Of Love and War Book 2: The Oncoming Storm

Chapter 5: Varykino

Zelina stood and stretched. "I don't know how much longer I can stand sitting," she mumbled.

The three of them were still on the ship headed for Naboo, and Zelina was beginning to wonder how much longer she could stand being stuck in one place. She wanted to get up and move around so badly...

Anakin chuckled a little. "Aren't you always the one telling me to have more patience?" he teased.

Zelina groaned. "And so my own advice comes back to haunt me."

Anakin smiled. "Well, perhaps you need to learn to follow your own advice before you give it."

"The same could be said for you," Zelina shot back, matching his grin with ease.

Anakin rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Sure, whatever."

Padme laughed at them, smiling as she took the bowl R2 had fetched for her. "Thank you R2." Zelina didn't miss the fact that Anakin's sparkling eyes didn't leave Padme once, drinking in her smile and laugh. He paid close attention to every word she said, his attention riveted to her and her alone most of the time.

"It must be difficult having sworn your life to the Jedi. Not being able to visit the places you like or do the things you like..." Padme trailed off, and Anakin was quick to cut in.

"Or be with the people that I love," he added, eyeing her in such a way they all knew he was referring to her. Zelina decided to take a special interest in the ceiling, not sure if she could stand to continue witnessing Anakin's lustful eyes on Padme.

Padme smiled a little. "Zelina and I talked about this back on Coruscant. I'd asked her if Jedi were allowed to love, having heard it was forbidden for the Jedi to love. She said everyone seems to have their own opinion on whether or not the Jedi are allowed to love or not."

Anakin glanced at Zelina. "Yes well...attachment is forbidden...possession is forbidden...Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is essential to a Jedi's life. So, you might say that we are encouraged to love."

Zelina shook her head. Anakin always had a way to look at the rules and find a way to justify his actions. It was one way to look at the rule, though Zelina was fully aware that it wasn't the way that the rule had meant to be looked at. Though she couldn't really judge him. She broke one of those rules every single day. Absentmindedly, her hand floated to her mother's necklace, currently hidden under her tunic.

"You've changed so much..." Padme said.

"Nah, you haven't changed a bit," Anakin said earnestly. "You're exactly the way I remember you in my dreams."

It suddenly got very quiet.

Awkward, Zelina thought. Smooth Anakin, smooth.

It seemed Anakin was very well aware of his blunder because he bit his lip, casting his eyes elsewhere.

Zelina couldn't help but think it was kind of cute. She hardly ever saw him so embarrassed.

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It was a blessing for Zelina when they finally arrived on Naboo. She could finally get up and stretch! She grinned over at Anakin as they walked along, each one of them holding a suitcase as they ascended a flight of stairs. Padme was talking about her political career.

"I wasn't the youngest Queen ever elected. But now that I think back, I don't think I was old enough. I'm not sure I was ready."

"I wouldn't have been," Zelina says. "Then again, I don't really like politics."