anti-hero, a.skywalker

THREE

"Do either of you have Anchors?" Padme asked Elia and Anakin.

"Mine is my mother." Anakin smiled at the thought of his mom, Elia wished she could say the same.

"And you, Elia?" The Senator turned to her friend who was staring off wishfully.

"I do not." Elia replied simply, shaking her head slightly."So, you might say that we are encouraged to love." Elia finished explaining for Anakin.

"You've both changed so much. Grown so much." Padme smiled at the teenagers, feeling lucky to have known them both.

"You haven't changed at all. You're still the same girl that saw me in the streets and asked me to play with you." Elia thought back to the moment, the warmth filling her heart. She could tell Padme was thinking the same thing.

After lunch, they took a smaller transport out to the castle. Elia had her face glued to the window the whole time. When she stepped out of the small ship, she dropped her bag on the cement and lifted her face towards the sun.

"I missed this." She let out a long sigh.

"Ellie, I know you missed Naboo, but I believe Anakin needs help with the luggage." Padme giggled at the sight of Anakin trying to juggle three large suitcases and Elia completely ignoring him. Elia let out a quite laugh before going to help Anakin as they ascended the steps of the palace. The R2 droid followed behind. "I wasn't youngest queen ever elected, but now that I think back on it, I'm not sure I was old enough." Padme told them as they walked. "I'm not sure I was ready."

"The people you served thought you did a good job." Anakin replied, squinting at Padme. "I heard they even tried to amend the constitution so you could stay in office." The teenage boy added.

"Padme is a natural born leader, always has been." Elia said, giving her friend a kind smile. "I'm not a politically oriented person, I only cared if I knew Padme was in charge."

"I was relieved when my two terms were up. But when the Queen asked me to serve as Senator, I couldn't refuse her." Padme continued. Elia remembered when they had first met. Padme told Elia she wanted to be Queen, and Elia told the woman she wanted to to become a Jedi. They had both gotten their wishes.

"I agree, I think the Republic needs you. I'm glad you chose to serve." Anakin gave Padme a smile. Anakin was opposite of Elia, he was always up to date on the latest politics. Elia and Anakin escorted Padme to a council meeting for the Queen's court. The Jedi kept quiet while it happened, afterwards, the Queen approached.

"The day we stop believing democracy can work is the day we lose it." The Queen said to Padme, whom nodded in agreement.

"Let us pray that day never comes." Padme replied dryly, following the Nabooian Queen, Jamillia, out.

"In the meantime, we must consider your own safety." The Queen now said to the Senator, Padme sighed. It was quite clear she wanted to stop taking about it.

"What is your suggestion, Master Jedi?" Another Senator from the council asked Anakin. Elia frowned slightly, the man did not even spare her a glance.

"Oh, Anakin's not a Jedi yet." Padme interrupted quickly, Anakin shot a swift glare at the female Senator. "He's still a Padawan learner, like Elia." The woman now gestured to Elia. "But I was thinking—"

"—Hold on a minute." Anakin tried to say to Padme, Elia knew to never interrupt someone like Padme. They were politicians, and no matter how much Elia preached about Padme being different, she always knew they hated being interrupted.