Meetings and Partings

The trip was actually peaceful. No worrying about the council suspecting something and rushing after us, nothing. We are staying in a grand manor house in Coronet. This is where Godfrey lived before he was sent to train with the Jedi.

This place is simply beautiful. It's a cross between a victorian manor and a medeval castle.. Hundreds of rooms, .. It's a dream. His father is ill and from what he speaks of, it's one of the main reason why we've come here . He wanted me to meet his father Arton before he pased into the force. His mother died years ago, and he doesn't speak of it much, but tells me that I would've made her quite happy.


When we entered the house, someone rushed up to Godfrey and whispered something to him and immeditly his expression became very somber. He took my hand and led me down the hall towards a sprawling room that seemed to go on forever . In it was one single bed and in that bed was a man in his 90's I would guess . " is that?" my question died in my throat as he riased his head and looked at me. They were the same color as Godfrey's, sea green.


I left his side and approached the bed carefully then kneeling I let my hand rest on his forehead sending calming waves of the force to him. " you.. you're the one my s-son spoke of? Phobia?"
I nodded" Yes Arton, I'm Phobia.. Rest.. please.. save your strength"


A shaky gnarled hand tocuhed my cheek and his eyes locked with mine for the briefest moment " They will adore you.. you will be a good queen.. "


His head fell back, eyes closed and the hand fell back to the bed . I looked to Godfrey who stood just behind me , his eyes full of sorrow. The last family member he had.. gone.. I rose and after kissing Arton's forehead in a final means of love and respect I went to his side and brought his face down to meet mine.. " You still have me, you will ALWAYS have me.. this I promise you.... Now why don't we go for a walk? maybe get settled in? Help you clear you thoughts.. Let's just get out of here for now.. let them do their job?"


A thin smile crossed his features and he nodded, guiding me out of the room an arm around my waist. I wanted to take this pain away from .. somehow. I knew the pain of loosing family.. but I didn't..The glass doors swished open with the force and suddenly I found myself standing in a HUGE garden ,roses of every sort surrounding me and.. I walked closer to the tree in the center of the garden ..I knew this tree.. barely from my childhood in Spirit World.. " Godfrey.. how.. I.. " Words would not form in my throat.. this was one of the holiest trees known to man kind.. and demon kind.. the crystals that grew from this tree were sacred.. and helped prevent nightmares.
Godfrey reached up and plucked off one of the crystals and threaded it on a black leather rope and he placed it around my neck.. " To help with your nightmares love" I could feel the crystal's magic working on me and brining me closer to inner calm than I have ever been. I rose from the bench and wrapped my arms around his neck. " You are the most loving, caring man I have ever met. How can I ever show you how I feel?"

Smiling he placed both hands on my head and his voice dropped to a whisper" Open your mind to me.. show me.. "

I let every last one of my mental shields drop like glass, I could feel his mind wrapping around mine like a warm blanket healing the cracks, healing the scars. I could feel Catia's suprise as he even accepted her, his love embraced us both. Tears fell as I let myself fall against him, overcome by weariness and well.. just plain emotional breakdown.

He lifted me to my feet, my body was pretty much incapable of supporting itself and led me back into the house, but not before plucking a red rose and tucking it just behind my ear. Up a set of stairs and a smaller door was pushed open.

The room was bedecked in dark blue and silver. Bookshelves lined the walls and above them several weapons hung as ortamental pieces on the walls. Both new and old. I gazed in wonderment at the set of sais hanging above the second bookcase as Godfrey laid me down gently on the bed . " Sleep now my love. please.. you need your strength"

I nodded drowsily" Only if you'll lay here with me.. just or a bit.. "

I could see he was debating to give in or not, and I gazed at him pleadingly" Please? I can't sleep well without knowing your rested too"


A smile twitched at the corners of his lips and a moment later I could feel him pressed agianst my back, heat warming and comforting me like a gentle furnace.. " Now sleep.. we'll go out shopping later.. and head to the docks.. remember Anakin should be here soon"

With that thought on my mind I dropped off to sleep, drifitng on peace and serenity, two emotions the force has not seen fit to grant me until now.


When I woke sometime later it was Godfrey shaking me. " Pho? Pho? c'mon we're late.. and your com is ringing dear. " I woke groggily trying to reorient myself with the waking world. I picked up my com and answered sleepily" Deimos.. what's up?"

