The Courtship of Princess Leia

The story weaves diplomacy and romance seamlessly, but I wonder if the pacing was a conscious choice or a natural outcome of the story's structure.

Leia feels a bit more playful and romantic in this story than in her film appearances. Was this an intentional reinterpretation or just the author's style?

The exotic locale added a rich backdrop to the romance, but I'm curious whether the author envisioned this world from the start or developed it during writing.