Beware of the half truth. You may have gotten hold of the wrong half.
-Unknown
The next morning was warmer than the previous ones, and when Ben knocked on the Queen's door to check on her, he heard no response. Frowning slightly he went to knock again, only to pause and hesitate. She might have been sleeping still, she had retired late last night, and it could be assumed that she was still sleeping, but Ben had the distict feeling that she rose early no matter what. In the end he knocked once more and waited for her to call out for him to enter. There was no response again and in that moment, he felt the slightest whispers of distress in the Force, like someone was trying to smoother it, but it was leaking out with the sheer force of the emotion. Shoving open the doors in panic, he crossed the threshold of the room and found the entryway empty. It took him only a moment to realize that Olie's presence was nearby in the Queen's bedchambers. Crossing the giant room, his pace was quickened to a run as the distress was snuffed out quickly. He paused outside the door to her bedchambers and stretched his senses into the room to scope out the situation he would be walking into. Behind the door were two presences one emanating the distress the other a more volatile mix of emotions. Pulling back into himself, Ben pressed himself up against the door and heard the harsh breaking of voices as two people argued. His eyes narrowed as he recognized Olie unmistakable voice rising in amplitude, and Kiala's somewhat quieter tone, almost a whisper compared to Olie's. He pulled himself back after not being able to hear anything concrete and reached for the doorknob to let himself in, only to pause, unsure of announcing himself so suddenly. He let go of the door handle only to reach for it again and throw the door open when he heard the shattering of something glass.
Off to one side of the room was Kiala, her eyes hard and cold as she stared down Olie who was facing off against her from the other side of the room. Behind him, by his feet, was the shattered remains of a glass vase, with the flowers drowning in the water they had been set in a only a few moments ago. Olie's eyes snapped to Ben in the doorway and he set his jaw tightly before storming over to him and growling, "how did you get in here?"
"It's not too hard when the doors don't lock." Ben replied in kind, his hand settling on his lightsaber as he realized how volatile Olie's mix of emotions was. Kiala seemed more shocked to see him than Olie, her eyes widening in surprise as she took a few steps towards her bed and sat down on the edge.
There was silence around them for a moment before Ben raised himself to his full height and said, "is there anything I can do for you, your Highness?"
Kiala glanced to Olie quickly, her eyes shifting to meet his for only a fraction of a second before she glanced back to Ben and whispered, "no, thank you for your consideration though," she paused for a only a moment, and then without even looking at Olie whispered, "I understand perfectly well Olie."
Olie huffed at her dismissal but dropped into a bow none-the-less, his head crocking to the side slightly as he inclined it. He rose stiffly and Ben watched as he limped slightly out of the room. Kiala watched him go as well and then filled the silence, "he twisted his ankle this morning."
"I'm sure he did." Ben's voice was barely a murmur, as he went to leave as well. Kiala leaped up upon seeing his desire to leave and crossed the room to him quickly.
"are you doing anything today? My aid and I were going to go speak with Proodo once more-"
Ben stiffened at the reminder of how easily he had been lead around by the Queen last night, like he was her pet on a leash, some grand prize she had managed to collect. He squared his shoulders, forcing his mind back to the present situation, and turning to face her bowed his head respectfully and whispered, "I think it's best if you go with your aid."
Kiala's eyes dropped quickly and she murmured something softly, but when she glanced up again she gave him a weak smile and said, "of course, I should expect that you have something to do."
Ben winced inwardly, that was not the intention he had presented, but if it kept him away from Kiala for a day, then so be it. She turned away and crossed her room to the vase that had shattered on the ground. She sighed as she crouched down and gathered up the flowers that had been the unfortunate recipients of the destruction.
"Such a waste of life," she whispered, more to herself than to Ben. He watched her rampantly though, unable to turn away, unable to leave when she was being so vulnerable again. She set the flowers softly on the small table by the window and then crouched down again to pick up the broken pieces of the vase. She paused as if realizing something, and then glancing over her shoulder at Ben she whispered, "I'm sorry you had to see this, Olie and I have been rather disagreeable lately," she brushed a few of the pieces into the palm of her hand with her finger tips and then rose once more to put them on the table, "we have very different views."
Ben remained silent, watching Kiala's thin, graceful fingers pick up the larger pieces and cradle them. Seeing that she might cut her hand on some of them, he crossed to her and said, "you might want to wait for someone to clean that up."
Kiala paused for a moment, her hands hovering above a smaller piece, and Ben saw her hand was trembling. She laughed softly to herself though, and still reached out to pick up the piece. As she rose she looked up at Ben under long lashes and whispered, "I'm happy to say, I have a habit of cleaning up my own messes."
(/)
Kyp had been alone in the library for a few hours, his mind elsewhere as he stood by the window and looked out at the snow dusted landscape. He'd sensed Ben with the Queen almost an hour ago, and had felt the youth retreat into himself after that.
Of course he'd found out about the dinner party last night. It wasn't hard to get that kind of information out of Allana. The poor thing was a hopeless romantic, always spewing off happy things about love and whatnot. Ben and Kiala were her new project, or so she had claimed to Kyp after telling him that she had seen Ben and Kiala slip out onto the balcony and stay out there for almost half an hour. Kyp intended to speak about it with Ben, but he'd managed to avoid Kyp so far, apparently he knew that it wasn't a secret anymore.
