Perhaps With A Bow

Kairiku slurped down yet another long, flat noodle as Annika watched her with greedy eyes.

"I don't know why you're staring at me," Kairi-chan said slowly, "You're the one who wanted to go on a diet."

Annika pouted and slammed her palms on the kitchen counter, "I know that! But those noodles look really good! And I haven't eaten all day!!"

Kairi-chan smiled and swallowed another noodle. "That's not true, you ate a bowl of porridge for breakfast, a bowl of cabbage and potatoes for a snack, three of those special cookies Nom made you, you drank an entire carton of that chocolate soy shake Ippin brought you from Earth, and you ate fried rice and vegetables for lunch. And that was only about an hour ago."

"So? That doesn't count! Are there any more of those noodles?"

"No way! I'm not letting you eat those noodles! Besides," Kairiku said as she put her empty bowl in the sink, "you wanted us to show you that picture if you tried to eat too much." She reached into a nearby drawer and took out the newest copy of Bantha Beat magazine. Flipping a few pages, Kairiku folded the booklet in half and displayed the picture to Annika who winced.

"I look so gross!!" Annika whined.

"No, you don't! You look exactly the same as you always have!"

"I've always been that big???"

Kairiku smiled and shook her head. "You're paranoid, Annika."

Annika picked up the magazine and stared at the picture of herself. She had always been a little on the chubby side, but recently she felt chubbier than normal. Her new fuku was loaded with fancy bows, ribbons, and opals, and in the picture, Annika thought she looked like a dressed up Hutt.

"There you are!" Obi-Wan said entering the kitchen. "I need to talk to you... what are you reading?"

"Oh... nothing," Annika said hiding the issue behind her back. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

"Let's go for a walk," he suggested. Annika brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and nodded. The magazine was left on the counter.

The terra around the Jedi Temple was cold and hard, Annika noticed, as she and Obi-Wan walked along a cobblestone path, she reached out and plucked a leaf off of a tree, twirling it in her fingers, she looked over at Obi-Wan. He hadn't said anything yet and Annika was becoming worried.

In the distance, some of the children were playing Force tag, and they all stopped to wave at Annika, who promptly waved back. Annika winked at Sai, who seemed to be fitting in with the other children a lot better since the incident at school a few weeks earlier. Sai winked back and ran back to catch up with the other senshi children.

Figuring she should break the unusual ice between her and Obi-Wan, Annika smiled and said, "My mother is looking forward to meeting you, and my father said he wants to 'make sure you're worthy.'" She made air quotes and giggled. Obi-Wan sighed and stopped. He looked over both shoulders to make sure no one was in earshot.

"Annika," he said hesitantly, "I... I'm sorry, but I won't be able to attend your birthday celebration. I've been given a mission protecting a Royal family. I'm sorry." He reached out and took her hand.

"But... you can't get out of it? Can't another Jedi do it?"

He shook his head. "No. They requested me personally, and it would be rude and disrespectful to reject them."

"I understand that, but... never mind," she sighed.

"Annika, I know you're upset -"

"Well, a little bit, yes. I wanted you to be there."

"And I want to be there, but I can't. Not this time. I'm sorry." He put his fingers under Annika's chin and lifted her lips to meet his.

"GROSS!!!!" a small voice yelled from behind a tree. Sai make gagging motions with her hands and wrinkled her nose. "Kissing is for squares! Yuck, yuck, yuck!"

"Sai!" Annika admonished, "It's bad to eavesdrop on people!"

"Sorry!" she said bowing. "But, I thought I should tell you that Aiko fell and scraped her knee. Aisu thought grass might help stop the blood, but I thought..."

"Oh no!" Annika said. "I'll go check on her!" She sprinted off in the direction of the playground, leaving Obi-Wan and Sai behind.

"So..." said drawled. "Did it work?"

Obi-Wan smiled, "Like a charm. I really am not fond of lying to her though."

Sai rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Honestly! I mean, you're not really lying, not if it's going to be a surprise! Aaaaannnnnd, you will be protecting a Royal family, Annika's! So you see, it's not really a lie!"

"A certain point of view?"

"Exactly!"

