LITTLE RICH GIRL
Chapter Three
Padmé was sitting in front of the
mirror, brushing her long hair, when there was a knock on the door. Her father
poked his head in.
"Hi, Dad," she said
with a smile. She loved seeing her father. He came in and shut the door behind
him.
"Are you all right? You’ve
seemed…sad, lately."
"I’m okay," Padmé said.
He pulled a chair out of the corner and sat next to her.
"You can tell me anything.
You know that, my sweet." Padmé and her father had a close relationship.
They had always been close, and he tried his best to make her happy.
"I’m okay. Just nervous
about the wedding. Two more months, and I’m married."
"I know. My baby girl is all
grown up now. But I want to give you something." He pulled out a small but
beautiful bag. "I was going to save it for the engagement gala next week.
But I thought…tonight." He gave it to her and she had smile. She opened it
and pulled out a book. It was small, but had a lot of pages.
"Utopia." She
read the book’s name.
"It’s about paradise."
Ruwee took it from her and flipped through it. "It might be little beyond
an eighteen-year-old. But I thought we could add it our collection of forbidden
books, as your mother would say."
"Want to read some?"
Padmé asked.
"It’s been a long day."
"And you’ll be a
father-in-law again." Padmé smiled.
"Yes. But a father, first
and foremost." He sighed and pushed her hair behind her ears. "You
and I have been close for a long time."
"Like two peas in a
pod?"
"Or a bird loving a
fish." The two laughed. "You getting married…it will take some
getting used to." She smiled. "Sweet dreams." He kissed her
cheek and then her forehead.
"Good night."
Ruwee closed the door and was
starting to walk away when he ran into Jobal.
"You mustn’t spoil
her," Jobal said.
"She’s my daughter."
"She’s mine, too. What’s
your point?" Jobal was trying somewhat to start a fight.
"You and Sola are close. Why
can’t I be close to her?" Ruwee asked.
"You shield her when she
should not be shielded. She needs to grow up."
"Grow up? Grow up! Jobal,
Padmé has grown up so fast. At the age twelve, she was already acting like a
thirty-year-old. Twelve. Twelve! She’s missed out on the childhood that Sola
had, that every other girl around her had. She has a lot on her plate. Marrying
at the age of eighteen, becoming a wife. Not only that, she does not care for
him. I told her that she could marry who she wanted. But now she can’t. She’s watched
Sola get what she wanted when she wanted it. But now she’s getting
responsibilities shoved down her throat. Responsibilities that an
eighteen-year-old girl should not have to deal with."
"She’s marrying Bail because
she loves him." Jobal was trying to make a point, but Ruwee cut her off.
"She’s marrying Bail because
she loves us. She’s sacrificing her own wants and needs for ours. She wanted to
live with someone she loved. But now the money is gone. She’s doing this so we
can be happy. She’s doing this so you can keep going to your tea parties and be
in the in crowd, wear those dresses, buy what you want to buy. She’s doing this
so we have a life. We’ll be happy, but she won’t." Ruwee nodded.
"She’s the most selfless person I know, and I love her for that."
Ruwee walked away. Jobal pushed those words out of her head and went to the
study.
*****
Padmé woke after what was, to
her, a good night’s sleep. She got up and called for Tina. She picked out a
nice, soft green and white dress. After putting on the corset and then the
dress over it, she sat at her mirror and wondered how she should put her hair.
Then she stopped herself. She never worried about that.
She ate breakfast with Bail on
their balcony and then was off to find Anakin. She looked through the palace
and found him walking around. The two started to talk.
"After I won the podrace, I
was set free. The only bad thing was my mother couldn’t come. There wasn’t any
way to free her, but I left anyways, because she wanted it. Ever since then,
I’ve been in training. Two years ago I was made a knight. I used to have short
hair, but I decided to let it grow. Now I’m out here on a simple mission."
The two were outside on the palace grounds, walking around. "Well…"
Anakin cleared his throat. "Padmé, we’ve walked about a mile now. Talked
about how I grew up. But I’m thinking that’s not why you’ve come to talk to
me." Anakin looked at her. To him, she was perfect.
"Knight Skywalker, I…"
"Please, it’s Anakin."
"All right. Anakin, I came
here to thank you. Not just for pulling me back, but for helping me think what
I might have thrown away."
"You’re welcome."
"Look, I know what you must
be thinking." Padmé walked ahead a little. "Poor little rich girl.
What does she know about misery?" Padmé stood in front of him. Damn,
you’re cute, she thought to herself. Anakin stopped, then leaned against a
gate.
"No. That’s not what I was
thinking. What I was thinking was, what could have happened to this girl,
thinking she no way out?"
"I…it was everything. It was
my whole world, and all the people in it." She stood next to Anakin.
"And the inertia of my life, and me powerless to stop it." She showed
Anakin her ring. It was a pink diamond.
"Impressive."
"Thousand of invitations
have gone out. And all the while I feel that I’m standing in a crowded room,
screaming at the top of my lungs, and no one will look up."
Anakin nodded. "Do you love
him?" Anakin asked.
Padmé gave him a funny look.
"Excuse me?"
"Do you love him?"
"You shouldn’t be asking me
this."
"It’s a simple question. Do
you love the man or not?" Anakin was smiling. He knew he was on dangerous
ground, but he was messing with her, just to see what she do.
"This is not a suitable
conversation."
"Why can’t you just answer
the question?" Anakin was loving this. Getting into people’s heads was one
of his bad talents. Padmé laughed.
"How do people put up with
you?" Padmé asked.
Anakin walked closer.
"Because I’m special." Anakin smiled, and so did she.
"I believe it."