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(7.23) Lonely Hearts, Pt. II
(7.23) Lonely Hearts, Pt. II
Southern Palace
Kingdom of Lorta
26 August, 1938
Dia Zall stormed into her room and slammed the door behind her. She
stood just in front of her door, breathing heavily and clenching her
fists at her sides. She was enraged. How could he have betrayed
me? She asked herself. She had just returned from a conversation
with Lut Sha, which directly followed a meeting with Grandma Zall. Her
ears were ringing from their words, which implied that her father was
not the man she thought he was. It was unbelievable that her father
could have lied to her! She was soaking up the torrents of
information, which she was not taking very well at all. Could she
actually be brainwashed? There was no way she would get any rest
tonight, but the information had made Dia feel dirty. I need a
bath, she thought as she kicked off her shoes and peeled off her
long black silk gloves, and dropped them by her feet. She stomped over
to her wardrobe trunk. She got on her knees and flung the lid open,
which crashed against the foot board of her bed leaving marks on both
the bed, and the lid of the trunk. Her amethyst eyes immediately
focused on the jewelry box filled with precious jewelry that was given
to her by her father, which sat on top of her clothes. Instinctively,
she picked it up and threw it across the room. The box hit a lamp, and
the force sent the lamp crashing to the floor.
Startled, Dia turned her head at the sound of breaking glass. As she
saw the aftermath of what she had done, she placed her palms on the
floor, bowed her head and started to cry. Her eyes were glassy and
bloodshot. She huffed as she held herself up on her hands and knees,
staring at the mess she had made. She stood up, walked across the
room, and fell to her knees before the broken glass and scattered
jewelry. She picked up the box and placed it right side up beside her,
and piece by piece picked up the jewelry. She paused as her eyes
zeroed in on a very lavish ring. It was gold, and adorned with purple
blue stones which surrounded a large diamond. She picked it up and
examined the ring.
Dia slipped the ring onto her left ring finger. She couldn’t help, but
feel sad, and fought the desire to cry. Her lip quivered and her eyes
watered. It was then she spun the ring around her finger remembering
the night Xan had given it to her. It was a night she would never
forget. She then closed her eyes, and allowed her mind to wander back
to that unbelievably magical night.
Dia had just returned from her vigorous studies, and had found that
philosophy was more challenging than she thought. She was quickly
realizing that there were so many different ways to interpret the
written word, and meanings could vary vastly from one person to
another. However, she was excited about the topics, and wanted to
learn, but it was mentally exhausting. It also didn’t help that they
had moved around so much. This had been the fifth hotel in less then a
month.
Once Dia had finally escaped her protective guard, she immediately
flung herself onto her bed. The sudden crash of her slender frame
forced the bed to jolt, causing the air to hiss with a swift burst.
She laid there as the sheets gradually fell, caressing parts of her
body. She couldn’t help, but take a deep breath, and moaned with
comfort as she closed her eyes. She finally had the first opportunity
to allow her mind and body to unwind from the long day. However, as
she relaxed she couldn’t help, but picture her father. He was tall,
handsome, and always spoke with so much confidence, not to mention he
had such a wonderful voice. It was deep, but not raspy or forced. It
was soft, but articulate. The very thought of his voice always put a
smile across her face. His words not only excited Dia, but also made
her feel relaxed and safe at the same time.
It was then Dia was startled by the sound of someone knocking at her
door. She snapped upright, and gasped for air. Surprised by the sudden
knock at the door, Dia rose to her feet and quickly answered. She
mildly opened the door slightly to find a tall Gungan man dressed in a
fine suit and bowtie, holding a silver box with a black bow.
“Beautiful night, Ms. Zall,” exclaimed the Gungan, “I’ve bought you
present from your father!” At first, Dia looked puzzled, but then
opened the door, and accepted the gift. She looked at the Gungan
realizing this was the first time she had seen one in person. And, to
her surprise he spoke Omwatese very well.
