Padme and Sabé sat on Padmé's bed the next morning, talking about the
upcoming ball, which was much to Padmé's distaste. Balls were more Sabé's
thing. On some occasions, the young Queen could stand them, but that wasn't
often. They were one part of being Queen that she didn't like.
"Remind me again why we're having this ball." She whined.
Sabé laughed. "To celebrate the upcoming alliance between Naboo and Alderaan."
"Oh yeah." Padme grumbled. And then she groaned. "Bail is going to be there, isn't he?"
It was a well known fact that the Prince of Alderaan believed himself to be head over heals in love with the Queen of Naboo. That was one of the reasons for the planet's union. In fact, it was the main reason. The other reason was the prediction of the upcoming war, between the territories against the Anti-Slavery Reinforcement Act, and those territories for it. Another well known fact, to everyone except Bail, was that the young Amidala did not return his favor.
"You bet. He's flying in tomorrow night." Sabé responded.
Again Padme groaned.
Just then there was a knock on the door. "Your Highness, it's Madaé." A voice called.
Sabé got up off the bed and opened the door. Madaé and the other Handmaidens walked in.
"Are you ready to dress, Your Highness?" Dormé asked.
The Queen nodded, her attitude changing from Padme to Amidala. "Yes." She answered.
Two hours of tugging, pulling and painting later, they had finished dressing the Queen in a spring green dress with a silver metal chain material lying over the skirt. Her face was back to the traditional white painting with the red dots, and the Scar of Remembrance. Her hair was down, with robes of braids and ribbons gathering at the back of her head and cascading down her back.
The Handmaidens began putting the makeup, brushes, and such away and then they all headed out. As they walked, Amidala spoke to her head Handmaiden. "Sabé, I would appreciate it if you would invite the Jedi to breakfast with us." She stated.
"Us?" Sabé asked.
"Yes. I would like you to join us as well. That way you can discuss security in my presence." Amidala responded.
Sabé gritted her teeth. "All right, I will join you in the dinning room." She responded, and turned down a hall as the others continued their trek.
She had to ask me, didn't she? Sabé thought. She just had to ask me.
Sabé walked down the halls to where the Jedi were staying. Why they had been put so far apart, not even she knew. She went up to Anakin's room first, which was right next to the Queens. She knocked on the door, yet there was no answer.
That's funny.I don't scenes his presence, either. Maybe he's with Ben. She thought, and headed for the older Jedi's quarters. It had been conveniently placed by her Security office. She knocked on the door, and called for them to open up, but there was no one there.
Sabé frowned. Where could they be? She closed her eyes, and reached out with her untrained Force link to find Obi-Wan's presence. He was close.so close that she should be able to find him. But where?
"Looking for us, Milady?" Asked a rough voice behind her. Sabé spun around, coming face to face with Master Kenobi and his breathless Padawan. They had obviously been working out.
"As a mater of fact, I was." She replied. "The Queen would like the two of you to join her for breakfast. I suggest you get cleaned up, quickly, and head down." She responded.
"Thank you, Milady. We will be right down." Obi-Wan responded.
Sabé gave a curt nod, turned on her heal, and left.
Ten minutes later the Jedi arrived at the dinning room. The Queen and her Handmaidens had been standing, talking, and waiting for breakfast to arrive. Anakin, against his Master's protests, marched straight up to the Queen to speak with her. The young girl smiled when she saw him approach.
"You put your face paint back on." Anakin realized with a bit of disappointment in his voice.
Amidala nodded. "Sabé asked me to start wearing it again as a safety measure, in case I need a decoy. That way no one will be able to tell weather or not it is me." She explained.
Anakin shot a glance at Sabé and if looks could kill, she would be dead a thousand times over. He looked back at Padme, and when he did his gaze had softened.
"It's understandable, Padmé. We don't want to risk anyone getting past our security measures." Anakin responded.
