Chapter 12: Home Sweet Home
With the three adults now working on what was going on with the general, Kith and Alequa decided to get the Princess mind of what had just happened. Fear was rolling off her in waves, and they wanted her to return to the semi-normalcy that had begun to settle in around her as she had begun the tour of the castle.
“Princess, would you like to continue to the gardens?” Alequa asked, looking down on the red-head. Maltiera just nodded, and grasped Kiths hand as Alequa continued down the hall towards the gardens, away from whatever commotion the palace would be playing host to.
‘Close your eyes Maltiera” Kith said as they neared the gardens. The little girl did, also using one hand to cover them. She let Kith guide her as they walked into the Gardens, and when they reached the middle, he told her to open her eyes.
A smile blossomed on her face as she took in the scene before her. There were flowers of all kinds all around her, they were different colors, shapes, and as she stepped to the few around her, she took in all the different smells. A smile blossomed on her face as she let go of Kith’s hand for the first time since exiting the speeder outside the palace. Kith stepped back, taking in the scene before him. Alequa, smiling as she took in the Princesses wonder as the redhead took off into the flowers taking everything as if she had just been placed in an amusement park for the first time in her life.
Shock it came at him full blast through the force, and he immediately went in search of the little girl.
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“Little girl, what are you doing in the gardens?” the Guard looked down at the petite girl that had bumped into him, while running free through the Palace Gardens. Maltiera started slowly backing away from him. He followed reaching for her hand, “I’m going to have to ask you to leave the gardens, if you’ll come--“ His thought was cut off as the girl turned and began running in the opposite direction. With an exasperated sigh, the guard began to run after her, suddenly coming face to face with the girl, only this time she wasn’t alone, she was being held by the Jedi Apprentice to His Highness.
“Jedi Mallar, I’m afraid the girl can not be running freely through the royal gardens.” He told the eighteen year old, as Alequa Frochio stepped up behind the Jedi.
Kith’s face broke immediately into amusement, “I’m afraid sir, that the girl has more rights to be running through the gardens then you have to be guarding them.”
“Sir this is my job, I have every right to be guarding the gardens.”
“I am fully aware that you have a right to be guarding, but as I said it is nothing compared to the right of the Princess of Hapes and Heir to the throne to be running through her mothers garden.” The look on the guards face went from smug to horror.
“The Princess?” He asked, just for clarification.
Kith set attempted to set Maltiera down on the ground, but the girl protested, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. “Maltiera, I’m not going to set you down just look,” She did and he continued, “Meet the Princess Maltiera Liana Djo.” The guard was immediate in bowing, and he quickly apologized and returned to his post.
