𝔅ombshell, three—dejected.

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You never spoke to the Mandalorian again.

In fact, you had discarded the comlink before the urge to contact him returned.

It had been a haste decision, but... it was for the best. Din had elected bounty hunting over you and that was that. Even if he came back, you doubted you'd willingly accept him. Sure, you'd been grieving his departure for an entire month but that part had been inevitable from the start. Cycles spent in each other's companies, it would've been near impossible to pretend like nothing ever happened when he left.

The matter was conflicting—painfully conflicting. On one side, you longed for him to return so things could, hopefully, go back to its usual normality. On the other side, you were still angry with him. For leaving... even though you told him to.

Very conflicting.

And to make the problem worse, you were... engaged. To Declros. Without even accepting it yourself. Details were easily worked out by your mother when she visited Tasseth later that afternoon, and you simply didn't have any say in it whatsoever. Solely because this would allow access to trade routes and hyperspace lanes between the two worlds, especially purchasing and selling two durable and valuable materials, then this was considered a good idea. That there should be no issue with any of this, and the only thing you could do was welcome this new marriage. Which you weren't going to do. Never in your entire life would you enjoy being married to someone so full of himself. But... you were doing this for your baby. If you refused it entirely, there's no saying what the queen would do afterwards.

While the planets would surely benefit from this, you surely wouldn't. All this brought was a plethora of stress for yourself, which was inconvenient for your unborn child. But, truly, there was no other solution and it was probably best to get over with it already. Who knows? It's possible you could get used to it as the time passed. Maybe not. Perhaps you'd spend the rest of your life forgetting how it felt to be content. Longing for a life you would never have. That was... undesirable, certainly. You hoped that wouldn't be the outcome.

The ceremony neared quicker than you would've ever imagined. Each minute that passed as the dreaded day neared, your anxiety sprouted into something violent that overwhelmed your every senses. The desire to flee from Rainoh, from these difficult circumstances, had increased in ten-folds. But you had no place to go. Everywhere you went, your mother would send search parties for you. You hardly had much knowledge to the galaxy around you because you never had time to explore it yourself, living your life here on this frozen planet, burdened with thousands of responsibilities. Not only that, but you had an important role here: become the queen once your mother took the decision to retire. It certainly wasn't the most exciting opportunity, but again, you didn't really have a choice. You couldn't go anywhere else. As much as you wished to break free from everything surrounding you, caving you in, escaping was highly improbable and the chances of successfully doing so with all the security around here, were extremely slim. Even if you did, you'd have no idea where to hide.

Din would know.

Din has probably traveled throughout the entire galaxy, considering his profession. He'd know where to take you. He would hide you away in a planet, safe and sound, where you could have your baby in peace. You only had to ask. All you had to do was pick up your comlink and contact him, ask him to take you someplace else. Someplace away from here. You knew him. You knew that, even if you decided to stay separated in the end, he would do anything to help you. He'd oblige as soon as you asked. Only, you had thrown your kriffing comlink away. In your own fear and rage, you had dumped it, even knowing it could very well help you in the future. It was just so... complicated. But maybe you should've kept it.

During the preparations for the ceremony, you found yourself sitting back and allowing everyone to take over. Which was completely fine with you—it wasn't like you cared about the wedding anyway. The bridal dress, makeup, decorations, location, everything was chosen by specialized people the queen assigned. You didn't have to lift a single finger, and you were glad for it. The inspiration to plan an entire ceremony you didn't even want to participate in was simply nonexistent.

Then, of course... came the inevitable day.

You were actually rather amazed by what the workers had managed to arrange during the limited amount of time. A mere two weeks was all they had. If you had done it yourself, it would've taken months. Possibly even more. The ceremony was located right outside the palace, facing out towards the colossal mountains that enriched the background. Per usual, the landscape was filled with a thick layer of snow—which made walking in your extravagant white dress significantly difficult. The gown, it was... well, not exactly your style. Too long, too puffy, too itchy, too... everything was wrong with it, and you were in utter discomfort the entire time. The puffiness had probably been suggested by your mother to conceal your swelling belly, which had become surprisingly noticeable over the past couple of weeks.

