Chapter Three: A Nightmare Relived
Padmé steadily got up, dragged her feet into the palace, up the staircase, and into her bedroom. She plopped down on her queen-sized bed and cried, muffling the sounds with her pillow. She was so stupid for doubting Anakin's love, for deciding to test him, for using Obi-wan for it, and for stopping the chase in the hallway. She should have kept running, and if she had, she probably wouldn't have to deal with all of this. She cried for her ignorance, for how it affected the two most important men in her life, and how she let it go. Unexpectedly, a figure came out of the shadows, and she realized that she wasn't alone in the room.
"Sabé! What are you doing? You practically scared me to death!" Padmé screamed. "I'm sorry, Pad, I just heard you come into the room and I was wondering what you were up to…Pad, what's wrong?" Sabé realized that Padmé was crying. "Oh, never mind, Sabé, I'm too tired to explain anything tonight. Can I please just tell you tomorrow morning?" Padmé said in an irritated tone. "Well, okay, Pad, but you know you can always count on me. I'll be next door if you need me…" Sabé said in a hurt voice.
Padmé got up and sat on the edge of her bed. "Oh, I'm sorry Sabé, I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that I'm really tired and emotional right now," Padmé said. "Well, you're always tired and emotional, so what's the difference this time?" Sabé said in a half joking and half serious manner. The look one Sabé's face unbelievably made Padmé laugh for the first time that night. "Thanks, Sabé. You're the best friend a girl could ever have," Padmé said. "You're welcome, and yes, I know I am. I've known forever, and next time, tell me something that I don't know, okay?" Sabé said in a teasing way. Padmé never knew laughing could feel so good. After seeing Padmé's mood change, Sabé gave her a comforting smile. "Good night, your highness," Sabé said. "Good night, faithful handmaiden," Padmé said with another smile.
Padmé leaned back into her bed, closed her eyes, and slept. Instead of her usual good dream about her and Anakin together in paradise, she had a terrible nightmare. It was about the night that she just went through a while ago:
'Does he truly love me? What if he leaves me when I really need him? What if he finds out that I don't really deserve him? What if he falls out of love with me? I have to find out' It was the night of the big ball, and Padmé looked incredibly stunning in a midnight blue gown with silver sparkles and diamonds twinkling on it. She wore a diamond tiara, a diamond teardrop necklace, and she wore white silk gloves with a sapphire ring on her finger. She had her hair half up with loose curls flowing down her neck and back, and with soft tendrils framing her perfect oval face. She felt like a princess. 'But you're not supposed to be a princess, you're a queen,' she chuckled to herself.
Sabé looked at her work and squealed with delight. "Oooh, you are so gonna get all of those prim, proper ladies green with envy!" Sabé exclaimed. "Of course I will," Padmé said with a half-smile. "Ooh, aren't we the modest one?" Sabé said, and she noted that Padmé seemed different tonight… "Is that a rhetorical question?" Padmé asked with as much a real grin as she could put on. "First of all, yes it is, and you just asked one yourself. Second of all, it seems you're not yourself tonight. You can't hide anything from me. C'mon, 'fess up!" Sabé said in a concerned tone. "Oh, Sabé, if anything bad happens tonight, blame me, and no one else, alright?" Sabé was puzzled by this, sensed that she shouldn't ask any further questions, and didn't reply.
Sabé tried to act as if that little moment hadn't happened, and changed the subject. "You look mahvelous, dahling, mahvelous!" she said with a Hollywood expression. Padmé smiled and was grateful that Sabé didn't force her to tell her what she was up to. "Well, here goes," Padmé said as she walked down the marble staircase with the royal manner that she always put on when she must act as the queen. There was Anakin, waiting at the foot of the steps with a sly grin on his face. She returned the gesture, and couldn't see anything or anyone but him. She mouthed, "I love you, Ani," trying to hide the sadness in her action. Anakin hadn't noticed that and returned a mouthed, "I love you, too, Ami." She smiled and walked down the stairs, looking like an angel floating down. When she reached him, they held hands and greeted everyone there. "I'll be back in a second, doll face," Anakin said in a Brooklyn accent. Padmé laughed out loud, much to the disapproval of the members of the Senate.
