The news had caught Leia so off guard, she felt like she'd been tripped and she was still lying on the ground, trying to recover. Or, perhaps, the words 'off guard' weren't quite appropriate for the situation. Surprised was better, or even shocked, befuddled, confused even. She couldn't understand how this was happening. She had no idea where this was coming from. Leia had never been aware that was an actual sailing ship. As far as she'd been concerned, the two hardly even spoke to each other let alone had the chance to, but this was (apparently) very real and it was now official as Leia first became aware of its existence.

Sabé and Ducchi were engaged.

In all her twenty-two years of life and living in the palace and knowing the Organas' cook, Leia had never seen Memily more excited. She didn't show even the faintest hint of surprise which confused Leia furthermore. She'd ceased her fit of squeals from earlier, but on her face was a thrilled grin like no other that refused to fade. she stood right at Sabé's side, still drooling over the diamond on the Nabooan's hand. Stunning as the piece of jewelry was, it wasn't quite enough to switch Leia's focus. Her mind was still trying to understand how this had happened.

"Leia?"

Leia looked up to see Sabé watching her cautiously. "Huh?"

Sabé cracked a smile. "Something the matter?"

"Something the matter? No, absolutely not," Leia responded sarcastically. "I'm just sitting here, trying to remember the last time I saw you talking to your alleged fiance. That's all."

Sabé rolled her eyes and patted the stool beside her. "Come here so we can talk." As Leia came forward, Memily gave the small crowd of leering servants a look and they reluctantly floated away, leaving the three women. "Do you have something against this?" Sabé asked.

"Not exactly. I'm just trying to figure out where in this great big galaxy this is coming from! I've hardly ever seen you two talk to each other let alone show some kind of indication that you're in love." Leia switched her gaze from Sabé to Memily and begged, "Please tell me I'm not the only one feeling blindsided by this."

"You aren't," Memily assured her with an amused smile, putting her hands on Leia's shoulders. "But rest assured this isn't anything new, just a bit sudden. Trust me, this ship has been sailing nearly as long as you've been alive. This is no new development. Just some rapid progress."

Considering the woman's words, Leia took a long breath and calmed herself "So, you've known about this for a while?" she asked Memily.

The Alderaanian confirmed it with a nod. "I was the only one Sabé told. For a while, at least. Now, hush and listen. Let her explain."

Leia looked to Sabé expectantly. "Well? Auntie?"

"Alright, alright! Don't blow a fuse. Where do you want me to st-"

"The very beginning," Leia said quickly.

"Alright. So it started- how old are you now?"

"Twenty-two."

"It started twenty-two years ago. My first night here on Alderaan, to be exact. It was . . . it was a tough time for me. A dark time." At once, Sabé's gaze wandered and her look turned dark at the memories. "With Padmé dead and the galaxy falling apart at the seams . . . I was . . . I was pretty much done. I felt ready to give up, just drop off the face of the planet. Somehow. I'd find a way. Anyway, that night, I didn't know what to do with myself. I felt like I was bleeding excessively- but I could still walk. I was just hurting. And wandering. So, I had a few drinks-"

"Objection," Memily interrupted, raising a hand. "It was not 'a few'."

"Anyway, I drank some and I got considerably drunk. I hardly even remember where I'd gone to, but Ducchi found me. I was so broken, I couldn't hold myself together. Out of nowhere, I just started talking to him, spilling my life story to this man I had just met . . . but he didn't call me a speeder for home." Sabé laughed shortly. "No. This honest-to-goodness, down-to-earth, sweet man sits down with me and listens. He sits here . . . and just listens to me."

A shock of nostalgia hit Leia and she couldn't help but think back to the earlier days of her and Han's relationship. All he'd had to do to win her heart was listen. Leia understood the power in that, but it still amazed her just hearing this tale in the case of her aunt and the lonesome mechanic Ducchi.

"And I was telling him my life story! Telling him all these things that I've never told Bail or Memily! And then, you know what he did?" Sabé laughed. "He started telling me things about himself! And we were complete strangers to each other, spilling out our stories of woe."

"And you fell in love?" Leia asked with a teasing smile.

"Well, not like that! No. After that night, once I remembered what I'd done, I was humiliated! I felt so stupid and foolish. The thing was, whenever he saw me, he kept talking to me like that night had never happened. I never got over my humiliation, it just made me angry whenever he came up to me. Thinking about it now, he was so sweet and I feel awful for how I used to treat him, but he never stopped talking to me. I think he just wanted to make sure I knew he was there. And he still is."

"So, that's it? This is what your guys' relationship has been for twenty years?"

"Not exactly. After a little while, he kind of tried to, how should I say this, pursue me. That made me angry too. He'd come to the palace in the middle of the night because he knew I'd still be up. For a while, he tried talking to me about the things I'd told him, but he learned quickly how worse that made things. Soon, he just came to talk. To me. He'd ask me simple things just for the sake of conversation. He'd ask how my day was or if you were behaving or how cute your laugh was when you took your first steps. It was always simple, everyday things like that. He didn't want to give me more reasons to push him away. . . . And that was how I fell in love with him. It was so simple. He was just what I needed whenever I needed it. That was how he unraveled me because I would never surrender with how high my walls were built. So he unraveled me first."

