Cloudy Symbols of High Romance (Ani/Ami)

This is a piece of Ep. II speculation I've been cooking up. There is no love triangle of any kind, despite hints in this first point that suggest otherwise. Just bear with me and enjoy!

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He of the rose, the violet, the spring,
The social smile, the chain for Freedom's sake
-Keats

The city of Theed swam with golden light as banners were hung from the red-tiled roofs of stately buildings. A new day was dawning and with that day came a fantastic celebration the likes of which had not been seen since a glorious morning ten years before. Ten years since a great battle had been fought and won and ten years since the victorious citizens had marched through the streets of the capital city of the planet Naboo.

Padme Naberrie, officially titled Queen Amidala, watched the preparations through a wide window in Theed Palace, a faint smile flickering over her delicate features. She had been the heroine at the Battle of Naboo; she was the one being honored today. The knowledge that those who were hanging the maroon-colored banners in the Palace Gardens now were probably thinking of their queen as they went about their arduous tasks made Padme slightly embarrassed. But she was happy and radiant in her ceremonial makeup. Naboo had been at peace ever since that day ten years before, and Queen Amidala had become more revered by her subjects than any other Naboo monarch before her.

She turned and lifted the watered silk of her gown with one white hand as she made into the center of the Grand Ballroom to confer with a member of her cabinet, Governor Krayne Narcon. The squat man with flaming red hair turned and smiled at the beautiful woman approaching him.

"The preparations for the masquerade tonight are just about finished, your Highness."

Padme nodded regally. "And the reception this afternoon?"

"Everything is in order. Most of the guests have already arrived."

The queen paused for a moment, debating whether she should ask a question that had been plaguing her for the last hour. Taking her silence as a dismissal, Narcon turned away.

"Governor."

"Yes, your Highness?"

"A man is supposed to be here today for the celebration."

Narcon turned, his sudden curiosity carefully masked.

"What would be the gentleman's name?"

Padme looked at Narcon hard.

"Bail Organa."

"Ah, yes. I met Prince Organa as he arrived this morning. In fact, your Highness, upon arrival he asked if he could speak with you?privately."

Narcon studied the queen's face closely, trying to make out a blush beneath the thick makeup. None was to be found. Instead, the queen became even more rigid than before.

"Of course," Narcon said, "I told the prince that your Highness was incapable of holding private conferences with anyone today. The arrangements for the anniversary surely--"

"You are quite right, Governor Narcon. You may tell the prince that tomorrow I will see him at his convenience."

"Of course, your Highness."

Padme turned, leaving the governor to speculate. As she left the room to continue overseeing preparations for the festivities later in the day, a touch of some indescribable emotion flitted through the depths of her eyes.

 

Keep going!

 

As long as it's not the EVIL Love Triangle from Sith, I'll read it!! You doing realy good with this--I like it muy!! More, por favor?

 

Looking forward to more.

I'm definitely not a triangle fan, but do love the little hint of intrigue you've added to the beginning.

 

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Agrees with Mr.P. More, PLEEEAAASSEEEEE??? !!!!

 

<blushes> Wow. So many nice comments. Thanks, guys. I thought my pretentiousness would have frightened everyone away.

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In the reception area of Theed Palace, sparkling monarchs, distinguished politicians, and the rest of the galaxy's elite mingled together as they daintily nibbled at cognu, a Naboo pastry soaked in rum. They were an intimidating group, shining and refined. Sticking out amidst the glitterati like a wookie in an ewok village were two figures in drab brown robes.

The smaller of the two was a middle-aged man with very noble features, so noble that they out-classed many of the bejeweled sovereigns present. He was quiet, serene; his eyes were clear and watchful as they peered out from beneath an even fringe of auburn hair. He seemed comfortable in his surroundings, or at the least, accepting of them, which was more than could be said of his companion.

The taller man was dragging his booted feet along the tiled floor like an uncooperative child. Upon further examination, the noble featured man's companion was an uncooperative child. He was barely nineteen years old, and if it weren't for his height, he would have appeared even younger. His earnest, though sulky expression was almost entirely hidden behind a mop of sandy hair that he habitually flicked out of his eyes with his left hand. The eyes themselves were startlingly blue and slightly too large for the rest of his face, giving the boy a look of perpetual surprise.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi!"

The older man looked up to see Bail Organa approaching. Bail was the ruler of Alderaan, a peaceful green planet not unlike Naboo. His honesty and earnestness made him a favorite among both politicians and space pilots alike.

"Prince Organa."

"Please, call me Bail."

"Alright?Bail."

Bail grinned at Obi-Wan. "So you are the Jedi sent to protect me, eh? I've heard a lot about you, Kenobi."

"About me?" Obi-Wan asked, turning towards the boy standing behind him. "I believe it is my padawan who has the notorious reputation."

Obi-Wan's apprentice responded by finally removing his eyes from the floor and glowering at his master.

