A/N: I really am trying so hard to write faster. I promise. Anyway, back to more light-hearted moments.
Obi-Wan eyed the scene in front of him with barely concealed amusement. Neither Panaka nor Sabe were fond of the idea of Padme leaving the palace without any security or handmaidens in tow. When they had visited the Naberrie home, Yane and two guards had followed along. Padme was determined, however, to have some time with her Jedi friends alone and outside of the palace.
Her disguise was very convincing, quite a bit like the one she had worn while exploring Tatooine with Qui-Gon. Wearing a plain, light grey dress, her hair in one long braid and no makeup on her face…it all served to make her look like just another citizen of Naboo. She was set on visiting the main marketplace with her guests today and it didn't seem as though Panaka or Sabe would be successful in convincing her to let someone else go along.
"Obi-Wan, please talk some sense into her!" Sabe finally exclaimed.
From where Qui-Gon stood, there was a muffled cough which sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Obi-Wan's lips twitched slightly at seeing Sabe so completely flustered. In truth, he was glad to see Padme acting this way. There was fire in her eyes and a high color to her cheeks. And it didn't take almost uncontrollable anger to get her there.
"If it's all the same to you, Sabe, I would really like to go one full day on this planet without engaging in a verbal sparring match with its ruler. I'm afraid you're on your own," he informed her.
The smug pleasure on Padme's face was hard to miss, although Obi-Wan had to give her credit for trying to hide it in the beginning. After a few more minutes of arguing, during which Qui-Gon kept coughing nearly every time Padme said something and Anakin grew more restless, Obi-Wan decided it was time to intervene. Drawing both Panaka and Sabe aside, he spoke to them in a low tone as Padme watched with an apprehensive gaze.
"I understand the need to protect Padme," he began. "She is your queen and your friend. But she is my friend, too. She is only asking for a couple of hours. Both Qui-Gon and I are more than capable of protecting her. I swear to you that she will not be harmed. We'll be on our guard. Just…let her have this."
Panaka and Sabe exchanged reluctant glances.
"The silver lining in all this is that we'll be gone in only three days. Not much longer now," Obi-Wan gave them a bright smile, which Sabe couldn't stop herself from returning. Panaka sighed.
"Very well. But if anything happens to her-."
"I'm going to stop you right there," Obi-Wan cut Panaka off, his expression and tone changing from playful to severe as he led Panaka even further away from everyone. "I understand that you are distrustful of anyone outside this palace trying to ensure Padme's safety and well-being. It's essentially your job to be wary and I respect that. But I ask in return that you respect this. If anything ever happened to Padme while she was under my protection, there is nothing…no physical, mental, or emotional retribution you could conceive of which would make me feel more pain than I already would. So any threats or promises you intend to make in that regard will carry absolutely no weight with me."
Obi-Wan waited for the response patiently. It was easy to see that Panaka's caution did not stem from any personal feeling. In fact, Obi-Wan suspected that Panaka held the Jedi in high regard. He truly respected Panaka's position and knew the man was good at his job. Otherwise, it would be ridiculously easy to convince him to let Padme go for a couple of hours.
Eventually, Panaka assented to the plan with a half-hearted nod of his head. The gesture prompted such a smile from Padme that her head of security actually almost displayed a full smile of his own. There was a flurry of activity as Padme made a few last minute preparations. Qui-Gon took Anakin aside, no doubt giving him a reminder of his expected behavior on their excursion. Obi-Wan exchanged some last words with Panaka as the man gave him a brief rundown of the few threats received which palace security took seriously. The inhabitants of Naboo were, of course, a relatively peaceful people and Padme was a well-loved ruler. But all societies had to cope with malcontents and Naboo was no exception.
They left the palace a little later than Padme had intended, but still early enough to miss the main rush of residents to the central marketplace. Amused by Padme's eagerness, Obi-Wan caught her wrist in his hand as she began to set off on their walk at a brisk pace. She looked back at him and smiled ruefully as she saw the bemused question in his eyes. Nodding her head in agreement, she immediately adapted a more relaxed speed. Anakin seemed impatient with this development but contented himself with running as far ahead as Qui-Gon would allow, taking the extra time to look at anything that caught his interest along their path.
