-I don't think it is wise for you to go. It's much harder to protect you in an environment like that. Why can't you just skip this one?
-You are naive, as always, Kenobi!
She said, mild frustration rippling around her in the Force. She sat still as one maid carefully adjusted her make-up. The other one braided half of her hair into an impressive crown, while letting the other half sway gently down to her waist. Obi-Wan wished Ardenis were one of the maids, but she did not seem to be working tonight. Which was a pity, because oddly enough when she was around, even the Queen seemed much more...tolerable.
- Well, thank you- he said, deadpan, carefully observing the patterns of the bathrobe Amnil still wore. He was not about to give in, not to this annoying little princess. He tried to change the subject.
- Anyway, the party starts in half on hour. Shouldn't you be ready by now?
This brought out a hearty laugh from her.
-Ah, the innocence of Jedi... - But she refused to give an explanation. Luckily one of the maids- Iryn was her name, if Obi-Wan remembered correctly- caught a glimpse of his eye-roll in the mirror, and turned, to explain what he missed:
-When a party starts at eight standard, nobody shows up at eight. Especially not women. We are always supposed to be late. And so we are. - She blushed lightly as the Padawan frowned at her in confusion.
- I have never ever heard of anything this stupid- he muttered, which of course changed Iryn's face to crimson red, and turned Amnil's frustration into solid anger.
- Instead of further humiliating yourself, why don't you stick to what you are good at, Jedi? Why don't you just shut up, and mutely disapprove, as usual? You are superb at that.
-Oh, good. So you noticed, I disapprove of this. Who would have thought?
-Stars, Kenobi, you disapprove of everything that happens here. Don't mistake me for an idiot, alright? You did not want to came here, I know. You feel you are better than this, I know. You hate politicians, I noticed. I am truly sorry if you feel that saving hundreds of lives does not suit your refined preferences of Jedi service.
She stormed out of the room, leaving two startled maids and a shocked apprentice behind.
-Is she always like this?- Obi-Wan managed to choke out after a few minutes of silent recovery.
-No, not really- the other maid, the elder one, shrugged.
-She just gets very nervous before parties like this- Continued Iryn- It wasn't wise to anger her though.- The blonde girl spoke with soft reproof.- It really is not easy, being her.
- And it's not easy being around her either, I guess.
The other maid laughed jauntily.- Well... No, no, she is truly nice most of the time. And fun to be around. You seem to anger her a lot, Master Jedi.
- What the kriff did I do?- He asked stunned, ignoring the misplaced title.- She just boiled up like a huge kettle!
But before they could have explained his wrongdoing in detail, a soft knock disturbed them.
Amnil returned; the bathrobe replaced by a dark green dress, her face already painted with the symbols of Deran, she was ready.
-I am sorry for the fuss- she turned towards the girls.-Thank you for the help, it means a lot!
They smiled at her, warmly, understandingly and Obi-Wan couldn't help, but ponder on the obvious love and devotion the maids felt towards Amnil. To him- no matter what the girls said- she was still an annoying, upstart little politician, who thought herself to be far more important than she really was.
- I hope you will see that you are wrong!- Amnil said to him, her eyes gleaming with a distant pain, so remote, Obi-Wan wasn't even sure, he felt it. He couldn't figure out her emotions in the Force anymore, she was perfectly composed again. But what the ninth kriffin' hell she meant by her last sentence, he couldn't guess. After all, nobody could possibly read a Jedi's mind, only another Jedi...