Noble Men

[Ethan Matumaini]

Naboo

Since he had been given the responsibilities of a Senator, the Prince was forced to do a lot more travelling around the galaxy recently than he had ever done in his life. After being sheltered for so long, it was crucial that he learnt more about the galaxy, his place in it, and how everything worked in the senate and beyond. Having only recently left his home planet for the first time in seventeen years, it was quite a big thing for him to be on other, unfamiliar planets. Naboo was one of those planets.

Having never been to Naboo before, he was unfamiliar with the climate and was surprised at how green everything was on the planet. Bestine was a lot more rocky and sparse and although the ocean was beautiful, you got sick of it after spending your life there. Naboo was much greener, it had much more land and was generally a lot prettier. Ethan was used to the cold sea winds and not the warmer and much more mild winds of Naboo. It was a nice change though.

Ethan had come to the planet to meet [member="Felicity Mason"], though of course he hadn't come alone. He had brought his guard and trusted friend, Erik, with him, it would be a huge mistake for him to leave to go anywhere without Erik since Ethan's brother had been assassinated. He entered the palace with his guard at his side, though being in a place like this was always comforting. He glanced around at the large structure in amazement, it seemed so much more exquisite than the palace on Bestine, but then again, he had noticed all the buildings here looked a lot more elegant in general.

 

[Felicity Mason]

Home again. The young Princess had spent months away. But here she was, finally back for a visit. Or at least she told herself it was for a visit. Mom wanted her to stay permanently. The assassination of her mentor and tutor, the Duchess Magrath, had frightened Mother. Even more so now that Cyril, Felicitys only brother, had vowed to assist the Republic in wiping out the entire Magrath family.
Why, Felicity would not allow herself yo understand. The family had been nothing but kind to her. They treated her as one of the own, called her Sister. She adored the Magrath family, and she was determined to ensure the murderer of the families matriarch came to justice.

So, no. She did not plan on staying. But she was not about to tell mom that.
Felicity stood in the great hall, flanked on both sides by one of Mothers personal body guards, as well as one of her handmaidens. Why? Felicity knew why, and it infuriated her. Mother was at it again. She could not succeed in setting her up with the last prince she sent her way, or the son of the Duchess. She was going to try again.

Fine. She'd play the game, but she would not play nice. Felicity already had a 'love of her life'.

Owain was around somewhere. He came everywhere with her. He went with her to study with the Magrath family, he went with her when her parents went missing and she had to go find them, he even went with her when she ran away to Coruscant just to see what it was like! And he was here now too. Just out of sight. Away from Mothers watchful eye.

The girl smoothed out her long petal-pink dress and ran a few fingers through her curly blonde hair. She was a pretty girl, right? Owain always said she was. Even with her freckled nose and sliced up ear, he said she was a great beauty. Why it mattered so much now, was beyond her. In the inside, she would probably always be an awkward teenager.

[member="Ethan Matumaini"]

 

[Ethan Matumaini]

Ethan practically dragged his dumbfounded guard by the arm into the great hall. His sister had picked out some sort of formal teal blazer for him to wear since apparently it represented Bestine and it's planet-wide ocean better than any other colour. Most of the guards from Bestine wore some form of a teal colour anyway. It seemed like a stupid gesture but Ethan wasn't one to argue with his sister.

The Prince bowed politely. "Your Highness." he said, lifting his eyes to meet Felicity's. He smiled at her, always being polite to new people unless given a reason not to be. Ethan had always been a charming, even through his childhood, though sometimes it would annoy people that he was so polite and caring, it didn't stop him. He had been raised that way and it was all he had since he could barely fend for himself in the world.

As far as he was aware, he was sent here on the best interests of his and Felicity's parents. He knew he would have to meet the Princess, but it was something he didn't mind, it was always nice to meet new people. He was never allowed friends, never allowed to socialise with the citizens of Bestine, not for the last two years, not since the assassination. Since that time the monarchy had become rather bitter towards citizens, knowing that somewhere, someone harboured an assassin that would change the course of the future for the planet. Now the planet was left in the hands of an irresponsible teenager, his twin and their gravely ill father. It was important that Ethan could make all the connections with other people that he could.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Polite. He was so polite. It bored her. The Princess glanced to the side at one of mothers favorite handmaiden, Maraea. The woman blinked and raised a thin, dark auburn eyebrow at her. Felicity knew what that gesture meant. The girl resisted the urge to sigh, smiled politely at the handsome Prince in front of her and dipped into the best curtsey her thin legs could manage.