The sun was beginning to cast a warm, golden glow on the streets of Theed and the inhabitants of the homes lining either side were starting to stir. As the group strolled towards the market, Obi-Wan took the time to really drink in the burgeoning activity. Sounds of families beginning their day drifted through open windows, along with the tantalizing scent of the morning meals being prepared. Every so often, laughter floated through the air from one of the houses and Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile at the sound.
Of all the places he'd ever been to, Naboo was by far Obi-Wan's favorite. This fact surprised him sometimes when he remembered how he had come so close to the Dark Side during the blockade and how the days afterward had been spent still in fear for Qui-Gon's life. Still, there was a sense of peace here on Naboo that he'd never experienced elsewhere. Not even at the Jedi Temple. It felt…homey in a way.
Obi-Wan remembered very little about what it was like to live on Talus. He did know that he'd never cared overly much for his home planet when he was allowed to visit his family at their home in the capital of Dearic. The people of Talus were mainly concerned with climbing the ladder of success and amassing as much wealth as possible. Wealth there was as much a status symbol as political titles on Coruscant. No one on Talus was overly concerned with politics, though. People tended to their businesses and holdings with the same level of dedication most other societies would reserve for family.
Everyone was always rushing around in Dearic. Both Talus and Coruscant had an atmosphere that was charged with an almost desperate urgency, something which Obi-Wan disliked immensely. Naboo was much more to his liking. Theed was a large city, but it managed to maintain a seemingly slow and steady pace. He wished he could see the Lake Country Padme had told him about, but he didn't want to go there without her. Obi-Wan wanted to see the places she had mentioned in stories about her childhood and he wanted her to be able to show them to him. He decided to ask if a visit there could be arranged when he brought Siri to Naboo. The three of them, perhaps even the whole Naberrie family, could have a fun trip together.
"You seem far away," Padme remarked.
"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan gave her an apologetic smile. "I was just thinking about how much I like it here. I told Siri we'd have to come here together some day. If you wouldn't mind a visit from the two of us, of course."
Padme practically lit up at the suggestion.
"I think that would be wonderful!" she exclaimed. "I would truly love to meet Siri! The prospect of a visit without an urgent reason behind it is appealing, too."
"It is a rather foreign concept when it comes to us, I suppose," Obi-Wan's admission brought a laugh from Padme and a chuckle from Qui-Gon, who was walking along with them. He reflected that it was good to hear Qui-Gon enjoying himself. He had apologized to his former master after leaving Padme's temporary quarters yesterday. The conversation had been uncomfortable, but necessary. Now, although tension could be felt between them at times, the cloud that had been hanging over the two of them seemed to have dissipated. It was a good feeling and Obi-Wan was glad to have this little bit of time with Qui-Gon.
"There would be time to plan!" Padme's voice grew in volume as her excitement began to build, effectively jerking Obi-Wan out of his ruminations. "We could explore more of Theed and I could even take you out to the Lake Country that I told you about. When are you coming?"
Obi-Wan couldn't hold in his laughter upon hearing the question.
"Perhaps it's best if we hold off on planning our itinerary for a little while, Padme. At least until this visit is over. Don't you think?"
His answer was a sheepish grin and a head nod.
"Do you go to the marketplace often, m'lady?" Qui-Gon asked, sparing Padme a brief glance before turning his attention back to Anakin further ahead.
"I try to go at least twice a month," Padme said. "Usually with Sabe and Sache. And the two disguised guards that Panaka sends with us. I used to go every week with my mother and sister. When I got more involved in politics, I didn't really have time for it anymore. It's one of the few things I miss about having a 'normal' life…but it's also one of the few that I can still do on occasion."
"I've never been to a market square where the vendors didn't know almost everyone who came through," Qui-Gon noted. "How do you manage to keep a low profile?"
"Well…" Padme hesitated and Obi-Wan met Qui-Gon's eyes over her head. This should be interesting. "There really isn't a way to disguise myself. Everyone plays along for the sake of appearances, but most of the people who work in the marketplace know who I am. They basically watched me grow up, after all. Captain Panaka isn't really aware of that fact…"
She trailed off and glanced over at Obi-Wan. He did his best to give her a disapproving look. They'd often discussed her habit of keeping secrets from Panaka and, generally, he tended to sympathize with the man. It was so nice to be talking like this, however, that Obi-Wan had the feeling his look of chastisement wasn't as strong as it could've been.