Everything that happened that day was... blurry.

Honestly, the only objective on your mind was how desperately you longed to retreat into the safety of your quarters, by yourself. Lock yourself up for as long as you wanted, curl up into a ball underneath the covers and forget about everything, solely remember the fact that you're going to have a baby... Expecting Din's offspring was the only bright side to this, truthfully.

You just wanted Din...

No. Correction, you needed Din. You needed him here. With you, by your side. Comforting you, assuring you everything would be alright so long as he was there with you. Promising you he'd never leave your side. You were so tired... so tired. Not just physically but emotionally as well and especially mentally. All of this was draining you in each and every way and you needed a break... That was all you asked for. You needed someone there for you to reassure you that things would be alright. Din could do that but he wasn't returning and the fact pained you. It was your fault you'd never have him back—all because you told him to leave. You'd suffer forever because you never fixed things with him and never took the chance to bring him back.

You wouldn't be surprised if Declros had figured out your pregnancy that night, especially since it had been quite evident already. But you didn't care. He didn't say anything and as long as he didn't mention it, you were fine. At least when you announced your pregnancy a few weeks later, the public had easily believed it. You and the prince were having a baby. No. No, you weren't having a baby with him. It's the Mandalorian's baby, you so desperately wanted to say, it's not the prince's. But you couldn't. Because then the whole reason you followed along with this supposed marriage would be in vain...

You wanted Din.

But it was time to forget.

And you did. Slowly, bit by bit, Din was fading from your head. Those memories that constantly invaded your brain were becoming distant. Not enough to completely forget about him (you probably never would anyway), but it was sufficient. It was what you needed to move on. Even though it was against your desires, you forced yourself to cease thinking about him—no matter how long it took. It didn't matter. As long as you were forgetting, that was what you needed.

Forgetting—or, well, half-forgetting—had not been easy. Definitely not a simple task that you had achieved the following morning. But you decided to focus only on your unborn child. The baby that grew rapidly within your womb, expanding the size of your swelling belly as the months passed. One month turned into two, two turned into three, three quickly became six. Six months.

(Six months without hearing from Din)—no, that didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that your baby was healthy. Each check-up with the medical droid proved that he or she was thriving perfectly normal and you were caring for yourself as you should. It was even beginning to move around and kick, which (Din would've loved to feel it move...)—absolutely thrilled you the first time. Sometimes, it was so active that it wouldn't even allow you to catch sleep. Those restless nights, you'd bring yourself out into the balcony to watch the gentle snowflakes fall. The twin moons illuminating the city. Feel the freezing temperatures against your skin. Somehow, that would soothe you—even if the temperature was at its lowest extremities. Simply standing there, a hand resting atop your belly, feeling your baby kick into that exact area, would calm you. And once the baby calmed down, once he or she fell asleep, you would return to your bed.

Forgetting had not been simple. But you were making progress.

And that progress had been completely razed to the ground when you awoke one morning. A sound had stirred you awake. A familiar one. One that you would hear every so often. A sound that excited you back then but presently, it brought... frustration. Because when you lifted yourself off the mattress and approached the balcony still in your sleeping gown, tangled strands of hair, and that fresh-from-sleep look on your face, you honestly... weren't sure what to do. What was out there, landing inside the hangars that occupied the space directly in front of the palace, was not supposed to be here. It was no longer welcome here and yet... it was there.

The Razor Crest.

None of this made much sense. Originally, you believed you were dreaming. But this definitely didn't feel like a dream—so that was scratched off the list. Next, you thought this was someone else. Not the Mandalorian, simply someone who had another Razor Crest, or perhaps an extremely similar gunship. False. This ship had the exact same markings and dents and everything seemed to match. This was the same Razor Crest that you recognized so well, and so the last thing you imagined was that someone had either purchased or stolen the ship. Also not true because the Mandalorian emerged from the ship a few minutes later, and, really, there was nothing else to think anymore. Din Djarin was undoubtedly here—and no, this was not another Mandalorian because he still wore the same silver beskar, had the same stance, walked with the same strut you knew... it was him.

