We walked down the hallway and down the stairs, as the few servants and guards who were actually in the palace, bowed to Amidala as she passed by. I could hear the crowd outside yelling and chanting Amidala's name as we drew nearer to the stairs leading to the outside. I found myself wondering if Yané and Dek and Natan were out there, and what Riv was doing and feeling right now.
Wondering if Joss had come back from Garos IV for a couple days to witness the coronation. We stepped down the stairs to the first walkway, and I was nearly blinded by the brightness of the sun, my initial reaction was to cover my eyes, but handmaidens do not draw attention to themselves. The cheers grew louder.
Amidala smiled. Sio Bibble stepped forward then and proceeded with the ceremony. It started at 1130 hours, and the crowning would take place at exactly 1200 hours. He recited the coronation speech for the half hour that it took. I saw Yané and Dek standing near the front together, to my surprise; Joss was with them, cheering on Amidala. Not a lot of people were listening to the coronation speech besides Amidala, and even then, you could see a slight smile on her face whenever a particularly loud supporter would yell some slogan or just 'LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!' from wherever they were standing. The time was drawing closer.
". . . do not forget yourself, do not forget Naboo, remember the past, and the triumphs of Kings and Queens, now gone. Remember their great deeds and their mistakes." Sio Bibble recited, as someone came forward with the crown on a velvet pillow. Bibble turned and picked it up. "For now and forever, you are one of them." The crowd went dead silent. "I crown you, Queen Amidala of the Naboo!" He placed the crown on her head, and the crowd went berserk. Amidala smiled so wide, I thought her make-up would crack, she waved to the crowd and I grinned, they loved her, I would never need my Martial Arts training, or the gun Panaka had given me.
A tear slipped down Amidala's porcelain white face, and the people loved it, the cheering grew louder. They loved her, and she loved them. She went forward to speak, and the crowd went dead silent again. A soft breeze rippled the pennants and flags people had brought.
"Thank-you." She said, her voice booming out over the multitudes. "I can never imagine a happier day in my life, nor a more meaningful one. I can only imagine a long and prosperous road ahead of us, and I am pleased beyond words to be the head of it." She paused. "Thank-you," she said, "for trusting me." She took a step back as the crowd rose up, like a whirlwind, cheering and yelling like crazy. Amidala waved for about ten more minutes, then went back into the Palace, waving one last time right before she went in.
That night there was a Ball, and after changing, yet again, we walked to the Royal Banquet Hall, where all the nobles had been assembled, and as Amidala walked in, they lifted their glasses to her in a toast, and clapped politely. She nodded to them, and took her place at the largest table in the front of the room, right in front of the giant windows looking out over the Solleu cliffs. Sabé and I stood on either side of her, and Eirtaé stood by the door. On Amidala's right side was Senator Palpatine, come all the way from Coruscant, and on the other was Governor Bibble. I kind of felt sorry for her highness, surrounded by boring old men, but that's how it would be for the rest of her term.
The food was served, and that's when the party began. There was live music and good food, old friends talking and laughing, a space on the floor had been cleared for dancing; the smaller children were running around and giggling. I saw Yané dancing with Joss and Natan dancing with Leaté. One of the more refined, middle aged nobleman, Lord Recané, came over to the Queen and asked her to dance, and she said yes. She told me and Sabé to have fun also. So, the next thing I know, Dek swept me off my feet and onto the dance floor.
"Dek!" I half cried, half laughed. "What are you doing?"
"Dancing, my dear lady!" He said happily as we twirled around the dance floor with the other couples. I saw Yané and Joss and waved to them, laughing the whole time.
"You know, it's usually customary to ask the lady to dance first." I pointed out.
"Neh, I knew you would say yes. Plus, I promised Riv that I would dance with you before anyone else did. I had to snag you before that pretty boy, Ijicho, did."
I grinned at him. "So Riv put you up to this?" We danced past Natan, and I winked at him, and he blushed slightly, and twirled Leaté in a tight circle.
"You could say that." He said, a devilish twinkle in his eye. "Although I had some ideas of my own."
I laughed again and looked around. Amidala was still dancing with Lord Recané. I saw Sabé talking to Aselpha and Kallé; Eirtaé dancing with Joran Ijicho.
"Yané and Joss seem to be getting along pretty good." I said as they danced by us.
"Yeah. She can be quite the little flirt when she wants to be." He snickered. "Poor Joss never saw it coming."
