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(y/n) POV:

Both my heart and my mind raced unstoppably as I ran as fast as I could, away from Anakin.

Only one recurring thought played through my mind; "You just kissed your Master, you fool!"

I can never face him again; I'll need to run away to some abandoned planet in the outer rim, change my name, and start a new life altogether. I'll live disguised as an old lady with thirty cats, that way he'll never find me.

No no no...calm down, and think rationally.

One part of me wanted to go back and kiss him like my life depended on it. Another part of me wanted to go back and slap him for his ridiculous anger issues. He's such a cockalorum.

But I'm too embarrassed now to do either of those. I need to talk to someone else, or at least distract myself in some way. But who would I even talk to? I literally just broke the Jedi code, and not to mention the fact that I'm still a Queen. A Queen who fell in love with a Jedi Knight.

I'd appreciate the cliché more if I wasn't so freaked out.

The trouble is, I'm in way too deep to try and back out of my feelings. I didn't realize how hard I've fallen for him until that kiss. But what does this mean for us now? Does it mean anything? Or will we just carry on with our lives as if it didn't happen?

A more logical part of me wishes to go back in time and change what happened. Not because I didn't enjoy it, but because that kiss only made my feelings for him all the more clear. And now that I'm remembering who we are; Jedi. And who I am; a Queen, soon to rule this planet and spend my life caring for its people. These reminders placed a heavy weight on my heart, one that I haven't ever felt before. Especially as the chosen one, Anakin is dedicated greatly to his life with the Jedi. And for me, I've spent most of my life preparing for my time to formally become Alderaan's Queen, making myself known to the world. How could Anakin and I ever be together, even if we both wanted to?

That's part of the reason why I wanted to push my feelings away, because now whenever I take a step into our reality, it just hurts even more.

God, I really need to get my life together.

I groaned in frustration and kept running, only to stop when a weird noise got my attention. It sounded like slow beeping, and it got faster every few seconds. It took my brain a few seconds to register what could be making that noise, but my question was ultimately answered when the beeping sped up so much, that eventually white clouds of smoke filled the room, blocking my vision altogether.

My heart first pounded with anxiety because I thought someone had set up actual bombs, but because nothing blew up and white clouds filled my view, it seems that someone set up.....smoke bombs?

I was still confused, I don't remember smoke bombs being apart of the party plan. Was someone trying to pull a prank or something? I wondered if these smoke bombs were placed all throughout the palace, but I doubt I'll be able to find out anytime soon since I can't see anything through all the smoke.

I slowly walked forward and held my palms out in case I was about to crash into something. This is so weird; I thought back to my strange feeling earlier tonight that something bad would happen, and the random smoke bombs only made my stomach churn more as my unease resurfaced.

I thought I was completely alone, but I thought I heard a vague rustling sound behind me. Fear spiked in my chest as I took a shaky breath in, grabbing the hilt of my lightsaber while slowly spinning in a circle. "Is someone there?" I asked paranoidly.

Like drums, I suddenly heard pattering footsteps behind me, so I instinctively jumped as high as I could to dodge whatever was coming at me. I flipped in the air once and landed in a crouch, one knee on the ground, and extended my arms out in both directions to push anything around me back with the force.

I still couldn't see my surroundings because of the fog, so hopefully I moved whoever was here far back enough for me to leave. I knew for a fact that someone else was in the area, and I was too anxious to wait and see if they were just trying to find their way out like me, or if they had different intentions.

I sprinted away, using the force to sense if I was about to run into anything. I was really freaked out now, so much so that I didn't even listen if whoever was there was following me or not. My own breathing was loud and heavy. I eventually came to a different part of the palace, considering how much running I did, but the white smoke was still present. I walked forward slowly and ran into something, but felt relief when I realized it was a door.

I felt around for the handle, and yanked it open quickly. I didn't know what room I had just walked into, since there was still smoke inside of it, but based on what I could sense it was pretty small. Maybe another office?

