2.8k words

༻✦༺

(Y/n)'s POV
I slammed my hand onto my vanity and cringed at the tight and uncomfortable corset that Padmè was suffocating me with, "Almost there," In a very unladylike way, she placed her foot on top of the vanity and pulled the strings back more with all her might.

In response, I gasped as my grip on the dresser tightened, "Must it be so tight that I can not breathe?" I choked out, glancing at her through the mirror. She had it as tight as this body of mine could take, yet she is always requested by my mother to at least take it one extra notch.

"Yes," She answered as if it was the most obvious before finishing her task with tying it in place.

I rolled my eyes and stood up straight as I waited for her to bring out the dress that was hand-picked by my mother—of course—for the roulette today. Yes that is today and I was not looking forward to it, and I do not think Anakin is either because he has been in a mood all morning. Even going as far as to snap at me, unprovoked, all because I asked if he could pass me the bread at breakfast this morning. He had the audacity to say 'you have hands, hey it yourself'. My guess is that this has to do with the roulette since he never seemed keen on the idea, but who understands him really.

"Hurry up." Speaking of the little devil, I could hear him groaning on the other side the door as he awaited for me to finish getting ready, "No amount of time can fix you, trust me."

I rolled my eyes again as Padme stepped out of my closet with the beautiful dress in-hand. One thing my mother does have is taste. She chooses the most exquisite dresses for me. Even when it is for events I do not wish to go to, the dress is never in my list of cons.

"I have no idea what has that little girls knickers in a bunch today, but he is on my last nerve." I mumbled to Padmè as she began to help get the red dress on me. My mother always told me that red represents love and she also claimed that it was appealing to men; so I have no doubt that that is the reason she chose this specific color.

She furrowed her brows, "Little girl?"

"Anakin," I clarified.

She then nodded in understanding, "Ah yes, he has been more rude than usual today." She agreed as she fixed my hair since after the dress came over my head, it messed it up a little.

"Rude," I scoffed as her fingertip grazed my cheek when she moved a few strands to the side, "That is one hell of understatement, he is being a pretentious twat."

"I can hear you," He snapped from the other side of the door.

I eyed my final appearance in the mirror with a satisfied smile and I gave a thank you to Padme before strutting to the door. I pulled it open and my eyes locked with the most annoying human to ever exist, "I know you could, did it sound like I was whispering?"

It would be nice if he was always as kind to me as he was yesterday after the incident on the balcony, but sadly, that is an unrealistic expectation from someone like him.

He did not make any comments as he took in my dress, his eyes roamed low then back up to mine, "That is what you are wearing?" He asked and his tone was not condescending as expected. I actually could not properly place his tone, it was a mystery to me.

I furrowed my brows and looked down at it. I brushed some of the velvet fabric with my hands, making certain spots a little darker than the others, "Yes, why? Is there something wrong with it?" I glanced back up and his eyes drifted away from mine and he turned to face down the hall.

"No, it is fitting for you," He said as he gestured for me to walk in front of him, "We need to go, your mother is waiting in the throne room for you. And you have an obnoxiously long line of suitors out front already."

I groaned as I walked in front of him and Padme was by my side. She nudged my shoulder, "You might actually enjoy this if you try to be a little positive," She said with enthusiasm, sounding exactly like my mother, "Just think about it, your future husband and love of your life may very well be in this palace today—ow!" She screeched and immediately turned around to glare at Anakin, "What the hell was that for?"

I turned to look at Anakin as well with a confused expression, he rolled his eyes, "It was an accident, it is not my fault you walk slow."

"What happened?" I questioned.

Padme looked to me, still holding annoyance in her brown eyes, "He kicked me right on my heel," She complained as she glanced behind her and lifted her foot to get a look at it.

It was red and it may get a small bruise, but other than that, she was perfectly fine, "Padme, it was an accident, there is no need to more more of a fuss over it." I placed my arm in hers and we continued to walk together down the long hallway, interlocked. I was purposely walking slow because I truly did not want to take part in any of this. So I was stalling as much as I could.