And it was infuriating.

Your feelings... they were everywhere to say the least. Actually, you weren't even sure what to feel. Happy? Sounds reasonable. It had been so long since you'd seen him and you had longed for his presence for quite a while now. But then, he had also left you for so long so maybe you should feel irritated. Or perhaps you should simply cry. That was definitely something you could have done if it weren't for you instead deciding to only stand there. Shocked, watching as the fully-armored Mandalorian started conversing with the two guards who approached him, seconds later leading him towards the palace. There had been a split second of eye contact. Just a flash, quickly, and he had averted his visor—but he knew. He knew where your room was, and recognized exactly which of the multiple balconies belonged to you.

This... could not be happening.

He was not allowed to simply return out of the blue just as you were beginning to pull your damn life together.

Din needed to leave as soon as possible and that was crystal-clear. For you and for himself. Because if your mother figured out the Mandalorian had finally come back, you weren't entirely sure how she'd react to the news. As for you... you couldn't return to the way you were before—you would make sure it wouldn't ever occur again. No matter what happens. No matter how difficult it may be... you need to cut off communication with him already. If he came back to apologize and mend things, his chance had passed a long time ago and he wasn't getting another one. The last thing you needed were more arguments. More trouble. More stress on you. Not when you're pregnant.

Even though it's his.

Your comm link (the new one strictly for work purposes) vibrated on the table nearest to you. Swiftly, you left the balcony and accepted the incoming call from a worker, who was undoubtedly going to ask you—

"A Mandalorian has requested repairs on his ship and is waiting in the front palace doors. Should the guards make him leave or will you allow the repairs?"

Of course. Of course they were going to ask you because of course your mother had decided today was the perfect day to take a trip to Tasseth and leave everything to you temporarily. Honestly, you had no clue what would've been a better outcome. If the queen was here, she would unquestionably deny him the repairs and you wouldn't have to deal with him whatsoever. Which is probably what you should do, but... what if he truly needed repairs? What if he's not actually here for you and had no other planet to land on? He always seemed to get into trouble with his ship. It constantly needed to be fixed by the repairmen here when he used to visit...

Easily, you could've allowed the workers to handle him. But no—what did you say?

"I'll come down and handle it."

Yeah... what was wrong with you?

And with that, the call ended and you had dressed yourself as quickly as possible. Seriously, it had probably been a new high score or something. Although as you hastened through your door afterwards, you couldn't help wondering whether you had even calmed your hair down enough... maybe there were strands of hair sticking out in odd places but whatever. That didn't matter right now.

What mattered was that now, as you calmlyapproached the pair of guards, the Mandalorian was standing directly in front of you. The Mandalorian you believed you'd never see again. Memories flashed through your mind. His course stubble against your softer skin. Rough hands gripping you. Then, there were the countless hours of arguments. Yelling. Hurtful words. Regret. Your eyes scanned his visor—empty. Per usual. But you hadn't missed the way his gaze had snapped when he noticed you. How he took a slight step forward, before freezing in his spot. As if wanting to draw near you, repenting it immediately.

Truly, you couldn't decide whether you wanted to hug him or scream at him.

Both would be good. That would definitely make you feel better.

But you kept your composure, of course.

A silence ensued for what felt like an eternity. His visor had stolen a brief glimpse of your growing belly, but whatever his reaction was he had maintained it within him. That had been the sole acknowledgment of your pregnancy, and he didn't mention it. It wasn't the time to do so anyway. You wouldn't have answered his questions even if it were as simple as 'you're pregnant?' So, you decided to finish this painstakingly long moment—"What do you need?"

Hostility dripped your tone. Honestly, you initially hadn't meant to sound so bitter and unfriendly but it had slipped out, it seems.