“Thank you,” Dia said to the Gungan as he simply bowed, took a step
back, turned, and walked down the hall. She then closed the door
behind her, and walked over to the bed. She placed the box onto the
bed and untied the black bow. She then lifted the top portion of the
silver box to reveal a stunning purple dress with a matching
headdress. Attached to the hanger was a note that said, “Meet me in
the botanical gardens,” and signed “Love, Your Father.” She was very
baffled that Xan had sent her a sleeveless dress, because he had
always had clothes with long concealing sleeves made for her to cover
her unsavory tattoos. In spite of the confusion, she was very excited
over the dress, and thought it was lavish, but glorious. She had
always dreamed she could have such a dress. It had a deep “V” shaped
halter top, with a daring open back, a crystal beaded band at the
waist, and a slit that ran all the way up the right leg. The matching
headdress was a headband of crystals that matched those which adorned
the dress and purple ribbons that would wrap around her lekku. Dia
questioned herself,why would he send me this? Her heart sank as
she realized that it must have been a mistake. He had always stressed
that she must conceal her unladylike tattooed arms. She went to her
wardrobe trunk and removed a purple shawl, which to no real
coincidence matched her dress. Xan had given her quite a few pieces of
clothing in that color, which was Xan's favorite and also the color of
her eyes.
Dia held the purple shawl next to the dress, and felt reassured that
she would be presentable. She didn’t wish to look poorly for her
father, and was even a little excited. She had dinner with her father
before, but nothing like this. She had never personally sent such a
daring dress, and the gardens seemed like such a romantic setting. It
was then Dia suddenly felt nervous as her heart began to flutter
uncontrollably. Oh my Dia thought, as she scrambled toward the
mirror by the bathroom. She looked carefully at herself, and felt
dreadful realizing that she looked like a mess. She quickly grabbed
her make up box from the counter, and started examining the different
types of lipstick. She shifted through ruby red, pink, but then
stumbled across the perfect shade, Midnight Purple. “Yes!” shouted Dia
as she giggled, and applied the lipstick, and pressed her lips
together. She then retrieved a tissue, and ensured that there weren’t
any smudge marks. Once she was satisfied she slipped out of her robes
until she was only in her black undergarments. She then skipped toward
the bed, and maneuvered her tiny frame through the purple dress,
followed by the headdress. Dia then slung the shawl over her
shoulders, and made sure to cover her arms.
Dia finally took one last look in the mirror, and felt satisfied
before departing the room, and closing the door behind her. As she
made her way to toward the hotel lobby to inquire about how to get to
the gardens, she realized the entire staff seemed to know who she was,
and where she was going. “This way, Ms. Zall,” a rather tall Lepi man
said to her. “Evening, Madam Zall. Heading to the gardens?” a Twi'lek
asked as he gestured in the right direction. Each and every staff
member she passed greeted her, and pointed her toward the gardens,
until she finally reached a large set of beautiful wooden double
doors, embellished with golden vines, and on each side stood a
uniformed Twi'lek. “Ms. Zall,” one of them said with enthusiasm, “Your
father awaits you. “It is a beautiful night, Ms Zall,” said the other.
“Enjoy your dinner.”
Simultaneously, the ushers opened the doors and as the doors cracked
open, the moonlight beamed inside. The first thing Dia noticed was
that it was the brightest night she had ever seen. The sight of the
gardens was enchanting. There were beautiful flowering plants all
around and music, with no visible source that filled the air like
magic. There were flowers representing every color of the spectrum,
but what was truly amazing was the path in front of her. The sides of
the stone path were lit with small blue candles. And, in the center of
the path were white roses, with the tips of the pedals dyed purple,
creating a trail that led down a winding path. As the doors closed
behind her, she could not see another soul. She picked up the first
rose and began to follow the path, which led her on a nice walk
through the gardens. She passed many different types of flowers and
trees, many of which she had never seen before. At various points
along the path were sculptures, statues, and water features, including
a cascading waterfall. Her journey even led her through a tunnel
created by vines, leading her to a wooden bridge.
As she crossed the bridge, she spotted her father, standing beside a
small round table. He immediately approached the bridge, and greeted
her. “My sweet Dia, please come and join me on this magical evening”
he said with a handsome smile, as he offered his own hand for Dia’s.
Dia couldn’t help but smiled in return, and accepted.
