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Dormé sat on the floor of Amidala’s quarters, finishing the lace of one of her new dresses. It was a slow process but it worked for her. She had another dress to do, but that could wait.
After she had finished the first dress and was a quarter of the way through the second one, Amidala and her handmaidens, and guards entered. If she had not been trained to mick and copy Amidala’s facial expressions, she would not have been able to tell how angry she was behind her eyes. Her face was perfectly blank like it was when she was queen.
“I would like to be alone in my office,” Amidala spoke before leaving in the direction of her office. Her voice was Queen Amidala’s voice, not Senator Amidala’s voice. The guards dispersed into their elected places, while Versé and Cordé stood where they were.
It took them a while to realise Dormé was sitting on the floor with a gown spread across the floor. “It didn’t go well,” Versé whispered into the air around them, afraid if she spoke too loud the tension in the air will ignite.
“Can I assume her motion didn’t get voted in?” Dormé asked, looking at the gown sprawled over her and the floor.
“It didn’t even get past the first round of voting,” Versé answered. Slowly, both Versé and Cordé sat on the floor around Dormé.
“I saw Senator Bonteri vote against it, Padmé saw it too. They made eye contact. I think the senator flinched under Padmé glare.” Cordé murmured into the air. Her voice was void of emotions. “How. Why would vote against an anti-slavery shipping bill?”
Silence, pure unfiltered silence.
“She just doesn’t want any of her ships to be stopped when entering the innercore. I hope.” Versé tried her best to answer. It didn’t look good for Bonteri, Padmé and that senator were close, often having tea together while working on bills and motions.
The door rang.
“I don’t think she’ll want to see anyone. She was furious. She is furious, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone that angry.” Dormé wasn’t sure if Versé or Cordé said that.
The door rang again.
Dormé exhaled a deep sigh, “I’ll get it. I’ll just turn whoever it is away.” Gently, she moved the dress and moved to get up. “Look like you are busy, for her. I don’t want to ruin her image any more than it has been.” While walking to the door, she heard Cordé and Versé get up and move around the room.
The door rang again, more incessant.
Dormé opened it, ready to speak before she was interrupted. “Let me see her.”
Clovis.
“I cannot, Senator. She has requested to be alone no matter who it is.” Not technically a lie, “I am not permitted to allow anyone to enter unless they have the Senator’s dinner.” She spoke, hoping to sound like Amidala as much as possible.
“So, I’ll get food and you’ll be allowed to let me in?” He asked, his eyes full of hope.
“No.” His voice grated Dormé insides, somedays she wishes Versé did hit him with her metal fan.
“Please, I know how much this meant for her. She likes Dex’s right? The fast food diner.”
“Even if you get food for the Senator, I will not allow you in. She has requested to be alone. Until she says otherwise, I will not permit you inside her office, or her quarters.” She restated. Even though she had never been taught to speak like Queen Amidala, she was sure her voice was boarding on it. She deeply hoped her disdain for this man did not enter her voice.
With a deep sigh (that Dormé was sure to be a last resort to get her to let him in), he pouted and left. Dormé waited for the door to swish close before she smiled at her feat.
“Why doesn’t he understand the word no? He didn’t understand after he kissed Padmé you’d think he look it up.” Versé spit. When Dormé turned, her arms were crossed and she was staring at the floor.
“Who was that?” Mariek demanded as she entered the main living area.
“The devil.” Versé said.
“Dormé who was at the door?” She asked again, pointedly ignoring Versé.
“Senator Clovis, ma’am,” Dormé said, avoiding Mariek’s eyes.
“Oh, you sent him away?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good.” With that, Mariek left.
Dormé looked around the room, Cordé was looking in the mirror with her hood up, pinning her outfit, and Versé was slicing through the holonet, looking at anything about Amidala from today. Their unresolved anger and frustration were prevalent in the air.
“We are watching a movie while eating crappy takeout.” Dormé decided this wasn’t going to do. She walked back to the dress, and gathered them into her arms. “After I put these on their own dress forms, we are watching my favourite romance movie and you are not allowed to disagree.” She left the room into the Senator’s room. The walk-in closet was still open from when Dormé first got the dresses.
When she returned to the main living area, Cordé and Versé silently sat on the settee, with room in the middle for Dormé. Before joining them, she got some buttered popcorn. She joined them on the settee, and slowly put on the movie. It was old and made during the High Republic, but it was perfect.
She balanced the popcorn bowl on her lap, and with each hand, grabbed Versé and Cordé hands (closest to her). This wasn’t perfect, the popcorn was mostly going to be their dinner, but it was good for them.
Throughout the movie, they continued to hold hands, even when their hands were sweaty. Halfway through the movie, Dormé watched as Cordé made patterns on Dormé's hand with her nails. Versé had fallen asleep, clutching Dormé’s other hand. Her drool landed on Dormé’s hand. Dormé wished she could say she cared, but honestly, she didn’t. She just wanted her loves to be okay.
She also wanted Clovis to turn into dust and never bother her senator again. She wanted this universe to get its act together. But holding her lovers’ hands, and watching a movie was good enough for now.