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The next morning, Dormé awoke feeling abnormally chipper, though she knew she shouldn’t count on the prince showing up after her training was over. She had not been able to count on anyone else in her life and even with her thickened shell, she was rather fragile on the inside. Even so, she couldn’t help anticipating seeing her new friend again and all he had said about flying in a starship. Dormé received little reprimand for what happened the night before, however, in the middle of her training, she was pulled out to have a talk with Lady Saché. Dormé wasn’t really sure why Lady Saché was speaking to her about the prince’s visit, but it seemed like Lady Saché knew something she didn’t. Although the elder handmaiden was inferring something inappropriate was going on, Lady Saché had no clue what she was talking about. Apparently Moteé told Lady Saché she witnessed things between the prince and Dormé that had not occured.
‘It isn’t proper to associate with memebers of the royal households in such a manner. It would bring scandal to your name... You have potential to be a great handmaiden and I would hate to lose you because of something like this, especially when I know it can be prevented.’
Finally, after agreeing to whatever Lady Saché wanted her to agree to, Dormé was released. Unfortunately, for the young lady, it was well past the time she had told Anakin she would be free...not that she expected he would really show...
She never liked you, she only tolerated you because you’re a prince. She was only being polite to appease you, his mind tormented him as Anakin moved quickly to his feet and began to pace. He tried to argue with himself, to think positive as his brother would say but it was hard and the young Jedi prince wasn’t used to not having his way. As such, her absense came as a devastating dissappointment to him. Running a hand through his hair the prince gave a frustrated but anguished sigh. It was time to face the truth and accept that Dormé wasn’t ever interested in getting to know him. Just as he was about to give into his despair, to turn around and depart the young prince felt a familiar hum through the Force. A rush of excitement coursed through his veins as a relieved smiled crept into his features. Dormé had decided to join him after all. Anakin gave a boyish grin as he caught sight of her nearing before moving to join her side.
It seemed the prince had been waiting awhile and though she hurried, she was already very late. He came, she thought ecstatically, a wide grin spreading across her face when she saw him approaching her.
Anakin could feel her joy and it reflected his own as he moved to join her eagerly.
Dormé bowed to him out of habit, saying, ‘I apologise for the tardiness, Your Grace, but I was detained by my mentor...’ Despite this, she couldn’t help showing her joy at seeing him again after believing he wouldn’t show.
With Dormé now here all his fears of before were promptly forgotten. Shaking his head, he gave Dormé a boyish grin, as he was unable to hide his relief. ‘I’m so glad you came, I thought perhaps you were having second thoughts,’ he admitted sheepishly before shyly reminding her to just call him Anakin.
Dormé was only slightly nervous which made her stick to formalities because of her odd meeting with her mentor. ‘And here I expected you wouldn’t come,’ she replied.
Anakin furrowed his brow as he gave her curious look. ‘Why wouldn’t I come? I did invite you after all,’ he added with a shy grin.
She shrugged her shoulders in response to him saying he had invited her. She wasn’t used to people keeping promises.
‘What happened? Why were you detained?’ he asked curiously as he couldn’t help but wonder if there was something he could do to help.
‘To be honest, I don’t know exactly,’ Dormé said. She went on to try to describe what her mentor had told her and how she had no idea what she was supposed to say or do in response. ‘It was very strange indeed.’
The young prince grew defensive of his friend. This soon turned to a look of insult and offense. Though the young maiden was clearly confused by the odd conversation, Anakin on the other hand seemed to understand its implications. ‘How dare she say such things!’ he snapped as he folded his arms. ‘Echuta! She makes it sound like I think that you’re my plaything!’ the prince growled as he began to pace. Suddenly his eyes widened as he remembered the homely looking handmaiden in training and the way she spoke of his friend.
‘What’s that? Play thing?’ she asked, unclear and thinking the word might be in a different dialect as was his cursing.
Anakin shifted awkwardly at Dormé’s innocent question. He knew all to well what Saché was refering to and had witnessed it upon occassion in other kingdoms and even in his own stepfather’s court. Some might even suggest the prince himself was the end result of such an experience though Anakin would never believe it. Biting his lip, he tried to think of a way to politely explain himself further without offending his friend. Yet at the same time, it was embarrassing and infuriating to think that her mentor would hold such a low opinion of him or even suggest that Lady Dormé would ever partake of such things. She might not be nobility but she was every bit a lady in Anakin’s eyes and he had no intention of treating her as anything but a lady.
‘It’s hard to explain,’ he began carefully as he felt his cheeks warm. ‘Sometimes, well...Oh Force, I hope you know I’d never do this-’ he quickly added as he studied her apologetically. ‘Well its not unknown amoungst members of court to charm or more exactly use those who aren’t members of nobility. They pretend to be their friend or lover but in reality they are nothing more than well as we call it their plaything. Once they’re bored with entertaining themselves with this false friendship they just abandon them as though they were nothing,’ Anakin concluded in embarrassed tones, as he feared Dormé would think the same of him. ‘But while the nobility go on as though nothing ever passed the ones they lavished themselves on usually suffer for it because of the scandal it creates,’ he admitted as he bit his lip. ‘I think it’s pathetic myself,’ the prince said softly.
The explanation merely served to confuse Dormé more. Though she was thirteen, socially she was no different than a youngling. She was incredibly naive when it came to interacting with people her own age outside of a work environment that dictated what they were to be doing and when. If someone was nice to her, she assumed they were nice and wanted to be her friend. She was completely unaware of the backstabbing habits, use and abuse of people’s genuine affections and everything that sort of behaviour encompassed. Though she still didn’t quite understand what he was talking about, especially in regards to ‘lovers’—another concept that alluded her—she just figured since her new friend thought it was bad, it must be bad, whatever it was. Her mentor Lady Saché thought it was bad too, so they were right until proven wrong in her mind.
‘By the Force, I bet it was that ugly girl who suggested such things to your mentor. I wouldn’t be surprised, she didn’t seem to like you much, and was probably trying to pass the blame for being caught at the party,’ Anakin concluded as he curled a lip in disgust at the memory of the ugly woman.
‘Moteé?’ querried Dormé. ‘She—’ Dormé was surprised at this revelation. Moteé, in truth, had been the only handmaiden-in-training willing to talk to her. ‘Did she say she didn’t like me?’ Her humour was now quite downtrodden. The least thing Dormé was worried about was the passing of blame. She had thought Moteé was her first true friend and to find this wasn’t the case was heartbreaking.
‘She didn’t come out and say that exactly, it’s just the manner she spoke about you. It wasn’t very— kind,’ Anakin said carefully not wanting to admit to this and yet wanting to warn Dormé all the same.
Her expression dropped. ‘Oh...’ Maybe Moteé wasn’t as nice as Dormé had thought. Now she had no friends. No one to talk to... No, that wasn’t true. ‘At least you’re still my friend...right?’ she asked hesitantly.
