Proposal
Anakin and Amidala walked among the green hills of Naboo. Quietly holding hands, content with their own cmpany. The different shades of green still awed Anakin, but then, being from a desert planet, any color other than that of sand was awesome to behold. Of course, the colors weren't as awesome as the woman walking beside him. Anakin looked at Amidala out of the corner of his eye, she is an angel, he thought, my angel. He smiled to himself. Ten years, he thought, ten years since she came into Watto's junk shop, and changed my life forever. It wasn't often that he could coax her away from her duties as Queen, but when he could, well he wanted everything to be perfect, just for her. Her concern for the well being of Naboo and her people was always Amidala's utmost priority. After the Trade Federation invasion ten years earlier, she had been diligent in her efforts to return Naboo to what it had been before the invasion, sometimes working long hours, not eating or sleeping for days, making sure that her people were safe once again. But, Anakin thought, who takes care of the Queen who takes care of the Naboo. He wanted to be the one to take care of her. To make sure that she didn't work too hard, to make sure that she was happy, and well cared for. Today is the day, he thought, I just have to be brave, and ask her. While Anakin was thinking this, Amidala was watching he sky, watching the clouds moving, darkening with the threat of rain. "We had better be getting back, she said softly, "it looks to rain soon." No sooner had she said that, and the clouds kept their promise, and the rain started to fall, softly at first, but then in heavy sheets. Anakin quickly pulled her beneath the protective covering of the leaves of a tree. While he had his cloak to keep him fairly dry, Amidala had none, and the heavy rain had thoroughly soaked her dress. "Are you all right"? he asked. She nodded yes, and then began to shiver from the cold dampness of her clothng. Anakin started to remove his cloak so he could put it around her, but then thought that if they shared the cloak and body heat, she would be warmer. As he walked towards Amidala, he opened his arms and wrapped the cloak and himself around her. Amidala wrapped her arms around Anakin's waist, savoring his warmth and his strength. "Thank you", her voice muffled against his shoulder, as she burrowed deeper into his arms. They stood that way for a time, listening to the other breathe, the beating of their hearts. She's quiet, Anakin thought, too quiet. "Are you awake"? he asked. "Yes, she said, just thinking". "About what"? Amidala lifted her head from Anakin's shoulder, "I know, he said teasingly, you're thinking about me, right?" She looked into his eyes, the color of the clear Naboo sky, she thought. She gave him a smile, and Anakin thought the sun had returned. "Among other things, she said, dreading what she would say next. "I'm also thinking about that rather large stack of papers that is waiting on my desk that I have to read". "Those papers aren't going anywhere until you do read them, so don't think about them, Your Highness". he teased. He led her over to the trunk of the tree, and together they sat listening to the rain fall. Conversation was idle, and soon Anakin realized that Amidala had fallen asleep. He listened to her gentle breathing as she lay in the crook of his arm. He watched her sleep, her lashes resting on her cheeks, her full lips slighly parted. He lightly traced a finger from her arching brow to her stubborn chin, amazed at the softness of her skin, the creamy color. The face of an angel. Although he wasn't sure that angels actually existed on the Moons of Iego, there certainly was an angel here on the planet of Naboo, and she was right there with him. Her breathing suddenly changed, becoming faster, she moaned in her sleep, and then sat up quickly, with a sharp intake of breath. Disoriented for a moment, Amidala looked around and then realized where she was and with whom. Anakin brought her back down into his embrace, "It's okay, I'm here. I'll take care of you. You must have had a dream". "Yes, it was just a dream, that's all, just a dream. It just felt real". she said with a shudder. "Tell me about it", he said. The dream had noticably shaken her. He soothed her, as she told him. Lightly massaging her shoulders. "I...I was being persued, but I couldn't see who or what it was. All I could hear was heavy breathing, it sounded mechanical. But it wasn't me that I was afraid for, there was something, no, it felt like there was somone else that I was afraid for, someone who couldn't protect themselves, that I had to protect them from the...I don't know, whatever it was causing the breathing. I was very afraid ...not just myself, it felt like I was ready to...to die for the person that I had to protect. When I was finally able to see what it was, all I coud see was a black metal mask, almost like a death mask. It had a lightsaber, a red lightsaber. It was intent on finding me and the other person. Does that sound crazy"? "No, that doesn't sound crazy, it was a dream, that's all". She settled back into his arms. "Ami"? She smiled, he was the only one who called her that. Usually, he called her Padme. Out here, away from everyone else, she could be herself. She could be the girl that she never really had the chance to be. Growing up as Queen, left her little time for frivolity. She could do the silly things that Anakin wanted her to do. Whether it was climbing trees, or him just chasing her through the fields, a few times, he had give her lessons in the use of a lightsaber or one occasion, they had sat on the edge of the falls, watching the water cascade down to the unseen bottom of the lakes. Panaka would have heart failure if he knew about that, it was glorious to just be like everyone else. "Yes"? she asked "I have been thinking about us alot lately. As much as I love spending time with you like this, well, I want more". Amidala looked at him, "You mean?".... "No", he said quickly, ..."well yeah that too, but not only, I mean life, the future, our future. Together". "What do you mean?". "I mean, I want to spend my lifetime loving you. I want to take care of you, it seems to me that no one really does. I love you. You're my angel, remember"? She smiled. Anakin continued on quickly, not giving her any chance to say anything. "Please don't say anything about our age difference, it means nothing to me. You're older than me, so what. I don't care about that. I LOVE YOU. I always have, I always will. We are meant to be together, soul mates we two are. I hope that you feel the same way." "Anakin", "Padme please". "Will you let me say something", she asked. He nodded. "All right". Anakin held his breath, almost dreading what she had to say. "I was wondering when you were going to say this. I like spending time with you, also. But you see"... Anakin interrupted her. "Please don't tell me there is someone else. Don't tell me you think I'm too young" "No, she said quickly, no, no". She smiled," When would I have time"? "As you have said, I work too hard,and have no time for anything else" He laughed at that. He loved her sense of humor, he thought that he was probably the only person who actually saw the real Amidala. Knew her other than Queen. He doubted the handmaidens really knew the Queen as he did. "Anakin, I...I do love you, I have never been in love before, and you're right, we are meant to be together". Anakin breathed s sigh of relief, and was suddenly on his knees before her. "I want to do this properly",he said. "Amidala, would you", he suddenly felt a very large lump in his throat, don't be nervous, he thought to himself, say it, or you may never have the chance again. He swallowed past the lump. "Padme, I love you, will you...marry me, be my wife, please?" Amidala looked upon the young man kneeling in front of her. No longer the cute 9 year old boy, who had won the pod race, and her heart, but a handsome man of 20. When had she fallen in love with him? Perhaps, as he had said, she loved him from the first time they met, but only recently realized that the love was more than that of friends. They had spent much time together, knowing each other better than anyone else ever could. Slowly she rose to her knees, holding his hands, she looked deeply into his eyes. Such beautiful eyes, she thought. "Anakin, she began slowly, I do love you. I would be honored to be your wife, yes I will marry you". Anakin raised his hands to cup her face, and tenderly, slowly, they kissed.
Journal Of The Whills