Eventually, Kyp heard the soft sound of footfalls behind him and flipping around hoping to catch Ben sneaking up on him so he could patronize him for that too, Kyp came face to face with the Queen's Honor Guard. Olie looked almost as surprised to see Kyp as Kyp looked to see him. They remained at a stand still, both of them staring at each other in mock respect for the span of a few heartbeats, neither backing away or turning.
The guard slowly backed away after the silence had grown too long and then dipping his head he whispered, "Jedi Master, I wasn't expecting to find you in a library."
If Kyp noticed the barb he didn't say anything, instead he glared at Olie and replied, "you've been extremely respectful to Jedi Knight Skywalker as of late, any reason in particular for that?"
The guard lifted his eyes and Kyp saw the barest flash of fury in Olie's irises, but the young man recovered quickly and with a wan smile reapplied in kind, "the Queen has taken a liking to him, and has requested that I show him the utmost respect. I can't disobey a direct order from my Queen."
Kyp frowned and stepped aside slowly, inviting Olie to pass him. The young man took the opportunity like he was a dying man who had just seen water, and slipped past Kyp. He watched Olie disappear deeper into the library and around corner where he vanished from sight. Kyp's frown deepened and with a tight nod of acknowledgment, he started after the Guard.
It was simple to trail him, he took no sudden turns or stairwells, and Kyp found it rather silly that he was following Olie at all. Something had tipped him off though, something about the look in Olie's eyes as he'd mentioned the Queen and Ben. Eventually the young man paused outside a set of heavy doors and knocked quickly. The doors swung open and he slipped inside, closing the doors with a resounding bang behind him. Kyp stopped at the end of the hall and then turned to look down the hall behind him to see if anyone had followed him. The only sound was his soft breathing as he turned once more and made his way towards the doors. He paused outside them and stretching his senses beyond, he recognized the presence of the Queen's aid and Olie, both of which appeared to be rather at ease, a heartbeat later there was the sound of something being slammed against a table and then a raising of voices. Kyp narrowed his eyes and took a small step closer to the doors to try and hear what was being said.
Pressing himself up against the doors he heard the faintest of mumbling, nothing to really string together though. There was another banging and Kyp cursed the thick door separating him from the conversation. Behind him he heard a soft cough and flipping around he saw Allana standing with her arms crossed and her brow raised in curiosity. Her lips pulled down into a frown as she inquired, "what are you doing Master Durron?"
Kyp paused and then stepping away from door he murmured, "nothing of benefit anymore."
Allana's arms uncrossed and tilting her head to the side she whispered, "are we spying on someone?"
"We are not doing anything." Kyp replied as he started down the hallway towards the library again, intent on losing the teenager before she asked anymore questions. Allana hiked up her skirt and ran to catch up to him, her shoes clicking against the marble floor as she reached Kyp. She walked along side him in silence for a moment before she stepped in front of him and inquired while walking backwards, "do you know where Ben is?"
"No, and I've been looking for him all morning."
"Behind closed doors?" Allana questioned as her face twisted in mock confusion and surprise. Kyp sighed and stepping around her replied sternly, "no, now shouldn't you be with your mother?"
Allana's lips puckered in a way that could only be described as Solo and murmured, "I know where Ben is."
Kyp paused and turning to face her side on he ordered, "tell me where he is, Allana this is serious."
The teenage girl smiled at her new found control and crossing her arms she teased, "only if you tell me what you were doing."
They remained in a stalemate for a few minutes, Kyp's eyes narrowing with each second, and Allana's smile widening each time the Jedi Master's scowl deepened. Eventually Kyp raised his chin, refusing to play Allana's games and growled, "never mind, I'll find Jedi Knight Skywalker myself."
With that he passed her and made his way back towards the library and left Allana behind, rather annoyed that she had been played into the situation. She watched Kyp's receding form and when he vanished around the corner, she turned her attention back to the room Kyp had been standing by. Setting her jaw, she reached down and slipped off her shoes before walking towards the door. If there was one thing she had learned from her grandfather, it was that you sometimes had to do things yourself if you wanted the truth.
She pressed her ear up against the door and listened intently to the murmurs of voices beyond. Gritting her teeth when she couldn't hear clearly, Allana stormed off and assumed that Kyp had been listening to nothing.
(/)
Kyp found Ben in his chambers, sitting in front of the large floor to ceiling windows in a meditation pose, his eyes closed and his shoulders rising and falling slowly with each breath. He waited behind Ben, watching the young man probably purposefully ignore him. Eventually though, Ben sighed and without looking over his shoulder called out to Kyp, "yes?"
"I heard about last night, you know." There was silence again after Kyp's comment, but he swore he saw Ben flinch. The young man eventually sighed, the tension in his shoulders leaving as he murmured, "nothing happened."
"Hiding things will get you no where right now."
"what makes you think I'm hiding things?" Ben's rebuttal was laced with irritation at Kyp's questioning, but his body remained loose, his mind working around the problem obviously. "I promised you I wouldn't hide anything that happened."
