The sun shined brightly as you and Anakin enjoyed the picnic the handmaidens had packed for the both of you. The beautiful, idyllic mountain meadow was peaceful. The grass was tall and various shades of green. Wildflowers were spread all across the grass in all sorts of colors. A herd of Shaaks were grazing in the distance. The many waterfalls were lively as the river ran continuously in the background. It made time stop and all you and Anakin cared about in that moment was each other.

The sandwiches and pastries that were packed laid forgotten behind you both as you continued on with your playful yet coyish conversation. Anakin was giving you his full attention as you mindlessly picked at the flowers that matched your dress. Your other hand was holding, in a protective manner, your necklace as if you feared it would be taken from you. A habit of yours that you often did when you wore it freely.

Your dress was an off-the-shoulder, full shirt and skirt gathered type. It was floor length, just barely brushing your feet. The torso part of the dress was made up of a corset. The corset was made out of a golden yellow silk and decorated with petal designs of various shades of the golden yellow, narrow stems and leaves of two differing shades of green, and thin gold swirling lines dotted with small pink and magenta roses. The corset was held up with small straps with the same pattern. There were baggy sleeves of the same pattern of the corset, which you had tightened around your wrists and up to mid forearm with satin ribbons in the colors of pale green, pink, and yellow and about a foot or two hung freely. You complete the top part of your outfit with a triangular shawl of a sheer fabric with the same color and designs as your corset, but your shoulders were completely exposed. The hem of the shawl was scalloped and edged in a match green satin stitch. Your skirt was less complex than the top part of the dress. The under layer was a plain golden yellow silk skirt. The outer layer was the same sheer, golden yellow material as the shaw. But instead of the same design as the corset, it was decorated with small twisting vines with small flowers made of cream colored sequins. You wore creamed color flats with a gold heel.

Your hair was gathered into a small bun on either side of your head and was encased in a hair net in the same golden yellow. You wore a forehead band of the same pattern of your shawl and corset. The rest of your hair was curled and pulled into a ponytail with the same colored ribbons. Your Padawan braid was left out of the ponytail, but it was pinned back to keep from brushing your shoulder.

"I don't know..." you said coyly. Anakin had asked you if you had ever liked someone before in a romantic way.

"Sure you do. You just don't want to tell me." Anakin pried.

"Are you going to use one of your Jedi mind tricks on me?" you teased with a smile.

"They only work on the weak-minded, you know this." Anakin chuckled. "You are anything but weak-minded."

"All right." you caved from his flattery. "I was too young to have actually liked someone before becoming a Jedi. But, there was this boy that I grew up with and hung out with until I became the Princess of Naboo. His name was Altair. He was a year or two older than me. He had these dark brown eyes that always shined brightly and equally dark curls. Our parents had always hoped we would have fallen in love and..."

"All right, I get the picture." Anakin interrupted, jealousy laced his voice and in what you felt from him. Anakin looked away from you as you bit back an amused smirk. "Whatever happened to him?"

"I went into public service and then became a Jedi. I heard he became a baker."

"Maybe he was the smart one." Anakin replied as he looked back at you.

"You really don't like politicians, do you?" you asked, this time Anakin bit back an amused smirk.

"I like two or three, but I'm not really sure about one of them." he said with a smile. Both of you shared a small laugh. "I don't think the system works."

"How would you have it work?"

"We need a system where the politicians sit down and discuss the problem, agree what's in the best interests of all the people, and then do it."

"That's exactly what we do." you answered. "The trouble is that people don't always agree. In fact, they hardly ever do."

"Well then, they should be made to."

You looked at him in bewilderment. "By whom? Who's going to make them?"

"I don't know. Someone." Anakin shrugged.

"You?"

"Of course not me."

"But someone?" you questioned as Anakin nodded his head.

"Someone wise."

"That sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me." you said with a disgusted frown.

"Well, if it works..." Anakin trailed off. You eyed him as he tried to keep a straight face, holding back a smile. You felt his amusement through the Force Connection, no trace of seriousness coming from Ani.

"You're making fun of me!" you accused with a smile of your own.

"No, no." Anakin laughed. "I'd be much too frightened to tease the Jedi Senator and Force Chosen."

The both of you laughed before a comfortable silence took over. You bit your lip slightly as you looked back at the wildflowers you were picking, bottling up the butterflies fluttering feeling. But Anakin still faintly felt it before you were completely able to keep it from him. He smiled fondly at you.

~

You ran in the meadow looking for Anakin, who had managed to get on top of one of the shaaks and rode it away from you. You made your way to where you felt Anakin's presence and watched as he rode by. The shaak bellowed as Anakin tried to stand on top of it.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Anakin shouted as he balanced on the creature as he galloped . You laughed at him and Anakin smiled widely, glad he was making you laugh. Your laughter was music to his ears and he would do anything to ensure you would always be able to laugh freely and happily.

Suddenly, the shaak bucked causing Anakin to lose his balance and fall off. You immediately stopped laughing when you saw Anakin try to stand, but fell back down. You rushed to his side.

"Ani! Ani!" you yelled as you searched through the connection and felt nothing. "Are you alright?"

You fell to your knees and turned him over and Anakin started laughing. You pouted and lightly slapped him on the chest. "Why you...!" you started to laugh as you went to playfully hit him again for making you worry so much and making you think otherwise. Anakin caught your arm and in your struggle to free yourself, both of you started to roll down the slight hill. Anakin embraced you tightly as you did the same. Both of you laughed as you ended up on top of him when you and Ani stopped rolling. You got off of him and held out your hand to him. Anakin gratefully took it and you helped him up. He gave your hand a squeeze before letting go and you both made your way back to your picnic area, savoring every second of this perfect bliss.