"You, however, did lie about Aiko."

"No I didn't! She really did fall and scrape her knee! But I lied about Aisu trying to fix it with grass, 'cuz I gave her my wand! She's gonna try and fix it with magic!"

"Oh no!" Obi-Wan moaned. He took off running toward the playground.

Deep within the massive Sith fortress, a pink-clad Sailor stood in an empty room. Shafts of dim light shone through a couple of barred windows, catching thousands of dancing dust particles. The Sailor cleared her throat nervously. "Hello?" she asked no one. Her voice echoed and bounced off of the farthest wall. "I followed your instructions... hello?"

"I'm glad you could make it," a shadowy woman said from a corner.

The Sailor jumped and yelled, "Oh! You scared me!" Her right hand flew to her heart and she took some shaky breaths. Smiling, she said, "I can barely see you."

The shadow slowly dissolved into the outline of Kendra's slinky figure as she took a few steps closer. Her hair was lying in long, wavy tendrils and she was wearing a deep purple gown. Her perfectly shaped lips parted to reveal a set of straight, white teeth. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Well, that's all right! I was worried at first. Anyway, I'm really glad that you're interested in my work! It's not often that I take outside offers, but your sister said you'd be willing to pay twice my asking rate."

"Yes," Kendra said. "I have been interested in a costume for some time."

"Really? Well, it was a good thing that your sister was at the Senshi Convention, then! I was originally going to go dressed as Sailor Iridonia, but my friend went as Iridonia last year, and my cousin went as Hoth this year. I made both costumes."

"And you made the one you're wearing now?"

"This? Yes. Pink doesn't exactly look good with my skin colour, but that's the only shade Sailor Bakura wears."

"How true." Kendra walked around the girl gently a few times before she suddenly stopped behind her. "Will you do me a favour?"

"A-all right."

"Say hello to the Vampire's daughter."

"What?"

Kendra reached her hands around the girl's head, quickly jerked her arms - breaking her neck. Her lifeless body fell to the ground.

"You know something," Kendra said forlornly, "that just doesn't have the same effect it used to." She sighed and took a step back from the body.

Kendra's sister, Kayla, who had been watching in an opposite corner, smiled and asked, "What? Killing innocents?"

"Oh no, that never gets boring! No, what I mean is, I've killed countless girls dressed up as that harlot, and at first it was interesting and it almost seemed like the real thing."

"But?"

"But, it's lost the fun it once held." Kendra walked out of the empty and dimly lit room with Kayla trailing behind her.

"Aa," the little girl Kayla said. "Are you growing soft towards her?"

Kendra pivoted and grasped her little sister around the neck and lifted her up to eye level. Kayla jerked and choked, trying desperately to free herself from her sister's grip, her small fingers turned white at the joints while she tugged on Kendra's much larger and much more powerful hand. Kayla could feel her throat starting to collapse under the pressure and her eyes rolled back in their sockets.

"Don't you EVER," Kendra yelled, "EVER accuse me of being soft." She tossed Kayla to the floor like an abandoned rag doll and continued on her way.

The botanical market in the heart of the upper level was bustling as usual the next afternoon. Chikako studied a bouquet of yellow and orange flowers sitting on a vendor's table.

"What about this one?" Chikako asked. "It looks nice and summery... and kinda like fall."

Annika joined her and scanned the flowers. "I agree! They remind me of the change to fall from summer. Beautiful!"

"I think so too! I'm glad that I wanted to look for flowers today."

Annika nodded. "So are you buying them?"

Chikako was always one to make and break her decisions in the blink of an eye, so Annika wasn't surprised when she said, "No, I don't think so. Pretty though."

"I sort of like these over here," Annika motioned to a grouping of long petaled flowers in different shades of lavender.

"I do too!" Yukiko said as she walked over. "Are you still looking for flowers to give your mother?"

"Yes," Annika said, "I know she loves Starbursts, but there aren't any here."

"There are some absolutely lovely blue irises over here," Yuki said.

Annika and Chikako followed their friend over to a small ramshackle booth that was made of obviously cheap wood and in a considerable state of advanced disrepair. Across the front, the words, "Purty Flewrs" was scrawled in drippy spray paint. There was no one behind the counter.

