fighting alongside Leia and there had been several patrons still keeping up a fight. In the middle of the mess, she'd been carried away from Leia. She hadn't even seen what had happened to Leia, only heard about the ceiling panel falling from Bail. And the viceroy hadn't talked to her until they'd gotten back to Alderaan. Still, Sabé knew nothing of Han's fate, but, by the solemn looks she kept getting from Memily, Sabé played it safe and assumed the worst. When Bail and company had rushed over, insisting they hurry out. She'd been relieved to see that Leia was hardly even injured, but Bail seemed worried for her.
After the most boring hour of cleaning the kitchen and main living room and the viceroy and queen's bedroom, Sabé decided to check on Leia and offer any support she could. She found the young woman's aunts in a meeting room, all clustered around a binder filled with pictures of wedding dresses, bouquets, and so much more. "Mistress Celly," she called softly, knocking on the door beside her. "I'm looking for the princess."
Celly looked up for a second and frowned as she glanced across the table. "I swear she was here just a minute ago," she muttered with a shrug. "Hm. I don't know." She giggled before turning back to the binder.
Stifling an irritated sigh, Sabé hurried off in her search. She followed the staircase to Leia's room. She knocked once. No answer. A second time. Still no answer. Almost afraid, Sabé burst into the room . . . to see Leia lying in her bed, asleep. She smiled and gave a sigh of relief, closing the door behind her. Sabé was sure the woman was exhausted, but her hypothesis was only proved further more upon seeing her lying over the covers, still wearing her shoes and dressed in her formal wear. Sabé seated herself on the edge of the bed and reached to slip off Leia's shoes for her. Then, she took off her necklace and pulled the blankets up to Leia's shoulders.
The princess's grief was evident, even in her sleep, and it made Sabé's heart ache that much more for her. Was it not enough that Han was now dead, but Leia was immediately expected to marry another prince? No, Sabé knew, Han Solo had most definitely not been a prince, but maybe that was what made him so perfect for Leia. Leia had never been looking for a prince. First, she'd needed a friend. Then, something more. And Han had eased through every step along the way right at her side.
Sabé shook her head at the unfairness of it all, sitting beside Leia's sleeping form and stroking her head. "It's not fair, is it, Princess," she repeated Tia's words. "You just can't catch a break. One catastrophe after another. You know, your mother would be so angry if she knew how they're treating you. And your father. He wouldn't let anyone go after breaking your heart. But Han didn't break your heart. No, he fixed it, didn't he? Yeah, he put your heart back together and made it whole. He brought out the happier you, a Leia I wish could stay around more often. What's happened to her now that Han's really gone? Where did she go? Can I bring her back, somehow?" Sabé stopped, bringing both of her hands into her lap. Her gaze turned up to the ceiling which she stared at until the tears came and her guilt and sympathy for Leia began to swallow her whole. "Is that how it's felt for you this whole time?" she asked quietly, wiping at her eyes. "Just this constant wave crashing over you, taking you down? This is what you tried explaining to me. I didn't understand. Not really. And for you, I'm willing to bet it's been worse. Way worse. I'm sorry, Princess. I'll do everything I can, whatever there is to do. If there is anything to do."
Breha immediately stopped speaking as she saw Sabé approach her and Bail in their main living room. Her eyes, to the queen's astonishment, were red and puffy from crying. She sniffled, gaining her composure before she pointed behind her. "I found the princess sleeping in her bedroom, Your Highness. Celly didn't know she was in there. That's where she is."
An invisible hand squeezed at Breha's heart and she glanced down at her husband. He exchanged the brief look and stood to speak with the Nabooan aide. "Thank you, Sabé. And where might Celly and Rouge be that they didn't knew where she was? They told me they would be working on less-"
"They're in a conference room with the Royal Hapan Queen Mother and Prince Isolder. I assume Leia slipped out-"
But Bail was already leaving and Breha hurried after him. She and Sabé followed him back to the conference room where two of the viceroy's three sisters still were. He stomped in and growled upon entrance, "I want all of you out of this room within the next thirty seconds."
Rouge and Celly both jumped. "Dear brother," Celly smiled pleasantly, her eyes not blinking. "Can you not see how busy we are? We have been working the last few hours and I don't believe we are disturbing anything-"
"Does it matter? I asked you to leave this room at once! Throw those binders and plans away! Leave this room, now!"
