Queen Thalia is... unnerved. Upset. Frustrated. The main idea is that she wants to shove one of her blades through her own skull and be done with it. She misses Pelides, she can't say this enough, but going back like this... She wanted nothing more than to prove to her people that she was worthy.
And now she was going back, because the Chancellor decided that she wasn't strong enough to protect herself and Padmé. She might as well have failure written across her monarch Markings.
Cyran watches from the seat at the back of the shuttle to Coruscant's space station. Not only did they have to travel to Pelides, but they had to do it anonymously. At least that meant that Thalia was back in her footsoldier clothes. She loves the elaborate dresses, but they can get ever so annoying when running for your life.
Perhaps even worse, they had to travel with Anakin Skywalker of all Jedi. She knows that he is at least as thrilled as she is to be on this mission – in fact, she revels in it. He had it coming – but she's not sure she can survive spending any more time with him.
Case in point; as everyone is patiently waiting for the shuttle to land, sitting in their assigned seats, Anakin stands up and drops heavily on the seat next to her.
She huffs. "Such grace, for a Jedi Knight."
"Jedi Padawan," he corrects with a sour look. "How could I leave the Queen to wallow in her own thoughts when she pulls a face that tarnishes her beautiful traits?"
Her scowl hardens. It makes him laugh. "If you've come here to joke, I'm not in the mood, Skywalker."
"I would never joke about such things."
"Anakin."
"Thalia," he repeats in the same tone.
She only glares. He likes to make her uneasy. She figures it must be vindicating to make the Queen upset. And going by that ego of his, Anakin loves to be vindicated. She doesn't think there's any more underlying reasons, because why would there be? She'd go on and on about the Jedi Order again, and that's a sterile conversation if she's ever heard one.
Besides, now that he knows it can shut her up, there's no way he'll let that go. She'll just have to learn to contain the way she blushes and not let it distract her.
"Aren't you excited to be going back to your home planet?" he asks. "Surely you must have missed it."
She sends him a dubious look. "Why do you want to know?"
He considers her. "I'm not sure," he answers truthfully. "You fascinate me."
This time, she stands up. "If the only things out of your mouth are going to be flatteries, I'm leaving."
He holds her back. His hand on her forearms burns like wildfire. She wonders what would happen if she lets him hold onto her.
"I didn't mean it that way," he says. "You're a mystery I can't crack, even with my Jedi skills." He narrows his eyes at her, as if he was studying her. "I want to know more."
Thalia could count the days they've known each other on one hand. She could claim and chant about how much he irritates her, how he pushes the right buttons to send her in a frenzy of swear words. But somehow, even under his burning glare, she still hasn't moved.
"Anakin."
Obi-Wan's voice snaps her back into reality as the shuttle comes to a halt. Thalia yanks her arm away. Anakin likes to make her this unnerved, she knows this now.
But she can't quite forget that glint he had in his eyes when he was holding her arm.
Padmé sends her a knowing glance as she stands up, followed by her Captain and maid. Without sparing Anakin anymore of the attention he seemed to so desperately crave, she walks down the aisle with Cyran in her steps.
"I'm not fond of this plan," he tells her as they exit the shuttle.
Cyran has to stay behind with Myriil to make it at least believable that Padmé and Thalia left the capital. For Cyran, who devotes his life to protect the Pelidian crown, it's torture.
"Politics should not oppose much threat to you, Cyran," she tells him with a smirk.
"My place is with you, your Highness," he reminds her, voice heavy with worry. "My role is to protect my Queen."
She pats his cheek with a reassuring look in her eyes. "Your Queen will be fine. She has all the protection she needs, and then some."
Cyran glances at Anakin, staring at Thalia. "I'm not sure I like your protection."
"I'm not sure I like it either, but the Chancellor didn't leave me a choice, did he?" she says, sarcastic. "I'm not going to let myself be impressed by a Jedi."
"It's the boy I'm worried about." He sighs. "Look after your heart, majesty."
"My heart is with the people," she answers matter-of-factly. "I'll keep them safe."
It has the benefit of getting a smile out of him. "I'm reassured, then."
Obi-Wan walks towards her with a polite smile and knitted brows. "I'll get to the bottom of this plot quickly, your Highness. You'll be back here in no time."
She nods. "I will hold you to that, Master Jedi." She's not sure she's even going to survive that trip alone with Anakin and Padmé. The quicker, the better.
Speaking of, Anakin walks out. "It's time to go."
Thalia does her best to resist the urge to roll her eyes. "It'll be time when I decide it is," she can't help but let out, walking out after him.
"Thalia," she hears Obi-Wan call out after her. She turns to him, surprised that the Jedi would use her name. "May the Force be with you."
Hesitantly, she purses her lips. "The Great Goddess watches over your steps, Master Kenobi," she answers with her own people's goodbye.
With one last nod to Cyran, she steps out with her bag, followed by Padmé and Anakin. Now that they are out of sight from her guard and the Jedi, Thalia can't help the veil of anticipation and anxiety from falling over her.
