XII. UNFORGOTTEN
word count: 3647

          Elia loved art and fashion. She had since she was a child. Alana always had a pencil in her pocket and stained fingers. Whether it was people watching from the streets of Alora, or filling her colouring books with bright patterns. When she became a princess, Elia's fascination only grew. The height of galactic fashion was at her reach. (Especially as Aphelion had curious ways about their fashion styles with their famous colour changing fabric that Elia still did not understand.) While Lilith pursued her art degree, creating pieces that deserved to live in the greatest galleries in the galaxy, Elia lived vicariously through her.

Arwen taught both her daughters to sew and knit. (Arius would say they were silly girlish games and poke his sisters with their needles before running away to play ball with Aerrik and their father.) Arwen argued they were useful skills for anyone to have. By eight, Alana had stitched together lop-sided bunnies. knitted hole-filled mithacats, and sewn tiny clothes for her dolls. After her mother died, Elia wanted to keep her mother's lessons alive in her heart. She was decidedly less skilled with wool work, but made up for it with a growing skill in most fabrics. All Elia wanted to study at university was Design — but Ianthe decided it was not a path worthy of a princess.

So while Elia had not had strong dreams about her wedding ceremony, she had, however, had thoughts about dresses. And as she stood in the centre of one of the vast guest suites, a team of royal designers flittering around her adjusting volumes of white fabric, Elia felt rather silly. There were few official requirements for wedding attire for a bride and groom on Aphelion, and only a few more for royal weddings. Despite outrunning her mother for months as the wedding was thrown together, Elia had hoped to incorporate Naboo and Alderaanian traditions. (Alderaanian for her mother, Naboo for Oberyn and where she felt most at home.) She would have researched traditions from Mandalore and Tatooine for Oberyn as well, but he tied his past to his families and not a place — his parents had not married and had no traditions to pass down.

Queen Ianthe sat across the room, a fluted glass of wine poised in her hand. Capturing her reflection in eight different mirrors for every angle was excessive but made it easier for Elia to confirm her conclusion. She would be a liar if she said the dress wasn't beautiful. So much time had been poured into its delicate creation... But it wasn't her. It wasn't Elia, nor was it Alana.

Blooming applique flowers that Elia could not identify were sprawled in white across the bodice and ballgown skirt, tied together with tiny satin vines. Long sheer sleeves fell loose down her arms, overlaid with the same array of flowers, brought to her shoulders with a sweetheart neckline. Falling behind the widely sweeping skirt was a long train which Elia was sure to trip over. One attendant pinned the veil into Elia's head. The tiered lace fell in layers around her, obscuring her vision. It was a dress fit for a Princess. (Perhaps that was exactly why it felt out of place on her.)

When a knock rang against the tall dark oak doors of the guest suite, all heads turned. One of the Queen's maids went to the doors, opening them in a way to obscure the happenings inside. (All the usual Apheli superstitions.) The maid was gone for a moment, when she returned, she announced that Oberyn was waiting outside. Hearing him be called King made Elia giggle — it was strange to hear her friend he regarded with the highest honour when she had known him half her life. Luckily for Elia, the Queen bade him entry: as soon as the dress was safely hidden.

In a flurry of petticoats and yards of white fabric, Elia was undressed carefully with the wedding dress returned to its mannequin and hidden in the next room with the accessories, mirrors, designs, and attendants. When Elia was allowed to slip back into her day dress of pale blue floral silk, she felt much more like herself. The Queen and her people left the suite, allowing Elia to be alone until Oberyn walked in a second after they all left.

"Your mother is very secretive," Oberyn stated with a laugh as he closed the large doors behind him and closed the gap between himself and the princess.

Elia laughed. "If you were anyone else, you would have had to wait."

"See, I knew there were perks to being King."

Elia rolled her eyes. "You know you're only here because she likes you." She paused when she watched Oberyn's expression; concern creased her features. "Is something wrong?"

"I know you have your appearance scheduled, but I'm going to ask Anakin to accompany you instead of me" Oberyn tried not to meet Elia's crestfallen gaze.

"What? I'm not babysitting your brother. It's the children's medcentre — I couldn't be in any danger. And shouldn't you be coming as my soon-to-be husband?"

Oberyn sighed. "Anakin isn't all that bad. I thought you liked him when we were kids? Now you know that I wish I could come with you. But even though I'm here, Naboo still needs me. I'll see you tonight?"

Elia bared a genuine smile. "Tonight it is. But you can have the pleasure of telling your brother the news."

