. . .

" . . . Forbidden is a harsh word"

. . .


Amidala grumbled as she picked up yet another pile of paperwork and began to read through it.

And this is only the beginning, she joked with herself, the paperwork war has began.

She gently picked up her pen and hesitated for a mere second before she yet again signed her name for the hundredth time that day. She reached for
another piece of paper and pretended to read through it. Glancing over at the words her eyelids started to slowly drop. Just as her eyes were nearly
closed and she was nearly asleep, something interesting on the piece of paper caught her attention.

It read: This year's invitations for the Rivertree Festival as approved by Queen Amidala, Ruler of Naboo.

She smiled to herself as she looked over the names. Most of the people were either politicians or rulers of distant planets. Ah, Bail Organa - it was typical
to invite the Prince of Alderaan, she just never expected him to come to one of these festivals. Of course, he attended every function Amidala had ever
hosted. She was beginning to think that he was obsessed with her. She knew that he liked her, but obsessed? Things like these were known to happen.

Oh, I know who decided to invite him - Senator Bibble, of course. He's been pairing me up with that guy ever since I became Queen. This is his doing - if
I ever saw it. Bail wasn't that bad, but he was known for being quite the hunk of politics.

All I have to do is talk a bit. Drop a few short and sweet sentences and I'm sure he'll leave me alone. After all, I think he's more interested in Sache than
me. I remember inviting Bail to a celebration last year in my honour. If I had managed to get a holo picture of the casual glances they were giving each
other it would be priceless. Bail seemed to be checking Sache out and she was just overjoyed to actually be noticed by a man for once in her life. But after
the celebration Sache denied everything saying that she had never even gave him a second glance.

Amidala continued to skip through the names lazily.

Princess Rowena. Oh I remember her. Princess of a planet called Regulas, I think. She invited me to stay with her once. I've seen holos of Regulas and
the temperature there is absolutely unbearable. The princess's wardrobe was so large that they had to hire a whole freighter to transport it here. Even then
we had no room in the palace. So for a few days the Palace Hanger was full of dresses, shoes, hats, and make-up.

Without thinking, Amidala sped past one or two names and settled on one of the last ones.

Chancellor Palpatine.

Amidala shivered as she felt the little bits of hair on the back of her neck jump up at the sight of the Chancellor's name. That man seemed to make her
feel uneasy when he was around her.

There's something not so right about him or maybe it's just my imagination. But really I don't think I'm imagining it. He's creepy and almost got this dark
glow about him.

She shivered again and decided to stop thinking about the Supreme Chancellor and directed her attention to the last paragraph where her signature was
supposed to go. It was customary for the Queen to approve this list and she could also squeeze a few more names in there if she wished it. Amidala leant
back in her chair. Thinking if her loyal advisors had missed anybody.

Umm . . . Jar - Jar, Senator Galoren, Lady Beatrice . . . Suddenly out of the blue two names out from the past popped into her head. Anakin Skywalker and
Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Amidala smiled - that's who she was missing. Sitting up straight she pressed her pen to paper and began writing the first A in Anakin's name. She stopped
herself and reached for the whiteout.

No, they have much more important business to attend to rather than coming to a festival,she told herself, ] I haven't thought of that name in years, why
now I wonder?

A sudden beeping cut off Amidala's thoughts. Amidala reached for her communicator.

"Amidala here," she answered.

"Your Majesty, you better get down to the library and fast I think I just found something . . . interesting," Sache stated.

"Ok, I'll be right there. Amidala out."

Quickly, she straightened her desk and clipped her communicator to her belt.

Now let's see what you up to Antillies, Amidala thought as she rushed out of the room.

**

Feedback please? Now we start getting down into the dirty stuff.