The Hapan Queen Mother, not one used to being treated in such a manner, frowned, slowly approaching Bail with her hands folded in front of her. "Excuse me, Viceroy, but we are in the middle of a very important discussion. Your daughter, too, is concerned in this. Perhaps, you would care enough to show more interest-"
Bail gave a short, sarcastic in a way, chuckle as he seized Isolder's arm and, quite literally, threw him out of the room. "I care enough to not show interest." He grabbed the prince by his collar and started down the hall until they came to a door. At which point, Bail gave Isolder a good shove and locked the door so the prince couldn't get back in. The Queen Mother gasped aloud and Bail could sense the anger radiating from behind her veil. "Excuse me, Viceroy, but I will not allow for you to treat me and my son with such disrespect while we are only trying to help plan for my son's wedding to your very own daught-"
"To my daughter? Ha! And tell me exactly when she gave you her consent? I don't recall such a discussion. Surely, Leia would have told me had she planned on marrying your son. Now, would you like to join your son outside?"
Ta'a Chume scoffed. Bail hurried, with Breha and Sabé, to Leia's room. Upon his abrupt entrance, Bail stopped short to see his daughter there, lying in an uncomfortable sleep. Her brow was creased and she tossed and turned across the bed. Nightmares, Bail guessed, slowly coming to her side to wake her. He put a hand to her shoulder and softly spoke her name. "Leia." She didn't wake. "Lelila," he said a bit louder, squeezing her shoulder. Finally, her eyes flitted open and she sighed, easing herself up into a sitting position. "Hi," her father smiled meekly. "How are you?"
Leia shrugged. "Tired. I'm sorry; did I sleep through a meet-"
"No, Lelila. No, don't worry about anything. I was just thinking, I want you to come downstairs with me. Right now."
Leia got up and brushed her hands through her hair, making herself look more presentable. "What is it that you need me for?"
"Oh, nothing. Just relax and come with me. I'll show you."
Bail took his daughter's hand and brought her down the staircase and through the halls of the palace. Breha caught up to them and followed at Leia's side, taking her other hand in both of hers and giving it an occasional assuring squeeze. Confused, Leia's fear mounted, but she kept going, continued down the halls until they found Memily just outside the med-wing. She looked up from a stack of flimsis and Bail gave her a discrete nod. Smiling sadly, she nodded back and started for the med-ward. Bail followed after her, guiding Leia and Breha with him. "Papa," Leia asked, quietly, fearfully. "What's going on?" Memily's pace quickened and Bail started up a speed-walk in response. They came to a door down a long hallway and she read a report on the door before nodding back to Bail. Again. "Papa," Leia began to ask again, but Bail shook his head and, putting a hand to her back, gently pushed her towards the door. "You mustn't worry about a thing, child," he said, tears fillings his eyes. "I'm sorry, Lelila. I understand now. Please. Just go."
Leia started at him, inquisitively. Fear gnawed at her heart, but, before she could ask again or voice her alarm, Memily opened the door and pushed her in. Leia gave a little yelp, spinning around to open the door, but she heard a noise from behind her and it gave her pause. It was a voice. "Hey'a, Princess." Slowly, she turned to face the source of the noise, still fearful of whatever was happening. Her eyes found the med-bunk and there, lying in the bed, was a sight more beautiful than anything Leia had ever seen. Her heart lifted and all the exhaustion and grief that had been eating at her for the last several days just suddenly vanished. A joyous smile found its way to her lips and she screeched aloud in profound happiness. "Han!" she cried, running for his bed.
She skidded to a stop at his side and quickly dipped her head to kiss him. With one hand, Leia squeezed his shoulder and Han groaned in pain. "I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?" Han shook his head and reached a hand out to pill Leia's head back down to his. "You're fine," he insisted. "It's fine. I'm just a little bruised."
"But the ceiling panel! It fell on you!" Leia hushed herself, her eyes going soft as she remembered what Memily had told her when she'd woken up. " . . . You saved me from getting hit."
Han smiled bitterly at her before slowly straightening his neck to kiss Leia's sweet lips. "I love you, sweetheart," he told her and Leia melted at his side, bursting into tears.
"I know," she responded in kind, kissing him again. She nestled next to him, his body spooning hers. Han ran his fingers through her hair, brushing her dark strands from her face. "I missed you," he whispered into her hair, kissing her temple.
Leia smiled, turning in his arms to look at him. "I missed you, too," she said. "So much that I had to come looking for you. And now, I am very angry at you for thinking that you could just leave me."
