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Anakin has a date.
(She shouldn't think of it like that, Elesse is the Chancellor and can't have her relationship with Anakin seen as inappropriate, which Anakin hates, Elesse should have everything she wants - )
But it's past her midday lessons, and Anakin's free for the day - and her teacher sent her off with a smile and a 'don't stay up too late,' so nothing should come up - and this is scheduled, anyways, and the Jedi won't want to interrupt the Chancellor's plans except for an emergency, which shouldn't happen. Probably. Nothing has ever since their first date meeting after Anakin helped save Naboo eight years ago, even as their meetings have gotten to be as close to monthly as their schedules allow. (Anakin can protect Elesse if something happens to them, anyways. She's not a Knight yet, but - her teacher thinks she's not more than two or three years out, and Anakin knows that she's mostly lagging at being sensible, not being strong.)
(...She always gets the worst nerves before their not-dates. She spends a few minutes - a few minutes more - meditating, centering herself the way the Jedi taught her, which mostly works, before her nerves spike again as she starts worrying about her clothes, at which point she falls back on the redirection techniques Elesse's been talking about with her. They work a lot better, honestly, channel her nerves into something useful.)
It's a bit of a flight to the opera house, made more convenient since Anakin got her own speeder. She spends it balancing her anxiety with her frustration, soothing her jagged mind, preparing it -
So when she sees Elesse standing in a shadowed alcove near the door, there's only Anakin's admiration and eagerness left to wash over her. She weaves over with a soft smile, barely remembering to say, "Chancellor Elesse. I hope I didn't keep you waiting," rather than just staring like a preteen in puppy love.
