The party was over. Padme, tired and bit restless, retired to her new bedroom. She was in her new home, a sprawling mansion in the outskirts of Naboo's capital. As Paolo bid goodbye to the guests, Padme went to their room to prepare for their wedding night. She had dressed in a pale white satin nightgown. She combed through the tangle of her curls, trying to quite her nerves.

Padme knew that her rush to speed up the wedding was a desperate attempt on her part to escape Vader's pursuit of her. She loved Paolo. Of that she was sure, but she had never found herself in the position of wanting to desperately give herself to him body and soul. She enjoyed his kissing and by all means their courtship followed the dictates of Nubian society. Yet one moment alone with Vader and she was ready to relinquish any sense of decorum and control she possessed. She had never wanted anything so badly in her life. She found that her hands shook at the memory of what she had almost done.

Taking a deep breath she walked over to the bed, pulling back the covers. At that moment she felt a hand cover her mouth and felt the hard press of a body behind her.

"I should congratulate you," she heard Vader whisper harshly in her ear, "However, given the circumstances, I'd rather not."

Padme's eyes grew wide. She was too shocked and wanted to scream but felt her world grow black as Vader subdued her. She was unable to move as she felt Vader lift her up in his arms and carried her away.

Paolo had bid his guests farewell. The servants began to clean up as he started to make his way to where Padme awaited him. He was eager to get to her and was more than pleased about Padme's insistence of changing the date of their wedding to an earlier date. He had noticed a change in her of late. A part of him feared that she might cancel their wedding plans, despite her reassurances every time they met that she loved him, but her eagerness to marry quickly made all doubts he harbored disappear.

He knocked on their bedroom door, calling out Padme's name. When he heard no answer he opened the door and found the room empty. He checked the fresher and failed to find her there. He felt a shiver as he went over to the balcony to lock the wide open doors wandering where his wife went.

"You didn't even sent an invitation," Vader accused as he circled Padme, his eyes showing a mix of anger and desire. He had transported them to his own Star Destroyer that had been waiting for him in Naboo's atmosphere. Padme had come to and tried to run out of Vader's room, but he had been ready for her and had blocked her path.

"You aren't serious!" Padme exclaimed. "Take me back! You have no right to interfere in my life!"

"I have every right!" Vader snapped back. "You are denying what is between us when only a couple of days ago you were begging me to take you!"

"This isn't right!" Padme insisted, her eyes wide in worry. "I can't live with the thought that I almost betrayed Paolo with you! He doesn't deserve this!"

"It's not almost!" Vader reminded her, closing the distance between them. "You've already betrayed him, from the first moment we kissed, the first moment your body reacted to mine! Are you going to keep lying to yourself and say this isn't true?"

Padme bit her lower lip in consternation. Vader's eyes dropped to her mouth, his chest tightening as he gripped his fists to his sides. He hungered for her even now. If he wasn't so desperate to have her want him just as much as he wanted her, then he wouldn't of bothered with sparing Paolo's life. He would have killed him amidst all the spectators in the ceremony, making his rule over them, over Padme supreme.

That, however, was not an option. He meant to change the world they lived in because, he realized, that if Padme was to accept what they shared, he knew she wouldn't find the strength to be with him beyond just one moment.

And then Padme surprised him. The depth of emotion shining in her eyes was staggering. She reached for the clasps in her gown, letting the material fall down around her ankles.

"I had hoped," she confessed in a hushed whisper, "deep inside that you would come for me. I have fought against my feelings for you and tried to escape you in every possible way, but how can I when I carry the memories of your kisses, your caresses on my very skin? Every moment, since we've met, I've ached for you."

She didn't wait for Vader to utter a word. She reached out to him and kissed him with such intensity that Vader was momentarily shocked. She tugged at his clothes, her hands made contact with his warm skin.

It was at that moment that Vader found himself upon the bed with a very eager Padme in his arms. He helped her pull off his clothes and let her explore his body. He shuddered as he felt her lips kiss his neck and trail down his torso. He wasn't going to be able to take anymore as he flipped her beneath him and returned her kisses as she willingly parted her legs.