"I'm sorry-"
"You should be. I might have to punish you, now."
"Oh, no, Princess. Trust me, I already feel punished enough for two lifetimes. Thank you for saving me, but I was trying to save you-"
"So I heard, but I can save myself, thanks."
"Oh!" Han caressed her cheek and his eyes went as wide as satellite dishes. "I know you can, but is there something wrong with me being concerned about you?"
"Absolutely not. I have no problem with it until you start doing stupid things to protect me."
"Got it. Consider this lesson learned. Now, what have you learned from this?"
Leia frowned. "Maybe . . . sometimes, I don't have to do stupid things, too. Maybe, I do need you to help me out. There. I confessed. I'm sorry. Is that enough?"
"It's plenty for me."
Han took both of Leia's hands into his and he played with her fingers, intertwining their hands. They both went silent, but Leia's smile and happiness began to fade. It was with a heavy heart that she looked into Han's eyes again. Tears welling up in them, she asked him, "So, this is it? This is the last time we ever see each other. Your injuries look like they're healing well. Once Memily can admit you out of here, you're going straight to the prison."
Han kissed her knuckles and returned a sad smile. "You're really calling this the last time? You aren't even going to visit me in prison?"
"I would, but I don't think my dad would like that."
Han actually laughed and he responded by telling her, "I think you'd be surprised."
"And why do you say that?"
Han pointed to the nightstand beside his bunk and nodded. "There's a little velvet box in there. You mind handing it to me?"
Leia cast him a suspicious glance, but consented. She opened the single drawer and dug a hand in to find the item. Her hand found a fuzzy box and she showed it to Han. He nodded, taking it from her and clamping it in his hands. "Do you want to hear a story about this little box?"
Leia shrugged, allowing herself to be mesmerized by his voice while he began to speak. She nestled into his side and Han wrapped an arm around her shoulders while he told his story. "It all began a few days ago when I woke up in this room. I was scared that you'd been hurt and I kept asking if you were alright. I remember Memily wouldn't stop laughing. She kept saying, 'have you seen yourself?', but that didn't bother me. Well, I think I'd been awake for a few hours when a tall, clean man came in and he introduced himself as your father." Han glanced down at Leia and admitted to her, "Not going to lie. I peed a little."
Leia giggled and Han relished the sound until Leia quieted herself to listen to his story. "He told me that he wanted to talk to me about a certain princess and I told him . . . well, I want to say that I told him something really nice and honorable, but I think something more like, 'shoot, you found out,' came out. Anyway, we talked for a few hours and he came back the next day and we talked for a few hours and he came again the next day and we talked for a few hours . . ."
"And?"
"And he told me that he's worried about you. He said that it scares him when you get all depressed and you don't sleep or smile. He said that he realized you were never like that when I'd been around. And he said he wanted me to keep you smiling and happy."
"Did he really?"
"Yeah, he did. You go ask him. He said to me, 'Han, I love my daughter more than anything or anyone in this galaxy and I want her to always be as happy as she is when she sees you. I want you to stay with her and keep her happy and my Lelila forever'. Then, he asked me to do something that kind of scared me. To be honest, it still scares me."
"What are you scared of, Han?"
Han gently held Leia's chin cupped in his hand and, staring into her deep brown irises, he told her, "I'm scared because I've never felt this way before. And it scared me because your father wants me to do something I never thought I would ever do."
"Han. Please just tell me."
" . . . Alright. . . . He asked me to ask you something."
"That doesn't make any sense."
"Yes, Leia." Han opened the small box and showed her its contents. "Yes, it does."
Leia was sure she was going to hyperventilate. Maybe, she already was. She looked inside the box and her heart started booming in her chest. Her throat constricted and her eyes burned with the sensation of coming tears. She'd cried too much this last year. What was wrong with her? Her hands shook and she could hardly believe what she was seeing. That same fear that Han had just explained grabbed at her and Leia was consumed with fear because she had never felt this way, either.
She caught her breath again and her eyes found their way to Han's. His smile gone, now replaced with a shakier one, Han asked her, "What do you think? I know everything has been insane since we met, but, Leia, you've changed my life in a way that I'm still trying to comprehend. You turned my world upside down and you pulled back all my layers. You got through all my layers, found your way to my softness. That scared me, Leia. It terrified me because I didn't know what to think. I was in love with you, but I was scared. I thought I was in love once before, but then I met you and none of that mattered. You turned all the darkness to me into light and it still scares me to think about it. But I know something, now, Leia. I've learned that, one, I love you. And two . . . I never want to leave you again." Leia watched in amazement as Han switched his seating position and held the box out to her. "Leia Organa . . ." Tears began to spill from her eyes and Leia couldn't hold back the sob that followed. She laughed, though she wasn't sure why, and closed her eyes for a second, reveling in the moment. "Will you marry me?"