Where is everyone? How far did I run from the party?

I realized too late that maybe this was their plan, to have me lead myself in a direction away from all the people. And that's what the smoke was for, so that none of us could see anything. And those smoke bombs were set off conveniently, at a time when I was already alone.

I was about to leave the room I was in and make a break for it to find the ballroom, but by the time I took my first step forwards, something cold and metallic made harsh contact with the back of my head. The last thing I remember is falling forward, and my body meeting the ground before complete darkness overtook me.

Avery POV: (A few minutes earlier)

Aero and I danced together for longer than I thought, and it was the most fun I'd had in a while. And it was a different kind of fun; I wasn't stressed or overwhelmed about my recent worries; personal and in general. I forgot how nice it was to be around him, lately he's been super distant towards me and Luca specifically. But I guess tonight he's in a happier mood.

Right now we were currently in that same back corner I was in earlier, talking amongst ourselves away from all the noise and where no one else would try to interrupt. One of the many exhausting things about being a Princess is that everyone—and I mean everyone—at these kinds of parties practically demands for your attention.

I enjoyed talking to Aero, but there was one thing in particular that he mentioned that really got my attention.

"Yeah." He chuckled nervously, adjusting the straps on his gloves, "I've written some poetry. But it's not a big deal, or anything." He shrugged nonchalantly.

I smacked his arm gently, "Of course it is, that's so cool! Is there any that you're comfortable sharing?"

I'm a sucker for poetry, but recently I haven't had as much time or even the focus to maintain an interest in it. I find it as an interesting, strange, and beautiful way for a writer to express their emotions and experiences.

A small smile spread across his lips, and he hesitated before answering my question. "Actually....there's one that I wrote for you."

I knitted my brows in confusion as he slowly pulled out a folded piece of paper from his sword sheathe, as if it was a pocket. He handed it to me, and I stared at it in wonder as I slowly unfolded it.

"For me?" I asked, not taking my eyes off of the paper.

"Yeah." He responded quietly. He didn't say anything else, so I assumed he was waiting for me to read it.

She walks in beauty, like the night.
Of cloudless climes and starry skies.
And all that's best of dark and bright.
Meet in her aspect and her eyes.
Thus mellowed to that tender light, which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less, had half impaired the nameless grace.
Which waves in every Raven trees, or softly lightens o'er her face.
Where thoughts serenely sweet express, how pure, how dear their dwelling place.

My lips parted in shock after I finished reading. This is truly one of most thoughtful, and benevolent thing I've ever been given. I had no idea Aero was such a talented writer.

I looked up at him in awe, letting the beautiful words I just read sink in. "Aero...." I didn't even know what to say.

"Wait." He interrupted, "Me first." He sighed and closed his eyes for a short moment before opening them and giving me an earnest expression, "I want to start by saying that I know about you and my brother."

My eyes widened in fear at his revelation, but he quickly spoke again before I could. "Let me finish." He gently grabbed both of my hands in his, "I haven't told anyone, and how I know doesn't matter. What does matter, is that it's the reason I was in such a bad mood this last week. I hated seeing him with you, it pained my heart in ways that I can't put into words. So that's why I wrote this for you." He rubbed his thumb over the poem that was now in both of our hands, since he was holding mine. "I know you don't feel the same way, and I might just be making a fool of myself, but I can't go another day with you not knowing how I feel." My heart pounded with anticipation as he looked at me; the vulnerable glint in his eyes told me everything, and I already knew what he was about to say before he even said it. "Avery, I'm in love with you."

My breath hitched in my throat, I was speechless. This is the last thing I expected to happen tonight. I was at an utter loss for words. But I couldn't say anything anyways, because something in my peripheral vision distracted me from the moment.

It looked like.....fog? Did someone set up a fog machine without telling me? It's unlikely, because I'm the one who set up everything. So unless this is some sort of prank, I don't know who would've done this or why. All the guests murmured in confusion, and soon it was getting hard to see anything at all.