✶

Besides his childhood friends on Tatooine, Anakin never particularly fit in anywhere very well. A slave boy. A padawan. There was always something that stopped him short of finding a way into a group. On Mandalore, he was too young, on Tatooine he had no freedom, on Coruscant he was too old. Most of the other padawans had been brought to the Temple when they were half of Anakin's age or younger — by the time he arrived at ten years old, everyone had friends. It was a lucky miracle that Athena found him and adopted him into her friendship with Rhea. All three of them had something that made them an outsider too: Rhea's planet, isolated from the Jedi, she came to the Temple with no knowledge of the Force; and Athena who everyone wanted to be friends with, she was the envy of the younglings but she chose the two misfits as her friends.

When his brother approached him, Anakin had not expected Oberyn to request that he accompany the Princess into the city for a few hours. As interesting as it would be to sightsee, he was more than ready to object: they had a palace brimming with royal guards, were none of them suitable? Then he remembered that his purpose on Aphelion in the first place was to be the Princess' bodyguard — then he also remembered his conversation with Rhea and he gave in.

As he watched the Princess glide between the beds of sick children, Anakin wondered if she ever felt like an outcast too. In the time he had known her, she always seemed to place herself somewhere: surrounding herself with at least one person, seldom alone. She acted differently around the children — unlike anything of her that Anakin had seen. He wondered what part of her was real: the reserved girl, the girl who tagged along after him and Athena as kids, the girl smiled bright as suns while she read stories to the children.

Suddenly, a small blond boy appeared in front of Anakin. "Are you a Jedi?"

Anakin looked down at the child and smiled. "Yes, I am."

The boy's blue eyes sparkled with delight. He was terribly slight with a sickly paleness to his skin and a nasal cannula under his nose. "Do you have a lightsaber? Can I see it?"

Anakin knelt down on one knee and carefully drew his lightsaber from his belt. "Here you go."

"Woah." Anakin let the boy hold the hilt of his lightsaber, pointing it upwards away from them, while not letting the weapon out of his own grip. "I want to be a Jedi."

Anakin grinned. "I'm sure you can be. Being a Jedi is more than having a lightsaber and using the Force. How old are you?"

The boy let go of the lightsaber to put up his hands to show Anakin his age. "I'm seven! Do Jedi have to become Jedi when they're little?"

Anakin shook his head. "I was older than you when I became a Jedi. You've got plenty of time."

The boy beamed as Anakin set his lightsaber safely back on his belt. "Can you come and play with us? And show us Jedi tricks?"

Anakin chuckled and nodded. "Of course." The boy took Anakin's hand and pulled him away.

As he played with the cheery gaggle of sick children, sending stuffed animals flying in loops around the room, Anakin tried not to think about how most of them likely would not visit the stars they begged him to tell them about. But the children didn't care — they only shouted with laughter when Anakin made them levitate off the ground as well. He quickly became very popular: most of the kids on the ward wanted to ask him questions or beg him to do a trick for them. Anakin found Elia's smiling gaze, and realised he was grinning back at her too.

Then one of the nurses entered the ward to announce that it was dinner time. The children began to cheer and scramble for the little communal dining area they had next to the ward. Anakin watched the children leave, the Princess following them out to ensure they all got to where they should be. One girl stayed behind, maybe five years old with her dark brunette hair tied in two braids. Anakin turned to her, ready to make sure she didn't fall behind, when she produced a slip of paper with a brightly coloured drawing scrawled across the page.

"I made this for you," she said, pressing the paper into Anakin's hands as he crouched down to her height.

"Oh, thank you..." Anakin's voice trailed off as he looked at the picture and felt his chest tighten. The drawing was of the Princess and Oberyn — crowns atop each of their heads. The girl had mistaken Anakin for his brother. Perhaps it was an easy mistake since Oberyn should have been the one here instead of him. Anakin felt disappointment gnawing at him, but he wasn't quite sure why. He glanced between the picture and the door the children and the Princess had left through. Then he looked back at the little girl and forced a smile. "Why don't you keep it safe for us? I'm sure your Mom will want to see it."

The girl nodded, smiling as she took her picture back. "Thank you, Your Majesty." With the drawing clasped tight in her gentle hands, she took off running out of the playroom — the Princess held the door, smiling as they passed each other.

Anakin sighed, rising slowly to his feet. He thought about the days when he was eleven years old, gaining his freedom and leaving Tatooine and his life behind. He wanted so desperately to be a Jedi... but was it who he wanted to be for the rest of his life? Anakin tried never to compare himself to his brother, but it became difficult when Oberyn had gained everything he never would.