"Anakin Skywalker," Obi-Wan said, lowering his voice to a carefully modulated near-warning tone. "This is the man the Council has requested us to watch."

"Yeah," Anakin mumbled, eyes back on the floor. "I know."

"Hello, Anakin," Bail said jovially.

Anakin glanced at the Alderaanian and frowned.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "I apologize for my apprentice, Bail. He has made it his mission to make my life miserable."

Bail chuckled. "How surprising! I didn't expect the great hero of Naboo to be such a--"

Anakin looked up.

"--charming young man." Bail tilted his head, mischief in his eyes. "This party belongs to you, hero, as much as it belongs to anyone else. Are you two having a good time?"

"Yes," said Obi-Wan.

"No," said Anakin.

"Why not?" asked Bail.

"I don't like parties."

Obi-Wan couldn't take much more of this. "Yes, you do." He turned back to Bail for help. "He does. He's just being a pain today."

"Shut up, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan grabbed his student by the forearm. "Excuse us, Bail."

The Prince of Alderaan managed an embarrassed smile as the Jedi Knight pulled his apprentice away.


[This message has been edited by Angel of Iego (edited 05-30-2000).]

 

I love the way you have portrayed Anakin and his relationship with Obi-wan so far. Very funny! I expect this will be a veeerrrryyy interesting Ani/Ami fic!

 

I'm all for supporting my fellow Ami/Ani
writers! Keep going, this looks interesting!

aa
who must now attend to her own fic

 

I would go with the good ol' "MORE! MORE!" thing, but looks like Mr. P's got that covered! This is a really great story, Angel! Anti-triangle fics always denote good taste and talent.

 

More!!

 

This one kind of starts abruptly because I meant to include it with yesterday's post. I'm glad that this is going over well...I'm really trying to do a different sort of Ani/Ami fic, one with a bit more build-up before the hard-core romance kicks in. I'm not sure if this method is successful yet -- I haven't written enough of it-- but I suppose I'd better leave the verdict for you to decide.

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Once they were far enough from other people, Obi-Wan let go of Anakin.

"What's gotten into you?"

The boy unexpectedly switched from his monosyllabic mumbling to being extraordinarily articulate.

"Why do we have to be here, Master? Why are we running around the galaxy chauffeuring rich people to their meaningless parties?"

"We go where we're needed, Anakin."

"We are not needed here."

"There was an assassination attempt on Bail Organa. We are here to prevent another one from occurring."

"The attempt was on Alderaan, not Naboo," Anakin grumbled, flicking his hair out of his eyes. "Besides, who would be stupid enough to try to kill someone in the middle of a party?"

"The Jedi Council sent us to this planet because they felt it would be best if we attended the anniversary of our victory here."

Anakin scoffed. "Oh, so now we're doing public relations for the Order?"

Obi-Wan continued, undeterred by his padawan's skepticism. "And I accepted this mission because I thought you would like to return to Naboo."

Anakin's frustration turned to confusion. "Why would I want to return to Naboo? If you're so intent on pleasing me, get the Council to cook up an excuse to send us to Tatooine."

"You know very well the Council won't let you go anywhere near Tatooine until you have finished your training."

Anakin sighed. "I know, but--"

"No buts. You are a Jedi apprentice, Anakin. You do as the Council says. And I am your Master. You do what I say. And I say, Anakin, that you should enjoy this party. I don't understand why you refuse to. As I recall, you made a lot of friends last time you were on Naboo"

Anakin scowled. "Anything else you would have me do, Master?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "Cut your hair, for-force-sake. You're barely recognizable as being a padawan and you can't even see out from under it."

"I'll cut my hair when you let me go and free my mother."

Obi-Wan shook his head and turned abruptly, back towards Bail and the cognu. Anakin sighed and flicked a stray hair out of his eyes as he was left all alone in the corner of the gorgeous room.


[This message has been edited by Angel of Iego (edited 06-04-2000).]

 

Nice so far -I bet Anakin's tune is going to change real quick once Ami shows up!

 

By the Force, Anakin's definetly changed from the sweet little nine-year-old. He needs a good slap in the face.

 

Obi wan.....lightsabers do EXTREMELY well in cutting unruly Padawans' hair . . . and if you happen to clip an ear or something in the process. . . well, hence the name "Paddle-ones." They are meant to suffer, be injured, and serve as a slave labor force. Besides, he'll wear that helmet most of his life anyway. Ahem. MORE??

 

You're right, RogueJai. If I had a Jedi Master who burned off all my hair with a lightsaber, I'd turn to the Dark Side, too. I've got to do some homework now; hopefully I'll be able to post later tonight.

 

Padme weaved her way through the crowded reception area, pausing every now and then to thank someone she barely knew for coming. She passed Marie of Monako and the blond princess smiled.

Padme glanced uneasily to her left. She spotted the distinctive jet-black hair of Bail Organa bobbing up and down in the super-congested center of the room. She stepped to the side, placing Marie between herself and the Alderaanian prince.

