My Life as Leia

Chapter 2 - The Last Straw

Leia hops down the stairs with her usual amount of enthusiasm, which isn't much these days. As she nears the bottom, she picks up on the sound of voices below. Not wanting to intrude on a conversation, the princess pauses halfway down the steps and stays still.

Eavesdropping isn't an activity Leia engages in regularly. At least, not anymore. As it turns out, adults don't appreciate it when they discover a little girl has been listening to their entire private conversation. Those situations never end well. But every now and then, when Leia hears part of an exchange that peaks her curiosity, she'll stick around for a moment or two. This particular conversation seems especially intriguing, mostly because Leia has already heard her name mentioned more than once.

". . . old enough . . . own good . . . for the future . . . ,"

The voices must be down the hall farther, because Leia can't seem to hear everything being said. Only fragments of sentences echo through the corridor. The voice currently speaking, though, is most definitely her father.

". . . not going to like this. Nonsense . . . maybe we should wait," Bail says.

Leia raises an eyebrow carefully. Who are they talking about? What are they talking about? She guesses there's only one way to find out.

She continues down the stairs and reaches the bottom. Her eyes skim the entry hall, but Leia doesn't see anyone.

She tiptoes down the next hallway, following the voices. Finally, she stops short when she hears, "Leia will thank me one day, you know." At that, the young girl becomes more curious than she'd been earlier. The conversation must be getting juicy if that tone is being used. When Leia turns the corner, there stands her dad—and Aunt Celly.

"Oh! Hello, Leia!" her aunt greets, shock written across her expression. Disregarding her, Leia turns to her father for an explanation.

"I'll thank you for what?" she asks, keeping her tone mostly casual. Surely it's nothing important, because there's usually nothing her dad hesitates to share with her. But Bail, suddenly looking very awkward, only half-smiles and tilts his head down at Leia.

"Good morning, Leia. Why don't you greet your aunt?"

Leia barely looks at Celly, but she recites, "Good morning, Aunt Celly, it's very nice to see you," with only an ounce of sincerity.

She returns her attention to Bail. "Now, what will I be thanking you for?"

Unwilling to break the news, the Viceroy turns to his expressive sister, prompting her to take the lead.

Aunt Celly's eyes widen, but she meets Leia's no-longer-casual gaze. Leia had sensed from Bail's hesitation that the matter is going to be anything but humorous. There hadn't been any reason to worry before, but now—why the secrecy? It can't mean anything good. Not with the way her dad is shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

"Oh, well, you see, darling . . . your father and I have just been talking. . ." she trails off.

In any other circumstance, Leia would've politely waited for her aunt to continue. But this is no longer a normal circumstance. So Leia clears her throat as if to say, "Well? Go on."

Aunt Celly gets the hint, but she fails to actually explain. Eventually, Bail begins with a sigh.

"We were only discussing your future," he says. "You're thirteen now, nearly fourteen. It's only natural that we start looking beyond."

Leia furrows her brow and attempts to process that information. Future . . . ? Sounds like something she's gonna regret asking about, but now the curiosity is far too strong to resist.