~Tagged~ A Long Handmaiden Fanfic - Prelude in the Archive

To the top!

 

Page Five!!!
Thank you all! You guys are so encouraging! I wouldn't have made it this far without you!
I still have NO time whatsoever, but I plan to have some more up this weekend. It looks like I"m going to be doind weekly posts for the next month. And I remember when I could post everyday...
Anyway-
Jaina fan- hey! nice to see you and I'm glad you're enjoying the story!
obischick- don't get too emotional on me now!
JazzyJedi- Yea! You came! Everyone, if you haven't read Jassy's Sabe story and sache story, you need to get over there NOW! hehe. And actually, Jassy, I have no idea for a title!
princess-sari - there really isn't enough time to do everything is there?
Angel of Naboo- Just imagine the waterfall side of the Palace in thread!
Thank you all again, and I hope to be posting tomorrow!
Eirtae

 

After working long and hard today *whew!* I have managed to produce another section.
I hope you all enjoy....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

?Here we are,? Eirtaé said as she stepped out of the hover cab. Sabé, Rabé, and Yané climbed out after her. ?Madame Duxann?s boutique. She and my mother are very good friends.? Eirtaé gave them a satisfied look. ?Madame Duxann wouldn?t have gotten here without my mother.?

Sabé looked doubtfully at the shop front. There was a metal door under the words Madame Duxxann?s Formal Dress Boutique with large glasteel windows displaying elegant evening gowns on either side of it. The second floor front was pure glasteel, and Sabé could make out seamstresses and tailors busy making dresses by hand.

Eirtaé keyed open the door and led them in. Sabé expected to see a huge room filled with dress displays, customers trying on clothes, and salespeople bustling about. Instead, she was greeted by a waiting room. The walls were rose-colored and the lights bright. A scarlet carpet lead up to the back of the room where a receptionist sat doing paperwork behind a desk, and behind her was another door. Comfortable plush chairs stood in clusters around the edges of the room. An thin, elderly woman was the only other person in the room, and she sat giving the handmaidens a dirty stare. A lone mannequin stood in a dark corner, wearing a chic dress.

Eirtaé walked up to the receptionist and laid a hand on the desk.

?René??

The receptionist looked up, startled.

?I?m here for my appointment with Madame Duxann. Please ring her up immediately.?

?Yes, of course, Lady Denala,? the receptionist stammered. ?I?ll call her up right away.?

Eirtaé nodded once and motioned her friends over to the desk.

?My mother takes me here to get dresses for all the balls and banquets we attend,? she explained, ?so I?ve gotten used to this place.?

?Madam Duxann is ready to see you in the back room, your ladyship,? René spoke up. ?Please follow me.?

René lead the group of girls through the door in the back, down a long corridor that had doors at periodic intervals along its walls. Sabé peered into a room as they passed an open door. A woman with brilliant red hair was standing in front of a mirror, examining the dress she was wearing while a seamstress fawned over her. René led them to the very last door in the hallway and keyed it open for them. She stepped aside and motioned for them in enter.

This dressing room was larger than the one Sabé had seen in the hall. There was a large, three-sided mirror opposite the door. Three individual changing stalls were on either side of the floor length mirror, and two other large mirrors were attached to the walls at Sabé?s left and right.

?Eirtaé, darling!?

A robust woman with graying hair bustled toward them from one side of the room where she had been talking to an attendant. She gave Eirtaé a quick peck on the cheek and a hug. Eirtaé smiled back at her.

?I?m so happy to see you,? continued Madame Duxann. ?As soon as I heard that you had made an appointment for you and your friends, I made sure that you were given first priority. I just left the Ambassador from Kuat in the hands of a very nervous junior seamstress. Now, introduce me to your friends.?

Eirtaé gave Madame Duxann the other girls? names, then turned to business. ?The Queen is having a ball, Madame Duxann, and we have been invited to attend.?

Sabé noticed the older woman?s eyes rake over Yane?s faded clothes as she answered, ?Indeed.?

