Author's note: Chapter Two, Chapter Two. Thank you so much for the reviews! This story is going to be so much fun to write! And (the former) Aniriel reviewed, yay! I was kind of hoping she would, since I saw she was an S/O shipper. And other people too! *beams* Once again, this idea was thought up by my sister, Tom Bombadil Groupie (whoohoo, go her!).

Disclaimer: Same as first chapter.

Chapter Two

As the guards walked off, Cordé leaned over to the other girls and whispered "Did you see that guard in the third hallway we went through?" She raised her eyebrows and dramatically fanned herself with her hand. "I think we might need to run a few errands in that wing later!"

"Weren't you listening to what Captain Typho was saying?" Zaré asked with a grin.

"Yes, of course! I was multi-tasking, that's all."

They all laughed at this explanation, and the slight shyness that had hung over them dissipated a little.

Dormé studied each of the others carefully in the short, awkward silence that followed, forming impressions of them in her mind. Cordé wasn't hard to read; she'd barely stopped talking since they met in the lobby. Dormé always felt a little plain and faded beside bubbly, carefree sort of people, but Cordé was impossible not to like. Zaré seemed nice, too. She had an air of observing everything and being vaguely amused by it all, which was a little unsettling, but despite that, she didn't seem standoffish- just thoughtful. Versé hadn't said enough for Dormé to have any real opinion, but she'd looked anxious the whole time, which activated Dormé's protective instincts.

Once again, Cordé took charge, suddenly all business. "So who wants to stay where? I don't care, I get can get along with anyone!" She paused. "Well, almost anyone. Any of you, I'm sure! So you all can choose."

The other three looked around at each other and shrugged. Another pause, then Dormé tentatively said, "Why don't we just look at the rooms now, and decide later? We should get to know each other, anyway. We have two hours."

The others agreed, much to her relief, and they proceeded to the nearest room.

"Oh, hey, this is nice!" Cordé exclaimed as they walked in. The room had the same gray walls and glossy marble floors as the rest of the palace, but the velvety purple curtains and bedspreads made it look luxurious, and the sunlight that poured in through the tall windows added cheer. As Captain Typho had said, there was a holoplayer, as well as two datapads and several holodisks stacked up on a built-in table. There was a closet on the far wall; Zaré walked over and pressed the button to open the door. It swished open, and Cordé crossed the room in a flash.

"Ooh! Clothes!" she gushed. Dormé and Versé followed, and all four girls stared admiringly at the gowns hung up in the spacious closet.

"They're beautiful!" Zaré exclaimed. From her own simple gown, you wouldn't think she'd care about such things, but her eyes were brilliant in her slim white face as she stroked the sleeve of a gown.

"They're all so… dark," Dormé said softly. She'd always preferred pastels; deep colors washed her out. But these dresses were far finer than any of the gowns she'd had at home, of course. They even smelled a little different… sort of rich.

"I suppose it's because we're supposed to 'blend in'," Zaré commented.

"Yes, I guess so. They're very nice, I mean!" Dormé answered quickly, trying not to sound like she'd been complaining. Honestly, sometimes she felt as uncomfortable as Versé looked around people, only she showed it by scrambling around for the right words to say- trying to do things properly, keep people happy. It worked most of the time, but sometimes she just wanted to just fly to the Outer Rim and live alone on a lost planet- just never think again.

"Look, there's two of each dress. I guess we'll all be matching," Cordé said, pulling a dress out and holding it under her chin.

"It's like we're a music group or something," Versé commented, and the others shot her surprised glances as they laughed.

"Appearing every night at the Theed Royale Nightclub- the Handmaidens! " Cordé boomed out in an announcer's voice- which really wasn't that much louder than her everyday tone.

They laughed again, then Cordé suddenly sobered. "Are you all as nervous as I am about this job? I've never done anything like this before. I've never really done anything at all before, except school, I guess. Do you think it will be hard?"

"Oh, not too hard," Dormé said quickly. "I'm sure it will be fine." She really wasn't sure of any such thing, but the task at hand seemed easier when she acted like it was. But she didn't know how convincing she really sounded.

"We wouldn't be chosen if the Senator didn't think we could do it," Zaré said, but a faint edge of worry was in her voice as well.

"I'm nervous," Versé said softly. "But I'm glad I made it."

The other three nodded meditatively, and then they all quickly looked up with set expressions of confidence on their face, trying to look the part. And they did, to each other, but each one of them wasn't confident at all inside themselves. But then, nothing had really happened yet. It was too soon to tell what their new lives would be like.

