It had taken another few hours till the council had finally come up with a somewhat achievable plan. It was way past midnight, almost 4 o'clock when I walked out of the room. I didn't wait to talk with any of the councillors, I walked straight past all of them while ignoring some of their calls. I was fed up with all of them after all they had said about me and above all about the Jedi.

It was when I felt the cold air swipe through my hair that I realized that I had walked towards the balcony once again. Somehow, I always ended up there to think or just to stare off into the distance. One thing I found out too is that the two Jedi had been following me the whole time.

"And here I thought that the senate was bad." Anakin complained when the two arrived on the balcony. "Yet it seems that the yelling there is somewhat normal compared to what was happening here."

"There's a war here, Anakin. This planet has been at peace for a long time." Obi-Wan countered while I remained silent, my arms leaning on the balustrade as my eyebrows knotted together in thought. "And let's not forget that one of their own decided to betray them."

"They seemed not the mind that." Anakin scoffed and I heard his footsteps pacing around the room. "They seemed more concerned with whether to kill us or not or even with Lyanna's leadership which-"

"Anakin." Obi-Wan interrupted him with a warning tone. I took in a deep breath, my shoulders rising as my hands gripped the balustrade so tight till my knuckles turned white. "Lyanna," He spoke softly and walked up to me. 'what they said, is it-"

'It's true, all of it." I said before he could finish his sentence. "I was an orphan, left in the streets to rot. I stole from people to take care of the other orphans since the boss of the orphanage spent the money he received for us on drinks and gambling. So yeah, I may not have been fit to lead an army. But at least I didn't run the moment things turned south."

During my story I had turned around to face the two. Now they were looking at me with open mouths and widened eyes, eyeing me as if I was about to explode. I diverted my eyes away from them and looked at the ring around my fingers that was meant to symbolize my royal heritage. I took it off, twisting it around in my hand. "My fath... The king took an interest in me after he saw how I defended one of the other orphans on the street. The poor boy was about to get his hand cut off after stealing food. I couldn't, I wouldn't let it happen. The same would've happened to me if my father hadn't intervened."

I sighed as I looked at the ring while feeling their gazes on my skin. "So he took me in, fed me, raised me for as far as it was still possible and then crowned me princess. Few people know that my father knew me before all that. He knew my parents before I was even born, yet he refuses to tell me about them.
It wasn't soon after he took me in that he realized that my skills were more medical instead of practical. Yet his followers could never learn to see me as he did. No matter how hard Eric tries, his councillors will never see me for anything else than a thief."

I looked up and saw both up them deep in thought. Anakin's eyes darkened a little bit before he spoke up. "I was a slave once. Forced to work for a man who spent his money betting on racing. If it hadn't been for Obi-Wan and his master, I would've still been there." He walked up to me and laid his hand on my shoulder. "During my training, I could feel the past disappearing as I focused more on what I could become. Slavery seems just a distant memory, the boy I was once a myth. As long as you dedicate your life to becoming something more than a slave or a thief, people around you will see you for who you really are. If I can become a Jedi knight, you can become a leader of the Valarjar."

"Anakin, it's not that simple. Valerians are a proud people. They won't just see past the things I've done, especially not after everything that's happened since you got here." I looked back at the ring in my hand that seemed so much heavier than it really was. "All I've done since I got here is try to change. Yet it sticks to me like glue." Shoving the ring back around my finger, my eyes narrowed in determination. "If I fail in the next battle, I would be forever cursed to be the lost orphan. If I succeed, they would finally accept me as their leader."

"We will help you." Anakin said as he gave me a reassuring squeeze, forcing me to look up at his eyes. Where I first saw only darkness, I now saw many different colours melting together in a soft blue.

"And after that you'll be gone." I smiled sadly, the smile soon disappearing. I knew from when I started this that they would be forced to leave when the time came. Yet the thought only hurt more with each passing second. "Can I be alone, please?" My voice broke at the end of the sentence as I turned away from them, trying to hide the hurt in my eyes. It wasn't their fault that they had to leave. They swore an oath and I couldn't possibly ask them to break it for me.