"I've run into some trouble. My ship needs repairs," was his simple answer, voice plain. Serious. Emotionless. That had frustrated you, for some reason—but then, you really didn't expect him to speak in some other way. You weren't sure what you were expecting at all, to be honest. But what was truly for certain was that you hadn't realized how much you longed to hear that gentle, heavily-modulated voice in person. And just before he spoke again, he glanced down towards your small belly again—as if wanting to bring it up already—but instead replied with, "I can pay what's necessary."

"Alright, I'll send a few pit droids to the hangar. We can discuss payment later." Disinterested (not really), you turned and prompted yourself to leave already.

Then, "Princess."

You halted. Peered over your shoulder. Hoped he would say something more, while simultaneously hoping he'd simply let you go—

"No droids."

Right, you recalled, his hatred for droids fresh in your kind again. How could you forget. Your immediate response was a nod, but this time you... stayed. Your own eyes studied his visor again, mind swirling wildly and heart ramming against your ribcage as you thought of something to say. But you also wanted to leave. You wanted to retreat to your room and never see the man again, but it felt so... good to see him again— you didn't know. But before you knew it, your mouth had opened to say something, only...

"I need the repairs done as soon as possible. I've got to head off quick."

...he interrupted you.

Of course. Always leaving so quickly. What else did you expect? Some things seem like they never change—and this aspect of him certainly never will.

That supplied you with enough courage to leave then and there. With saltwater brimming your eyes, but you left nevertheless. That was a step up to moving on. This was good. This was progress. This is supposed to happen... no matter how much you despise the mere thought of letting go. Of pushing away the father of your baby.

It was best not to think of that at the moment.

You had briefly informed a worker to send repairmen down to the hangar before heading down the course to your quarters. Mentally, you cursed yourself out for not letting the workers handle this—they were there for a reason, and all they needed was a simple confirmation via the comm link. Nothing more. But evidently, you had elected the harder path... and look at where it brought you now. A sigh escaped your frozen lips as you attempted to prevent tears from falling liberally, your feet swiftly carrying you straight towards your r—

"Princess."

A voice called and you nearly jumped out of your skin, body whirling around and eyes blown wide... only to meet with a worker who had been calling for your attention. Only then did you calm down. You weren't sure who you were expecting—Din, perhaps, or your mother—but for some reason, you felt relieved.

"The queen has requested to speak with you. She has been attempting to contact you through your comm link but has received no response."

Okay, maybe not so relieved.

...did she hear of Din already?

Your heart nearly plummeted to the core of Rainoh itself as the thought passed through your head. Word truly did spread swiftly, that was for certain. Somebody must've alerted her as soon as the Crestlanded, quite possibly one of the workers—and you wouldn't blame them. It was their duty anyway.

Without being capable of speaking a word (your voice would crack for sure), you merely nodded and returned to your room. As soon as you stepped inside, the harsh sound of your comm link vibrating on a table filled your ears—and as you made your way towards it, a million worst-case scenarios plagued your brain. What would she think of this? That you had taken advantage of this opportunity to see Din, while herself and Declros were gone on a trip? Which you most definitely were not. The Mandalorian had caught you by surprise.

Well, it wasn't like you preferred Declros over Din anyway... so, she had reason to believe that.

But the last thing you needed was more trouble.

Her holographic presence had appeared in front of you as soon as you (reluctantly) accepted the call. Quickly, you had scanned your face to figure out her mood—which definitely proved to be plenty easier than trying to read Din's emotions—and noticed she actually... didn't seem angered whatsoever. Which was sort of relieving, but still... she may or may not surprise you.

"Princess," she greeted. You answered with the widest grin you could muster in your current condition. "The prince and I are boarding a ship back to Rainoh. We're coming back earlier than expected. He said he would like to see you and the baby before he has to return to his duties. So, we will be having a meal as soon as we land. Sound good?"

Well, that was most definitely a surprise.

But you let go of a breath you hadn't realized you were even holding. At least she didn't know of Din. "Thank you for notifying. I'll be ready."

