"Your majesty, are you sure you're all right?" Padmé hurried to keep up with my pace, her dress swirling behind her as she glanced aside worriedly.

"Please, it's Lyanna." The last comment the Chancellor made, made my head spin with worry. It made me realize that I had indeed come to a place of which I didn't know much of, a place where danger lurked around every corner.

I had made a rash decision coming here so quickly. Obviously, I hadn't even begun to understand what was at stake the moment I decided to come aboard the ship that brought me here. No, the only incentive I had needed was the possibility to see him. Now, 4 hours after my arrival, I hadn't even heard a word from him and was already drowning in other problems.

Gods, how I already missed the green pastures of Valeria. The rash but open people that lived there, the safety of the palace, the constant company of my brother. All this time I had longed to venture into the galaxy whilst I already had everything I could want, without seeing it.

"I'm sorry, Padmé." Slowing my footsteps, I finally met her eyes. "It's just... It's been a long day. I'm not sure if I'm the right person to do this. I'm a warrior, not a politician."

The senator grasped my shoulders suddenly, pulling me to a stop as her worried, brown eyes met mine. "Lyanna, please, you don't have to do this alone. I can help you."

I chuckled lightly, glancing down at my hands as warmth spread through my body. "Thank you, senator, but I'm afraid I can't exactly count your opinion as 'unbiased'."

"Feathers!" An all too familiar voice suddenly disrupted our conversation. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped while Padmé only snickered softly after rolling her eyes, her head turning in his direction.

Following suit, my eyes quickly flew over the dark material of his jedi tunic, his messy mid-length hair and the bright emerald eyes that shone with mischief. Anakin. A smile immediately formed on my lips; my heart lifted when fond memories returned to mind. "Anakin!" I exclaimed, running towards him and quickly wrapping my arms around his torso before he could protest.

"Oh, hey!" He chuckled in surprise; arms raised as he stumbled back slightly. His fingers graced the skin of my shoulder as he gently pushed me away, his gaze meeting mine soon after. Of course, he wouldn't return the hug, him being a jedi and all. I didn't mind in the slightest for he was the first person I recognized and trusted on this planet.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you." I lowered my voice the moment I realized everyone was looking at us.

"That's not something I hear very often." He ran his hand through his hair, grin appearing. "It's good to see you too, your majesty." Anakin smiled back, gently patting my shoulder. "I hope the Chancellor wasn't too hard on you."

"You have no idea." The nerves almost seemed to lift off my shoulders in his presence. Maybe it was his playful demeanour or the confidence with which he handled himself that sparked something identical within me. His reassuring smile as he looked down on me warmed my heart but it completely melted when he glanced to the senator beside me.

He had told me during our time on Valeria that he had fallen in love with a senator. Now, I had no doubt left which one it was. "Senator Amidala." Anakin said lovingly as he bowed before her. "I'm here to take queen Fireheart off your most capable hands."

"Thank you, general." Padme accepted Anakin's hand and watched as he took it to his lips to place a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "Although I don't mind her company in the least. But I'm afraid I have other matters to attend to." She turned back towards me. "Your majesty, if I can be of any help to you, please, call me directly."

"Thank you, senator." My smile was genuine as I bowed to her. "Where exactly are we going, Anakin?"

"Follow me, your majesty, and I will explain everything." He gave Padmé one last nod before he gently took my wrist, placing my hand in the crook of his elbow and guiding me towards the exit of the senate building. "I'm taking you to the jedi temple." Anakin elaborated and looked down at me as we walked. "The jedi council is more than excited to meet you."

"Mmh, I bet." I mumbled, my mind again drifting to places I had tried to avoid. The jedi temple was surely where he resided at this exact moment but I didn't want to get my hopes up just yet. Even as we walked outside and the jedi temple was right in view, I refused to acknowledge the possibility completely. Raising my gaze to meet his I spoke before I could stop myself. "Will Obi-Wan be there?"

"Master Kenobi?" Anakin chuckled immediately, diverting his gaze away from my prying eyes and holding my arm tightly as I stepped inside the transport he had brought. Being the gentleman he is, he firmly held my hand until I was seated in the front row. His chuckles continued to fill the air as he started the engine, soon drifting off to join the other vehicles in the stream of traffic.

"Oh, he is there." He glanced aside knowingly but quickly took his focus back to the road tracks. "In a meeting with the council of course but he will see you as soon as he's able, I'm sure."

"I'm not." Nervous chuckles fell from my lips as I glanced down at my hands. Even as Anakin's presence soothed most of it, the anxiety was still overwhelming me. "So..." I dragged out the word as I exhaled slowly. "How have you been, Anakin?"