Aero suddenly grabbed me by my shoulders and moved me behind him, keeping ahold of one of my arms, "Stay behind me, Princess." He instructed in a high alert manner.

"It's just fog. What's wrong?" I questioned, confused and nervous by his complete change of tone.

While scanning our foggy surroundings, he moved us further towards the back of the room, where an emergency exit was. "It's not fog. I recognize the texture and the scent; this is smoke. Someone set up smoke bombs."

My heart dropped in fear. As a royal, one of the first things you learn as you get older is all the ways villains choose to attack or ambush. And smoke bombs is definitely on the top of the list; it's one of the most common diversion strategies. I feared not just for my life, but for everyone else. For (y/n).

"We have to find my sister." I broke free from his hold on my arm and ran towards the exit door, fumbling for the handle as I still couldn't see very well.

When it opened, I was frustrated to see that there was smoke down this hallway as well. Are these bombs placed all throughout the palace.

I frantically ran forward, only focusing on finding (y/n). Occasionally I tripped over my dress, making it hard to run. "Stupid dress...." I muttered, picking the ends of it up so I could move easier.

But two hands grabbed my waist from behind, stopping me from doing so. "Avery, stop." Aero commanded when I tried to keep running. I scoffed and turned my head towards him in disbelief, "We have to find her!" I pleaded.

His eyes softened, dissolving the previous anger and fright they held from when I ran away. "And we will. But you cannot run off by yourself. We need to stay together and from then on, we'll regroup with everyone to make sure that your Mom and sister are fine." He spoke slow and clearly, nodding his head to clarify that I understood.

Realizing he was right, I sighed and nodded my head once, turning fully forwards once more. He let go of my waist and came beside me to link arms instead. I almost shivered from how cold his armor was around my own uncovered arm. He looked at me and tilted his head sideways, "Lead the way."

Obi-Wan POV:

It was much later in the night, and by now the smoke had finally faded. All the guests had left; originally Lilliana wanted to question them to find out who the culprit was that set off the smoke bombs, but I reminded her that safety was our top priority right now. So she reluctantly agreed to let them all go.

Now the concerning part of this all is that out of everyone in our tight circle of trust, the only two people we haven't found are (y/n) and Luca, Avery's guard.

We were all in Lilliana's office, and everyone looked absolutely distressed.

"Who was the last person to see her?" I asked, scanning all of us for a sign of confirmation.

Anakin cleared his throat and stepped forward, "I believe it was me. I....spoke with her not too long ago." He spoke quietly and kept his gaze to the ground.

My eyes narrowed disapprovingly, "And why did you both separate? Especially at a big event like this?"

We all looked over to Anakin expectantly for his answer. He blinked quickly, and suddenly couldn't stop fidgeting on the spot. His cheeks darkened as he shrugged, "We just....had another argument. And she stormed off."

I shook my head in bewilderment, "Unbelievable. Can't you both find other ways to spend your time together rather than fighting?" 

When he kept his gaze locked on the floor, I sighed in frustration. Anakin was being unusually quiet, I suppose I'll check in with him later. But for now we have a more difficult task at hand.

As I mentioned, everyone was distressed. But I noticed one persons behavior more uneasy than the rest of us.

"Avery, is there something you'd like to say?" I asked.

She looked extremely on edge; biting her once perfectly filed nails, her sea blue eyes darting around the room like a pinball. She froze for a moment when I addressed her. Her emotions were strong, clashing like tidal waves. And not only that, but I could sense that guilt weighed heavily on her heart. No one needs to be force sensitive to see that, as it is remarkably transparent on her.

"I think I know where (y/n) is. And....who set up the smoke bombs." She declared in a rush.

Everyone's attention turned to her, and even Anakin seemed to snap out of his unusual daze. Avery sighed and pulled something out of the back of her heel, which looked like a very small piece of paper. She unfolded it, and swallowed nervously, "I found this on my bed as we were searching the rooms, and as much as I didn't want to believe it, it confirmed some suspicions I was already having."

