The angry young Palace guard burst through the door of Minister Calle's office, muttering to himself. He almost bumped into Rabé and Saché as they made their way to meet her.
"Your friend there," he scowled, tilting his head toward Sabé's office. "I don't know why she thinks she's all that great. She's not the only war hero around, and certainly not pretty enough for a man to deal with that attitude. Forget it!" The guard stalked off, shaking his head.
The two handmaidens looked at each other, knowing all too well what had happened. "This time we should talk to her," Saché whispered.
Rabé nodded, reluctantly. They peeked around the door frame to see if it was safe to enter. Sabé was seated at her desk, right elbow resting on its surface, head in hand, her face turned away from the door, to look out the window. Rabé cleared her throat. "Minister, may we come in?"
The Minister of Recruitment and Training reacted with a start. She dabbed at her eyes quickly, then turned to meet the two handmaidens. "Yes, of course, please do. How did the day go, are you and the Queen all right?"
"Never better, we're more concerned with you," Sache started.
"Oh, you ran into Jaquill. No need to be concerned. He's just not my type," Sabé stated, busying herself with arranging the files on the holoscreen.
"He's not bad, and neither were the other two you've turned down in the last few weeks. Why give them the cold shoulder? You're getting a bad rep, you know; 'Calle, the Ice Queen'," Rabé replied.
A hurt look crossed Sabé's face, just for an instant. She lowered her head a bit so her friends couldn't see her expression. "Is that what they say about me?" she asked, in a small soft voice.
Rabé pulled up another chair and sat next to Sabé. "You've never made a habit of running from anything else before in your life, don't start now," she counseled.
"I'm not running. My life has to be devoted to my career, my duty to the Queen, and of course, my daughter. I have no time for other interests, not now at least," Sabé protested.
Saché sat on Sabé's other side. "You're not doing the Queen any favors, or Meira either. You can do a better job as Minister and as a mother if you meet your needs, too."
There was a long moment of silence.
Then Rabé spoke, her tones as gentle as possible. "It's been almost two standard years. Honey, I don't think he's coming back."
Resigned, Sabé admitted,"I know. But I don't know what to do, how it all works. What if..."
"There is no 'what if.' Just go, have fun, get into circulation," Sache urged. "Come with us this weekend, we won't let you jump into this thing cold. Other than Rabé and Rowan, nobody's really going to be paired off. It will all work out, trust me."
"Who's with the Queen?" Sabé checked the schedule.
"Yané, Eirtaé, and Liraé. See, she's covered, and you're always on call, they can get in touch with you when they need you. Your mother will take care of the baby, she'll be thrilled to have her for the night. You have no excuses," Saché pointed out.
"You win," Sabé conceded. "When and where do we meet?"
Amidala moved away from the door when Saché launched into the details of the outing. She had overheard enough. While walking back to her quarters, she pulled out the last holo message Anakin had sent.
The boy's image popped up. "... Sometimes I worry about my Master. He is keeping so much inside. I can sense it when he lets his guard down. He thinks I don't know about the pain. He won't talk to anyone about it, not me, or another Jedi, not even to Master Yoda. I guess he feels he's being strong for me and the Council, I hope it doesn't end up...well, I don't want to think about what could happen. I'll keep in touch, always remember, my heart is with you. Bye for now."
The Queen switched off the holo, and wrinkled her brow in thought.
"Your friend there," he scowled, tilting his head toward Sabé's office. "I don't know why she thinks she's all that great. She's not the only war hero around, and certainly not pretty enough for a man to deal with that attitude. Forget it!" The guard stalked off, shaking his head.
The two handmaidens looked at each other, knowing all too well what had happened. "This time we should talk to her," Saché whispered.
Rabé nodded, reluctantly. They peeked around the door frame to see if it was safe to enter. Sabé was seated at her desk, right elbow resting on its surface, head in hand, her face turned away from the door, to look out the window. Rabé cleared her throat. "Minister, may we come in?"
The Minister of Recruitment and Training reacted with a start. She dabbed at her eyes quickly, then turned to meet the two handmaidens. "Yes, of course, please do. How did the day go, are you and the Queen all right?"
"Never better, we're more concerned with you," Sache started.
"Oh, you ran into Jaquill. No need to be concerned. He's just not my type," Sabé stated, busying herself with arranging the files on the holoscreen.
"He's not bad, and neither were the other two you've turned down in the last few weeks. Why give them the cold shoulder? You're getting a bad rep, you know; 'Calle, the Ice Queen'," Rabé replied.
A hurt look crossed Sabé's face, just for an instant. She lowered her head a bit so her friends couldn't see her expression. "Is that what they say about me?" she asked, in a small soft voice.
Rabé pulled up another chair and sat next to Sabé. "You've never made a habit of running from anything else before in your life, don't start now," she counseled.
"I'm not running. My life has to be devoted to my career, my duty to the Queen, and of course, my daughter. I have no time for other interests, not now at least," Sabé protested.
Saché sat on Sabé's other side. "You're not doing the Queen any favors, or Meira either. You can do a better job as Minister and as a mother if you meet your needs, too."
There was a long moment of silence.
Then Rabé spoke, her tones as gentle as possible. "It's been almost two standard years. Honey, I don't think he's coming back."
Resigned, Sabé admitted,"I know. But I don't know what to do, how it all works. What if..."
"There is no 'what if.' Just go, have fun, get into circulation," Sache urged. "Come with us this weekend, we won't let you jump into this thing cold. Other than Rabé and Rowan, nobody's really going to be paired off. It will all work out, trust me."
"Who's with the Queen?" Sabé checked the schedule.
"Yané, Eirtaé, and Liraé. See, she's covered, and you're always on call, they can get in touch with you when they need you. Your mother will take care of the baby, she'll be thrilled to have her for the night. You have no excuses," Saché pointed out.
"You win," Sabé conceded. "When and where do we meet?"
Amidala moved away from the door when Saché launched into the details of the outing. She had overheard enough. While walking back to her quarters, she pulled out the last holo message Anakin had sent.
The boy's image popped up. "... Sometimes I worry about my Master. He is keeping so much inside. I can sense it when he lets his guard down. He thinks I don't know about the pain. He won't talk to anyone about it, not me, or another Jedi, not even to Master Yoda. I guess he feels he's being strong for me and the Council, I hope it doesn't end up...well, I don't want to think about what could happen. I'll keep in touch, always remember, my heart is with you. Bye for now."
The Queen switched off the holo, and wrinkled her brow in thought.