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☀︎︎☀︎︎☀︎︎
ELARA AND PADMÉ SAT ON PADMÉ'S BED. Elara didn't go with the men to capture the assassin, because she wanted to stay in case another assassin came for Padmé while she was gone, and they wouldn't be able to protect her.
Padmé's fingers moved strands of hair into braids on Elara's head, her fingers nimble. Elara stared at the wall with a small smile, she hadn't had her hair braided in such a long time. Since she left Tatooine, she only ever threw her hair into a ponytail or only ever left it as it was. It felt nice.
It even distracted both of them from worrying about Obi-Wan and Anakin whilst they went on a chase to capture the hired assassin that wanted to blow Padmé into pieces yet they failed. They didn't even lay a hand on the senator.
"Padmé," Elara whispered with a sigh. "There have been two attempted murders on your life in the past day," she pointed out. "Do you know who could possibly want to kill you?"
Padmé shook her head and slid a pin into her hair to keep it from falling out. "I have no enemy as far as I'm concerned. I don't think it's the Federation, they wouldn't dare touch me," Padmé whispered out. "Not ever again."
Elara looked in the mirror hanging on the wall and noticed Padmé frowned, before she looked up to meet Elara's gaze, forcing a smile on her face. Padmé brushed the flyaways behind her ear. She dipped her finger into some type of gel and patted it down on the flyaways, making sure they were tucked behind her ear.
Neither of them spoke any further about the attempted assassination. They didn't want to voice opinions in case it made someone mad. Their eyes met again through the mirror. Padmé sent her a smile and grabbed her shoulders, leaning Elara back into her chest.
"You look radiant, Elara. I don't think I've ever seen such beauty," Padmé admitted. Elara chuckled and nodded in appreciation. "Master Kenobi is very lucky."
Elara turned her head upwards, furrowing her eyebrows. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.
"Nothing."
"Padmé-"
"Nothing."
Elara flipped herself over. She took Padmé's hands and leaned in real close, their brown eyes connecting with one another's intense gaze. "Tell me."
Padmé sighed. "I just meant that he is lucky, because he probably has never seen a stunning woman before, and he has the luxury to see you as gorgeous as you are, Elara."
"Then. . . Anakin is lucky."
The senator's cheek flushed a bright. She hid her face in her hands and shook her head for she knew what Elara meant by that, and she knew Elara knew what she meant earlier about Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"H-he's seen so many other beautiful women. I bet I could never compete."
"Padmé don't-"
The girl pushed away from Elara. "And plus. . . it's not it would ever happen. It would destroy him and I. . . we could never love each other."
Elara frowned. "But you can."
"We could but what life would it be to live in secret?" Padmé paused, averting her gaze from Elara. "It would be exhausting to love him, Elara. It would all be a lie."
But you love him anyways, Elara thought.
Elara sighed. "Maybe living in secret would be worth it."
"I don't think so." Padmé shrugged her shoulders.
_____
AFTER PADMÉ FELL ASLEEP, Elara watched Obi-Wan and Anakin return in an unfamiliar machine from the balcony, so Elara bolted out and greeted them both and asked if they killed the senator's assassin. Anakin headed straight to bed without answering and Obi-Wan hanged behind, lingering in front of her.
"We found the assassin." Obi-Wan announced, fidgeting with his hands.
"And?" Elara whispered.
"Another droid killed the woman with a toxic dart, but before she did. . . she tried to tell us who hired her and who set the bounty on Senator Amidala's head so I'm thinking we might have to track down where this dart came from to find the trail." He held up the dart for her to see. Elara took it into her hand and examined it, lifting one eyebrow.
"We might just have to do that." Elara told him and handed the dart back to the Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan narrowed his gaze at her to see if she was serious about going with him. When realization dawned upon him, he took a step back and shook his head.
"You are not coming with."
"I am," she smiled. "Master Yoda will allow it to catch the bounty hunter and you know it, Obi-Wan."
He let out a deep sigh. "We'll have to see what the Jedi Council decides," he tilted his head down.
"I know they'll agree to let me help, Obi-Wan."
"Who knows."
They fell into a comfortable silence, their eyes staring deeply into each other's eyes. Obi-Wan tore his gaze away from her eyes and swiftly looked her figure over. Elara averted her gaze away and looked at the ground as a blush crept along her cheeks.
