episode fifteen — ODE TO AELYN
attack of the clones
warnings: sexual content but no smut

Valérian was painted with the most beautiful clashes of pink and orange as the sun rested on the calm waters. The villages were bustling down below like crowded cities during the holidays, new shipments were making their way on shore and the people couldn't figure out why. In reality, it was small details of Lillia's dress, which came from Nal'nour'sen, the south sea, which sat just across the bay. If you squinted from the summit of the palace, you could see its most famous landmark, the statue of Kallias, or god of the skies. It ascended to a height of 177 feet and towered over the city of Aerend. Lillia had visited it once when she was younger, its height scared her and sent a shiver down her spine. Man kind could create anything they wanted, even if It meant destroying all the planets in the galaxy along with it.

The windows casted a humble wind throughout Lillia's rooms. Small Oraxes eggs began to hatch on the shelf of her window, and the gentle cries of the newborn baby birds woke her each day. It was something so small but so incredibly special to her, to witness life at its first stage, and to watch it grow as the days pass, Lillia would forever indulge in her love for nature.

The woman looked out the window, fiddling with her wedding ring on her ring finger as she stood up straight. For a reason she could not figure out, her nerves shocked themselves within her body, and her hands shook every time she let go of her ring. She felt warm but cool at the same time, and her vision kept blurring. Lillia knew that she loved Anakin, it was all she ever thought of, but her heart quickened at the thought of the wedding. She knew it was so incredibly wrong, and she cursed herself for not caring. It all happened very quick, the proposal, her family finding out. It had been seven days since Anakin put the ring on her finger.

Lillia walked over to her vanity, sitting down softly and looking in the mirror. It felt strange without the constant crowd of handmaidens moving around her room, but nobody could know about her marriage to Anakin, it would be too risky for anyone to know besides her family. Lillia looked at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair and putting on the traditional Valérian headpiece. She looked over to the wedding dress hanging from the wall, it glistened as sun rays reflected off of it, causing balls of light to dance around her room.

She turned to the sound of a soft knock on the wooden door.

"Yes?" She called out as her sister, Helaena, walked into the warm room. Lillia turned around sharply, a big smile on her face. "Helaena! You're home!" Lillia shouted, running over to hug her older sister. "Of course, even though I cannot be present at your actual wedding, nothing would stop me from visiting you beforehand." She replied. "It's bad luck to see the bride before she gets married!" She joked. Helaena laughed, "Well good thing I'm not Anakin, right?" She walked over to the bed, patting the soft fabric next to her. She pulled out the charm Talia had given her on her wedding day, with the intials T.H.L. still shining brightly.

"What's this?" Lillia asked as Helaena placed it in her hands. "Mama had them made the moment you were born, first she gave one to Talia on her wedding day, then Talia gave me one on mine, and now I'm giving you yours on your wedding day." Helaena smiled. 

Lillia looked down, grazing her finger over the carvings and beaming with joy. As she looked up to her sister, Helaena pulled out the necklace hiding within the necklace of her dress. Without saying a word, Lillia turned, handing the necklace to her sister and moving her hair out of the way.

Helaena clipped the clasp, watching as her sister turned around and leaped into her. "Thank you." Lillia whispered as she engulfed her sister into a tight hug. Helaena rested her head on her shoulder, trying to succumb the slight feel of sadness. Lillia was the last of the daughters, she was Helaena and Talia's first friend, and now she was off to be married. She would forever be their little sister, even if she wasn't so little anymore.

"I should let you get ready now." Helaena pulled apart from the hug, and Lillia nodded, watching as she walked toward the door. "Wait." Lillia spoke. Helaena turned her head around, "Any advice?" She asked.

"Don't trip." Helaena smiled, it was the same thing she told her before her coronation. Lillia laughed, watching her leave the room. Once more, Lillia was left alone. She swiftly walked over to her dress, taking it off the hooks and slipping off her night gown.

As she zipped up the back, she stared at herself in the long mirror. For a moment, she swore that she could see herself the first time she met Anakin. When she was a free eight year old girl, with no duties or responsibilities, no cares in the galaxy, just the constant adventure and curiosity of what comes next.