Leia futilely tried wiping the tears away. "I need to hear you tell me that this is you asking me, that you're not just doing this because my father asked you to."
"Leia," Han smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I've wanted to marry you for a very long time."
"How long?"
"Since our date at the dancing house."
Leia covered her face with her hands and sobbed, hiding a joyous smile as she racked her memory for that one words he was looking for. What was it again? Oh, that's right. She uncovered her face and nodded. "Yes," she said, another giggle bursting from her. Han smiled and Leia said the word again, "Yes, yes, yes. Yes, Han Solo!"
"You'll marry me?"
Her hands hovering over her mouth, she nodded vigorously. "I'll marry you."
"I hear more crying," Sabé reported with an ear still pressed to the door. "Ugh! They're talking too quietly for me to hear!" She spun on her heel and frowned at Bail who stood a few feet away, his arms crossed patiently. "Why didn't you tell me he was alive?"
Bail smiled, taking Breha's arm. "We wanted to talk to Han first. Without interruptions."
Sabé scowled. "Ouch. But you told Memily?" Breha nodded. "Ouch. But you finally agree with us about him?"
Bail sighed in defeat and nodded, taking a seat on a bench outside the med-room. "I'm afraid I have come to know Han better."
"And?"
"And bad things happened."
"What bad things happened? Breha?"
Breha emphasized sealing her lips and she shook her head.
"I'm not going to get a word from you, am I?"
Both Organas smiled at each other and shook their heads.
Sabé sighed.
Not even a minute later, the door opened and Leia came out, completely composed and calm. She slowly looked up to turn her gaze to her parents and Breha and Bail both stood to talk with her. Parents and daughter slowly approached each other until the latter finally broke into a grin and fell into her mother's and father's embrace. "Thank you!" she squealed and both parents hugged her back, laughing. "Thank you, Papa, Mama! Thank you!"
"What happened?" Sabé asked. Reluctantly, Leia let go of her mother and father to turn and explain to Sabé. "What's going on, Leiá?"
When the princess looked to her, she was smiling; a beautiful, bold, eccentric smile that she had never seen before. It made her smile back and she erupted into giggles with Leia before the younger woman could even get to explaining. "Mom and Dad gave Han their blessing-"
"To marry you?!" Sabé practically screamed it, reaching out to hold onto Leia's shoulders. Her eyes were wide, filled with excitement, and she started jumping when Leia only nodded. "Han and I are engaged," Leia managed while Sabé continued her little party, jumping and screaming with Leia caught up in her arms. "Oh, Leia! This is amazing!"
Once Sabé had calmed herself enough, she pushed Leia back at arm's length and asked, "Are you happy, now?"
Tears tracing a path down Leia's cheeks, she nodded. "Very. The only thing I'm not looking forward to now . . . is telling Aunts Rouge and Celly. And the Hapans. And Alderaan."
"Take your time, dear," Breha told her, enveloping her in a tight hug. "It'll be a huge adjustment for everyone. As for you and Han . . . " Leia embraced her mother again and Breha smiled. "Your father and I are proud of you, proud for you. You found a nice man."
"Thank you, Mom. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going back in. Han and I still have a lot to discuss."
"How about . . . baby blue and white?" Han suggested, walking arm-in-arm with his new fiancée down to a council room in the palace.
Leia shook her head, leaning against him as they went. "Or just white and brown."
"Yeah, that sounds nice, too."
"What? Do you want me to wear a green dress for you? Let's go all Corellian with it. A green wedding dress and running down the aisle-"
With a laugh, Han shook his head and said, "No, no. It's fine. Brown looks better on you, anyway. You know, I'm not expecting you to give up any Alderaanian traditions for Corellian ones. It's your choice."
"Well, it's our day and I think it would be really fun if we mixed traditions. But, yes, I'd really rather not wear a green dress. That might be pushing it too far for an Alderaanian."
"That I can deal with."