"Well," Annika began, "are the flowers free?"

"They ain't no free lady!" yelled a small child who had popped up from his hiding place under the booth. All three girls jumped back in surprise before smiling at the small boy. Their laughter was short lived, however, as the noticed the boy's appearance.

He was dirty and his clothes were worn and much too short (his ankles protruded from under the hem), and his shoes were nothing more than rags, bundled around his feet.

"My name's Devon and iffin' youz wants them flours, you'z gonna be's a payin' fer dem," he said through a mouth of rotting teeth.

Annika suddenly felt very guilty for being borne a very wealthy Princess and she frowned. Chikako and Yuki were also heartbroken, and it became an unspoken agenda for them to buy the little boy out of every blue iris he had.

"I wonder how he's going to spend the eleven thousand credits?" Chikako said as she, Annika, and Yuki walked away each with two gigantic armfuls of flowers.

Yuki shrugged. "I don't know. But that much money can really help a poor family."

"Speaking of poor families," Chikako suddenly said, "I was thinking about entering that contest... you know the Celebrity Auction?"

Annika stopped in her tracks. "The Celebrity Auction? Isn't that the one where famous people are auctioned off to people for a date?"

"Yep! And it raises money for the Coruscant homeless shelter!"

"Well, count me in, then!" Annika said enthusiastically.

"And me!" Yuki smiled. "I'm sure Ben won't mind if it's for charity! Besides, he can afford to buy me!"

"But he might get outbid," said a British voice from behind the girls. They all pivoted around to face an extraordinarily beautiful man with black hair and blue eyes. He smiled and the afternoon sun sparkled off of his clean white teeth. "Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you."

Chikako smiled and batted her eyelashes. "That's okay," she said while her cheeks turned an attractive shade of pink.

"I saw what you did for the little boy back there and I was incredibly impressed. It was a very generous thing to do. However, it might not be wise for three beautiful women to carry that many credits around the streets of Coruscant."

They exchanged looks and smiled. "We... uh..." Yuki said, "We can handle ourselves."

"I see," he said. "Oh, I 'm terribly sorry," he said extending his hand, "My name is Seiyaku Oji."

"Uh..." Annika breathed. None of them had a free hand to extend. Seiyaku laughed and shrugged. "I won't keep you," he said, "I just wanted a chance to talk to the most beautiful girls I've ever seen."

One by one they all blushed and looked in various directions. Seiyaku bowed slightly before turning and briskly walking back down the path.

"I hope he's at the auction," Yuki said with a hint of fun in her voice.

"What about Ben??" Annika chided.

"Hey, I may not be ordering, but I can still look at the menu... I'm bonded, not dead!"

Annika laughed and followed Chikako who was already walking back towards the taxicabs. They hadn't traveled very far before Yuki spotted the little boy, Devon, being robbed in an alley. An attacker had him by the front of his shirt and was swiftly stealing all the credits he had collected through out the day. Yuki dropped her flowers and ducked behind a close building to transform. Annika and Chikako followed suit.

Seiyaku, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time (after keeping an eye on them for 'their own safety'), crouched behind some trash bins and gazed in wonder, as the three girls became sailor senshi.

"I suppose they can handle themselves," he whispered. He continued to watch as they confronted the thief. He was too far away to hear what they were saying, but from their powerful and impressive stances, he could tell they were not afraid for any response they attacker might make.

Whatever their words were, they had the proper effect, because the robber dropped the credits and ran down the alley. Sailors Myrkr and Hoth ran after him, but Sailor Bakura stayed behind to help Devon pick up his credits. Seiyaku reached into his shopping bag and brought out his newest purchase - a black diary. Opening it to the first page he wrote, "To-day I learned that Princess Annika Nesicha and her friends are Sailor Senshi. What an amazing start to my stay on Coruscant. Luckily, I won't have to look far for my future."

The words were cryptic, but he knew what they meant, and reasoning that to be the most important factor in diary writing, he ended his first entry and waited patiently for the other Sailors to return.

