Private Half of What I Am

[Corazona von Ascania]

To learn that there was actually a show about Valery and Kahlil, and that her own Master also indulged in the same literary hobby had Cora's jaw widening in surprise. She made a mental note to seek out the film in the future.

"Really, you like romance novels too?!" Cora couldn't help but grin widely, trying to hide her excitement behind a demure hand. "Oh, have you read The Smuggler's Bride? It's one of my favorites! Oh, oh, and what about One Night on Csilla? I've read that one cover to cover, more times than I can count!"

Cora giggled, all too caught up in her excitement in finding common ground with Valery beyond their shared dedication to serving as Jedi. As silly as it sounded, this made Valery a little less intimidating and a little more human—not that Cora thought of her Master as inhuman, but it was hard to measure up to someone with her depth of experience and ability.

"Sorry, sorry—I get a little excited over those. I understand that they're quite the indulgence and tend to be a little divorced from reality."

The fact that a perfect connection existed brought a spark to her eyes. Her girlish giggles died away, and Cora couldn't help but fix Valery with a dreamy look.

"That must feel...marvelous, to connect with someone in that way. To be able to rely on them so completely."

Could she have that with someone?

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

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Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

Valery snickered, "I do, although I haven't really read too many of them recently." The titles Cora mentioned were proof of that — Valery hadn't even heard of them at all, and it showed in the way she sheepishly smiled. "I think I'm more familiar with novels from my time, and well... those are at least 4000 years old now."

Not that romance changed a whole lot.

"I'll have to give those a try though. If my husband isn't home, I enjoy reading to get through the evenings."

Seeing Cora so excited felt amazing after the rather tense conversation earlier. It reminded her of her younger self, but she never had anybody to talk to about these things. Now, Cora knew that she had an outlet for her hobbies and how she felt about them. "Oh, it's quite alright. I used to be just as excited reading them. I can still remember wanting to get through my classes just so I could lock myself into my room and just read all night."

She chuckled at the idea. "I often regretted it in the morning though. I've gone through a lot of classes sleep-deprived."

At the mention of her perfect connection again, Valery began to fiddle with her wedding ring and looked at her Padawan with that loving smile again. "There's just no way to describe how good it feels. It has completely turned my life around, and as long as you follow your own heart, you can find someone like that too."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"Four-thousand years old??"

Cora immediately reeled back her surprise, but still blinked in shock. She had known that Valery was from a different time, but she looked good for someone who was several millenia old.

It was impressive that even back then, smutty romance novels existed. An eager nod came next.

"I can lend them to you!"

Still, it was heartening to learn that Valery, someone who seemed so perfect, had her own vices and had indulged in similar youthful hobbies. She couldn't picture her Master staying up late, curled up in bed reading about spicy rromance and relationships.

Her dreamy smile firmed into something more thoughtful.

"Oh, I do hope so." Cora fidgeted awkwardly with her hands before realizing what she was doing, then kept them still at her sides. "I hope that the man my father chooses for me is someone that I could grow to love."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

​

Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

"Technically four-thousand years old," Valery corrected with slightly narrowed eyes. "Most of that was time spent in stasis. I'm not that old, and will live for a very long time, still." Was she being a little defensive? Maybe, but she always was a target of age jokes and she was not that old, damnit. The Force would also sustain her for a very long time, still, so perhaps one day she really would be that old.

Back on the topic of adult romance novels, Valery grinned.

"Oh please, I'd love to read them." She also couldn't wait to see the look on Kahlil Noble 's face if she showed up with more novels. The last time was when he saw her reading them in a memory he entered through their bond, and he had not missed out on teasing her about it.

But all of that just made their relationship even more fun.

"Oh I'm sure you'll find some-" she stopped when Cora mentioned her father again, and frowned. "Well, I hope that you choose a partner who will make you feel loved every single day." Because ultimately, that's how she felt because of Kahlil, and in her opinion, it should be like that.

"Even if your father might disagree with that decision."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora nodded vigorously. "Right, right. It's a technicality, of course!" There were so many species across the galaxy with varying life spans, and more often than not Cora would forget that her own Master had been frozen in stasis for much of her life.