Anakin soon realised that his friend had been used after all. For Dormé’s expression spoke volumes to him and immediately the Jedi prince’s heart went out to her. But at her question Anakin couldn’t help but feel a rush of hope as though part of him feared that she didn’t regard him as a friend either. ‘Of course I’m your friend, Dormé and I always will be,’ he promised in all sincerity as he moved to take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze to affirm his words.
Dormé’s expression lightened immensely when he told her they would always be friends. She squeezed his hand back. ‘So...does that mean we’re still going on a starship?’ she asked hopefully. She had always dreamt of actually seeing other planets. It was hard to imagine that in the near future, after completing her handmaiden training, she would see half the galaxy as the queen’s bodyguard.
‘Definitely. Although, I’m not sure where you’d like to go,’ he admitted as he motioned her to follow him. ‘Do you like bustling cities or something more peaceful? What are you in the mood for?’ the Jedi prince offered in curious tones.
‘Anywhere!’ she exclaimed a little too enthusiastically to be considered proper.
An idea then came to mind as he paused and turned to face Dormé. ‘Oh I know the perfect place! Remember how you were telling me about the legends of the Old Guard? Perhaps we could find some ruins on one of the nearby planets, where the old guard used to do battle,’ Anakin suggested as his expression then turned bratty. ‘Maybe we’ll even find some ancient weapons or maybe even some bones from fallen warriors!’ he half teased. History itself was hardly something Anakin could care much about but great battles and wars had always charmed him. This was of course because he had never witnessed a real war or battle himself. But upon remembering Dormé’s own love of the ancient legends—which were certain to be different from the tales he knew—Anakin couldn’t resist the urge to explore. It was his hope as well to get his new friend to share a few of the tales she knew with him. Anything that might gain him a little insight on the fascinating handmaiden that was now by his side.
She was nearly giddy with joy at the prospect. ‘Really? Oh that would be so wonderful! Let’s go!’ Dormé beamed, almost bouncing in anticipation. Certainly, this boy would be her new best friend now. She could only hope that they would be able to spend much more time together.
Anakin beamed at her reply and was just as excited as she was at the prospect leaving planet with his new friend. He still couldn’t believe his luck and was more than happy to have had this normally less than exciting trip to Naboo become so memorable. Quickly, he led Dormé to where Padmé’s silver starship was located and was soon opening the hatch door and letting them both inside. ‘This time, we don’t have to worry about security harassing us like last night. Padmé knows I’m taking her ship out,’ he admitted with a proud smirk. ‘For once, there will be no intruptions,’ he concluded with a look of relief as he motioned her to follow him to the cockpit.
‘Wow,’ she gasped upon seeing the ship up close. It was hard to hide the fact she had never seen a starship in person and was surprised to see how large it was. Although the queen might have been aware that the young prince was taking her ship for a spin, Dormé’s superiors had no idea she was accompanying him. She herself was so used to being independent that she had yet to get into the habit of checking with other people and making requests before going through with her own inclinations.
Anakin found Dormé’s eagerness and fascination with the starship to be contagious and was soon quite eager himself to take to the air. ‘You’re going to love flying, I promise,’ he said as she expressed her amazement to the sight of the ship. Activating the controls the young prince soon found himself staring at a holo-vid of a map to the planets and routes that marked the regions near to Naboo and Coruscanti space. Studying it for a moment, his eyes settled on one planet in particular that he remembered his brother briefly mentioning in the past. ‘Care to visit Corulag? It’s a populated planet that has alot of history I was once told. I don’t remember much about it, but I do know the Jedi of old fought there in ancient times. Maybe that would be a good place to begin?’ Anakin suggested as he gave his friend a glance before powering up the ship and preparing it for departure.
Dormé followed Anakin very carefully, watching with wide eyes to see how things were supposed to be done. She recalled seeing a similiar holo-map in one of her classes. ‘Ancient Jedi? I don’t know much about the Jedi either,’ she said, intrigued.
While Anakin reassured her that the queen was aware of their actions, he was unaware of the fact her superiors had no idea that she was here. It was a fact that was certain to haunt them later. But this was the last thing on the young prince’s mind as he led his friend through the small but cozy hallways that would take them to the cockpit. Her obvious interest intrigued him further as starships and their engineering had always fascinated Anakin. He did his best to explain what he was doing so she could understand his actions -as he hoped one day to teach her to fly too. As he spoke of their destination, Dormé’s question caught his attention and Anakin glanced to her curiously. ‘I don’t know much about the ancient Jedi either myself—though I guess I should,’ he admitted with a sheepish grin. ‘I’m not really into history myself. But I can tell you all you’d like to know about the Jedi,’ he added with a look of pride.
Dormé couldn’t keep her broad grin to herself even if she made a conscious effort to try. This was so neat. It didn’t matter to her one bit where they were going. She was going on a starship! ‘I’d love to hear about the Jedi,’ she replied as she studied the holomap intently.
Anakin grinned feeling her excitement pouring off her in waves. It was wonderful to be in the presence of someone who loved flying as much as he did. It was also the perfect chance for him to show off his skills which the young prince was more than eager to do. ‘All right, but if I start boring you, you must promise to tell me,’ Anakin admitted knowing that this was a topic he could go on about for some time if he had the chance, and he didn’t want to tire his friend of it.
‘Believe me, you’ll know if you’re boring me,’ Dormé replied with a wink.
The prince just raised a brow and gave a boyish grin to her reply and wink as if to say I’ll hold you to that. As they took to the air Anakin couldn’t help but notice Dormé’s eyes watching out the windows with great interest. Though most of his attentions were on the control the Jedi Prince couldn’t help but glance over in Dormé’s direction more than a few times as he wanted to share in her joy.
She tried to read what the terrain was like, but with little luck.
Noticing Dormé’s attentions turning to the terrain, the young prince did his best to explain what he could about the planet. ‘The forests are filled with bamboo it shows—though don’t ask me what that is—and there are...oceans, but cities as well and plains,’ he continued as he scanned over the map. ‘Where should we begin? You figure we’ll get lucky in the forests?’ he asked.
‘Oh, forests? Sure!’ she said. ‘I wonder how different it will be from Naboo...’ She mimicked him as they strapped themselves in and prepared for takeoff.
‘I don’t know but I can’t wait to see it. Who knows maybe we’ll see some cool looking creatures too!’ he remarked hoping to run into something fascinating that would add to their trip. As they took to the air Anakin was careful not to rush into flight or do anything too fancy that could possibly upset his friend who was still new to flight.
She couldn’t help being giddy at the thought of all the fascinating new things she would see, but as they took off, her attention was swiftly turned to the sights out the windows. If her new friend said anything to her, she didn’t know because she was so consumed with this new experience. She gasped a few times, especially exited the atmosphere of Naboo for space. The stars! And there were other ships too!