Coruscant Security arrived to protect little Devon and thank Sailor Bakura. Sailors Myrkr and Hoth rejoined their comrade and as soon as the Security was gone, they transformed back into civilian clothes, picked up their flowers, and resumed the walk home.

Seiyaku trailed behind them, trying to blend into the crowd of people.

"I assume there is some reason you've summoned me here tonight, Kendra. I'm a very busy man," Darth Sidious said through clenched teeth.

"Yes, Master, there is. Things have taken an interesting twist, as I have discovered a way to gain a new Dark power."

Sidious sat upright. "Is this so?"

"Indeed. This is ancient Sith magic, something older than this planet and for it to work, I will need the blood of two senshi."

"And how do you plan on accomplishing this?"

Kendra smiled. "Sailor Bakura's blasted birthday party. We have intercepted an outgoing communication from Sailor Bakura to her mother in which she informs the Queen that all but two of the senshi will be attending, as well as half of the Jedi Council. Mistique will pose as a Jedi Padawan; she will then escort me into the grounds. You have already informed me of the location of their headquarters, so it shouldn't be too difficult to gain admittance."

"You realize the great risk you take? The Jedi are powerful and will easily be able to spot a Sith, especially the Sith Queen. You could get caught. They will not be forgiving."

"With all due respect, sir, they have not discovered you. I will not get caught."

"Very well then, you have my permission. Should you perish, Kendra, Mistique will take the highest position in my esteem."

Kendra inwardly winced. She hated Mistique with a passion, and Sidious knew it. Kendra bowed and hastily exited Darth Sidious' quarters.

Obi-Wan was packing his bag with the simple things a Jedi requires on a journey. Even though he was traveling to Bakura to surprise Annika, he needed to make certain Annika thought he was leaving on an assigned mission. He noticed, however, that Annika wasn't even occasionally glancing at him; she was instead pouring over a pile of documents.

"What are you reading?" he asked.

"Huh?" Annika asked. She had a pencil behind one ear and another one between her teeth.

"Reading. What are you reading?"

"Oh. This mess," she said placing her palms flat against the plethora of papers. "These are status reports on the new worldwide government on Serenity. They arrived this morning. Careful Jolly sent them for me to look over. I just wish it weren't so complicated."

"I thought Gordon Sythe and the others were helping you," Obi-Wan said as he secretly loaded a small pink papered box into his bag.

"They are, thankfully. Without them staying on the planet, I wouldn't have been able to return here. But these documents are just details about the dinner for the delegates in two weeks."

Obi-Wan stopped packing and looked up at Annika. "Two weeks? Annika, we were supposed to go on holiday in two weeks."

She sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. I was going to tell you, but I guess I just forgot. If it weren't so important, I'd try to reschedule."

"Why don't you invite the delegates to meet you here? That way we'll at least be together."

"That idea did run through my mind, but... since Ambassador Telka and Admiral McPlenty are flying in all the way from Bakura... well, I thought... Serenity has been cloaked for so many centuries and its existence unknown, so I figured having the dinner on the planet would be a positive sign of solidarity, respect, and loyalty, to and for the Republic. Having the dinner at the Temple would seem remote and insincere."

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "You're right. It just seems like we are spending less and less time together."

Annika walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his abdomen. Laying her head on his shoulder, she said, "I know that too, and I'm sorry. Hopefully all of this will be straightened out soon and we'll be able to return to normal."

"That is," he said, "my greatest wish." He kissed her forehead before slightly sighing. "I have to go talk to Master Yoda and collect Anakin. I'll come back before we leave."

Annika nodded and then watched Obi-Wan walk out of the door. She reluctantly shuffled her feet back over to her paperwork and began to chew on her pencil again.

Seiyaku was drifting about the grounds of the Jedi Temple trying to find out where the women had gone. It was ironic, he thought, that he should meet the Princess on Coruscant, and he wasn't upset that she didn't remember him. "Later, I'll write about today's events at length in my diary," he thought.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was preoccupied with finding Master Yoda, and Seiyaku wasn't looking where he was going, so it came as a shock to both of them when they collided.

"I'm so sorry," Obi-Wan offered.