Arriving at the conference room, Leia pulled Han along as she was greeted by Prince Bornan and his new wife Aryn. "Leia!" Aryn beamed upon seeing Leia and opened her arms wide to offer a hug in greeting. "I heard about the engagement from Bornan's family. Congratulations!"
"Thank you, Aryn. And congratulations on your own wedding. I wish I could have come-"
"Think nothing of it. By the way, we got the gift you sent. The frame looks just beautiful hung up in our room. Thank you!"
Then, Bornan hugged Leia and turned to formally greet Han. "Captain Han Solo, it's wonderful meeting you! Welcome to Alderaan."
"And the palace life," Aryn added with a smirk.
Leia took Han's hand again and turned for the long table in the other side of the room. "Why don't we take our seats and then we can talk later. I want to get this done before more people start asking and I tear my hair out."
"We most certainly wouldn't want that," Han smiled, squeezing her hand and following her to two chairs across the table from where Bornan and Aryn were sitting. Soon enough, the other noblemen of Leia's generation, including Gram and the Panteer brothers, took their spots at the table. Once everyone had arrived, Leia took up her glass and hit it with a spoon. "Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Royal have a lot to discuss concerning our own roles in Alderaan's future and I know that there are a lot of rumors circulating about . . . myself. Please allow me to make my own announcement and have a few words. Firstly, I have chosen a husband. Allow me to introduce to you all Captain Han Solo."
Silence. Bornan and Aryn smiled, but Leia quickly grew uncomfortable in the silence that the others enveloped her with. Han looked away, but Leia caught his eye and shook her head as if to tell him that he shouldn't let it bother him. "I've done a lot of thinking since I was swarmed with all these suitors and even more since Han and I became engaged. I predicted that noone would feel very comfortable with my decision and so I have made a decision that concerns another one of the nobles here. I have decided that I'm not taking the throne this generation. I'll still be concerned with Alderaan's affairs, but . . . I have other plans and I don't think I'm the right person for the throne, anyway. And, because I'm relinquishing my throne, might I nominate Prince Bornan and Princes Aryn to take my place?"
Aryn nearly choked on her wine and Bornan froze, staring wide-eyed at Leia. "E-excuse m-me?" Bornan sputtered.
"I believe that you two are what Alderaan really needs. I have a lot on my plate and Han and I have our own plans for once we're married. As much as I would love to, I think this will be better for everyone. And my parents agreed that you both would fit well on the throne."
Aryn smiled and thanked Leia. "You're sure about this?" Raal asked. "I mean, of course, any of us can take that responsibility. We were all raised to, but-"
"But, for years now, it's been expected that you would," Heeth finished for his younger brother. "Are you sure you want to give up that-"
"Positive. Like I've already said, I have different plans. Alderaan needs someone fully committed to the throne. Not someone who's bouncing back and forth, weighing different responsibilities. So, Bornan, Aryn. Are you up for the challenge?"
One month later, Peace Park in Aldera
"Hang on," Sabé told Leia, running over her own lips with a dark, deep red lipstick. She was wearing a long, brown dress with a thick white waist band wrapping all the way around her waist. Her hair done up in curls, she couldn't help but laugh at her own image, thinking about how much she looked like Padmé again. It's been so long and, yet, here she was, back to old habits. "Just let me finish and I'll take a look at Tia's work."
"Ha! Sounds like you don't trust me," Tia joked and Sabé shook her head, smiling. She put her make-up back into her pouch, smacked her lips, and turned to look at Leia. She gasped. "Oh, Lelila!" Leia blushed, holding a fistful of her skirt out to her side. "I look alright?" she asked with a small smile.
Sabé's breath caught and she found herself at a loss for words. Leia was dressed in her wedding gown and her hair done up. Her dress was a simple layered skirt and the bodice was all laced, even the sleeves. "Ha! You look amazing, honey! Absolutely beautiful."
Breha and Tia both smiled. The mother of the bride hugged her again and told her, "Just wait until your father sees you. He's going to have a heart attack."
Leia chuckled and crossed the small dressing room to slip on her shoes, her face still red from the compliments. And anxious fear.
"So," Sabé directed a broad smile at the princess. "How do you feel? Are you excited?"
Giggling again, Leia nodded. "Excited might be an understatement, but, yes; I'm very excited. I'm going to be married." She reached into a clutch and pulled out a pair of red and blue earrings. She put one of the spirally earrings in. "To Han Solo." Then the other. "And I've never been this happy before."
