An Alderaanian Love Story

Chapter 18

  Never had Rouge Organa been so excited, so anxious, so lively before. No, she had never really been an excitable person. Not on her brother's wedding day, not when her brother had adopted his first daughter, not when he'd adopted Winter. She was filled with an extreme excitement that made her lose her inhibitions. Suddenly, she felt carefree, happy beyond compare, and alive. She'd been planning this very day for a few months now, but it was finally here and Rouge couldn't wait to watch it go by, watch the day's events unfold.
  She strung a string of pearls around her neck, finished a few last touches to her makeup and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Another thrill shot up her spine and she laughed deliriously, hurrying up the staircase to her niece's bedroom. "Leia!" she called through the door as she knocked. "You'd better be out of the sanisteam by now!"

  "I am!" Leia responded. "I'm in my slip dress!"
  With not a moment's hesitation, Rouge opened the door to Leia's room and entered. Her niece was seated before her room's vanity, sitting in a chair. She was clothed in nothing else but what they called a "slip dress", a white, sleeveless dress that had a neckline that cut straight across Leia's chest and ended just at mid-thigh, designed to be worn underneath any other outfit so Rouge and her sisters could help Leia dress. "Where's your dress, dear?" the aunt asked. Hesitantly, Leia rose from her chair and pointed to where her scarlet dress hung on her refresher door, wrapped in plastic to be sure it wouldn't ruin before the ball. "Alright. Tia and Celly should be here any moment now. How about we just get your dress and and we'll smooth it out when they get here."

  She grabbed the dress from its hanger and helped Leia get it over her head just as the other two Organa sisters joined them. "I can't believe it!" Tia squealed upon entrance, already going for her makeup kit where she'd left it on Leia's dresser the other day. "You're growing up so fast, my dear! I still remember when my little brother first brought you home to us. You were such a small little thing with the cutest wild curls."

  "And now you're all grown up," Celly finished for her, rushing to help Rouge fit Leia's dress. "Preparing to marry off. Oh! I just can't wait to hear your speech, who you choose!"

"Relax, ladies!" Rouge rolled her eyes at her sisters. "The ball hasn't even yet started! We have to get her ready, first!"
  "You do have your speech done, right?" Celly asked, adjusting the skirt to the dress.
  "Yes," Leia answered meekly, her gaze set far away, boring into the plain wall ahead.
  "Ah! I can't wait to hear it. Now, just you wait to see everything your parents have set up for you. They're so excited for you, Lelila! We all are."
  "Thanks, Aunty," Leia said, remaining rather quiet.
  Celly and Rouge finished straightening out Leia's dress and moved on to help Tia with the princess's hair. Replicating the image the sisters had come up with nearly a month ago, they finished preparing Leia, doing her makeup, and pulling back her hair. Once they finally finished, they brought Leia down the stairs and to the palace's foyer where waited Bail. He stood to meet them and once again smiled at his daughter's appearance. "Lovely as always," he told her, reaching for her hand. Leia took it, held her skirt in one hand and blushed at the compliment from her father. "Thanks, Papa."
  "Are you ready, darling? Today is all for you."

  Suppressing the urge to object, Leia nodded. "Of course, Papa. Thank you."
  "Alright," Rouge smiled at the father daughter pair and shooed them down the hall to the ball room. "Let's get going. Tonight can only happen once."

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  She tried to feel excited. She really did, but there was nothing in this day that came close to bringing a smile to Leia's lips. Nervousness curdled in the pit of Leia's stomach and she wished she could have grabbed something to eat before her aunts had rushed her off. Starving, tired, and not at all mentally prepared for today, Leia was running on what adrenaline she had left. The rest had gotten her through the past month, dealing with party planning and her aunts.