"No worries mate. I'm fine. It'll take a lot more than that to dent my head." Both men chuckled and smiled.

"Did you need assistance?"

"Oh, right, you're a Jedi," Seiyaku said, giving Obi-Wan a once over. "Listen, maybe you can help me find someone - a girl. She's about this high with white and pink hair... blue eyes? She was probably carrying a large bounty of blue flowers."

Obi-Wan folded his arms. "She's busy at the moment."

Seiyaku noticed Obi-Wan's rigid stance and the way his face took on a hard look and suddenly he realized. "Oh... look, if you two are... uh... well, sorry old chap, didn't mean to tread on your ground."

Obi-Wan nodded.

"I'll just be going then," Seiyaku said. He turned and walked away with his hands in his trouser pockets and a tune escaping his lips.

An empty pit formed in the bottom of Obi-Wan's stomach because he realised that an event he was dreading grew closer, because the Force told him that the man he'd just met was the man who would become Ame's father.

Bakura was lavish. The season had turned from sticky summer to brisk autumn temperatures and the leaves seemed to fade to gold as Obi-Wan gazed upon them. "Aa! Master Kenobi! It is wonderful to see you! My name is Halla Windsor; I'm the head of Bakuran Security Forces. And you must be Anakin Skywalker, a pleasure." She extended her gloved hand with a firm grip and smiled. "If you two will follow me, the Queen is anxious to meet you both."

Obi-Wan nodded, and he and Anakin followed closely behind.

"Yeah," Halla said over her shoulder, "this whole area here has been cleared to make way for the parade. The children in town form little groups that each designs a float. It's really a sweet gesture, and I know the Princess loves it." Halla pointed out all the small decorations - the pink ribbons and the paper lanterns - and then she pointed to the main balcony on the Palace.

"Usually," she said, "the balcony is never draped with cloth, and it's only on royal events, such as the Princess' birthday. If you'll just come this way, I'll lead you inside to meet the Queen. Oh! And Her Highness' cabinet from Serenity arrived only a few hours ago."

"The Cabinet?" Obi-Wan asked. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh no, no!" Halla shook her head. "They were invited guests!"

Obi-Wan smiled in understanding. "What time is her Highness supposed to arrive, Miss Windsor?"

"Not for another hour yet sir."

"Thank you."

Mistique shifted back into her usual form, and then turned to Kendra. "I told you so."

Kendra sneered at her surroundings - the Room Behind the Waterfall. "I can't believe they live this way. Look at this," she said.

"What is it?"

"It looks like... a teddy bear."

Mistique made a face that indicated she might throw up. "Let's just do what we're here to do."

Kendra closed her eyes and focused on the Dark Side of the Force. With the high concentration of Lightsiders in and around the Temple it was hard to find a target. Mistique sighed and tried to wait patiently.

Suddenly, Kendra's eyes snapped open and she said, "Kitchen. Both of them. This is going to be simple." Kendra followed the draw of the Force around the senshi headquarters until she came to a doorway. She could feel the presence of the two girls; they were slumped over the counter. Kendra smiled. Her plan had worked.

"What happened to them?" Mistique asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Overdose of glitterstim. I happen to know where a majority of the senshi buy their sweets, and so I had Areil lace each and every pastry in the shop."

"What about all the other people who bought boxes of glitterstim cookies that day?"

"What about them? Kendra sneered. "It is safe to say they wish they'd eaten healthy right about now."

Mistique shrugged her shoulders. "So... how are you going to do this?"

Kendra weaved her fingers together and cracked her knuckles. She stretched her hands a few times before placing her palms flat against each side of Josephine's head. "Like this," she said. Kendra closed her eyes and chanted a very discordant rhyme in a long dead language. Her body moved back and forth in perfect time, like a metronome, building speed faster and faster. Small sparks of blue lightning flew from under her palms, and she chanted louder.

There was a loud 'boom' and then silence. Plumes of black smoke rose from Kendra's flattened palms and Josephine's body fell limp to the floor.

"One down... one to go," she whispered. Mistique watched as Kendra repeated the process with Rune - the chanting, the rocking, faster and faster, then a small explosion, and then nothing. Kendra had a strange expression on her face, and she stared at her hands. Slowly she would flex her fingers and then point them straight.