"Well, I haven't been sitting still, if that's what you're thinking." Anakin answered as he drove a little bit too swiftly for my taste. However, he continued talking about his latest adventures, about his padawan Ahsoka Tano that continued to amaze him with her skills, about the sith lords that they were hunting and the countless battles they had fought. It was a far more spectacular tale than I had to offer, so I resumed listening to older ones.

"And that's how we toppled an entire slave empire within a couple of days." Anakin finished one of his tales as he pulled up, finally arriving at the Jedi temple.

"And, of course, made its queen fall in love with you." I gladly accepted his hand as he aided my wobbly steps on the platform.

"Well, I do have a reputation to keep." Anakin winked, guiding me towards the entrance. He resumed another tale about his padawan while my eyes focused on the temple before me. It was gigantic to say the least, towering over all the other buildings in the district like some sort of beacon. Yet, it seemed closed off to the world. There were no windows, no way to see the inside, keeping everything a mystery to the general public.

As we walked through the main entrance I was met with a wave of pure tranquillity. It washed over me as if I stepped through a waterfall, drenched in cold water and awakening every senses within me. A soft, deep breath escaped my lips as I closed my eyes in relief. The fiery embers that previously burned with stress and anger now doused completely. I could almost hear the ocean, waves crashing and folding over each other, the seagulls calling in the distance.

Then, I felt another presence there with me. That warm, protective aura that slipped into the force as if taunting me with its presence, just out of reach. It shone with a bright blue light, calling out to me. "Obi." A smile covered my lips as I concentrated on him. As soon as I had the chance to make him aware of my own presence, reaching out, he flinched away as if startled. The blue light faded, the sound of the sea dimming till it was all silent.

Even though he left there I somehow felt his presence nearby. I could almost feel his eyes focused on me from afar, watching me attentively and with care. As my own quickly diverted in the direction, I saw only a tiny tuft of auburn hair fade away from view behind one of the balconies. Was he hiding from me? My heart sunk in my chest as a deep frown settled between my brows. It had been a few months, had he forgotten all he said?

"Hey, Lyanna?" Anakin nudged my side gently, shaking me from my thoughts, making me look at him with bewildered eyes. "Are you still here?"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Ripped back to reality, I looked around and found other jedi walking through the halls, conversing and lecturing the little ones that were perfectly lined up. In the distance I could even see a small group training, following the movements of one of the masters before them. It reminded me of my own training when I was of a similar age, only that one included a lot rasher actions and rage-filled fights.

"This is quite the place you have here." The more I looked the more the facade of peace shattered. The older jedi all wore concerned look on their faces, trying to hide their fear and anxiety beneath their cold masks and perfectly tidied clothes. Clones rushed by every so often, bumping against those who walked in their paths and yelling orders to their commlinks.

"You should have seen it before the war." Anakin sighed deeply.

"Master!" A somewhat high pitched yet oddly warm voice soon made us both turn to her direction. Anakin didn't have to say her name for me to recognize her from his tales.

Not used to seeing other species, my eyes stuck a little too long on her white and blue montrals, making a shameful blush appear on my cheeks. Ahsoka smiled warmly at me nevertheless, folding her arms behind her back and straightening up after bowing in respect.

"Ah, snips, I was wondering where you'd been." Anakin's voice was filled with pride even though he used her nickname. "Ahsoka, meet queen Lyanna Fireheart of Valeria. Feathers, meet Ahsoka Tano, my padawan."

"Your majesty, it's an honour to meet you." Ahsoka nodded at me as her eyes wandered over my armour in amazement. Unlike most people on this planet, she seemed to be genuinely impressed and more than excited when her eyes fell on the dragon's scales. I, in turn, felt pride blossom within me when I saw her sturdy posture, the muscles on her arms that showed her years of hard work. Anakin hadn't been boasting in the least.

"The honour is all mine, padawan Tano." I nodded at her. "Anakin has told me a lot about you on our way here. Yet, now that I see you, I'm beginning to think he may have downplayed your abilities to better show off his own."

"Hey!" Anakin looked offended, yet the smile tugging at the corner of his lips betrayed him.

"Master, the council has asked that you meet them in the council chamber immediately." Ahsoka stated after a few soft snickers. "They said they wanted to discuss some matters before meeting with the queen directly."

"Huh." I frowned, glancing between them and noticing the slight discomfort of the older jedi. He rubbed his head, sighing in frustration. "If they have any questions concerning Valeria, wouldn't I be the best person to ask directly?"

"Fine, I'll go." Something was clearly off. It was unlike Anakin to fall silent, let alone suppress any sarcastic comments concerning the masters of his order or ignore my questions. Ahsoka only shrugged in response while Anakin huffed. "Ahsoka, can you keep the queen occupied in the meantime?"