'Pick your battles,' he thought. No reason to spoil the day they'd just begun.
"What is your homeworld like, Master Qui-Gon?"
Obi-Wan felt the alarm roll off Qui-Gon in waves and suppressed a grin. Qui-Gon Jinn rarely talked about the more personal aspects of his life with anyone. It was a trait that Obi-Wan had picked up from him to an extent. The older Jedi hadn't expected his question to result in something of the same nature being asked of him.
"I suppose you could say it's similar to Naboo," Qui-Gon finally replied. "Although Naboo has a larger population and larger cities. The largest city on my homeworld is smaller than Theed."
There was a moment of silence and Obi-Wan could tell that Padme was waiting for Qui-Gon to say more. She arched an eyebrow when nothing else was forthcoming, clearly coming to the correct conclusion that she would not be learning anymore about Qui-Gon's home today. Obi-Wan reached out and gave her hand a brief squeeze, hoping to convey that Qui-Gon's reluctance to speak with her was not intended as a slight.
She turned and smiled at Obi-Wan, quickly changing the subject to one that Qui-Gon wouldn't exactly enjoy, but he would certainly participate.
"Anakin told me he was going to name his new kitten after me," she announced, mischief lacing her tone.
Qui-Gon gave an audible groan and Obi-Wan laughed.
After an hour in the markets, in which most of the time was spent with Padme following Anakin's excited cries of 'Wizard! Come look at this!', Qui-Gon decided to take Anakin on a little side trip. The young padawan wasn't exactly pleased at the thought of leaving the market, but Obi-Wan noticed he didn't sulk. Perhaps his curiosity as to the purpose of the detour trumped his disappointment in leaving Obi-Wan and Padme for the time being.
As they watched Qui-Gon and Anakin disappear into the now-growing crowd, Obi-Wan wondered if Padme would ask where they were going. He hoped she wouldn't. Qui-Gon planned to take Anakin to the memorial for those who died during the blockade. He felt it was important for Anakin to visit it and Obi-Wan wholeheartedly agreed. But he didn't want to discuss Anakin's impending lesson with Padme. Not today.
She might have guessed where they were going. She might have thought it wasn't her place to ask since it could be something that should just be between master and padawan. Obi-Wan wasn't sure. Whatever the reason, Padme showed no interest in what was going on other than the spark of inquisitiveness in her eyes as she watched them go.
Instead, she turned to Obi-Wan with the announcement that she was hungry and dragged him towards the nearest food stall she could find. He breathed a sigh of relief as they went. Padme quickly purchased a small basket of shuura fruit from a gruff older man who gave her a surreptitious wink as he rushed them away from his stall with mutterings about loiterers. Obi-Wan regarded him with a somewhat irritated glare, but Padme only laughed and winked back before directing her friend to a nearby bench.
"Who was that?" Obi-Wan asked as they sat down.
"An old family friend," Padme responded, opening the basket and handing him one of the fruits. "I guess you could say he was my almost father."
Obi-Wan choked as a piece of the fruit went down the wrong way. He managed to recover fairly quickly, waving Padme's concerned actions away.
"I'm sorry. Your ALMOST father?" he repeated, his voice a little raspy from the bought of coughing he had just suffered. Padme smirked.
"He and mother were…well, it's hard to explain. They'd been best friends since they were little and they loved each other. They just kind of figured they would get married at some point. When he went to university, he met his wife. Which was just fine because mother met father around the same time. They stayed friends. He has a son who's just a year younger than Sola. I think maybe they're hoping he and I will get married someday."
"And will you?"
Padme wrinkled her nose at him.
"I have no intention of getting married anytime soon. There's too much I want to do. Lannik is nice, though. We played together sometimes when we were little, but we were never best friends or anything. The last time I saw him was at my coronation and that was just for a few minutes. All I know about him these days is that he is studying politics at a school on Coruscant."
"So you're saying it's a possibility," he teased her. She shoved him lightly on the arm.
"Yes. I have a list of all young men I've come in contact with who I thought were nice. Someday, when I'm old and any looks I might have are starting to fade, I'll track one of them down and marry them. That's my plan."
"I think your plan needs work," Obi-Wan informed her.
