Ask Naboo In Fair Veruna, We Lay Our Scene

[Kai Veruna]

Naboo, Theed Palace Plaza
1654 local time

The roar of the crowd could be heard even through the thick walls of the palace, and it brought a grin to Kai's face as he peered out the window at the masses that had gathered. The thought that they were here for them, for his sister--for HouseVeruna--filled him with overwhelming pride. Decades of machinations and a never-ending determination to put their family name back on the map all culminated on this day, the coronation of Queen Réillata of Naboo, the first monarch from House Veruna in far longer than anyone could even consider.

Kai was dressed in a dark suit, his hair prepared to perfection, the lightest tinge of eyeliner under his eyelid for a trendy look that the make up artist had claimed the people would love. He was sitting in the chambers he'd been lead to, waiting for Sandé to finish being prepared for showtime by her handmaidens, which should not be taking much longer considering the ceremony was about to begin. As the door swung open and she stepped inside, he stood up and bowed.

"My Lady," he greeted nobly, then looked up at her and grinned. "Ready to become a part of history?"

Outside, thousands had gathered to watch the coronation of their new monarch, a Queen to follow another, though their reigns would be wildly different. The entire event was being broadcasted on the holonet, droids zooming by above snapping photographs and recording the proceedings, the people of Naboo raving on social media already. Political commentators discussed the transition of power and speculated on what it may mean for the future of the planet and the sector. Celebrity news channels oohhd and aahhd as they analyzed the outfits of every significant figure visible, from their hair to their shoes to the pins they wore on their clothes.

Kai and Sandé would exit the room together and head toward the side exit that lead to the massive balcony where, in view of the crowd, the ceremony would begin.

@Nefieslab @Nor'baal

 

[Sandé A Veruna]

Sandé Réillata was completely still. For the first time since she had decided to run for election, she was alone. Her life had been chaos in the period that followed the decision to make a play for the Crown, a far gone cry from how things had been in her youth. Through most of the morning, she had been attended to by a veritable swarm of attendants, over the course of three hours she had been transformed from Sandé Veruna, the Queen Réillata of Naboo.

Her hair was pulled tight to her scalp, a sweeping headpiece, formed of a wig matching her own hair colour, over the top of her head, pinned in place by a network of golden pins, and then covered by a lattice-like embroidered mesh, cast of the same metal as the pins. Her face was white, with two red spots one beneath either eye and the red scar of remembrance, a stripe painted on her lower lip.

She had been tempted to make Kai sit with her through the entire length of the arduous process of the preparations. If Sandé had to suffer through it, then so should her brother, of course? But she had relented and sat alone. Finally, her coronation dress was finished off with one of the more lavish items in the royal wardrobe. A red jewel rested in her hair, fixed just above her forehead, with a red silk gown embroidered with the Naboo Royal Crest, and recently modified to include a golden motif of the Veruna sigil which ran across the dresses hem. Both logos intertwined as they spread from the hem to her waist.

Finally, she took one step forward so she could go and see her sibling before the Coronation began. Moving to leave the robing room, she realised she had not been alone, as, by the time she had taken her first step, her handmaidens appeared through a side door and took their positions behind her. She did not allow her surprise to show on her face and instead moved toward the door at a measured pace, through the door and into the lobby where her brother was waiting to meet her.

She turned away from her handmaidens, so only Kai would see her face, and smiled back. "Senator", she stressed the word "I'm ready to become part of history, together." she added, slowly turning back the balcony entrance. She had to physically restrain herself from taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, here, the cameras would capture every single movement she made, and perhaps more importantly, so too would the assembled courtiers that slowly filtered into the room behind the balcony with them.

Not even crowned yet, Sandé could ill-afford to make a bad impression on her own court. Walking out with Kai, the two of them would step onto the balcony as the roar of the crowd gathered in Theed rose up to a tumult to meet them.

The Coronation could commence.

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Some of the attendants she had to surround herself with seemed to think that this was some kind of sad day – that they had to commiserate with her the ‘terrible’ day that she was a part of. Emilia didn’t see it that way herself at all but lecturing handmaidens and the like on such matters would take too much effort and cause far too much gossip. The truth of the matter was that Emilia had served for as long as any Queen of Naboo actually, legally, could.

She would not ask to serve for longer – her reign had not been a quiet one even if she would argue that it had, ultimately, been prosperous for her people and for the part of the wider Galaxy they belonged to.

But now it was time for someone else to helm the planet. Emilia was not just vacating the throne, however, but also the political office of Governor of Naboo in the ISC, the position that had been called “Senator” when Emilia had first taken it. Before she had followed the will of her people and removed Naboo from the FWA and entered the ISC.

