My Little Hero
PART 2: MORNING OF JOY
Anakin awoke in a rainbow of Naboo’s colors as the sweetness of the day before washed over him. It was then he remembered Panaka breaking up his time with Padmè . There were battle reports and casualty reports to sort through, along with a thousand other post-battle pieces that the queen had to attend to. He hadn’t gotten near her for the rest of the day.
It was then he felt a presence in the room with him. He turned and saw something, someone illuminated in the window. It was Queen Amidala. This was the first time Anakin had looked at Padmè dressed as Queen Amidala, knowing she and Padmè were one in the same. Even after the moment of shock that ran through him when Padmè told her secret, she hadn’t been dressed as the Queen. When she wasn’t in these regal robes, she was easier to deal with. Maybe this wasn’t Padmè at all, maybe it was still Sabe. He didn’t know how to address her.
“Good morning my hero,” the queen said turning toward him. Then she smiled, Padmè ‘s smile. No, this wasn’t Sabe.
“Good Morning, your high–, Queen—, um, what do I call you now?”
“You may continue to call me Padmè if you like, you made her real again my little hero.”
“But your Queen Amidala,” Anakin replied.
“That I am also. There will be time for us to talk, right now I want you to get up, freshen up, and Rabe will take care of everything else.”
“Will I see you much today?” Anakin asked.
“I will be very busy today and I want to show you something first. So hurry.”
She left, two handmaidens in tow. One of them was Sabe, another Eirtae. Rabe stayed behind to wait for him. He quickly got dressed and Rabe took him away.
He didn’t expect to be taken to the Queen’s chamber and he didn’t know what to do once he got there. Then he saw a big plate of food sitting on the table. In front of the table was a chair. Amidala standing, again, standing away from him by a window.
“Eat, I already have,” the Queen half commanded.
He looked at the food, it was the sweetest thing he’d ever seen, but it was the Queen’s food.
“I’m not really hungry,” he said, feeling weird all of a sudden. She seemed so far away as Queen, even when she smiled at him. “Is that really you.”
She turned to him. “Yes, can you still not believe it?” He didn=t answer. She sighed, “You=re a growing boy, I know you=re hungry so eat up.”
Anakin’s stomach was starting to growl, so he ate and she looked out at the world.
*****
Anakin hadn’t realized how early it was until he went outside. The streets weren’t busy, despite the fact all of Naboo’s people had been liberated from camps only the day before. However, the streets were still littered with broken, melted, and deactivated droids. Queen Amidala had taken him out alone, there wasn’t one handmaiden insight as they wove through a back street to a waterfall just outside the city. A huge waterfall, the day before he hadn’t been able to appreciate it’s beauty. Once they got here things had moved so fast. In fact, the day before was a blur.
The Queen knelt by the waterfall. Anakin didn’t know what else to do with himself, so he sat down beside her.
“When I was about your age, I’d come here and study. Real early, before Naboo came alive for the day. Till this day I’m an early riser. But people panic if I go too far away from Theed on my own. Panaka gets on my back, state officials begin to think me careless and because of my age I can’t afford those thoughts.”
“What were you doing when you were my age?”
“Studying, astounding people, My grandmother was so impressed with me, my parents were so proud. I trained in Theed and lived with my grandmother Winama. I went home for vacations and weekends, I had freedom then. When I turned twelve, all my studying paid off. I knew how to do my job, but I never realized how fully it consumed me. And when I decided to run for ruler of this beautiful world, I had to fight so hard to prove I was ready for the position I forgot her, that little girl that had whole mornings to take in the beauty of her world.”
Anakin shifted slightly. He had a cramp, but didn’t want to move to much. He knew his friend was telling him a story sealed deep in her heart.
“Do you know why your my hero Anakin?”
“Because I blew up the droid control ship.”
“No, because you knew me, you helped me live the life of a girl again for a few days. I worked with my hands, smiled with you, laughed with you, played with you. I have become so much Naboo, a representative of my city and my world, and my history, I forgot about me. I know being a Queen means sacrificing parts of my childhood. I accept that, but I missed it, just being a girl.”