"And standing on the balcony for half an hour with the queen that we are supposed to be guarding isn't anything?" Kyp growled as he crossed the room to stand right behind Ben, his fury over the young man's actions coming to the fore now that their conversation had escalated into an argument. Ben's shoulders tensed once more, and his back stiffened until he was sitting ram rod straight. Kyp crouched down so he was whispering in Ben's ear, "don't try to hide this from me, I know something's going on. Both me and your father-"
Ben rose at that, almost succeeding in taking Kyp's nose off. He flipped around and going toe to toe with the Jedi Master growled, "you and my father need to stay out of my business."
"Last I checked we were your superiors and deserved both your respect and an open mind. I'm trying to help you!" Kyp cried as Ben shoved past him and grabbed his boots a few steps away. "She's dangerous Ben-"
"You think I don't know that?" Ben chided, his eyes narrowing as he drew up to his full height and threw the boots back down. "You think I don't know that she's probably conspiring with the Sith, and may even be one herself! Do you think I'm some stupid kid who doesn't know right from wrong?"
Kyp took a deep breath through his teeth, and made a mental note to report to Luke and ask him how in the name of the Force he talked to his son without firing an argument. Forcing calm on tightening muscles, Kyp growled though his teeth, "I don't think you're a little child, I know that you've have you share of these situations. But this is being taken to a whole other level, we don't know if the Sith are here, we don't know if they are even present in the Onderon Royal Court, we don't even know who this damn girl is."
"That's what I'm trying to do, I'm trying to know her, inside and out. I feel like that is the only way we can find out what happened." Ben murmured, his shoulders slacking as he realized that the fight wasn't worth it. Kyp was right, although Ben hated to admit it. He'd had his share of missions, but none that required this level of attention to detail and interpretation. He sighed and slowly sank down onto the arm of the couch and ran a tired hand through his hair. He was so tired of this mission, tired of playing games and dancing around Olie. They were barely into the mission and he wanted to rip his hair out. Everything was a contradiction, every lead a dead end. When did a door open for him to slip though allowing him to reach the deep recesses of Kiala's mind?
"Maybe I should try talking to her." Kyp's voice whispered through Ben's thoughts, pulling his attention back to the Jedi Master. He had crossed to Ben once more and was gently resting a hand on Ben's shoulder. The pressure was reassuring, and Ben almost succumbed to it, almost.
"No, I-I need to talk to her. She actually listens to me." Ben rose slowly, and glanced up to meet Kyp's gaze he murmured, "at least, I think she does."
(/)
It was early in the evening when Ben received a summons to Tenel Ka's chambers. The steward who delivered the message looked rather beside himself that he had to walk all the way across the palace to deceive a five word message that made almost no sense at all. Ben simply nodded and thanked him, but that appeared to make it worse, because the squat man had only huffed to himself and then turned on his heel to leave. Ben watched him walk down the long hallway before sighing and closing the door softly. He leaned his head against the cool wood for a few seconds before reopening it and slipping out into the freezing hallway.
The snow had stopped falling, and as Ben passed the Queen's doors he glanced out at the barren landscape. The sun was setting across the scraggly mountain peaks turning the snow on the tops a bright pink and orange color. He stood frozen for a moment, transfixed by the sight. The simpleness of it all pricking at the back of his mind, drawing him closer to the window so that he could see his breath fog it momentarily. The fog spread slowly along the windowpane and he watched as it gathered in the corners, blurring the image of the sun as it dipped below the mountains.
As the last of the rays split the sky, he turned away from the window and glanced down the hall to see if anyone had noticed his absentminded state, but he appeared to be the only living soul in this passage. Kiala and her aid had left earlier, but not without Olie catching Ben outside his rooms coming back from his walk with Kyp. They had left his rooms to discuss their strategy and approach to the reluctant queen who appeared to be keeping more secrets than before, and Ben had arrived just as Olie was arriving the retrieve Kiala.
Those black eyes had watched Ben unsettlingly as he passed the Queen's rooms to get to his own. The Guard had sneered for a moment before whispering, "tell your Master to stop snooping around where he doesn't belong."
Ben had stopped outside of his doors and had replied that he didn't know what Olie was talking about. With that he had opened his door, but Olie wasn't done. He pushed the door closed and glaring Ben down he'd growled, "stay out of her head, she doesn't need you running amuck in there."
Ben had narrowed his eyes at Olie's assumption and replied, "I haven't even tried to get in her head. She has every right to her privacy. I may be protecting her, but I'm not going to dig through every recess of her mind to find out her secrets."
For a moment, Olie had looked relieved, as if Ben's comment had soothed something he was worried about. From behind Olie, Kiala's voice had whispered that she was ready. She had been wearing a simple vine silk dress with gold flower lace dancing across the skirt. The look was so simplistic, that for a moment, Ben could forget that she was royalty.
Olie had given Ben one more hard look before turning and gesturing for Kiala to walk ahead of him. The Queen had met Ben's eyes softly, as if she were almost asking his forgiveness for something. Ben had glanced away quickly, refusing to be lead again, which only seemed to light a fire in Kiala from what he could tell. When he had looked back at her, Kiala had already gathered the train of her dress and had started ahead of Olie, her golden curls swirling around her shoulders as she walked down the hallway to meet her aid. Ben had watched her go, the fire in her presence almost a flash of insight into her psyche for him. She wanted him to desperately forgive her for something, but he couldn't quite figure out what she would be asking his forgiveness for.