The dress she wore had been handcrafted by very special seamstresses. The fabric was crafted by fallen stars that fell into the north sea and softened over time, it was quite strange to Lillia. How could a solid become so soft, and so fragile. The gown had resembled traditional Valéri wedding dresses, but had a spin of her own preferences. The dress was littered with gold specks and glowing jewels on the bodice, another curtesy to the Talisen jewel mines and other fallen stars that made their way into the atmosphere. It was a funny thing about Valérian, no matter how hard those stars fell, they never lost their glow.

There was another knock on the door, but this time her family flooded in. Soteria gazed at her daughter, shaken and smiling. "What are you all doing in here?" Lillia asked. "Although we aren't able to attend, we wanted to see you before you are no longer a Val'eaon." Perseus spoke up. Lillia smiled, then turned her head. "I'll always be a Val'eaon." She answered, earning a soft cry from her mother and sister. "Come here." She opened her arms, gracefully inviting her family in. Perseus stood back, acting too cool to hug his own sister. "Oh get over here." She giggled, making the boy roll his eyes and then hide a huge smile.

For just a moment, the galaxy was still. The Val'eaon family hugged each other tighter every day.
⠀⠀⠀.　　　　　　　　　　　　　.　　　ﾟ .　　　　　　　　　　　　　. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　✦ 　　　　　,　　　　　　　.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀　　　　　　*　　　　　　　　　　　..　　　　　　　　　　　　　. 　　⋆✴︎　   　　　,　　　　　　　　　*　　　　　⠀　　　　⠀　　,⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀.　　　　　 　　⠀　　　⠀.　 　　˚　　　⠀　⠀  　　,

Lillia paced around behind the pillars of the temple. Her dress lightly dragging on the floor as her throat became dry. She was nervous, so incredibly nervous. She never expected her wedding to be so secret, away from her family, away from the eyes of the public. Royal weddings on Valérian were typically celebrated for a week, with each day being symbolic to the people. Lillia's unfortunate fate landed her to cram everything into a short day.

Her eyes traveled to the statue of Aeyln. Her marble dress fluttered in stone behind her as if mystical wind blew in whatever universe she was in. Her blank eyes stared to the cosmos, and her hand reached toward the sky. Aelyn's expression looked as if she had witnessed the first love. A love she created.

She peeked her head out of the pillar that hid her, the back of the temple overlooked the vast mountain ranges and she could almost see the south seas. The sun was illuminating its orange glow over the temple, and the sky was beginning to turn a light blue. Solae and Haakon begun to peek from the darkness, and shared their light with Valérian's twin planet, Menka'lian. Lillia thought back to the day she was saved, when Yvaine still decided to save a woman she barely knew. Every morning, Lillia thanked the witch, even though it was a small and brief interaction, it warmed her heart.

She heard footsteps hurry up the stairs and she hid behind the pillar, peeking just enough to see who was arriving. As she saw Anakin's boots make their way to the middle of the temple, she came out of her spot. Anakin did not see her at first as he gazed at the statues.

For the several times he's visited, he never once stepped foot into the Temple of Aeyln. He once told Lillia that it was too many stairs up the mountain and he 'was not trained for that.' It caused a great laugh between the two.

Anakin turned to Lillia as he sensed her through the force. He gazed at her wedding dress, admiring the woman he would soon marry. "You put the stars to shame." He breathed, using every muscle in his body to keep his hands off of her. Lillia stayed silent, but she couldn't hide the smile painting her face permanently. The priest walked up the steps, and luckily Lillia did not have to pay him any credits, thankful to her royal status and the guidelines of Valérian religions.

Valérian priests were sworn to secrecy, no matter the circumstances or the confession, they simply kept their mouths closed. He walked slowly to the altar, holding the Irāl. (a staff with the symbol of a star, preferably seven points. ) Each Valérian god had their own Irāl, and it represented everything they stood for. The Irāl of Vyre had a sword across the top, Sirena's was a moon, while the Irāl of Kallias was a stone and had four points.

The priest held the Irāl in his hand as Anakin and Lillia kneeled in front. "By the power of Aelyn, do you swear to love your wife, even if all the stars fell, and the creatures from the wound of the galaxy were to rise above?" He asked, looking down to Anakin who nodded. "I do."

He then looked to Lillia. "Now, do you swear to love your husband even if the waves crashed onto the shores, and the galaxy raged in fire?"

"I do." Lillia answered.