~*~*~

An hour later, Dormé was stretched out on the bed in her new room, gazing at the ceiling. Zaré was pulling dresses out of the closet and trying them on. Cordé and Versé had taken the other room, and were supposedly "resting", but Cordé's cheerful voice and Versé's quiet laughter could be heard every few minutes, drifting through the walls.

Dormé set her hands on her stomach. It was feeling kind of empty. The fabric of her old dress was familiar under her fingers. Zaré flitting around in a new blue silk gown reminded her that not many familiar things would last, in this new place.

"Are you hungry?" Zaré suddenly asked, almost as though she'd read Dormé's mind.

"Yes. Are you?"

"Starving! Let's see if we can get something to eat before we have to meet the Senator."

Dormé sat up. "Where do you think we'd get food from?"

Zaré shrugged. "I don't know. We can go ask some guards in the hall. Let's see if the others want to come, too."

"I'm sure Cordé will," Dormé said mischievously.

They walked over to the other girls' room, Zaré still in the new dress and rustling with every step. "Hi!" Cordé cried as the door opened. She was sitting on one of the beds, with Versé on the floor in front of her. Versé's long hair had been taken down from its former stiff style, and Cordé was arranging it in intricate braids.

"Hi! You want to get something to eat?" Zaré replied, holding her skirts up self-consciously as she walked through the doorway.

"Ooh, yeah, I'm starving. Let's walk by that cute guard, okay?"

"Oh, of course!" Dormé said. "Handmaidens don't live by food alone, after all!"

The four walked through the hallway, feeling a little like children sneaking out of class at school. They nodded politely at the guards they passed, and soon they were out of the living quarters wing and into the main building.

"Oh, hey, here's the hallway! Come on!" Cordé whispered. They made a varied procession- Cordé first, behaving as though she was leading a secret security mission, Dormé just behind with her faded dress and reserved smile, Zaré with her vibrant hair and white face glowing over her elaborate gown, and Versé, her hair still half-braided, looking over her shoulder every few seconds as though they were being followed.

When they reached the guard, a fit of giggling passed over the majority of them. Only self-possessed Zaré kept a straight face, so it was she who asked for directions.

"Excuse me, um, sir, do you know where we could get some food?" she asked, trying to ignore her love-struck companions.

The much-admired guard smiled suavely. "Why, yes, I do. Just go down two more hallways, then turn right, and you'll come to the kitchen wing. So you ladies are new here, I take it?"

"Yes, we just came today!" Cordé chimed in, the guard's smile reflected and magnified on her round face.

"You're the senator's new handmaidens?"

"Yes," Dormé said quickly, amazed that she could get that much out properly.

"Ah, so I guess I'll be seeing you around, then?" The guard's words seemed to be aimed at everyone, but his eyes were only on Cordé.

"Yes," Versé said almost inaudibly, visibly proud to put her two cents into this conversation.

"Well, we'd better be going!" Dormé said after a moment, feeling nervous energy building up in her limbs. She felt like if she didn't move, she'd either explode or die of embarrassment. Plus, she was still really hungry.

"Goodbye, then. See you later!"

The girls echoed the guard's farewell, and quickly walked off down the hall in the direction he'd prescribed. As soon as they were out of earshot, they dissolved into laughter again.

"All right, we did it!" Cordé beamed. "Oh, no, we should have found out his name!"

"It's not like you'll forget him!" Dormé teased. "You two didn't stop staring at each other the whole time!"

"Eee, do you really think so?" Cordé squealed.

Just then, they turned a corner and came face to face with Captain Typho, who had to step back to keep from bumping right into them. From the skeptical look on his face, it was clear he'd heard at least some of their conversation.

"Ladies? What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously. "I thought you were going to stay in your quarters."

"We were hungry, sir," Zaré quickly said. "We were just heading for the kitchen wing."

"Yes, we asked a guard about it," Dormé blurted out nervously. At her words, Cordé's face turned pink, and Versé's eyes got big. Ooh, I should have kept that part to myself, Dormé thought with grimace.

"All right," Captain Typho said doubtfully. "Just be back in your room soon; the Senator should be ready in about half an hour."

"Yes sir!" the four girls chorused.

"Good," Typho said simply, giving them a brief nod and walking past them without further words.

"Whew!" Versé commented. "Close!"

"Extremely," Zaré sighed. "Come on, let's go."

~*~*~

Senator Amidala was ready at the time predicted. The four girls entered her office in silent single file, all dressed in gowns like Zaré's, with combed hair and their best behavior. It was hard to imagine that these were the same girls who had been laughing and shrieking down the hall less than an hour before.