“Magical?” said Dia as she blushed, and felt embarrassed. “What makes
this evening magical?” she asked with bright smile, and sparkling
amethyst eyes. She then tried to conceal her smile by holding the rose
to her mouth, but only made her shyness more appealing.
Xan simply chuckled, and smiled. “A night between us of course,”
stated Xan as he guided Dia toward the table. “What do you think of
the dress?” he asked looking her up and down. “But I don’t remember
picking this out?” said Xan with grimace as he eyed the shawl.
“Oh, I thought I should wear it,” answered Dia averting her eyes from
Xan as they finally reached the table. He continued to guide Dia
directly to her seat, but before she could take a sit, Xan placed his
hands on Dia's shoulders, which made her heart flutter.
“I was hoping to see only you and the dress” stated Xan as he slipped
his fingers underneath the shawl around her collarbone. Dia was
shocked, and slightly confused, but offered no resistance as her heart
pounded in her chest. Xan smiled as he looked up and down her body as
she stood stiffly before him, nervous about what he might think of
her. He then pulled out a chair and motioned for her to take a seat.
She looked at Xan and smiled. “I love it,” she said. “It is far more
beautiful than anything I could ever conjure in my own imagination. It
fits me so perfectly. It is amazing, the things you know.”
“Well, I was wrong about that dress looking good on you,” Xan
responded, pausing to give the words time to sink in. Dia self
consciously attempted to cover her tattooed right arm with her
opposing hand. Xan whisked around and knelt down in front of her,
meeting her at eye level. “I'm sorry, I was wrong. It looks
perfect on you! I guess I should have realized that beforehand,
because it was made for you, after all. I designed it myself with the
stunning image of you in my mind.”
Before Xan had finished his thought, Dia was looking down in shame.
Her eyes were starting to tear up, but Xan knew that the sting from
the beginning of his statement would make the rest seem far more
profound. As he finished speaking, her eyes darted up and made eye
contact with him. With her eyes still glossy, it made the amethyst
color, which matched the dress, sparkle even more than usual. Still
covering her arm, she started to smile. Xan then placed his hand over
Dia's, and removed it from her tattooed arm. He kissed the hand, and
placed it gently on her lap, then ran his finger down her tattooed
arm, sending wonderful chills down her spine. As he caressed her arm,
he assured her with a soft voice, “My dearest, you don't ever have to
hide yourself from me. It is just us tonight” said Xan as he stood
placing his finger underneath Dia’s chin, and made sure she that there
was strong eye contact. “Like I said, it’s just us” stated Xan before
motioning around the far side of the table.
On the table, which was draped in a white linen cloth, were two large
silver domes, surrounded by silver utensils. In the center of the
table, was a small arrangement of Dia's favorite flowers. There were
small, light blue wildflowers, which matched the color of Xan's skin,
and purple flowers to match Dia's eyes and his favorite color. There
were also white roses for contrast scattered about the arrangement. On
each side of the flower arrangement was a pair of tall candles atop
silver candlesticks to match the domes. Beside the table, sat a cart
covered with a white cloth. On top of the cart sat a silver bucket,
with a bottle of wine chilling in ice.
Xan stepped in front of the cart, and removed the bottle of wine from
the silver bucket, uncorked it, and poured wine into her crystal
glass, and then into his. He lifted the silver dome and gestured
toward a mushroom and pasta dish, “Your favorite, my love.”
My love? She thought he must have had a slip of the tongue. Her
eyes were wide and excited as she stared at the food. I never told
him what my favorite meal was.
“I noticed how your eyes light up every time you have this dish, and
how you close them as you savor every bite,” Xan embellished, knowing
that the young Twi'lek certainly was wondering how he could possibly
know. Yet, having a large staff to keep a close watch on her certainly
helped. He also knew that she was love struck, and missed him terribly
whenever he was away. He was well informed on her regular activities
and her favorite things.
Smiling and never taking his eyes off of her, he slowly walked to the
other side of the table and removed the lid from his dish, placing it
on the cart beside the table. He finally took a seat and held up his
wine glass toward Dia, as she mimicked his gesture, and toasted, “To
you, my darling Dia. You are the light in my nighttime sky that always
guides me home.” Dia's heart melted as they touched their glasses
together. She then sipped slowly from the glass of wine, although her
nerves screamed for her to chug it in one go, but then simply placed
the glass back on to the table. Her father taught her table manners,
so she knew better. Plus she had a low tolerance for alcohol and was a
very clumsy and silly drunk.
