![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
"This is so beautiful..."
Sarai breathed softly, overlooking the balcony of her new palace on the shores of Baroonda.
It was a purchase she'd made quite some time ago, anticipating many holidays to be spent here, but with Corran and the children living on Naboo, they'd never actually managed to use it. Even now, with the children so grown, they wouldn't be interested in family gatherings on the beach.
They were so old now, their personalities forming and changing. They were becoming their own people and she was missing so much of it. While she was happy for their training on Naboo, and that they always had their father there with them, she wished that she hadn't been so open to allowing them to go to school so far from her. Especially when her schedule was as full as it was.
She still managed to visit for a week every quarter, and at least one weekend a month. During the long summer holiday, they did return to Mandalore, but it wasn't enough to satisfy her lonely mother's heart.
This view, the foamy waves crashing against the white sand, the vivid orange and pink of the sunset, shadows cast about... pinpricks of stars beginning to appear in the sky.
It was a view she should be sharing with Corran.
"It really is. Aren't you glad I convinced you to come here?" Said a voice, a man's, that certainly was not her husband.
Turning around, Sarai smiled and gave a delicate nod to her friend. This really had been a great idea. She had originally planned on surprising her family, but there had been a scheduling conflict, making her unable to go quite as far as Naboo. Rather than staying home, however, Fenn made this suggestion to her, and it had sounded ever so splendid!
"I am. The sea air, the view, the-- oh, goodness, absolutely everything is ever so wonderful here." She took in a deep breath and spun around on the balcony, puffy skirt of her gown flowing out wide.
Fenn laughed, going to catch her and spin her around again by the hand, before dipping her and lifting her up again, much to her surprise and amusement.
"Now, now, good sir. I fear you may be getting a bit too excited." She chided him lightly, for how freely he had taken hold of her. But, it was all said with a smile, and she hadn't movd out of his grasp quite yet.
"Do forgive me, Duchess. I'm merely protecting you from the perils of boredom. Don't you like to dance?" He raised his brows at her, going to twirl her again and lead her in a fun trot. He was tempted to make a remark about how different, better, it must be to dance with a man who didn't have two left feet, and who actually had an inch or two on her... but he decided perhaps that would be a bit inappropriate of him.
"Oh, how I wish I could argue with you!" Sarai moved with him as he led her, starting to hum a proper beat, a song that she was fond of. They continued to dance, sharing smiles and turns, until the sun had dipped fully beneath the horizon and she found herself in his arms, being held with her back against his chest, staring out at the view in silence.
She wasn't quite sure when she'd stopped singing or when they'd stopped dancing. All she knew was that this was really, very wrong.
Taking a breath, she shook her head and cleared her throat, stepping away from him as she ran a hand through her hair.
"I must prepare for bed. I've become quite fatigued."
Well, that was sudden. Fenn looked upon her skeptically, but slowly nodded. "Of course, Duchess. Sleep well. I shall see myself out." After a deep bow, he turned on his heel, going to leave her to her own and retire to his own room for the night, feeling a vague sense of disappointment. He was getting closer, worming his way in, for sure...
Next time, he'd have to up the stakes.
Once she heard the door close, Sarai lifted her skirts and went to sit on the balcony railing, staring out at the water, her heart tightening in her chest. A small tear trekked down her cheek, her hand lifting to delicately swipe it away.
That had been too much for her to handle. They were good friends; Fenn had been there for her for the last several years. As a protector, a confidante... nothing more than that. She had never considered him to be anything more, but now she saw that perhaps he did not feel their relationship was quite so platonic.
The poor man. Had she done something to lead him along? She didn't think so, but being so close to someone, as they had been... well, all you needed was time for feelings to develop.
"Oh dear, what have I brought upon myself..?"
Sighing heavily, she laid back on the thin railing and closed her eyes to think.
What a sticky situation. Perhaps this time away would not be so relaxing afterall.
Sarai breathed softly, overlooking the balcony of her new palace on the shores of Baroonda.
It was a purchase she'd made quite some time ago, anticipating many holidays to be spent here, but with Corran and the children living on Naboo, they'd never actually managed to use it. Even now, with the children so grown, they wouldn't be interested in family gatherings on the beach.
They were so old now, their personalities forming and changing. They were becoming their own people and she was missing so much of it. While she was happy for their training on Naboo, and that they always had their father there with them, she wished that she hadn't been so open to allowing them to go to school so far from her. Especially when her schedule was as full as it was.
She still managed to visit for a week every quarter, and at least one weekend a month. During the long summer holiday, they did return to Mandalore, but it wasn't enough to satisfy her lonely mother's heart.
This view, the foamy waves crashing against the white sand, the vivid orange and pink of the sunset, shadows cast about... pinpricks of stars beginning to appear in the sky.
It was a view she should be sharing with Corran.
"It really is. Aren't you glad I convinced you to come here?" Said a voice, a man's, that certainly was not her husband.
Turning around, Sarai smiled and gave a delicate nod to her friend. This really had been a great idea. She had originally planned on surprising her family, but there had been a scheduling conflict, making her unable to go quite as far as Naboo. Rather than staying home, however, Fenn made this suggestion to her, and it had sounded ever so splendid!
"I am. The sea air, the view, the-- oh, goodness, absolutely everything is ever so wonderful here." She took in a deep breath and spun around on the balcony, puffy skirt of her gown flowing out wide.
Fenn laughed, going to catch her and spin her around again by the hand, before dipping her and lifting her up again, much to her surprise and amusement.
"Now, now, good sir. I fear you may be getting a bit too excited." She chided him lightly, for how freely he had taken hold of her. But, it was all said with a smile, and she hadn't movd out of his grasp quite yet.
"Do forgive me, Duchess. I'm merely protecting you from the perils of boredom. Don't you like to dance?" He raised his brows at her, going to twirl her again and lead her in a fun trot. He was tempted to make a remark about how different, better, it must be to dance with a man who didn't have two left feet, and who actually had an inch or two on her... but he decided perhaps that would be a bit inappropriate of him.
"Oh, how I wish I could argue with you!" Sarai moved with him as he led her, starting to hum a proper beat, a song that she was fond of. They continued to dance, sharing smiles and turns, until the sun had dipped fully beneath the horizon and she found herself in his arms, being held with her back against his chest, staring out at the view in silence.
She wasn't quite sure when she'd stopped singing or when they'd stopped dancing. All she knew was that this was really, very wrong.
Taking a breath, she shook her head and cleared her throat, stepping away from him as she ran a hand through her hair.
"I must prepare for bed. I've become quite fatigued."
Well, that was sudden. Fenn looked upon her skeptically, but slowly nodded. "Of course, Duchess. Sleep well. I shall see myself out." After a deep bow, he turned on his heel, going to leave her to her own and retire to his own room for the night, feeling a vague sense of disappointment. He was getting closer, worming his way in, for sure...
Next time, he'd have to up the stakes.
Once she heard the door close, Sarai lifted her skirts and went to sit on the balcony railing, staring out at the water, her heart tightening in her chest. A small tear trekked down her cheek, her hand lifting to delicately swipe it away.
That had been too much for her to handle. They were good friends; Fenn had been there for her for the last several years. As a protector, a confidante... nothing more than that. She had never considered him to be anything more, but now she saw that perhaps he did not feel their relationship was quite so platonic.
The poor man. Had she done something to lead him along? She didn't think so, but being so close to someone, as they had been... well, all you needed was time for feelings to develop.
"Oh dear, what have I brought upon myself..?"
Sighing heavily, she laid back on the thin railing and closed her eyes to think.
What a sticky situation. Perhaps this time away would not be so relaxing afterall.
