Private High Society

[Tavian Djo]

They had not continued on walking and Tavian now felt rooted to the spot. At least there weren’t too many people on this part of the beach. They were mostly alone.

“Well, you are a serious girl,” Tavian replied frowning, even though in the depths of his eyes mirth still seemed to dance.

“It means we could keep seeing each other, like this.”

He took her hand in his and lightly squeezed her fingers.

“And this.”

Gently, he kissed her forehead.

“And learning more about each other. I think we both know how our families might feel or what they might want, but to me only what we want matters.”

Mostly true. If his mother brought her will to bear on them things could be… strained.

“And we wouldn’t see other people. Is that something you want?”

Persephone Dashiell

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

Silence stretched between them as she considered. Persephone was certain such a thing would only last for six to nine months given Tavian Djo 's family and position in life. She lived on Kalinda, went to school, went on archaeology expeditions. The Pal'da would be entering naval service for the Hapan people. Three months apart. Given both of their schedules Persephone suspected they would meet roughly four to six more times after Tavian was pressed into service.

Doomed from the start. Perhaps easier to handle when she knew this was just a mere....fling? Summer romance stretched a bit further? Wouldn't be the worst thing in the universe.

She didn't dare to voice her thoughts out loud, fearing Tavian would be dramatic and drown himself in the ocean. She had never met someone her age of the opposite sex who was so head in the clouds. Perhaps a benefit of growing up in a royal family.

"Sure, we can give it a try."

 

[Tavian Djo]

“Good.”

Sure.

A wonderful and reassuring word, filled with hope for the future. Tavian thought as he smiled wanly. He pulled her along and started walking down the beach again, slipping one hand into hers.

One day she would trust him fully he hoped, unguarded. Until then, he would just have to keep proving himself to her. That was fine. She was the one person right now not trying to give him a destiny, or a calling.

“Persie, what do you feel when you are afraid of the water? Will you really not join me in the shallows over here?”

Persephone Dashiell

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

“Persie, what do you feel when you are afraid of the water? Will you really not join me in the shallows over here?”

Stopping dead in her tracks, she looked at Tavian Djo as if he was the most idiotic person in the universe. Right now in her eyes he was. A complete idiot. She knew saying 'yes' to a courtship was a massive mistake and it wasn't ten minutes in where she was questioning her own sanity in this situation.

"No, Tavian Djo, is a complete sentence."

Persephone was growing upset, mostly at herself. It was short sighted of her to think a prince had ever heard the word 'no' before. He acted as if he could get what he wanted on a whim. That certainly did not include her. If he thought otherwise he was about to be rudely awakened.

"If you have to know I don't like the open water because I grew up in the underworld of Taris. My mother was a whore and an addict. I didn't see the sun until she died and I was left abandoned, traveling to the surface on my own to find a way out. My life was hard, not the mommy didn't buy me the yacht for my sixteenth birthday hard."

Fire in her eyes, she poked his arm.

"I've made great progress in therapy and I won't let someone like you destroy all I've had to work hard for. If I say no water, I mean no water. It is not a discussion. This is my life and I will not consult a committee on how I wish to live it."

 

[Tavian Djo]

"Oh."

He had never, ever seen her this upset before and did not know how to respond as she prodded him in the arm with her finger and unleashed her trauma as if it were a splash of bucket of mixed ink to destroy his idealized canvas of her.

"I'm sorry," he replied, the depths of his green eyes looking very sad indeed as he stood there, "I didn't know. I just wanted to know and... I'm sorry, I should not have pushed you about it."

Tavian wondered what he had expected. Just a fear of water, the way one might be afraid of arachnids or heights. Not what she had just shared. And yet in only a few words, Persephone had told him more about herself than he'd learned in all the rest of his time with her.

"That does sound like it was hard and... you're right. I have no frame of reference for it. For my sixteenth birthday I did get a star yacht. But I want to know, I want to understand. And more than that I just want to be here for you, with you. I'm sorry, I did not know."

He chewed the inside of his cheek.

"Will you forgive me, Persephone? I feel like I ruined our moment. I'd like to make it up to you."

Persephone Dashiell

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

Seeing the pity in his eyes annoyed her even more. It was one of the reasons she kept her childhood experiences private. People looked upon her as if she was some charity case and it felt Tavian Djo was now doing the same. Hand came up to pinch the bridge of her nose as he stated he was sorry again and then on to explain he got a yacht for his sixteenth birthday.

Not quite helpful. She was half-tempted to ask if his parents had got the color he wanted.

"I...no. There's nothing to make up for, the moment is gone. " Shoulders slumped a little, disappointed. She just wanted to travel back to her apartment at this point. Get in her vessel and fly back to Kalinda. "I should be heading back to High Republic space anyway."

 

[Tavian Djo]

"Persephone... please don't go. Walk with me more?"

He held out a hand to her, but did not force the distance between them anymore than that. In her eyes, he saw that she wanted to run. Tavian supposed he would wish to run as well given their exchange, but if he ran every time life made him uncomfortable where would he possibly go? Would he just move through places, never truly setting roots? That seemed his current destiny if the Mandalorians managed to retain their hold on Hapes.

Tavian's jaw tightened at the thought, because he selfishly knew that the moment she left he would be back to spiraling about Hapes again and he had no idea where it would lead.

His whole world was collapsing. He just wanted a moment of peace and happiness. But his whole life that's what he'd had wasn't it? Was this some karmic balancing from the Force to set things right?

The boy swallowed.

"I really don't want to leave things like this. Will you let me write you? While I'm in training?"

Persephone Dashiell

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

Persephone didn't reach for his hand. She wished she had some pockets to stuff her hands into but that was a bit difficult in a swimsuit. Instead she motioned for him to walk. She would follow begrudgingly but there was no desire to hold his hand. There was an overall feeling of dejection, the feeling that anyone remotely interested in her were all the same.

Maybe it was her. Had to be. Something to think about later on when she was alone.

"That would be fine." She was assuming his training would start after this. Odd that it would still occur under Mandalorian rule. Or occupation. Persephone wasn't too knowledgeable of military operations. "Training occurs soon, I take it?"

Tavian Djo​

 

[Tavian Djo]

"Likely as soon as I get back," Tavian nodded. The sand felt warm under his toes, the breeze cool against his skin and in his hair.

"It will be an accelerated course aboard the new Queen's mobile fortress," he frowned, "Not the Mandalorian one. One of my line, the Djo. It's all confusing now. We have three Queens, technically. All crowned and all still living."

Tavian looked out at the surface of the ocean. "You ever hear of the three body problem? Three stars cannot keep the same orbit. No such thing as a trinary system. It always ends in annihilation eventually. I can't help but feel the same way about the queens. For now Revali and Djo are working together against the Mandalorian's appointee, but how long can that really last?"

The Hapan boy pursed his lips.

"No matter how far I try to run from politics, it seems to have a way of hunting me down and dragging me back in kicking and screaming."

Persephone Dashiell

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

Persephone had many questions. Mobile fortress sounded like an armed fleet. If the Mandalorians were occupying the Hapan territory, had they not discovered the fleet? Was there not a systematic killing of noble children yet? Considering the group had crucified citizens and officials in the Diarchy territory not long ago Persephone wondered the status of the Hapes Cluster.

Yet in her eyes Tavian Djo was too sensitive to ask these questions to. Even now he was spiraling over politics and the prospect of three Queen Mothers. In her eyes that was the least of concerns. If she was in charge there would be a temporary truce to drive out the invaders - a resistance movement. Instead they - or at least Tavian - were worried about a future that may not occur.

"You'll have to either embrace it or run away. I don't see any other option."