Now, as he stood in the hallway, he looked back to the small space that all those feelings had occupied hours ago. She had looked beautiful tonight, she always did though, he reflected. Shaking himself out of those thoughts, Ben cursed the Force for always pitting him with some beautiful, Sith influenced girl.
(/)
The Queen Mother's chambers were warm and less sparse than Kiala's, with many trappings of the Hapan royal family. Ben took in the warm greens and blues of Hapes as he was shone in from the grand hallway. The marble in the walls was infused with little red veins, contrasting nicely with the green of the tapestries and pottery. The young steward bowed to Ben as he gestured Ben into the large sitting quarters where Allana was strewn across one of the love seats, her legs hanging over the edge of the arm and her head resting on a pillow as she recalled her day to her mother who was sitting across from her sipping a small drink.
Tenel Ka appeared to notice his presence in the doorway, but Allana continued droning on, oblivious to Ben standing behind her. Receiving almost an invisible nod from the Queen, Ben slipped in and crossed the room to stand next to Allana's love seat.
She seemed to grow rather excited for a second, and Ben expected her to turn and greet him warmly, instead she sat up quickly and exclaimed to her mother, "and Kiala had the prettiest dress on today, I saw her in it a little while ago. It was so pretty! It was that color that you say you always like, with gold lacy trimming and she had this head piece in that Grandma would have been so jealous of… I wonder if Ben saw her."
Tenel smiled and gestured to Ben next to her daughter and inquired, "well, I suppose you can ask him yourself?"
Allana flipped around to see Ben standing next to her, his brow raised in speculation and his lips drawn tight to hide his laughter at her surprise when she saw him. She scrambled up and stumbled over her sorries for not seeing him sooner and for talking about him with out knowing he was there. Ben eventually laughed and setting his hand on his cousin's shoulder he teased, "do you ever stop talking Lana?"
Allana's lips drew into a tight line at the nickname that he had taken to using after he heard one of her tutors call her it, but her scowl quickly disappeared as she stood on her toes to inquire, "I do when I hear people whispering secrets," seeing that he wasn't getting her point, Allana smiled coyly and teased, "well Ben, do you have any secrets worth hearing?"
Ben smiled but didn't rise to her bait, his reply leaving her perhaps even more curious about her own innuendo. "I might, but they are not for young ears."
Tenel smiled as she rose from her position on the couch, the lines in her face pulling tightly as she pulled Ben to sit down where she had been sitting a moment ago. He watched her curiously as she crossed the room to get him a glass of what she was drinking and he felt his stomach turn as he realized that she had a few little gray hairs dancing along her hair line. They were hardly there, but to an eye trained for detail, they stuck out like a sore spot. Unlike most, they made Tenel look even more regal, she carried her age well, he thought as he realized how old that made his father, aunt, and uncle. She glanced over her shoulder at Ben while she poured his drink, as if sensing his thoughts, instead of responding though, she offered him a bittersweet smile. Allana bounced over to her mother, practically skipping as she hummed, "did you see Kiala today mama? You said you were going to talk to her."
Tenel's lips turned up in amusement at her daughter's question and turning Allana around she responded, "no, I haven't seen her today."
"Mama! You said-" Allana whined but Tenel Ka silenced her with a look that made even Ben fix his posture. The Queen Mother sighed and then crossed back to Ben and handing him his drink she murmured, "I think I've embarrassed that poor girl enough."
Ben looked down at his hands, his own guilt at agreeing to pull information out Kiala rolling off of him in waves. Allana's gaze snapped to Ben upon sensing the rise in emotion, but she couldn't pinpoint what he was so guilty about. No one had taught her how to pick individual thoughts out of someone's mind, even if she could though, it was doubtful Ben would be foolish enough to let her catch them.
Tenel turned trained eyes on Ben though and questioned offhandedly, "have you adjusted to everything here?"
Ben smiled, grateful for the sudden change in subject and with a shrug replied, "if adjusted means finally knowing how to get around without getting lost, then yes, I've adjusted well." He took a sip of the brandy she had given him and swallowing around the bitter taste, he moved over and allowed Allana to plop down next to him. She leaned closer to him and with a wan smile whispered, "got a secret."
"Oh yeah," Ben replied with a raised brow, intent on keeping his own secrets out of this conversation, "and what is this secret?"
Allana giggled softly and then leaned closer to him and whispered into his ear, barely breathing it seemed, "Kiala hates her aid."
Apparently Allana was not done speaking about the young Queen of Onderon, and Ben almost sighed as the topic was brought up again. For a moment though, he was stunned, but that was chased away by curiosity as he bowed his head to indulge to his cousin, "do tell then your Highness."
Allana's smile could have split her face in two, but she brought it under control and settled in, intent on making her gossip appear as professional as possible it seemed. Tenel Ka watched her daughter with amusement and even settled in across from the two of them to watch the fireworks. Raising her chin, Allana stated bluntly, "I saw them in the hallway earlier today. He was saying something to her that didn't look that nice, and she looked like she wanted to rip his heart out and eat it."