"Hmph. I'm crossing you off my list," she shot back, grinning at him. "So what about you and Siri? When will you get married?"
Obi-Wan sighed. His own marriage was farther off than he'd like. He had no idea when Siri would be judged ready for her trials. And once she passed them, they had to wait at least a year.
"Not soon enough for my taste," he told Padme, smiling somewhat wistfully. "But good things come to those who wait. Isn't that how the saying goes?"
She nodded and tossed him another fruit. He caught it, studying her expression. Padme had an inquisitive mind and it seemed to be in full force today. Obi-Wan wondered what road he was about to be led down.
"Do you think I'm suited for marriage?"
He stared at her, unable to even attempt to hide the shock he knew was written all over his face. The question was coming out of nowhere. Padme had never mentioned any pressing desire to be married someday. Her heart and soul was in the service of Naboo. Not to mention the fact that Obi-Wan considered her too young to even be thinking of marriage. He knew better than to say that, of course. Yet another reason to be thankful that he had a sister.
'Proceed with diplomacy, Kenobi,' he thought to himself.
"Do you mind if I ask what brought this up?" he inquired, managing to regain control of his expression.
Padme seemed reluctant to answer but Obi-Wan didn't press her. If she really wanted to have this conversation, she'd answer him eventually. It was obvious that she was struggling with something and it wouldn't do any good to force something out of her.
"Sabe has someone. Someone that she loves," Padme said quietly. "She thinks I don't know and I've let her keep thinking that. He's part of Panaka's security force and I know…um, dalliances with my handmaidens are…" she trailed off.
"Forbidden?" Obi-Wan supplied. To his surprise, that made Padme smile.
"Not exactly. Although that makes it all sound so much more 'romantic', doesn't it? No, it's just very much frowned upon. If I thought it wasn't something serious, I might tell Panaka. I don't like the idea of someone toying with my friends' emotions. But I saw them together once, walking through the garden at night. Sabe thought I was asleep. The thought of having a relationship with someone has never really crossed my mind. Not with any frequency. When I saw the way they walked together, though, and heard the way she laughed when he leaned in and said something to her…" Padme trailed off, looking a little wistful.
Obi-Wan waited to see if she would say anymore. She seemed to be a little embarrassed about what she'd said so far, though, so he decided to try putting her at ease.
"You have a very giving spirit, Padme. You rarely think about yourself and while that's a good thing, it's also partly the reason for what you've been putting yourself through lately. Just because you're in the service of your people doesn't mean that it's wrong to want something for yourself. You just have to find the right balance. Right now, you'll balance taking care of yourself and being queen. Someday, if you want, you'll balance being a wife and Chancellor of the Republic."
Her embarrassment quickly gave way to amusement, much to Obi-Wan's satisfaction.
"Chancellor, you say? I think the odds are better that I'll be a wife."
Obi-Wan shook his head.
"You've a horrible temper and you're ridiculously stubborn. Handy for going up against other politicians but not particularly desirable in a wife."
She chucked another fruit at him, much harder than her earlier toss, but he dodged it and laughed as he put an arm around her shoulders. Padme tried to shrug him off to no avail. She knew he had been teasing her and there was no real anger behind her efforts. Briefly squeezing her against him in a sideways hug, Obi-Wan set about reassuring her.
"I'll take my life in my hands and go ahead and say this. You are too young right now to worry about something like this. Oof! Easy, now. Your elbows are sharp!" she smiled triumphantly and Obi-Wan rolled his eyes before continuing. "As I was saying, you're very young to worry about it, but I understand why you worry about it. Someday, though, there will be a man who'll be very fortunate to find that you've decided to trust him with your heart. He won't be nearly good enough for you, of course, but you'll love him. And he will love you because you're a smart, compassionate, selfless, beautiful young woman. He'd be an absolute fool to ever let you go."
Padme leaned her head on Obi-Wan's shoulder.
"But what if he does let me go?" she asked.
"Then I'll send Siri after him," he replied, the answer bringing a laugh from Padme before she spoke again, a hint of accusation lacing her tone.
"You won't go after him yourself?"
"Trust me. He would wish I had once Siri got through with him. She's much meaner than I am. How do you think she got me to propose? I'm terrified of her!"
