XI. GARDENS & SISTERS
word count: 1743

          The air in the gardens was perfumed by sweet pollen and freshly cut grass. A freshness that did not exist on Coruscant and made Anakin feel strangely at peace. Perhaps it was merely the planet itself — he had read about Aphelion's strange and unknown connection to the Force — or he could feel that for the first time in a long while, there was no danger. Then the guilt returned: his mother was in trouble, she was hurting. He saw her every time he closed his eyes. And he could not go to her, he could not help her. He wasn't exactly sure why he was here now — couldn't he be on Naboo with Athena? Protecting Senator Amidala was a real job. Or even better, hunting the bounty hunter himself. The Princess was collateral damage after tricking the bounty hunter — Anakin doubted her life was truly under threat. Seeing Oberyn was mostly a welcomed situation, but being dragged into his wedding was another thing. (And being the groom's brother, Anakin knew Oberyn would want him to do stuff too.)

At least, Anakin thought as he strolled the gardens while the Princess got settled and there was nothing for him to do, Rhea was there too. Athena understood him better, but Rhea's optimism and care was what he needed. Anakin did not want to forget about his mother, now more than ever, but also knew that he needed to stay focused.

"So," Anakin asked as they stood at the section of the gardens that overlooked Aphelion's capital city. "Why did the Queen react so weirdly when I introduced you? You said you've never been here before."

Rhea laughed shortly. "My home planet, Hemera, and Aphelion have a long history. I don't know exactly how it started, only that they don't like each other very much. My Uncle Kian is one of Hemera's oligarchs. Our family has been tied to our planet for as long as the Valarys have been tied to Aphelion," she explained. "I have not been home in years. Hemerans don't believe in magic all that much — I'm the first Jedi from my planet in four generations. Besides my family name, I feel little connection to my homeworld."

"Oh. That's awfully sad," Anakin said, "But sometimes I wish I could forget Tatooine. I would rather forget that place than Mandalore. The only good that came from that desert world was Master Qui-Gon freeing me and bringing me to the Jedi."

"Your mother still lives on Tatooine then, doesn't she?" Anakin nodded. "Is there no way to bring her closer to Coruscant?"

Anakin shrugged. With all Oberyn's new power as King and his influence on Naboo, Anakin was disappointed that his brother had not brought their mother away from the cruel place where they grew up. When he wasn't a padawan anymore, Anakin would do it himself. He was old enough now. He couldn't keep his family safe as a boy, but now he could.

"When I was freed, Watto wouldn't let my mom and Oberyn go too. I knew I couldn't leave them, but there was nothing I could do. But Fallon — she came with Master Qui-Gon — didn't bat an eye. She freed all of us, and I am forever in her debt. Fallon offered to take my mom and Oberyn with her to Naboo... but Mom insisted Fallon only took Ryn. So I know my mom is still on Tatooine, but I wouldn't know how to find her."

Rhea offered a small smile, her shining optimism breaking through. "Just follow your heart. Perhaps you can take your brother and you'll both find her."

A quick, sarcastic laugh escaped Anakin. "He'll be too busy with his new wife."

Rhea raised an eyebrow. "What truly happened between you and the princess?"

"She's just Athena's sister," Anakin answered with a weak shrug. "She always followed us around as kids. And she is the reason Athena left the Order — the princess nearly got my friend killed."

"I thought it was an accident–?"

"A preventable accident," Anakin cut in.

"But it was years ago now. You cannot still hold a grudge against the poor girl?"

"Athena distrusts her."

Rhea frowned. "You are not Athena. Sisters have their own language — you cannot rest your opinion of a person on someone else's thoughts. When Elia Valarys marries your brother, she will be in your life forever. The least you can do is make it easier for both of you and get to know her before the wedding."

Anakin huffed and tried to cough up an argument to deny Rhea's suggestion, then he sighed and rolled his eyes. "When did you become so wise?"

Rhea grinned. "I had the right company."