Breha laughed. She came to her daughter's side, carrying the veil. She slid the veil's comb so it discreetly hid under a mass of curls at the top of Leia's head. Then, carefully taking the veil by its ends, she spread it over Leia's head, shoulders, and let it fall nicely down her back. As she finished up her work, Sabé took notice of the tears welling in her eyes and slowly falling down her cheeks. Though the mother was smiling, Sabé could see the bitter joy behind her eyes. She was about to approach and offer Breha comfort, but Leia, ever perceptive to her mother's feelings, quickly reached a hand back to grab Breha's arm. Breha started and Leia turned to meet her gaze. The mother would have wiped her tears, but Leia was holding one of her arms down, staring her dead in the eye.
"Are you ready?" Rieekan asked with a smirk, helping Bail straighten his long coat. The father of the bride was dressed in dark blue and cool gray, standing before Rieekan while he finished getting ready.
"To give my daughter away to a man I just met a month ago? Hardly. The hardest part, though, is the fact that I could trust no one else with my Lelila and I already like him."
Rieekan chuckled, stepping away. "Yeah, Lelila is an amazing person. The captain sure is lucky, isn't he?"
Bail nodded, stuffing a handful of facial tissues in his pocket for later. "He sure is."
Leia fought to keep the tears at bay, but, standing behind her, she knew her mother was crying. Her sobs silent, but Leia caught hold of a feeling and she knew Breha didn't want her to see. But she needed that. Right now, more than anything, she wanted to cry with her. She reached behind her back and quickly seized her mother's hand, turning to look at her and lightly smile. Tears ran down her cheeks still, but Breha smiled, letting go of the veil to capture Leia in another hug, clinging tightly to her. "I love you, Lelila. I love you so much, my precious girl! I know you're not really mine, but I love you like you are! I love you, Lelila."
Growing up with the Organas since birth, Leia had never thought in the mindset that Breha and Bail weren't her parents. Of course, she knew this already, but they'd raised her, cared for her, taught her everything she knew. How could they not be her parents? Almost hurt by the comment, her tears started to race down her face now and she buried her face in her mother's shoulder, shaking her head. "No, you're my mother. I'm your daughter. That's all there is to it."
Breha gave a joyous laugh and kissed Leia atop her head. "What did we ever do to deserve you?"
Then, at that moment, Bail entered the small room. Seeing the emotional scene, tears immediately sprang to his eyes and he exchanged a smile with his wife. "Look!" Breha cried, backing away from their daughter, but holding one of her arms out. "Here's our little girl, the same one you brought to our home all those years ago. Can you believe it?"
"Hardly," Bail responded, approaching Leia and marveling at her. "She was so much smaller and I could hold her in my arms and rock her every night before bed . . . She was my little girl-"
"I still am," Leia assured him and she walked into his embrace. "I still am, Daddy."
"I hope you are. Now, I suppose there's a man around here somewhere . . . just waiting for his turn to take care of you."
Leia smiled up at him and nodded. "I suppose there is. Thank you, Daddy. I know this hasn't been easy for you to let Han-"
"He's a good man, Leia. You found a really nice one. I want you to know how happy I am for you, how proud your mother and I are of you. You've grown up beautifully and, during this whole scenario-"
"You both only had the best of intentions," Leia finished for him. "I know. And I appreciate that more than you know. I appreciate your support and love and protection. I really needed it from you guys, too."
"Well," Tia broke in, turning to leave out the door with Sabé. "I guess we should all get going. We're going to be out there, waiting for you, Lelila!"
"Thank you, Aunt Tia."
Tia nodded, smiled, and the two older women left.
Leia took a deep breath and turned back to her father to speak to him. "I am nervous," she admitted.
"Don't be," Breha said. "You'll be just fine. You'll always have Han and that's what we're here to celebrate. Everything's going to be fine. Look at me, darling. You're alright. We're proud of you. We love you and we wouldn't let you do this if we didn't think it was a good idea."
"I know you wouldn't." Leia took a tissue and dabbed at the corner of her eyes. "I just needed to hear it again."
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah." Leia laughed, throwing the tissue away and looping her arm through her father's. They stood before the door and Breha quickly left. "I'm ready."
A.N. Just one more chapter, guys! Okay, here's the deal. I really wanted to have a couple scenes with Han and Bail's discussions, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise, so I am working on a couple scenes with Han and Bail in my short stories book, A Long Drabble Ago . . . Hope you loved this chapter as much as I do!