"Goodnight, Lyanna." Anakin whispered and gave me a reassuring squeeze before he left.

I heard their footsteps disappearing into the distance, leaving me cold and alone on the balcony. I wrapped my arms tightly around myself, trying to warm up my cooling body. Suddenly though a warmth spread through my whole body when I felt a soft hand placing itself on my shoulder.

"Even if we fail tomorrow," Obi-Wan turned me around with his hands. "there will always be those who see you for who you are."

"Obi-Wan-" I tried to protest but he laid his finger on my lips before I could even finish my sentence. It was then that my whole body tensed up after it sensed the proximity of our bodies. I even caught myself staring at his lips, so I quickly forced myself to look up at his eyes.

"Stefan spoke up for you Lyanna, as I'm sure more people would. There will always be those who try to bring you down, all you have to do is fight back and show them what you're made of. That's the only way to make it in this universe." He said, not once dividing his eyes from mine. "Patience, princess, is the key to almost everything."

"Don't lecture me with your Jedi ways, Obi-Wan." I smiled softly at him. "I think I'm in a somewhat different world than you are. Those rules of yours wouldn't really apply to me. Most of all though, I would like to be able to follow my own heart."

"I can... follow my heart." His eyebrows scrunched together in thought and confusion. His hand that was on my waist tightened a bit, but I was sure he himself didn't even notice. I brought my hand up to his neck, by fingers searching for his pulse.

"Then show me." His pulse quickened remarkably as his eyes widened, looking into my defiant eyes. The confusion though disappeared slowly, replaced by something I wasn't yet able to identify. His hands brought me closer thought, the one previously on my shoulder rising to my neck. He leaned down slowly, probably rethinking every step he made. Yet I decided to make it easier for him, so I planted my lips on his before he could even make a move.

I could feel his body tense and his pulse quicken even further as our lips met. He didn't make any move to push me away, but he also didn't make a move to bring me closer. I didn't mind though, I was too caught up with the surprising softness of his lips and the warmth of his body as sparks floated through my own. I had never felt like that before, that desperate to get more from a man I barely even knew. Yet he had this effect on me, an effect that I as Valkyrie couldn't even explain. But I loved it, cherished it and was afraid to ever lose that feeling.

When his hand moved to my cheek, caressing my head softly in his palm my eyes shot open. I had never expected him to make a move, making me surprised and unprepared. I placed both my hands on his chest, pushing him away. Obi-Wan slightly stumbled but soon regained his balance, his eyes meeting mine soon after. "That's it!" I exclaimed, my hands remaining on his chest as his one hand remained on my waist. His eyebrows knotted together in confusion. "They will expect us to try and stop him from breaking free because it's the way we do things. But if we do something they never expected, they won't be able to prepare!"

"Lyanna, what are you even talking about?" Obi-Wan said.

"Arthas, Obi-Wan, we need to set him free!" I laughed in glee.

"Are you crazy?" Obi-Wan took a step back, his hands leaving from my sides.

"Possibly." I shrugged. "But listen, they expect us to stop them, so they will do everything in their power to hold us back. They have more numbers and are the defending side, so they have the advantage. When we do something they don't expect though, we will have the element of surprise and will be able to do something."

"So what, we set him free and then what?" Obi-Wan folded his arms before his chest. "You said he was the most powerful Valarjar to ever live."

"He has been frozen for years, Obi-Wan." I explained. "Don't you think you'll be somewhat dazed and weak from something like that?"

"So, you want to attack him the moment he is free?"

"With everything we have we will attack him." I nodded at him as a smile remained on my lips.

"It could work." His hand went up to his beard to stroke it in thought. "There will be some things that need to be thought out, of course, but it could work."

"Yes!" I exclaimed, jumped towards him and wrapped my arms tightly around his body, pressing a quick kiss on his lips before I ran towards the stairs. "I'm going to tell the king, are you coming?"

I watched how Obi-Wan stood frozen for a while, his body tensed and his eyes in a daze. He soon broke from that trance as he turned towards me, a tired but determined look now evident in his eyes. "I'm right behind you."

N