"It'll be my pleasure." We both watched as Anakin walked away, his shoulders slumped. After a few seconds I could feel Ahsoka's curious gaze stuck to the side of my face, a question probably itching to be rolled of her tongue.

"Yes, padawan?" A smile tucked at my lips as I glanced down at her, her being just a few inches shorter than me. A blush appeared on her cheeks as she supressed an awkward cough.

"Sorry, your majesty." Ahsoka quickly apologized as she then guided me through the halls. "Anakin told me a lot about you. Some parts, I must say, are hard to believe." She explained as we walked.

"Such as?"

"Can you really summon fire at will?" Ahsoka suddenly blurted out, her big blue eyes meeting mine after.

I chuckled at the complete surprise that was clear on her face as I nodded in response, tucking on her arm to drag us to a more secluded hallway we just passed. "Don't tell the masters I did this." I whispered to her before holding up my hand between us, letting the hope and love within me transform the force around it into pure energy. The heat of the fire licked my fingers, dancing around the skin and casting warm shadows on our faces.

"See?" I lifted my gaze to Ahsoka, seeing her amazement as she watched in excitement, the flames reflected in her eyes. When another person passed by the corner I quickly doused the flames and let Ahsoka drag me back to the halls and resume our tour.

"How did you do that?" Ahsoka whispered through her teeth, her eyes shooting around to the passer-by's to make sure they didn't hear a thing.

"I don't think the masters of your order would like for me to tell you." The nervousness fed into my doubt, thinking about how they were still conversing about me on the upper levels of the temple. "But, I can tell you that we use the force differently than you do."

"Well, that much was clear." Ahsoka winked at me before leading me into one of the halls which I soon discovered to be the library. My eyes widened as I took in the sights, the countless jedis and padawans that were walking around, the numerous books piled up, the datapads that probably contained more information than one could ever hope to read in an entire lifetime and the enormity of the place. This very chamber could fit almost the entire palace of Velen.

"This is the Archive, here we -" Ahsoka's voice was lost to me as I walked towards one of the bookcases, touching the soft wood and feeling the countless curious jedis that had stood there before me. This place radiated safety, wisdom. It was what I had always longed for when I was younger. "We also have some medical records, if you're interested." I caught the last few sentences of her story, my eyes quickly finding hers.

"Can you show me?" Ahsoka laughed when she sensed the giddy excitement in my voice.

"Of course, follow me." Someone grasped her arm gently before we could venture further, both our gazes dropping to a small youngling tugging at her.

"Padawan Ahsoka, Gungi has broken the datapad and it's doing that thing again, can you help me?" The little one's eyes were big, stress clear in her voice.

"All right, Ganodi, I'll be right there." Ahsoka chuckled again, turning back towards me. She sighed deeply, pursing her lips together as she contemplated on what to do. "Can I leave you here for a little while? Last time this happened they managed to blow up parts of the furniture."

"It's all right, Ahsoka." I chuckled, softly pushing her into the direction the youngling had run off to. "I'll be right here when you return."

"I'll be back soon!" She waved and then ran off, leaving me by myself amidst the countless books. The little time alone would do me some good. I could process the words the Chancellor had spoken, the numerous new sights I had witnessed. It was a welcome change of pace. My eyes drifted over the books, fingers gliding over the soft material as I walked between the shelves. My mind drifted away with them, the nerves finally calming down.

"Lyanna." I swear I heard a voice, my feet stopping dead in their tracks as I looked behind me. There was no one in sight, only a single door that led to an unknown destination. Two guards stood by it, standing so still I would've sworn they were statues. Scoffing, I turned back around, resuming the path I was taking.

"Princess." My eyes shot open. It was him. I turned around immediately, my eyes focusing on the doors. There was no mistaking his voice, I was sure of it. Just as I dared to step towards it, a soft explosion sounded in the distance, distracting the guards as they ran towards the commotion in the library.

The entrance was in clear sight for all the other people in the library, yet their attention lay elsewhere. My legs carried me towards the doors and found it locked with hand recognition. Doubt ran through me as I placed my hand on the steel, feeling the power that was locked up behind those barriers.

He is right there. I had been waiting for this. I wasn't going to wait any longer, I decided. Yet that door stood between me and my goal. With a loud sigh of defeat, I turned back around towards the library, only to hear the door hissing open moments later.

I turned around immediately as my eyes narrowed in suspicion. The hallway behind was dark but as I stepped inside light flickered on, showing multiple other doors leading to secluded chambers. It was a vault of some sort, I realized, as I stepped through the musty hallway and felt the energy radiating from behind each and every door.

I sighed deeply, knowing I was about to make a mistake. "The things we do for love."