This was a disaster. Leia had hoped that after spending some time with Solo, the two would gain a better understanding of one another and might even become friends once they got over the awkwardness of the situation. But the man was infuriating.
They were standing together in front of the mirror in one of the guest bedrooms now designated as Solo's. When she had first led him to the bedroom, he had informed her in a serious tone that it was much too soon in their budding relationship to try to get him into bed. It was difficult for Leia not to elbow him in the stomach. She turned on her heel to grab some adequate clothing that would have to suffice until she could get him to a store.
When she returned, Han was lying on the bed, propped up on his elbow and smiling at her return.
"Now that I think about it princess, it's never too soon."
He patted the spot next to him. When Leia sauntered over, his eyes widened, not expecting this response from her. She leaned down close to him and went to whisper in his ear. Han paused, curious as to what she was going to say, but then Leia pushed him over hard and dropped the clothes on top of him.
Han stood up laughing and when he went into his bathroom, he thought he heard her mumbling something that sounded like "blithering idiot."
Leia was growing tired of her attempts to dress Han like a suitable human being. He could not be separated from his blood stripe pants. And when she asked him, in what she thought was a nice gesture at making conversation, how he had come to earn those stripes, Han refused to answer.
This lead Leia to assume that rather from an act of honor, he had stolen them somehow. It seemed logical considering his already iffy reputation. When she told him so, because she just couldn't help herself, he shrugged his shoulders and laughed her off.
His face turned somber when she held out a new shirt for him.
"No way."
"Captain Solo, this must be the fifteenth shirt I have held out to you that you refused. Can you please just wear something decent?"
"It has ruffles."
"It's debonair. The color will bring out your eyes."
He looked down at her. "You've noticed my eyes, huh? Are they debonair?" He winked and turned back towards the mirror.
When she saw him smirking at her in the reflection of the mirror, this time she did elbow him in the stomach.
He bent over in mock hurt. "Ow, Your Highness. Aren't you supposed to show more dignity than that?"
Leia sat down heavily on the bed, her arms and legs crossed tightly around her. "This is not some dinner at a random space bar cantina. You have to look presentable. And it will be good prepping for tomorrow's press conference."
Han had been holding the light green ruffled dress shirt in front of him, inspecting it like it was some animal carcass Chewie had brought home as a midnight snack, when his head snapped up to meet her eyes.
"Press conference?" Leia mused that a vein bulged above his left eye when he was perturbed.
"Of course. We have to announce our courtship to the galaxy." She smiled at him sweetly, but frowned when he tossed the shirt aside.
"I don't do public speaking."
"You won't have to. Just stand beside me and try to look pretty."
He was grimacing and Leia couldn't help but feel a shot of joy at knowing she had caused such an expression.
"Can't they just announce it without us there?"
"Oh Gods no. Alderaan especially needs to see their new hero. If anyone is going to take this relationship seriously, and they better because the fate of the galaxy is resting on this illusion- Gods help us all- then you need to come across well and gain their affection."
"I didn't sign up to be the new poster boy."
"Actually, you did." Leia uncrossed herself and stood up from the bed. Her smile was bright and shining, but her eyes held a glint of mischief in them. "Now, if you have to wear those pants then fine, I suppose I can compromise, but wear that shirt or the one I make you wear tomorrow will be so much worse!"
The damned shirt was itchy as hell. He thought it was the last thing he ever wanted to wear, and told the princess so, but when she started threatening something about silk, he shrugged it on, realizing it might be his safest option.
The palace dining table was larger and more glamorous than any he had ever seen. It was a glazed mahogany with delicate, exquisite carvings made in the side and on the legs. But it appeared to be but a small dot compared to the vast dining room they were currently sitting in.
Han had thus far been surprised by the king and his daughter.
Although they clearly lived a life of luxury, they did not act like it. They were close to one another and treated everyone who they had come in contact with-friends and servants- with utmost kindness and respect.