"I think he did it on purpose," She mumbled like a child trying to get their sibling in trouble.

I chuckled low, "Now why would he do it on purpose? His quarrels are with me, not you." I said with a smile. She didn't say anything as she turned her head and side-eyed him, before looking forward with a sly smile, like she had something all figured out, "What is with that smile?" I asked with a suspicious glare.

"Hm?" She turned her head to look at me, "Oh it is nothing, I am just very excited for you to meet someone who is handsome and worthy of being by your side." She side-eyed Anakin again, before looking back forward, her smile widening.

✦

"That dress looks even more beautiful than I anticipated," My mother walked around me with a pleased smile, "My beautiful baby, you are stunning, do you not think so Anakin?" She always loved asking him for his opinion because it is a man's opinion, and apparently theirs was held to a high esteem. Which I think is daft, but I also did not mind when she asked him because it was the one time he was forced to compliment me.

He nodded to my mother before looking at me with that charming smile of his that makes every girl in all of Naboo swoon, but I can see right through it. He thinks I am the one who will deceive my future spouse? Please, I feel more sorry for his future wife since she will be stuck with a narcissistic and arrogant prat.

"I agree your highness, the Princess looks as perfect as always," He bowed in a respectful manner in my direction to go with his compliment.

I smiled knowing that was probably difficult for him to say, "Thank you Ani." He hates when I call him Ani in-front of my parents, he said the nickname makes him sound like a child and had me agree to only call him Ani if we are alone. But he should know me better than that.

He narrowed his eyes, but said nothing as he placed his hand near my back and he guided me to the throne with his other hand in mine, "The word is star." He mumbled as I sat down.

I removed my hand from his and leaned back with furrowed brows, "What do you mean?"

"When someone is making you uncomfortable or you simply want them gone, just say star," He clarified as he went to my right. He placed his arms behind his back as he stood tall and intimidating with his body facing the doors the men were going to come through.

I smiled at the code word, I knew what it could potentially represent. But I was wondering if it was a coincidence or if he actually remembers.

The story is that when we first met, I had tried to break the ice by telling him that when I was younger, my dream was to become a star. And I did not mean someone of high value to society either, I meant an actual star in the sky. Which is a moronic thing I know, but I was a child after all with very little sense of what was realistic and what was not.

All I remembered was my mother telling me that one day when we all reach a certain point in our lives, that it will be time for us to leave the world — and my first thought was that if I could leave the world and become a star in a skyZ I thought they were the most beautiful phenomenons to exist.

And the only reason I even brought that specific thing up was because the second I looked into his blue eyes, they twinkled like stars.

I remember him looking at me like I was insane, but later after I gave an explanation, I gained my first laugh from him.

I nodded to show I understood when the doors opened, but it was not a suitor that came through — thankfully, "Lady Tano, it is a true pleasure that you came today." My mother was the first to walk down and greet her with a gentle hug and a warm smile. She and I have both known Ahsoka since she was a young girl, she was practically family.

"Please your highness, like I would miss something as special as today," Ahsoka backed away from the hug with a warm smile of her own, "And I would have been here sooner, but it was almost impossible to get through the swarm out there." She chuckled before glancing up to me, her smile widening, "And you, I hear your rebellious antics have not seized. And now here you are, ready to claim a husband to drop the burden of constantly running after you onto them." She joked.

I playfully rolled my eyes as I stood up. Anakin stayed in the same spot by the throne as I walked down the small steps towards one my childhood friend, Padme strutting close by, "Well if they can not handle me, then they do not deserve me." I said simply with an innocent shrug.

"Oh how I have missed you," She pulled me into a tight tug as soon as I was close enough, "And you too, come here." She grabbed Padmè and brought her into the hug. All of us squealed with excitement, happy that we were all together again. As children and young teenagers, we were always together, near inseparable. But as adults, our lives have become much too busy for as many casual engagements.

