Darkness, Darkness

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟡

Chapter 9 - The Lightsaber For The Good Of The People

"Keep my mind from constant turning"

~*~

"Are you really a princess?" A blonde youngling girl asked Aurelia as she rested on a couch.

Aurelia sat up, making eye contact with Obi-Wan who sat next to her, his back against the couch with his arm extended across the back cushions. He smiled at her, gave her a wink, and she turned away from him with a blush becoming prominent on her cheeks. She returned her attention to the youngling, now many of them seated at her feet, and nodded in response. "I am."

The group of bewildered children gasped in awe, looking at each other. Another youngling spoke up. "So, do you rule over a kingdom?"

Aurelia stared at their expectant faces with a somber expression. "I did." They cocked their heads at her begging her to explain herself. She sighed and readjusted her body into a comfortable position to prepare herself for the story that brought her where she was today and what broke her away from her home. "It was not so long ago when I was back home, sitting within my family library at peace as any other day. I had a book in one hand and a cool cup of lemonade in the other, reminiscing in the stone walls of the castle. The days were tranquil, yet busy with much business to take care of. A lot of responsibility comes with ruling over a kingdom, and with that comes a lot of work. And I was in charge of that, with the help of my friends."

"Did you have a big office to do your work in?" One youngling asked, curiously.

Aurelia chuckle. "Yes, I did. It was my father's office before me. It was placed on the third floor in the Western wing of the castle. It was lined with dark wood and bookcases, beautiful fixtures, and fine furniture. It was surely a sight to see and was one of the most luxurious rooms I've ever resided in." She went silent for a moment, pondering that. Then she let out a laugh. "It's funny how much you miss things once they're taken from you."

Obi-Wan sat up at that. He could feel her sarcastic troubled tone that spoke volumes, at least to him. The younglings seemed to be oblivious to her deeper pain but continued to ask her about it nonetheless. "What happened to your home?"

Aurelia glanced up at them from her feet and gave them a soft, nervous smile. "The evil men came and destroyed my land, kidnapping me in the process. It lost everything." Silence befell the room again until Aurelia gained the courage to finish the story. "But thanks to Obi-Wan, I was freed and brought back to Coruscant, where I chose to become a Jedi." She smiled at them brilliantly. "And now I get to experience this threshold with all of you."

Immediately, the children brightened and scurried about giggling. However, as the others went about themselves, one red-headed youngling stayed behind. "I'm really sorry that your home was destroyed. I hope that becoming a Jedi will make you feel a part of a people again."