And with that, her fizzy blue figure disappeared after she dismissed herself. For a second, you simply stood there and set your comm link aside... only to remember Din was still here. And your mother was coming—she was bound to recognize the Razor Crest, undoubtedly. If he didn't leave, the two of you might possibly be in deep trouble. Not to mention Declros, your husband—as much as you despised the sound of that—was returning alongside her as well, which makes the problem triple its intensity. For weeks, you hadn't seen Declros due to him being immensely preoccupied over in the neighboring planet—and honestly, you were thankful for that. It wasn't like you could stand the snob for long anyway. Yet out of all the days he could've visited, he chose today.

Din had to leave... now.

Even if the Crest's repairs hadn't even commenced yet, he needed to leave in order to keep away from the problems you so desperately needed to avoid. As quickly as possible—although also keeping your baby in mind—you hastened out your quarters, down the hallways and to the exit. Per usual, a pair of guards trailed a distance behind you in order to ensure your safety while you continued towards the landing bay.

Kriff, that damned ship brought back memories.

There had been a second where you had paused and... seriously considered your options. Easily, you could ask Din to take you someplace else. This was your opportunity to escape and live a life of higher quality, without the pressure to fulfill your responsibilities—to break free from this marriage you refused to participate in. As your eyes took in the familiar gunship—its grey appearance, the occasional orange marking, the open ramp in which you'd entered through countless times, the moments you had shared inside with the Mandalorian... you couldn't help but desire a better future. You always had. Away from these pestering duties and enforced marriages.

It seems so... effortless.

But it's not.

And as you watch the Mandalorian step down the ramp, you reminded yourself why it was not possible. Why, no matter how much you truly wanted it, you would never enjoy a simple life with him.

Because you had both given up. You both had enough with the constant arguments. You both couldn't take it anymore. You both felt the same emptiness, the lack of sentiment towards each other. It had all disappeared and it would be highly unlikely for everything to return to its usual normality—you bothrealized it, at one point.

"Is there something wrong?"

Din's distorted voice snapped you free of your thoughts. Your eyes finally focused on his visor and that anger towards him had returned all of a sudden... and you were reminded of what he'd done that night (even though it hadn't been his fault). Gaze hardening, you set your mouth into a thin line before speaking firmly, "You need to leave."

He had scoffed—although you could hardly hear it, only see the way his chest jerked for a split second—and quickly enough, he stood straighter. Aggravation visible in his stance. "I'm only here for repairs yet you're still trying to chase me off. Seems like things haven't changed much."

"I'm not— I'm not chasing you off!" you growled, an indignant glare dominating your expression. Your fingers dug deeper into your gown with every second in an attempt to keep yourself in check, but it had always been a difficult task when it came to disputes with him. "Don't blame me when you're the one who always has an excuse to leave quickly."

"I have my reasons—"

"Yeah, bounty hunting, that's all you care about," you muttered lowly. Releasing a shaky breath, water vapor puffed up into a cloud from your mouth, your palms lifting to grip your arms to sustain your warmth. Obviously, you came a little unprepared to come out here as you only wore a simple sleeveless gown, but honestly you hadn't expected to come out here so hastily. Another sigh escaped your lips as your head tilted down, eyes landing on your toes, speaking again in a gentler manner, "Look, my mother's coming and... I don't think she'll be too happy to see you here. Which is why you need to leave."

A sigh left his modulator—and it was then, when his irritation had faded, did he realize how chilled you seemed. So he set a gloved hand on your upper arm, beckoning you to come inside the ship as he gently tugged on you—"We can talk inside. It's too cold out here."

We don't need to talk, you thought. Pulling away was under serious consideration—and you probably should've—but, really, how could you resist? Perhaps there werethings that needed to be sorted out. (Who were you kidding. Of course there were things that needed to be sorted out). A breath escaped your mouth before you took a hesitant step inside, and before you knew it your feet were carrying you all the way into the interior of the Razor Crest whilst the ramp closed shut behind you. Still, the temperatures weren't exactly any better in here—and you recognized exactly why.

"Heater's still broken," you noted. "Thought you'd have that fixed by now."

At least this beat being outside with all the wind gusts and snowflakes falling down.