"Rise, in the name of Aelyn, do you both swear that everything you do, you do in love?" He raised his hands, watching as they both looked to the statue.

"We do." They answered.

"By the stars, by the seas, by the force, love will bloom." He concluded, leaving the pair alone and walking down the steps of the temple.

Anakin shifted his body, facing his wife as she still stood focused on the statue. He placed his hand on her waist, shifting her to face him as he put his other hand on her jaw. Her golden eyes met his sapphire ones. In this sweet solace, Lillia wished she could stay in it forever, but this marriage still couldn't stop the seeping battles making their way to the Republic. Anakin leaned in, pressing his lips to Lillia's and closing his eyes. It was a slow but passionate kiss, and somehow they knew, ever since they were children, that they would end in love. It would be an Ode to Aelyn.
⠀⠀⠀.　　　　　　　　　　　　　.　　　ﾟ .　　　　　　　　　　　　　. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　✦ 　　　　　,　　　　　　　.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀　　　　　　*　　　　　　　　　　　..　　　　　　　　　　　　　. 　　⋆✴︎　   　　　,　　　　　　　　　*　　　　　⠀　　　　⠀　　,⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀.　　　　　 　　⠀　　　⠀.　 　　˚　　　⠀　⠀  　　,
After the small celebration, Anakin and Lillia traveled back inside, the stars were much brighter than any other night. They were staying at the countryside home for a small honeymoon. The weather was still as warm as it was the last time they were there, and it welcomed them gracefully. Lillia stared out the window into the garden, where a statue of Aelyn faced the back of the estate. She had a silky nightgown and a small cotton shawl over her shoulders, her eyes were almost shut from exhaustion, but she wanted to fall asleep next to her husband.

Anakin walked over to his wife, looking down at her soft expression as she rested her hands on his chest. His eyes flickered down to her lips, those damn soft honey lined lips. Anakin found himself thinking of them every waking hour, he wanted her lips everywhere, he just desperately wanted to taste her. Her eyes were angelic, like feathers of a fallen bird. Anakin knew that now Lillia Val'eaon was his. Lillia Skywalker.

The name echoed in his mind.

He didn't give two shits about the council anymore, and now he could love her whenever he wanted. With no thoughts, he attacked her lips, biting them slightly as his fingers dug into her waist. He hummed softly, moving them backwards toward the bed. Despite the lack of lights, he felt her body, he knew it like the back of his hand. Anakin would forever spend his days staring at her, practically touching her with his mind. "My love." He bit her bottom lip. Lillia hummed in response.

"Closer." He begged, picking her up by putting his hands on her waist and gently placing her in the middle of the bed. Lillia took his robe, throwing it to the other side of the room as their lips latched together like magnets. Anakin discarded his boots a few moments before, now he was just left in his tunic and pants. She flipped him over, sitting on top of his waist and desperately kissing him more. Her fingers fiddled with his shirt, which made Anakin laugh and help her out.

His hands trailed down her silken night robe, picking the hem up and letting the soft of her skin hit his. She wore nothing underneath, which surprised Anakin, but made him kiss all over her collar bone anyway. She entangled her hands in his hair as his hands explored her body. "You are divine." He whispered, pecking and nipping at her shoulder. "I love you." She murmured, breath hitching in her throat. It was really all she could say, Lillia's mind raced with all thoughts of Anakin, he consumed her every being, every thought, at every single hour.

"I know, Aīna." ( love ) Anakin responded as her hands trailed over his muscles. His kisses set her skin on fire, she was a match rubbing against a striking surface, and soon enough, her fire would be lit. Who knew that the cold touch of the moon could bring the sun in the darkest place. His hand hovers over her thigh and he looks at her slightly open mouth. "Can I?" He asks.

Yes.

The answer has always been yes, and she would never need to tell him again, but her heart warmed at his question. "I'm all yours now, hm?" She teased, she knew it was his weak spot, especially now that she had taken his last name. The moon was incredibly warm now, it highlighted both faces, and the cosmos heard their moans. For now, the galaxy was quiet, with the silent glistening stars above. Their bodies meshed together like statues stolen from their homeland, and Anakin's fingers kneaded the curves in Lillia's waist.

For now, only the stars would know their future, even the shooting stars that fell from the cosmos that very night. They would soon land themselves within the lives of Anakin and Lillia.

