Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Leia, Princess of Alderaan (Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: the Last Jedi) by Claudia Gray

Author:Claudia Gray [Gray, Claudia]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2017-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

Several hundred years before, Alderaan’s people had favored a style of architecture featuring ornately carved screens of pale stone. Sometimes these screens would be inlaid with precious gems by the rich and powerful, while the common citizen enjoyed intricate patterns carved straight through the rock. Truly fine artisans would cut spots in the stone so thin that light could shine through it, though the surface remained unbroken.

For the most part, it was this last, most finely wrought stone that lined the banquet hall of the palace. The royal family back then had conducted espionage the old-fashioned way, by eavesdropping. Their artisans had skillfully crafted the walls so that natural indentations or shadows in the stone hid tiny openings, each of which was angled to amplify sound from the room into the small passageways between these carved screens and the inner walls.

Very small passageways.

“Were humans smaller back then?” Kier whispered as they crawled along the floor. Shadows and dim light played in patterns along their bodies as they went.

“Probably.” The passage wasn’t as uncomfortable for Leia, but even she found it a squeeze. Then again, maybe the royals of old wanted espionage to be difficult.

They reached one of the tiny chambers large enough for someone to sit down. It was barely big enough to fit both her and Kier, and they could only manage by sitting side by side, shoulders and legs touching, their faces very close.

Leia didn’t mind.

“The soup is delicious,” said Cinderon Malpe. “Really, Breha, your chefs have outdone themselves.”

“Why, thank you.” Leia’s mother spoke in her most queenly voice. “I shall be sure to share your compliments.”

Kier raised an eyebrow. “Scandalous.”

“Just wait, all right?” Doubt nagged at Leia for an instant. What if she was wrong about the purpose of these dinner parties? What if it was really all rich food and conversation?

No. I’m right about this. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t already done talking about their plans for the night.

“Do you hide down here all the time?” Kier murmured. The light filtering unevenly through the thin-carved stone painted half his face in shadow. “Storing up secrets?”

“I used to sneak around in here when I was little. Not so much anymore.” The last time she’d ventured behind these screens had been about seven years prior, when her parents were dining alone a week before her Name Day. Leia had been young and self-centered enough to assume they’d probably talk about her presents. Instead, she’d heard them laughing softly and flirting…and she’d wound up scurrying out, red-faced, just in time to avoid a very unwelcome lesson about exactly what spouses did together in their private hours. That had been enough to keep her from ever venturing back here until this night.

“Was it lonely, growing up in the palace?”

Kier’s question caught her off guard. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “It’s not like I have much to compare it to. Sometimes I wished I had more playmates, but—it’s not like I didn’t have fun.”

He looked up and around, clearly indicating their secret chamber.

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