‘I should have warned you that space is a bit cold,’ he admitted sheepishly once they were amongst the stars. ‘I’m so used to it now that I don’t feel it anymore,’ he continued as he studied her.
If she was shivering from the cold, she barely noticed until Anakin spoke up again. ‘Oh...’ she said, feeling a bit shy.
Though part of him wanted to show off, he refrained as Anakin knew that Dormé was enjoying this far too much already. He tried to explain to her the planets that they were passing by or the types of ships they passed but soon he gave up, as it was obvious Dormé was lost in her thoughts. Anakin didn’t mind for he was just so happy to know his friend was enjoying herself. Nevertheless, it was also obvious that she was chilly for she was shivering. ‘If you want, I could get you a cloak, I know Padmé has some in one of the back rooms,’ he offered kindly.
‘But are you able to leave the controls? I mean—we’re not going to crash are we?’ She couldn’t help being frightened at the possibility, no matter how silly the question might be to anyone else. At her concerns he gave a cocky grin as he nodded. ‘Oh no I’ll just set to auto pilot, the computer then takes control and we can do whatever we want,’ he remarked before adding as he unbuckled himself and rose from his seat. ‘I just enjoy flying. That’s why I do it myself,’ he admitted. ‘I’ll be right back,’ he said before pausing.
‘Auto pilot,’ Dormé repeated to herself, setting it to memory. Even still, she watched as he rose to his feet. She was fascinated by it all and the new technology as well.
‘Unless you want a break from star gazing to get a tour?’ he offered with a shrug.
It took her a moment to figure out how to unbuckle herself to join him. ‘Sure!’ she replied enthusiastically, grinning up at him. ‘It’s such a large ship. I can’t imagine what a person would do with all this space.’
The prince wasn’t entirely sure the young handmaiden would even care for a tour but he thought he’d make the offer. To his joy and amusement, she seemed more than eager and offering a hand, he moved to help her up before guiding her down the hallway. ‘The ship was designed to hold her security as well as herself and of course the crew. It was specifically designed for long journeys as Padmé travels all over the galaxy to interact with Naboo’s allies,’ Anakin explained as he began to show her around.
‘Oh...’ Dormé replied when he explained why it was so large. ‘That’s a lot of people!’
Anakin nodded in agreement. ‘I can just imagine how cramped this ship would be with everyone on board,’ he continued before glancing back at her as she asked about Coruscant.
‘Once you become a handmaiden, you’ll soon get used to the constant travel,’ he concluded before adding with a grin, ‘with Coruscant being one of your more regular visits.’
She found it hard to believe that one day spacetravel would just be a commonplace thing like brushing her hair. ‘Where’s Coruscant?’ she asked, seeming almost to remember that he said he was living there currently. ‘Is it far from Naboo? I know all the senators and intergalactic delagates meet there...right?’
‘It’s not too far from Naboo—a few hours away, by ship of course,’ Anakin concluded. ‘The best part about this the distance is that it isn’t hard for me to visit,’ he added with a wink.
‘Good,’ she said with a relieved smile, happy to hear her friend would not be too far away.
Approaching the quarters that was designed for the queen Anakin opened the door and entered before furrowing his brow marking the fact he hadn’t been in this room before. ‘I imagine the cloaks are in her closet somewhere,’ he began sheepishly. Moving throughout the small living space and opening the few doors one by one Anakin eventually found the closet. Glancing back at Dormé with a victorious smile, he motioned to the serious of cloaks and gowns. ‘There we are. I’m not sure which one you’d prefer but its all here I think.’
Dormé cheerily touched different gowns and cloaks, enjoying the feel of the fabrics between her fingers. The only time she had a chance to touch such finery was when she was making stitches on them in the factories. She remembered one of the patterns quite well. She could do it in her sleep. Promptly, she let that gown go and moved on to a different one. When she found a suitable cloak, she removed it from the closet and tossed it around her shoulders. ‘Much better,’ she said, not feeling as cold anymore.
Anakin grew a bit sheepish at her relieved smile as it stirred something within him that he could not quite understand just yet. Anakin stepped aside and let Dormé find something suitable for herself to keep warm. Watching her casually, he noticed her fingers lightly dancing over the fabrics and could sense her enjoyment of the material. But something caused her to pause and then swiftly move on that didn’t go unnoticed by the young prince. While he wanted to ask if something was wrong, Anakin decided against it, as he knew she would speak of it when she was ready. When she found something suitable Anakin gave a smile watching as she placed it on her shoulders. ‘That’s good,’ he agreed before adding with a raised brow. ‘Now, my lady, are you ready for the rest of the tour?’ he offered with amusement.
His amusement was not lost on her and at his offer, she took his arm, saying, ‘Why yes, I do believe I am, good sir.’ She didn’t know what most of the things were that he pointed out to her. It was as though he were speaking in Huttese for what good it did her, but she was mostly looking at him and studying him rather than anything he was showing her. Dormé was enjoying his company and found his sense of humour akin to her own which was refreshing to say the least after spending so much time with the stuck-up handmaidens.
He described the different parts of the ship as best he could while sharing funny stories from his own experiences in starship. But while he showed her around the young prince soon could feel her amber eyes studying him closely. While it made him feel a little conscious of himself it also felt nice. He also enjoyed the fact she liked his slightly warped sense of humour and this served to only solidify his feels about her from before. While he was content now to just call her his friend, the Jedi prince couldn’t deny the similiarities they shared. As their tour drew to a close and they returned to the cockpit once more, Anakin soon realized they were almost at their destination. Catching sight of the planet in his view Anakin gave Dormé an eager grin. ‘We’re almost there. You can see it now in the window,’ he admitted as he took control of the ship once more.
She gasped upon seeing the approaching planet. ‘Wow,’ she said, her eyes once more distracted to the new planet. It was hard for Dormé to believe that the small planets in the distance were so large like Naboo upon approach. It was all so amazing to her.
Anakin was soon taking control of the ship and at Dormé’s expression he briefly glanced to her. ‘It’s breathtaking isn’t it?’ he said softly understanding her awe all too well.
She resumed splitting her observation between the controls and space, wanting to take everything in. ‘You’re going to fly it on the landing again? Did it take you long to learn how to fly? Was it very difficult?’
He chuckled as he gave her another glance. ‘It didn’t take me that long to learn to fly. But then I have a natural talent for it, I’ve been told,’ he bragged before adding. ‘Would you like to learn? I could teach you if you want,’ he offered in hopeful tones.
Dormé was no judge of flying skills, so she took him at his word. But when the offer was made to her, she grew shy and intimidated. ‘I don’t think I would be very good, but...someday maybe, sure...’
