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butterflyTitle: Lesser Worlds
Summary: Padmé, the morning after.
Timeline: Set after Attack of the Clones.
Disclaimer: George Lucas pretty much owns it all.
She was warm.
As Padmé drifted out of sleep, that was the first thing that she noticed. The side of her body was flush up against the warmth of another, an artificial arm was resting securely over her stomach, and the covers were pulled up far higher than was her habit. Part of her wanted to shove back the comforter and push away from the heat, but another part of her felt strangely content, as if there was nothing of importance outside her room.
It was in that moment that she remembered -- this warmth was Anakin, her husband.
She was a married woman now.
Padmé twisted around slightly, opening her eyes to look at him in the pre-dawn light.
He had a soft smile on his face, and Padmé had a momentary vision of a contented predator resting near the bones of its prey. The thought was discomforting, so she let it drift away, instead focusing her attention back on Anakin. She'd never seen him quite like this before, so still, so calm.
He shifted in his sleep, his metal hand drifting down to palm her hip, warm with the heat of their bodies. Padmé shivered slightly, the memory of last night close now.
"Padmé Skywalker," she whispered, though, of course, she would never be able to call herself that outside of this retreat, outside this tiny world that they had made for each other. Still, hearing the words gave her a sense of safety, of love. In the greater world, she might be a politician and he might be a Jedi, but here, they were just Anakin and Padmé, husband and wife.
She reached out and stroked the small braid of hair that was draped over his shoulder, then continued on, gliding her hand down golden skin until she reached the point where skin met metal.
She wondered if she'd ever get used to that. Anakin was so beautiful everywhere else -- one day, would she see beauty in this as well?
Anakin stirred again, pulling away from her, turning onto his back. He let out a soft sigh, mouth twisting with some emotion. Padmé reached out to place a hand on his stomach. He twisted further away from her, her touch not seeming to bring him any comfort at all.
The sun was starting to truly rise now.
Padmé moved away from Anakin and pulled the covers back over him before she slipped out of bed. He shifted slightly, but did not wake up.
He was going to have to leave today, head back to the Jedi Temple. Padmé hadn't yet decided when she would return to Coruscant. She wanted a chance to be just Padmé, far away from the politics that were growing more poisonous each session. She wanted to believe, as Anakin did, that Palpatine still had the best interests of the Republic in mind, but power could be a seductive force and even Palpatine could not be immune to that. She just had to hope that he was strong enough to fight it.
And she could not believe that this war... it was not, could not, be the only recourse left.
Yet, even the Jedi had seemed to give up on mediating this crisis.
And Annie was heading right back into that mess. He'd already lost an arm and the war was only just beginning. She'd only just realized that she couldn't lose him and now he was leaving again.
They couldn't even have one day of being married, of just belonging to each other.
They already belonged to the Republic. Their lives would never be their own.
Padmé stared at the sunrise over the lake, glorious streaks of orange and red chasing away the traces of night. The lake seemed bottomless, its perfection masked in receding shadows. The scent of the water reached her, even as high up as they were. Birds called out to each other in the distance, and she could see movement in the water below.
She'd always thought that this place was the most beautiful place in the universe.
For the first time she could recall, she didn't care.
~fin~
Summary: Padmé, the morning after.
Timeline: Set after Attack of the Clones.
Disclaimer: George Lucas pretty much owns it all.
She was warm.
As Padmé drifted out of sleep, that was the first thing that she noticed. The side of her body was flush up against the warmth of another, an artificial arm was resting securely over her stomach, and the covers were pulled up far higher than was her habit. Part of her wanted to shove back the comforter and push away from the heat, but another part of her felt strangely content, as if there was nothing of importance outside her room.
It was in that moment that she remembered -- this warmth was Anakin, her husband.
She was a married woman now.
Padmé twisted around slightly, opening her eyes to look at him in the pre-dawn light.
He had a soft smile on his face, and Padmé had a momentary vision of a contented predator resting near the bones of its prey. The thought was discomforting, so she let it drift away, instead focusing her attention back on Anakin. She'd never seen him quite like this before, so still, so calm.
He shifted in his sleep, his metal hand drifting down to palm her hip, warm with the heat of their bodies. Padmé shivered slightly, the memory of last night close now.