"And then you surrendered."

"And then I was defenseless, so I did the only thing I could: I did surrender."

That was it. Leia could see the fairytale in Sabé's story. She could understand how things had happened and how they'd happened so fast, so suddenly. Even if it the whole idea had been completely new to her as of this morning. "So, had he already proposed?" Leia asked. "Was this one of those things where he asked you years ago and your surrender meant saying 'yes'?"

"No," Sabé shook her head. "All he wanted was for me to be honest and admit that I loved him. Once I surrendered and admitted it . . . everything else fell into place really quickly. Last night was the first time he'd proposed. Ever."

"Where can I take a lady who's been to the far reaches of space? And yet, you've never told me a word about any of it. How about Naboo? Tell me about Naboo."

Sabé laughed, clinging onto Ducchi's arm as they strolled down the sidewalk, leaving the royal house of Organa behind. "Naboo is lovely. Honestly, it's almost like Alderaan. I think that made the move from there to here easier. They may not be as into the whole natural beauty thing as Alderaan is-"

"No one is," Ducchi quickly put in with a smile.

"But we like to keep some things too. The air is really clean and pure. And our architecture kind of brings out the beauty of the planet. It's very green and we have these beautiful waterfalls at the end of the city. It's really breathtaking."

Ducchi nodded thoughtfully. "It does sound a lot like Alderaan. Do you have mountains?"

Sabé shook her head. "No mountains. And no islands quite like Aldera either. But it's beautiful nonetheless."

"I believe you. It sounds like the perfect place to inspire a few lines."

"Naboo isn't much into the arts like Alderaan either, so . . . no famous poetry like that. No, we're about politics. Politicians and diplomats. That's what we're famous for."

"Politicians and diplomats," Ducchi repeated. "And Palpatine."

"Don't say that!" Sabé slapped his arm. "The Nabooans are very ashamed of him. They're ashamed of themselves, embarrassed."

"Why?"

"Too many people are aware that Palpatine was from Naboo. While all planets have always boasted about their celebrities- and we did too- we can't do that anymore. We're ashamed that such evil came from our home."

"I suppose I can understand that."

"We used to boast about our politicians. Sio Bibble, Jar Jar Binks, Queen Kylantha. . . . Queen Amidala. But after Padmé died and Palpatine declared himself emperor . . . we just kind of . . . sank into the shadows and kept to ourselves."

"You shouldn't have. Your planet, I mean. I don't know much about Naboo, but if their culture is as beautiful as ours . . . "

"It is. Most people these days, though . . . it doesn't mean much. At least, it's not enough to pull ourselves out of our own shadow of guilt."

A long silence settled and Sabé turned her head to look away.

"But it's forever a part of you."

Sabé nodded. "It's who I am. Just like Alderaan is a part of you, isn't it?"

Ducchi nodded, holding Sabé's arm a little tighter now. "From my loyalty to my poetic tongue," he said with a smile.

She laughed. "Yes. You have a very poetic tongue. Also, your pacifism. That always catches me."

"That's how we can always call out tourists. They just stare at us when we bring words to blaster fights."

Sabé laughed even harder. "I wish I could do that, though. At an early age, I was trained to draw out my blaster at a moments' notice. It's habitual."

"That's the problem with this galaxy. We need more Alderaanians or an Alderaanian mindset."

"That would be a miracle," the Nabooan agreed.

"Or," Ducchi added, stopping where he stood. Reaching for Sabé's chin, he said, "More beautiful Nabooans like you."

The slightest of a blush came to Sabé's cheeks and it took all her will not to turn away in even more embarrassment. "Don't tell me there are any other beautiful Nabooans you're seeing."

Ducchi shook his head, leaning in to kiss her. "Only you, darling."

When he broke the kiss, Sabé couldn't help but feel like he'd stepped away too soon. Her body tingled with sparks of electricity and they slowly faded away. Oh, how she was tempted to pull him back in! As she recovered, Sabé cursed herself. "I wish I'd surrendered sooner."

"I don't. I want you to be happy. I never meant to push you or force you into anything-"

"You didn't!"

"I want you to be mine when you want to."

Sabé bit back a response, leaving it in her mind instead. I want to. "So, you were talking about where to take me."

"That's right! I think I came up with just the place. Or activity, I mean. I thought I'd take you out for a relaxing day. Have you ever ridden rauntaun?"

"An old friend of mine taught me. Why? Are we going to ride rauntaun?"

"Well, have you ever ridden a rauntaun carriage?"

Sabé shook her head.

"Are you kidding?! In all your years of living on Alderaan, you've never ridden a rauntaun carriage? It's only one of the things we're best known for!"

"I know. I'm sorry, but I've been busy . . . doing . . . stuff."

"Ahh." Ducchi nodded. "I see. Well, we have a lot to do because I don't think you've ever really experienced true Alderaanian culture in twenty years."

"It is a shame."

"He took you on a rauntaun carriage ride? That's so romantic!" Okay, so maybe this wasn't so bad, Leia thought.

