On one of the Count's visit's to Raxus, he offered to spend some time with Tan'ya while Athemeene visited her parents. That was great, because it gave her a chance to speak with her mother alone for the first time in a very long time.
...
There were two inhabited worlds in the Raxus sector, Prime and Secondus. One, Raxus Secundus, was a beautiful world of forests and plains with spectacular waterways and ancient cities brimming with unique culture and architecture that attracted tourists from all the way in the Core. The other, Raxus Prime, was a literal garbage heap.
Nothing happened of note on Prime, no one chose to stay there, and its tiny diseased population had a reputation for madness, haunted by ghosts of an ancient empire destroyed in the days of the Old Republic.
Not even the previous Count of Raxus Prime lived there, he instead had chosen to live with his family in a palace on Raxus Secundus. Say what you will about the man being negligent in his duties, he definitely had built a lovely palace.
It was full of water features and stained glass windows, with an array of delightful follies and lovely gardens, located in the rich outskirts of the capital city surrounded by other mansions and palaces. The upkeep was enormous, never mind the up front costs of construction.
It was no surprise that the Count of Prime had been a spendthrift, wracking up massive debts and passing them down to his descendants. That was how House Serenno acquired the palace, about a hundred years ago at well below its real price. House Prime remained on Raxus Secundus, but instead of living in a grand palace they now held court in a respectable, if somewhat middle class, manor.
These days Palace Prime was better known as the Serenno Embassy, and it was where Athemeene grew up. Around a hundred years ago, House Serenno had managed to get their hands on a Raxus Secundus barony through a clever marriage to a bitter widow who was easily convinced to disinherit all her heirs. At the time the Count of Serenno tapped his younger brother to manage the new barony, and ever since then House Serenno has had a permanent foothold in Raxus politics.
The balcony on the south east side of the building had an excellent view of the farm lands beyond the city, and on a nice clear day Athemeene, her mother and her siblings had all enjoyed eating small cakes and sipping sweet drinks in the gentle morning sun. Now that for the first time in a year Athemeene had a chance to speak with her mother, she was relieved to find it was on the southern balcony with a nice table and spread already prepared by the serving droids.
"Oh, look at you!" Yescin Serenno greeted her daughter with a wide hug and a kiss on each cheek. At the age of fifty two, and with five children all now close to adulthood, it was no surprise that Yescin was more than a bit plump, and a little worn. Her cheeks drooped and sagged like much of her body, covered with lines and wrinkles that made her look older than she was. The hug she rose to give her daughter almost seemed to wear her out, as almost immediately she collapsed back into her chair with a relieved sigh.
They chatted for a while about how life had been since they saw each other last, and Athemeene promised to bring her daughter over the next day to meet her grandmother. Athemeene didn't want to worry her mother with how lonely she'd been, but she hoped to get her advice on at least one topic.
"How did you get Father to fall in love with you?" Athemeene asked, looking into her tea. "You also had an arranged marriage, didn't you?"
Yescin leaned back with an amused look on her face. "Oh, Athy, you're still talking like a teenager, with those silly romances."
Athemeene's face burned. "Mother! I don't think it's odd that I want my husband to love me!"
"I didn't say that." Yescin demurred, waving her hand at her daughter. "Just that word is wrong, fall, it's too late for that." The family matriarch leaned forward in her chair. "Falling in love is what happens in holovids and trashy novels. Two people who just can't help but be drawn to each other until nothing else matters, like insects to a flame. If you haven't fallen in love with the Count already, it's just not going to happen."
Athemeene grimaced as she considered her mother's point. Though she wanted to get along better with Dooku, never once did she feel connected like from one of her old holodramas. The thoughts and sensations described in those were nothing like how she felt towards him.
"You can't choose to fall in love, but you can build it." Yescin counseled. "It takes time, and it starts with trust, but if you have those and you just… gently keep building, in time you'll wake up one morning and realize you're scared of the thought of life without him." She nodded firmly. "Time and trust. Slowly, but surely."
Athemeene considered Mother's words. "Okay, I think I have a solid foundation of those."
"Good." Yescin smiled. "Also have lots and lots of sex."