As they collapsed on the warm bed, their naked bodies meshing together, Lillia rested her head and arm on Anakin's chest. "What comes after this?" Anakin asked, his voice low and loving. "Whatever the cosmos plans for us, my love."

"I know it's early, but have you ever pictured yourself taking care of children?" Anakin asked, the bold statement slipping out of his mouth. In truth, it didn't scare Lillia. She had spent most of her life taking care of Verena and Circe or even Perseus. Children were one of the first things mentioned when she would pray, she desperately wanted a family of her own. Lillia wanted to grow a child in her womb with whoever she shared her love with.

"All the time." She admitted.

Anakin didn't expect this answer, he thought he was prying or being silly when he first spoke, but now that she answered, relief washed over his face like cool waves on hot sand. His hand reached over to her stomach, "I hope you're pregnant." Anakin joked, causing Lillia to jump up. "Ani!" She laughed, grabbing the pillow next to her and softly hitting him with it. "I'm kidding!" He shouted through battle. He cupped her jaw, kissing her tenderly and smiling. Surely they were young, and probably foolishly married, but even if Anakin Skywalker was put in a metal cage light years away from Lillia Val'eaon, he would never stop trying to pry himself out of there to find her again.

A small buzz coming from the pocket of Anakin's discarded robe pulled the couple out of their daydream. Anakin groaned, walking over to retrieve his comm link. Lillia couldn't hear what was happening as she tugged the sheets closer to her exposed chest.

"I'm sorry beautiful, but the council is asking for me." He looked down, guilty and upset. "What?" Her voice almost broke. It was their wedding night, and barely a few hours since they were married, already the council demanded his presence. "I'm sorry." He started picking up his clothes from the floor, putting them on his body and walking over to his wife.

"I will be back soon, I promise, they can't hold be there too long." He looked in her eyes as he buttoned his tunic. He sat on the bed, gazing at her messy hair and dim lit face. Anakin leaned in, grabbing her jaw lightly and putting his hand in her hair. His lips met hers and he felt the eagerness that they shared a couple minutes before. "No, no, don't do that." He pulled away, eyes closed. "Do what?" She asked, although she knew exactly what she was doing.

"Don't kiss me like that, otherwise, i'll never leave." He confessed. Lillia let go of the sheets, letting her naked body come to light once again as she sat closer to Anakin, kissing his cheek and nose, "Perhaps I'll kiss you more." She whispered, making him shiver and shudder. "Don't tempt me." He looked at her like a lost puppy, then realized what she was doing and got up.

She laid on her side like a goddess, a divine woman wrapped up in the golden sheets. Anakin knew that if he didn't leave now, the council would be begging for him to come back and surely they would have to bring him back in chains. "Cīthē vēin, Aīna." ( Come back to me, love ) She looked to him. They stared at eachother for a mere moment, knowing they had seen eachother so desperately vulnerable. "Sēuat." ( Always ) Anakin replied. He walked out of the bedroom door, leaving Lillia to now tangle herself up in the sheets that smelled like him. Glassy tears formed at her eyes, and fell down her face like stars.

She knew this is what she would be doing most of her time, it was the price that came with loving Anakin. He would be gone most of the time, especially now with the war creeping up from the crypts, and this was only the beginning of it. Lillia fell asleep to the soft hum of the wind, letting the darkness consume her as she dreamt off into the stars.
⠀⠀⠀.　　　　　　　　　　　　　.　　　ﾟ .　　　　　　　　　　　　　. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　✦ 　　　　　,　　　　　　　.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀　　　　　　*　　　　　　　　　　　..　　　　　　　　　　　　　. 　　⋆✴︎　   　　　,　　　　　　　　　*　　　　　⠀　　　　⠀　　,⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀.　　　　　 　　⠀　　　⠀.　 　　˚　　　⠀　⠀  　　,

The next day, Lillia hopped on her ship and headed for Courscant. It was not to visit Ani, who still hadn't returned from the temple, but to drop by Padmé's apartment. She figured that she would be on Courscant quite a few times, and wanted to buy an apartment. If the future held a family, she would like to live on Valérian with her children, but occasionally take some trips to the city planet. The holo-net wasn't much help as Lillia searched for apartments on the long journey. Her best bet was going to Padme, who probably knew realtors and such. As she entered the atmosphere, the ship jolted and almost crashed into a tall building. The woman gasped, sharply shifting the wheel to prevent her demise.