Just then the servers brought bowls full of Naboo breakfast food. The Queen walked to take her place at the head of the table, Sabé sitting on her right, and motioning for Obi-Wan to take her left. Anakin sat next to his Master, and Handmaidens filled in the rest of the spaces at the long table. Servers began to bring the bowls around to each person, allowing them to choose their food. When everyone had eaten, the Queen turned to Sabé. Sabé and Obi-Wan didn't look at each other even once during the meal.
"Now, I would like to discus the security matters that the two of you went over yesterday." The Queen stated, and they fell into a deep conversation on the matter, Anakin listening with one ear.
It would be the understatement of the year to say that the Queen wasn't pleased with all of the added security. But, as Obi-Wan and Sabé chorused in unison, it was necessary. That didn't mean she had to like it.
"Now, what of the upcoming ball?" Obi-Wan asked. "There's no way the Queen can be guarded at all times. She will have to dance, dine and make a speech." He reminded.
Sabé frowned. "I hadn't thought about that." She admitted.
"Your Highness, would you consider using a decoy?" Obi-Wan suggested.
"Absolutely not." Sabé retorted. "Her Majesty can't use a decoy for the union of Alderaan and Naboo Ball! It would be absurd!"
"It would be safe." Obi-Wan insisted.
"Sabé, I think he has a point." Amidala responded.
"Oh come on, you just think it's a good way to get out of the Ball." Sabé taunted. "Admit it; you'd do anything to get out of going."
"As a matter of fact, yes I would." Amidala responded in the same taunting voice.
"Well.well..." Sabé trailed off, looking for a come back.
"Well what Sabé?" Amidala asked.
"Well.nibish!" Sabé cried in exasperation, using her created word.
"Nibish you." Amidala responded.
Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but.nibish?" He asked.
"Sabé's word. I guess you could call it a derogatory term, but it really has no meaning. It's used to fill in blank spaces. Nibish." The Queen explained.
Obi-Wan nodded. "I see. Nibish."
"Then it's settled, we will use a decoy." Amidala finished, and got up from her seat. The servers rushed in to clear the plates, and the rest of the group went their separate ways.
"Remind me again why we're having this ball." She whined.
Sabé laughed. "To celebrate the upcoming alliance between Naboo and Alderaan."
"Oh yeah." Padme grumbled. And then she groaned. "Bail is going to be there, isn't he?"
It was a well known fact that the Prince of Alderaan believed himself to be head over heals in love with the Queen of Naboo. That was one of the reasons for the planet's union. In fact, it was the main reason. The other reason was the prediction of the upcoming war, between the territories against the Anti-Slavery Reinforcement Act, and those territories for it. Another well known fact, to everyone except Bail, was that the young Amidala did not return his favor.
"You bet. He's flying in tomorrow night." Sabé responded.
Again Padme groaned.
Just then there was a knock on the door. "Your Highness, it's Madaé." A voice called.
Sabé got up off the bed and opened the door. Madaé and the other Handmaidens walked in.
"Are you ready to dress, Your Highness?" Dormé asked.
The Queen nodded, her attitude changing from Padme to Amidala. "Yes." She answered.
Two hours of tugging, pulling and painting later, they had finished dressing the Queen in a spring green dress with a silver metal chain material lying over the skirt. Her face was back to the traditional white painting with the red dots, and the Scar of Remembrance. Her hair was down, with robes of braids and ribbons gathering at the back of her head and cascading down her back.
The Handmaidens began putting the makeup, brushes, and such away and then they all headed out. As they walked, Amidala spoke to her head Handmaiden. "Sabé, I would appreciate it if you would invite the Jedi to breakfast with us." She stated.
"Us?" Sabé asked.
"Yes. I would like you to join us as well. That way you can discuss security in my presence." Amidala responded.
Sabé gritted her teeth. "All right, I will join you in the dinning room." She responded, and turned down a hall as the others continued their trek.
She had to ask me, didn't she? Sabé thought. She just had to ask me.
