Private Heavy Lies the Crown

[Alicio Organa]

"Who's gonna tell us no?"

"Who indeed?" Alicio smirked secretively. Sure, he hadn't actually planned to sneak out- it would be an issue of national security were the palace guards unaware of where they entire royal family had disappeared to. He'd been more worried for if there were still people outside, and whether they would ruin the family outing.

He supposed there was only one way to find out.

August looked over at Amani as she made the announcement. "Where we going, Mommy?"

Alicio's rambunctious smile only strengthened, as his words took on a sing-songy lilt. "You'll have to wait and see~."

"I don't like waiting." Auggie scrunched his eyebrows, but he seemed intrigued nonetheless.

"It will be a lot of fun, I swear."

It was just how he remembered it.

The sky was darkening by the time the family made it to Sanctuary City. Tall, elegant architecture gave way to the city outskirts. A familiar wide, domed building glimmered with the fading sun, bringing a warm, nostalgic feeling to Alicio's chest. The faded, mournful cries of unknown things within would be a mystery to the children... but to him, it was music.

Stepping out of the speeder, Alicio pressed against Amani, letting his fingers entwine around hers. All the while, he watched the children, gauging their reaction to the strange building, and the even stranger sounds coming from within.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

It remained to be seen if they could actually make an excursion outside without being hounded by the populace. They were already recognized names and faces. Now that they were newly crowned royals, attention was at a fever pitch.

The proposition earned a question from August, and a curious stare from Liana. Amani raised her finger to her lips in secrecy. "Okay," Liana said plainly, finishing her plate.

---

Stepping out of the speeder, Amani was overcome by recognition. It really had been some time, yet she remembered all the details exactly as they were. The kids were obviously more baffled. Liana tilted her head owlishly, "What all that noise?"

"It's a thranta. Or thrantas."

There was a pause, then, realization, "Like the stuffed aminal?"

They deleted Liana's dialogue color Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Mmmhmm," Alicio hummed, letting go of Amani's hand to lead the family inside. "Like the stuffed aminal."

"Cool!" August bounced beside his father. The stuffed thranta was the twins' first toy. Seeing a real one for the first time might be a bit of a religious experience for them.

Alicio opened the door, and ushered them inside. The inside had barely changed since the couple's life-changing flight. There was still an enormous pool in the center, mounting platforms rising tall in the air... and thrantas. Ranging in colors from light blue to deep black, the flying cetaceans twisted lazy circles in the air, unleashing their low, melancholic squeals. There was one key difference that Amani would notice- they weren't alone this time. Other people were here, flying on thrantaback, or releasing food into the air, or cleaning the pool.

Alicio looked up to admire the sight, but quickly turned his eyes to Liana and August.

Auggie was practically vibrating with excitement. The boy started tugging at Amani's hand, pointing up to the sky. "Fly! Flyflyfly!"

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

The confirmation that they were indeed genuine thrantas got both of kids rather excited. Liana, who was often better at keeping her composure than August, fell into a similar bouncy rhythm as her brother.

They walked inside, and were greeting by the same space Amani and Alicio had seen years ago. The flying creatures soared over a large pool and onto perches, making sonorous calls. Unlike last time, a few other visitors and workers were about. Not quite as intimate as then, but certainly more lively. Hopefully no one here would make a fuss about their presence.

Amani was pulled from her thoughts by the ever eager August, tugging her along by the hand, "Yes. Fly." She chuckled, "Slow down, honey. We'll get to the thrantas soon enough." She looked around for an employee to help them, "Let's say we get two? One adult and one kiddo per?" She checked Alicio for confirmation.

Liana looked up at the creatures mesmerized, and said to her father, "They're bigger than I thought…"

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio looked on as Amani tried to manage August's excitement, smirking a little. The boy was just barely pacified by his mom's words, but it was obvious it wouldn't last for long. If they didn't get in the air soon, the poor boy might spontaneously combust. At Amani's suggestion, Alicio nodded agreeably. "Sounds like a solid idea to me." If they each only had one child to worry about, that severely lowered the chances of an heir to Alderaan taking a long fall.

"They're bigger than I thought…"

"Yeah. A lot bigger than the plushie." Alicio picked the young girl up, to let her focus on ogling the creatures, instead of walking. "There are some kinds that are even bigger." He raised his voice a little, so that the whole family unit could hear him.

"Our people have been taking care of thrantas for a long time. We give them a place to stay, and food, and they let us ride them. So... maybe, if we're calm and nice to them, they'll fly with us. Do you two think you can be calm, and nice?" Of course, Alicio took the opportunity to impart a lesson.

"Yeah. Suuuuuper nice!" August tried, and failed, to reign himself in. Instead, his face was very relaxed and friendly as he tugged on Amani's hand, trying to get to the nearest thranta as quickly as possible.

It wasn't that hard to find someone to help them. The young worker seemed just a little starstruck at seeing the new royal family of Alderaan walk up and start asking questions, but they wasted no time in ushering them up a platform, and to a pair of lowing creatures, one a light blue, the other speckled black and white. As the man set out to tackle and harness the thrantas, Alicio went to the spotted one with Lia, letting his daughter regard it's deep, black eye.

"Hello, thranta. It's nice to meet you." the king of Alderaan said, some amount of humor in his voice. He looked down to Liana, curious of her reaction.

- Amani Serys -

 

[Amani Serys]

"Wow," Liana said, imagining a thranta as big as a planet. Amani saw Alicio pick her up, and opted to do the same with August, if just to avoid playing tug of war with him. "Yup!" Liana chirped, confident in her ability to be 'calm and nice'.

One of the keepers was quick to offer them help, and was quite composed in spite of their shock. August and Amani went for the light blue thranta, "Hey there," Amani said, raising a palm within the thranta's line of sight, and gently stroking its hide, "You're a beautiful creature." She looked to August, "Wanna pet?"

Liana looked studiously at the thranta now that it was up close, a bit more hesitant about reaching out to touch. Nonetheless, she said, "Hello. My name is Liana. Can you give us a ride?" She cocked her head, as if waiting for a response from the beast.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

August wiggled and struggled in his mother's arms as the family made their way up to the platform, but the closer they got to the thrantas, the more still he became, until he was downright timid in the face of the large cetacean, wrapping his arms around Mom a little tighter.

August had always been... overly cautious of animals, but his love of all things flying won out in the end. As Amani questioned if he wanted to pet the creature, the boy nodded bravely. "Yeah," he said, sticking a hand out to touch the creature's side. A weak smile pulled at the boy's face. "Smooth," he said appreciatively, patting it's side with surprising gentleness.

Meanwhile, Alicio felt his heart grow a little bit, watching his daughter join in on a conversation with the thranta. It was very cute. As she waited for an answer, Alicio took the opportunity to place his own hand on it's side, and close his eyes. He'd never been good at communicating with animals, he had always been better at navigating a sentient mind. But he repeated their question through the Force regardless, projecting warm enthusiasm to the thranta. It lowed contentedly, dropping it's body to rest on the platform. One of it's wings dipped, creating a perfect bridge to it's back.

"What do you think, lovely?" Alicio felt a flutter of excitement in his own chest. "Is that a yes?"

- Amani Serys -