𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙚 || a. skywalker

Chapter Nine: Make Him Suffer

Word Count: 1.2k

"It's so wonderful to see you again General Skywalker, Arya!" Padme says as she wraps her arms around the padawan's waist in a tight embrace. Arya lets out a surprised shriek as she was pulled into a sudden hug. Padme looks down at her, "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I catch you off guard?" she giggles as she releases her grip on Arya. The girl just lets out an awkward laugh in reply. Arya glances over her shoulder at Anakin and all he does is smile warmly. How odd. Her Master rarely ever smiles. She picked up on that immediately after they met. Maybe he was happy his Senator friend seemed to like his padawan. Arya let those thoughts slip away. She and Skywalker had arrived all but five minutes ago in Naboo at Padme's lakehouse. Anakin had yet to say a word to her from their last encounter on his ship. He had simply nodded at her when they arrived and walked away to retrieve their luggage.

The padawan and her Master followed the Senator of Naboo as she led them to her lakehouse. Padme had an excited smile gracing her features and her eyes sparkled with joy. "---and this is the kitchen, right up this staircase, we have the sleeping quarters. If you need to know where anything is, Arya dear, just ask me, or Anakin," Padme spoke as she rested a hand on the girl's Master. This did not go unnoticed by the padawan, but she didn't say anything about it. She was simply content to be in a place so beautiful.

Padme led Anakin and Arya upstairs to show them around the rest of the house. Anakin followed the Senator closely, seeming worshiping the very words coming from her mouth. "---These are my sleeping quarters," Padme said, touring the pair around her elegantly furnished room. Arya gazed longingly at the beautiful balcony overlooking the lake. The sun glistened perfectly off the water reflecting crystals of light. Delicate flowers bloomed in the gardens below and the fresh green leaves of the trees swayed in the breeze. Arya closed her eyes to savour the moment. She could feel the force flowing through the air around her as the songbirds sang a soft tune to the serine escape. She was so absorbed in the paradise before her that she barely noticed Anakin's force signature. "Are you alright Ar's?" Anakin asked as he lightly placed his hand on her shoulder. She nodded, he wasn't worthy of verbal response at this moment. He looked down at her with an expression that almost appeared sorrowful. Anakin leaned down to her ear, nearly brushing it with his lips, as he whispered, "Talk to me Ar's...please...say something." She turned from him, she could not talk to him like this, not here, not with the Senator drinking in his every word. Arya shook her head once more as she faced the other side of the balcony.

"Every time I come back to this planet, it seems more beautiful than the last." Anakin observed, attempting to break the silence. "I wish I could stay here forever, it is all so peaceful... especially compared to the chaos of the rest of the galaxy...of the war."

Arya studied him. He seemed to bear a weight on his shoulders, a weight that none could relive. She had seen this very pain before, she had seen it in herself. Yet, she could not bring herself to share it with him, he would just pull away from her again. It's what he always did. Arya wondered why he would never allow himself to grow close to her, she was his padawan after all. Maybe if things were different, maybe if there wasn't a deadly war shadowing the galaxy, maybe if they had met earlier, but she knew that would never happen. It was all just a dream. Just a wish, and everyone knew that wishes never came true. At least not in this galaxy.

Arya continued to remain quiet despite all of Anakin's attempts. He grew more aggregated by the second. She ignored his every word and turned away from him when he tried to approach her. "Gosh damn it, Arya, why won't you talk to me!" Anakin said voice raised as he slammed his fist on the railing of the balcony. "I've tried to be kind and patient with you, but this is ridiculous!" His padawan refused to respond and this pushed him to his breaking point. "You don't want to talk to me? You want to sulk over nothing?" He continued as his eyes darkened. "Fine do what you krifting want, just don't come crawling back to me till you figure yourself out!" Anakin yelled. He knew that he shouldn't have been so cruel, he knew he would only drive her further away than he already had, but that was the thing with Anakin sometimes he didn't think before he spoke, he was too impulsive. He turned from her and left with Padme as his Padawan stared into the beautiful landscape of the Planet, feeling nothing but hurt.

They were together, Anakin, Padme, and Arya. They were gathered around the dining room for dinner. It was Arya's first time having a meal with someone other than herself. She took a small bite of the food set before her and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. She observed her Master and the Senator. They laughed at each other's poorly made jokes and smiled at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. It was disgusting. He was so kind to her, acted so naturally with her, and laughed so hard with her that it physically hurt to look at the pair. Why was he so distant with Arya? Why did he care about her well-being, laugh at her sarcastic remarks and then out of nowhere completely withdraw, leaving her feeling well...nothing at all? Utterly numb. The padawan felt sick to her stomach as she watched her Master and Padme. She averted her eyes as she turned the rest of her food with her fork. Her final straw was the small whisper that made its way from Anakin's mouth, "I've missed you dearly Padme, These past months without you have been dreadful at the least." Arya pushed her plate forward and got out of her chair. "I'm not hungry anymore." Is all she said before leaving the room and slamming the door to exit the lakehouse. "Is she alright?" Padme asked concerned, "Should we go after her, Ani?" Anakin looked to his padawan's empty chair and then turned back to face Padme, "I think she just needs some time alone...and so do we," He spoke before taking Padme's hand and placing a delicate kiss on it.

Once Arya was outside thoughts flooded her mind. Had her Master really felt that way about her? Had he thought of her as a dreadful burden? Why did he seem to care about her one minute and the next discard her like she was a spec of dirt? Arya hated it. And it was at this moment that she resolved to never allow herself to be vulnerable in front of him again. If Anakin Skywalker was so good at pushing her away she would push him away in return. Then he would finally know how it hurt. If her Master thought of her as a burden she would become one too heavy to bear. Yes, from this moment on she would torture him in every possible way.