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The marble floor was cold underneath her bare feet as Padmé followed her husband to their private chambers. She had just put her twin two-year-old children down to sleep for the night, and thankfully, it had been an easy task. They were tuckered out from the full day of activities she scheduled for them, and Padmé only had to read halfway through their favourite storybook – The Mighty Adventures of the Galactic Space Twins – before they were snoring peacefully in her arms.
Since returning home from his duties, Anakin had been a shadow in her peripheral vision for most of the day, not really speaking or moving, just watching intently. He interacted with the twins seldomly, but Padmé believed it was insecurity that prevented him from getting closer and bonding with them. Leia was indifferent to her father’s presence, but Luke often tugged on his cape to get his attention or stood next to him with a curious expression, staring up with wide blue eyes.
She desired to question Anakin more and better understand where his head was at, but their relationship was no longer the same. Anakin used to be affectionate and kind, but since the destruction of the republic and the rise of the empire, he had become frosty and aloof.
The new system of governance was a huge change for everyone. Since stepping back from her senatorial work to focus on raising her twins, Padmé only heard snippets here and there of the cruelty the empire was supposedly inflicting upon the galaxy. She didn’t want to believe the whispers because they couldn’t possibly be true. Anakin wasn’t capable of what the others were claiming.
Despite her denials, she asked him, hoping against reason that the rumours of a planet-destroying weapon and bloody battles waged against the empire’s enemies were fabricated, and that Anakin was merely the subject of a smear campaign. But she received a furious rebuke in return, then a stony wall of silence.
So, she didn't ask again, thinking it would be easier and more peaceful this way. And gradually, their conversations dwindled until Padmé felt as though they were two strangers living separate lives under the same roof.
Padmé choked back a helpless sob. Her feelings for her husband hadn’t changed. She missed him terribly.
They reached the wide, double doors, which Anakin opened with a flick of his wrist. Inside, the living area splintered off into two bedrooms. She watched him walk towards his with a sadness deep in her soul.
“Goodnight, Padmé,” he said blankly, his back to her.
“Wait,” she called after him, then sighed gratefully when he spun around slowly to look at her.
“Padmé, it’s late.”
“I know, I know.” Padmé hesitated for a brief moment before mousing closer. Balancing on her toes, she reached up to cup the side of Anakin’s face, and nearly whimpered in relief when he openly leaned into her touch.
“Won’t you stay with me tonight?” she asked sweetly, hoping her husband would agree. The last time they were intimate was far too long ago, and she ached to feel his body again.
But Anakin gently removed her hand, dropping it unceremoniously by her side. “I don’t think so, Padmé.” He shrugged nonchalantly, an action that would’ve infuriated her had she not been so broken-hearted.
“But I love you,” she wailed pathetically, tugging on his black robes. The dam finally burst and her emotions overflowed like ice-cold water until she was submerged beneath the torrent and struggling for air. Padmé’s throat constricted from the devastating pain of it all. “Why don’t you love me?”
“Stop this right now,” he commanded, his tone becoming unusually dark and sinister. Padmé lurched back instinctively, releasing his clothing and crossing her arms protectively over her chest. His blue eyes looked golden in the dim light, and she held her breath in fear. But just as quickly, he exhaled and managed a little smile that didn’t quite look genuine.
“Goodnight, Padmé,” he repeated, softer this time. Not that it hurt any less. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
With that, he swiftly turned around and entered his private bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Padmé was left reeling from Anakin’s callousness and could do little else except stand alone and abandoned in the middle of the spacious living room, weeping at the punishing rejection, and praying for the man that she remembered to return to her.