"Please, sit down," Amidala said when the door closed behind them. She motioned to four chairs in front of her desk. They obeyed, and Amidala sat down in the large plush chair behind her cluttered desk.

"I really don't have too much to say right now," she began. "I interviewed each of you, so I know you'll all do well. Captain Typho has briefed you on your duties, hasn't he?"

"Yes, milady," they all said softly.

"He's going to meet with you tomorrow to evaluate your combat and defense skills. Cordé, you're skilled at hairstyling and applying makeup, aren't you?"

"Yes, milady."
"Good. And Dormé, you know how to sew and are prepared to work on gowns for me and keep my wardrobe in good repair?"

"Yes, milady."

"Zaré, as I understand, you're very knowledgeable of protocol and diplomatic policies?"

"Yes, milady."

"And Versé, you're trained in combat and an expert on our planet's history?"

"Yes, milady."

"Excellent. I'll need you to look over my wardrobe tomorrow, Dormé, and of course I'll need your help daily, Cordé. And you'll all need to accompany me throughout the day as well, naturally," she said.

"Yes, milady," they answered in perfect sync. Dormé suddenly realized she was slouching in her chair, and she quickly straightened up, folded her hands in her lap, and crossed her ankles. Cordé, seated next to her, saw her actions and quickly copied them. The good posture moved down the line like "the wave" through a stadium at a pod-race, and soon all four of the handmaidens were sitting in identical lady-like fashion. Dormé bit her lip to keep from laughing. First they dressed the same and talked at the same time; now they even acting the same.

Senator Amidala was apparently amused as well; a smile blossomed on her young, previously serious face. "I guess that's all you need to know for now. But I just wanted to tell all of you that I hope we'll be friends. You can come to me with any problems you have, and I know I'll be able to trust all of you." She rose from her chair as though finished, then quickly leaned forward over the desk a little and added, "I know how hard adjusting to life in this kind of situation can be."

The girls returned her smile, and she told them they could leave. After a quick round of submissive nods and "Goodbye, milady,"s, they stepped out into the hall.

Captain Typho, who had escorted them there, had been waiting the whole time. He walked behind them unobtrusively as they headed back toward their rooms and kept silent as the girls chattered. But then, as they drew near the living quarters wing, he stepped forward so that he was walking by Dormé.

She gave him a small smile, wondering if she was in some kind of trouble. He didn't smile back, but he didn't look mad, either. "Dormé," he began in a conversational tone.

"Yes, sir?" she answered meekly.

"I was just wondering, what were you all really doing when I met you in the hall earlier?"

Dormé looked down at the floor, then quickly up at him. "Nothing bad, sir!"

"Oh, I know, you just seemed a bit guilty when I saw you."

"We were just getting food, but Cor- I mean, we all wanted to talk to a guard we saw on our way in, too," she said quickly, cutting herself off in mid-sentence as she realized Cordé might get in trouble if she said it was her idea.

Typho chuckled. "All right. I thought as much."

"You don't mind, do you? I mean, we just talked to him a little, and asked directions. We don't even know what his name is!"

He laughed again. "No, it's fine. You didn't do anything wrong. It really isn't my business, as long as all of you obey orders and keep your duties to the Senator as your first priority. There's no problem at all, I promise."

"All right, good," Dormé said with relief. They walked in silence for a moment, then she quickly added, "I'm just trying to do everything right."

Typho smiled softly at her. "That's what we're all doing."

They reached their quarters, and Captain Typho told them they were free for the rest of the day- "Just stay out of trouble!" he added- then told them good afternoon and strode off down the hall. Dormé looked after him for a minute, studying his broad shoulders and sturdy frame, then Cordé laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe I'm not the only one who's interested in a guard?" she said cheekily.

"What? No! No way!" Dormé exclaimed, giving her friend an incredulous look. "That's not true at all! He was just asking why we were out in the hall before, that's all."

"Oh no, was he mad?" Cordé cried.

"No, he didn't care. I was worried though!"

"I'm glad he didn't; when we ran into him, I thought it might have been trouble for all of us!"

Dormé thought about those last three words- "all of us." All day, she and the other girls been referred to as "all of you", "ladies", or sometimes even just "you". They were becoming a unit already. Was that a good thing? She told herself it was, but a little flame of rebellion lapped at the corners of her mind and made her feel a little trapped in this new arrangement.

A/N: WHOO HOO, I am so totally prolific! LOL. I will work on "More Precious Than Gold" next. I really need to work on my actor fic, too (which is, once again, posted on http://www.freewebz.com/cutefaramir.) Please review! I'm dying for feedback!