"So, whatcha bet?" Saché asked, as she rolled the fragrant herbal cigara between her thumb and forefinger, before placing it gingerly between her teeth. Her sunset orange hood was pushed back and fell loose against her neck, so she could wear her favorite accessory for the occasion--a green dealer's shade. She narrowed her eyes, twisted her lips into a smirk and glanced at the other ladies seated at the table.
Eirtaé raised her eyebrows. "Is someone paying you to look silly, or are you doing that free?"
Saché wrinkled her face at the blonde as she waved the card chips in the air. "C'mon! Quit stalling."
Each participant threw a small trinket on the table for the hand pot, and another in a jar to the side for the sabacc pot.
"If somebody doesn't win that sabacc pot soon, it's going to get full," Yané noted. In a dry tone, she added, "Don't know what one person could do with all that junk anyway."
Jeré eyed the colorful assortment of the jar's treasures, obviously setting her mind on winning the pot. Eirtaé and Sabé noticed this, exchanged glances and shrugged.
The first couple of hands were pretty straightforward. Amidala won the first hand pot, and threw her winnings back in right away, some in the hand pot and some in the sabacc pot.
Yané got the second hand pot, and kept a few goodies from it. She especially seemed to like the trading cards that had holograms of her favorite Jizz band on them.
"Congrats, Yané," Saché said. "Hope that makes up for what happened earlier."
Yané's face reddened again. Rabé shot Saché a warning look.
Humbled, Saché muttered her apology. "Oh...uh, sorry. Look, it's just one guy, alright? Plenty more where he came from..." She trailed off when her consolation didn't seem to be helping.
Rabé patted Yané on the shoulder and tried to change the subject. "Now, onto the next hand..."
Yané held up her hand. "No, thank you, Rabé. It is all right. Saché meant no harm. I might as well tell them so it'll be out of the way." She sighed. "He's in another relationship already. Besides, I can see that I...well, I wouldn't be his type. Case closed."
Eirtaé sat back and shook her head. "Don't you worry. I'm sure that another destiny awaits you. If someone had told me three years ago that I would be sitting here, playing sabacc with the Queen and her inner circle, I'd have thought that person was crazy. I mean, I know I would have been able to get one of the ancillary handmaiden jobs like the other eight girls fill. I've had planning parties, writing thank you notes, and the other social niceties down for years. But to have learned to fire a blaster, go on a rescue mission and be a trusted protector of our Sovereign--it's been a ride I'd never expected. I don't know what Captain Panaka saw in me to pick me out of the bunch, but it goes to show that sometimes what we don't expect is better. Your turn will come 'round."
Yané managed a weak smile, and nodded. Rabé and Jeré continued to pat her shoulder or her hand, and reassure her that her time would come. Saché, Sabé and Amidala shared glances of compassion with her and tried not seem condescending.
Sensing that Yané was uncomfortable with the attention, Eirtaé spoke again. "Oh," she said, casually. "By the way, I was checking my calender, and it seems I won't be able to help you and Rowan very much after all. I'm sure you two have perfectly good ideas about what kind of wedding you want anyway." Her eyes met with Amidala's who nodded just slightly at her in approval.
"Oh yes, that's quite all right," Rabé responded enthusiastically. Realizing that she sounded a little too relieved, she took on a more neutral tone. "We did want to go with a smaller wedding, family and closer friends, rather than a society event. Everyone here will be invited to stand, of course."
"How great, that you're the one to take the plunge," Saché exclaimed. "And I've always looked forward to standing in a wedding. It's a great way to meet new friends at the reception."
"New boyfriends, you mean," chided Yané, winking.
"Enough action to go around for the both of us, even at a smaller wedding." Saché returned the wink.
"Do you think Meira will be able to act as flower girl?" Rabé asked.
"We'll see when it gets closer, " Sabé replied. "If anyone could handle it at 2, it would be Meira, from what I can tell."
The sabacc hands went on, as well as bits of conversation.
Then the Jeré's hopes were realized. She bounced in delight as she showed her winning hand; The Idiot, a two of staves and a seven of coins...an Idiot's Array! The treasures of the Sabacc Pot were now hers. The ribbons, costume jewelry rings and necklaces, small bottles of lotion and nail polish, colorful stickers, and other odds and ends, so mundane to the Naboo women, would fascinate her younger cousins in Otoh Gungah. On her next visit she would arrive as the generous bearer of wonderful and foreign gifts.
