ash'ad | the mandalorian

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"You didn't tell me you were the daughter of a clan leader," he said, slightly dragging his feet as he walked.

"I didn't think he would ever come back," she admitted. Her gloved fingers softly glided along the wall to keep her mind distracted.

Soon, they reached a familiar hallway housing the master suite and adjacent rooms. The hallway was dimly lit, but Beth found her way easily from years of walking the same route every day. More than that, she was happy to finally experience a part of her home that didn't include her father.

"...And he set up a cot for me...in your room...with you," Mando questioned, clearly confused by her father's intentions. He was not opposed to the arrangement by any means, but he wanted to make sure Beth was comfortable with it.

"I'm not a child anymore, Din. He has no reason to shield me from men," she chuckled, sensing his anxiety.

His eyebrows furrowed, coupled with the increase of his heartbeat as he analyzed her words.

does her father see me as a suitor?

does she?

As they approached the end of the hall, she opened a large metal door and slowly stepped into the room. Her eyes widened in surprise as she realized it was just as she had left it. It hadn't been used since the new clan moved in, for her father had held it close to heart as the only preserved memory of his daughter.

A hint of empathy reached her mind as she thought of the pain he must have felt, thinking she was dead. She tried to shake the feeling, but it refused to leave.

Her bed was still in the middle of the back wall, covered in blankets and pillows she used as a child. The bookshelf to the right side of the door was stocked with books for teaching and galactic basic dictionaries, making her smile lightly.

The thermal heater had a big woven rug spread out in front of it, which had faded considerably from its once-bright colors. The only difference in the room was a cot and curtain set up in the far corner of the room for Din.

Her companion came in quietly behind her, smiling at the way she wandered forward. He was touched by the sight of her childhood, not ever knowing much about it. He would have asked, but much like himself, she had made it clear it was a touchy subject.

"I can't believe it's all still here," she whispered, finally meeting his gaze as he came to stand beside her.

"I'm kinda disappointed. I wanted to sleep on the floor," he smirked, bringing up an old argument.

"Well suck it up. You don't have an excuse to be chivalrous this time," she joked, moving to smack him playfully. He laughed at her reaction and caught her wrist lightly, bringing it back down to her side. She would have continued to tease him, but his laugh had made her stomach flutter, distracting her enough to drop it.

They settled in quickly, and Beth found herself sitting in front of the heater to keep warm. She had already removed her armor, tucking it safely away as she always did.

Her mind was wandering to that time in her life again. A time where her mother would still greet her in the morning and hug her at night. She missed it more than ever as she sat in her old room, wishing she could tell her that she made it back.

"Your father...he seems like a good leader," Din said hesitantly. He was packing the last of his armor away for the night, his mind wandering to places he had tried to avoid. Things that made it hard to talk to her.

"He was," she said, staring absently at the heat as it warped the air in front of her. She bent one leg and rested her head comfortably on her knee. Truthfully, she wasn't paying much attention. She was too distracted by her raging thoughts threatening to ruin this happy moment.