Mistique rolled her eyes. "Well? Are you done?"

Kendra grinned at her. "Bloodless Symphony," she whispered.

Not a second passed before Mistique's ears were jammed with noise. Loud, screeching, glass shattering, yet, oddly melodic noise. The notes seemed to reach out with phantom fingers and scratch the inside of her brain. Mistique screamed and covered her ears.

Kendra stood back and watched as blood trickled out of Mistique's ears and her eyes rolled back in her head. "Yes," she said, "I rather like that." She snapped her fingers, and the attack stopped. She snapped her fingers again and opened a black portal. "I suggest you pull your sorry carcass off of the floor and follow me. The Jedi are certain to sense my new attack, they are probably on their way here now."

Mistique gritted her teeth and crawled over the portal. Her arms shook, barely supporting her weight. No sooner had the hole closed behind her, than a swarm of Jedi burst into the Room Behind the Waterfall.

Annika watched from the Silver Swan as Bakura blossomed from a distant blue ball into a planet ripe with life and spirit. Pointy, bare branches protruded from the canopy of treetops and the river leading around the Palace gleamed with the reflection of pure quartz crystal. She smiled to herself. It was good to be home. Especially after the events on planet Serenity.

Mika signaled to Annika. "Come here," she whispered.

It was going to be hard for Annika to go anywhere with six children napping on her. Aisu was on the left, Aiko on the right, Kleppa was in her arms, Sagiriko was at her feet, and Hisako and Niji were cuddled up in Annika's lap.

"Easier said than done!" Annika whispered back. Mika tiptoed over to her sister and tried to find a place to sit.

"Wow. You're like Mary Poppins or something!"

"Who?"

"Nobody, forget it," she said, smiling. "I wanted to ask you something... what exactly will be happening here? Is it a regular birthday party?"

Annika chuckled. "Not really, no. It's a celebration thrown for me, for us, by the people as a show of love." Aiko rolled over and snuggled closer against Annika's arm.

Mika frowned. "What about gifts?"

"Presents? We don't get them. It's an old tradition. It's considered rude for Royalty to accept a monetary gift."

"You're joking, right?"

Annika switched Kleppa to her other arm and shook her head. "Nope. The only gifts we are allowed to receive are charitable gifts made in our name or things that are homemade."

Mika sighed and said, "Well. That's interesting. And it sure is different from Earth!"

"So I've heard!" Annika whispered. It didn't do to well to keep quiet because Hisako woke up and wrinkled her brow.

"Shhh!!!!" she pleaded.

"But we're almost on Bakura, sweetie," Annika explained. "Don't you think it's time you woke up?"

The little purple-haired girl just rolled to her side and fell back into slumber. Mika shrugged.

The Silver Swan landed easily twenty minutes later and mothers and guardians came to retrieve their children from Annika.

"Annika!!" Mika said, grabbing her sister by the arm. "What's going on?" She pointed out the window to a large crowd of people.

"Oh! They're here to greet us! Isn't that marvelous?"

"All those people?"

"Mika!!! You're a Princess! Of course all those people, silly!"

Annika sat in her room, trying to braid her hair into some interesting design. She wasn't having any luck. She had to be downstairs for dinner in less that thirty minutes and she was nowhere near ready. She had been made-up with cosmetics, perfumed and powered, even a strand of jewels was draped around her neck, however, and she still didn't feel ready. Her hair was refusing to be twisted into braids and it was too late for odango and ponytails.

"Well, I suppose you'll just have to fall around my shoulders," she said to her hair. The last thing to be added was a small tiara. The gleaming triple heart insignia that belonged to her was recreated on the tiara in diamonds and opals. She secured it to her head with bobby pins.

Someone made a tapping sound on the other end of the door. "You may enter," she sang. She didn't take her eyes off of herself as she fiddled with getting the tiara straight.

"Happy birthday," Obi-Wan said quietly.

Annika gasped and spun around in her chair. "What are you doing here?" she asked. When he simply smiled, it dawned on her. "So... let me guess, the 'royal family' you were sent to protect is mine?"