?I knew instantly that we needed to come here to get our gowns,? Eirtaé said. ?You have the best formal dresses around.?

Madame Duxann?s mouth crinkled in a smile. ?Oh, you flatter me. Well, let?s get to work here. Celiné.? The attendant hurried up. Madame Duxann began to circle the girls, her eyes scrutinizing them. ?We?re going to need selections 23-B, 5-D, 192-C, 14-0...?

Celiné pounded down the dress numbers into a datapadd furious

 

<Sigh> Shopping...

Hey, I don't suppose Madame Duxann is hiring right now...?

Great post, Eirtaé! Love all the dress descriptions!


BTW, I'm going to be away for about a week and a half, so don't worry when I don't reply! I'll be back soon and ready to catch up!

 

Oh my gosh, where have I been?? This is the first time I saw this fic, and I must say, it's fantastic! Upping you, and looking forward for more!

--> hope you get a nice title soon!

 

Thanks Yui-Chan and Princess Sari!
Sari- what do you mean you're not going to be here for a week and a half?!? Someone's going to take your spot as first-replier! hehe

Where is everybody? ?

Well, I was going to write up the whole ball scene, but I just didn't have the time. But I hope you all enjoy this...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rabé was on her third hairstyle for the day, and her hands were getting tired. Yané sat quietly at the vanity, staring at her reflection as Rabé twisted her light brown hair around the small fan-shaped hairpiece. All the girls? hairpieces had come with directions for the correct hairstyle, but Rabé was being a little more creative than they directions dictated. Eirtaé?s hair had been easiest to do, since her headpiece consisted of a single emerald suspended on her forehead by dark green threads of pearlsilk twisted into her blonde hair. Rabé still had her own hair to do.

Rabé could barely glimpse Eirtaé through the open door into the Queen?s apartments. The blonde girl was crouching down, her dark green skirt billowing around her as she brushed white makeup onto Queen Amidala?s smooth face. Amidala was wearing a gorgeous champagne-colored gown with satin gloves and pearls weaved into her hair.

Sabé swished through the room, her hair neatly coiffed already, her own handiwork. She picked up a midnight blue velvet shawl, and matching hand gloves. Saché sat on her bed nearby, reading a datapadd with the details of the night?s security precautions. She was wearing a black handmaidens? hooded cloak, a sleek blaster pistol lying on the bed next to her.

?So,? Rabé murmured as she finished pinning up Yané?s hair. ?Are you going with Poel tonight??

Yané turned bright red and mumbled her thanks as she slipped off the vanity?s chair. Rabé smiled and went to her closet and took out her dress.

?Are you sure you can handle the shift by yourself?? she called to Saché as she headed for the refresher.

Saché glanced up from her reading. ?Yeah. Panaka?ll be there too. Thanks, though.?

Rabé nodded as she slipped into the ?fresher. Minutes later she reappeared, wearing her ruby gown and running a hairbrush through her long, dark hair. She grabbed some hairpins from the vanity and, placing a gold circlet on her head, quickly twisted her hair into a bun around it. Eirtaé came in from the Queen?s apartments, a black shawl thrown across her shoulders.

?Wow, you get ready fast,? she said, looking impressed as Rabé touched up her makeup. ?The Queen is already, and she said we could go on down as soon as we?re ready.?

?I?m nearly through,? Rabé informed her. ?Are Sabé and Yané ready??

?Yes,? Eirtaé replied as a small bell chimed. The three girls stopped what they were doing and look toward the door.

?Ched is here for you,? Saché said lightly, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

Eirtaé stole a glance in the mirror. ?I better go then. See you guys down there??

?Uh-huh,? said Rabé as she applied lipstick to her smiling lips.

Eirtaé whisked out of the bedroom into the girls? sitting room and to the door. Saché and Rabé could hear the low rumble of conversation, but couldn?t make out any words. The tapping of dress shoes and the whoosh of the metal door informed them that Eirtaé and her date had left.