"I think that's a little dramatic Allana darling," Tenel murmured as she ran her thumb along the rim of her glass. Allana shook her head wildly, scattering her curls everywhere as she turned back to Ben and began to sputter, "no, no, I'm serious. She said something that looked kind of like a curse word and he went all pale and then dragged her around a corner and was hissing something in her ear. She looked terrified, all pale and-."
"Did you hear what they were saying?" Ben inquired, his eyes cooling considerably as he realized that Allana was probably telling the truth, from what he'd seen between Kiala and her aid, the man was as two faced as the guard he'd brought along. Allana frowned as if she were recalling something from long ago, and her lips twisted like she had tasted something sour before saying, "something about lying, she said she didn't want to lie anymore, or something like that, I don't really know."
Ben's lips drew into a tight line as he breathed under his breath, "I knew it."
Allana appeared to not hear him, since she continued rambling, "the aid also said something about keeping quiet for a little longer, or maybe it was keep it quiet for a little longer, I'm not really sure. I tried to tell Master Durron earlier when he was looking for you but…" Allana trailed off when she realized that Ben wasn't even listening to her anymore. His eyes were gazing into the fireplace and had taken on that far away look that said he was in a half mediation trance, possibly searching in the Force for the truth in Allana's accusations. Eventually he nodded to himself and handing Tenel Ka the glass he inclined his head to her and whispered, "I'm sorry but I have to go, thank you for inviting me over, but-"
"Be careful Ben, those three look like more than you bargained for," Tenel Ka warned as she glanced up at Ben. Her green eyes were hard with tension and worry for him. Ben had become close to her only recently, unsurprisingly he was exactly like his mother. Imprudent sometimes, but rather observant of people and what they were after. She didn't doubt that he knew what was going on behind the curtains, and if there was one thing Skywalkers and Solo's had a nasty habit of doing, it was taking matter's into their own hands to solve the problem. Ben nodded quickly, accepting her warning, and passed her to leave the room. Allana watched his back and questioned her mother, "what did I say?"
(/)
Ben was running down the hallway, sprinting actually, determined to catch the Queen before she slipped into her rooms and disappeared under the watchful eye of her ever present guard. He glanced over his shoulder as he passed the hall that led to the Grand Ballroom, something dark was emanating from the hallway, but he shook his head, putting it off as an aftershock of his realization. He'd known Kiala had been lying, they'd known from the beginning when they'd caught her lying about Tenel Ka, but now, now he had something her could use.
As he rounded another corner, he turned into another body that was running the opposite direction as him, also at a sprint. They crashed into each other and then to the ground, and Ben saw stars spin before his eyes as his head hit the marble tile. He groaned as he rubbed the back of his head and sitting up slowly he saw Olie in front of him also rubbing the back of his head. The guard's eyes snapped to Ben and the two of them sat in stunned silence, apparently surprised to see each other. Ben put his hand out to get up and felt something cold and metal brush against his fingertips. Frowning he picked up a necklace chain with a locket swinging on the end. Olie grumbled to himself as he got up apparently not noting Ben at all, who had remained on the ground, looking at the object curiously.
Ben rose slowly from the ground as he observed the locket on the end of the chain that swung lazily before him. It was exquisitely carved, a piece of art work almost. It looked like spiraling galaxies of stars were carved all over it, with a single rhinestone in the middle that reflected the torchlight while also seeming to swallow it at the same time. The grooves were shallow, but the stone appeared to sit deeply embedded in the metal. The entire deign appeared centered to point the center point of the locket. Ben cupped the charm in his hand and let out a cry of surprise at the darkness that emanated from it in the Force. Olie's eyes snapped back to him and they widened in horror as Ben dropped the locket in disgust. Olie tore his eyes away from the locket to snap at Ben, "where did you get that?"
"I didn't get it anywhere, I-I," he watched as Olie bent down to pick the locket up from where Ben had thrown it down. He turned it over in his hand and then murmured something under his breath before glaring at Ben once more and hissing, "where were you going in a such a rush Jedi Knight Skywalker?"
Ben opened his mouth to answer, noticing the abrupt change in subject, only to slowly realize that Olie had changed it on purpose to thrown him off of the locket and murmured in response, "I was looking for Master Durron, but seeing as he's not here, I should look elsewhere."
Olie's head tilted to the side and Ben lost sight of the locket in the dark, seeing his curiosity over the piece Olie smiled wickedly and replied, "a pity, I hope you find him before it gets to be too late." With that the guard slipped around Ben like water over and rock and whispered in his ear, barely breathing the words, "stay away from the Queen."
Ben froze in surprise and only looked over his shoulder a few heart beats later to see Olie vanish around the corner and down the hallway that lead to the ballroom. The hallway grew deathly silent after Olie's disappearance but Ben remained rooted to the spot, running over the encounter in his mind, and always halting at the locket. Something about it sent shivers down his spine and raised the hairs on his neck and arms, as if even thinking about it was enough to bring the sickening feeling to his stomach that signaled the Dark Side.
