Chapter Text
Padmé Naberrie dips her toes in the canal outside her home, watching the water run over her bare feet. It was brisk but not too cold, and it’s a hot day out, so Padmé performs an ungraceful scootch forward across the sidewalk, closer to the water, and drops her legs down into the canal, submerging them up to her knees. The bottom of her dress is wet by that as well, but Padmé can’t bring herself to care. The rich purple fabric drifts beautifully in the current.
With a sigh, Padmé flops backward, sprawling her upper body on the stone pathway. Padmé can’t bring herself to care that she is technically in the way. No one uses this pathway, not since construction left it a pathway to nowhere when Padmé was little.
Padmé pulls the blue-purple hood down from around her face and lets the sun shine on it. It’s immediately warm – the sun is beating down today – but Padmé finds she doesn’t mind. After being inside of Theed Palace all day, it feels nice rather than unpleasant.
Padmé was going to miss doing this once she was queen rather than queen elect. From what she’s seen thus far, the queen of Naboo can’t exactly get away with lying in the street. Really, Padmé wasn't expecting things to get easier after she was elected, but she had hoped that maybe she would be easied into the increased workload of being queen. Padmé doubts she has ever been more wrong. Padmé barely feels like she has time to sleep anymore. Padmé has only made time to do this by ignoring her schoolwork.
These days, Padmé’s mornings are spent with her future handmaidens, undergoing extensive training in order to be able to protect themselves, conduct themselves properly, move as a team, and all the other duties that a handmaiden performed that were less publicly well know. (Spying. The handmaidens are spies.) After that, Padmé has two hours for all her studies and then has to rush back to the palace to shadow Queen Réillata for the afternoon, and often for more formal events in the evening as well. Shadowing the queen is no walk in the park – she is for all intents and purposes, another one of the queen’s handmaidens, and carries herself accordingly.
Both her parents and Panaka actually think she is with Queen Réillata right now. Padmé feels a little guilt for lying to them. Not a lot though, since the water and sun both feel really nice.
“Padmé?” A familiar female voice carries down the hallway, and Padmé sighs.
“Go away, Sola.” Padmé groans. Her sister is the only one who knows to find her here.
“Oh, is that your sister’s name? I confess I couldn’t remember other it when we spoke, so I just called her Lady Naberrie.” The voice calls back, and Padmé’s brain restarts as she’s suddenly able to place that voice.
“Queen Réillata!” Padmé shoots upwards into a sitting position as she catches sight of just the queen’s feet. Unfortunately, as she pulls herself up from her sprawled position, she does it far too quickly, and Padmé pitches forward and with a screech, Padmé falls into the canal. The water is only cold until she’s fully underwater, and when she resurfaces, finds the water a nice, cool temperature. Padmé hadn’t realized how warm she was until now.
“Are you alright, Padmé?” Queen Réillata moves to the edge of the canal, a concerned look on her face. Padmé can’t help it. She giggles a little.
“I’m fine.” She looks down at the purple and blue handmaiden’s gown she’s wearing, which is now as completely wet as she is. “I don’t think I’ll be able to wear this tonight though.” She comments, which to her surprise, pulls a full laugh from Queen Réillata.
“Do you want a hand getting out?” The older girl asks, crossing the street to where Padmé had been sitting. Padmé bites her lip. She knows she really should get out. This is the queen in front of her, and she does have places to go soon. Every lesson the Diplomatic Youth Program taught her says that Padmé should get out of the water now. But Padmé doesn’t really want to get out of the water.
In Padmé’s moment of hesitation, Queen Réillata launches back into conversation. “Is the water in this part of Theed cold this time of year? I know some of the canals are snowmelt, but I don’t know if they are here.” Padmé is struck by how much Queen Réillata knows that she still doesn’t know but answers the question anyway.
“It’s not to cold. It’s nice actually, on such a warm day.” Padmé responds. “I didn’t know any of the canals were snowmelt – but I don’t think this one is cold enough to be?” She adds, her own confession. Queen Réillata nods in acknowledgment.
“Alright then.” Queen Réillata responds casually. Then, in her long sky-blue gown and matching cloak, without so much as removing her ornate gemstone necklace, Queen Réillata throws herself into the canal next to Padmé. It sends ripples through the water that throw Padmé around not unpleasantly, and Padmé feels her grin widen even as she’s taken with shock.
When Queen Réillata resurfaces, the water and the current have washed all of her ornate makeup off, leaving only the big grin to decorate her face.
“Your Majesty!” Padmé protests and Queen Réillata makes a face at that.
“Please, just call me Réillata.” She insists and then splashes Padmé. Before she knows what she’s really doing, Padmé splashes Réillata back. Somehow, without the elaborate makeup, Réillata feels less… untouchable. Padmé supposes that’s the purpose of the makeup.
“I… okay,” Padmé responds with a smile, which is brightly returned. Gently, Réillata moves through the water to where Padmé has been treading and catches one of her hands.
“Padmé, is everything alright with you?” Réillata asks, which catches Padmé totally off guard.
“What?” Is her dignified response.
“You gave my handmaidens and I quiet a fright when Captain Panaka told us you were supposed to be with us,” Réillata says in a soothing tone of voice that places no blame, but still, Padmé feels a rush of guilt.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. I just…” Padmé trails off, trying to explain what had happened without sounding lazy or ungrateful.
“You just needed a little break?” Réillata finishes, and Padmé ducks her head.
“Yeah.”
“That’s totally alright.” Réillata finishes, and Padmé glances back at her in surprise. “We all need that sometimes. This can be a lot, especially at the beginning.” Réillata pulls Padmé into as much of a hug as she can while they both tread water. “Next time, just let me know, and I’ll cover for you with Panaka.” She whispers to Padmé conspiratorially.
“Really?”
“Oh absolutely. We’ve all been there. He can be… a lot.” Réillata says as though confessing a great secret. Padmé snorts.
“Definitely.” She ducks under and out of Réillata’s embrace. “We should probably go, there’s still probably time to get changed before we have to be back at the palace.” Réillata grins.
“Or, we can use the change of clothes I brought to go see a show at the theatre instead.” She says sneakily, and Padmé can’t help but look at her in surprise. Réillata shrugs. “It’s important for me to spend some time with my successor.” She pauses. “Also, a queen needs to take a night off here and now as well.”