"Your Grace."

She straightened back up, hands clasped in front of her. What now? Marea cleared her throat as the girl stood there awkwardly.

"Oh, err, Princess Felicity of Naboo. A pleasure to finally meet you."

The handmaiden looked like she wanted to slap her palm against her own face. Felicity really was not doing well here.

[member="Ethan Matumaini"]

 

[Ethan Matumaini]

"Prince Ethan of Bestine." he said with a smile. "The pleasure is all mine."

She seemed all right and couldn't blame her for not really caring for formalities. Maybe it was just him but being so formal made him feel awkward nonetheless.

His guard, Erik had begun to sneer at Ethan for the way he was behaving, he was never usually formal unless forced to do so. It was clearly awkward for him to act in such a way. Ethan elbowed his guard harshly in the ribs but whilst still keeping on a smile and his eyes on the Princess. He hadn't been offered much information about the girl before he had come here, but there was always time to learn, if she was willing that is.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Awkward. This whole interaction was awkward. Neither of them seemed like they wanted to be here. And the entourage only served to make things even more awkward. Maraea cleared her throat. What now? What did she expect her to do that she wasn't doing?

She watched the Prince elbow one of his guards. A tiny smirk found her lips. So, maybe he had a little fight in him. Oh! Maybe they could try fencing! She was curious how the fighting style of his planet differed from that of Naboo. Not that she was going to play fair in a fight like most Naboo nobles might. She'd learned that the best way to win in a life or death struggle was to fight dirty. She did fight dirty. Daddy would be proud.

The awkwardness seemed to last forever. Was she supposed to shake his hand? She didn't think so. She'd never had to shake the hand of, well, anybody. Normally, a male would offer his arm and they would go where her body guards led.

"Your Highness," Maraea spoke up at last, "I believe the Queen has arranged tea for you and your guest in the courtyard."

"Wha-? Oh. Yes. Of course," she stumbled, looking down at her pink silk shoes poking out below the hem of her gown, "Prince Ethan? Would you join me?"

[member="Ethan Matumaini"]

 

[Ethan Matumaini]

Ethan turned to Erik, since his sister wasn't here, unsure of what to do. The guard rolled his eyes and whispered something in Ethan's ear. The Prince stayed put for a moment, thinking, before he made his way over to Felicity and offered her his arm. What would he do without Erik? He smiled and shook his head at the thought.

"Of course I will." he said, dropping the formal act he hadn't been so bothered with anyway. He guided her to the courtyard as he was led to it and looked around. Naboo really was a beautiful place, it was a wonder anyone could live here and not be amazed by its beauty.

He wouldn't have kept the formal act up much longer anyway, though he hoped it wouldn't effect any relations he should have with the Princess. Ethan gave Erik a knowing look and the guard reluctantly left. He smiled and pulled a chair out for the Princess, out of politeness rather than formality.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

The girl smiled again as he offered his arm. Good. He was about as awkward as she was. Maybe the two of them could get along after all. She walked with him in silence to the court yard. Mother had certainly pulled out all the stops.
'Tea', indeed. Along with cakes, pies, finger sandwiches, truffles, chocolates shaped like the Naboo royal crest... All piled decoratively on top of a pretty white table beside the antique tea pot and cups.

She took the seat offered. She was used to this though, having her seat pulled out for her. It was nothing new. When he was sitting as well, the two body guards moved around to the outside of the hedge, guarding the entrence into the little garden clearing, while still giving the young royals some privacy. His men were welcome to do the same, but were not required. A handmaiden moved forward to prepare the tea, but Felicity stopped her.

"It's only polite for the host to serve tea to her guest," she reminded her and the young handmaiden nodded and moved back to her place waiting against the flowering hedges.

The girl picked up the delicate tea pot, spooned in four scoops of fresh tea leaves into the strainer and set the tea to seep for a moment.

"How are you finding Naboo so far?"

[member="Ethan Matumaini"]

 

[Ethan Matumaini]

Ethan took a seat close to her and fiddled with the hem of his shirt, nervously after dismissing his guard. "Oh Naboo is beautiful and the weather here is so much nicer. Bestine is just cold and rocky and there's hardly anything besides water. I'd love to live in a place like this, it's so green. I've never seen so much green in my life." he said with a smile, clearly excited by the concept of Naboo's terrain.