"To much time away from us." I said with mock pity.
Before I knew it, I was Amidala's shadow again, as she sat down and talked to Senator Palpatine, strangely enough, about King Veruna, then about some boring political things, I tuned them out, and instead, scanned the crowd, watching my friends and my brother. The party didn't end until very late that night. I danced with Joran Ijicho twice and Joss once. I managed to see Natan before the evening was over, and Yané also. They were all acting very silly.
The next week was fairly calm, a mixture of committee meetings, Royal Communications from other worlds, and what else? Martial Arts and Weapons Practice of course! I took my first day off, and went to go visit Riv in his new home. I hadn't seen him since the day before Amidala's coronation, which seemed like a very long time ago. A servant let me in and went to announce me to Riv, which seemed kind of silly, because, knowing Riv, he was probably playing simulator games or something like that. I waited for a little while in the main hallway, which had a large staircase leading down from the second floor.
"Rabé!" I heard Riv's voice from above me, and the next thing I know, he's sliding down the wide railing and landing gracefully on the floor.
"Riv!" I said in surprise. "What are you doing?"
"Having fun. It's a blast! You ought to try it!" I tried to object, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me up the stairs, it occurred to me that I could stop him, but I didn't, I haven't slid down a banister since I was ten. The opportunity was very appealing, but I felt as if I had to put up some sort of fight for my dignity.
"Riv no, Riv, c'mon-Riv-" I objected as he sat me down on the banister.
"C'mon. I'll be right behind you." He sat on the banister behind me and grabbed my hands with his own. "And. Here. We. Go!" And he pushed off. I screamed a little, laughed a lot, and he let out a mighty, "WAHOO!" As we flew down the newly polished banister on silk pants and skirt. We landed in a crumpled heap on the floor, laughing hysterically, at the feet of Veruna. We both looked up from the floor into his amused face.
"Hi Uncle Veruna." Riv said as we both slowly got up, fighting laughter.
"Hello Riv." He looked at us both. "Seeing as you two have so much energy, what say you come with your mother and I on a walk around the gardens?"
Riv looked at me, I nodded. "Okay." Riv said.
"Excellent." Veruna said, then gave me an odd look. "How are you enjoying your new job, Rabé?"
I blushed. "Quite well, sir. Thank you."
He nodded and walked down the hallway to the outside. Riv and I followed. Riv's mother, Danellé, was on the veranda, waiting for us. She was taller than me, but not as tall as Riv or Veruna. She was pretty, and very elegant with long, curly dark brown hair and green eyes. She smiled at me and took the arm of her brother as we went down the steps into the gardens. Riv pompously offered his arm to me and I took it with an equal display of pompousness. We looked at each other and grinned, laughing again.
The stone path was wide, so all four of us walked side by side, with Veruna's honor guard trailing behind us, and Captain Magneta in front of us.
"How is your brother Rabé?" Danellé asked me.
"He is very well, thank you."
She gave me a comforting smile. "Do you like living in the Palace?"
I hesitated for a moment. "Yes. It is very lively there. It seems that there is always something going on, something to do or fix or attend to."
Veruna smiled. "Yes, that is what I'll miss the most." He gestured to the tranquil garden. "But this is very nice also."
"It has been my observation that a little of each is the key to an enjoyable life. Too much calmness, and you get sluggish and set in your ways. Too much excitement and you get anxious and nervous. The balance of each is what gives you a long life." I said contemplatively.
Veruna smiled again at me. "You have a very wise friend here, nephew."
Riv smiled and I blushed. "Well," he said with a sidelong glance at me, "only once in a while."
I smiled and hit him gently on the arm. "Just because you're not a genius. . ." I said.
"Hey!" We all laughed, and walked on through the gardens as three guards trailed slowly behind us, and Captain Magneta lead our way. We walked around the garden in that matter for a little while. Eventually, Riv and I went back to the veranda and sat outside, while Veruna and Danellé walked through the gardens still. I had dinner at their house that night, Dek and Yané were there also, we had fun teasing each other. Veruna and Danellé exchanged knowing glances, as if they had done the exact thing when they were our age. We had drinks and desert out on the veranda late at night, with music recorded from the Royal Naboo Orchestra piped to the outside.
When the evening came to an end, and I had dropped Yané off at her apartment. I sat on my bed in the Handmaiden suite, staring out at the starry sky, missing the life I had left behind.
~~~