‘You’ll be great I know it!’ he said kindly before a chime was heard directing his attentions once more. Anakin frowned as he stared at the screens before him. They were entering the atmosphere far too quickly and quickly Anakin tried to even out the ship to slow the effects. However the more he tried the less response he was recieving from the controls. ‘Dammit,’ he muttered as he tried to locate the source of the problem. The controls gave him little clue though if he were to judge by what he was experiencing the Jedi knight surmised there was a leak in one of the pressure valves. Although if that were indeed the case they would far more to worry about than just attempting to land.
Dormé grew anxious and looked to Anakin when he swore. ‘What is it?’ Her eyes were now wide with anxiety.
‘Hold on, Dormé, this is going to get bumpy,’ he admitted as he tried to hide teh concern in his voice.
‘What do you mean bumpy?!’ she asked, her voice laced with fear. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all...
Anakin shook his head as he gave her a brief glance but didn’t respond. His thoughts were now entirely foccused on steadying the ship and ensuring they didn’t lose entire control as they entered the atmosphere. Even so he gave his friend a warning of what was to come which did little to aid her fears. At her question he furrowed his brow as he shook his head and moved to alter some more of the controls. ‘I think there is a leak in one of the pressure valves thats designed to slow our entrance. Its like a brakes of sorts,’ he explained in rushed tones. ‘I’ll still be able to land it but its going to make it impossible to take off again because the leaking fuel could ignite. We’ll need to fix it before we can leave,’ he said through clenched teeth as the ship began to rock violently to his attempts to steady it.
‘A leak?!!’ Dormé exclaimed, nearly panicking now. ‘The brakes??!!’
‘I’m sorry this wasn’t at all what I had in mind,’ he admitted as he soon realised that his attempts to show off had just backfired on him. It was his plan to initially accelerate into the planets atmosphere and then just rush in for a controlled landing. He had the speed but none of the control. Had Anakin not been so concerned about the safety of himself or his friend he would have been completely embarrassed by it all. He focused on getting them out in one piece instead of his wounded pride.
This wasn’t such a good idea after all. What the urugal made me think this would be fun? I shouldn’t have come... ‘I thought this was a new ship!’ Dormé gripped the arm rests so hard her knuckles were turning white as the ship rocked violently. Her eyes darted from straight ahead out the window to her friend who was piloting it. She was so scared that she couldn’t breathe; her eyes were snapped open in fear rather than awe. Nisaba help us... she said, though it was more of a curse than a prayer.
Anakin frowned as he continued to frantically regain some semblence of control over the ship. Dormé’s obvious panic wasn’t helping matters and he struggled to raise his mental shields so as not to feel her emotions as they added to his own. He glanced to her sharply at her words as he nodded. ‘Yes it is but it doesn’t mean that there isn’t going to be any glitches in it,’ he quipped sharply. He now cursed the fact he didn’t listen to the maintance crew who warned him to let them double check the systems before take off. The ship shook violently and Anakin uttered another string of curses as he attempts to use the reverse thrusters. Though it was some struggle these began too work, albeit a little too late to really have much of an effect.
All too soon, a forest filled with tall, stringy-looking trees came into sight with no clearing.
‘Echuta! Brace yourself, Dormé, this is going to be—’ the young prince began as he attempted to straighten the ship for landing. However at the speed they were going it was impossible to make for a smooth entrance. As such the ship slammed hard agianst the Bamboo trees before he completed his sentance and proceeded to skid some distance before reaching its stopping point. It was a mess to say the least and the damage caused was certain to have landed Anakin in jail for years had it been on Naboo.
Whimpering, Dormé was in no position to ‘brace’ herself any further as they came in at a high speed, landing amongst a forest of bamboo. It took a moment for her to calm down enough to recognise that they were safe. Once she did, she unstrapped herself and made for the exit. She needed off this ship. She didn’t want to be on it a second longer. However, she didn’t know how to work the controls because they were different from regular doors. She cursed and hit the controls she thought were for the door.
Anakin caught Dormé’s whimper and couldn’t help but feel bad for his friend. This was hardly the sort of adventure he had in mind. However it wasn’t exactly something he was able to dwell on either as his attentions were too focused on landing the ship without killing them in the process. As the ship came to a grinding halt the young prince tried to catch his breath and pull his thoughts together. Instintivally he brought up a mapping of the ship and ordered the computer to inform him of the damages.
Dormé had thought this would be a fun adventure, but she would much rather be pilfering food on the streets than crash-landing on a starship on some planet she barely knew anything about with a boy she hardly knew. But she was made of tough stuff, at least on the outside. She wasn’t about to let him know how much she needed someone to comfort her, how much she could use a hug and some reassuring words. No, she was too frustrated and needed someone else to blame... It was his fault wasn’t it? Or was it her fault for coming?
As the computer began to provide the prince with the information, he began to calm his racing heart and scattered thoughts. The damage was great but not nearly as catastrophic as he had feared. It would have been far worse had he not landed as well as he did given the circumstances. It was then that he registered the fact he wasn’t wounded either and with this thought, his mind shifted to his friend. Glancing to his side Anakin’s eyes widen in initial shock as Dormé was long gone from her seat. ‘Dormé!?’ He immediately unbuckled himself and rushed out of the cockpit his mind growing frantic once more. He could sense her panicked emotions through the Force and feared that she might have been wounded as well from the force of the landing. It wasn’t hard to find her and soon the Jedi prince was approaching the exit where he caught sight of Dormé hitting the temperature controls that were by the door. Furrowing his brow, Anakin couldn’t help but feel a rush of guilt over his friend’s obvious fear and need for air. Swiftly he activated the controls that would permit them exit as he gave her an apologetic look.
Out. Out. I need to get out of here, was all that Dormé’s thoughts could process.
‘I know this is hardly what you had in mind, but we’re okay. Everything is going to be all right. We’re not too far from Naboo, I’ll just send out a message explaining the situation and we’ll have help in no time,’ he began.
Dormé could barely comprehend what Anakin was saying in his furry of opening the hatch. She raced out as soon as it opened, not even catching that ‘help’ would be arriving. Part of the reason she ran was that she didn’t want him to see her like this: panicked and afraid. The ground felt like it was moving, for she was not used to being in moving vehicles for such a long time. On solid ground, she wavered and swayed, her arms stretching forth in front of her, trying to maintain her balance. It didn’t help that her heart was racing.
Anakin raced after her. Biting his lip, he couldn’t help but feel terrible for ruining the young handmaiden’s first journey in space. However sensing her fear pouring off her in waves Anakin moved swiftly to her side in the hopes of calming her in any way he could. Moving to place his hands on her shoulders the young prince hoped to stop her to draw her attention so he could calm her. ‘Dormé, listen to me. Just focus on my voice, all right? It’s okay. You’re safe now. Everything is going to be all right. You just need to catch your breath. That’s all,’ he said softly. Touching the Force, he tried to send soothing thoughts to her hoping this would help a little as well.
It wasn’t until Anakin put his hands on her shoulder that she heard anything he had to say. Dormé wasn’t exactly sure why, but she began to feel calmer as though his words suddenly spoke through to her breaths came out in gasps.
