"Yup, mí rey is going to love this!"

Anakin did his best to try and make a negotiation. But when one lacks a voice, it is somewhat difficult he found out very quickly. The worst part was that there was nothing he could do about it. And the kid knew this very well.

"This solves so many problems you know? The Senator will finally be able to be freed and mi rey will surely promote me. What's your problem, shifter?"

Anakin was clawing at the crude prison bars by now. That one scrap of paper seemed to be his life all of the sudden. He had no idea how the wolf found it, but he did. And now he had it. And the king. And his angel. He couldn't let it happen!

"Don't stress yourself out yet. Things are only getting started for you."

With one final, and in Anakin's opinion rather cruel, laugh the wolf boy disappeared into the darkness still grasping that one sheet of paper.

Anakin was pretty muchc shivering and shaking no stop until anyone returned. His taughts were all directed towards this evil nightmare that was now a part of his reality. But what could he do? He couldn't even protect Padmé! What were those cruel wolves doing to her? And what would they do to her now that they knew her most precious secret that she shared only with him? He got his answer soon enough as the a few more pairs of heavy boots entered on the stone floor.

"You monster!" The undeniable voice of Alejandro boomed through the air. Anakin made a pathetic attempt to shrink away into the corner. "You actually thought you had a chance getting away with a marriage to a perfect flower? Its a crime!"

If it wasn't for the dire situation, Anakin probably would have laughed, or at least attempted to as best he could. Everyone knew that Padmé wasn't a flower. She was an angel. Stupid wolf.

"I'm glad to tell you myself that it all ends here."

Somewhere behind the wolf king, Anakin could see the silhouette of that Tito kid who had started this entire mess. He could sense the sick sadistic sense if satisfaction that swelled in his soul.

Anakin mouthed out a challenge. "Try and take her."

"Now Jedi don't do this to yourself. Its not like you ever had much a chance with her anyways. She is royalty after all. I can't imagine what horrors you put her through."

A rusty lock went into work as it opened with a klink. Anakin drew back further. The one thing that he had learned about this twisted place was that whenever anyone else was in the cell with him, it was usually full of pain. Something that he didn't need an excess of right now.

Padmé looked out of her balcony down to the snow covered village. Her heart ached more and more each day that her Jedi was kept away. True, the wolf was very kind of her and was a soothing oinment on her burning heart. But he wasn't Anakin. If she knew that her Jedi was safe maybe things would be different. This world might acutally be enjoyable. Then again maybe not.

"You should have see it in the summer."

Padmé turned around, half startled. A gentle smile crossed her face when she recognized it as belonging to the princess Margarita. It was as if she could read her thoughts just like that.

"It seems that this place is made for nothing but snow and ice."

"Oh but our hearts are certainly not," the princess came and stood next to Padmé. She knew how her brother felt about this one. It was a way that she had never before seen him as with any of the other lycan girls. It was almost magical. But why must he want something that he couldn't have. "No it is truly a beautiful place in the summer. Below the palace gardens bloom some of the rarest and most beautiful flowers in the galaxy."

"I do not doubt it. This world is strange but not without its own special kind of beauty."

"Indeed, indeed it is. Mí hermano believes so too."

"Your brother believes many things."

Padmé paused and hoped that she hadn't given to much away. It was hard for her to show explict kindness to someone that she knew was keeping her husband from her. Yet the kindness and love that the wolves had shown her was contagious and she found it hard to spurn affections like these.

"Sí, he does. But I have oftentimes found even his most distant claims to materialize. He is no dreamer, he just knows many things that the rest of us do not."

"Tell me, why do your people choose to spend such knowledge on hatred and solitude? I find it all so strange."

Margarita forced a fresh smile onto her face. "We have been shunned by the galaxy for centuries now. The Old Republic chose to pretend that we do not exist. The curse that we bear that defines can be broken but - "

She paused and turned away. She couldn't allow herself to risk doing anymore damage.

"It can be? Why don't you do it?"

"Oh Senator, many things are easier said than done."

When Padmé came down to dinner that evening, she could detect a renewed vigor in the wolf. Even with her lack of Force sensitivity, she knew that he had learned something. What it was she could never have guessed. But the warning was melted away by the feeling of comfort his face brought about.

"My dear, it is wonderful to be seeing you again. I'm only sorry that it could not have been sooner."

"Oh Jandro there is no need for apologies. But I must say, it is nice to see you as well."

She turned away to hide the color in her face as she took her seat. Corona and Margarita each passed the other a secret smile.

"Tell me, has the palace life been good to you?"

"Very. But of course, it is not everything. This place is not my home."

A shadow threatened to cover Alejandro's face but he refused to let it fall over him. "Is there any reason why it could not be?"

"I'm a senator of the Republic. That, among various other things."

"Perhaps you would feel better if I took the time off tomorrow to show you my people. Not the shelter inside these walls, but the real villages."

A small smile came to Padmé's face as she looked back at the wolf. "You really mean that?"

"It would be my honored pleasure. If, and only if, it would bring you joy."

"Yes, I think that would."

"Dear flower, I fear that is something you have been deprived of far too much."

A puzzled look crossed Padmé's face at exactly what he meant. But before she could ask he had already engaged in conversation with his sisters. She would find Anakin soon, she knew that much, But until then she wasn't about to lose the favor of the wolves and risk even more trouble. After all, it was strictly for staying on good terms. She told herself that more and more often now. She wasn't that lonely anyways.