Chapter 1: Points of Origin I

…

The time will come. I, Amidalo, prince of Theed.

…~oOo~…

THE WHITE CLOTHES were idiotic. At least, I'll say that at the time they felt idiotic.

I should explain. This is (yet another) Naboo tradition: On the day of the election of the next queen or king, the candidate dons bland white clothing—for a princess, a white gown; for a prince, white button-down and slacks—and then waits alone in a room for the results to return. It was long ago explained to me… something about how this provides time for reflection after the hub-bub of the campaign and a meditative experience of solid serenity... The white clothes represent the candidate's purity of intent to serve Naboo as well as the purity of their soul. This entire ritual is called the Seclusion.

Frankly, the fabric chafed, the collar was overly tight, and the room made me claustrophobic. And whoever expected me to find some sort of serene peace as I awaited the election results for which I'd worked practically my entire life certainly had never been in the position themselves.

In said claustrophobic room at the edge of the palace in which they'd stationed me for Seclusion, all I could see was a papery view of the backside of the Theed palace and some of the city, all of it filtered yellow from the light of this dingy room. A single chair sat in the corner, but I didn't sit. I could wait: hands clasped, countenance calm, standing. I always acted as if I were watched. For so much of my life, I always had been.

No makeup today. I was both the prince and Padmee Naberrie, within my royal skin and without it. Standing here, looking out onto the view, I could almost believe that I was the naïve, idealistic boy who began this journey six years ago.

Almost.

That was the rub. Because I couldn't. Not really. I knew that boy was gone. Wiped out. He'd never return. I didn't regret the things I'd done. They'd been necessary to get here in order to truly do some good. Soon-to-be former Queen Rélàta was spineless, almost as spineless as Princess Telané. Force forbid either had continued as rulers or gone on to be rulers.

Yet, I couldn't deny that sometimes I mourned who I'd once been…

The city of Theed, even at this unflattering angle and from this dingy view, was singularly beautiful. I shouldn't have been surprised. Everything about the palace and the city it rests in was beauty itself: It's one of the things that made my young heart sing with hope and yearning when my mother first took me here. All of Theed is like something out of a dream or a fairytale.

And while fairytales didn't exist… kings did.

Soon, I thought, running my finger across the windowsill edge. Yellow-orange light filtered through the window, illuminating some playing dust motes in the corner, as well as my finger as it ran across the edge. Soon.

The time will come. I, Amidalo, prince of Theed.

I had been so very young when I had decided to become king. Eight or nine. I can't place it exactly for you. I only know that I became determined to do it. My parents raised me with the certainty that I could do anything.

My sister Sola's anything had been opening her own architecture business.

My anything was becoming king. And I had determined to do it honestly. At the time, I'd been so young and naive I hadn't known there was any other way than such. The memory of that made my stomach clench now… though I cannot say whether it was in anger or pity or sadness. Maybe all three.

"Victory at any cost isn't victory at all." That's something my father used to tell me and Sola. One of his many aphorisms, all of which I'd soaked up like a plant starved of sun and water. I'd play fair. I could do it fairly. The wonderkid, they'd termed me after my service in the Republic Apprentice Legislature at eight years old. The political wonderkid of Naboo.

All the while, I was still playing fair with my politics. I was on the rise. Why cheat? Why lie? Why practice corruption? Now I knew something of corruption, and the idea… repulsed me to the core.

How could anyone be so morally bereft? How could anyone expose someone's affairs or turn over old, dead leaves of long-forgotten family scandals?

What a fool I was.

But one day… one moment… that all changed for me… The boy was slain. And he was never coming back.

Yet his dream endured. And his will to do whatever it took to make the climb.

So, you see, I thought my father quite wrong: victory at any cost was in fact victory all the same. Especially when one was using such methods to a good end. Yet, I'd been careful not to lose myself entirely in the carnage of corruption. My ends were good ones. My intent was pure, even if my heart no longer could claim such a status.

Soon enough, my appointment as prince of Theed came. And then, it was… Soon. The time will come. I, Amidalo, prince of Theed…

Very soon, now…

I was better now, than he'd been. That boy. His naiveite made me sick. I had gotten where he surely never would've; he didn't understand the true realities of life and politics.

So why did I sometimes still miss him…?

I shut away the thoughts and the boy behind the imaginary palace gate within my heart. So soon now. The time will come. I, Amidalo, prince of Theed.

Echoing the thought, suddenly the one door in the space swings open on its hinges. Dust motes danced, and a bit more of the late afternoon sun slanted in, putting the entering figure half in shadow. But no shadows could conceal his smile.

He would tell me, now. I pulled my posture up even straighter, prepared, heart taking flight. But… reader: I confess that I knew. In my heart… I always had known. Everything that I'd done, everything that I'd been… it had all led to this moment.

And it would be worth it.

"Your Highness," said Captain Panaka, stepping forward. "The election is over. Your work begins."

My work begins. I shut my eyes a single moment, allowing the succulent sweetness of this to sink in, like the taste of the finest confectionery on the earths. But I tasted this victory only for a moment.

Because my work began.

When I opened my eyes again, that boy was behind me. There was only Amidalo, new king of Naboo.

The time has come. I, Amidalo, king of Naboo.

And I was ready.

…~oOo~…

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed reading the first chapter. I am so grateful for your reviews and for the encouragement to go ahead and write Padmee Amidalo's story. To be honest I kind of hate this chapter, but I didn't have any more time this evening to write and I wanted to post this because I promised that I would .

There are two options after this brief intro: Either I can spend time pre-Phantom Menace introducing his court and life as king for the first few months (including his version of the handmaidens, who I am going to call handmen because I have no better term, haha)… or I can jump right to pre-Phantom Menace storytelling. Which would you all prefer?

Let me know in the reviews!

Hugs to you all.

Warmly,

Rivkah