Anakin gently rubbed her arms before moving to draw her into an embrace. Though the young prince was not nearly as frightened or panicked as the young handmaiden, he was startled and in need of a little comfort himself. Unbenownst to him the comfort he was trying to give Dormé was in reality helping to calm his own fears. It was as though what one felt, the other reflected although it would be years before the reasons for this would reveal itself. For now, all that was on Anakin’s mind was his need to calm his poor friend.
Though his presence was reassuring and Dormé found she liked how it felt when he was rubbing her arms, when he pulled her into a hug, she stiffened and didn’t know what was going on exactly. But after a moment, she settled into his hug, which was one of the only ones she had had in her life, and hesitantly hugged him back. Finally she looked into his eyes and his message resonated to the point that she could breathe properly. ‘I-I just needed some fresh air,’ she slightly lied to him to try to mask her fear.
Thankfully, his actions and words caused Dormé to calm slightly and as he finally got her attention, the young prince gave a look of silent understanding. He nodded. ‘That makes two of us,’ he admitted shyly as he felt his cheeks warm. ‘I’m sorry about that. This was hardly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to give you your first trip to the stars,’ he continued as his cheeks now began to burn. ‘But everything is going to be okay. None of the comm systems are down so I’ll be able to make contact with Naboo control and they’ll just send someone to help fix the ship. We’re not too far from Naboo so it won’t take long at all,’ he continued in more reassuring tones.
She pulled back slightly to look up into his blue eyes, saying, ‘Since we’re here, we might as well do some exploring until the engineers arrive...’
Just as his mind began to register that it rather enjoyed holding her like this, Dormé was drawing back slightly. His thoughts drew back to the present once again, only to scatter at the sight of her amber eyes looking into his blue orbs. For a moment, he didn’t respond, as he was too busy staring at her to comprehend her words. But after a moment, he nodded in agreement as he gave a sheepish grin. ‘That sounds good to me. I know there are some creeks and a pond near to this region, or at least I think so anyways. Perhaps there are some caves to explore too,’ Anaking offered as he tried to recall the terrain that was showing on the map just before he lost control of the ship.
If Dormé registered he was staring at her, it didn’t show. She was more concerned that he didn’t think she was afraid or weak because she had wanted off the ship immediately upon landing. It was for this reason that she brought up exploring the planet.‘Have we any light sources on board? I mean, if we were going to be in caves and it’s probably dark in there...’ She recalled he mentioned that he was afraid of large bodies of water and didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. Through all of this, she refrained from releasing the prince from her grasp. It was as though he was her security blanket even though he was the one who nearly crashed her queen’s ship.
‘I’m pretty sure they would,’ he admitted as he was grateful she suggested the caves over the pond. Although if she had he would have joined her nonetheless, for he wanted her to enjoy herself. It was only when he moved to head back to the ship did Anakin register Dormé’s close proximity to him and the fact she was still holding him. In truth there was a part of him that didn’t want to let go for he enjoyed the gentle affect that her touch seemed to have on him. It was soothing, but there was somethin gelse that he couldnt entirely figure out. It was because of this that Anakin chose to move his hand to hold hers as he withdrew from their embrace. ‘I’ll double check the maps before we begin,’ the young prince remarked as he gave her a glance. ‘The last thing we need is for us to get lost,’ he added only semi-teasing.
Only once Anakin started for the ship did she notice she was still holding onto him. Embarrassed, though not sure why, she quickly let go, but if he had minded this, it was unclear for Dormé soon found her hand captured by the young prince’s own hand. As much as she didn’t want to return to the ship, the greater part of her was reluctant to part from his side. It was for this reason, she returned his look with a smile, saying it was probably for the best they did at least a little preparation before heading off to explore.
It didn’t take long for them to gather their things and depart to what Anakin hoped would be a grand adventure. Unfortunately for the young prince and his friends the caves were hardly as grandeous as he had hoped. However like Dormé the prince held onto the belief that perhaps there was some great treasure to be found or maybe some sign of the old warriors that were said to have fought here.
Soon enough, they had a few lightsources and a pretty good idea of the nearby terrain. The caves, Dormé found, was nothing compared to the sights she had seen on the way over. However, there was always the possibility they would stumble onto something magnificent, maybe some jewels or some weapon left by a knight of old. She encouraged him to tell her the stories he knew of the Jedi as they explored the deep caverns.
Spelunking, Dormé soon discovered, was not something most easily done when wearing a gown and flowing cloak. Had she knew of this sooner, she would have worn something more suitable and thusly not tripped over herself on more than one occassion. It was hard enough as it was since it was so dark, but with the combination, it was much harder.
As they roamed through the cool, damp caves, Anakin did his best to recall the adventures his brother had told him. He spoke of stories he had heard from his colleagues and of his own experiences which in his opinion were hardly worth mentioning. It was so frustrating he admitted that he couldn’t join the other Padawans in their journeys becuase of his title. ‘They can’t seem to understand that I don’t need security whereever I go. I’m as good as any of the other Jedi Knights if not better. Even Obi-Wan says I’m ahead of my training,’ Anakin concluded proudly before falling silent as he furrowed his brow.
As Anakin told her stories he had heard, he captivated her though she felt bad that he wasn’t able to have any true adventures on his own. Dormé agreed that it wasn’t fair and felt he ought to be able to if all the others did. ‘Well, we don’t have any security now—’ she began, her eyes dancing with mischief, but he fell silent.
‘Did you hear that?’ he asked softly as he thought he heard something that definitely wasn’t them or the water dripping from the ceiling. Drawing on the Force the Padawan coudl sense many life forms, but nothing threatening. Unfortunately while he could sense them he couldn’t see them despite the fact he was scanning the clearing they found themselves in with his light.
She paused, trying to listen but only hearing water dripping. She followed his light with her eyes, trying to see anything, but all she saw was rocks. ‘What is it?’ she whispered, moving just slightly closer to him.
Furrowing his brow, the Jedi prince found himself sensing many lifeforms, all of them small and nonthreatening. Even so, it still caused the hair on the back of hsi neck to rise as he scanned the area to quickly locate the source. He shook his head in reply at her question before frowning deeply. ‘I can’t tell, I can’t see anything either,’ he murmured before the sound of pattering began to be heard ahead. Glancing to Dormé quickly Anakin grew concerned. ‘Something is coming, we should get out of the open,’ he murmured before grabbing her hand as he moved to lead her to a crevice that was off to the side from where they were.
Dormé felt disconcerted, but this only worsened when Anakin said something was coming. However as she followed him, back the way they came, she had a feeling it wasn’t the same path. In her hurry, one of the heels on her shoes caught and she stumbled, cursing. She let go of his hand, trying to loosen the shoe from the rocks.