My mother laughed as she tapped our backs, "Alright girls, do not suffocate each other."

We all pulled away from the embrace, a few more giggles escaping our lips, "After this, we must catch up properly Ahsoka — over some dinner," I suggested, to which she nodded an agreement.

"I was actually going to request to spend the night here, if you do not mind," She looked to my mother for approval, who of course is going to say yes, "That way I will not have to go all the way home, only to come back for the ball. I brought a packed bag already just in case." Just in case my arse, she knows my mother would not hesitate to agree- Wait a minute, what did she just say?

My mother nodded, "As long as your parents are aware-"

"Ball?" I interrupted, "What ball?"

The Queens eyes widened for a short moment before she composed herself with a gentle smile, "The ball I am hosting here tomorrow night my love, I told you all about it — remember?"

I narrowed my eyes and folded my arms over my chest, "No mama I was not made aware of a ball tomorrow," This sneaky little minx, I know why she wants to have this ball one day after the roulette. She is going to invite the suitors that she will claim I have a connection with so I can engage with them more.

And she probably thinks that I would be too mindless to figure that out.

"I am sure I mentioned it at some point, but that is tomorrows issue, so let us stay in the present for now," She tried to brush it off as she guided me back to the throne so we could begin, "Come along, you have many to meet." I got to the steps and and Anakin held his hand out for me, which I accepted like a reflex and he walked me up the steps, only moving back to the previous position he was when I was on the throne.

"We will be finishing this discussion later mother," I shot her a glare to which she gave me an innocent smile in return.

I hated when she does things without at least talking to me about it first. I get that she thinks she is helping, but really she is only frustrating and annoying me. Especially since I had plans for tomorrow evening, which are now going to have to be canceled.

I glanced up at Anakin who remained holding a stone-cold expression, but his eyes looked down when he noticed me staring, "Did you know about the ball?" He knows of my plans, so I would be highly upset if he knew yet agreed to what we were going to do.

He gave me a small head shake, "No Princess, I would have told you. But we will go tonight instead, after hours."

The anger I once felt lessened, and I smiled with an excited fluttering in my stomach, "We can?"

He nodded, "But as long as we share since it will be dark."

I nodded feverishly in agreement, "You have a deal, but I wish to be in the front."

He glanced back up when the double doors opened, "Whatever you wish Princess."

I put my attention on the person who walked in, Anakin's guardian, the one who raised him after his parents passed when he was eight — Obi-Wan Kenobi. He smiled and held his hands out, "Are we ready your highness'?" He was my mothers royal guard besides on Sundays when he is mine so Anakin can have a day off. And he was also my fathers best friend, ever since they were teenagers.

I sighed with a single lazy nod, "Unfortunately."

My Mother stood next to the door by Obi-Wan while Anakin stayed standing on my right, his hand now on the back of the throne in a protective way. And both Padme and Ahsoka sat in chairs that were placed on my left — Ahsoka being in the middle with Padme next to her.

One of the guards stood in front of me and announced the first man as the doors opened, "Your highness, I introduce Lord Berry-"

I waved at him so he would stop speaking, "There is no need for that, go and have a nice lunch or something, these men can introduce themselves to me." I in no way intended for that to be rude, so I was happy to see he did not take it that way; in fact, he looked pleased to leave.

He nodded, "Yes your highness."

He moved to the side and who I am guessing is Lord Berry was standing in the room. Poor guy looked like he was about to vomit, he was practically green, "Please introduce yourself and tell me something interesting about yourself as well." I smiled and tried to be positive.

"I-I-I'm—"

I sighed again and glanced up at Anakin who already looked annoyed; this is going to be a long day.

༻✦༺
Yes the next chapter will be the roulette! I do plan to include and not do a small time jump or anything and I'm so excited to write it, it's gonna be fun (:
༻✦༺