The Taste of Blood

[Feena]

"The people are what makes Naboo what it is now. A Naboo citizen is a Naboo citizen, no matter where they go."

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Her heart skipped a beat, but she soon realized that it was just a droid with lunch for her and her guest.

"Ah! Yes, I hope you brought your appetite."

A plate was set down in front of her and the boy and the tea set was taken away. An assortment of fine fruits, fresh bread and thinly sliced meat, all laid out in lovely patterns on the plate.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

What a typical answer. Owain barely suppressed a snort. Yes, the masses must have loved her speeches. Too bad he didn't care. Still, he forced himself to nod, inspecitng the food laid out before them, but making no move to take any. Best let the woman take the first bite. It was only polite. And it would ensure it wasn't laced with anything to make him more susceptible to - oh....

Owain cleared his throat. "And how do the people of Naboo take to having a Jedi as their ruler, your highness?" he inquired, just avoiding calling her a space wizard. His uncle's nickname for the Force sensitives had stuck with him, since it sounded so wonderfully dismissive of the self-righteous weilders of a supposedly mystic power.

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

The Queen herself was actually waiting for him to take the first bite. That made for an awkward waiting game. Until he broke the silence with his question.

"Oh, Although the Protectorate do ally themselves with the Jedi Order, I haven't been a Jedi for over ten years now," she answered, "I no longer follow their Jedi code."

She supposed he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a Jedi and a neutral Force user. She really couldn't fault him for his ignorance. It was that way in most places in the Galaxy. It was hard to understand if you didn't feel the Force yourself.

"I was considering perhaps sending Felicity to study with the Jedi Masters at their temple though," she added, watching him for any reaction as she took the first bite.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

So a Jedi who cast aside her high and mighty code? Charming. There was a story there surely, but not one he was interested in. This was an interrogation, and information that was of use to him would be filed in his memory for later use. But he would only pursue any leads involving what he wanted to know right now. The thought of Felicity training under the Jedi nearly made him grimace. The poor girl was sheltered enough. Sending her to the Jedi would really be like putting her in a cage. Besides, wasn't she too old? Then again, not his place to say. He kept his face neutral as he shrugged. "Well, if it's something she wants to do your highness, then it may benefit her," he responded, unsure why the woman had chosen to bring up her daughter now.

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

The Queen watched him, almost thinking she could read something on his face. Just a flicker. He was good, no doubt.

"Hmm... We will see then. It would of course be after she finished her schooling. And what plans do you have, Mister Barnabus? Any career aspirations?"

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

"Not really, your highness," he replied, leaning back and picking up his teacup to take another sip. "My career was sidetracked once I left the academy to find my uncle," the youth explained. "Now that's been achieved, I've been enjoying spending some time with him and...well, your highness, I'm sure you're aware of the strict regime expected of military recruits. It's important to experience a more relaxed form of live for a while," Owain pointed out.

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

"Hmm."

No real direction, then? What a fine life. Carefree. She truly envied that.

"Well, I hope you are spending your time responsibly, at least. Take your time. Enjoy life while you have it. The career of a military professional is a short one."

She let the grave implication of that comment hang in the air. It was blunt, but true. She would know. She'd seen quite a few die, all young, all so frightened. Was he frightened? She couldn't tell.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

It was all so...pleasant. So nice. So fake. So much like Naboo. Time to switch things up. Owain sighed as he leaned back in his chair further, letting it tilt before allowing it to fall back into place, draining his tea. A sweet mess but something he had enjoyed. "I'm no professional, your royal highness," he replied, placing the cup back and grabbing a piece of bread. "I left the Academy to find my family. Guess I had a choice to make - my duty, or my family. Then again, i don't suppose that is much of a choice, is it?" he asked her, looking the Queen in the eye as if in challenge. Oh, uncle Elliot had spoken about a few things, and from how Felicity spoke of her parents - full of praise but lacking in details - it wasn't hard to put the pieces together.

Maybe this would shake up the Queen's carefully crafted mask.

This was why he respected Korriban more than Naboo. Korriban was ugly and knew it, and did not try to hide it. The Sith did try to hide their failures behind propaganda and flaunting their powers. The Jedi too. Naboo had taken a beating, and was now feeling sorry for itself. It couldn't accept that it would take far more to scar it's garden world status. They planet was bemoaning the fact it was perfect anymore. Merely being better than everyone else wasn't good enough.

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

For once, the Queen was actually impressed. The smile flickered, her eyes narrowed, but only for a second. If he blinked, he would have missed it.

"Ah, a family man, are you?"

She tilted her head to the side, watching him with those dull silver eyes. There were very few that could understand why she did what she did. Not this boy, not Felicity, not even Keter. She had to chose her duty over her family, simply because Naboo was her family.

"When it comes to the lives of billions, over the few, can you honestly tell me you would make that same choice?"

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

Owain relaxed his posture now. The woman wasn't going to have him dragged away, and if they were going to spar with words, he may as well be comfortable. "Not really...I just know who I owe most to, your highness." he replied evenly. That...was right wasn't it? Hard to be a family man without a family. Sure, he loved his family and would do anything for them, but who wouldn't?

Then he smirked and shook his head. "That thinking nearly destroyed your daughter you know, your majesty," he replied, wondering just how clued in the Queen was to the state of her family. "She wept for everyone on Naboo that day. She'd still be crying..." he explained before trailing off, realizing that continuing would reveal he had been in the girl's room during an emotionally vulnerable stage and no parent wanted to hear that. So he just shook his head and leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. "And to answer your question, your highness, yes. Yes I would. Because we all do. All the time. Do you watch the holonet and cry? Do you read the history books and cry? I doubt it. Yet what makes those deaths any less than those that happened here? Nothing."

