An Alderaanian Love Story

Chapter 6

   Boots clicking against the cobblestone ground, Han made his way down to a street vendor where him and Chewbacca bought lunch before heading back for the Falcon. But then he saw her again. The girl he couldn't seem to ignore. It wasn't like they continuously bumped into each other. Just that . . . whenever she was around, Han couldn't help but take notice. Call him a stalker, Han had quickly learned a few things about her. Other than the mere fact that she was a renowned Alderaanian noble, she was fierce, cunning, witty. She wasn't like the other royals. No, she most definitely wasn't. She was stronger, bolder. Independent, no doubt! And Han had to admire her for that. Although, he did have to remember that, in all her cunning, witty glory, she was struggling with what she really was. Or, perhaps, what she was supposed to be. What everyone else expected of her, Han realized, must be far from what lay under those layers she kept wrapped over her, guarding her true identity.

  Han had to pity her. Whenever he did see her, she never looked very happy. She appeared more lonely, isolated and it scared Han. For her. For a fleeting moment, he considered walking over to talk to her, but it looked like she was with a friend, a pale skinned, white-haired woman probably about the princess's age with blue eyes. If he hadn't known any better, he most likely would have mistaken the more graceful young women for the princess. But he did know better. And that image of the princess as she kneeled before the poor, homeless children, buying ration packets from the food cart, feeding them . . . Han smiled. But a new image, one less kind, came to mind. A note. Yellow paper, black words, hurtful words, scary words. Dearest Han, You don't deserve for this to happen, and all I can say is, I'm sorry. I love you, but I can't stay . . .
  Han shook his head, cleared his head of such thoughts and turned back with Chewie, leaving the vendors, and the princess, behind.

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  "There was another guy watching you," Winter snickered, sitting on the foot of Leia's bed. Dipping the brush in the paint, she flashed a smile, secretly jealous of her best friend. However, Leia seemed less than pleased with all of it, especially the attention. "What prince?" she asked in near monotone, not looking up from her work on her own finger nails.
  Winter laughed at the question as she shook her head and told her, "Oh! No, no, no, no, no. This one wasn't a prince. There's no chance." Using her very resourceful photographic memory, she recalled the man's appearance as she had seen him at the vendors. "Trust me. He's not for you. I just think it was funny. Anyway, he was at least a foot taller than you-"
  "Who isn't?"
  "With dark hair, hazel eyes, this . . . this really . . . crazy, lopsided grin. Ugh! And I'm positive he was Corellian."

  That caught the princess's attention. She laughed at the notion. "A Corellian? What was he doing here, anyway?"

  "That's beyond me, but I'm telling you, he was looking. Like . . . really staring. For a long time. Someone was interested."

  "You insult me."

  "Relax, Leia," laughed Winter as she closed and put away one of the nail polish bottles. "I only meant it as a joke. How are your other offers going, anyway? Has anyone proposed yet?"
  Winter was well aware that her friend had been receiving proposals on a daily basis, that all the other houses and many more were after Leia's hand, tripping over their own heels in haste and hope. But, she also knew that this was Leia and not a single one of them had received any reassuring word from the princess herself. It was something that Winter struggled to understand how little it meant to her friend. To say that Winter was disgusted by it was an understatement. It just seemed so flat-out rude and selfish, but Leia could hardly care any more than she was pretending to.
  Leia hesitated a moment before answering Winter, carefully thinking over her words before she spoke again. "Not many," she lied. "Just from Houses Cortess and Alde."
  "That's it?! You liar! Who else has proposed? Leia!" Winter squealed, slamming Leia with a pillow. "You nasty liar! Now, tell me who else has offered dowries!"
  Leia stopped, picking at the seams on a pillow.
  "Leia! I demand you tell me the truth now! How many?!"

  Under her breath, Leia mumbled, "At least ten."
  "What?!"
  "Would you please not make such a big deal of it?" the younger, less patient one sighed. "I'm turning them all down, anyway."

  "Leia! Come on. Any other girl on Alderaan would die to be in your place-"

  "Sounds a bit counterproductive, don't you think?"

  "Every female on Alderaan right now is jealous of you. You're so ungrateful!"

  That was enough to really capture Leia's focus. "Ungrateful? Winter, this isn't me being ungrateful. This is me trying to make Mama and Papa understand that I don't want to do this. I feel insulted that you think I'm ungrateful."

  "But are you grateful? Leia, you show no respect at all for any of the other princes, especially the ones who are trying to court you which is all of them! Leia, you could have none of this! All of your suitors could be fighting over Aryn or Giess!"
  Leia's face suddenly lit up and she leaned towards Winter to empty her hands, turning her full attention to her words. "Or. You. Can take the throne in our family's name instead of me."

  "Leia. No, Leia! Mama and Papa have stored their faith in you. They adopted you first. In Alderaan's eyes, you are the older one. This is your job! Leia, I trust you with this more than myself! I know you're better for this than I am! If you would just think for a second and be reasonable! Leia, for the love of Alderaan, just marry Raal already!"
  Leia held Winter's gaze, trying to remain calm, but she was getting sick and tired of it all. Everyone was the same way. She was starting to feel like she was turning into some kind of enemy to them. "I tried turning to Raal for support. I thought he was different than Mama and Papa and our aunts. And now, here you are. I guess I was hoping you might be different than everybody, that you might actually be a decent friend and support me. And I guess it kind of hurts that I was wrong."

  "I'm trying to support you, Leia! I'm trying to help you see that you're really messing up here! You should feel lucky that Raal loves you enough to wait."

  "If Raal loved me, he would leave me alone!"

  "If he left you alone, Aunts Rouge, Celly and Tia would have you married off to Gram in a week! It's selfish that you act this way, Leia! It's selfish and vain and conceited. You aren't even thinking about Alderaan's welfare. Leia, wake up! This isn't your show. This is politics and in politics you have to be a little selfless and do what's best for everyone."

  Leia gave a short laugh and told Winter, "I think Alderaan can survive a while with a single queen."

  "It's selfish, Leia!" Winter shouted again, chasing Leia about the room as she tried escaping. "It's selfish to only consider what suits you best. It's selfish and conceited that you turned Raal down just because he's not doing this right in your eyes."

  "That isn't why I turned Raal's proposal down."
  "Then, why did you? Leia, why can't you just open your eyes and see how much Raal truly cares about you?"

  "You weren't there when he proposed. And trust me, Winter . . . He didn't care that much. Not really." Leia quickly brushed past, leaving the room and Winter crossed her arms in disappointment, not bothering to watch her leave. "You're acting foolishly," she told the wall ahead of her.
  "I'll just go tell Bornan the Houses will be looking for him, then."
  "Well, then. You're going to regret this, Leia. When Raal marries another noble belle . . . don't come crying to me."

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  From a distance, the prince watched her. She smiled at a poor, homeless boy as he gratefully took a ration pack she offered, sat in her lap, and ate it quickly. She hugged the little boy, telling him phrases of comfort until another child greeted her and she handed her a ration pack as well. Then, he studied her, the way she worked, acted, portrayed herself to the public. The way she held herself, the confidence that she displayed, the compassion she out-poured. It all came so naturally, he could tell and that was just the kind of woman he needed. Smiling to himself, secretly more than pleased, he nodded to one of his guards and told her, "Call my mother. Tell her I've found the Hapan Consortium's new Queen Mother."