I could hear fighter engines in the background and a familiar voice that brought me back fully awake in a matter of seconds. " Skywalker and Pho where the heck are you? You said to meet you at the space dock at 3 it's 430 now !"

A few muttered cuss words and I shot up out of bed , searching for a dress and running a brush through my as usual* snort* unruly hair" Ani I'm sorry there's things that had came up and I slept in.. We'll be right there I promise.. I'll fill you in there."

" Alright Pho but this better be good.Skywalker out"

I dressed in a hurry, a white toga with purple shoulder drapes and a simple sapphire necklace which Godfrey had found for me and brown sandals. We pretty much looked like something out of an old story. He was dressed in brown pants and a poets shirt due to the heat. No wonder why Anakin was grumpy.The robes weighed a ton.

I raced down the stairs and outside where I jumped in my fighter, and Godfrey followed, at a much more slow pace. Too much like Obi Wan he was.. The Star Light space dock wasn't far and I made it with in about five minutes . Grinning from ear to ear i landed my fighter at the other end of the dock and snuck up behind Anakin dampening my force signature . I brought a hand up to cover his eyes" Guess who?"

He nearly jumped a half mile off the floor.

" Jeezus Pho! Don't do that! " He ran a hand through his hair sheepishly, probably embarassed that I had bene able to sneak up on the chosen one. " Don't worry Ani, no one wil lhear about this.. " I said with a chuckle. He stepped back to get a good look at me. it wasn't often that we were able to ditch our robes. " Pho you look amazing.. " he said grinning from what I suspected, pride.

" Ani I have to fill you in on a thing or two.. There's another thing I need your help with.."


His face fell"What'd you do now.. Don't tell me I have to pull your hide out of the frying pan"


I knew he hated having to clean up everyone else's messes. " no no nothing like that.. It's like this.. Godfrey's father Arton just passed away. The funeral is tonight and the wedding is the day after tomorrow. Could you be there please? Both factions I was telling you about will be present and I am hoping for Godfrey's sake there will be no trouble. I 've given him as much support as I know how, but he's hurting a lot.. That was the last of his family. "

Anakin smiled a little and nodded" Sure.. by the way where are you staying at anyway?"

I pointed to the manor on the hill" up there, there's hundreds of rooms.. You can come stay with us if you like.. "

He grinned" yeah.. if you guys don't mind. I'm bushed "

I gestured for him to follow me back to my fighter where I could see Godfrey had already landed and was waiting for us. " I was wondering what was keeping you Pho." he said a brief smirk tugging at his lips.I laughed aloud" you know I had to fill him in on what excactly was going on hon.. Anakin.. this is my fiance, soon to be husband.. Godfrey .. Godfrey you allready know who this but for the sake of formality.. this is Anakin. I have to go and check something on the fighter.. you guys talk for a minute k?"

I hurried back over to the engine which for some reason had decided to belch smoke .A little tinekring and it was fixed . As i made my way back over to them I could see they were getting along like old freinds. " Ready to go? " I asked,grinning . " There's some food back at the house.. and Anakin you don't need to play mr hero jedi here.. please.. not on my part at all.. or anyone else's.. I guess this is sort of a vacation for you.. "


A laugh in his his eyes Anakin nodded . Godfrey headed back to his ship and I turned to Anakin" you can either bring your fighter over to the house or ride with me.. there's a private dock closer to the house which I had no clue of til today. "

" I'll bring mine over thanks"

Nodding I got in my fighter and took off back to the house. When we landed I could tell Anakin was tired . Really tired . Despite his protests to the contrary I steered him into the one of many rooms and pointed to the bed. " you sleep .. now.. that's elderdown Alderanian goose feather. When do you think you'll get a chance like this again. I know your tense so shut up and quit yuor manly complaining. It will help"


He didn't need to be told twice. I closed the door and I could hear him sigh in contentment like a cat being given salmon.Chuckling to myself I headed up to the room I shared with Godfrey. I was dead on my feet too but I did a better job of shielding it from him than one would think . not Godfrey though.

The second I showed back in our room he guided me to the bed and said " I don't need to repeat the same speech you gave Anakin, you rest too. I have a few things to attend to . I'll join you shortly okay?."

I had dozed off almost fully before he was back. I moved over to let him lie down with me. Whenever his arms wrapped around my waist , I let out a little contented sigh and finally.. I was able to sleep.. maybe it was the air or what.. but no nightamres.. for once...A luxury I don't often have anymore and I would make the most of it.
Til later
Pho