WALK AWAY || a.s.

04

marwen's gaze held contact with the tops of the trees that seemed to stretch along the horizon. she had found herself on the southern balcony, following her mother's guidance a few paces behind the group. her thoughts wandered as she let the time pass around her. it was a grounding exercise that she frequented, especially when she grew to become overwhelmed.

more often than not, the empathy she seemed to radiate felt like a curse-- especially in the case of padme. her dear friend held a calm exterior, but was nearly always under stress or panic. marwen had always felt it, their relationship always amplifying the emotion. she sighed, releasing the breath that she'd been holding for too long.

the girl thought back to her mother, waiting for the moment she would fulfull her commands so that she could finally fill her in on the past year and a half of life on coruscant. the relationship between mother and daughter on naboo was always prioritized, focusing on the fact that the child teaches as much, if not more, than the mother herself. while marwen didn't feel wise, she did injest fully the lessons that she had learned from freya. they had shaped her into the girl she had become-- mindful, logical, always listening.

marwen blinked against the midday sun and decided to return to the group's designated wing. the shade of the palace was cool, icing the warmth on her cheeks. oh yes, she had missed that feeling.

she made her way down the corridor, finding ahsoka and anakin chatting softly near the end. they snickered, stifling the laughter. an inappropriate comment for the current setting, she decided. her pace slowed momentarily as ahsoka had caught her eye. she was smiling still, offering a wave. anakin turned in the same direction, a warmth in his expression that felt full. earnest. though general skywalker had always maintained a laid back demeanor, this felt casual. less intense, the posture in which marwen was used to seeing jedi knights. she decided she didn't mind this version of the jedi.

marwen smiled softly back at the duo, offering a small nod, before deciding to head towards the guest rooms in search of freya. ahsoka's face faltered for a moment.

"wait here, i'll be right back." she said casually before trotting after the other girl. marwen pretended not to notice. "hey!" she called, a friendly tone in her voice. "hey, marwen." she said again. this time, marwen glanced at her.

"hello." she offered in response. ahsoka kept walking with her.

"i know that we don't normally speak often, but i wanted to check on you. are you alright?" ahsoka commented. the other girl furrowed her brow.

"how do you mean?" she asked.

"you seem agitated. just...rigid, i guess." marwen laughed a little.

"am i not always?"

"not around padme." she retorted. marwen sighed. "you're guarded."

"i am a guard of sorts." she pointed out. ahsoka rolled her eyes.

"i've seen the way you act with her. you laugh. why do you hide it?" she pressed. it wasn't aggressive, but surprisingly curious and sympathetic. marwen watched her for a moment, pausing her pace. she tried to think of an accurate response that didn't sound offputting.

"she's my friend. i relax with my friends, don't you?" marwen turned the questioning. that was a fair claim, ahsoka could understand. but she wished she knew why marwen was so hesitant with those padme was friends with. mutuality seemed barely present.

"i hope you know that you always have a friend in us." ahsoka said in reference to herself, her master, and grandmaster. marwen couldn't help but give a soft smile. ahsoka was a kind creature, she had pure intentions. marwen had to respect that.

"thank you, ahsoka." a feeling of reassurance appeared again. marwen took mental note of it. this time, their gaze was interrupted by freya.

"ahsoka, i'm glad you've come to know my marwen. you are alike, i've come to notice." freya chuckled.

"i take that with pride." ahsoka laughed. "i'll leave you two to talk. thank you for the hospitality, guard qun." she said to freya before turning to walk back to her master.

"i mean it when i say i see you in her." freya leaned in to her daughter. marwen's smile broadened as she shook her head.

"she's a good one." she admitted. turning to freya, she gave her mother another hug. "i've missed you so much." she said. they pulled away.

"i know, dear, i know. i'm glad you've come." they began to walk, arm in arm. "tell me, how is your busy life in the upper city? packed, i'm sure."

"too much for my liking, if you ask me." marwen admitted. "padme bites off more than she can chew. she's brilliant, but constantly stressed." freya pondered.

"and you aren't?"

"well, i am by association. there's always something to worry about, whether it's a sector meeting for the senate, or one of her check-ins with the jedi on their status in the war." marwen huffed. freya nodded.

"she's built friendships with them." she observed. marwen nodded. "but you're still closed off from them yourself." her daughter rolled her eyes.

"i'm not closed off from them, i just don't talk to them. it never seems appropriate, i mean they're jedi. you've heard the stories. disappearing on some hiatus to uncover your 'true place in the force' and being the face of all things pure. it's not easy to allow myself those interactions, especially when padme already has them. i have to pick up what she sets down." freya laughed again, shaking her head at her daughter.

"i think you're taking too much responsibility in padme's choices. yours still exist, my dear. and they're yours to make only. you are a familial advisor, meant to give her a sense of grounding. you're not a senator, and you're far too young to be." she teased. she was right, marwen did have a habit of fretting over padme's anxieties. "you are a girl who is true to her passion and heart, i'd hate to see you go rigid with worry." freya patted marwen's arm. she gave a sigh.

"i just have a bad feeling. i can't shake it." she said.

"trust your intuition. but also trust in your surroundings. you've brought two generals and a commander of war, jedi. you don't have to keep everything contained on your own."