Anakin in his rush to get them to some place safe wasn’t able to catch Dormé whose heel had got caught in one of the rocks causing her to stumble. ‘Just take off your shoe!’ Anakin said quickly as he felt her hand slipping away from his own to loosen her heel.
‘Just take off my shoe, he says,’ she muttered to herself as she tried to free it. ‘As if I have a million others where this one came from...’ But before she could continued complaining, she was startled by the sight before her.
But it was too late for they had awakened the sleeping winged creatures that the young prince had never seen before. His eyes widened in surprise though he knew through the Force they were no threat.
Paralyzed with fear, she could only stare. She couldn’t even breathe. There was not just one, there were many and now they were flying around her.
‘It’s okay, Dormé. They’re not dangerous. I think we just startled them,’ he said softly as he slipped an arm around her hoping to calm her shock. Fear that radiated off her was paralyzing and soon the handmaiden’s body went limp in his arms. ‘Dormé? Dormé!’ Anakin cried. They were fairly deep within the caverns now and the jouney would long to say the least. But knowing all too well what it was like to be frightened beyond coherancy the Jedi prince quietly moved to lift his friend into his arms. Holding her close and using his body as a shield he waited until the creatures had flown away or settled along the cavern’s walls. Only then did he rise to his feet with Dormé in his arms and began the slow journey to the surface.
Coming to, the first thing Dormé noticed was that the air was stale and even after blinking her eyes a few times, it was too dark to see. However, the most shocking this was that she found herself in the prince’s arms. It had to be him because she recognised the texture of his cloak. She didn’t remember fainting or the creatures, but the memory would surface soon enough.
Carrying her in his arms, the young prince was quite concerned about Dormé’s safety. He wished there could be a quicker way to the surface but unfortunately, there was none. After some time and close calls -for it was slippery- the young prince was rewarded with the handmaiden slowly stirring awake. Offering her a hopeful smile that was most likely missed in the dark Anakin softly spoke up. ‘It’s okay, we’re still in the cave but I’m bringing us back to the surface,’ he said gently hoping to sooth her fears.
Dormé wondered how he knew she had regained consciousness, but reminded herself that he was a Jedi and that he was able to read her mind or something like that. It was then that her foot felt cold and wondered how she had lost only one shoe. She wanted to be able to see him better, but he could only carry her and not a lightsource at the same time. She hoped she wasn’t too heavy and then thought she ought to walk instead. However, this thought never exited her lips because found she liked this little predicament. She reached up to put her arms around his neck so that she would be more secure.
Anakin felt her arms slip around his neck and couldn’t resist another smile in the dark. He rather enjoyed holding her, though he had enough sense to keep this thought to himself. He wanted to ask her what happened as well but realised it was most likely the shock of the flying creatures that caused her to faint. This too was another thought that didn’t escape his lips as he didn’t want to embarrass his friend. It was only then that he recalled the shoe that Dormé had lost and the fact he had forgotten to grab it for her when he picked her up. Growing apologetic he bit his lip before focussing his attentions on her cloak which he used the Force to cover her form a little better so she could keep warm. ‘I’m sorry about your shoe, I forgot to grab it after you blacked out,’ he admitted sheepishly. ‘I’ll replace them when we get back,’ he continued hoping she wouldn’t be too annoyed with him for losing it in the first place.
She leant her head on his shoulder feeling quite comfortable and hoping he didn’t mind. When Anakin spoke of her shoe, she blushed, though thankfully he couldn’t see it. ‘It’s OK,’ she said. ‘I don’t remember blacking out,’ Dormé admitted sheepishly. ‘I’m sorry...’
‘What matters is that you’re okay,’ he said kindly before furrowing his brow as he couldn’t help but ask. ‘You didn’t hurt yourself did you? I mean when your shoe got stuck.’ In truth, he could have just as easily checked her Force signature for this but his mind was distracted by the maided in his arms leaving him less than in charge of his thoughts.
This is certainly an adventure, Dormé thought, smiling as she relaxed in his arms. Even if she wasn’t picked to be a handmaiden, even if she never left Naboo again, this was something that she would never forget and always recall with much joy. ‘The air must have been thin down there,’ she surmised about having fainted. When the prince asked if Dormé was hurt, she wondered that herself. Ultimately, she decided, ‘No, I don’t think so...’
Despite all the misfortunes of this particular adventure the young prince couldn’t help but find himself enjoying this moment immensely. He was hardly a knight and even less a hero but for the moment Anakin couldn’t help felt every bit of both. At Dormé’s thoughts on her black out Anakin felt his cheeks warm. He never considered that possiblity before and now felt concerned that he hadn’t. Had Dormé not blacked out, they could have both been in a great deal of trouble. This thought also caused him to grow concerned about her fall. Her reassurances eased some of his fears though he decided that when they returned to the ship he would make sure to have a medical droid check her ankle. As they continued their journey the young prince couldn’t help but ask if she knew of any tales to share with him. As she considered this for a moment the young prince continued to carry her along his attentions entirely focused on the path ahead lest he slip.
As they continued through the caverns, she thought of stories she had heard about such caves. There was one in particular that this adventure reminded her of, but before she had a chance to vocalize it, Dormé was distracted by the thin braid of hair hanging behind the prince’s ear. She didn’t mean to bother him, but couldn’t resist twisting through her fingers.
Anakin felt something soft tugging at his Padawan braid and for a moment his eyes flickered to Dormé as he gave a boyish smile. It was rather soothing, the feel of her fingers in his hair and it would be something that would haunt the young prince in years to come. But for now he was just as pleased to enjoy this peaceful gesture.
Since Dormé was focused on playing with the braid, she felt him turning his head toward her, but was unable to see the expression on his face. She immediately thought he was offended or didn’t like it, however, when he didn’t say anything to stop her, she continued. In order to mask the slight insecurity about her actions, she spoke up. ‘Perhaps someday another traveller will stumble upon my shoe and think it’s some sort of treasure,’ she mused as light crept around ahead of them.
The journey back to the ship was a peaceful one to say the least for the young prince who was enjoying the handmaiden’s innocent gesture to its fullest. But all too soon rays of light began to reveal itself marking the fact they were almost at the surface. Though Anakin was grateful to see sunlight again there was still a part of him that was mildly dissappointed. For it meant his time holding his friend was almost at an end. It also meant their adventure would soon be over. As though sensing his thoughts Dormé spoke up drawing his thoughts to the present once again. At her words the young prince couldn’t resist another boyish smile. ‘Maybe some explorers in the distant future will come here, find your shoe and think its an important artifact,’ he suggested. ‘Just think, perhaps our little adventure will become a part of history,’ he added rather liking this idea himself.
She nodded to his suggestion. ‘I wonder what sort of things they would come up with as a story behind it. I think it would be one for the histories for sure!’ Dormé grinned.
