"Your Highness, are you sure-"
"Yes, Corde, for the seventh time, I want to do this."
An almost-eighteen-year-old Padme Amidala frowned at herself in the mirror for a quick moment before allowing her giddiness to take over and gleefully adjusting her garments. Much simpler than her ornate 'Queen attire', she fully intended to enjoy her eighteenth birthday by taking her closest handmaidens out to a popular Coruscant nightclub. Her innovative apparel now consisted of a soft black shirt and a skirt that stopped just above her knees, with thin-strapped sandals on her feet, the small heels accentuating her long legs and the toned muscles in them. The shirt was long-sleeved, reaching down to her wrists, but short in length, exposing most of her stomach. A tiny, silver zipper was pulled down a fraction of the way, creating a plunging neckline.
Padme grinned to herself. Never before had she thought she'd ever be so daring.
"M'lady? Are you ready to leave?" Corde inquired hesitantly.
"Yes."
"Thank the stars! We've been waiting forever!" Sabe complained, to which Corde winced and Padme grinned again.
"It's okay, Sabe," Padme reassured her friend. "Dorme! Are you coming?"
"Yes, m'lady" came the muffled reply from behind a closed door, and the young handmaiden appeared.
Padme nodded at her three closest friends and confidently strolled to the door, grabbing her purse and hurrying to the airspeeder Captain Panaka had given her; along with a resigned and deliberate "I'm not even going to ask as long as you're not going alone" glance.
Happily, she had informed him it was her eighteenth birthday and she was going out and no one could stop her; she would sneak out if she had to, and to not expect her back until the next afternoon. One of her decoys was taking her place for the next twenty-four hours, she would be fine, and to ask Corde if she didn't come home.
"M'lady, would you like me to drive?" Sabe asked, opening the door for her to the cool Coruscant night air.
Padme gaped at her in a most unfeminine way. "Not a chance!"
OBIDALAOBIDALA
"To being Queen!" Corde, Sabe, Dorme, and Padme squealed, and giggled hysterically before downing their shots of Corellian scotch. Padme, in first, was at five shots; Sabe following shortly behind at four, Dorme at two, and Corde just finishing her first, vowing to stay sober.
"One of us has to," she declared with an air of one as the oldest, most responsible child. Eventually, Padme coaxed her into drinking one.
"It won't hurt," she insisted, shoving the glass toward her "Besides, it's not like anyone will arrest us."
Corde gave her a wary look and consented. "Fine."
Now, beginning to get bored, even at two in the morning, Padme sat back on her stool and surveyed the club through quite impaired vision. It wasn't long, however, before she was sure she spotted a familiar face, attached to a slim, very sexy figure. In seconds, she had determined that it was indeed moving toward her, and, suddenly feeling nervous, she pun awkwardly around on her stool and hissed in Sabe's ear.
Sabe screeched and whirled around, unceremoniously falling off her stool and onto the floor. Padme gasped and choked on her laughter; that combined with the large amounts of alcohol in her system caused her to fall as well- but not onto the floor.
"Perhaps her Highness has had too much too drink?" A low, equally sexy voice rumbled in amusement, clearly belonging to the figure.
Padme flew out of a set of strong arms, eyes wide. "Master Kenobi!"
The young Jedi's lips quirked up in a smirk. "Your Highness," he acknowledged quietly, edging away. "I trust you are having a fine evening."
"Don't let him go!" Dorme burst out, then clapped a hand over her mouth when she realized she had spoken aloud. Corde winced.
Padme blushed furiously. "I am indeed," she agreed softly. "I'm sorry you had to rescue me; honestly, I am quite capable of taking care of myself."
"I see." Obi-Wan's tone of voice did not hide his obvious doubt, and Padme giggled.
"Would you like to join us, Master Jedi?" she asked without thinking.
"Obi-Wan," he corrected, "but I'm not sure that's a very good idea."
"Obi-Wan." Padme tested the name on her tongue and found it delightful. "We would love for you to join us, unless of course you have a previous… engagement."
In the background, she could hear whispers and more giggling, and she stifled a laugh.
"Well now, I couldn't very well decline an invitation from the Queen, could I?" Obi-Wan smiled, taking a seat beside her. "Very well, your Highness, I accept your request."
She shook her head. "Padme."
"Alright, Padme," he enunciated carefully. Padme felt a thrill run through her upon hearing her own name on his lips. He grinned. "Shall I buy you another drink?"