“Please, my dear, eat,” Xan gestured toward her food. As Dia took a
bite, he quickly explained, “I understand you, and love you, and
accept you for everything that you are. Others just don't know you
like I do, and that is why you must hide your arm around them. To me,
it makes you even more beautiful. To me, you are perfect.” He paused
to smile, then took a bite of his food before continuing. “I know you
feel that you have done nothing to deserve this life. The truth is you
did not deserve the life you lived before I found you. I do not know
how fate could have been so cruel to keep you from me for all of these
years, but you belong here, right next to me.”
Dia's eyes brightened with his words. Could her dreams be coming true?
Or was she delusional in her interpretation of his words and actions?
Could he really return the love she had for him? Dia felt very wrong
about her feelings toward Xan. She was supposed to be his daughter,
but he was the only person to ever make her feel like a real woman.
Every word he spoke to her was exactly what she needed to hear. Nobody
had ever known her so well, so she couldn't help but fall in love with
him. As her heart pounded with excitement she considered that he could
actually return those feelings.
Xan knew how Dia felt. It was written on her face, in the way her eyes
lit up every time he approached her. He could see it in the way she
couldn’t suppress her smile when he looked at her. He also had heard
from several members of her staff that she was quite outspoken, but
she was often shy when interacting with him. He could see the pain in
her eyes whenever he would say goodbye to her, before departing for a
business trip or an adventure.
Dia sat her fork and her knife down next to her plate. Her lips were
parted as if she was trying to allow words to escape, but they didn't
want to come out. She wanted to tell him that she was madly in love
with him, but she just could not bring herself to confess her
feelings. Instead, she breathlessly stared at him with her large,
amethyst eyes. He appeared to be stunned by her beauty. He reached
across the table and gently brushed her cheek with his fingers. “You
look as if you have something to say,” He said reassuringly. “I would
prefer you not keep secrets from me. Please know you can tell me
anything.”
“I am tired of you always leaving me,” Dia admitted with slight scorn,
but mostly sadness in her voice. “You claim I belong right next to
you, but I am always stuck at that school.”
“In good time, you will be,” Xan explained. “For us to save the galaxy
together, you must first be ready. You have a voice unlike any I have
heard before. You need to stay in school so that you can be a strong
educated woman, and have something important to say with that voice.
Speaking of, your music teacher has been informing me on your
progress. He says the music you have written sounds ethereal, and I
have read some of the lyrics. They are full of passion and meaning.
What you have learned comes out in your writing, and don't let me hear
you say such silly things as anything 'is far more beautiful than
anything I could ever conjure in my own imagination,' ever again. With
your music, you will become a lighthouse that inspires and leads the
galaxy out of these dark times, but first you must educate yourself.
Frankly, I would love nothing more than to be with you all the time,
but a lot of people depend on me, just like they will depend on you.”
Dia nodded in understanding as Xan paused to take a sip from his wine
glass. “Now, what would you say if I told you that I have scheduled a
performance for you next month? It will be a broadcast on the galactic
network.
Dia's pupils dilated as she laughed with excitement. “Really, father?”
she continued to laugh, “My dreams are all beginning to come to life!”
“No Dia, our dreams are coming true,” he said with a devilish smile as
he then took a sip of his wine. While Dia returned the smile, but
looked down at her mushroom pasta so she wouldn’t blush too much.
“Come Dia, let’s eat, and afterward I have a special treat for you.”
Dia’s eyes jolted upward with excitement, but she held back her smile,
and pretended to act serious. “Really?” asked Dia. “You mean this
isn't the treat? What else could you possibly have planned?” asked Dia
impatiently.
Xan laughed mildly as he took another sip of wine, and placed it on
the table. “You’ll just have to wait, my love,” he said which
disappointed Dia, but she couldn’t help but to obey.