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

Interesting. She actually felt a pang of regret at the mention of her daughter. The poor girl. Feena could only imagine how she suffered. The first fight was always the hardest. Feena could still remember hers. Fighting for her life against a much stronger opponent. She hardly escaped with her life. She still had the scars.
now her daughter would have them too. The one thing she tried to protect her from.

"I never said they meant less. You should try listening, young man."

She had nearly entirely lost her appetite. Not that loss of appetite was unusual for her. She glanced down at the barely touched plate in front of her.

"So. My daughter. I find it odd that you would know first hand about her pain. My daughter makes a point not to cry in front of people. Interesting. Very interesting."

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

The Queen of Naboo seemed suitably chastised by his retort, but her following words made him want to roll his eyes. A bleeding heart. Great. "Well then, your highness, you must be aware that trying to comprehend sorrow on such a magnitude will break your mind?" he asked, biting into the bread. Soft, fresh. Of course, only the best for royalty. The Queen did pick up on something from him though, zeroing in on his connection to her daughter. He did not like the tone of voice she was using.

"Tears aren't silent, your majesty," he hastily replied, throwing in a shrug for good measure. That should be a good enough explanation for her. She would just assume he had heard the girl crying and learned the story from his uncle.

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

She had him on the run. He answered too quickly. She wasn't stupid. She was young once too. He only seemed flustered when felicity was the subject.

"Of course..." she responded, making it quite clear she didn't believe him, "while we're on the subject of Felicity, you are her friend right? Have you met this boyfriend of hers? I've been curious about what sort of boy he is...."

No. She wasn't stupid. But that didn't mean she would always take the obvious answer. She had no idea of this boys history with her daughter.

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

He felt his eye twitch. The Queen was good at this, he had to hand it to her. But she was just fishing for information. She wouldn't dance around the issue like this if she knew anything concrete. "I don't know if 'friend' is the appropriate word," he replied tersely. "But we are perfectly civil to one another," he lied, looking over Feena for any sign of a reaction, suppressing a grimace as she continued to talk. "You mean her bodyguard? The guy your husband sent out to kill a krayt dragon to earn his favor?" the youth asked, letting a smirk come to his face as he shook his head. "No, I haven't met him."

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

"Ex bodyguard, " she corrected, taking careful note of the way his eye twitched, "but you haven't met him? What a shame. I was so hoping you could give me the dirt on him. Between you and me," she lowered her voice leaning towards him slightly, "I don't like him already."

She had her reasons. The hickey she found on her daughter's neck being the main one there. After all, she was spotted dancing with him at the ball, then they were dating the next week. What else was she to conclude?

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

"Oh? I thought you'd be fond of such a boy for your precious daughter," countered Owain with a slight smile. He had thought he had been invited to answer for the very things that the Queen was accusing the other boy of. How...fortunate. "I mean, as a bodyguard in the palace he's clearly qualified to keep an eye on her, and you know him so you'd know whether he would...ah...try anything, your highness," he pointed out. "What, is he not good enough for your daughter?" Owain asked, leaning forwards eagerly, as if taking part in the gossiping.

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

"No. He's not." She answered immediately without hesitation, "Nobody is good enough for her. Not yet."

She was very clearly uncomfortable with the idea of her daughter dating. She was too young. Far too young. Too pretty too. Beauty was dangerous, self destructive. She needed to be careful.

"Which is why I wanted to ask a small favor of you," she pushed her plate aside, resting her chin on her hands as she watched the boy across the table, "Keep an eye on her."

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

Owain stared at the woman. His mind was screaming at him.

IT'S A TRAP!

He chuckled and shook his head. "So...because your daughter's boyfriend isn't absolute perfection, you want me to stalk your daughter, is that right your highness?" he queried, hoping that putting it in such crude terms would make the woman realise what she was asking of him. "And wasn't that her boyfriend's job? Look where that got him," Owain continued, snagging another piece of bread to munch on. "And hasn't she got someone like that already? Perry or something? Wouldn't an actual guard be more reliable than say...ooh...someone who aspired to be in Sith Special Forces, upped and left becuase his family called, and you've just met today?"

Security on Naboo was a joke if that was the case. Besides, Felicity had made her choice. Him appearing around her under orders from her mother would not go down well with the independent princess. Not well at all.

[member="Feena Mason"]

 

[Feena]

"Silly boy..." she sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, "She trusts you. Sometimes trust is all that matters."

She did have a point there. Just from the little bit she knew about him, she knew the likelihood that he would take up working for the Queen was next to zero. And so did her daughter. That was why it was so ideal. Besides, she saw that looks on his face. She knew how to play these games.

"I had received word that you and her were close. I thought that meant you cared for my daughter."

She stood up, bowing her head to him.

"But it seems I was mistaken. I can have you safely back on Imerria within the week, if you like. Enough time to say goodbye to Felicity, I think. It will be some time before you will see her again. "

[member="Owain"]

 

[Owain]

"And what makes you think she trusts me, you highness?" he shot back, biting back a more choice set of words. The Queen was baiting him, he knew it. And he wasn't going to be able to hold himself back at this rate. "Recieved word we were close? From who?" Owain asked, obviously incredulous. Who even knew they knew each other? Who thought they were close? Celeste? That girl was back on Immeria, so it couldn't be her. His uncle had seen them bickering, so that ruled him out too. He stood up as well. "Are you threatening me?" he asked, staring at the woman through narrowing eyes. "What is your game?" he inquired, loosening his muscles. This could all go south from here. "And it's her choice who she sees," the boy added, straightening.

To heck with niceties.

[member="Feena Mason"]