Anakin squinted and moved closer to her, "That's so tiny. What's even on it?"

"It says 'Cavern of Wonders.' It's an abandoned cave near one of the grand waterfalls in Alderaan. It's explorable, but not many people know about it nowadays, hence why it's abandoned." She explained.

Anakin rolled his eyes, "We didn't ask for a history lesson. If you know where my Padawan is, tell us." He commanded sternly.

I would say that I'm shocked he spoke to a Princess like that, but at this point, that would be lying.

Avery blinked in surprise up at him, before raising one of her brows, "Calm your nips, Annabelle. I was getting there."

She glued her eyes back to the small slip of paper, "Anyways, I think she's there. And....I think Luca is the one who set up those smoke bombs, and then took her there." I saw her quickly blink back a tear, which she then wiped away with her knuckle. My heart broke at the sight; it was evident now that the two of them were close and had some sort of young love—reminding me of myself when I was their age. I had my assumptions about them, but the look in her eyes now confirmed it all.

Aero had a similar expression, "My own brother?" He questioned in a whisper, most likely to stop his voice from cracking.

Anakin shook his head, "No....No, Luca is my friend. He could never do something like this." Betrayal flashed through his eyes, signaling that he didn't even believe his own words. And that alone must've made his pain worse, I imagine.

Lilliana stepped forward for the first time from where she sat at the very back of the office. I don't believe anyone else noticed she was here because of their nerves. "Go on, love." She instructed.

Anakin glanced over at her in confusion. It occurred to me then that he's never met the Queen before. It was for her and (y/n)'s safety since they both look uncannily similar. Though, tonight will be the deciding factor on if that even matters. Depending on how easy rescuing (y/n) will be, Anakin may or may not stay in the dark about her identity.

Avery nodded with a small sniffle, "I know she's there because Luca and I always talked about going to that cave together. I have no idea why he would do this, but it can't be a coincidence that this ended up on my bed after everything else that's happened tonight. He wanted me to find this. But I can't figure out why." By the breaking of her voice I could tell this was getting more and more difficult for her by the second.

Aero suddenly grabbed the paper from her and brought it close to his eyes, after wiping a tear from his cheek, "There's more at the bottom, but I can hardly read it."

"Give me that." Anakin grabbed it from him and inspected it carefully. A look of knowing spread across his face and he slowly handed the paper back to Avery. He looked down at her ominously, "It says to come alone."

Luca POV:

My shoes splashing upon the shallow water, and the sound of the nighttime breeze were the only noises in the space of the star-speckled cave I just re-entered. I ventured further and further until I reach the bundle of lanterns I had set up earlier. The aperture between the lanterns revealed bars; a cell. And in that cell laid the Queen, unconscious. For now, at least.

It was stupid of her to be by herself in her last moments at the palace, but it ultimately worked out in my favor, so I really can't complain.

Things weren't supposed to go how they did tonight, but my plans changed when Alastair thought he could cheat me out of our deal. I've worked too hard to get where I am, and there's no way I'll stop now. Not when I'm so close.

I gripped the rusty cell bars tightly, deciding carefully what I was going to do next now that I made it this far into my own plan.

The original plan—according to him—was for me to set off real bombs and sacrifice myself to send a warning to (y/n) that he would stop at nothing to ruin her life if she didn't agree to marry him. But he knows that that wasn't our agreement. So now that he's broken his promise, I'm going to take what's rightfully mine. And (y/n) will be the perfect leverage to do so.

(a/n): Hope you guys liked this! I think it was pretty obvious that Luca was the spy, I didn't try to make it a big mystery or anything haha. We'll go deeper into his story in the next chapter :) I also hope this chapter wasn't too boring or felt too rushed, but regardless I promise more will be expanded upon next time!Let me know your thoughts on what you think will happen next❤️

By the way, I didn't write that poem haha. I'm not sure who the author is but I'm not taking any credit for it whatsoever

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