With a jerk he took several strides around the corner in the opposite direction of Olie, hoping that he didn't run into any more surprises. His eyes flitted left and right as he passed hallways that broke off and with each glance his unease grew. For being so early in the night, the palace was too quiet. He paused once more outside of the hallway that led to Kyp's rooms, and debated whether or not he should go speak with the Jedi Master about what had transpired in the hallway with Olie just moments before. The door down the way from him opened and an older man stepped out. He paused when he saw Ben and then with a quick dip of his head, he turned on his heel and raced away.
Ben frowned, that was unusual. Surely the man wasn't afraid of him? Maybe it was because he was standing in a shadow and the man hadn't truly seen his face. When he turned around though, he ran into the person standing right behind him. He stumbled back a step, stumbling over an apology before realizing that Kiala's aid was glaring down his nose at Ben.
"Odd seeing you here Jedi Knight Skywalker."
Ben felt his mouth grow dry and his throat tighten as he realized that the reason the man had run was not because he had seen Ben, but because he had seen the aid. The older man seemed to take up the entire hallway, his broad shoulders filling the space around him. His dark robes absorbed the torch light behind him and Ben felt strangely cold in the shadow created by this effect.
"I was just looking for the Queen."
The aid's demur changed lightening quick, his eyes shifted to dark pools of black as his eyes narrowed. He seemed to swell even further in size and Ben felt impossibly small in front of him. "I assure you, she is perfectly safe. I just checked on her in fact."
Remembering what Allana had seen between the aid and Kiala, Ben decided to push the aid further to see how far he would go before he snapped spectacularly. "I think I'll check on her myself, thank you."
For a moment Ben thought the aid was going to strike him, he appeared almost insulted by the fact that Ben would even go looking for Kiala, as if by not taking his word Ben was sacrilegious. Instead of reaching out to strike Ben who had tensed in anticipation for the blow, he leaned closer so that his face was only centimeters away from the young Jedi's and whispered, "I recommend you don't play games with me, boy."
Ben narrowed his eyes at the comment, and squaring his shoulders he replied coldly, "who said I was playing games?"
The aid pulled away as if he had been physically shocked and with a huff he murmured, "I recommend you don't try and solve the puzzle that is the Queen, she will take you down with her if you do."
With that, the conversation was over and the aid slipped past Ben and continued down the hallway in the same direction that Olie had gone. The knot that had been forming in Ben's stomach seemed to unwind and he released the breath he had not realized he was holding. The muscles in his neck realized that he was no long in danger, and he felt his shoulders slump, he never realized how tense he got when he tried to read Kiala's aid. It like he was staring at a white wall and trying to imagine what it would look like with paint. Shaking off the last of his dark mood, Ben continued down the hallway to Kiala's rooms, where he was going to find out what was going on here, whether the Queen liked it or not.
(/)
Kiala opened the door after Ben's first knock; either she was expecting someone, or she had known he had been standing outside for the past three minutes debating whether or not he actually wanted to do this. When she opened the door, her eyes widened upon seeing him, only for her face to light up with a smile as she exclaimed, "Ben," she seemed to pause as if using his name was improper, but continued all the same, "I wasn't expecting you."
"I was just coming to check on you," Ben murmured as he lowered his eyes. She looked fine, he didn't need to talk to her anymore, he shouldn't even be talking to her in the first place. He inclined his head in what he hoped was a polite goodbye only for her hand to snake out from behind the door and grip his wrist. His gaze snapped up to her's in surprise, and even Kiala looked shocked by her action. She seemed to recover quicker than him, and with a shy grin, never once relinquishing her hold on his wrist, she whispered, "would you like to come in, today has been so stressful and I would love to talk."
Ben felt his heart race, this could be the time to get his answers, when Kiala's lips were loose and she seemed willing to tell him everything. She looked up at him though long, graceful lashes and the faint light from the hallway seemed to turn her eyes into bright pools of starlight. The squirming in his stomach was definitely not from his sparked nerves alone anymore. His throat seemed to tighten once more and with a weak nod, he took the ultimate step into the doorway of the Queen's chambers. She seemed to light up like a lighting bug and Ben felt the smile dancing on his lips before he stop it. She looked especially young when she smiled, like a little girl who was about to receive a secret Life Day gift. Her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled and her full lips pulled wide to reveal white teeth, and the light behind her played shadows across her face, making her eyes brighter it seemed. Her right cheek dimpled slightly near the corner of her mouth and that seemed to be the final piece of what was perhaps the most beautiful smile Ben had seen.
He pulled away from those depths quickly though, and it felt like he was rising to the surface after almost drowning. The soft glint of her crown in the low light pricked at his thoughts and for a moment he felt disgusted with himself for even thinking of her as anything but royal. Kiala seemed to sense his shift in mood because she lowered her eyes and whispered, "would you like some tea? I was just about to make some."
"Tea—tea would be nice." Ben cursed himself for stumbling over his words and giving away the fact that he was uncomfortable in her presence. Kiala didn't notice though as she floated through the hallway to the small living area in the front of her chambers. Ben followed her, watching the graceful sway of her curls along her back as she walked, and the gentle swirl of the simple white gown she wore, which did nothing to hide her slim curves. His earlier observation that she appeared to have none was instantly revoked, Kiala Olverde had been graced with supple beauty, she just hid it very well.