Sabé and Yané entered the room, and Sabé turned to Saché. ?The Queen wants to see you.?

Saché nodded and stood, picking up her blaster and slipped it into a wrist holster as she left the room.

?Ready?? asked Yané.

Rabé put down the eyes shadow and straightened. ?Yes. Let?s go.?

Smoothing their skirts and tucking away stray strands of hair, the three girls exited their quarters and headed for their first royal ball.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please respond!
~Eirtae

 

Wow! I feel like I'm going with them...hehehe.. I just feel excited, that's all. Post more!

 

Just letting you know that these last two scenes are lovely!

 

I looooooOOOOOOooooovvvvveeeeee IT!!!!

POST MORE!! I really liked the shopping scene and the getting ready for the ball. I think you chose good colors for them all to wear. I really liked the idea of them all wearing headdresses too. Poor Rabe had to do all their hair!!! I was wondering for a minute why Sache wasn't shopping with them, but then I remembered that she would be on duty that night.

OOOOooooooOOOHHHHhhhhHHHH!! I can't wait to find out what happens at the ball!!

~Obischick

 

Oh my gosh!! I absolutely LOVE your story, this is one of the best handmaiden fanfics I've ever seen!! I'm sorry I haven't written earlier, but I can be a little slow sometimes.

Anyways, beautiful descriptions, very loveable characters, great ideas, and I love this!!! Epp!! What more could a handmaiden fan want?

Keep going girl! UP! UP I SAY!!

-~Dorme~-

 

I'm still here!!! Your story is absolutely adorable!!!!

 

UUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thank you guys SOOOO MUCH!!! Coming online and seeing all you up-ing this makes my day! I managed to write a little more...
And I thought the ball scenes would be just a post or two long! Yeah, right! lol
Anyway...

Three gorgeous girls glided through the palace, laughing and smiling. All the Palace guards and staff drew aside wide-eyed as they passed, wondering who these charming young ladies were that they could walk through the inner parts of the Palace as if they owned the place. One guard stepped forward, intending to ask for their ID, then quickly forgot what he was going to say when the girl in red flashed him a disarming smile.

Rabe, Sabe, and Yane could hear the music drifting from the party as they drew nearer to the ballroom. The Royal Ballroom, used only for special occasions, had been extravagantly decorated, but Sache had been the only handmaiden to see it so far. Padme had smiled at them and told them that if they were going to attend the ball as guests, they would have to wait with the rest of them. Now, the three girls held their breath as they turned a corner and found themselves in the doorway of the ballroom. Rabe, Sabe, and Yane gasped in delight.

Golden sunlight from the setting sun streaked through the large floor-to-ceiling windows , illuminating the room with a yellow glow. Along the thirty-foot high marble walls long tables, laden with refreshments. Plainly-dressed servants wandered here and there passing out drinks. The crystal veins in the marble pillars had been polished, and they shined as large lights hidden within the pillars glowed. Decorations and banners with the Queen?s royal emblem had been hung up all around. The floor of the ballroom seemed to move as brightly-clad dancers twirled and spun. In one corner, a thirty-piece orchestra sat on a raised platform, playing an old folk ballad as a willow thin elderly man conducted them.

Yane giggled and pointed to the dance floor. ?Look. Eirtae and Ched wasted no time in getting down here.?

?But I bet they?ll leave early,? Sabe said as she followed the couple with her eyes.

The three girls walked down a short flight of steps to the main floor. As they walked around the edge of the dance floor, Eirtae spotted them and gave them a short wave before turning her full attention back to her dance partner.

Rabe spotted her parents and hurried to them, smiling excitedly. Yane and Sabe watched the dancers for a little while, watched for their parents, and watched for cute guys. After about an hour and a half of mingling and talking with different people, Yane told Sabe that she needed a drink. Sabe wandered to the large windows at the south end of the room as her friend hurried off.