Xan and Dia both continued to eat their separate dishes. The mushroom
pasta was delightful, but not as much as the banter, eye contact, and
smiles exchanged between the two. It wasn’t long before Xan and Dia
were finished with dinner. Xan hadn’t hesitated to clear the table of
their plates, and simply refused when Dia offered to help. “This night
is for you, my love,” he said as he placed everything on the cart, and
then covered it up with a white linen cloth.
Xan then knelt down and retrieved a platter of strawberry truffles
from underneath the cart, which were Dia’s favorite. He placed the
dish in front of Dia. He smiled as her eyes lit up like fireworks in
the night sky. Dia then fully expected Xan to return to his seat, but
instead of going back he knelt beside Dia, and picked up a truffle,
and fed it to her. She giggled with delight as she closed her eyes,
inhaled deeply, and pulled her head and shoulders back as she savored
the sweet flavor of the desert. She looked at Xan with a smile, and
giggled with excitement as he fed her another truffle, but this time
he had missed, and smudged the truffle across her lip. This forced Dia
to moan, and giggle silently before Xan placed his thumb on Dia’s lip.
Dia immediately froze, and was shocked, but was very excited as he
wiped the chocolate from her lip, and devoured the leftovers. Dia
couldn’t help, but stare at Xan’s lips as he licked his thumb clean.
This had made Dia hot and heavy.
“Was that my special treat?” asked Dia with an enticing smile.
Xan shook his head from side to side, but then placed his hand on her
shoulder while he gestured upward with his other hand. “Look, Dia,” he
said softly, as her eyes widened at the sight of three full moons,
which explained why the night was so bright. “This happens once in
three lifetimes” he said looking up at the lunar phenomenon. “This
happens more commonly than the love I have for you.”
Xan then stood “Come, darling,” Xan said, gesturing his hand for hers
which she accepted. She stood up and he placed his arm around her
shoulders and walked her to a grassy clearing, surrounded by tall
bushes covered in purple flowers, which formed a circular wall around
them. In the center of this area was a fountain, which he sat on the
edge of, pulling her onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her
waist.
As they looked up at the moons, Xan held her with one arm, and
caressed the tip of one of her lekku with the other, as he recounted
the day they had met with a soft voice. “On the day I met you; I was
walking around the streets of Az'Moth City, and was disgusted by what
a monochromatic day it was. The sky was dark and gray; the buildings
were all stone, and glass reflecting the gray of the sky. The trees
were dead, slushy snow covered the ground, and dark clouds obscured
the sun. I remember this so vividly, because when I turned the corner,
I saw the first glimpse of color I had seen all day. What a
magnificent color it was! That day was exactly one year ago. How
amazing is it that on the anniversary of the best day of my life that
something spectacular as this could happen?” he said as he pushed Dia
up to her feet and stood behind her. With one hand wrapped around her,
touching her lower abdomen, as the other gestured to the sky.
Xan lifted Dia and sat her on the edge of the fountain. He rested one
knee on the ground as he pulled out a small, blue velvet box from his
pocket. Dia had seen this scene played out in movies before. Usually,
such a gesture was followed by a marriage proposal. Dia's eyes widened
as Xan slowly opened a box revealing the lavished gold ring with a
large diamond in the center, surrounded by purple and blue precious
stones, which were the colors that meant the most to them both. Dia
didn't see as Xan also pulled a thin, clear string. She only saw the
thousand teal and purple butterflies that flew all around her. “Dia,”
he paused, “you are the color in my black and white world. Before you,
I thought there was something wrong with me because I had never been
in love with a woman. You made me realize that I only wanted the best,
and that was you with your vibrant skin, beautiful eyes, and
magnificent intelligence. You are an unbelievably remarkable woman,
and I have been in love with you since the moment I first saw you, and
on this special night, I wanted to show you just how much you mean to
me.”
Dia's eyes were filled with tears of joy as Xan slipped the ring onto
her left ring finger. Xan then kissed her fingers, and then stood up
taking her by the hand, and pulling her to her feet. He grabbed her
chin between his thumb and forefinger, and pulled her face toward his
as he leaned in, and kissed her deeply. He ran his hands down her
lekku, and then pulled her in closer. One hand rested on the small of
her back, as he pulled her in even closer, their abdomens pressing
together. His other arm wrapped tightly around her back as he reached
for the side of her breast with his fingertips. He knew she wouldn't
reject him as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.
