Queen's Hope by E. K. Johnston

Author:E. K. Johnston [Johnston, E. K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2021-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

Senator Amidala’s new household organization meant that Sabé slept alone. Ellé and Moteé rarely came into her sleeping chamber, preferring to work out of her home office. Dormé moved back and forth between the two worlds, of course, but even she seemed less inclined to linger. The handmaidens who were charged with dressing the senator and caring for her wardrobe and other domestic accoutrement were brilliant, discreet, and ultimately invisible after Sabé dismissed them for the night. She knew that half a dozen people were just a shout away, should she require someone, but after a day of endlessly circular talks in the Senate, Sabé took a moment to savor the quiet.

She’d never had to be Padmé for this long, nor had she ever voted in her friend’s name before. Appointing a proxy voter was not uncommon in the Senate, and Padmé had officially made Sabé her proxy in case their deception was uncovered. No one would be able to question the legitimacy of her votes. But Sabé still felt wildly out of place. Padmé had much more influence than she’d realized, was expected to speak and to listen frequently, and was often called upon for advice. It should have made Sabé feel busy and vital and necessary, but instead she just felt tired and overextended. Even with Bail doing his best to cover for her, she felt that her cracks were beginning to show.

She was lonely. Even with so many people around her, clamoring for her attention, she was alone. Without the close bonds to her handmaidens, without the daily dinners with her security personnel, Sabé felt adrift. She didn’t understand how Padmé did it, or why things had changed. At first, she had thought Padmé merely wanted some time to herself in the evenings, but this was more than privacy or time for self-reflection. This was isolation. And since Padmé had chosen it, Sabé had to keep it up.

She could read or watch the newscast, but after spending most of her day, every day, debating the war, the last thing she wanted was to hear more about it. She could stare out over the bright lights of Coruscant, except that only reminded her how isolated she was, and how much she disliked it here. She could, if she was desperate, go out to a museum or to the opera. She wouldn’t even have to be Amidala when she did it. She was sure Mariek Panaka would help her organize it and see to her safety. Yet there was no indication that Padmé had any interest in that sort of thing, either. She had blocked off all this time, and Sabé had no idea what it was for.

So she sulked. That was really the only thing that could be said about it. She wasn’t particularly proud of it, but it kept her from climbing the walls out of frustration and boredom, so she did it.

Tonight, however, she did not have the opportunity. Bail Organa was hosting a soiree, and she had been invited.

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