WORTH A QUEEN'S RANSOM

by Ann Valentine

Queen Amidala looked longingly out the window of her quarters on Coruscant. Certainly, her quarters were enormous, considering they housed only herself and a few handmaidens, but to be outside, to run, to sniff the flowers . . .

To be free.

Amidala supposed that was all she really wanted. To get away from this stuffy pomp and circumstance and just be a teenage girl. To go to the mall, be with her friends, catch a movie, and flirt with the cute guys. To have a sleepover, play embarrassing games of Truth or Dare, and share her dreams for the future.

No one should have to be a ruler at such a young age. Her people had elected her, true, but . . .

Maybe she could sneak out for the day. The Senate hearings weren't for another few days. No one would miss her. She'd just tell her handmaidens that she needed to go somewhere.

But they would try to follow her. They'd tell her, "Your Highness! You can't go out alone! You might be killed!"

No one had to know . . .

Just as she started getting her nerve up, Sabé appeared out of nowhere and said quietly, "Your Majesty, the young Jedi Knight is here to see you. Shall I let him in?"

Puzzled, Amidala nodded and waved Sabé away. What would Obi-Wan Kenobi want with her? He seemed content to be with that odd Gungan fellow. Moreover, he had never seemed too fond of her

She looked up and smiled as the young Jedi Knight entered the room. He nodded to her respectfully.

"Please, Jedi Kenobi, sit," Amidala said, gesturing to a chair across from her.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Obi-Wan said, sitting. He seemed uncomfortable, Amidala noticed, and kept crossing and uncrossing his legs.

"What did you need to see me about, Jedi Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan lifted his eyes to hers, and Amidala was struck by their beautiful green-blue color. She also noted, with a bit of distress, the terrible black circles under them.

"Your Majesty-"

"Please, call me Amidala."

Obi-Wan looked slightly shocked, but nodded. "Your-um, Amidala, it's about the boy."

"Anakin?"

"Yes. I'm worried about him. Ever since Qui-Gon-" his voice caught, as if he were trying to hold back tears-"was killed, he hasn't eaten much or talked much. All he does is sleep . . ."

"I'm sure he's just shocked," Amidala said calmly. "He'll get over it."

A single tear traced its way down Obi-Wan's cheek. "That's just it, Amidala. He's so full of anger and hate. I'm afraid he'll turn to the Dark Side before his training is done."

Amidala leaned forward and gently brushed the tear away. Obi-Wan looked at her, his face full of surprise. "Don't worry, young one. I have a feeling this young man will leave an indelible mark on history."

A smile just touched the corners of Obi-Wan's mouth. "Maybe you're right." He rose, then knelt and took her hand. Pressing his forehead against her soft hand, he murmured, "Please allow this base filth to defile your hand with a kiss." When she said nothing, he pressed his lips to her hand and thanked her. He got up, bowed to her deferentially, then left.

That night, at dinner, Amidala could see that Obi-Wan had not been lying or exaggerating. Anakin's cherubic face was pale and tear-streaked. He just poked at his food and never actually ate any. Amidala lay her hand on Anakin's and said quietly, "Anakin, can't you just eat a little?"

He shook his head and stared down into his soup.

"Please, Ani? Just a little bit."

Once again, the boy answered in the negative. There were a couple quiet dripping noises, and ripples appeared in his soup.

"For me, Ani? I don't want you to waste away."

More ripples appeared in Anakin's soup, and he suddenly got up and rushed off.

"Anakin!" Amidala cried, getting up and starting after him.

Obi-Wan grabbed the Queen's hand. "Let him go, Amidala."

Amidala looked at him. Aquamarine met velvety brown. She sat and buried her head in her hands.

"What am I to do?" she asked him, her voice weary and beleaguered.

"I wish I could tell you that I could make everything okay," Obi-Wan said, also wishing he could rub her back or do something to tell the young monarch she wasn't alone. "But I can't. You're the only one who can do that."

Amidala looked up at him, tears streaking her white makeup. Now it was Obi-Wan's turn to gently wipe away her tears.

"But the boy . . ." she said brokenly. "He'll die . . ."

"Ani is a strong boy," Obi-Wan replied. "He can survive this." He picked up a napkin and began, with the utmost care, removing her false pallor. Amidala looked up at him, shocked, as his gentle caress sent strange feelings rolling through her.

"Obi-Wan . . ."

Setting the napkin down, he put a finger to her lips. "Hush, angel."

Amidala looked at him, eyes bewildered. They leaned closer and closer, until their faces were only a half-centimeter apart . . .

Amidala turned her face away. "No, Obi-Wan, it's wrong."

"How can it be wrong, Amidala?" Obi-Wan asked, his feather-light touch drifting across her cheek. "It feels so right . . ."

"But . . . I'm a queen and you're a . . . a Jedi . . ."

"In medieval times, it was often that a knight would romance his queen . . ."

Amidala turned to him and in that instant, their lips met.

All rationality decided to pop out for a quick breather then, leaving the queen and the knight with only their animalistic emotions. Amidala's arms ran their course up Obi-Wan's strong, broad, muscled back and ended around his neck. Obi-Wan's hands slipped down her sides to come to rest around her waist as the kiss deepened.

Finally, they broke off and stared at the other, both horrified and thrilled by what they had done.

"Amidala . . ." Obi-Wan whispered.

Amidala lay a finger on his lips. "Hush now, young one," she murmured.

Anakin watched his best friend and his true love kiss and his heart very slowly turned to stone. His eyes filled with tears and a single one slipped down his cheek.

"I hate you, Obi-Wan Kenobi," he whispered. "I will get revenge on you for this someday . . . even if it means killing you."

A dark star was born.

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