Dia kissed back, using her tongue to tickle his. Her dreams really
were coming true. She moaned as he kissed her, and couldn't help but
smile. She threw her head back and sighed allowing for Xan to kiss her
neck until he reached her chest, and started to nibble and tongue the
skin just below her collarbone. He held her by her lower back, still
pressing their torsos together, and he leaned in, and kissed her lips
once more. “I love you,” he said slowly. He never pulled his mouth
away from hers, so as he spoke, his lips tickled hers. He could feel
her smile as he kissed her, and both were breathing heavily. He kissed
a path from her lips to her ear, and then whispered, “I have another
surprise for you upstairs.”
“This night is full of surprises,” Dia smiled, and covered her mouth
in disbelief over what was happening. She concealed her mouth, but her
bright eyes said everything. Xan had rendered her speechless. He took
her by the hand and led her back along the path, stopping at the table
to grab the bouquet of flowers from the vase in the center of the
table, and presented them to Dia. Xan then picked up one of the two
remaining truffles, and popped it into Dia's giggling mouth. Dia, to
Xan's surprise, picked up the last truffle with her free hand, and
popped it into Xan's mouth. They walked along the candlelit path back
toward the double doors, Xan with his arm around her the whole time
and occasionally pecking her on the top of her head.
Once they reached the double doors, Xan stepped away to open it. As
they walked back into civilization, they understood that they could
not appear affectionate. Xan began to talk about philosophical
concepts that he knew Dia was studying as they walked toward his room.
Dia responded to his statements, and he was impressed by how much she
had learned. She clearly had done extra homework on her own time. She
even talked about how she had read Daz Murl's new book, and told Xan
that it was important to know the enemy. “You never cease to amaze
me,” Xan said to her. “You are growing into an extremely vibrant and
extremely intelligent woman. You will make a great mother.”
Someday, Dia thought as she smiled at the compliments. They had
arrived at Xan's suite. He opened the door and told her to close her
eyes. Once inside, Xan securely locked the door behind him and lead
her to the bed and sat her down. Beautiful music played as he knelt
down in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders, and softly
kissed her lips. “Open,” he said. As Dia blinked her eyes open, she
had to blink a few more times for her eyes to adjust to the new
lighting. She gasped as her eyes got very large as she took in her
surroundings. There were a thousand candles in soft white, baby blue,
and light purple, with white rose petals spread all over the bed.
There was more wine chilling and a plate covered with more strawberry
truffles. Paper cranes, also matching their color scheme, hung from
the ceiling and a hot tub boiled on the other side of the suite. Last,
but certainly not least, she saw Xan's soft, blue eyes and loving
smile gazing back at her.
Dia was nervous, because she knew what all of this meant and she was
inexperienced. Xan could feel her anxiety by the quick rising and
falling of her chest as he rested her hands just over her collarbones.
He got up and poured her a glass of wine, which this time she did gulp
down in a single go. Xan took the empty glass and placed it on a table
and approached her once again. He caressed her hands, which were
resting in her lap, then ran his fingertips up her arms. She closed
her eyes and started to breath slowly and heavily with elation. He
then placed his hands behind her neck and unhooked the halter strap of
her dress. As the straps fell, he reached around her back and pulled
the zipper down. As Dia crossed her arms, holding the dress up to her
chest to keep it from falling, Xan motioned for her to take both of
his hands. She offered him one and held her dress up with the other as
she stood up in front of him. Xan assumed she was too nervous to let
the dress go, but she then gave him her other hand, allowing the dress
to fall to her feet. He looked down at her and she scooted back to the
bed, and pulled him toward her as she fell on top of the rose petals,
sending them flying up into the air and raining down over top of them.
Dia opened her eyes and she was back on the floor of her room in the
palace. She laid there and stared at her ring as she realized that she
and Xan were truly in love. Any doubts in her mind were now
extinguished and the floodgates that held back the cold, violent
waters of the truth were mended...at least for now.
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