The mention of her choosing a partner brought a nervous smile to the Padawan's face. She was well aware that arraigned marriages were not the norm in many galactic cultures, but they were on Ukatis. At least for nobility.

"It's not typical to choose one's partner where I'm from." Cora chose her words carefully, concentrating on keeping her hands from fidgeting. "I know it's uncomfortable to hear, but that's simply the way things have been for millennia. When the time comes, my father will select a partner for me."

She paused. It didn't sound strange to her, because this was the expectation she'd grown up with. There were certainly stories of love within marriage on her homeworld, but that was fiction.

Unbeknownst to her, affairs were quite common in the aristocratic circles of Ukatis.

"I'd imagine that'll be far in the future, though. After my Jedi training is complete."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

​

Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

Mhmm, a technicality.

Valery smirked faintly and decided to let the topic of her age rest for now. The stasis may have been an incredibly long time, but she was just relieved that it hadn't created complications. With the Force sustaining her for a very long time too, she was happy to know she could live a long life together with her family, who would all be able to live just as long, if not longer because of their Epicanthix blood.

But also on the topic of family, Cora began to explain more about the arranged marriages of her homeworld, and Valery couldn't stop a small frown from forming. "It's how it has always been, but is it what you want? By the time your Jedi training is complete, you'll have experience about life and the Galaxy that many from your homeworld won't acquire even in a lifetime." Valery just knows she'll become a strong woman. Someone capable of making big decisions for herself.

"It may change your perspective. But..." Valery let out a soft sigh. "It ultimately remains your decision to make." So if she wanted to respect the way things worked on her homeworld, Valery would not be able to stop her.

Perhaps not being able to help her own Padawan with something like this was the hardest part of being a Master.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora raised a hand, thumb pressing gently to the underside of her chin as her pointer finger curled just beneath her lower lip. Truth be told, her way of looking at things had been challenged since she'd arrived on Coruscant. Much of it was indirect, but people like Makko and Jand had made no qualms about calling her out.

Valery was tactful and gentle, at least. Cora took a few long moments to ruminate on her Master's words.

"I've never considered wanting for anything else, really."

There'd simply never been the option.

"Ever since I was small, my family has made sure that I know exactly who I am. The duty of nobility is to protect their people however they must. Marriages for us are made to be politically advantageous."

She didn't seem particularly troubled by it—in fact, Cora's posture swelled with pride.

"There is no higher honor that being tasked with the protection of my people. Besides,"

Cora waved a hand, gesturing vaguely.

"Marriage likely won't be discussed for another few years, so that's not something that I need to concern myself with at present. My mother was married when she was younger than myself, but even that was considered to be…"

Doing the mental math, her stomach twisted at the realization that her mother had been the same age as Cora was right now when she'd had Cora.

"…particularly unusual."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

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Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

It was difficult to accept.

Valery knew that her people's way of handling marriage was ingrained in her Padawan, so challenging those beliefs wasn't going to have her change her mind overnight. All she could do was show what her romantic life could be if she chose to follow her own heart, rather than her family's personal desires.

But she could see and feel the pride in her Padawan when she talked about protecting her people like this. Valery wanted to tell her that there were other ways. Better ways, but this was not the right time.

"Well, just know that I'll respect your decision, Cora," Valery began with a smile she hoped would hide her true feelings about this. She then placed a hand on Cora's shoulder and let out a soft sigh. "I think we've had enough training for the day, so why don't we get something to eat?"

"Maybe Vera will want to join us too if you don't mind."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Both Master and Padawan hid their discomfort behind gentle smiles.

Cora was aware that her family's ideas surrounding discipline and marriage did not sit right with Valery, but her line of questioning had been tactful enough. The young aristocrat didn't feel the same seething defensiveness she had earlier, but she was still protective over her culture.

"Of course." A hint of genuine contentment added a measure ofwarmth to her hollow smile. "I'd love to see Vera again."

If anyone could defuse the tension (that she herself sometimes unknowingly created), it would be the littlest Noble.

Valery Noble