The young Minister sat at the table most of the night , just going through the motions, not caring if she won. All her thoughts were centered on the possible relocation to Coruscant. She considered the various skills she had and how they would help her to survive on the capital world. She wondered if Obi-Wan would be able to spend enough time on there to see her and Meira any more that he would if they stayed on Naboo.
"Sabé, what cards are you holding? Sabé?"
At the sound of Saché's voice, Sabé shook herself out of her daze. "Oh...sorry." She placed her card chips on the table. She had a four of staves, two of sabers, the Evil One and Demise. It was a useless hand, containing none of the winning combinations. Before she tossed them back to Saché to deal again, her gaze lingered on the last two cards. Suddenly the graphic on the card chip representing the Evil One started to move. She opened her eyes wider. That wasn't supposed to be happening!
She gasped in shock as the image of the Evil One turned to face her. She saw the hate-filled sneer on its lips, and small red dots as eyes...eyes that seemed to bore into her, read her like an open datapad, and discern what it took to cause her so much suffering that she was compelled to bend to its will, lest it destroy her from the inside. She shielded out of instinct and pushed back from the table, gasping for breath.
Amidala and Saché were on their feet, and by her side. Sabé found herself shivering. She released the Queen's hand when Rabé brought a glass of water.
"What was it," Saché asked. "Did you see something?"
"See something? What is she talking about?" Eirtaé asked, puzzled. She glanced over at Yané and Jeré, who shrugged their shoulders.
Sabé met Saché's eyes and gave a small shake of her head.
"Oh...nothing. She just reminded me of that old expression. You know, where someone is said to have seen the ghost of King Soraparu."
"Oh," Eirtaé said, with relief. "That was a king of old, who was said to be very scary and his spirit is rumored to haunt the palace. It's only a story, of course, " she explained to a confused Jeré.
"I'm just a bit too tired," Sabé said quickly. "It's nothing more than that. Perhaps it's time for me to call it a night."
Saché and Amidala didn't believe this for a moment, but didn't express their opinions openly. They glanced at each over Sabé, sharing their misgivings.
Yané was using her training and checking Sabé out. "She does seem a bit exhausted. Try some rest for the next couple of days, and if you still feel ill, go to the physician."
"Thank you, Yané. Thank you *all*," Sabé stressed. "I'll be fine. It is late, and I'll go relieve Obi-Wan of babysitting duty now."
With that, they bid her goodnight.
Eirtaé raised her eyebrows. "Is someone paying you to look silly, or are you doing that free?"
Saché wrinkled her face at the blonde as she waved the card chips in the air. "C'mon! Quit stalling."
Each participant threw a small trinket on the table for the hand pot, and another in a jar to the side for the sabacc pot.
"If somebody doesn't win that sabacc pot soon, it's going to get full," Yané noted. In a dry tone, she added, "Don't know what one person could do with all that junk anyway."
Jeré eyed the colorful assortment of the jar's treasures, obviously setting her mind on winning the pot. Eirtaé and Sabé noticed this, exchanged glances and shrugged.
The first couple of hands were pretty straightforward. Amidala won the first hand pot, and threw her winnings back in right away, some in the hand pot and some in the sabacc pot.
Yané got the second hand pot, and kept a few goodies from it. She especially seemed to like the trading cards that had holograms of her favorite Jizz band on them.
"Congrats, Yané," Saché said. "Hope that makes up for what happened earlier."
Yané's face reddened again. Rabé shot Saché a warning look.
Humbled, Saché muttered her apology. "Oh...uh, sorry. Look, it's just one guy, alright? Plenty more where he came from..." She trailed off when her consolation didn't seem to be helping.
Rabé patted Yané on the shoulder and tried to change the subject. "Now, onto the next hand..."
Yané held up her hand. "No, thank you, Rabé. It is all right. Saché meant no harm. I might as well tell them so it'll be out of the way." She sighed. "He's in another relationship already. Besides, I can see that I...well, I wouldn't be his type. Case closed."
Eirtaé sat back and shook her head. "Don't you worry. I'm sure that another destiny awaits you. If someone had told me three years ago that I would be sitting here, playing sabacc with the Queen and her inner circle, I'd have thought that person was crazy. I mean, I know I would have been able to get one of the ancillary handmaiden jobs like the other eight girls fill. I've had planning parties, writing thank you notes, and the other social niceties down for years. But to have learned to fire a blaster, go on a rescue mission and be a trusted protector of our Sovereign--it's been a ride I'd never expected. I don't know what Captain Panaka saw in me to pick me out of the bunch, but it goes to show that sometimes what we don't expect is better. Your turn will come 'round."