"Padmé Skywalker," she whispered, though, of course, she would never be able to call herself that outside of this retreat, outside this tiny world that they had made for each other. Still, hearing the words gave her a sense of safety, of love. In the greater world, she might be a politician and he might be a Jedi, but here, they were just Anakin and Padmé, husband and wife.
She reached out and stroked the small braid of hair that was draped over his shoulder, then continued on, gliding her hand down golden skin until she reached the point where skin met metal.
She wondered if she'd ever get used to that. Anakin was so beautiful everywhere else -- one day, would she see beauty in this as well?
Anakin stirred again, pulling away from her, turning onto his back. He let out a soft sigh, mouth twisting with some emotion. Padmé reached out to place a hand on his stomach. He twisted further away from her, her touch not seeming to bring him any comfort at all.
The sun was starting to truly rise now.
Padmé moved away from Anakin and pulled the covers back over him before she slipped out of bed. He shifted slightly, but did not wake up.
He was going to have to leave today, head back to the Jedi Temple. Padmé hadn't yet decided when she would return to Coruscant. She wanted a chance to be just Padmé, far away from the politics that were growing more poisonous each session. She wanted to believe, as Anakin did, that Palpatine still had the best interests of the Republic in mind, but power could be a seductive force and even Palpatine could not be immune to that. She just had to hope that he was strong enough to fight it.
And she could not believe that this war... it was not, could not, be the only recourse left.
Yet, even the Jedi had seemed to give up on mediating this crisis.
And Annie was heading right back into that mess. He'd already lost an arm and the war was only just beginning. She'd only just realized that she couldn't lose him and now he was leaving again.
They couldn't even have one day of being married, of just belonging to each other.
They already belonged to the Republic. Their lives would never be their own.
Padmé stared at the sunrise over the lake, glorious streaks of orange and red chasing away the traces of night. The lake seemed bottomless, its perfection masked in receding shadows. The scent of the water reached her, even as high up as they were. Birds called out to each other in the distance, and she could see movement in the water below.
She'd always thought that this place was the most beautiful place in the universe.
For the first time she could recall, she didn't care.
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-20 07:27 pm (UTC)(Them accepting and using the Clone Army really was a fateful step towards the fall of the order.)
I wish the scene in which Padmé adresses the Senate which is among the extras on the AotC DVD had made it into the film...
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-21 11:52 am (UTC)Them accepting and using the Clone Army really was a fateful step towards the fall of the order.
So true. Palpatine really did set them up good -- if they fight at all, they lose, because he's the power behind both sides. It's... brilliant, really.
I wish the scene in which Padmé adresses the Senate which is among the extras on the AotC DVD had made it into the film...
I just saw that the other day, for the first time. Really enjoyed it. It's a shame that some of the best Padmé stuff was cut (and ditto from RotS).
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-21 12:48 pm (UTC)One of the great advantages of having the Republic Trilogy: the ultimate bad guy really comes across as a scary opponent due to his intelligence, instead of as only a cackling madman.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-21 10:12 pm (UTC)*nods*
We actually understand how this guy became Emperor. Very good at behind-the-scene manipulation. And then, he got used the power, and lost his touch for subtle.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-20 07:49 pm (UTC)Lovely to read this.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-21 11:53 am (UTC)And, yeah, I wish that they'd given her more material to work with. Though she did get what I thought was the best line in the movie -- "So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause."
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-21 12:54 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-21 11:56 am (UTC)Wow. The subtle tension in this piece--Anakin looking like a predator in Padme's eyes, her ambivalence about his metal arm--is perfect for these two. It's a very melancholy piece set just when you'd think she'd be happiest. The morning after the wedding night is supposed to be full of joy and love. But for these two, it can never be just about that. Wonderful work.
They have a incredibly different relationship. And unlike many 'star-crossed loves', their love actually was forbidden and they actually did have good reason to keep it a secret. They didn't have much uncomplicated happiness. Even the sweet moment in the meadow has the discomfort of Anakin defending the idea of a dictatorship.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-21 08:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-21 11:57 am (UTC)I'm thrilled because I've now written from the point of view of each of the Big Three from the Republic Trilogy. And Padme was the person that I was least certain of (and then I saw the AotC deleted scenes and finally got a handle on her).
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-23 03:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-25 08:33 am (UTC)