Turning to glance at him over her shoulder, she whispered with a gentle smile, "did you enjoy today? I feel as if I haven't seen you at all."
Ben cleared his throat and tore his eyes away from the enticing pull of her eyes and stated, "I saw you earlier, this morning, and before you left for dinner with your aid."
She didn't look the least bit phased by the comment, or even the memories of those incidents, instead she tilted her head to the side as if she were thinking about it for a moment. With a soft laugh she entered her living area and teased, "you see, I need you around to remind me when I forget things like that."
Ben laughed along with her, but if Kiala had turned around she would have seen the grimace as he tried to remain neutral in his emotions toward her. He felt the pull toward her like she was a sun and he was the system orbiting around her. He wanted to believe she didn't know about the effect she had on him, but if she was what he thought, then she knew exactly what effect she had.
She paused by a small table with a beautifully handcrafted wooden box. Lifting the lid with delicate fingers she stared down at the empty insides for a few heartbeats before reaching up and lifting the crown off of her head with weary fingers. She set it down softly inside of the box and Ben watched as she transformed in that moment. As soon as the metal left her head, and settled into the box, her shoulders seemed to straighten the tiniest bit, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It was in that moment that Ben saw how young Kiala was, an eighteen year old girl sitting on a throne that she was terrified of holding. An eighteen year old girl who had probably seen her fair share of liars and traitors before she had even sat on the throne for a day. She took no notice of his realization and instead crossed the room to the sitting area, her steps even lighter than before.
Sweeping the edge of her gown up, she settled onto the couch and glanced from Ben to the couch across from her, as if giving him silent permission to sit there. Seeing it was the only seat other than the one she occupied, Ben had no choice but to take the seat across from Kiala. Not that it would be bad to look at her while he interrogated, he just worried she would make it impossible to think straight. As he crossed the room to sit down, Kiala reached forward and poured two cups of tea and smiling up at him, she teased, "I don't think I've ever had tea with a Jedi before, this might be new territory."
"I don't believe I've ever had tea in the first place," Ben replied before he even knew the words were coming out. Kiala looked up at him in surprise and with a raised brow she replied, "you made it sound as if you had outside."
Cursing himself in every language he knew, Ben smiled and feigned innocence over the cascade of chaos inside his head, "I have had tea, but not like you have."
Kiala's head tilted to the side and her curls tumbled over her shoulder as she looked up at him curiously. His comment obviously strange to her as she thgouth about it. He watched her brows knit together the slightest bit as she though and then they slid apart as she seemed to give up try ingot decode what he had just said. She continued watching him like that though, for only a few more moments before returning her attention to the tea. Her hands were steady as she passed him the saucer, but as she released it, her hand brushed his and he felt her skin warm at the touch. When he looked up at her, Kiala's eyes flinted away and she rushed to get her cup up, as she did it slipped out of her grip. Ben lunged forward and caught the cup in his hand and the liquid with the Force. Kiala let out a squeak of surprise at her clumsiness and with wide eyes watched Ben catches the liquid in the cup. He held it out to her, and with shaking hands Kiala took it from him, her eyes glancing everywhere but his face as she whispered, "I'm sorry, I-I don't know what came over me."
Ben smiled, seeing the chance to take the upper hand and whispered, "it's fine, I'm sure it just slipped."
She looked up at him through the curtain of her hair that had fallen in front her face and seemed to separate her from him. After a heartbeat she pushed it back and glancing at him through her elegant lashes once more she whispered, "thank you."
They sat in silence for a few moment then, Kiala sipping her tea slowly, never meeting his eyes, though she must have known that he was watching her over the rim of his cup. She didn't appear nervous about his presence, if anything, it was the unknown emotion that hung between them like a curtain that prevented any form of engagement without the awkwardness of dancing around something. As Ben sat watching her, he tried to pinpoint what the barrier was. It felt like it should be easy to assess, but the Force seemed to be keeping it from him.
Reaching out slightly to her in Force, trying to touch Kiala and give her some resemblance of safety with him. Maybe that would open her back up to him. As he touched her mind he felt the brutal punch of chaos, as her mind ran in circles trying to do the same thing as he was, without the added bonus of the Force though. Gently, he stroked her warring mind, easing her thoughts to a slow pace. As he did this, her eyes snapped to his and for a moment it looked like she was going to strike out at him for invading her like that. As her mind relaxed though, her eyes softened and she whispered, "are you doing this?"
"I sensed that you were distraught, I figure it will be easier to talk if you're not warring with yourself." Ben whispered, pulling away from her in the Force, seeing the fear behind her eyes. She looked away quickly and inquired hastily, "can you read my mind?"
"Yes," he saw her face pale, and cataloging that away from later, he continued, "but not without you knowing."
"How?" Her voice was barely a whisper, hardly even there, as she asked her question. Seeing the panic that was rising up in her eyes he gave her a gentle smile and replied warmly, "you would know that I was directing your thoughts."
Kiala glanced at him, curiosity sparking in her presence as she set her cup and saucer down. Seeing this, and taking it as a sign that she was listening and being open, Ben leaned forward and whispered, "I've been meaning to ask you something, Kiala."