Except the princess did not seem to take a liking to him. Han grinned at that. He liked riling her up. But their outward demeanors were very plain, especially for royalty, and Han found that he liked them despite himself.
Bail had worn much more extravagant clothing having been out and about in the planet, but once he returned home, he had changed into simple black slacks and a light blue button-up shirt. The princess, who he assumed would be decked out in a fancy dress and expensive jewelry, was wearing a pale khaki skirt and a red polo shirt. She wore only a silver necklace with a charm Han could not get a clear look at from this angle and a bracelet. The minimum of makeup made up her face.
The only extravagant thing about her was her hair. Han thought the two braided buns on either side of her face were ridiculous, but she somehow pulled it off. He found her adorable.
Even though the room was big with huge glass stain windows on either side and a ceiling high above them with intricate paintings of clouds and angels, the dinner guests sat close together. If he forgot where he was for a moment, and focused in on the present party, he wouldn't even notice they were in a castle.
Han was sitting beside Chewie and one of the Organa's close family friend's, Winter. Bail sat at the head of the table with his mother across from Chewie and the princess sitting between himself and Winter on the opposite side. She did not look pleased with this, but because it had been decided that her grandmother could not be let in on the secret because she could not keep secrets, Han and Leia even had to pretend to be a couple within palace walls.
They were in the middle of a delicious five-course meal when Grandma Organa interrupted for the third time with the same question. They had tried to derail her each time, but she grew ever persistent. She was having a difficult time wrapping her head around her granddaughter possibly marrying a space pilot, but she had taken a liking to Han despite his profession.
"So tell me again how the two of you fell in love?"
Han looked up from his nerfsteak to examine the older woman. She had olive skin and looked a lot like the older, female version of her son. With dark brown hair and a heavily make-upped, wrinkled face, the woman's big personality matched her spunky appearance. Having married into royalty, her son took the throne upon her husband's death, but so long as she didn't lose her royal life, she had no interest in politics.
Han found that he liked her a lot. Staring at her a moment longer between the pause it took for someone to answer her once again, he noted that Leia was much paler than her father and grandmother.
It was Bail who answered. "Captain Solo has been working as Leia's pilot for the past few months and have fallen in love."
He smiled at them. The grandmother did not seem appeased. "And you think this is appropriate?"
She eyed Solo. When he winked at her with a smirk, she giggled. He saw Leia roll her eyes from his side perspective. This made his smirk wider.
Bail coughed. "While I do believe that the relationship is sudden, especially for marriage level, if Leia does indeed love him and wish to marry him, and Captain Solo turns out to be as true as a character as he seems, then yes, of course I will consent to it."
"Well, he is quite handsome." She eyed Han again and let out a loud chuckle.
Chewie guffawed and Han made a mental note to tell him off for this later. This was after all, entirely his fault.
They were silent for several minutes and Han thought that finally the woman was satiated with her curiosity. He was wrong.
"Leia, dear. How did the two of you fall in love? He looks tough, but I bet he's a big old softy romantic on the inside. Isn't he?"
Grandma Organa elbowed Leia playfully to emphasize her point. Leia looked mortified. "Grandmother, I hardly think this is appropriate conversation for dinner. And besides, I thought you didn't approve."
Her grandmother looked disappointed. "I never said I didn't approve, dear. I merely wanted to check the facts. This all seems so sudden. But he's such a stud! I can see why now!"
Leia's cheeks reddened considerably, but she did not offer a response.
"Fine, fine. You don't want to tell your old grandma all the naughty details. I'll sniff it out of you later!"
Han watched Leia's expression change, gleefully. She looked like if there hadn't been a full plate of food in front of her, and if it wouldn't be so undignified, Leia would smack her head down onto the table. Grandma Organa was the best thing in the castle.
Conversation turned to politics and the war and what exactly had happened in town earlier in the day. Grandma Organa's adoration of Han grew even stronger when she remembered how he had saved Bail's life. He was pretty sure that if she didn't think he was almost engaged to her granddaughter, she might be asking him to marry her. She might be a heck of a lot simpler to deal with, he thought as he looked over at Leia.