✶

The window overlooked the courtyard where dozens of wedding guests entered the palace. The wedding was two weeks away and Elia recognised no one. She was lucky as it was to have Aerrik, Lilith and Padmé on the guest list. Elia's shoulders sank heavily as she sighed. Alana had never imagined her future wedding (perhaps she never had time to), but it never would have looked like this. She knew she was the Princess and royal weddings were a big deal anywhere, but it didn't feel like her wedding. After forfeiting the Crown and passing the status of heir to Eden, Athena could marry who and how she liked, Atlas was too much his father's son and seldom set foot on Aphelion so his status as Prince was all but non-existent, and Eden would not marry for at least a decade — the Queen showed no willingness to marry off her blood children. Only Elia. Perhaps she held no use after all as the Third Daughter, only someone to show off when the Queen needed to take her down from the shelf.

A snow soft voice behind Elia fractured her reverie. The Princess turned to see little Eden standing a few paces away. Eleven years old, Eden was the truest daughter of Aphelion. With her crown of winter-white hair and moon pale skin, the heir to the throne was the Queendom's darling. And despite her ability of Sight — far stronger and more abstract than Elia's dreams — that made her timid and vague, Eden was the clear favourite of their mother. Elia did not even envy her: Eden was her favourite in the Palace too.

And today, tucked into the soft grey fabric of Eden's dress, was a tiny mithacat. White and grey, the little cat blended into the little Princess' attire, but its blue eyes blinked curiously until it found Elia and started mewling for her.

"Oberyn told me you were back."

Neither sister could wipe their smile from their face as Elia closed the gap between them and drew her little sister into a hug.

"I took good care of Noa for you," Eden added. She held out the cat and placed her gently into Elia's waiting hands.

Noa was a stray that Elia had found three years ago in Alora. She had been in the city with Lilith and just... found the cat. Elia had tried every animal shelter in the capital but no one had reported a missing mithacat — so Elia took her home. She named the kitten after Nola, the Apheli goddess of memory and history. While she finished her education at the Royal Academy, Noa lived with Elia. But when she moved to Coruscant for university, she entrusted Noa's care with Eden — who took the task gratefully. Every time they had talked over holos for the last year, all Eden wanted to discuss was every trick she had taught their cat. Noa was not the only mithacat in the palace: some of the staff owned them and they roamed the Palace peacefully. But Noa was the smallest, even when she approached being fully grown. She was a polite and quiet cat who did not run far and only liked the company of the two princesses (and some of the cooks who slipped her extra meat at meal times).

A pink ribbon was sat around Noa's neck, tied into a little bow. Noa climbed happily into Elia's arms, settling against her chest. "I never doubted you for a second. How has home been?"

Eden shrugged. She glanced out of the window Elia had been at. "Mom is busy, and Dad is away again."

Elia was unsurprised. The Palace was vast and Eden was often left to her own devices as soon as her tutors left. She spent half her time in the library (where Elia would join her when she was around), her nose in another thick tome of Apheli history of dragons. While Ianthe ruled their planet, Viceroy Ambrose used to be senator, until Alerie took up the role a few years ago when Ambrose returned to his studies. Before marrying the Queen, he was part of a group of scientists working out of Jupiter that monitored the spread of winter across Aphelion. Judging the growth of ice every year, and the chill of the winds that grew more bitter every year. They were the ones who announced the change of seasons. Summer had now passed, autumn was coming. Winter was still far enough away for the planet to adequately prepare, but autumn could pass quickly — it depended simply upon the will of the Force. Not that anyone had ever truly understood how Aphelion truly worked. None of the scientists were Jedi, but each had a unique connection to the Force that allowed them to understand the way Aphelion worked in ways no one else could. (Some said that was why Eden had such vivid dreams that only occurred when she was at home: her Sight was not so much tied to the Force as it was tied to Aphelion itself. All inherited from her father.)

The sisters began walking through the corridors with no particular destination in mind.

"Have you glimpsed the wedding dress yet?" Elia asked.

Eden giggled and nodded. "Oberyn wanted me to tell him what it looks like, but I wouldn't."

"What are your thoughts on it? What does it look like?"

The little Princess shrugged. "Not my style." That did not mean much. Eden had a simple sense of style — preferring straightforward dresses and trousers and the clothes Elia made for her in her spare time to all the richly designed dresses that hung in her wardrobes. "Mom says you'll get to see it tomorrow."

Elia gave a short laugh. "Wonderful."

✶

AUTHOR'S NOTE

another little one, but hey! ani pov and world building!! probs could have made them scenes longer, but that's future hope's job. i hope you liked these two, see you soon 🤍