"-and your buildings, they are so amazing. They're so exquisite and beautiful. If it's like this all over the planet, I don't know why anyone would ever want to leave." he said, getting carried away. "Sorry, it's my first time leaving Bestine."

Ethan smiled at her, clearly not trying to do anything other than being friendly. Now that he properly looked at her rather than avoided her eyes or looked at his feet, he noticed she actually was rather pretty. She had platinum blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. As much as he tried to stop himself from noticing, he couldn't.

"So tell me about yourself. Is there anything you like doing? Do you have any siblings?" he asked, trying to make the start of some sort of conversation.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Yes yes. The same most people said about Naboo and, well, Felicity could not even try to disagree. Naboo was stunning. A beautiful jewel in the Galaxy. She adored her home.

"I have two siblings. My big brother is named Cyril. He's a 'freedom fighter'. By that I mean she likes to fight things and say it's for freedoms sake."
The girl rolled her eyes openly, reaching across the table for the tea pot that was about finished seeping.

"My sister is younger than me by a few years, but she's smarter, prettier, and is basically the ideal Princess. So I've been told."
At this, she shorted and shrugged. She was jealous. It was obvious. She always hated the reminder that her younger sister was better than her.

"As for me, I do a lot. Father taught me the basics of defending myself and how to fly a ship. Mother taught me dance and politics. As for what I do for fun? I read and I ride my tauntaun. Honestly, I don't get out much either."

[member="Ethan Matumaini"]

 

[Ethan Matumaini]

Ethan propped his elbow up on the table and rested his head in his hand, genuinely interested in what she was saying. He had never met a nobility like Felicity, not one as similar to him as she was.

"I have a twin sister, I love her so much, I don't know what I'd do without her." he said quietly without interrupting the Princess. He didn't admit it, because he didn't believe it, but he needed his sister for pretty much everything political. Though formally he would make the decisions, his sister would give him all the advice he needed and more.

"I know how you feel, my brother was the perfect one. He would get all the praise and me and my sister would get ignored, it's only since his death that we've been paid attention too. I did love him and I still do, but I didn't realise until it was too late. You may be jealous now, but it wont always be like that. People make good and bad decisions, it's whether you embrace the decisions you make that determine what people think of you."

Ethan smiled and looked down. "Besides, I couldn't imagine how your sister could possibly be any prettier than you."

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

So this one had a sister? And a dead brother. Heavy. Really heavy. Baggage. Still, she supposed they all had baggage in some form or another. Some people had dead siblings. She had the invasion of Naboo and the woman she killed. Best not to mention that though. Not very good tea time conversation. She poured tea for both of them, steady hands preventing even a single drop from hitting the pristine white table cloth. Mom taught her this. Even the Queen refused to let anyone else pour tea for one of her guests.

His last comment made her cheeks go red. Not pink. Red. A rather unattractive shade against her freckles, really. Great. Another suitor decided by mom, and he was making her blush. She picked up her tea cup, taking a tiny sip. When she finally set it down, her cheeks were a rosy pink instead.

"She is, though," she replied, "Perfect skin, perfect hair. Looks like mother did when she was her age. Everyone says my mother was a great beauty too. I kinda take after my father though... in most everything, actually."

She took another sip of her tea, staring sideways at the hedge. it was true. She was a daddy's girl through and through.

"But tell me more about you. I've been going on about myself here. You're my guest. I want to know about you."

[member="Ethan Matumaini"]

 

[Ethan Matumaini]

Could she really be that pretty? Besides, it didn't matter. Beauty wasn't everything, someone would always be considered prettier than someone else, though it would be worse when it's your sibling or someone close to you...

Ethan watched her as she poured the tea, moving his eyes from her hands to her eyes. "Well then you are unique. If your sister looks like your mother, isn't she just expected to be like her? If there's no one that looks like you, there's no one you have to pretend to be or not to be." he said, picking up the tea cup with both hands. "For instance, I look like none of my family, I don't look like either of my parents or siblings. I don't behave or act like any of them and I like it, it gives me freedom."

"I don't think it's a bad thing not to be as pretty as someone else. Beauty on the outside captures the eye but beauty on the inside captures the heart." he said, taking a sip of the tea and giving Felicity a small smile. He genuinely believed this and it was clear he wasn't saying it just to cheer her up.

"There's not much to me really. I was born and raised on Bestine IV, I left the planet for the first time this year because I was introduced as Senator. I'm trained in basic self defence, but most people are these days, and I live with my father and twin sister called Esther."