Amidala walked out onto the veranda, and leaned on the marble banister. Little did she know that someone else was in her midst. "Hello there, your highness," Obi-wan greeted. Amidala jumped back and released her breath intake when she realized that it was just Obi-wan. "Oh, Obi-wan, you scared me. I didn't know you were there, and you can just call me Padmé, you know," she said with a small smile. "I'm sorry, your highness, er, Padmé…I'll just call you Amidala," he said. "Sure, whatever you'd like," she replied, trying not to look so eager to leave. She really wondered where Anakin was. Suddenly she had an idea, a very terrible one, but she would be able to get this over with. She decided to stall Obi-wan from leaving until Anakin returned, and then she would test him then. "So, Obi- wan, how have things been, you know, with the whole Jedi thing…" she tried to make conversation. "Oh, well, the 'Jedi thing' has been quite good, thank you," he said. He was wondering what was taking Sabé so long to arrive.
Just then she saw Anakin coming towards her. 'It's now or never,' she thought to herself. Amidala grabbed Obi-wan's face and pulled it to hers. She captured his lips with hers and kept them there for as long as she could until Anakin yelled, "Master! Ami! How could you?" Tears fell down his cheeks that were now flushed with anger. Padmé regretted her irrational and idiotic plan. "I'm so sorry," she cried and intentionally told both of them. She ran off and many heads turned as they watched their queen run away from the supposed happy occasion. Anakin threw one last glare at his master and so-called confidant, Obi-wan Kenobi, and ran off in the direction where Padmé left. Poor, confused Obi-wan just stood there for a while, ignoring the stares from the people attending the ball. Sabé appeared, "Sorry I'm late. I was speaking with the Senator of Alderaan. What's wrong, Obi-wan?" "I'll have to tell you later. I just remembered I have to do something," Obi-wan said before he ran off.
Padmé swiftly opened her eyes and sat up. She suddenly realized that Sabé and Obi-wan had a thing going on before. "Obi-wan…Sabé…Ani…what have I done???" She sobbed into her knees and wondered how she could have been so thoughtless. Just then, Sabé came in and asked, "What's wrong, Pad? I've just remembered that it is technically morning, so you have to tell me. Please, Pad, I have to know what's going on." "Sabé, after I tell you this, you'll be very upset with me and you'll never forgive me. I don't want to lose my best friend," she said with anxiety in her voice. "No, Pad, you'll never lose me as your best friend. Now, tell me what's been bothering you," Sabé said, trying to hide the fear she had.
Padmé steadily got up, dragged her feet into the palace, up the staircase, and into her bedroom. She plopped down on her queen-sized bed and cried, muffling the sounds with her pillow. She was so stupid for doubting Anakin's love, for deciding to test him, for using Obi-wan for it, and for stopping the chase in the hallway. She should have kept running, and if she had, she probably wouldn't have to deal with all of this. She cried for her ignorance, for how it affected the two most important men in her life, and how she let it go. Unexpectedly, a figure came out of the shadows, and she realized that she wasn't alone in the room.
"Sabé! What are you doing? You practically scared me to death!" Padmé screamed. "I'm sorry, Pad, I just heard you come into the room and I was wondering what you were up to…Pad, what's wrong?" Sabé realized that Padmé was crying. "Oh, never mind, Sabé, I'm too tired to explain anything tonight. Can I please just tell you tomorrow morning?" Padmé said in an irritated tone. "Well, okay, Pad, but you know you can always count on me. I'll be next door if you need me…" Sabé said in a hurt voice.
Padmé got up and sat on the edge of her bed. "Oh, I'm sorry Sabé, I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that I'm really tired and emotional right now," Padmé said. "Well, you're always tired and emotional, so what's the difference this time?" Sabé said in a half joking and half serious manner. The look one Sabé's face unbelievably made Padmé laugh for the first time that night. "Thanks, Sabé. You're the best friend a girl could ever have," Padmé said. "You're welcome, and yes, I know I am. I've known forever, and next time, tell me something that I don't know, okay?" Sabé said in a teasing way. Padmé never knew laughing could feel so good. After seeing Padmé's mood change, Sabé gave her a comforting smile. "Good night, your highness," Sabé said. "Good night, faithful handmaiden," Padmé said with another smile.
Padmé leaned back into her bed, closed her eyes, and slept. Instead of her usual good dream about her and Anakin together in paradise, she had a terrible nightmare. It was about the night that she just went through a while ago:
'Does he truly love me? What if he leaves me when I really need him? What if he finds out that I don't really deserve him? What if he falls out of love with me? I have to find out' It was the night of the big ball, and Padmé looked incredibly stunning in a midnight blue gown with silver sparkles and diamonds twinkling on it. She wore a diamond tiara, a diamond teardrop necklace, and she wore white silk gloves with a sapphire ring on her finger. She had her hair half up with loose curls flowing down her neck and back, and with soft tendrils framing her perfect oval face. She felt like a princess. 'But you're not supposed to be a princess, you're a queen,' she chuckled to herself.