"I want you so much," Vader admitted, his hands reached between their bodies, feeling how her body wept for his. Padme arched against him, feeling his arousal probe her entrance. He then grasped her legs to angle her body as he slowly began to enter her.

Padme gasped, her body glistening in a fine sheet of sweat, her fragrance mingling with his. Her hair spread in waves across the white linen sheets. Vader's heart constricted, feeling as though he was being reborn. He groaned as he felt her insides grasp him. He began to move in out of her wet channel, her willing body writhing underneath his. Padme moaned, her nails biting into his back as she urged him further. She cried out her need and shuddered as Vader lowered his head to suck at one pink tipped breast.

As they both came, their bodies straining against the other, Vader kissed Padme with all the unspoken feelings he harbored within for her. He refused to think that she would ever want to walk away from him, especially not after this.

Padme lifted her legs and wrapped them around Vader. Even after their amazing union, she refused to let him go, a fire growing in the pit of her stomach, urging Vader to move within her once more.

As Padme slept deeply beside him, Vader stroked her smooth skin. He found her need of him overwhelming, unable to believe that she wanted him with equal fervor. She had seemed like a glorious wanton goddess when earlier she had sank down upon his willing member, her body open and ready as she had rode him with abandon. He thought he had almost hurt her as he had taken her from behind, but was mistaken when she screamed her release as she pushed herself against him, wanting more.

As she lay in his arms sedated, Vader knew that he must tell her of the changes he'd made, including the death of the Emperor by his hands. He wanted her to be very much a part of his life, especially now that he had plans to rid the Republic of the Senate altogether.

Padme woke up, parts of her body feeling strangely sore. She felt a hard body pressing against her and for a moment she thought she was back home in Naboo with Paolo by her side. She felt a strong arm encircle her waist and heard a deep groan of protest as she tried to pull away. Then she remembered how she spent her wedding night and instead of berating herself for her actions she actually smiled. She had enjoyed every moment spent with Vader, a blush creeping in her pale cheeks at the memory. For now, she thought, she wanted to enjoy their time together and allowed Vader to hold her in his arms.

Upon discovering Padme gone, Paolo went to search for her through the empty halls, save for a few servants that were still cleaning up after the guests had gone. A petite blond woman that quickly offered him a hot drink approached him. "Your Lady send this to you," she informed him.

"You know where she is," he asked, relief flooding his insides. He was glad that his wife hadn't disappeared and that she was safe.

"She bids you to drink this and requested that I take you to her," the beautiful girl said. A second woman with flaming red hair joined her.

"Who are you both?" Paolo asked, never having seen them before.

"We are the Senator's handmaidens," the redhead said.

"You can't be," Paolo contradicted, suspicion clouding his features. "Her handmaidens look very much like her in height and coloring. Both are you are far from resembling her."

"You may not have been very observant my lord," the blond one said smiling sweetly. "Our hair is always covered and we are the last to flank the Senator. We work very hard in going unnoticed."

Paolo still looked skeptical. "Where is she?" he persisted.

Both girls looked at each other. They had not counted on the fact that he wouldn't be so easily persuaded.

"We'll take you to her," the redhead said. "She, as you might understand, is nervous about this night, but she has a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Paolo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She's in the garden," the blond girl quickly said. "My lord, she will be disappointed to know that you weren't willing to do what we asked. She had planned…"

"Planned what?" he asked.

"She wanted your wedding night to be special," the other girl interjected. "That's the only reason for all this my Lord. That's why she asked us to give you this drink. It's part of her plan to…"

"Her plan to what?" Paolo asked intrigued.

"Sir, we have said too much," the redhead insisted demurely.

"Let us show you," the blond woman said, leading him to the gardens. "All your questions will be answered there."

Paolo let himself be led away, unsure of what was taking place. The two girls beckoned him to look through the veranda doors that lead out to the gardens. In the pale moonlight he saw a slim figure standing alone. The girl was naked save for long curly hair that cascaded seductively down her backside. Paolo's heart lurched inside, suddenly forgetting how to breathe.

"You see," one of the girls, whispered in his ear. "She awaits for you, my Lord. Drink this, indulge our Lady."

Without another thought and without taking his eyes off the figure in the moonlight, Paolo drank what he was given. The two women looked at each other, a look of triumph shining in their eyes.