Padme sat up, striking Obi-Wan playfully on the arm.
"You just scare too easily," she informed him, taking the last fruit from the basket and examining it carefully.
"That's also very possible," Obi-Wan agreed, glad to have resolved this particular issue with relative ease. For now. In the back of his mind, the thought of Padme actually getting married niggled at him. It was a slightly unpleasant idea. He'd meant what he said. Whoever she eventually fell in love with wouldn't be good enough for her. But then he wasn't sure that any man was good enough for the women who fell in love with them. Force knew he didn't deserve Siri, but she loved him all the same for some reason.
The shuura fruit was put back in the basket as Padme stated that they would save the last one for Anakin when he returned. The two friends wandered around the market slowly, sometimes together and sometimes separate from one another. Padme helped Obi-Wan choose presents for both Siri and Lea at a stall selling some delicately fashioned jewelry and knick-knacks. Obi-Wan watched in amusement as Padme bought a little collar with a bell for Anakin's kitten; a kitten which Qui-Gon still insisted would not be accompanying them back to Coruscant.
While Padme was preoccupied with some brightly colored materials, Obi-Wan snuck back to the stall where he had purchased the gifts for Siri and Lea. He had noticed Padme's gaze fall on one item in particular when they were there earlier and recognized that she wanted it for herself. He knew better than to think she'd buy anything for herself, though, and decided he wanted her to have some little token from his visit that would be a reminder of a nice day together.
As he was finishing the transaction, Qui-Gon and Anakin appeared at his side. Anakin appeared to be properly subdued but not overly morose about the lesson he had just received. Obi-Wan was glad to see the balance in the young boy and could tell Qui-Gon felt the same way. After gathering Padme, the group started back towards the palace.
The time was spent in pleasant conversation amongst all four of them. It wasn't until they neared the palace that Obi-Wan realized his day would not be completely free of conflict regarding Padme. She turned to him with a mischievous spark in her eye and he knew he would be in trouble before her mouth even opened. But when she spoke, she spoke to Anakin.
"Sabe told me you brought your training saber with you, Ani."
Anakin shot a somewhat puzzled look at Padme before responding to her statement.
"Yes, I did. I always do when we travel away from the Temple. Sometimes Master Qui-Gon has enough free time to help me with my saber training. We both brought our training sabers."
"Padme…" Obi-Wan began, quickly seeing where this conversation was going.
His rising apprehension was blithely brushed aside.
"Do you suppose I could borrow both of them this evening?" Padme inquired, her gaze flicking between Qui-Gon and Anakin. Anakin seemed even more confused by the question, but Qui-Gon did not suffer from any such problem.
"Oh, I think that could be arranged," Qui-Gon assured her. Before Obi-Wan could say anything, his former master quickly ushered Anakin inside the palace.
Obi-Wan watched the two of them go as a feeling of helplessness washed over him. When he turned back to Padme, she was regarding him with a somewhat smug smile.
"Padme…" he started again, knowing that it would be useless to say anything at this point. Still, he felt he had to make some kind of attempt. It seemed to be a matter of principle by now.
"You said I needed another outlet," she reminded him. "Why not lightsaber training?"
"…because you're not a Jedi?" he answered, recognizing the trap just a second too late. He closed his eyes in resignation as she started speaking.
"But you're teaching me Jedi meditation."
Sigh.
"Alright," he gave in. "This evening after dinner. I assume you have some kind of training rooms in the palace?"
Padme looked at him in disbelief and Obi-Wan nodded.
"Right. Silly question. May I have your permission to explore them this afternoon, my queen?"
She smiled at him, obviously relieved that he wasn't irritated by her plans.
"I'll let Panaka know that you might need some assistance. Will that be alright?" she asked as Yane appeared to hurry them into the palace.
"That would be perfect. Thank you, Padme."
"No, Obi-Wan. Thank you," Her smile turned from one of excitement to one of sincere thankfuless and she quickly squeezed his hand before Yane ushered her away to change.
Obi-Wan stayed outside for a few more moments, wondering exactly what he had gotten himself into. Eventually, he decided it was pointless to try making sense of it all and made his way inside. He had a lot to do to get ready for tonight.
A/N: Next chapter, a little bit of fun in the training room and a some more heartfelt conversation about various things. Thanks for reading!