The Princess was still smiling when she reached Anakin. "We should get back to the Palace."

Anakin noticed that her expression changed to crestfallen when she reached his vicinity. He paused, frowning more as he assumed she did not want them to leave. (Anakin bet she never looked at Oberyn like that.)

✶

The sun was setting when Elia retired to her rooms. The sky was aflame with indigo and orange. She always considered sunsets on Aphelion to be the prettiest in the galaxy. From golden hour, when Lena began to sink towards the horizon, to when the sky became overcast in its purple darkness and the light slipped away, about two hours would pass. There was still half an hour of sunlight left when Elia took her place by one of the windows in her bedroom which perfectly overlooked the horizon where the sun set. She reached across the sofa to her holoprojector to initiate a call to Coruscant. It took a moment for the call to be picked up. When it did, Elia grinned.

"Alana!" Her niece's voice rang happily as the hologram of Violet Uttara sprang to life. "I heard about the attacks! Are you okay? Is Padmé okay? Can I see the wedding dress yet?"

Elia laughed. Oh, how she had missed Violet. She then felt a pang of guilt — Alana still saw Aerrik, and even Fallon on rare and relieving occasions, but Violet had no one but her. It was for Violet's protection, they said (A'den's too, as he had been hidden away quiet and safe, even Alana did not know where he was). It had only been five years since the last summer they spent together and the remains of Alana's family were torn apart. They were the last fond memories Elia had of that summer.

"I promise everything is alright, Vi. Padmé is protected, and I am in no danger here."

"What about the dress?" Violet pressed. "Me and Ahsoka have been searching the HoloNet for ages looking for leaks but there's nothing. You have to tell me."

Alana giggled. "You two need to keep out of trouble. You'll see the dress when everyone else does."

Violet narrowed her eyes. "Is it a nice dress?"

"Of course it is."

"You don't sound sure. Do you really like it?"

Alana rolled her eyes and shook her head fondly. "Don't you use your Jedi tricks, Vi. That's not fair."

Violet huffed and shuffled into a more comfortable position on her bed. "I want to go to the wedding."

"Did you ask the Jedi Council?"

Violet paused and then shook her head. "They still scare me. I asked Master Obi-Wan and I asked Master Plo. They didn't give me a real answer — just the usual 'You shouldn't keep attachments, Violet.' Ahsoka is helping me work out how to get to Aphelion without anyone knowing. She wants to come too, but she said it would be suspicious if we both go."

Elia sighed. For all she knew of the Jedi, she did not agree with some of their teachings. Anything that kept Violet isolated from their family was unforgivable. "Just please don't do what you did last time."

The "last time" she was referring to was the time, a couple of years ago, when Violet and Ahsoka Tano, her best friend, snuck aboard one of the Jedi Master's ships headed for Naboo. Luckily for the girls, they received no punishment — in fact, Master Plo Koon found it very amusing when he found the younglings tucked away on his ship after they entered Hyperspace. Elia hadn't been there on Naboo that day, but Padmé and Athena were.

Violet grinned and rolled her eyes. "I will be perfectly careful. I promise. You worry too much, Lana."

Alana supposed Violet was right. She had plenty to fret about over the last nine years. She still remembered the day everything changed with the clearness of Aphelion's oceans.

She had awoken in the meadow on Aphelion after a dream: a vision of twin suns. She remembered feeling jealous that Aerrik — who experienced similar visions — could decipher what his meant. (Eden was cursed to speak with riddles, Aerrik was cursed to know too much, Alana was cursed to not understand until it was too late. Although she was stuck with the same visions over and over, hanging like a prophecy over her head.) The warm air and treats from the picnic had made her eyes heavy. But before she had been able to drift too far away, a soft weight came to rest on her stomach. Alana had stirred and peeked her eyes open — she was met with the wide brown eyes and grin of five year old Violet.

The little raven-haired girl giggled, snuggling up to her aunt. "You fell asleep."

"I think you would fall asleep if you laid down and were quiet for a moment," Alana replied, gently poking Violet's nose.

Violet had rolled her eyes dramatically. "That's boring. I want to make flower crowns."

Little Violet had always been as sweet as a millaflower. Apparently, Violet's third word was a clumsy pronunciation of "Lana". Alana remembered being devastated that she had not witnessed the moment when Fallon relayed the information to her later. (Aerrik and Fallon had been appalled when "mama" and "dada" were her fourth and fifth words.) Violet was all the light and kindness of her father, and the supernovae to her mother's cosmic magic. She was the sky to Alana's sun, her hope on a rainy day.

