The next day, I woke up early, and didn't bother to shower. I braided my hair back tightly and put on some of my older clothes. I grabbed my exercise-bag and left to go to the Palace. I was the first one there, and I went directly to the Exercise room in the basement. I went into the locker room and changed into a tight sleeveless shirt and pair of shorts. I then went out to the main room and started to stretch, when Sabé and Amidala, posing as Padmé, came in and went into the locker room to change.
A few minutes later, Eirtaé got here, and Sabé and Padmé came out of the locker room. Eirtaé came out a couple minutes later, and then Lt. Panaka and another man with blond hair and blue eyes came out of the guy's locker room, in sleeveless shirts and loose shorts, ready to train us. We stood up as Panaka came towards us.
"Morning ladies." He said by way of greeting. "This is Second Lieutenant Aloian; he will also be training you in Martial Arts." Panaka started to pace. "Since Rabé has had more experience with Martial Arts, Lt. Aloian will be training her in the more advanced forms. I will be training Sabé, Eirtaé, and Padmé in the more basic forms of Marital Arts. We will warm up together. Now, let's begin."
So my day began. After we warmed up, Panaka took Sabé, Eirtaé and Padmé to the other side of the mat and began to teach them Martial Arts. Lt. Aloian and I had a brief spar, with pads, to see where I was at. After I beat him, he told me I was "inventive". I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing until he grinned at me from the floor and swung at my legs, making me fall to the floor. That was my first lesson from Aloian, when an enemy is down, make sure he stays down.
We trained all morning on Martial Arts. We had a half hour brake for lunch, then Sabé went to spend half the afternoon with Amidala to learn her mannerisms and speech patterns so if she had to be the decoy Queen, then she would act like Amidala. I went to Amidala's large dressing room and practiced my hairdressing on a model for half the afternoon. Eirtaé was in the same room, perfecting her make-up skills and helping me with my hairdressing. Then, we all had Gymnastics with Lt. Panaka and Corporal Janassen, a woman with long red hair and brown eyes, for the rest of the afternoon, until 1900 hours (we were told to start using military time). Then, we got to go home. On the way out, I stopped to speak with Panaka.
"Lieutenant?"
"Yes Rabé?"
"Now that I am a handmaiden, does this mean I won't have time for anything else?"
He sighed. "I'm afraid you're going to have to quit your dance class."
"Oh."
"I know how much it means to you, and I'm sorry, but you won't have time for it."
"Okay. Thank you Lt."
"Your welcome." He said as I turned to leave. "By the way Rabé, Lt. Aloian was very impressed with you this morning."
I blushed. "Thank you."
"See you tomorrow. 0800 hours, back here."
"Yes Lt." I went to see Madame Joualier that night and quit. To her credit, she tried to get me to stay in any way she could. She begged, pleaded, screeched, threatened, and even had a fake fainting spell. I remained adamant however, and she finally gave in and wished me the best of luck and told me I'd be welcome back with open arms anytime.
That's what my days consisted of. Martial Arts in the morning, lunch, either hairdressing or vehicle training by myself, then either gymnastics or weapons training with Sabé, Eirtaé, and 'Padmé', then dinner on alternating nights with Royal Protocol and Etiquette lessons after that. Finally, coming home. Usually to exhausted to do anything with Riv, Yané or Dek. They solved that problem, though, by coming by afterwards and hanging out with me at home, watching holovision or a holovid, something to keep our minds off the facts that we were growing up.
I fell asleep on Riv's shoulder one night, half-way though one of my favorite holovids. That was highly unusual for me and was a show of how much this intensive training was taking out of me. I was continually feeling exhausted, and overworked, but I have always had a high tolerance for pain. I continued with this routine for two weeks straight until Amidala was crowned Queen. I'm just lucky it wasn't more. King Veruna, Danellé, and Riv had moved out of the Palace by then, and had a house closer to mine, unfortunately, I wasn't living there anymore.
On the coronation day, I got up early, the last morning in my house. Most of my stuff was already moved into the palace. Not that I had a lot. Some pictures, clothes, jewelry, music, bookchips and datapads. I got washed up and dressed, and piled the stuff I hadn't moved yet into my speeder. I ate breakfast with Natan. By the force, I would miss living with him, but a new part of my life was starting, and he wasn't a main component of it anymore. I soon had to leave, and I hugged him goodbye and told him I expected to see him at the Coronation party that night. He told me not to get Sabé and Eirtaé angry at me to fast. I hopped in my speeder and drove to the palace, waving good bye to Natan as I left.