Obi-Wan nodded.

Annika lifted the hem of her skirt and glided over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his check. Obi-Wan brushed some errant pinkish hair behind her ear and returned the kiss.

"I have something for you. It's not technically a gift, and besides I think you'll probably want to accept this one."

She gave him a disapproving look. "You know the rules."

Obi-Wan winked. He reached into his pocket and produced a small pink box.

Annika sighed and bit her lip. "Obi-Wan..." she said. Her emotions were split - on one hand she wanted to happily take the gift, but the other half told her that it was wrong to accept the gift on her birthday. "Why did you...?"

He didn't say a word, but simply lowered himself to one knee, and opened the box. The small sparkle of a diamond caught Annika's eye.

"Annika, I'm not exactly sure where are lives will lead us - which paths we will travel - but I know that I want you to be by my side. I don't know when I will be able to fulfill this promise, but... will you marry me?"

For a moment, she said nothing. She just stared at the ring. Silver band (Obi-Wan knew that Annika hated gold), and two small ruby baguettes adored either side of a heart-shaped diamond. It was small and dainty, a perfect match for her hand. In the silence, Annika could hear the tick-tocking of a clock. The clock that had been belonged to her grandmother, who herself had received it as a wedding gift from a foreign Tsar, now stuck an hour and the small chimes rang.

"No," she said.

The silence grew heavy on Obi-Wan's shoulders; Annika's answer had cut like a knife through his soul. He couldn't move. It took all of his strength to muster the word, "Why?"

Annika got down on her knees, down to his eye level, before she explained. "It's not that I don't want to marry you, I do. And I believe that you want to marry me. But, it's not the right time. You are busy with Anakin, I am busy ruling a planet." She hugged him close. "I'm sorry. We have all the time in the galaxy to get married, Obi-Wan. We'll wait until Anakin's training is finished, because by that time, surely the problems with Serenity will be sorted out." She leaned in to kiss him, but he pulled back from her and got to his feet. Annika looked up at him from the floor, her dress in a wrinkled mess around her legs. She knew she had hurt him, but she didn't know how deep.

"You don't know..." he started to say. He turned away to control his thoughts and emotions. Annika didn't know what Obi-Wan knew. She didn't know that for some reason he wasn't Ame's father, she didn't know that he would die, leaving her alone. She didn't know that they didn't have all of the time in the galaxy.

Tiny tears dripped from Annika's chin. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," she whispered. She stared at his back, and he didn't say anything. "Obi-Wan? Please talk to me."

"We don't have to... we don't have to get married right now, Annika. Just..." His voice cracked with emotion. "Just promise me that we will get married one day. Will you at least make that vow to me?"

He heard the crinkle of her pink chiffon dress as she stood and walked over to him. He could feel the warmth of her body against his back. She slid her arms around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Yes. I do promise that. That, I gladly promise," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Obi-Wan took the small ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. They didn't move for several minutes, they carefully let time slip away, both of them torn between love and hurt.

There was a quiet knock on the door. It was Halla Windsor. "It's time for dinner, Your Highness," the Chief of Security called from the other side of the door.

Everyone stood on their feet when Annika and Mika entered the room, and as the twin Princesses walked down the red carpet to take their positions at the head of the table, the guests bowed their heads. Annika looked over at her sister and smiled, and then she looked down at the ring on her finger and smiled.

A flash of light from one of the chairs sparkled in Annika's eye and she looked over to see Yoshiko with her video camera. The fellow pink-haired girl gave Annika thumbs up and then refocused her lens. Mika giggled.

Mika squeezed Annika's hand when she saw Link was seated close to where she would be sitting, and Annika looked for Obi-Wan. She found him sitting four chairs away. He looked upset, and Annika could tell he was hurting from something other than the botched proposal. She followed his gaze. Obi-Wan had been looking at the man Annika, Yuki, and Chikako had seen in the flower market the day before. He was dressed in a black uniform that was decorated with many medals and pins; he had a sword tucked into his belt.

Military. He must be in the Marines, Annika thought. He was seated next to Halla's father, General Albert Windsor, and the Duchess of Roses, Annika's aunt Lorice.