"It was fixed," Din answered. "But it broke again."

You wanted to chuckle at that, but honestly you couldn't find the strength to do so in front of him. It was still funny, though. The damned heater always seemed to be dysfunctional, even when recently repaired.

Without replying, you took a moment to examine the complete and utter mess the gunship was in. Misplaced crates, random nets, and strangely enough, the scent of... ocean? That was new. Definitely new... and the fishy smell was none too appealing to your nose. "Where the hell have you been?"

He sighed at that—and you could tell that whatever he's been through these past few months have been rather difficult and frustrating. Before he responded, though, he briefly unwrapped his cape from his broad shoulders and instead set them over your own. Then, "Like I said, I've... run into some trouble."

Your hands instinctively found themselves gripping the fabric closer to you, wrapping it around your figure as best you could. The mellow gesture had caused a warmth to spread through your chest, and as much as you attempted to ignore it... you could not. Despite the rough times that you underwent with him, he still remained as considerate with you as he always had been. That had been something you missed. That, and his cape smelled nice. Like him. It was comforting. Plus, it beat the weird smell that plagued the ship.

Your mouth opened to speak again, but that was when an unusual sound reverberated throughout the hull of the ship—and you had flinched, alarmed, eyes snapping towards the source of the unknown noise. Presumably, it emanated from the compartment Din would use as his cot... and it, vaguely, sounded like whimpering? Your gaze whipped to meet with Din's visor, brows furrowing with puzzlement. Then, "What is that?"

"Stay there," was all he offered before walking off.

You could only watch, skeptically, as he made his way towards the cot and opened it—although from where you stood, all you could manage to see were blankets as Din reached in with his hands and whispered something you couldn't quite make out. Evidently, your curiosity had gotten the best of you and you took slow, tentative steps closer, discreetly attempting to peer inside the compartment and past Din's body in order to catch a glimpse. But as soon as Din noticed you from his peripheral vision, he had turned around. Still, his figure blocked the cot and concealed whatever was in there—then, the sleeping space closed shut upon his command. That was when suspicion crept into your mind.

Mouth pressing into a thin line, you wondered what, exactly, could be in there. But nothing too obvious came into mind. "What's in there?"

Din had hesitated for a moment as he searched for the correct words to answer with. His back leaning against the compartment door, he sighed yet again. "It's best you don't know."

"No, I think it's best I do know," you insisted, taking another step closer to him. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing you need to know of."

And he stayed put.

You crossed your arms. "Why can't I know?"

"Because you can't."

"That's not a really good reason."

"Good enough for me," he remarked dryly, helmet tilting to the side.

And a grin spread on your lips. Slightly. A small, hardly noticeable smile but a smile nevertheless. You missed his subtle humor.

Your chest expanded with a sigh, eyes still gently gazing into the Mandalorian's visor. Before he could react then, your hand darted out to smash into the toggle behind him that opened the compartment—only, he was quick enough to grab your wrist and pull it away. Your other palm seized it as well. But he snatched that one, too. With slight frustration beginning to well within you, a glare appeared on your expression.

"Din."

"Cyare."

Your chest fluttered for a second there—and it seemed the both of you were taken aback by the names you used to call each other. It was also then that you both realized how close you were to each other now, and how near your face was to his helmet. It wasn't like you minded (you should've pulled away, though). It wasn't like eitherof you minded, it seemed. It was just that... calling him Din had been something that started when you both were so... attached to each other—and cyare, you clearly recognize what that name meant in Mando'a. The name, it had... lost its value over the course of these few months. It had been so long since you had heard it, and... you wondered if you should even be cyare to him any longer.

Did he truly still regard you as his beloved?

Or perhaps it had been a force of habit.

Yeah. It was probably just that.

His gloved hands pulled your wrists down, gently, yet all you could desire right now was to lean into his touch even more. But you couldn't do this. You couldn't feel this again... it had taken so utterly long to finally get to this point. To no longer feel anything for him... (that was a lie. Maybe you still felt something).

