Deciding to get married was the easy part. Actually doing it without raising suspicion proved to be a greater endeavor.
Doing it in Coruscant was out of the question; the risk of Padmé Amidala or Anakin Skywalker, who was slowly becoming a war hero, being recognized was too great. His face was already showing up in news reports and he hadn't even been knighted yet.
Getting married by a Naboo Holy Man in her home planet seemed to be the only choice and the one most meaningful to both of them, but he couldn't come and go as he pleased. One option was to wait until he was knighted and given a few days of leave, which didn't seem possible at the time because the war was just beginning and they couldn't spare him. The other option would have to be her requiring a Jedi escort to accompany her to Naboo, but the chances of that happening and having Anakin assigned to her again seemed limited as well.
Anakin was growing more frustrated as the weeks went by. Padmé tried to convince him to be patient, that their time would come, but the young man wanted to hear none of it.
"It's so unfair," he said. "We should do it here and get it over with."
Padmé looked at him from her desk.
"Anakin, you know that's not possible," she reminded. He rolled his eyes and continued to pace. "And is marrying me something you just want to 'get over with'?," she teased. Anakin loomed over her.
"That's not what I meant…" he said with a smile before he kissed her. Padmé laughed softly and checked her appearance on a small mirror.
"Now try to be quiet. I have to contact the queen."
Anakin nodded and sat on the couch, not wanting to distract her. Padmé cleared her throat and pressed a button on her desk. A hologram of Queen Jamilla appeared in front of her.
"Good morning, Senator Amidala," she greeted. Padmé nodded respectfully.
"Your majesty."
"I'm eager to learn more about your interventions in the senate. Have you continued to propose diplomatic solutions to the war?" the monarch asked.
"Yes, your majesty. Unfortunately, it has been for naught," Padmé answered with a hint of despair.
"I have more pressing issues to discuss with you, but it has come to my attention that our communications have been tampered with," the Queen informed. Padmé was confused.
"By whom?"
"The Separatists. Count Dooku is still missing and it wouldn't surprise me if he's the one behind this."
Padmé glanced at Anakin, who had an alert look on his face. The mere mention of Dooku made his blood boil.
"I see, your Majesty. Would you like me to bring this incident to the attention of the Senate?" she asked.
"No, but I do want you to come to Naboo as soon as possible. You will be safe here and we will be able to speak calmly," Jamilla said. Anakin smiled hopefully.
"I'll be there as soon as I can, your Majesty," Padmé assured. The Queen smiled softly and ended the call.
Anakin made his way towards her and sat on her desk. "This could be our chance," he said.
"Maybe, but how do we convince the council that I need more security than I already have? It's only a standard visit to Naboo," she said, her hand holding his gloved one.
"You could ask the Chancellor for help. He's from Naboo, too. I'm sure he'll be happy to help you," he reasoned. "And me," he added. She frowned.
"What do you mean?" Anakin tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"The Chancellor has been a good friend to me over the years. He wants to see me succeed. Another solo mission would be great for my career," he said.
"Won't he suspect once I ask for you specifically?" she worried. Anakin traced her jaw with his finger, his eyes roaming over her face.
"I'm sure he's worried about other things right now," he whispered. Padmé smiled softly, finally feeling some hope.
"Looks like we'll finally get this over with," she quipped.
"Very funny," he muttered as his lips met hers.
Padmé wasted no time in getting an emergency appointment with the Chancellor. He was so occupied with the war lately that he didn't seem to have time for anyone but high rank officers. She was pleased beyond words when, after much insisting from her office, he squeezed her in between meetings. She'd only have a few minutes to make her case, and she hoped that all the experience she'd gained in her years as a politician wouldn't abandon her now.
She took a deep breath and entered his office. Sure enough, he was sitting at his desk, studying a holoprint of a very large ship.
"Chancellor Palpatine," she greeted with a bow. Palpatine lifted his head to look at her and turned off the holoprint.
"Senator Amidala. I was surprised to see your name on my schedule. I hope everything is well?" he asked.
"I would like to request a Jedi escort to come with me to Naboo, this afternoon. The queen would like an update on the war," she explained. Palpatine was puzzled. And a little annoyed, if he was being perfectly honest. He couldn't believe Padmé was bothering him for something so insignificant.
"I don't mean to intrude in your professional relationship with the queen, but surely you can communicate via hologram?" he said.
"Yes, but there are more pressing issues at hand. And I have the impression that Count Dooku is not too pleased with my being alive," she added. She wanted to mention the bugged communications but she had promised the queen that she wouldn't. It was too bad, because that little snippet of information would've helped her case.
"I see your point," he replied. "I will ask the council if they have any available Knights to protect you," he said with a smile, trying to end the conversation. He had more important issues at hand.
"Oh, Anakin Skywalker will do. He did a good job the last time he was assigned to protect me, and his familiarized with my security detail," she finally said, trying to sound casual.
The Chancellor met her eyes, catching something in her tone, but her face betrayed no emotion. Then, her eyes shifted for a second. That was odd. Amidala was one of the most experienced politicians he'd come across; her steady eye contact was legendary among her peers. He brushed her mind for a brief second and found something he had missed before. Something about Anakin was making her very uneasy. He knew Anakin was fine; the boy usually talked to him and he hadn't mentioned anything out of the ordinary recently. Then why would the senator be so concerned about him? Suddenly, he understood.
Amidala was in love with Anakin.
His quick mind considered the ramifications of this and studied the angles, deciding if this would be useful to him in the future. He assumed Anakin returned her feelings. The boy had never truly overcome his attachment to his mother and it wouldn't come as a surprise if he had formed one with the Senator from Naboo, a person so tied to his past.
Palpatine smiled.
"I will make sure you are properly escorted to our home planet, Senator Amidala," he said warmly. "Give my best to Her Majesty." Padmé smiled softly, trying not to appear too eager.
"I will. Thank you, Chancellor," she bowed again.
"You're welcome."
Padmé thought back to her brief appointment with the Chancellor, still puzzled by something that had happened. She could've sworn she had felt something in her mind, not dissimilar to what Anakin had done to her when they were at the beach and he tried to figure out if she was awake. It was as if someone was probing her mind for information and she could almost feel it physically, but not entirely. She understood that Anakin was capable of doing that because he was a Jedi. Then why did she feel the same when she was with Palpatine?
She reasoned she was too paranoid during the meeting to think straight and that her mind was playing tricks on her. Yes, that was most definitely it.
She would rather spend her time thinking of her impending wedding ceremony. She and Anakin had agreed that while she was in private sessions with the Queen he would set out to find a Holy Man that would be willing to marry them in secret. They would only spend four days on Naboo, two of them in official business, and they had no time to spare. On top of that she had to find a dress. She figured she could wear Sola's. It was in storage somewhere, but she was sure Anakin would have no problem tampering with the access code.
She sighed sadly. The thought of using Sola's wedding dress without her knowledge, or the rest of her family for that matter, was heartbreaking. She knew what came with marrying Anakin, but she still wished she could share her happiness with her loved ones. Anakin was so important to her, and she had to keep him a secret.
"I'll go back to normal speed," a voice cut in.
Padmé snapped out of her reverie and turned to Anakin. He was already pressing buttons and taking control of the ship. They would be landing in Theed in a matter of minutes. She couldn't sulk and wish for things she knew she couldn't have. It was time to think about the future.
Their future.