Sabé looked at her work and squealed with delight. "Oooh, you are so gonna get all of those prim, proper ladies green with envy!" Sabé exclaimed. "Of course I will," Padmé said with a half-smile. "Ooh, aren't we the modest one?" Sabé said, and she noted that Padmé seemed different tonight… "Is that a rhetorical question?" Padmé asked with as much a real grin as she could put on. "First of all, yes it is, and you just asked one yourself. Second of all, it seems you're not yourself tonight. You can't hide anything from me. C'mon, 'fess up!" Sabé said in a concerned tone. "Oh, Sabé, if anything bad happens tonight, blame me, and no one else, alright?" Sabé was puzzled by this, sensed that she shouldn't ask any further questions, and didn't reply.
Sabé tried to act as if that little moment hadn't happened, and changed the subject. "You look mahvelous, dahling, mahvelous!" she said with a Hollywood expression. Padmé smiled and was grateful that Sabé didn't force her to tell her what she was up to. "Well, here goes," Padmé said as she walked down the marble staircase with the royal manner that she always put on when she must act as the queen. There was Anakin, waiting at the foot of the steps with a sly grin on his face. She returned the gesture, and couldn't see anything or anyone but him. She mouthed, "I love you, Ani," trying to hide the sadness in her action. Anakin hadn't noticed that and returned a mouthed, "I love you, too, Ami." She smiled and walked down the stairs, looking like an angel floating down. When she reached him, they held hands and greeted everyone there. "I'll be back in a second, doll face," Anakin said in a Brooklyn accent. Padmé laughed out loud, much to the disapproval of the members of the Senate.
Amidala walked out onto the veranda, and leaned on the marble banister. Little did she know that someone else was in her midst. "Hello there, your highness," Obi-wan greeted. Amidala jumped back and released her breath intake when she realized that it was just Obi-wan. "Oh, Obi-wan, you scared me. I didn't know you were there, and you can just call me Padmé, you know," she said with a small smile. "I'm sorry, your highness, er, Padmé…I'll just call you Amidala," he said. "Sure, whatever you'd like," she replied, trying not to look so eager to leave. She really wondered where Anakin was. Suddenly she had an idea, a very terrible one, but she would be able to get this over with. She decided to stall Obi-wan from leaving until Anakin returned, and then she would test him then. "So, Obi- wan, how have things been, you know, with the whole Jedi thing…" she tried to make conversation. "Oh, well, the 'Jedi thing' has been quite good, thank you," he said. He was wondering what was taking Sabé so long to arrive.
Just then she saw Anakin coming towards her. 'It's now or never,' she thought to herself. Amidala grabbed Obi-wan's face and pulled it to hers. She captured his lips with hers and kept them there for as long as she could until Anakin yelled, "Master! Ami! How could you?" Tears fell down his cheeks that were now flushed with anger. Padmé regretted her irrational and idiotic plan. "I'm so sorry," she cried and intentionally told both of them. She ran off and many heads turned as they watched their queen run away from the supposed happy occasion. Anakin threw one last glare at his master and so-called confidant, Obi-wan Kenobi, and ran off in the direction where Padmé left. Poor, confused Obi-wan just stood there for a while, ignoring the stares from the people attending the ball. Sabé appeared, "Sorry I'm late. I was speaking with the Senator of Alderaan. What's wrong, Obi-wan?" "I'll have to tell you later. I just remembered I have to do something," Obi-wan said before he ran off.
Padmé swiftly opened her eyes and sat up. She suddenly realized that Sabé and Obi-wan had a thing going on before. "Obi-wan…Sabé…Ani…what have I done???" She sobbed into her knees and wondered how she could have been so thoughtless. Just then, Sabé came in and asked, "What's wrong, Pad? I've just remembered that it is technically morning, so you have to tell me. Please, Pad, I have to know what's going on." "Sabé, after I tell you this, you'll be very upset with me and you'll never forgive me. I don't want to lose my best friend," she said with anxiety in her voice. "No, Pad, you'll never lose me as your best friend. Now, tell me what's been bothering you," Sabé said, trying to hide the fear she had.