When I got to the Palace, I parked in the Royal Hanger for the time being, since all speeders and speeder bikes where cleared from the streets so people could stand there and watch the coronation ceremonies. I went into the Palace straight to Amidala's room. She sat next to a window, in her dressing robe. I was the first one there.
"Morning Your highness."
"Morning Rabé. Ready for the big day?"
I smiled. "I was just about to ask you the same thing."
She hesitated. "Yes. I think I'm ready. My whole life has been leading up to this." She paused, then looked at me, determination in her eyes. "I am ready."
"I know." I said, positive in her ability. "I am too, and so are Sabé and Eirtaé." I paused, reveling in the peace of Amidala's room, the golden sunlight that came in from her windows. "Shall I start your hair now, or wait till later?"
"After I get dressed and Eirtaé does my make-up."
"Right. Handmaidens have the peach dress today, correct?"
"Yes."
Sabé came in just then. "Sorry I'm late, I couldn't figure out where to park. Then I remembered Panaka said we could park in the hanger. How are you Ami?" Sabé and Amidala had formed a fast friendship as a result of spending many afternoons together. More so than me and Eirtaé had bonded with anyone, least of all, each other.
"I'm fine. Thanks Sabé."
"Where the Sith is Eirtaé? She said she would be on time today." Sabé fumed as she went to Amidala's wardrobe to get her dress, Sabé was in charge of clothes.
"She's coming. She wouldn't dare be late today." I said, trying to calm Sabé down. I mean, really, don't lose your head on the first day of work, Sabé! Sabé grunted in reply and rummaged through the dresses.
"What one did we decide on again?" She asked in a frantic tone.
"The white and gold one. Honestly Sabé, calm down." I said, getting out the things I would need to do everyone's hair, and also getting out Eirtaé's make-up stuff. Amidala watched us in amused silence. Eirtaé entered the room in a whirlwind of excuses.
"Sorry I'm late, my mother was blabbering and blubbering and generally being oversensitive and annoying and-gods-" She immediately sat Amidala down in front of the vanity and got started on her make-up, "-thanks for getting this out Rabé, I came as quickly as I could, I swear."
"It's all right Eirtaé; we're all a little tense." I said, and we were. All of us except Amidala, who was calm and in control. Like the eye of a storm. "I'll go get our dresses."
"Good." Sabé said. "I was wondering where they were." I went to the handmaiden suite, which was right next to Amidala's room, it consists of a large main chamber with five individual bedrooms, which is where each of us was now living. I went to one of the rooms, which we had designated as the wardrobe room for now, and got our silk peach dresses and accessories. I came out and bumped into Lt. Panaka.
"Good." He said. "I was just about to go look for you." He pulled a Royal Pistol, except on this pistol, the barrel was shorter then on the one we had been training with. "Here. This is yours now, and you will keep it on you at all times."
I took the blaster. "Thank-you Lt." I slid it into my pocket. The weight there was uncomfortable, but slightly reassuring.
"Martial Arts practice tomorrow, 1000 hours."
I gave a small smile, even after a great celebration, Panaka still made us work hard. "Yes sir." He nodded to me and walked off, I adjusted the dresses I was carrying and went into the Queen's room.
"Here they are." I called out.
"Good." Sabé said from the walk-in closet. Her head peered out of it. "Lay them on the couch for now." She instructed, pointing to the couch she wanted them lain on.
"Yes mother." I said sarcastically. Amidala and Eirtaé snickered. Amidala's face paint was nearly done, and Sabé had her dress out and ready for her. Amidala changed, and so did Eirtaé. I did Amidala's hair, no headdress today, she would be crowned, and then wear the crown for the rest of the day. Amidala's hair-style was fairly simple today, and didn't take that long. I then did Eirtaé's hair while Sabé changed and finished with Amidala's dressing process.
Sabé's hair was next, while Eirtaé went in search of our shoes, and then I had to do my own hair. That's the only drawback with being the queen's hairstylist, either someone else does your hair, and not very good, or you do it yourself, and it looks interesting. It was a fairly simple crown of braids, but I was thankful that we would have hoods. I got dressed, and slipped the blaster into my right sleeve. The weight made me feel off-balance.
Then, we were ready.
~~~