Even though she was not the best at flying, she wanted to figure out her own way of transportation, and she definitely was not going to ask her family for help.

Lillia landed the ship on the veranda of Padmé's apartment, luckily, the woman was already sitting outside, reading a holo-article and taking notes in a small notepad. As Padme looked up to the incoming noise, she smiled. "Lillia!" She beamed, getting up from the soft couches, and embracing her friend.

"My apologies for showing up unannounced, I wanted to know if you are in contact with any realtors?" Lillia asked, smiling as she pulled apart from the hug. "No need to apologize," Padme paused, "I'm in contact with a few, if we drop by the offices now we may be able to catch them before they close." The woman spoke, walking as Lillia followed. "That would be perfect." She hummed in response.

As they boarded Padmé's small airspeeder, the cool air hit Lillia like a giant rock, and she tugged her coat closer to her body. "What's it like being married?" The question slipped out of her mouth. Padme turned to face Lillia as she started the speeder. "Well, it's important to communicate, marriage is all about compromise." She responded. Padme thought the question was odd, and as far as she knew, Lillia was not even courted yet.

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Lillia responded, it did not matter how bad she wanted to tell her friend, she simply could not utter a single word. "Is it Anakin?" Padme looked to her as they zoomed through the city.

"What?" Lillia stuttered.

Padme then gestured her head to Lillia's ring. Lillia knew Padme was clever, but this was simply unordinary. "No." Lillia answered, sharply. "Hm." The woman hummed, a huge smile just sitting on her face. Lillia wished she could take that smile and throw it off the speeder. "How did you know?" Lillia finally admitted, the question escaped her lips like a rabid dog escaping its kennel.

"The ring, Anakin wore a similar one a couple days ago." She beamed. Lillia knew it would be hard to keep it a secret, but Padme was observant, and she figured others wouldn't be too concerned with a simple ring. "Oh." She whispered, unsure if Padme heard it under the roar of passing speeders. "But don't worry, I didn't see or hear anything." Padme smiled, resting a hand on Lillia's as they neared the realtors offices. "Thank you." Lillia returned that bright smile and got off the speeder.

As the night crumbled into the sky, Lillia and Padme had looked at a few apartments. She kept thinking of this one, it was close to the temple, which could be easy for late night sneak in's and such. It was two floors, with soft lighting and two veranda's to land small speeders. But when Lillia walked into the room that belonged to a small child, her heart fluttered. She thought of the possibilities of her future, and suddenly, she wasn't so afraid anymore. Although the galaxy never showed her love, she found her own within Anakin, she found it with Padme, her family, and maybe even nature itself.

But peace does not last so long in a bleeding star, war rages on every front, stabbing the heart of the cosmos and watching as it slowly yearns for a new life. This was only the beginning of the end.

AUTHORS NOTE
So act 2 is officially done? 🥹
I want to say thank you all so so much. This has been such an amazing and incredible journey so far and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for Anakin and Lillia. When I first started this fic, I knew exactly what I wanted to write, but now seeing it fall into place, it's truly the best gift I could ask for. I want to thank you all for the tremendous support i've been getting. Although the chapters have lost viewers lately, I feel in my heart that someone will find this story and love it as much as I do one day. 🤍 With that, I want to shout out a couple people that were always here to help me whenever I bothered them with my million questions.

First, my lovely, Hope! saturnsokas you have been one of my biggest inspirations, and you hold a special place in my heart, always. Thank you for always supporting me :) (guys go check out her lovely fics!)

Second, Bowie, -undomiels , I don't even know where to start! When we first talked, I just knew you had so much life and creativity in you! You're always here to spam my books or just give me motivation! I hope you know how sweet and thoughtful you are! 🤍 (everyone go read dragon slayer now or palpatine will appear in your dreams!)

and of course, my two lovelies loveysgarden & redwaterlakes it's been so long since we've talked because we were all on Hiatus for a second, but whenever we do talk, it's the best feeling ever. You both deserve the world and I love seeing your notifications pop up! Thank you for being so sweet 🤍

To conclude this message, thank you for the endless support, i'll see you all in act 3 🤍