The princess was wearing what seemed to be an ever-present frown on her face, her eyebrows creased in concentration. Han assumed her legs were crossed tightly, but couldn't tell for sure as they were under the table.
"That was a mighty brave thing for you to do today," Grandma Organa gushed. She turned to Leia. "Oh my dear, you picked yourself a hero! I never knew you had such taste in you! You usually go for such stuffy characters."
Leia turned a darker crimson and this time, she couldn't keep her mouth shut. "Grandmother, my other suitors were not stuffy. They were respectable gentleman, princes, who offered much to this galaxy, but were not the right match for me." Han added "unfortunately" in his head.
Winter giggled next to Han. "Except for Randolf of course."
Leia shot Winter a glare but she continued to laugh. Han noticed Bail give both girls a look, before turning to look back at Leia. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked somehow even angrier than before.
He spoke up. "Who's Randolf?"
Grandma Organa answered. "The Prince of the Darada System and Leia's first crush! Whatever did happen to Randolf? He always seemed to be around, but these last few years, he disappeared."
Leia sat up straighter in her chair. "Randolf has many military responsibilities and could no longer afford to spend his time gallivanting back and forth for visits."
Grandma Organa raised her eyebrows. "Rebellion business? Imperial? Oh I wish it all would stop. It's just going to cause more trouble."
Everyone looked at one another before quickly bowing their heads back down to their dessert. Grandma Organa did not notice and continued speaking.
"I never liked Randolf much anyways. He was always so high and mighty and was always talking about politics. I asked him once if he had seen one of the latest popular holofilms and he looked at me like I was crazy for delving into such artistic leisures. And he always turned Leia into such a blubbering, blabbering boring idiot who pretended she didn't care to waste time on the arts either. Solo is much more interesting dear." She patted Leia on the shoulder.
Bail stepped in because Leia looked prime to answer. "Yes, well. No need commenting on Randolf without him here to defend himself. Leia and Han are happy now and that's all that matters."
Han thought Leia looked a little sad, but she hid her emotions well.
No one spoke for the rest of the dinner and after the after-dinner kaffe, Han felt exhausted. It had been a long day and so much had happened. Leia requested to speak to her father after dinner, and though Grandma Organa looked disappointed that neither her or Han offered one another a goodnight kiss, Han was glad for the excuse to go to sleep.
With a kiss and a squeeze on the cheek, Grandma Organa patted him appreciatively and motioned towards Leia. In a loud voice she said, "Now, now. My bedroom's between the two of yours and in no way do I want to catch one of you trying to sneak into the other's room."
Her tone of voice said quite the opposite and she winked at each of them. Winter laughed again, told Leia she would see her in a few minutes, and left the dining hall. Nodding his head towards Bail and Leia, Han followed Chewie out of the room and towards each of their bedrooms.
Standing in the hallway, Han turned towards Chewie. "I dunno what we got ourselves into here, pal, but I gotta feeling that facing Jabba might have been the easier choice."
Chewie growled in good humor. "Yeah, yeah I know he's an old friend. I like em too, but it all seems so, complicated. Did you know I have to go to some press conference tomorrow?"
Han weaved his fingers through his hair. "I'm not the poster boy type, Chewie. Maybe we should try and get this Randolf back in the picture. Better him than me."
Chewie laughed again and ruffled Han's hair. "Alright, well I'm wiped. I'll see you in the morning."
After Han undressed and finished up in the fresher, he stood in front of his bed. It was the largest bed he had ever seen, never mind that belonged to him. The sheets were white and looked inviting and warm. The rest of the room was very bare, but nevertheless royally elegant.
He threw himself down onto the bed and pulled the covers up over him. His last thought was of Leia and how he liked seeing the rosy tint in her cheeks when she got all worked up.