The Red Crown of Eshan
It was a pleasant late afternoon.
Quinn had found herself enjoying Theed more often than Eshan. As much as she disliked admitting it, Naboo held a quiet pull — something about Theed kept drawing her back. She thought of the Chancellor's introduction, the easy diplomacy, the curiosity she'd been allowed to indulge while remaining planetside.
She understood the danger of that comfort. She'd been reminded of it recently, when her own indulgences had nearly cost her. It was easy to daydream. Easy to pretend she was not half of what she was.
Others knew. Others saw.
There was no escaping that truth.
Still, it was a beautiful day, and the gardens called to her.
Naboo was famous for its architecture and gentle landscapes, but the gardens were where its beauty felt alive. Parthi had likely warned her to remain within the small embassy they were establishing. With the Chancellor hinting at stronger ties between Eshan and Naboo, Quinn's presence carried weight.
Thankfully, Parthi was steady. A necessary balance. He could smooth the edges that Quinn sometimes left rough.
She sighed softly, wondering if she deserved someone like him at her side. Their alliance was aligned in purpose — but if the tides shifted, they would be enemies. That truth lingered quietly beneath everything.
Quinn wandered deeper into the garden. Life thrived here. Blooms burst with color, reminding her of the rose garden she'd hidden away on Jutrand like a secret she refused to share.
Could she ever walk away from the Sith?
Would she ever be permitted to?
She hummed under her breath, grateful for the solitude. The millaflowers had always drawn her eye. Tiered boxes held their low-growing blooms, vivid and deliberate. She liked that something so striking could grow so close to the soil.
A rarity. Something you had to look for.
Perhaps that was why she felt kinship with them.
The breeze carried their scent, gentle and calming — a sensation she rarely allowed herself. Even Eshan felt tense these days. Danger was never far.
Her hand hovered over a smaller bud. It had not bloomed yet, dwarfed by the others.
Pity.
Through the Force, she coaxed it open. The petals unfurled slowly, revealing colors brighter than the rest in the box — defiant in their beauty.
Quinn studied it for a long moment.
"I wonder what flower she would like…"