Sabe walked through a glass door in window onto a stone balcony. The cool breeze whipped her blue skirt around her legs, and she breathed in the air thankfully. It was getting uncomfortably hot in the ballroom. Sabe made her way to the edge of the balcony and laid her hands on the cold stony railing. The sun had set totally, and the Palace gardens stretched out before her, bathed in the moonlight of Naboo?s two moons. She closed her eyes. She had never remembered being more content.

?It?s a beautiful night, isn?t it??

Sabe opened her eyes and jumped, startled. A young man, looking just a little older than her, had moved to stand beside her while she had been lost in her thoughts. He looked out over the gardens, making Sabe notice his vivid green eyes first. For an instant, Sabe wondered if her had been talking to her. Then he turned to her, smiling mischievously.

?You fit right in.?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thane Calnen?s eyes followed a young girl in peach, his heart hurting. His daughter- was that really her? She looked so different.

Calnen didn?t know how he got past Palace security. He had just trailed an important-looking woman through one of the glass doors. The guards probably thought he was her servant. Still, he expected se

 

OOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOOOOooooooooOOOOOHHHHHHhhhhhhhhHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I LOOOOVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEE IT!!!

That is so cool HMEirtae!! I bet the girls do look so pretty!!! *sigh* I wish I could get all dressed up and go to a ball on Naboo!!

And Yane's father!! Shocking, but very sweet and touching scene. I actually felt sorrow for him, and I hated him before. That is a clue to a very talented author, who can make a person change their mind about a contreversial character.

I can't wait for more!!!!

~Obischick

 

Oh. My. Gosh. This. Is. WONDERFUL!!

I love your writing ever so much!!!

Where did you learn to write girl?? Cuz I need me some lessons!!!

Everything is so perfectly woven together, all their little HM lives come and meet up!!

Ah.... how I wish I could go to the ball!! This story makes me feel like I'm there!! And I wish I was!! Oooooohhh dressing up, looking pretty, and meeting handsome boys!! *wink*wink*

Oooohh!! I think Sabe has a little friend!! Oh!! And they met on the balcony, *sigh* how romantic!!!

And, Oooooohhhh Yane's Dad, how juicy is this??

Well, I sadly must go... Please post more soon so I stay sane!!!! Cuz I'm loving this PERFECT fic!!!

-~Dorme~-

 

UPPERS!!

I really do enjoy your fic HM Eirtae!!

 

Great job on the post! Can't wait for more.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eirtaé stared dreamily into Ched?s dark eyes. They had been dancing for...she didn?t know how long. An hour? Maybe two. Sabé, Rabé, and Yané had arrived at the ballroom shortly after they had started dancing, then disappeared. Eirtaé wondered how they were doing and if they had met any cute guys yet.

The slow song the orchestra had been playing faded into silence, and they started up a fast folk song.

?Oh, I don?t know if my feet can take a dance like this,? Eirtaé said, smiling ruefully as she watched the other dancers line up for the dance.

?We can take a break,? Ched suggested. ?Get a drink and some fresh air.?

Eirtaé nodded and linked her arm through his. They stopped at a table to picked up two sweet manto fruit punches. As the attendent ladeled some punch into glasses for them, Eirtaé glanced around the room, looking for her friends.

And saw her mother instead.

Eirtaé?s grasp on Ched?s arm tightened a little. Countess Denala stood halfway across the room, chatting with a middle-aged man in Corellian dress uniform. She hadn?t seemed to notice Eirtaé yet, but the blonde girl could see even from that distance that her mother?s cool grey eyes were searching through the crowds for her.

The attendent had barely given Ched his drink when Eirtaé began pulling him away from the table and toward the marble balcony at the north end of the ballroom- as far away from her mother as she could get. Ched struggled toake sure he didn?t spill his punch.

?Hey, slow down,? he said. ?What?s wrong??

Eirtaé didn?t reply until she had dragged him through the glass doors and to the edge of the balcony.

