He had never sought power, and now he held free reign to execute her justice, in her name, for her sake. He had never sought fame, and now his name was whispered throughout the galaxy as a profane fame and a nameless fear, a monster to frighten children into behaving. He had never sought fortune, and now that everything - anything - was possible, his dearest possession, his heart's greatest desire, remained only her.
She pulled away just enough to touch his face and draw him out of his reverie. "What happened to my love who would protest it was too dangerous?" There was just a touch of humour in her voice, which faded as quickly as it surfaced. "But it doesn't matter what I want." "It matters to me." He reached between them to caress her stomach, no longer flat but still hidden behind voluminous Naboo dress, and their child. "It matters to me that you are both happy." "That we are all happy." She kissed him above his heart. "We should have eloped back then." But they had chosen to fight for a better system, and now, they defined the system. They had invested far too much in their Empire to walk away. By her hand she brought about a war that tore the galaxy apart. By his hand he had two masters undone - one in protecting her and the other in protection of her. One order destroyed and the other twisted into something beyond recognition. They tried not to think about it most of the time, letting the mundane demands of rule overshadow the haunting repercussions of their choices and actions. But this night, especially this night, perhaps it was fitting that they did.