Anakin smiled at Dormé’s words as his expression grew both eager and thoughtful. The possibilities were endless and he now curious to know just what sort of legend would become of their simple adventure. Little did he realise they would go down in history for entirely different reasons. ‘Just think maybe it will become part of legends. The tale of the warrior handmaiden,’ he mused thoughtfully before the discussion moved forward once more.
‘...and the Jedi Prince,’ Dormé added to his tenative title for their legend. It was not long before they were out of the caves, but even on solid ground, she didn’t think to have him let her down on to her feet until they were within site of the ship. Blushing, she said softly, ‘I could walk...’
Upon reaching the surface the young prince didn’t once consider placing Dormé back on her feet. Though he couldn’t consciously register it there was something about holding Dormé that felt perfectly natural, as though she fit perfectly in his arms. But Anakin was young and his feelings for his new friend had yet to mature or evolve to the point where he could properly understand this and so it went unnoticed. However Dormé in time became aware of her predictment when the queen’s ship came into sight. At her soft suggestion Anakin glanced down at her and gave a shy smile as he took note of her blushing cheeks. ‘With one shoe?’ he teased gently not really wanting to admit he rather enjoyed playing the role of the knight and hero even though he was far from it. Giving her a lopsided grin he just shook his head as he continued. ‘What sort of gentleman woould I be if I made you walk after causing you to lose your shoe and Force knows perhaps even hurt your ankle,’ he said as he grew a bit more serious.
At his response to her suggestion about walking the rest of the way, Dormé smiled, albeit shyly. ‘I guess so,’ she agreed, her blush deepening. However, her embarrassment subsided when she resumed playing with the thin braid.
At his reply to Dormé’s remarks about walking Anakin couldn’t ignore Dormé’s blushe or shy smile. For a moment he couldn’t look away as he studied her intently unconsciously putting her gentle smile to memory. Though her embarrassment was noted Anakin couldn’t quite understand why she felt so awkward and couldn’t help but fear perhaps he had said something offensive to her. But as her fingers slipped to his braid Anakin felt her calm and soon relaxed himself. ‘You should probably get it looked at once we’re back on the ship just to be certain its alright,’ he concluded in kind concern.
‘I don’t think it’s injured, but you’re right, getting it checked out would proobably be a good idea...’
Dormé was pleased that she was able to stay in his arms a little while longer as well, though she didn’t know the true reason why this was because she too was too young to know why just yet. For now, she was content spending time with her new friend and hoped this wouldn’t be the last of their adventures together.
‘Are you hungry?’ Anakin asked as the medical droid was activated and instructed to examine his friend. ‘The rescue team should be here shortly but it will still be a bit before the repairs are finished,’ the prince admitted. As much as he wanted time to freeze so he could spend more time with his friend he couldn’t ignore the fact it was now getting late or the fact that Dormé like himself must have been hungry.
Once they had her ankle checked and saw it was in fact uninjured, Dormé took him up on his offer of food. However, it was not long before their adventure came to a close when the rescue team came. But even with the other people around, Dormé couldn’t help allowing her eyes to linger a bit longer than most would consider appropriate on her new friend while he was explaining the situation.
As he explained to the engineers what had happened, Anakin could sense their disapproval over the fact he was associating with the young handmaiden-to-be. Or rather the reasons they believed the young prince was befriending the Naboo handmaiden. Anakin chose to ignore their surface emotions and thoughts as he didn’t wish to embarrass his friend. The Jedi prince also couldn’t care less what they thought of him as they cast glances to Dormé who watched him as he spoke. He hardly minded having her eyes on him and in reality rather enjoyed it. But as his head of security pulled him aside to remind him of his political position and of the scandal this could create the young prince soon lost his temper. ‘How dare you suggest such a thing to me,’ he hissed quietly hoping that Dormé wouldn’t have the misfortune of overhearing this conversation.
‘I’m sorry, your grace, but you need to be mindful of this matter. It will not look good on the Coruscanti Empire to have you fraternizing with the Naboo queen’s handmaidens,’
When one of the security team approached her friend about her presence, she felt her cheeks warm. What did they mean by ‘fraternizing’? Her mentor, Lady Saché, used this term as well in reference to the prince and it wasn’t until Anakin explained to her what they meant by it, she became offended. Before she had a chance to inform them she wasn’t officially a handmaiden yet anyone, Anakin jumped in. She didn’t blame Anakin for being angry with them.
‘But I’m not fraternizing with anyone. Dormé is my friend,’ Anakin snapped in agitation as the security captain furrowed his brow in concern.
‘You’d be wise to choose your friend’s more carefully your grace. The court will not hesitate to take advantage of the fact she is beneath your position.’
Speechless, Anakin could only glare at the older man in utter rage. Opening his mouth he was about to demand the man’s silence and defend his friend’s good name. But from the corner of his eyes the young prince could see Dormé watching him and biting his tongue he forced his thoughts to clear before speaking in deadly quiet tones.‘You are in no position to tell me who I should or shouldn’t associate with. And if you ever speak ill of my friend again I will make certain that you are out on the streets before the day is through. Understood?’
The older man stiffened but nodded politely in reply. He had been a soldier for most of his life and was used to taking orders despite the fact he might not agree with them. Even so it was obvious he did not think well of Anakin’s actions and was concerned how this would reflect on the delicate relationship between the Naboo and the Corsuscanti. However he kept silent on the matter and soon the young prince was returning to his young friend once more.
She didn’t understand why people were assuming such things. Were they all just jealous of them? It wasn’t as though they had special things they needed to do today, so they were spending time together. What was the harm in that? She had been having fun, despite the not-so-graceful landing and having lost one of her shoes... Was she being naive? She had to wonder now, thinking that there was a possibility the prince just wanted to get a rise out of his compatriots. Perhaps she was merely a pawn in his elaborate scheme to get back at someone. Perhaps he didn’t care about her at, like Saché seemed to believe...that he had no interest in being her friend. But then why was he so nice to her? Moteé was nice too and he said she wasn’t a true friend to her, saying things about her behind her back. But did that mean that perhaps he was lying too?
‘I swear by the Force I have idiots for my security,’ Anakin groused as he approached Dormé once more. ‘If I wanted their opinion I would have asked for it,’ he concluded with a sigh before giving her an apologetic smile.
She had a hard time looking into his eyes and believing it was just a lie. Dormé honestly was not sure about anything anymore and thought perhaps it would be better not to see him again for awhile. She realised that she had a lot to learn about social interaction and that she shouldn’t be so guillable, especially if this had been all a ruse. For some reason it was his ruse that would hurt her the most, though she was unaware the true reason behind why his opinion and friendship meant so much to her.
‘I’m sorry this day didn’t quite turn out as planned but I hope you had a little fun despite everything that had passed,’ he admitted sheepishly.