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

...Wait. Was he saying she was still pretty, or was he backing it up and correcting himself? She wasn't sure if she should be offended or flattered or...? So she just sat there, blinking at him over her tea cup. Owain would have been able to translate for her if he was here. She glanced around. For all she knew, Owain was here, hiding. If she was a better Force user, she would try to sense him.

"Ah."

She took a sip from her teacup, feeling awkward. She should really say something else now. Ask more questions about him. It was expected. Maraea was staring at her, raising her thin eyebrows again. What did she want her to say?!

"What about your Mother?"

Maraea twitched from her place against the hedge. Bad move. Very bad move. She was tripping, making mistakes. She hoped she hadn't offended.

[member="Ethan Matumaini"]

 

[Ethan Matumaini]

"I still think you're pretty, but I don't think it's an as important quality as the ones that come from within. That goes for everyone, not just for you." he added to address her blank look.

Ethan didn't take the question to heart, he could hardly blame her if she didn't know. He just smiled sadly and took it lightly. "My mother.. died during childbirth with my brother when I was six."

He took his cup and lifted it to his mouth. "and your mother? What's she like?" he asked.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

She screwed up. Bad. She wanted to stand up and walk away, maybe hide her face in her pillow for a while. Yes. That sounded good. She started to set her cup down, moved as if to get out of her seat-
Maraea let out a sharp cough and Felicity sat straight in her seat. Okay. So she couldn't leave, even after embarrassing herself horribly.

"Oh... S-sorry..." She averted her eyes, "I hope I didn't offend..."

His question about her Mother was a thankful change. She relaxed some.

"Oh, Mother is... the Queen. You know how Queens are- err.... w-well, she's busy, you see. Always busy. The people on Naboo seem to like her though. She is very popular, strong, empathetic..."

[member="Ethan Matumaini"]

 

[Ethan Matumaini]

Ethan reached across the table and took her hand gently. "Listen, don't worry about it. You couldn't have known." he smiled and squeezed her hand reassuringly before returning it back to his lap.

"My father is the same, everyone at home loves him. Though I'm not sure they'll have the same reaction to me." he said with a frown as he finished his tea. He had always worried that the people of Bestine wouldn't like him, especially since the assassination of the oldest heir. Ethan was the second choice, and he wasn't proud of it.

"Do you like fencing?" he asked quietly.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

His hand on hers. Oh Force! Oh Force! What was she supposed to do? She was in a panic in her head. What if Owain saw? What if he got mad at her? She glanced at Maraea, who was smiling. She... she approved! No. Mother approved, and Maraea was serving Mother. The girl blushed another ugly shade of red, but smiled.
Then he pulled away. She could breathe again.

"Fencing?" Oh. Okay. Good. Her blush died down again somewhat. Off to the side, Maraea looked nervous. "Yeah. I do. Or, err... something like it."

She smirked, sipping at her tea once more. Fencing she could talk about, but if he asked for a match, he'd regret it. Felicity Mason played to win, and she would defeat her opponent at any cost.

[member="Ethan Matumaini"]

 

[Ethan Matumaini]

He looked at Felicity's cheeks and smirked. "That's adorable." he laughed, half-joking.

Ethan stood up and pushed the chair back. "Want a match?" he asked with a smirk. His confidence had built up a lot over the last year since he had been given more responsibilities, though his sister had to be careful not to feed her brother's ego until it became unbearable to deal with.

He gave a nod to his guard who knew what was being said and threw Ethan a blade. The Prince caught it and held it at his side. "Your highness." he said with a somewhat sarcastic bow and a smirk still on his face.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

A match? In this dress? The girl stood up too, glancing first down at her long billowy skirt, then at Maraea, who looked like she might bite her own tongue off. She felt sorry for her. She was going to have to be the one to tell the Queen when she stomped Prince Perfect into the dirt.
She cleared her throat, reached down. With a loud rip, she tore her dress up along the seam on one side. Enough to move. Maraea swayed visibly.

"Percy?" she called, "I believe I've been challenged."

One of her mothers favorite guards sighed from the other side of the hedge, then came into view, holding a blade."

"Princess," he murmured, presenting it to her, "You sure...?"

"Oh, I am sure," she responded checking the weight of the blade. A little heavy at the tip. Not quite a good fit for her small hands. Still, who said she would be using just her sword?

[member="Ethan Matumaini"]