Mika and Annika were seated between their mother and father. Mika looked nervous, but jubilant. She occasionally would glace at Link, and then blush. Annika, however was looking at Obi-Wan, but he was still looking that Seiyaku.

There was a standard moment of silence that the Queen explained that is to 'remember that of which we are thankful', before the meal began. The first course was a favourite of Annika's - a creamy soup made from pumpkin and roasted chestnuts. The second course was steamed vegetables and rice.

Obi-Wan barely touched his food; Annika noticed and she began to grow worried for him. Yukiko was also keeping a close eye on him because she could sense his sadness. Fretfully, Annika fidgeted in her seat and twirled the brand new engagement ring on her finger.

After dinner, the Queen thanked the guests for coming and invited them all to adjourn to the massive music room, where a local children's choir would further entertain them, until the parade was to begin.

One by one the guests filed out of the dining room, commenting of what a lovely meal they'd eaten, and "my isn't it wonderful to have Princess Mika back home on Bakura... after all these years, can you imagine?" and so on. Eventually the only people left in the room were Annika, Obi-Wan, Chikako, Yuki, the Duchess of Roses, and Seiyaku.

Annika wished things would return to normal. She wished someone would break the silence that had settled over the room like a thick blanket.

Seiyaku cleared his throat and walked out from behind the table. Obi-Wan watched him intently. The broad sword at Seiyaku's side reflected the dying sunlight that streamed through the windows and the medals on his jacket jingled as he walked towards Annika.

"Princess Annika," he said after he'd reached her side. He bowed deeply. "I must admit," he said, "That I am somewhat disappointed that you don't remember me."

"But I do remember you. You're the man from the flower market," Annika said.

"That's not what I mean. I am His Royal Highness, Prince Seiyaku Oji, from the Seventh House of the Morning Sun."

Annika was impressed by his title, and it did sound vaguely familiar. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, I wasn't aware you were royalty."

He grinned at her and shook his head. "Maybe this will help jog your memory. He reached inside his jacket and produced a small, dark blue box. He extended it to Annika who vigorously shook her head.

"I beg your forgiveness, but I cannot accept gifts on my birthday."

"Then, allow me to open it."

Obi-Wan's heart was beating in his throat and his mouth was dry as he watched the scene unfolding before his eyes. Yukiko had come over to stand next to him, while Chikako stood next to the Duchess.

Seiyaku sprang the hinge on the box and the lid flew open to reveal a spectacular, multi-faceted, deep red ruby. Annika gasped when she gazed at it.

"It's the Intended's Kiss," Annika whispered.

"Quite right!" Seiyaku said. "Sorry I didn't have time to put a bow on the box."

Chikako, leaned to the Duchess and asked, "What is the Intended's Kiss?"

"Well," the woman said, "It's a long story."

Chikako wrinkled her nose. "Can you give me the condensed version?"

"Of course. If something should happen to the Queen before her daughter is at a proper age to rule, which is age twenty, her future is safeguarded by an arranged marriage. Many Princes and Dukes are apt to take advantage of a young and impressionable Queen, so a match is chosen with a trusted Kingdom to the Bakuran Crown. The jewel is given to the young man chosen to wed the Queen, when he returns it, he is ready for marriage."

"But," Chikako said, "Annika is over the age of twenty. She won't have to marry him, will she?"

"Not if she doesn't want to; however, in doing so, she may anger the Oji Kingdom. It's all very interesting."

Chikako frowned at the woman's apparent glee caused by her friend's unfortunate situation.

Annika sighed and closed the lid of the box. "I'm sorry," she said, "But I am of age and I reject your proposal."

Seiyaku grinned as he saw the flicker of diamond. Carefully he lifted her left hand and gazed at the delicate ring shining on her fourth finger.

"It appears," he said thoughtfully, "that I am in check." He twisted his head to glance at Obi-Wan. "But the game isn't over yet." He kissed Annika's hand, nestled the jewel back inside his jacket, and turned to leave. He reached the doors and stopped. Turning around, he looked back at Annika.

"We will be seeing each other again, Your Highness."