Athemeene nearly spat out her tee. "Pardon?"
"He's a man, sweetie. A rich, powerful, and fairly handsome man who travels a lot for his work." Yescin shook her head, disappointed at her daughter's naivety. "How was your first night with him?"
Incredible. Athemeene didn't say it, but Mother hummed knowingly at the expression on her daughter's face.
"Oh Athy, you know it wasn't his first time. He has the same urges every man does, and that's to spread his progeny. If he's not getting satisfaction from you, he'll start looking somewhere else. And being who he is, he'll easily find it."
Athemeene spluttered, "The Count would never-"
"You don't know him!" Yescin interrupted. "Yes, the Jedi are supposed to be celibate, but if they didn't need those rules they wouldn't have them. Sweetie, nothing will poison your slowly budding relationship faster than cheating. He'll be keeping secrets from you, undermining that trust you both desperately need, and believe me, you'll grow to resent him. It's instinctive, you won't be able to help it." Yescin shook her head. "Just think of Count Dooku with another woman, and tell me how that feels."
It felt awful. Athemeene barely had to imagine it in her mind, and she already felt a dull aching in her heart, like her stomach had flipped and she'd been doused in cold water all at once.
"Plus, now that you have an heir, you will need a spare." Yescin added knowingly. "Find out what Dooku likes, seduce him, do it often. The Count is getting a bit older these days, so you don't know how long you'll have left with him."
"So… that's it?" Athemeene considered her mother's advice. "Trust, and time?"
"And sex."
And… that.
....
Say what you will about Yescin being cynical or crude, her advice proved to be just the thing for Athemeene and her husband's relationship. Under the guise of needing a spare, Athemeene was quickly able to convince Count Dooku to resume their sexual relations.
Now they were sleeping in the same bed again, and talking! The Count didn't seem to realize it, but he seemed to let his guard down after a productive romp under the sheets, and Athemeene was finally able to learn some things about him.
As a padawan learner, Dooku's Jedi Master was Grandmaster Yoda himself! Even now he still spoke of those days fondly, though there was more than a bit of sadness in his voice. Athemeene heard of places like the room of a thousand fountains, and the dorms where the younglings slept.
"Do you miss it?" She asked, curled up against his side.
"...I do." He admitted, quietly.
"Why did you leave?"
He hesitated for a moment, before sighing. "Though I know many jedi to be wise and incorruptible, but the Order is less than the sum of its parts. Once it guarded and guided the galaxy, but now only protects the interests of the Republic." He said that word with venom.
"What's wrong with the Republic?" Athemeene asked.
Dooku scowled. "The intention of a democracy is to keep the interests of those in power tied to those of the public, and in that regard the Republic is worse than a failure."
Athemeene was sure there was more to it than that, but she didn't want to push too far too fast. For now she understood that he didn't hate the Jedi, he still loved them deeply. Dooku was simply heartbroken.
Tan'ya continued to grow at a safe, healthy rate. Almost every week Athemeene felt like her child was passing some new milestone. Thankfully there were very few force related incidents.
Only a few times did the young girl start to levitate her toys, but quickly dropped them when her mother scooped them up. On one occasion she seemed to sit there, staring into nothing with her large blue eyes, that for a moment almost seemed to draw Athemeene into them, until Dooku slammed the door open, breaking her concentration.
"You have to be more careful." Dooku chided his wife, as he knelt down to the child. "I felt her calling to me from the otherside of the palace. If I can hear her, the Jedi can."
"I'm sorry." Athemeene felt panic begin to flutter up in her. "I didn't mean to, I just- I was staring into her eyes and I forgot where I was."
Dooku hissed and shook his head. He reached out to poke his daughter in the shoulder, who exploded into giggles. A fond smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "A troublesome child."
Tan'ya waved her hands in uncomprehending excitement.
"Master." The voice of a droid interrupted them. Standing in the door frame was one of the service droids, its robotic arms folded behind its back. "There's someone trying to contact you."
The Count stood up and turned to face his droid. "Did they name themselves?"
"Yes Master." The droid lowered its head in an imitation of a proper bow. "They said they were Jedi Grand Master Yoda. They wanted to discuss your child."
...
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