"Tia."

"So good to see you, Padme," the princess said with a smile.

The Nubian queen and the Monakan princess' friendship dated back to the time before either woman held a royal title. They had grown apart as their duties to their respective planets increased, but they honored their childhood friendship by calling each other by their real names.

"Are you enjoying the celebration?"

"Oh, very much. Rocker is, too," Tia said, inclining her head towards her husband, the prince of Monako. "We're planning on having matching costumes for the ball tonight, so we can make our bid for most romantic couple."

"I look forward to seeing it," the queen said, even though she knew she was walking into a trap. She peered over Tia's shoulder at Bail's dark hair, and realized that its owner was gradually making his way towards them. Padme knew that Bail's immense popularity would hamper his progress towards her. Sure enough, the owner of a mass of red hair approached the prince and effectively detained him.

Tia turned and followed Padme's gaze. She turned back and grinned wickedly.

"Are Rocker and I going to have competition tonight, Padme?"

"I sincerely doubt it."

"I think Bail Organa would disagree with you there."

Padme frowned at her friend. "He might."

Tia smiled at the Queen of Naboo for one long moment, then changed the subject. "Is Chancellor Palpatine here?"

"He has been invited," Padme said. "But with his busy schedule, I don't think he will be able to come."

"Too busy bringing down the bureaucrats."

"I suppose."

"Well, he is doing an excellent job. You must be pleased to have such a powerful leader who hails from this very planet."

"The Naboo are extremely grateful to the Supreme Chancellor."

The black hair of Bail Organa once again made its way towards the two women. Padme could now make out his face. Bail winked at her. She turned away.

"I must be going, Tia. I believe one of my handmaidens requires a word with me."

Tia looked slightly miffed as Padme made her escape.

 

I am extremely shameless and self-centered. I just need to see my name at the top of the forum. Next post needs work (you-know-who is going to run into you-know-who). I'll see if it is presentable in a couple hours.

 

Oooooohhh...I love it when you-know-who runs into you-know-who! I can't wait to read the next post!

 

Cool...can't wait to read more! I love
how Padme is avoiding Bail's winking!
Very cute..

aa
who cant wait for ani and ami to meet!!!

 

This is so good! I like the way you write,
Angel! Can't wait to read more and more
and more!

marie

 

Alright. I had trouble with this one. Probably because of the high expectations. However, here is the first half. I know it's not giving you what you want, but at least this half is semi-coherent. Have a nice day!

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Padme skillfully performed a series of clever maneuvers to get as far away from Bail Organa as possible. But everywhere she turned, she thought she could still make out the Alderaanian prince?s face. There was nowhere else Padme could hide. Either she stood her ground ?- it was her party, after all -? or she would be forced to sneak out through the sliding doors designed for the caterers to push in carts filled with cognu and other Nubian delicacies. This second choice was completely childish and most undignified, certainly not proper behavior for a queen.

The Queen of Naboo snagged a pastry off a cart as she slipped past an elderly waiter on her way to freedom in the service corridor.

The old man frowned. He was very sure the woman who had just exited into the servants? corridor was Queen Amidala herself.

?Ah, well.?

He wasn?t there to question, he was there to serve. The waiter laid out more cognu and thought glumly to himself:

It wasn?t her. The wife has been saying I?ve been getting a bit senile of late.

He paused by an Alderaanian prince who appeared to be looking for someone.

?Would you care for a pastry, sir??

The confused young man turned to the waiter.

?No. No, my good man. I?ve, uh, had enough.?

The waiter kept moving, looking for more hungry guests. The disappointed prince squeezed a gold ring he had been holding in his hand for most of the morning and whispered a woman?s name to no one in particular.

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Padme walked down the service passage, her slippers making peaceful noises on the rivoc-tesh carpeting. She paused, considered her options, and activated a thin transparisteel door.

The fragrant smells of a small orchid-strewn patio rushed up to meet her. Padme took a seat on a stone bench on one side of a high green hedge and shut her eyes. The little enclosed garden on the second floor felt like heaven after the cramped reception area where the smell of expensive perfume had been so strong that Padme had had to concentrate on not gagging in front of her guests. She would have been able to stomach the situation, but then Bail had started stalking her?

Padme sighed loudly and unhappily.

A nearly identical sigh emerged from the other side of the hedge.
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Nice place to leave off, huh? More tomorrow.


[This message has been edited by Angel of Iego (edited 06-02-2000).]

 

Romance in the garden. I love it.

 

Great story! Can't wait til Ani and Ami meet (soon!) Looking foward to the next post!

 

Uppers! NOW! You must post soon; I never get enough of well-written Ani/Ami fic. Especially ones that leave me hanging like this... I like the usage of the infamous Bail LT here; it's quite amusing at times.

Would you mind too terribly if I archived this once it's finished? (Though hopefully that's not any time soon)