Star Wars: Queen's Shadow (Star Wars (Disney)) by Johnston E. K

Author:Johnston, E. K. [Johnston, E. K.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2019-03-04T16:00:00+00:00

Senator Amidala wore a gown that was so deeply red it was very nearly black. The sleeves were long, almost trailing on the ground when she walked, and the ornate collar had hundreds of tiny gold beads stitched on it. Her hair was gathered into dozens of braids, each looped tightly and pinned low along the back of her head. From them rose three interlocked metal circles, upon which iridescent threads had been woven into softly glowing webs. When she turned just so and the light fell on the folds of fabric, scarlet and crimson glinted from within, but if you looked at her quickly, you wouldn’t notice any of that.

No one looked at Senator Amidala quickly.

As she and her party came down the wide terraced steps, all heads turned toward them. Padmé breathed deeply. If they were going to stare, she was going to make them do it on her terms. She made sure to hit every spotlight at the right angle, moving slowly as the heavy-looking skirt swished around her feet. It didn’t actually encumber her much—Naboo design was far too good for that—but it looked like it did, and the look only made her more powerful in the moment.

She found Mon Mothma in the crowd. There was a satisfied smile on the Chandrilan’s face as every recorder in the gardens turned to monitor Padmé’s entrance.

I will show you, Padmé thought. I will show you what we can do together.

They were escorted by one of Mon Mothma’s aides—who discreetly scanned them in the process—to a seating place in full view of every terrace, where they could refresh themselves before mingling. Versé was dispatched with their drink order. She returned after a few moments with a little droid behind her, a droid that promptly spilled a glass of Toniray wine on Amidala’s hem. The senator retired to the powder room with two of her aides and a guard, though not before offering gracious reassurance to the very alarmed protocol droid who came over to see what the noise was about. Versé had already re-reprogrammed the server droid and sent it on its way.

Dormé had done incredible work, and she had done it twice already tonight. She had practiced on Cordé for a week, trimming down the time it took to apply the makeup and construct the hairstyle, until she could manage the whole thing by herself in less than ten minutes. By the time she, Padmé, and Sabé had locked themselves into the powder room after clearing security, Dormé could have done the entire switchover in her sleep.

“You’re a little bit scary,” Typho had muttered in her ear when the senator, the handmaiden, and the guard had emerged and rejoined their party.

“I know,” Dormé said. “That’s one of the reasons you like me so much.”

The gala took place in one of the public gardens on Coruscant’s upper levels. By day, the space was a high-end market, with a circular central floor and wide tiered steps rising up on three sides.

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