𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙠𝙮𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨

• the pathetic princess •

The first time your husband cheated on you, you were crippled with shock.

Three years later, you were numb to his adultery.

You and Xavin had been together for twelve years, married for six, and unhappy for three. He didn't even try to hide it anymore, and stopped apologising two years ago. You lost your friends because they were frustrated at how subordinate you had become, and got tired of begging you to leave him. No matter how many other women he slept with, no matter how many nights you spent in your bed alone, no matter how small he made you feel, you stayed.

Because you loved him.

He was all you ever knew since you were a teenager, and you made many sacrifices just to be with him. Leaving him never even crossed your mind as a viable option. Divorcing him just to watch him get married to someone else? At least this way, his heart was reserved for you, even if his body wasn't.

Xavin was the Prince of Alderaan, and next to him you were the Princess. You hated how people would stare at you with pitiful looks; they knew of his infidelity. But over the years you learnt to ignore their uninvited sympathy.

Your father-in-law, King Deshin, was holding a feast to celebrate the end of the War. Palpatine was dead and the surviving Sith had gone into hiding. It made your chest ache to see the Jedi fighting, and you yearned to fight alongside them. If things were different, you would have.

The feast had commenced and people from all over the galaxy were in attendance. Royalty from planets like Naboo and Bespin, warriors and bounty hunters that had been vital in winning the war, and of course, the Jedi.

You were excited to see them, and recognised a few faces from your teenage years, but it was tinged with a sense of melancholy. You would have much rather been sitting at the Jedi Order's table next to Obi-Wan and Yoda, rather than up at the front next to your bastard husband and his cruel parents.

Anakin Skywalker sat back in his seat, picking up his glass and letting out a sigh. The war was finally over. This was the first of many feasts that the Jedi had been invited to, and he was excited to be able to just sit back and eat to his heart's content. He couldn't help but look up at the Alderaan royals, as he had only met King Deshin so far, but he was surprised to see such a beautiful woman sitting up there with a solemn look on her face.

"Who's that?" Anakin leaned forward and asked Obi-Wan, a curious look in his eyes.

Obi-Wan looked up at the Princess before letting out a soft laugh, "That's Princess Y/N," He explained. "She's married to the King's son."

Although nothing could ever come of it anyway, Anakin's spirits dampened when he heard that the Princess was unavailable. "Oh."

One of the Padawans sitting next to Anakin overheard their conversation and leaned forward excitedly, her eyes wide. "You know, it's rumoured that Prince Xavin is unfaithful. Apparently he cheats on her all the time! They say it's why she always looks so sad."

Obi-Wan's gave her a stern look. "Try not to engage in such mindless gossip, Nova. That is not the Jedi way."

Nova apologised as Obi-Wan continued to lecture her, but Anakin was unable to tear his eyes away from the broken-hearted Princess. For some reason, his heart hurt for her, and he was filled with anger that Xavin could get away with treating her like that.

You tried to ignore it, but you couldn't. Even now, in front of the hundreds of guests, Xavin was shamelessly flirting with one of the servers. She was bent over his shoulder, pouring him a drink, giggling at some empty compliments he was feeding her. You didn't even have the energy to be shocked, or to nudge him and remind him that the entire galaxy had eyes on him. Instead, you got up and left the hall, well aware that everyone was either watching your husband stare down another girl's cleavage, or watching his pathetic wife scrambling to get away so she could continue to live in ignorance.