Yané managed a weak smile, and nodded. Rabé and Jeré continued to pat her shoulder or her hand, and reassure her that her time would come. Saché, Sabé and Amidala shared glances of compassion with her and tried not seem condescending.
Sensing that Yané was uncomfortable with the attention, Eirtaé spoke again. "Oh," she said, casually. "By the way, I was checking my calender, and it seems I won't be able to help you and Rowan very much after all. I'm sure you two have perfectly good ideas about what kind of wedding you want anyway." Her eyes met with Amidala's who nodded just slightly at her in approval.
"Oh yes, that's quite all right," Rabé responded enthusiastically. Realizing that she sounded a little too relieved, she took on a more neutral tone. "We did want to go with a smaller wedding, family and closer friends, rather than a society event. Everyone here will be invited to stand, of course."
"How great, that you're the one to take the plunge," Saché exclaimed. "And I've always looked forward to standing in a wedding. It's a great way to meet new friends at the reception."
"New boyfriends, you mean," chided Yané, winking.
"Enough action to go around for the both of us, even at a smaller wedding." Saché returned the wink.
"Do you think Meira will be able to act as flower girl?" Rabé asked.
"We'll see when it gets closer, " Sabé replied. "If anyone could handle it at 2, it would be Meira, from what I can tell."
The sabacc hands went on, as well as bits of conversation.
Then the Jeré's hopes were realized. She bounced in delight as she showed her winning hand; The Idiot, a two of staves and a seven of coins...an Idiot's Array! The treasures of the Sabacc Pot were now hers. The ribbons, costume jewelry rings and necklaces, small bottles of lotion and nail polish, colorful stickers, and other odds and ends, so mundane to the Naboo women, would fascinate her younger cousins in Otoh Gungah. On her next visit she would arrive as the generous bearer of wonderful and foreign gifts.
The young Minister sat at the table most of the night , just going through the motions, not caring if she won. All her thoughts were centered on the possible relocation to Coruscant. She considered the various skills she had and how they would help her to survive on the capital world. She wondered if Obi-Wan would be able to spend enough time on there to see her and Meira any more that he would if they stayed on Naboo.
"Sabé, what cards are you holding? Sabé?"
At the sound of Saché's voice, Sabé shook herself out of her daze. "Oh...sorry." She placed her card chips on the table. She had a four of staves, two of sabers, the Evil One and Demise. It was a useless hand, containing none of the winning combinations. Before she tossed them back to Saché to deal again, her gaze lingered on the last two cards. Suddenly the graphic on the card chip representing the Evil One started to move. She opened her eyes wider. That wasn't supposed to be happening!
She gasped in shock as the image of the Evil One turned to face her. She saw the hate-filled sneer on its lips, and small red dots as eyes...eyes that seemed to bore into her, read her like an open datapad, and discern what it took to cause her so much suffering that she was compelled to bend to its will, lest it destroy her from the inside. She shielded out of instinct and pushed back from the table, gasping for breath.
Amidala and Saché were on their feet, and by her side. Sabé found herself shivering. She released the Queen's hand when Rabé brought a glass of water.
"What was it," Saché asked. "Did you see something?"
"See something? What is she talking about?" Eirtaé asked, puzzled. She glanced over at Yané and Jeré, who shrugged their shoulders.
Sabé met Saché's eyes and gave a small shake of her head.
"Oh...nothing. She just reminded me of that old expression. You know, where someone is said to have seen the ghost of King Soraparu."
"Oh," Eirtaé said, with relief. "That was a king of old, who was said to be very scary and his spirit is rumored to haunt the palace. It's only a story, of course, " she explained to a confused Jeré.
"I'm just a bit too tired," Sabé said quickly. "It's nothing more than that. Perhaps it's time for me to call it a night."
Saché and Amidala didn't believe this for a moment, but didn't express their opinions openly. They glanced at each over Sabé, sharing their misgivings.
Yané was using her training and checking Sabé out. "She does seem a bit exhausted. Try some rest for the next couple of days, and if you still feel ill, go to the physician."
"Thank you, Yané. Thank you *all*," Sabé stressed. "I'll be fine. It is late, and I'll go relieve Obi-Wan of babysitting duty now."
With that, they bid her goodnight.