She had craved anonymousness and claimed that she could hold her own on more occasions then she could count, but this felt different. She always had Cyran with her. She was never really alone.
And the fact that it was with Anakin did not help in the slightest. He confuses her.
Padmé holds her hand. "Everything will be fine, your Highness," she tells her with a reassuring smile.
She wants to contradict her, but doesn't. She will not be the one to wipe that smile off of the Senator's face.
However, Anakin seems to be dead-set on wiping hers. "Scared?" he asks.
She takes it as a personal attack. "Has your Master never taught you that projecting your emotions on others is rude?"
He scoffs a little. "If the Pelidians are half as frustrating as you are, I should be very worried indeed."
"Just make sure not to call the first one you see the ruler."
Padmé shuts her eyes tightly. "This is going to be a long trip."
Behind her, her astromech beeps. Thalia doesn't have to speak droid to know that he is equally as annoyed as his mistress.
Thalia must have said something wrong – or right, she isn't sure – because Anakin doesn't talk to her for the rest of the trip. That doesn't mean that he stops staring, however. He seems quite fond of boring holes in the back of her head until she snaps and turns to look, only to find that he isn't looking away.
Sitting and eating across from Padmé, she remains silent when he sits down next to her. She won't give him the pleasure.
"Must be difficult, having sworn your life to the Jedi, not being able to visit the places like, or do the things you like," Padmé tells him.
"Or be with the people that I love," he all but blurts out.
The Senator sends a look to her pupil. Thalia groans, which makes Anakin smirk.
"Are you allowed to love?" she asks. "I thought that was forbidden for a Jedi."
"It's not like you can help it," Thalia remarks absent-mindedly, toying with her food. "Sentiment can't be helped, attachment is deliberate."
It's a lesson all monarchs are taught from an early age. To love without limits, but never prioritize it. It seems cruel, yes, but the fate of a planet could depend on the integrity of a Queen, just as the fate of the Galaxy was in the hands of the Jedi. If they loved and let it cloud their judgements, it could be catastrophic.
"Attachment is forbidden," Anakin confirms. "Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life." He smiles. "So you might say that we are encouraged to love."
Thalia tilts her head, looking back at Anakin with that same surprise she had the day prior. "Being a Jedi sounds a lot like being a ruler," she admits.
"We are more alike than you'd care to admit," he tells her.
She narrows her eyes at him. "Maybe so. But I know that affection is the fastest way to attachment."
He tilts his head to the side. Padmé leans forward. "How so?"
Thalia looks back at her friend. "Affection is only proof of love. Proving your love means attachment, you want the other to know the depth of your feelings. Attachment leads to possession, that's two strikes for you, Ani."
He seems amused by how invested she is in this. "What if it was only observations? Nothing to prove, just calling it like I see it."
She arches an eyebrow. "Is it ever only observations?"
A wicked smile stretches his lips. "Have I told you how beautiful you look today?"
Thalia scowls, and shoves his head away. They were silent the rest of the ride.
Again, if he's doing this to frustrate her, it's working, and she doesn't like it. She'd much rather be on top of things. And the fact that Padmé seems convinced that Anakin would ignore the oath he swore to the Jedi simply seems to make things worse.
She's not so clueless as to deny the reason why it messes with her head. She's willing to admit that Anakin is pretty. Handsome. Damning, and other adjectives much less nice. However, what he seems to forget as he repeats again and again how beautiful she is, is that they both have a duty they need to fulfill.
Thalia is not so easily swayed by a pretty face.
"Lia!"
A wide and genuine smile spreads on her face as she looks back at the little girl rushing down the stairs of the Pelidian Palace's atrium. She easily catches her making her spin and giggle.
"Hello you menace," she greets her niece.
"Lia?"
Another brunette with long ears almost trips on her little feet trying to reach her, before hugging her legs tightly against her chest.
Neia, the youngest of the Ashtaroth dynasty, clung to her aunt's arms while her older sister, Elen, hid her face from her guests.
Thalia had missed them. Coming back to Pelides felt more tolerable with her nieces there – she loved them to bits.
"We've missed you, with Davi gone," Elen tells her, whining.
Padmé, endeared, steps forward with a smile. "Davi?"
"Their older sister," Thalia tells her. "She's a Youngling at the Jedi Temple."
"I never would have guessed there was a Jedi in your family," Anakin remarks. "You seem to hate the Order."
"I don't hate the Order," she retorts. "I have criticisms that these kids don't need to hear, do they?"
He closes his mouth. He'd hate to wipe that smile off of her face.
"Wait, wait, look," Elen asks, forcing her to drop Neia back on the ground. She points to her round cheeks. "We did this for you!"
Now that Thalia had stopped smothering them in her embrace, she takes a good look at their faces. They have the same wide brown eyes, long brown hair and up-turned noses, and there, what they wanted to show her – two red streaks. Princesses usually don't wear Markings until they are assigned on their sixteen birthdays.
Thalia's smile grows, and she laughs in happiness, the sound ricocheting off of the marble walls and hitting Anakin.
He is so easily swayed by a pretty laugh.
Author's Note: What if I shoved Anakin and Thalia in a room together then what