Instead of saying anything, she merely nodded to his admission and refrained from speaking. She was afraid if she spoke, she would offend him or say something she didn’t mean...or that it would just all come out wrong. She stared at her hands in her lap, knowing if she looked at him, she would have a hard time looking away and she didn’t want his compatriots saying anything further about her. Deep within, there was a part of her that wanted to make them suffer for saying such things about Anakin and her...the part of her that cursed their stupidity and ignorance.
Anakin could feel her shift in moods and couldn’t help but grow concerned for it. Her mannerisms once more too became shy and withdrawn leaving him almost certain she had heard the dreaded conversation. The young prince silently cursed his security captain once more for it. Despite his title and rank the young prince found himself struggling with his confidence when it came to the young handmaiden’s opinion of him. He truly wanted her to like him and now feared that she was once again having second thoughts about being friends. He wished there could be some way to prove to her that he was serious about their friendship. That Dormé was in no way just a trinket to hang off his arm or a toy to play with -despite his obvious interest in her.
Falling silent Anakin found himself now glancing to his hands as well before shyly looking over at her once more. He wanted to send away his security -to send everyone away- so Anakin could talk to her in private. However he refrained knowing how badly that would reflect on them both. He couldn’t care what they thought of him -Force know there was already enough rumours about him to keep the gossip mongers busy as it was. But knowing this could affect Dormé’s position in Padmé’s entourage Anakin was more mindful of the matter and refrained.
Dormé took a chance and glanced at him when he sighed and bowed his head. If what she witnessed and experienced thus far with him was any testament to his character, he did not seem like the type of person who would do such a thing. Since she didn’t really have anything to compare it to and was rather confused, she decided it would be best to just see how things go.
‘I’m sorry that you had to hear that,’ he murmured in embarrassment finally as he referred to the conversation of before. ‘I’m not really, I mean, oh Force...’ he muttered as he glanced away and closed his eyes for a moment as he sighed. Anakin could only imagine how this all must have looked to her. For why else would his security speak such things unless they felt the young prince was planning to misbehave? The thought made Anakin’s blood boil while striking fear into his heart. Dormé hardly knew him and would only have his word and the words of his security captain to act as evidence to Anakin’s intentions.
‘Is it pointless for me to convince you that it isn’t and never was my intention to use you?’ Anakin whispered in soft and almost desperate tones. He feared the worst and swore to himself if Dormé did decide not to remain his friend after this he would have his security captain fired before he knew what hit him.
‘No,’ she replied in a similiarly soft tone, ‘it wouldn’t be pointless...I just—’ Dormé bowed her head again for a moment before looking back at the prince. ‘This whole thing today...it wasn’t just to get into trouble, was it? I mean...did you really want to spend time with me or was it for attention?’Dormé looked at him in such a way as if one harsh word would utterly break her spirit.
Anakin returned her intence amber gaze with equal fervence as he fell silent for a moment. He wanted to tell her so much, yet he knew now was hardly the time or the place to speak of his feelings. It was a lesson he had learnt some time ago from Padmé -a mistake he had no intention of repeating. Even so Anakin did not wish to lie to Dormé and so he chose his words carefully. ‘Dormé, I would never use you for attention,’ he began in soft but sincere tones as his cheeks warmed. ‘I really do enjoy your company, I mean— I value your friendship,’ the prince continued shyly. ‘Though I understand if you’d rather not see me again, because of all this. After all I wouldn’t want to ruin things for you,’ Anakin concluded quietly. Despite his words of understanding it was obvious the last thing he wanted was for her to part ways with him and end the budding friendship formed.
Dormé was relieved to hear this and she smiled shyly at his remarks. ‘I do—I mean, I do want to see you again...and I want to be your friend too, if you want to.’
The young prince practically beamed at her shy smile and words. ‘Of course I want to—see you and be your friend, I mean,’ he said a little to quickly to hide his joy. But there was more and as Dormé grew more serious Anakin did as well. At her admittance he fell silent for a moment as he bit his lip in reply. Though her statement was simple within it held many meanings most of which Anakin didn’t want to consider. He was torn between his wish to maintain this budding friendship and leaving her be so Dormé could continue her training without further complications. Furrowing his brow the young prince found himself once more feeling awkward over his title and the power it exuded. He never realized that it came with a price until the young handmaiden-to-be came into his life. But now that he was aware of it Anakin couldnt’ help but wish there could be some way he could just be rid of it all, even for a short time. He hated the fact that he couldn’t be open about his friendship with the young maiden and the fact no one took it seriously.
She exhaled slowly before adding what now weighed heavily on her mind since his compatriot’s remark. ‘But I really want to be a handmaiden...’ Dormé almost considered suggesting they be secret friends, but thought that was too dishonest and she wasn’t ashamed of being friends with him. In fact, she wanted Moteé and everyone to know because she thought Anakin was a very nice person. She wanted everyone to like him too because he was her friend.
‘I’ll do everything I can not to interfere or jeapordize your chances of becoming a handmaiden,’ he promised finally. He hoped that in this statement they would be able reach a comprimise that would ensure their friendship and Dormé’s chances.
She remained silent for a moment, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted to say and eventually gave up. ‘...I think today was the most fun I ever had in my life.’
The Jedi prince couldn’t help but give a gentle smile in reply. Sensing that everyone was too preoccupied with the repairs and preparations for departure Anakin decided to take advantage of hte moment. Subtly he moved to slip his hand into hers before moving to give it a gentle squeeze as he spoke softly. ‘I’m so glad you enjoyed yourself. I had alot of fun today too,’ he shyly said as he reluctantly moved to draw his hand away lest others witness it.
Feeling his hand in hers, albeit temporarily seemed to solidify this, though she was unaware that such a gusture might be seen in a different light by other people. Since she had little experience socializing, it would come to be a normal gesture to her. ‘Thank you for understanding,’ she replied softly when he assured her he had no intention of spoiling her chances at becoming a full-fledged handmaiden. Dormé felt if she didn’t become one, she would have no future.
The young prince gave her a shy smile at her soft reply before sheepishly adding. ‘Though I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll be anything less than the most perfect handmaiden.’ He couldn’t help but silently add to himself that she would make an even greater queen or empress, though he had enough sense not to speak this out loud. ‘I hope there will be many more days like today -only without the accidents,’ he added as he gave her a smile that was meant only for her.
Though she couldn’t find the right words to express what she truly wanted to say, she admitted it was a terribly fun day. His remark made her giggle. ‘And loss of footwear?’ she teased impishly.
Anakin gave another grin at the sound of her laughter before blushing deeply at her teasing. ‘That too,’ he remarked sheepishly before adding with a grin of his own. ‘Next time we do this you’ll have to decide where in the galaxy you want to go -anywhere it doesn’t matter to me—and I’ll take us there,’ he remarked eagerly. The young prince couldn’t help but think this would be an even more exciting adventure than the one they just had. In truth, it really didn’t matter where they went so long as his friend was near. This thought would become a rather addictive mindset, one that would only grow and deepen with time.
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