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#Leia seeking comfort from Fox and Fox understanding her because they both come from somewhere else
varpusvaras · 14 days
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She had been biding her time. Waiting for an opportunity.
It had taken a lot longer than she would've liked. She was more tired now than she would've liked to be, her head was definitely hurting, same as her ears. Her nerves had been grating together for some time now, and she thought that she was ready to punch something. She couldn't, though, because any violence would impede her escape.
Finally, the moment came. One wrong move of a hand. A sharp cry, then another, and then she was left alone. She quickly looked around. There were no eyes on her at the moment, so she quickly stepped back and ducked under the arm of the droid walking past her, and then she was already at the side door. She slipped through it and then ran behind the cabinet. She knew she didn't have much time, but she also knew the pattern of everybody on that side as well. She also knew that some things had been running out in the hall, and there would be replenishes being brought any moment now.
There, servants carrying trays with quick steps. Leia waited until they were just past her, until she wouldn't be in their peripheral vision, and then slid out of her hiding spot, and quickly made her way to the stairs. She kept herself on the left side of them, to make sure that she wasn't visible to the gallery that was halfway down. After she was below it, she had to run the rest of the way down, so no one there would notice her if they looked over the railing.
She jumped over the last step and then ran behind one of the gallery pillars. She didn't stay there long, either, just to check her time. In five minutes, they would serve some hot drinks. Leia was going to miss those a bit, but sacrifices had to be made. She checked her pockets as well, to make sure her spoils were still there.
Then, after one last check of her surroundings, she made her way across the hall and to the next door. She ran through the hallway behind it, and finally made it to the private rooms of the Palace.
It was a lot easier to make her way through their living rooms, compared to the State Rooms. There were a lot less servants there, and she knew all the best hiding spots, if anyone happened to come across her. Then she was already at their bedrooms.
Leia checked her parents' first. He was not there, so that meant that he was most likely in the drawing room at the south side, since it got a lot of sunlight this time of day. She checked her time again. She only had a couple of minutes before the next serving, but it would take some time before anyone would come looking for her here. They would come, though, because they all knew she would be here. But maybe Mama and Papa would give them a moment. Leia already knew that Buir at least wouldn't be messaging them right away.
The door to the drawing room gave a little creak as it opened. Mama always said something about having to get it fixed, but she never did. Papa had explained that it just gave the rooms some character, to have little imperfections. Leia suspected it was so anyone in the room would definitely hear if someone came in.
Buir did, at least. He lifted his head from the book he had been reading even before the door had opened all the way, his eyes locking onto Leia.
"The party is not over yet", he said. It was more of a statement, with no scolding hidden into the words. It was like he had known this would happen, and perhaps he had, as this was not the first time Leia had done this.
Leia didn't answer anything. She just ran across the room to him, and all but collapsed against his legs. He had a light blanket on top of them, as even with the sunlight, the winter days were still chilly, and Leia grabbed the fabric with both of her fists.
She heard Buir put the book away, and then there was a hand at the back of her head, gently brushing her hair.
"What is it?" Buir asked softly. "Leili'ika?"
"I missed you", Leia mumbled against the blanket.
"I missed you too", Buir said. "I'm sure others will be missing you as well, though."
"I already spent time with them there", Leia said, grabbing the blanket tighter. "I wanted to spend time with you, since you're not there."
"I see", Buir said. "Those parties just aren't for me, you know?"
"I know", Leia said. "But you should also be there with us."
So they would have the whole family there, like it should be.
Buir sighed.
"I know", he said. "I wished things would be so easy. But I'm also a bit tired today. The cold is really not agreeing with me, so I wouldn't have enjoyed it for too long either. Especially since there are some faces there I know from my last job. They would've sucked all my will to live out of me in minutes."
Leia couldn't quite bit back a snort. She did feel better, already. Buir just had that effect on her. Of course Mama and Papa did, as well, but Mama and Papa were too busy to handle all those people at the moment.
"I would've punched them in the face", Leia said.
"I know you would've, you've gotten pretty good with your hits lately", Buir said. "You're missing the hot drinks, you know?"
"I know", Leia said. "But we're having some with you too later, right? I can have them then. I wanna sit here with you and have the fire on and look at the mountains and have drinks with you."
She finally lifted her head up to look at Buir, trying to make her eyes as big as possible. It was a weakness of his, and she knew it.
Buir looked at her for a moment, before he sighed again.
"We can have them together later", he said, and smiled a bit. "Whatever am I going to do with you?"
"You can share some finger sweets with me?" Leia offered. She quickly fished the bundles she had made out of napkins out of her pockets. "I picked out all your favorite ones."
Buir laughed.
"You really know your way to your old man's heart, don't you?" He asked.
"Of course I know", Leia smiled. "I am your heart."
"That you are", Buir said, picking out a dusted warmwood nougat. "My little heart."
Leia climbed at the chair next to him, and they sat there in silence for a moment, her leaning against his side, both eating the little sweets. Leia looked at the old chrono on the wall. It was taking everyone a lot of time today to come looking for her, it seemed. She hadn't thought her cousin spilling all his juice drink on his older brother's lap had been that good of a diversion, if she was being completely honest.
"Leili'ika", Buir said. Leia turned to look at him. "I can see that something is bothering you, you know?"
Leia pouted.
"Nothing is bothering me", she said, snuggling closer to him. "I just wanted to see you." That was true, too.
"I believe you", Buir said. "But I also know you. What is it?"
Leia turned to stare at her knees. Buir gave her a long moment.
"Leia-"
"They all look at me", she blurted out. "They all look at me and they know I don't look like Mama and Papa. They all look at me like they're trying to figure me out, like I'm not- like I'm not- like I don't belong here, and I know I don't already, and-"
She sniffed, and angrily wiped her eyes into her sleeve before anything could even gather to them. She was supposed to be over all of this already!
"- and Niano looks more like Papa than I do and he knows it and he knows I know it", she finished. "He keeps rubbing it in all the time. I already know I'm not a real Organa, why does he need to remind me that I'm not a real Prestor either?"
Buir was quiet for a bit after she had finished.
"I'm going to have a word with Celly after", he said. "And before you even think about it, you are not tattling. He is being needlessly rude and cruel to you in a way that I do not appreciate, and I know Bail and Breha and your aunt don't either."
He put his arm around her and held her closer.
"Is that why you came here?" He asked.
Leia nodded.
"I know I don't belong there", she mumbled.
Buir was quiet again for a moment.
"Am I not a real Organa?" He asked.
Leia whipped her head around.
"What?" She asked.
"Am I not a real Organa?" Buir repeated. "Or is your Papa not a real Organa, neither? Neither of us were born with that name. I was born with no name at all."
"Of course you are!" Leia didn't understand what he was talking about. "Of course you are an Organa. You're part of the family, just like-"
"Just like you, yes", Buir nodded. "What makes us an Organa is that we are a family. Blood is not the most important ingredient in the family. I was created from the blood of Jango Fett. Is he my family? The man who called me cattle and cannon fodder? Does me sharing my face with him make me a Fett as well?"
Leia shook her head.
"No", she answered, immediately.
"So, your cousin looking more like your Papa's side of the family does not mean anything either", Buir said. "He can pretend it does, but the only thing him insisting so does is make both him and other people around him miserable, and I don't think that should mean more than how happy you make us. How happy we all make each other."
He looked Leia in the eyes. The sunlight coming from the windows beside them made them look partially golden. Leia had always loved how they looked in the sun.
Wasn't that it?
She pressed her face against her Buir's side.
Yes, it was.
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