?My mother?s out there,? she hissed.

?Oh.? Ched took a gulp of his punch. ?Eirtaé, you can?t aviod her all night. You two are going to have to meet at some time tonight.?

?Yeah, but I can put off that unhappy family reunion as long as possible,? Eirtaé replied drily.

Ched finished off his drink and handed the empty glass to a passing servant. Eirtaé stared off at Naboo?s moons glumly. Ched considered a moment, then wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her chin.

?Hey,? he said quietly. ?Just forget about your mother for a little bit, okay??

?Okay,? Eirtaé replied, her tone softening. ?What should I think about then??

?Don?t think about anything,? Ched suggested just before their lips touched.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rabé danced to the folk song, clapping her hands with the music and ducking under people?s clasped hands and spinning around couples. Her father grinned at her as they linked arms to ran under a long chain of people?s raised arms, her mother and uncle close behind them. Rabé and her father reached the end of the line and separated, bowing to each other first. The clapping reached a crescendo as a breathless Finnaé Wilohen joined Rabe?s side, and the music crashed upon its final note. The room seemed strangely silent, then the dancers began to applaud the orchestra?s music.

A loud blast of twin trumpets silenced the whole room. Everyone turned expectantly toward the east end of the room. There, up a short flight of smooth Kauti quartz steps, was the large door of the monarch. The trumpets began the Royal Fanfare, and Queen Amidala appeared in the doorway, trailed by three handmaidens in black and Captain Panaka.

The whole assembly stood silently in respect as the young queen made her way down the steps. As she reached the main floor and the music loudened, the people broke out into applause, some clapping politely, some pounding their hands together fervently. Rabé smiled as she clapped, feeling a strange secret pride in the people?s respect for their monarch.

?Minsteral,? Queen Amidala dictated to the conductor as soon as the room quieted again. ?We request that you perform Ekiel?s third sonota in C Major.?

The conductor bowed deeply. This was all tradition. ?Of course, Your Majesty.?

 

Well, I'm back at last! I loved catching up on these last few posts, Eirtaé! Wish I could go to the ball with the hms...

Now I want to know who Sabé's mystery man is and what's going to happen when Yané sees her father and when Eirtaé's mother catches up to her. So please write more soon!!!

 

OOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!

I loved the last post HMEirtae!!!!

Oh, how I wish I was there!! Oooh! I wonder if Countess Denala will catch them making out in the corner!! Erm-kissing. Yeah.

I can't wait for more!!

Rabe's thoughts about the 'secret pride' in the Naboo's respect for Amidala was nice to see!! It was cool about how she just wanted to be her father's daugher for now. Awwww....

I wish I had that good a relationship with my dad!! *sigh grumble grumble sigh*

YEAH Princess Sari is back!!

Uppity!!

~Obischick

 

Well, you can certainly tell when I get on, cause I up all the HM fics.

hehe!!

UPPERS!!

~Obischick

 

Well, I would like to tell you I came hoping to see more of your story Miss HM Eirtae, but alas, none was to be found. But, HEY!! princess-sari is BACK!! Yipee!! The ever so sweet princess-sari!!

Well, YOU KEEP writing girl, I'm "upping" you for a reason here, this isn't all just fun and games.

-~Dorme~-

 

Up. More. Please?

 

Ditto. Upppppp!!!!! Upppppp!!!!!

~Obischick

 

Thanks you all! I have more on flismies- I mean, paper- and I just gotta transfer it to the computer, so I promise more this weekend.

Princess Sari- You're back!- and first to post again, I see. I'm afraid Sabe's mystery man will have to wait a longggg timmmee...
hehehe
Obischick- Well, I was going to have Eirtae's brothers find her, but now that you mention it, it would be much better to have her mother see them...
Dorme- Yes, ma'am!
Yui-Chan- Right away.

I'm thinking I'll post a little Sabe, then a little something else, and maybe a Yane/Thane/Laivene this weekend.
Thanks again!
~Eirtae