The Princess and The Scoundrel- A Disney Nerds Book Club Review
Since February is a month surrounded in love, let’s take a look at one of the greatest love stories in the galaxy.
Have you ever wondered what Han Solo and Leia Organa’s wedding was like? Well, I know I have. So I am happy to say we get to take a peek into the wedding and then the honeymoon in “The Princess and The Scoundrel” by Beth Revis.
The book takes place after the events in “Star Wars: Episode VI.” The Battle of Endor has just occurred, the second Death Star has been destroyed, Darth Vader is dead, and The Empire has essentially fallen. Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker are all still on Endor where there is a celebration for the end of The Empire but there are also questions on what to do next.
Leia suddenly has a lot on her plate. She has a duty to the newly forming government, she wants to help re-establish things and help bring a sense of peace to the galaxy. Then there’s Luke, she’s just learned about her newfound brother. On top of that, the fact that Darth Vader was their father. She wants to spend time Luke. She wants to get to know her brother and he’s even offered to train her as a Jedi. Then if that’s not enough, there’s the man she loves, Han, who she wants spend her life with but doesn’t know where to start.
Speaking of Han Solo, he’s thinking of life after the war. He wants to live his life on his terms, fly around the galaxy on the Millennium Falcon. But more importantly, he wants Leia by his side (when she’s not helping run the government of course). He unexpectedly proposes and Leia, of course, accepts. They have a beautiful wedding on Endor with the people they hold dear. The wedding is held at the Bright Tree Village and overseen by the Ewoks. It is a beautiful ceremony that is perfectly described in the book. It is a beautiful moment for the couple. After the wedding and celebration, Leia thinks there’s no time for a honeymoon but Mon Mothma tells her differently. Mon plays on Leia’s sense of duty by telling Leia that she’s should take her honeymoon on the Halcyon Star Cruiser which was just reconverted back to a luxury cruise liner (it was taken over by the Imperial army during the war). Mon explains that Leia and Han going on the maiden voyage will be seen by the whole galaxy and show them that the war is over. Leia agrees because of that and Han is excited for a trip away from the war. It would seem that they might get to have a nice, relaxing, beautiful honeymoon but they find out quickly that danger is near. So much for smooth sailing.
Han and Leia have completely different plans for their lives. Leia is a senator and a general and wants to help the galaxy. She knows that just because the Empire was destroyed doesn’t mean that the Imperials will all lay down their arms. She knows there is a lot of work ahead and she wants to be a part of it. Han doesn’t want to get into the political arena. He rather be flying off somewhere and living his own life sail off through the galaxy with Leia. So when two people are so in love, as Leia and Han are, and have such different lives, how do you make a relationship work?
Well, normally, this is something a couple would figure out BEFORE the wedding. But as we know, Leia and Han are anything but traditional. So from the beginning of their married life, they have to deal with growing pains. They have to learn to work together and not as individuals. They have to learn how to compromise as well as allowing each other to still be their own individual and a team at the same time. Which as any couple knows, is a delicate balance. If you think about it, this is the first time they get to be a couple who is not fighting in a war. And let’s not forget that Han was frozen in carbonite for a year! They’ve never really lived together, they didn’t go on dates, and they didn’t have a “traditional” courtship. So they’re also finding out more about each other’s personalities now that they have time to breathe.
Reading this part of Han and Leia’s love story was great for me. It was nice to read the complexities of their marriage from the beginning of it. We got to see in the films that things were not perfect for them and that’s what makes their story more real. Real life and real love is not a fairy tale, there is no walking off into the sunset. Han and Leia are great representation of that. They show that if you love and support each other and are willing to work together, you can have a great love story on your own terms. To me, they are a perfect representation of two people from different world and outlooks on life and how they can fall in love, make it work and have a great life.
Now this story isn’t just about Han and Leia adjusting to married life. They do uncover some danger and have to fight to save the galaxy and their own necks. But they do it together and they realize they couldn’t do it without each other. It is all the things we love in a Star Wars story with a more in depth look at the formation of the greatest couple in the universe. I recommend reading it (or even listening to the audiobook version) if you want to see this chapter of Han and Leia’s story that is missing from the films.