“I been thinking, if I=m not going to be Jedi, can I stay—”
“You will be a Jedi Anakin. You may have thought of your heroism yesterday as a mistake, but it wasn’t. You have a special power, a gift beyond your years, just like me. Everybody knows that now. They’re not going to turn you away.” She grabbed his smaller hand and held it in her own. “Qui-Gon believed in you the way my family believed in me. There were those in Naboo who doubted I would be a good queen. Then they saw, I was the right person to do it. And the Jedi council–”
“Screw the Jedi council,” Anakin said pulling away. Amazing himself at the harshness of the statement. “They hate me.”
“No, they don’t. Anakin you will be a Jedi, because you were meant to. Just like—”
“You were meant to be a queen,” Anakin finished. “If I become a Jedi, will you marry me?” he asked with a half smile.
“Yeah, I will,” she said without hesitation.
“Really,” Anakin smiled. Of course, she was kidding, but the quick answer shocked him.
“And we’ll have two children, a boy and a girl.” The queen continued.
“Will we live in your palace?” Anakin asked.
The Queen got up and walked toward the castle with him enjoying this game that she didn’t really believe. He was just a little boy after all, but why not encourage his fantasy? There was something about him. From the moment he’d compared her to the most “beautiful creatures in the universe” he’d had this certain type of charm. Perhaps the ache for childhood was stronger in her than she knew. Perhaps it was because he was so little and cute and she=d never had a brother. If she had to, she’d march into that Jedi temple and force them to allow Anakin to train as a Jedi, he deserved it.
“There you are,” Obi-Wan said as he approached the two, Sabe in tow.
Obi-Wan had been treating him differently. He’d tucked him to bed last night and now he was actually looking for him.
“Kitster,” Anakin said to Padmè as the handmaiden and Obi-Wan approached.
“What about him?”
“I’m naming our son after him.”
“My son will not be named Kitster,” Amidala protested as if they were really going to have children someday.
“Your highness,” Obi-Wan bowed. “Anakin, what are you doing?” Obi-Wan asked
“Enjoying the morning with me,@ the Queen replied. AAnd now I guess we’re all going back. Lots to do today. Senate members will be arriving, Jedi Masters for Qui-Gon’s funeral, Senator Palpatine.”
And they all turned and headed back toward Theed Pa;ace.
All in all, the rest of the day wasn’t very exciting for Anakin. More reports came in and out. Guest arrived, crowding the castle with noise, hiding the Queen from him. He did not really see her for the rest off the day. They were in the same area at times. Like when they greeted Papatine, and he said something about watching the boys career. What career?
Obi-Wan got him out the castle for awhile and they talked about Qui-Gon. Then he was busy with the Jedi council members so Anakin took a nap, in no rush to see them again. Especially Yoda, there was something about the way the Jedi master looked at him. Because of his nap, late in the night he lay awake looking out the window. It was then he saw a hand creep through his door.
“Ani,” a voice called softly.
“Padmè ? Um, your highness,” he questioned.
“Padmè will do fine,” she said steping into his room in a hooded cloak. There was no make-up hiding his Angel.
“Lets go play,” she smiled. It was a foolish request, but she wanted to be foolish for night or two. Between arranging the pick-up of those, now harmless, broken droids, along with a thousand and one other procedures, her day had been a twenty four hour reminder of the tragedy that had happened. The days to come would be sad, she’d vowed to visit every family, Gungan and Naboo alike, who had lost a loved one, and then there was Qui-Gons funeral. There would be a big Parade in the end, but until then she needed something to lift her spirits.
“Tag,” she said taping him and running off.
She ran toward the courtyard and Anakin followed laughing. And they played this game until they were tired. Then they went to bed and slept through the morning.
The next night, after Qui-Gon’s funeral, they just sat in the courtyard together and made up names for their kids. One or the other of them usually found the name they picked horrible.
“I will be a Jedi,” Anakin whispered. “Obi-Wan has been given permission to train me.” Anakin said.
“That’s great.”
“He’s going cut my hair though,” Anakin said. “I never had it real short. What if I look weird.”
“I’m sure you’ll look adorable with that little braid.”
“Ugh,” he groaned and fell onto his back.