The curiosity was gone in a flash and was replaced with wary skepticism as she pulled away from him to break the close contact and responded, "yes?"
Ben watched her hands tighten in her lap as she clasped them, one inside the other. Her knuckles paled and as he looked up to meet her eyes once more, he saw her cheeks had also drained of all color. For a moment she looked like a frightened animal that was trapped in a corner looking for a way out. Once more filing away her reaction for later, he implored, "have you ever seen something before it happens? Or maybe you have known when someone was upset around you without actually seeing or talking to them?"
For a moment Kiala looked confused by his questions, but he saw the tension leave her shoulders as he apparently left the topic she though he was going to bring up. He watched as her eyes glazed and her features took on a far away look as she glanced into the fireplace at the burning logs. Only a few moments later she turned her thoughts back to him, and with an iron voice as she questioned, "are you and Master Durron seeing something to do with that?"
Ben was taken aback by her blunt response and physically recoiled as he sat back to look at her once more. Her gaze was filled with fire when it snapped to his, and she insisted, "well, do you think I am like you? That I can read people's thoughts, that I sense the Force around me?"
Ben narrowed his eyes at the mercurial turn of Kiala's emotions, and replied gently, "yes, we have both observed in the short time that we have been with you that you appear to possess access to the Force." He hoped to see her explode at his accusation, instead she surprised him once more by sitting back and letting her eyes water with tears. Reaching out to her in the Force once more, he sense that maelstrom of emotion and before he could stop himself, he grabbed her hand and cupped it in between his own. As if this were permission from him, she burst into soft sobs, her shoulders shaking and she cried quietly. Ben slipped around the table and gathered her in his arms, pulling her to his chest, hoping to calm her and offer sympathy. She chocked on her words as she replied, "I—I'm so-so sorry. I just, my father said that he thought I was sensitive when I was little."
Ben ran his hand up and down her back, feeling the shudder in her body every time a sob wracked her frail body. He had never noticed how tiny she was, until he had gathered her into his arms and cradled her. He could feel her downy cheek pressing on the open part of his tunic, and her fist clutching the fabric like he could anchor her in the storm that was her thoughts.
"I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair, knowing it was worthless with how she was feeling, "I'm so very, very sorry."
He held her for what felt like hours as Kiala slowly drifted in and out of consciousness, and when Ben finally began to feel the strain of his many sleepless nights, Kiala shifted and woke him. She murmured something unintelligibly and seeing that she was asleep, Ben rose with her in his arms, and cradling her, carried her to her sleeping chambers. She barely shifted in his arms as he carried her down the hall, but in the silence around them he heard her whisper breathlessly, "no, I can do it. I can do it myself, papa."
Ben felt some part of this whole mess condense, Kiala was alone. She was terrified and alone after being stripped of the two people she thought she would have for the rest of her life. It was his pain with his mother on an unimaginable scale, a figure that if he tried to imagine it, brought feelings buried deep back to the surface. Feelings that had put under lock and key for years, making sure no one, not even himself, could reach them. What was it about Kiala though that dragged those feelings out? How did she slip past his well managed walls without so much as a struggle from him?
Once he was in her rooms, he set her on the bed softly and pulled the blankets over her. In the light of the full moon which had pushed its way through the clouds, her hair was almost white, and her skin was pale as the snow on the ledge of her balcony. Softly, as to not wake her, he brushed a lock of hair away from her face before it disturbed her obviously peaceful slumber. He remained over her for only a few moments, and then deciding that he was no longer needed, Ben turned and crossed the room. As he opened the door though, he heard the bedding rustle and glancing over his shoulder he saw Kiala sitting bolt up right in the bed with a look of utter terror on her face. He paused and whispered, "is everything all right, Kiala?"
Upon hearing his voice and not her father's, Kiala snapped fully awake, her eyes searching wildly left and right as she tried to pinpoint her parents who were no longer with her in the real world. When she couldn't find them, her eyes sought Ben out once more, and with a shaky voice she whispered across the dark chasm to him, begged him to understand some unspoken cry for help, "I-I'm afraid, please-please stay."
Ben remained in the doorway, unsure of how to proceed. The fourteen year old Ben who had spent months chasing his mother's killer, who had grown up far too fast, screamed at him to give the help they had desperately needed growing up. The reasonable side of him, the seasoned Jedi, hissed at him to whisper an apology and leave. Torn between fixing the young woman looking at him so desperately and separating himself from her completely, he reached out across the void to her, hoping to get some resemblance of security from the truth in her lucid mind.
Her shields were weak and behind them, he saw weeks of nightmare, darkness, and fear, but below that he sensed her desperation for someone to understand, to comfort her in this grieving time. Slowly Ben closed the door, and silenced the nagging voices in his head, refusing to succumb to either ones emotional influence. He crossed the room once more and grabbing the lone chair in the room on his way over, he set it up next to Kiala's bed and whispered, "of course, Kiala."
She settled back into the pillows as he sat in the chair, watching his face as he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. As he began to drift off he felt warm fingers close around his own as Kiala whispered, "thank you, Ben."
