Chapter 7 - Calls for a Funeral
The next morning, two new faces join us at the table again, these two just as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as the last.
"More new recruits," I ask Panaka.
"Yes. This is Miré, and Teckla."
"Teckla is not a traditional Nabooian name," I comment.
"No," she replies, with a little accent. "My parents immigrated here from K-17 just before I was born."
"Well, that must have been very hard for them."
"Everything comes with a certain degree of difficulty. I'm just glad that I was born here, and can serve the queen freely."
"You are a very faithful citizen," I smile. "Welcome to MAIDENS. Unfortunately, myself and most of the other girls will be returning to the capital and you will not be joining us."
"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you anyway," she smiles.
I wave gently to both of them, and Miré smiles just slightly.
oOo
We arrive in the capital later that day, all of us dressed as handmaidens, for my safety. We aren't followed to the palace, and we make it into the building safely.
As we cross the threshold into the entrance hall, we are flanked by approximately 20 guards, all of them bearing arms. Their faces are grim and dark, undoubtedly remembering the last time we came to visit. The guards escort us to the dorms, and I enter my room, using the secret door to get into my royal bedroom. On the other side, my maid waits with today's outfit. The mass of fabric in her hands are deep blue, adorned with diamonds and sapphires. The headdress is made of spun metal and bright sparkling stones.
When I'm finally all dolled up, the girls escort me to the throne room, all of us walking in two lines, myself just between them. Four girls walk in front of me, shoulder to shoulder, in groups of two. Then the same is behind me, all of them walking silently and quickly.
In the throne room, several representatives wait for us. I'm taken aback. Today was not supposed to be a day for meeting.
As I take my place in my chair, the high representative for Desiraé stands, his face grim. "I'm sure all of us know why it is that we are here today."
"No, representative. That issue is actually quite vexing."
The representative looks at me with a disturbed expression. "No one has informed the queen of yesterday's attack on Coruscant?"
"No, sir," Typho replies. "I neglected to tell the queen for the sake of her mental health. She is already under a lot of stress, and this is all very shocking."
"What is it? What happened during the attack?"
"Late last night, the Naboo representative; senator Lapis was assassinated by bounty hunters hired by the trade federation. We have no choice but to immediately instate the candidate Palpatine to take his place."
Silence falls over the room, and I feel too shocked to answer. Senator Lapis was a good friend of mine for several years. It feels as if everything is slowly falling apart. That this is just the beginning of something awful.
"Your majesty?"
I snap out of my daze, and see Sabé, her calm porcelain face staring back at me, her eyebrows twisted up in worry.
"Are you alright, My Lady?"
I feel my breath coming in quick bursts, gasps for oxygen. Sabé turns on a dime and immediately exclaims.
"The queen would like to end the meeting here and take some time for deliberation. We will contact you when she is ready to continue this discussion."
The girls surround me and help me to my feet, their arms supporting me, their faces full of concern.
We race through the halls of the palace, retreating to the parlor for peace and quiet. Ellé thrusts the door open, and a tall figure waits for us, his back to us. His staring eyes scan the books on the walls. He stands, his back straight, his head upturned, shiny silver locks flowing down the back of his neck. His face is turned soft with age, his skin sagging over his cheekbones and jaw.
"Ah, your majesty," he exclaims, clasping his hands together with an excited look. "I believe we have not yet met!"
"Representative Palpatine," I reply, doing my best to mask my distress. "It is quite a surprise to see you here."
"After the attack on Coruscant I only felt it fitting to be here, with the people whom Senator Lapis was closest to."
"Yes," I reply. "He was a dear friend."
"I'm so sorry, my lady. It is always a sad thing when even the strongest leader is struck to the core by loss." He walks over to me, and takes my hand, something anyone else would have never done. I feel a chill running up my spine, and a burning hatred in my stomach. I rip my hand away.
"It would be much appreciated if you would not touch the queen so familiarly," snaps Sabé, with a sneer.
He jolts back, a sour look on his face. "My apologies, your majesty."
"It was a pleasure to see you again, representative. Please, be sure to attend the Senator's funeral. We will notify you when it has been scheduled," I say, as calmly as I possibly can.
"If I may," he smiles, "I would like to be here when his body is delivered. It would be very important to me to pay my respects."
A few of my handmaidens shift uncomfortably. "You have my blessing," I tell him. "He will arrive accompanied by Chancellor Vallorum."
"Another person I must pay my respects to. Well then, your majesty, I hope to see you again, soon."
He leaves, and the doors swing loudly behind him. Sabé turns to me and shudders, showing visible discomfort on her face.
"He is so creepy," Motée whispers behind me.
"I have to agree," I say. "But he's the one who was elected to succeed Senator Lapis."
"Isn't that kind of weird," asks Ellé.
"What," asks Eirtaé.
"The senator was assassinated, but everyone knows that Senator Lapis has been the most well-loved senator since the creation of the republic. It seems strange that just as Palpatine gains access to the spot, Lapis is immediately murdered," Ellé replies.
"Assassinated," corrects Yané.
"We need to keep an eye on him," Saché says.
"How," asks Rabé.
"We have the new recruits," Saché says. "If we use them to keep an eye on the new senator, we can know what kind of things he's scheming and how he works."
I nod. "But we can't send them alone, they're not ready yet."
"Perhaps we should send Typho?"
"Panaka should join us here at the palace," Rabé suggests. "That way we have someone we are familiar with watching our backs, and since the girls back at MAIDENS don't know him very well yet, they won't miss him!"
"I suppose," I say. "But we shall have to do something else first."
oOo
Later that week, we stand on ceremony, waiting by the landing pad in Capital Center. Above us, a large ship slowly hovers down to meet us. Behind me my handmaidens watch silently, their eyes ever watchful on the man standing next to me.
To my right, the Representative Palpatine stands, his stance proud and tall. He wears a black tunic and oversized pants tucked into simple black boots. I wear a similar colour scheme, in all black with sliver embroidery on my simple black gown. I also wear a large black fur hood, and my hair is pulled back into long cascading braids, beaded intricately with silver and black beads. I wear my full makeup, and my scar of remembrance is just as long as it was the day of my coronation, with the small red dots which usually dot my cheeks now just below my eyes.
The loading bay of the ship opens, and there waits the casket, with chancellor Vallorum following in black. Then, following him are all of Lapis' senate friends and allies, clothed in black and many of them wearing veils.
As they march along, they shed long and heartbroken tears, and I feel myself welling up with sadness, trying not to let my emotions get the best of me. We follow the casket, respectfully accompanying it to the burial yard, where he is buried, and marked with a tree. The tree will be tended by friends and family until it grows tall enough to care for itself, and it will be kept as a memory for the senator.
Finally, when everything is over, we return to the palace for the institution of the new senator.
Palpatine smiles gently throughout the whole ceremony, and almost laughs as the ceremony closes.
Just as the ceremony is about to end, I speak up.
"Due to the lack of proper security for our senator which lead to his death, I have decided to send with our new senator of the Naboo a gift. He will return to Corusant with four new bodyguards, young girls who have been studying with my personal guards, as well as the leader of my guard, Captain Typho. I hope that this new security is the protection we need to prevent this disaster from happening again."
Palpatine shoots an ugly look at me just for a second before he returns to his wide smile.
"Senator Sheev Palpatine, we hope that you may fill the hole left by Senator Lapis. Our final question; do you accept the role of Senator for the Naboo?"
"I do."