Saga My Mother's Dress (Padmé Vignette ; AOTC Missing Scene)

Title: My Mother's Dress

Timeframe: AOTC

Genre: Missing scene, angst

Characters: Padmé, Anakin

Summary: On her wedding day, Padmé reflects on the absence of her family.


Disclaimer: George Lucas owns Star Wars. No money is being made.

Note: Many thanks to VaderLVR64 for reading this.

____________________


My Mother's Dress






It is not my mother's dress.

As I stare at my white-clad reflection in the full-length mirror, it is the one thought that I cannot banish. The more I dwell on this somber fact, the more the tears come to my eyes, unbidden. To avoid ruining the make-up I have so carefully applied, I dab at them with the small, white lace cloth given to me by my grandmother when I was born. It has remained with me always, tucked in a case with my most precious belongings. It is a cloth I have kept for just such a day ? my wedding day.

When my sister married, she rejected our mother's offer to wear her wedding gown. Sola wanted a new dress, a dress of her own. I was secretly happy.

I wanted to wear her gown.

Although Mother was hurt by Sola's decision, she kept it to herself . The three of us scoured the shops of the finest dressmakers on Naboo, searching for Sola's idea of the perfect gown. I would always smile to myself at that idea because I knew my perfect gown was tucked carefully away in my mother's closet.

When I was a young child, I would sneak into her closet and stare for hours at the beautiful garment with its intricate lace and beading. The bodice glittered more beautifully than the evening stars, and the skirt was long and flowing. It was a gown fit, not for a queen, but for a princess, and I knew that was exactly how I would feel when I wore it on my own wedding day.

On the day of Sola's wedding, our mother fussed and fretted over the tiniest of details. Despite my sister's exasperated sighs, the dear woman would continuously smooth the long train or straighten her veil. Then, just before my father took Sola's arm to lead her to the ceremony, she grasped my sister's hands in her own and told her how beautiful she looked.

For me, there will be no one to straighten my veil, no one to tell me I am beautiful. I will not look into my father's eyes and see a look of pride as he takes me by the arm and walks with me in the procession. The circumstances that led me to this day do not allow for those tiny treasures.

It was in the execution arena on Geonosis where I confessed my love for Anakin, and it was on a transport away from that desolate rock where I held his injured, semi-conscious form, praying to the gods not to take him away from me. Afraid our feelings would be discovered, we said little to each other as Anakin recovered from his wounds on Coruscant.

When the healers finally released him, my Jedi protector escorted me home to Naboo. It was on this journey that Anakin asked me to become his bride. I readily accepted, happier than I had ever been in my life.

Now, however, I fear that we have taken the first steps down a path that will only lead to suffering. The reason I am alone today as I prepare for my wedding is that our love is forbidden. No one can know of our union. That is why my father cannot present me to my Anakin.

That is why I cannot wear my mother's gown.

I feel my throat tighten as a panic settles over me. What kind of life can we possibly have together if we must always live this way? Frustrated, I wring the tiny cloth viciously in my hands then toss it carelessly onto the bed behind me.

Then, as suddenly as it began, the panic subsides, and I am laughing uncontrollably at my reflection in the mirror.

I am laughing because of Sola.

Only moments before her own wedding, my dear sister ran through the corridors of Theed Palace as if she were a mad woman, desperate to catch the next transport off the planet. Despite the confinement of my royal garb, I was able to reach her before she found a way out of the massive palace, and ever the peacemaker

 

"The reason I am alone today as I prepare for my wedding is that our love is forbidden"...

And a jewel of a story based around the fact.

 

Lovely..... wonderful.... simply great!!!


Good job!

 

Beautiful. And poor Padme...she should have been able to have her family around her.

Stupid Jedi--they should have bent the rules.

 

*nods frantically when A_G says 'Stupid Jedi'*

 

This one is amazing! I love the unique concept. Very nice bit of subtle foreshadowing. Excellent!

 

Great as usual, Gina- You write some of the best viginettes. Just a question: will you ever use your talents to write a longer story?

 

Just Beautiful!

 

Beautiful and sad. Poor Padme, not knowing that her marriage will end as sadly as it began. Good story!

 

If only Anakin hadn't seen her before the wedding, perhaps they might have lived happily ever after!

Lovely story.

 

For me, there will be no one to straighten my veil, no one to tell me I am beautiful. I will not look into my father's eyes and see a look of pride as he takes me by the arm and walks with me in the procession. The circumstances that led me to this day do not allow for those tiny treasures.

That's sad. I didn't think either when Padme married Anakin at the end of AotC that was her mother's dress she was wearing. Beautiful and sad viggie, Gina.

~aeryn

 

All I can do is echo the reactions of those who've already replied- this was beautiful, Gina.


JD.

 

If only Anakin hadn't seen her before the wedding, perhaps they might have lived happily ever after!

See! The reason for this whole mess has been discovered. And I always thought it was a superstition. This was a beautiful peek into Padme's thoughts.

 

Thanks everyone for reading and for your comments. It is truly appreciated!



Lordban

Thank you so much!



LaYa_

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.



anakin_girl

she should have been able to have her family around her.