As he released his hold on your arms, you stepped back, eyes dropping for a second. Then, your gaze lifted to his tinted visor again. "What could possible be so bad that you can't show me whatsoever?"

"It's nothing... bad. But it'll put you in danger."

You were silent for a second as you mulled over his words. After a moment, though, he had spoken again, softly...

"And that's the last thing I want."

Banging had ruined the moment. An obnoxious sharp noise—once, twice, thrice—had echoed throughout the entire Razor Crest. Someone was knocking on one of the ramps and instinctively, you both opted to investigate the sound. Din headed over to lower the entrance, whilst you stayed to the side in order to peer through the viewports, assuming it were simply one of the repairmen returning to ask a question or something.

If only it had been that.

And your heart plummeted as you nearly yelped for Din to stop—but you couldn't do anything about it anymore. It has been too late. Before you could even tell him your mother was behind the ramp, it had already made contact with the ground beneath it. Automatically, you back up a few steps to ensure she didn't catch sight of you—because if she knew you were here in the Crestrather than in the palace, she would personally murder Din just before killing you. Yet even through the graveness of this situation, you couldn't help the barely audible giggle that escaped your lips. This definitely reminded you of the past.

Actually... weirdly enough, it didn't hurt to think of the past. Not right now. Not when you're with Din. Even if you're still at your worst in your relationship with him.

You could tell by Din's stance that he had been slightly taken aback by meeting with her, but he continued down the ramp to speak with her nevertheless. They held conversation for a few, agonizingly long minutes—and unfortunately you couldn't listen into whatever they were talking about as much as you wanted to. But nobody was yelling or fighting or anything, so... that should be good, right? Yes. That's good. So long as she doesn't see you here, you'll be fine.

Once Din returned, apprehension stirred within your chest whilst the entrance closed up behind him and you stepped forward. "What did she say?" you asked, anxiety prominent in your tone. What somewhat calmed you was that Din didn't seem annoyed or displeased in any way, so perhaps she hadn't ordered him to leave...

Which didn't sound too terrible, honestly. While you didwant him to leave earlier, if your mother allowed it, then it should be fine. You wouldn't mind having Din's company for a few rotations.

It would be nice...

"She... invited me to lunch?"

"What?" That's... oddly hospitable. "That's... a little weird. Um, you don't have to come. I don't know what she wants, to be honest."

"No," he answered firmly. "I'll go."

Your head tilted slightly, confusion present on your features. "Are you sure? Declros is going, he's my... h—" (Ugh, you could not say that in front of him. But he probably caught on to that already. Especially with your pregnancy). "—it's just... it might be a littleawkward for you?"

"It's okay..." he paused then, but he wanted to say something more... you simply weren't sure what it was. And whether it were appropriate to coax it out of him under the circumstances you were in, you didn't know either. But just as you were about to speak again, he continued, "I just need to see you one last time. I don't know when I'll see you again."

"Okay." You nodded, once, gaping up into his visor—and for a split second, you actually considered it... You wanted to tell him this baby was his. That he was going to have his own child, and that if you guys ran away together, you could live a life together again...

But was that possible, really?

Probably not.

You could not risk trying it, either. It simply wouldn't turn out too well.

"I'm glad to see you again, Din..." you nearly couldn't hold your grin at the thought of seeing him again. But as you unwrapped Din's capes from your shoulders and returned it to his hands, the half-smile quickly dropped. "And I'm... sorry for acting a bit harsh earlier."

Din shook his head. "You don't need to apologize for that. You had reason not to welcome me. I came unexpected."

The urge to hug him and let him wrap his arms around you, pull you close to him, had become overwhelming at that moment. But you recognized full well you couldn't. Couldn't attach yourself to him again. Couldn't develop those feelings again (even though they never vanished. But you couldn't even admit that to yourself). In order to avoid acting upon that sudden urge, you reminded yourself of why you separated. In that moment, you dismissed yourself and exit the ship, heading straight for the palace again. Still, those painful memories if your separation invaded your mind.

But it had worked.

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