Sabé walked down the halls to where the Jedi were staying. Why they had been put so far apart, not even she knew. She went up to Anakin's room first, which was right next to the Queens. She knocked on the door, yet there was no answer.
That's funny.I don't scenes his presence, either. Maybe he's with Ben. She thought, and headed for the older Jedi's quarters. It had been conveniently placed by her Security office. She knocked on the door, and called for them to open up, but there was no one there.
Sabé frowned. Where could they be? She closed her eyes, and reached out with her untrained Force link to find Obi-Wan's presence. He was close.so close that she should be able to find him. But where?
"Looking for us, Milady?" Asked a rough voice behind her. Sabé spun around, coming face to face with Master Kenobi and his breathless Padawan. They had obviously been working out.
"As a mater of fact, I was." She replied. "The Queen would like the two of you to join her for breakfast. I suggest you get cleaned up, quickly, and head down." She responded.
"Thank you, Milady. We will be right down." Obi-Wan responded.
Sabé gave a curt nod, turned on her heal, and left.
Ten minutes later the Jedi arrived at the dinning room. The Queen and her Handmaidens had been standing, talking, and waiting for breakfast to arrive. Anakin, against his Master's protests, marched straight up to the Queen to speak with her. The young girl smiled when she saw him approach.
"You put your face paint back on." Anakin realized with a bit of disappointment in his voice.
Amidala nodded. "Sabé asked me to start wearing it again as a safety measure, in case I need a decoy. That way no one will be able to tell weather or not it is me." She explained.
Anakin shot a glance at Sabé and if looks could kill, she would be dead a thousand times over. He looked back at Padme, and when he did his gaze had softened.
"It's understandable, Padmé. We don't want to risk anyone getting past our security measures." Anakin responded.
Just then the servers brought bowls full of Naboo breakfast food. The Queen walked to take her place at the head of the table, Sabé sitting on her right, and motioning for Obi-Wan to take her left. Anakin sat next to his Master, and Handmaidens filled in the rest of the spaces at the long table. Servers began to bring the bowls around to each person, allowing them to choose their food. When everyone had eaten, the Queen turned to Sabé. Sabé and Obi-Wan didn't look at each other even once during the meal.
"Now, I would like to discus the security matters that the two of you went over yesterday." The Queen stated, and they fell into a deep conversation on the matter, Anakin listening with one ear.
It would be the understatement of the year to say that the Queen wasn't pleased with all of the added security. But, as Obi-Wan and Sabé chorused in unison, it was necessary. That didn't mean she had to like it.
"Now, what of the upcoming ball?" Obi-Wan asked. "There's no way the Queen can be guarded at all times. She will have to dance, dine and make a speech." He reminded.
Sabé frowned. "I hadn't thought about that." She admitted.
"Your Highness, would you consider using a decoy?" Obi-Wan suggested.
"Absolutely not." Sabé retorted. "Her Majesty can't use a decoy for the union of Alderaan and Naboo Ball! It would be absurd!"
"It would be safe." Obi-Wan insisted.
"Sabé, I think he has a point." Amidala responded.
"Oh come on, you just think it's a good way to get out of the Ball." Sabé taunted. "Admit it; you'd do anything to get out of going."
"As a matter of fact, yes I would." Amidala responded in the same taunting voice.
"Well.well..." Sabé trailed off, looking for a come back.
"Well what Sabé?" Amidala asked.
"Well.nibish!" Sabé cried in exasperation, using her created word.
"Nibish you." Amidala responded.
Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but.nibish?" He asked.
"Sabé's word. I guess you could call it a derogatory term, but it really has no meaning. It's used to fill in blank spaces. Nibish." The Queen explained.
Obi-Wan nodded. "I see. Nibish."
"Then it's settled, we will use a decoy." Amidala finished, and got up from her seat. The servers rushed in to clear the plates, and the rest of the group went their separate ways.