I know!! I always imagine her character as being part of a close-knit family, and although she was in love and happy to be getting married to Anakin, it had to be disappointing for her not to be able to share her wedding with her family.


Stupid Jedi--they should have bent the rules.

I agree!


Thanks for reading!




VaderLVR64

Thank you (for both comments)!

Very nice bit of subtle foreshadowing.

Yeah, I couldn't resist.

As far as the superstition issue, see comment to leia_naberrie below.



Vivid_Scripts

Thank you, that's very flattering.


will you ever use your talents to write a longer story?

I have been working on a longer fic for quite a while now. It's an Anakin/Padmé/Obi-Wan/OCs AU. However, I am only about halfway finished with the story and have encountered major Darth Writer's Block concerning a plot point. Hopefully, it will soon pass, and I can finish it. Thanks for asking!



Jedi_Liz

Thank you very much!

I'm glad you enjoyed the story.



Dally

Thank you!


Poor Padme, not knowing that her marriage will end as sadly as it began.

I know!




leia_naberrie

If only Anakin hadn't seen her before the wedding, perhaps they might have lived happily ever after!

LOL! Maybe. I knew someone would call me on that one.

It's funny, I've never considered myself to be a superstitious person but on our wedding day, my husband-to-be and I both had a million errands to run that morning (separately of course), and inevitably, we passed each other on the highway. I had heard that "superstition" all my life, so when I saw him, I kind of yelped and instinctively ducked out of sight until I passed his car, and I was driving. What can I say, I was young and really, really stupid. Twelve years later, we're still okay, though. Like I said, I'm not really a superstitious person. *she types this as she reaches over and knocks on wood coffee table*



AERYN_SUN

Thank you!


Beautiful and sad viggie
I really need to try writing something happy, don't I?



JDH3

Thank you very much!

I'm glad you liked it!

 

Aw, that was sweet, but heart-breaking, too, because of course, their marriage won't end happily ever after.

I can really sympathize with Padme because I know how much it means to have your family with you on special occasions, like weddings. You want the people who love you to be part of it as well. I thought Padme's longings for her mother's dress were so poignant, and symbolic of that.

I did have to chuckle at the idea of Sola running frantically around Theed Palace, though. Just the right comic touch.

Kristeh

 

That was a lovely little plot bunny! We know how important Padme's family is to her and I can totally believe that she would apprehensive that they aren't there. Ironically enough it's the importance that both Anakin and Padme place on family that will ultimately be their undoing (and for Anakin his eventual redemption).

And yay! foreshadowing. Very nice little touches... I definitely prefer it when stories contain just a hint of what's to come. Well done.

 

I write sad/depressing stuff all of the time too, Gina. But sometimes even the sad viggies can be somewhat happy.

~aeryn

 

Hello Gina,

You really bring Padme to life for me. I can really feel for her as her throat get tight and she wrings her hands. No one to straighten out her veil...You just feel so much for her!

And then she sees Anakin and the reason for keeping everything a secret. Nicely done!

 

kristeh

Thank you!

I know what you mean about family. I'm the same way.


I did have to chuckle at the idea of Sola running frantically around Theed Palace, though. Just the right comic touch.

Thanks! I'm not any good at humor, but I wanted to try and add a little touch of laughter to this story.



RebelScum77

That was a lovely little plot bunny!

Thanks! It was the result of my chronic insomnia.

Ironically enough it's the importance that both Anakin and Padme place on family that will ultimately be their undoing (and for Anakin his eventual redemption).

Perfectly worded, RebelScum77!!



AERYN_SUN

Hi!

sometimes even the sad viggies can be somewhat happy.

Hmmm...That's true!



tangled_sphere

Thank you!

Padme is one of my favorite characters to write. I'm glad you think I did her justice in this viggie.

 

Poor Padme, I really do feel her pain. My family didn't come to my wedding either, LOL! Hopefully my hubby won't turn to the Darkside anytime soon.

 

That was just perfect

 

What a beautiful fic.

I loved the centre around the dress and Padmé's fears about her wedding and mixed up with it.

I always thought that it must have been hard for her not to have her family with her when she married and with the image of missing out on wearing her mothers dress standing in for it, it shows.

Wonderful

 

So sad... I liked how the fact that she did not wear her mother's dress was rankling without her wanting to.
And I thought the same thing about Anakin seeing her before the wedding... I was like "No fool!"

Anyway I love your viggies... Keep up the great work...

 

This was lovely Gina. It felt so real, so much like what Padme must've felt in those moments before the wedding. It was a great idea to use the dress to help communicate her sadness and the idea of how much she missed her family being with her.

 

VaderLVR64

Poor Padme, I really do feel her pain.

I know.


Sabe126

Thank you.


Kazzy

Thanks.

I loved the centre around the dress and Padmé's fears about her wedding

Again, thank you. It's only natural to be nervous and have fears before you get married, and I can imagine that their situation of having to hide would only serve to magnify her fears.


Padlei

And I thought the same thing about Anakin seeing her before the wedding... I was like "No fool!"

LOL!


Anyway I love your viggies

Thank you! I really appreciate that!


Reihla

It felt so real, so much like what Padme must've felt in those moments before the wedding.

Thank you so much.