"It was strange," Sabé explained. "I'd never really seen Alderaan before. It was like seeing Ducchi, getting to really know him."

Leia nodded. "Like you were talking about with Naboo."

"Exactly. And, by the way, it was really romantic. He's so funny, Ducchi is. He's such a different person when he's around fewer people. It's not that he's antisocial. I think he just doesn't know how to casually let other people in like he let me in. See, what do you think he's like?"

Leia thought about that. Sabé was right when she called him quiet and softspoken. She really didn't know much about the man. "He seems very nice, kind and generous. I know Mama trusted him more than half her staff."

"He is, but there's so much more. Ducchi is the sweetest man I've ever met. He's caring and funny and . . . " Sabé blushed deeply, her cheeks bright red with color. "Did you know he's a writer?"

"A writer?"

"Yeah. Well, a poet. He writes poems."

"Since when?"

"I'm not sure. A really, really long time I think. He's showed me some."

Leia watched Sabé carefully, trying to unravel the meaning of her words. "And, I suppose, he's written you some?"

Her blush returned and she nodded, her gaze falling to her lap. From Sabé's side, Memily giggled. "Leia, even you weren't this giddy whenever you talked about Han. Sabé's got it bad."

Leia laughed, hugging her aunt. "I'm glad he makes you so happy. Otherwise, I might have had to hunt him down and hurt him. Now, I want to hear more. Tell me, did anything else happen on your romantic carriage ride?"

"We made fun of rauntauns."

"That's so rude!"

"What about the horrible man who named rauntauns?" Ducchi began.

"Why? What's so wrong with their name?"

"Haven't you ever heard of tauntauns?"

"The ice creatures that live on Hoth?"

"Yes, those. Rauntauns were lamely named after them, their distant and icy cousins."

"Hm. I've always thought that tauntauns were named after rauntauns."

"Mm-mm." Ducchi shook his head "A common misconception. No, rauntauns are the victim in this case."

Sabé laughed. "Enough jokes for tonight. What's with the special outing?"

"Special outing? How do you mean?"

Sabé shook her head. "You know what I mean! What's so special that you're taking me out? That we're doing all this?" With a flip of her hand, she gestured to the carriage they sat in.

"Is there something wrong with me taking you out?"

"Ducchi, I'm serious."

He sighed, taking her hand in both of his. "It's insane, Sabé. It's insane how fast things between us have moved. But I couldn't be happier with how it's going." He paused and the two shared a smile. "I just thought I should take you out. And we should talk about this."

"What about this?"

For a long moment, Ducchi just stared at Sabé and it scared her a bit. His expression was not reassuring and her heart leaped into her throat, fearing the worst. "I'm ready to make a jump, but I don't want to take that jump if you aren't ready."

Oh.

Sabé swallowed, momentarily unable to look him in the eye. This was a good thing, it sounded like. This was a great thing. It was wonderful, magnificent, perfect, splendid.

And it terrified Sabé in the greatest way.

"Um," she began, her words lost. "Okay. What . . . kind of jump?"

Ducchi drew her gaze to his lap as he reached for something in his pocket. He pulled out a small, velvet box and, instantly, Sabé felt like she was going to faint. He opened it to reveal a ring.

It was a thin band, but so intricately decorated, Sabé's breath caught. There were vines, vines twisted up in each other, lacing their way around the band, with small diamonds caught up in their loops. He was proposing to her.

"Please say something, Sabé, because I'm terrified as Mustafar and I don't know what you're thinking and that scares me and I don't know if you think I'm insane or what, but-"

The poor guy, Sabé thought. He needed to just shut up already. She brought her gaze back up and practically flew into his lap to kiss him. She heard him gasp in surprise and laughed against his lips, struggling to continue the kiss. Slowly, he reacted correctly and his arms wrapped around her waist, taking her in. She crumbled in his hold, her composition falling and she started to sob into his chest. The smell of his light perfume with a hint of oil burned through her nose, making her feel right at home. This was the home she'd always been looking for. This was what she always wanted to feel like.

Ducchi seemed irked by this. "The last time you cried like this in my arms was . . . "

Sabé looked up to him and finished his sentence. "One of the greatest days of my life."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I acted like an idiot and then life gave me you. Funny how things work like that."

"Yeah, it is funny. So . . . " Ducchi looked away sheepishly, afraid to ask for confirmation. Sabé laughed and kissed the tip of his nose. "Yes, Ducchi. I want to marry you, too."

"So, now you're engaged."

Sabé looked back to Leia, but didn't say anything for a moment. Her expression hard to read, nearly emotionless, she finally asked, "Does this upset you?"

Leia was startled. "Why would it upset me?"

"You said before, you didn't understand-"

"But I do now. You just explained. Sabé, this is amazing! This is wonderful!" Leia jumped from her seat and, to emphasize her happiness and reassure the woman, she ran into her arms, exclaiming, "I'm so happy for you! I'm so happy for you, Sabé! This is so exciting!"

Sabé finally smiled. "You're really happy?"

"What does it matter if I'm happy? Are you happy?"

For only the third time ever, Leia saw Sabé blush. "Yes, Leiá. He makes me very happy."