Living a Lie

Prologue

This is our first time writing a collaboration book- please be patient with updates and the flow of writing, as we are collaborating between 4 accounts: anakinpadmeforlife, Amithisia, Kailucy, and TheUnitedFandomOf1D.  We will likely be experimenting with different pairs, in order to enhance the overall flow and figure out which writing styles match the best, in addition to helping along brand new writers :) hope you guys enjoy!

Writers (in order): anakinpadmeforlife, Amithisia

Padme's eyes were not chocolate but bronze in the setting sun, warm with liquid caramel and swirling with an intensity that had Anakin gripping tightly at her hands, his body weak.

She was so beautiful . . .

Padme smiled affectionately, as if she knew what he was thinking.

"I, Padme Amidala Naberrie," she said softly, squeezing his fingers, "take you, Anakin Skywalker, to be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know. I pledge to share my life openly with you, to speak the truth to you in love. I promise, Anakin, to honor and tenderly care for you, and to encourage you in fulfillment as an individual through all the changes in your lives. I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me, through all our years, and in all that life may bring us."

Anakin swallowed, wetness beginning to cloud his vision in unshed tears.

Every time he closed his eyes, he was afraid she was going to disappear- take back the words of love, to reject him, never want to see him again- but she didn't . . . she held onto him, keeping his poor heart together and smiling at him warmly with love and understanding in those angelically fine features.

She was much too good for him; yet somehow she loved him.

His hands clutched hers all the more firmly, refusing to let go to wipe the small droplet that escaped the recess of his eye. The words came out unsteady, rushed, but he hoped she knew what he could not convey in his clumsy sentences-

"I, Anakin Skywalker, take you, Padme Amidala Naberrie, to love, honor, cherish, protect, comfort, and keep . . . forevermore- to live together in marriage, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, so long as I live. I pledge to share my life openly with you, to speak the truth to you in love. I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me, through all our years, and in all that life may bring us."

She smiled up at him, making the world all that more beautiful as the Naboo holy man beside them raised his hands and recited the ancient texts. Anakin knew he should be listening, but he didn't, knowing that while it was not the same as the ones on Tatooine, the general message was one he would always follow.

After all, Padmé was his Angel, and he wanted to be capable of bringing her only joy.

Distantly, Anakin heard the words: "You may kiss the bride." Without further need of encouragement, he bent down and drew her closer, locking their lips together and cementing the union between them. He heard the whistles and claps of R2-D2 and C-3PO, the only witnesses to their union—oh, how he wanted to be fully absorbed in the moment, block out everything, but he knew he couldn't, not for long.

Because when this kiss ended he would have to find a way back to Coruscant, where Obi-Wan was already preparing for the war, along with the rest of the Jedi, while she would return to the Senate to discuss measures associated with this new war. And then even on this planet, there were Padmé's parents, who had no idea their youngest daughter had just been married. This perfect moment was perfect, a small island of perfection in what was soon to be a storm, where they were surely about to be surrounded by destruction and deceit.

And, quite possibly the worst part, they wouldn't always be able to be together. Just in this past year, missions had become month long excursions from home in an attempt to prevent this mess, and it had only occasional overlap with Padmé's schedule (Anakin wasn't a stalker, he was just well informed, not to mention eager to catch a glimpse of her in her element even if she never remembered he existed)...and now with a war?

Now that he had someone to go back to? To wait for him, praying for his safe return as he fought to come back to her side?

It was going to be torture.

But he'd do it. He had to. It was his duty, as both a Jedi and now husband, to protect both his love and the galaxy.

They broke apart and Anakin once again found himself falling into her chocolate pools, never wanting to return to reality. Until of course she kissed him again. This one lasted longer, the two only breaking apart when they finally ran out of air.

"I know it's tradition for a groom to give his bride a devotion gift on their wedding day—" he began, only to be silenced as Padmé placed a finger on his lips.

"You are a Jedi, Anakin. I understand," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Of course, she who had interacted with Jedi so often would know. Jedi do not truly own anything. To be a Jedi is to renounce all possessions. True, he supposed the newly built lightsaber on his hip would count as a possession to most, but to a Jedi it was nothing less than an extension of his very being. The color of the blade told of the user's personality, the design unique to them. It was a physical piece of a Jedi's identity.

And while he would give his lightsaber to Padmé in a heartbeat, he knew he would need it where he would be going. Perhaps, one day, he would find a crystal and make a lightsaber just for her....

But for now, love had to find a different way.

"All the same, I do have something for you. It isn't a gift persay, but," Anakin's eyes fell on the golden protocol droid watching them, "I was hoping, perhaps that since Threepio is technically a free droid, you would look out for him for me. I'm sure he could be of great help to a certain Nabooian senator."

"Of course, I'd love to look after him," Padmé responded with a smile as her hand moved to his cheek to bring him down for another kiss.

Three months later, there came a day Anakin finally did have a real devotion gift for her. The day he passed his trials and became a Jedi Knight. He had slipped away as quickly as he could manage, no longer needing to sneak around his Master to escape to his wife's apartments.

There was only one thing a Jedi was not required to renounce: The Padawan Braid that was cut away upon his knighting. This was the one thing he would truly ever own, and he handed over to her trembling hands without hesitance. It was little, inconsequential, but it meant the world to him, just as she did.

And she knew what it was, what it meant, that it was all he had to give her, and the gesture brought a swell of warmth to her awestruck heart. She knew, knew that he was giving it to her just as he'd given her his heart and soul, everything he was and would ever be. Tears welled in her soft brown pools, tears of pride for his success, joy she shared with him for the success, and emotions that couldn't be named, emotions that only revealed themselves through tears such as the ones littering her cheeks.

"I have something for you too," Padmé whispered in his ear before signalling to something behind her. Less than a second later, R2-D2 whirred out of the closet, looking as though he had just been polished. "I hear the Jedi are in high demand of R2 units."

"Padmé, I—"

"I have no need for an astromech," she said, silencing him with a finger.

"But I'm a Jedi—"

"That's why I'm not giving him to you," she responded with a glimmer in her steady gaze. "I'm asking you to look out for a dear friend of mine, just as I want him to look out for you out there."

Blinking through a newfound wetness in his eyes, Anakin smiled, mouthing his thanks tenderly before he drew her into a kiss.

And for another moment, the galaxy was perfect.

Comments and votes much appreciated :)