For two weeks every year, the Uttaras from Aphelion travelled to Naboo to see Aerrik and his family and meet up with Arwen Uttara's lifelong friend, Jobal Naberrie and her family. The families would gather and spend their two weeks far and wide across the beautiful Nabooian countryside before they all travelled back to Aphelion for another two weeks of holiday. Jobal and Ruwee Naberrie had been friends with Alana's parents since before Aerrik was born. Arwen and Jobal were born and raised on Alderaan together, until they decided to search for something more elsewhere in the galaxy.

Summertime anywhere was Alana's favourite time of year: when the air was hot and sweet pollen clung to the air. Whether on Naboo or Aphelion, it was where she belonged. One day, when she was old enough, Alana knew she wanted to spend all her days on Naboo: dressed in soft cotton dresses with flowers in her hair, standing in tiny streams and watching sunlight pour through the gaps in the trees. She loved Aphelion, but Naboo was different. She would stay there forever, until the flowers in her hair grew from her bones.

"Flower crowns?" Alana repeated, sitting up as a smile bloomed across her face. "Shall we ask your mum and Padmé if they want to join in?"

Violet nodded enthusiastically. She hopped to her feet and ran across the grass to her mother to convince her and the youngest Naberrie daughter to partake in their activity. Violet led them back over to Alana, pulling Padmé by the hand.

The four of them sat down on the grass and began weaving together all of Aphelion's native wildflowers into delicate circlets. Violet decided to make hers for her mother and nearly hit poor Fallon in the face when she tried to place the crown lopsided on her head.

"Careful, sarad," Fallon Uttara giggled at her over-enthusiastic toddler. It had long intrigued Alana that Nabooian Fallon had taken her Apheli husband's name. Alana liked that it meant that they still shared the same name, but Apheli tradition had men take their wife's name when they married — like how Alana's father, Thain, took the Alderaanian name Uttara when he married Arwen. Alana understood that it was a personal choice, but she knew that Aerrik would have been willing to do anything for Fallon. (The choice would soon fall to Elia as well: to become a Skywalker-Naberrie, or retain the Valarys name. She wasn't convinced she would get much choice. Oberyn would likely have to forsake his name for Elia's if Queen Ianthe had any say.)

Violet perched on her mother's lap, minding Fallon's baby bump (she was over eight months pregnant but hardly looked it). "Can I make the baby a flower crown? How big is a baby's head?"

"Oh, very little." Fallon made a circle with her hands. "This is how big your head was when you were born. You were tiny."

"I want the baby to come now! I'm tired of waiting."

Fallon laughed. "You're telling me that. We're going to have a party when your brother or sister is born."

"Will we all be invited?" Alana asked eagerly as she and Padmé traded brightly coloured flower crowns. "I want to meet the baby too."

"Of course, darling." Fallon smiled. "I don't have anyone else to invite. You'll all be there."

Alana looked over at the other adults, who were sitting together on the big picnic blanket drinking wine and talking about something that looked serious. "What are they saying?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you," Fallon replied, tying flowers together before placing her crown on squirming Violet's head.

Before Alana could pose more questions, there was a rumble across the cloudless sky. High above the meadow, beyond Aphelion's rings, Alana squinted but it was clear to see the ships jumping out of hyperspace.

"What are they doing here?" she asked no one in particular. The Sunlight Festival had been and gone, why would Aphelion be receiving so many visitors?"

Fallon followed Alana's gaze up to the sky. Her gentle hold on Violet tightened, making the five year old clamour. Padmé looked up too. "Whose ships are they?"

The girls stared at Fallon, who tried to mask her emotions. "We all need to get somewhere safe. Now."

Alana never made a flower crown again. Nor had Elia. Even though she still saw half of her family, nothing was the same or ever as good again. And watching Violet's happy eyes through the flicker of the hologram made Elia feel numb. Violet would remember leaving her parents and brother, but the Crisis would not be part of her memory her whole life. Alana wanted to keep that bright shimmer in Violet's eyes safe forever.

"I love you, Vi."

Violet smiled. "I love you too, Lana. I can't wait to see you at the wedding!"

Even after the call cut and Violet's hologram vanished, Alana kept staring at the same spot and wondered how much things would be different if her family had survived that day.

✶

AUTHOR'S NOTE

thank you SO MUCH for 10k 🥺 i am ridiculously honoured to have received so much love and interaction for this fic. i've finished my second year of uni now (scary) but now i should have more time to write now! only nine more chapters to go now 👀 so i will definitely try and keep up with these weekly updates bc they're lots of fun.

i hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you for reading!