Padme walked into the room Neel called hers, grateful once again, he wasn't standing there waiting for her. This cold damp room was the only place she was free from his lessons, his commands, his voice, and his smell. She closed the door behind her, walked over to the uncomfortable bed, and sat on it.. She had been sold to him, she guessed about a year ago. It was hard to keep track of time here.

Neel's teaching techniques were certainly different from Tejas's. Padme hated every second with Neel. He taught her how to cook food from every planet he knew of. He told her she had to learn to cook every meal in the galaxy, because she didn't know who she was marrying and what food her groom would like. He never allowed her to partake in the food she cooked. She only ate one bowl of fruit per day, and a tiny piece of bread. Neel ate the food she cooked, and when he didn't like it, he threw it on the floor. He would then step in front of her and scream at her so loudly, Padme could hear the walls rattle. Sometimes, she would burn the food on purpose. He made her clean the drafty gray house everyday, even when it was clean. She painted everyday for Neel, and he sold her works of art to his friends who gazed at her when they came to the house. Doing chores with little food was not the worst part of Neel's training.

Her captor found joy everyday in choosing her clothing for her, some of it she brought with her, some of it he bought for her. When night fell he made her prepare his bath. Then, standing outside of his refresher, she was forced to read books of his choosing out loud to ensure that she processed every word. When his bath was done he came out of his refresher fully dressed. He would take the book from her hands, place it down on a desk, and instruct her to dance with him. Those were the moments she wanted to sob the most.

For tonight the ordeal was over. Her mind drifted to the time she traveled with Tejas, and met kind people, she pictured their faces, and she felt her mouth turn up into a smile. She remembered her laughter, and laid down. In moments she was in a deep sleep. Her dreams took her far away from this gloomy freezing house.

The next afternoon after her chores,Padme was summoned to Neel's large library. She hated this room, It was the place where Neel conducted her interview after buying her, and where the majority of her training took place. "Sit down Young Lady Padme." Neel commanded. She walked slowly to the grey chair with the red cushion and sat. Neel stood in front of her. his eyes glued to her. She resisted the urge to look away. "Happy Anniversary. One year ago today you came to live with me, and changed my life. "Are you happy here?"

"No." Padme answered softly, angrily, and honestly.

"A good wife always appears happy for her husband, even if she has to pretend."

"I'm not your wife," Padme replied softly, and bitterly.

"You're right, but I have tried for a year to make you the perfect marriage candidate for any powerful man. I have failed. You're beautiful, you're kind, but you are not obedient. I know you find ways to purposely defy me. You are too opinionated."

"I am too young to be a wife, and I wouldn't marry anyone you wanted me to."

"I know when your birthday is young lady. Tegas told me. You turn 16 in 7 only way for you to have a good life, a comfortable life is to marry well. I know you've been told this many times. It is in your best interest to start believing it."

"Are you returning me to Tejas?" Padme asked, not showing emotion. Neel broke eye contact with Padme for the first time. He walked over to the library doors, and opened them.

"You can come in". Neel said to an unknown being.

"Thank-you Neel." The unknown man replied, stepping into the room. The stranger was tall and pale with white hair, and gray eyes. He walked over to Padme. "My name is Ptolemy, and you're coming with me."

"I don't know what Neel told you about me, but I'm not marrying you!"

"You're right. You're going to work for me." Ptolemy, said. authoritatively.