Waiting for the pair on the balcony in a resplendent dress of golds and reds, Emilia smiled warmly to the two of them as the camera drones captured each and every moment. Bowing her head, noticeably far less ornately decorated than the new Queen, Emilia only raised her head again when they had come to a stop in front of her.

She spoke to them then but the cameras and microphones picked up her words clearly so they were projected to everyone.

“You come before the people today as Sande Veruna – you shall leave as Queen Reillata of the Naboo.”

Reaching over to a presented pillow, she held aloft a golden sphere before presenting it to the new Queen.

“Will you rule with purity of wisdom?”

Once she had sworn it, she would present a sceptre.

“Will you rule with serene justice?”

Once both had been sworn, she would bow again and step away. It was the time for the new Queen and her senator to address the people of Naboo.

@vamp @Nor'baal

 

[Kai Veruna]

As the two exited onto the large balcony, Kai stopped short in the back, still in full view but not in the foreground, because this moment was not about him. Taking a spot standing next to the others diplomats and House Veruna heads in attendance, he straightened his back, clenched and unclenched his jaw and then smiled, a perpetual, never-ending grin that anyone who has ever been in front of a camera knew too well. Sandé would be continuing forward to meet with Queen Parnelli, and the coronation would begin.

"You two have come very far, you know." Kai heard the voice mumbling, the man's lips barely moving as he spoke, his eyes straight ahead, a smile on his face as well. The man nudged him lightly.

"Thank you, uncle. You know we do this all for the family." He could not help it; pride swelled within his chest, and the smile became more genuine.

"I know, Kai. And you know we all love you for it and are behind you every step of the way." His uncle shuffled a bit and that was the end of their conversation because the crowd had grown silent and were watching, eyes trained on the two women as Queen Parnellia swore Sandé in.

As the ceremony began, the hovering droids whirred in even closer, snapping pictures in an impossibly quick flurry of clicks and movements. The video feeds were all set on the two, and even the commentators had stopped talking to let their viewers observe. Kai looked around at the massive square and at the beautiful architecture, the sun reflecting off the domed tops of the buildings surrounding them, the water flowing peacefully in a lake nearby that he could just barely spot through the columns and pillars.

Purity of wisdom and serene justice indeed, he thought.

@Nefieslab @Nor'baal

 

[Sandé A Veruna]

It took every ounce of her self-control to avoid stumbling over the words, or the impractical regalia she was wearing, as Sandé took her position for the oath. Emilia would, as was tradition, be the one to formally 'hand over' the reigns of power for the duration of the term, symbolising the uninterrupted reign of the monarchy itself, regardless of the incumbent. It was a significant moment in the coronation, when the last Monarch swore in the new, marking a transfer of power to a new Queen, but also signifying the return of the former bearer of the crown to private service.

Emilia was a woman Sandé knew a great deal about, well - at least a great deal of what was already public knowledge. She was a woman who had led their world from the Free World Alliance into the Consortium, and in doing so heralded in a new era for the Naboo. Even with the threat of the AMS virus hanging over her, Emilia had not allowed her reign to be tempered, and had instead grasped the mantle of leadership firmly, and not wavered in her duty to her world, and her people.

When Emilia spoke the first part of the ceremony, Sandés nerves almost completely evaporate, as the crowd before them collectively fell silent. She had almost allowed herself to forget that it was because of their support that she was here. She wasn't an imposter in the role she would soon hold, rather she had been chosen to hold it.

Purity of wisdom.

She heard the words and replied with a calm, yet heartfelt "I shall." whilst the assembled crowd held their breath.

Serene justice.

Again, she replied with the words she had mouthed over and over again to herself all morning. "I shall.". She could almost feel her brothers pride in his little sister, as Emelia stepped back, and one of Sandés retainers gentle gestured for Kai to join her on the balcony.

Certain aspects of the coronation could not be rewritten, having been done in a certain way for countless generations. Yet, some parts could be included at the request of the new Monarch. She had requested that, for the final part of her oath, Kai join her on the balcony - the scions of House Veruna united.

"With purity of wisdom, and serene justice, I accept the trust you have placed in me, and with a humble heart," she paused, an ice-like dread quickly descending on her as she briefly forgot the next part. One of her handmaidens quickly signed out with subtle gestures the next word, prompting her memory "a humble heart, take the throne as Queen Réillata of Naboo."

And, just like that, it was done. The crowd erupted into applause, as Queen Réillata stood stoically still on the balcony, her brother, and their new Governor, at her side. With the era of Parnelli over, the era of Veruna had begun anew, and for the first time in living memory, one of the ancient houses of Naboo had taken both throne and 'senate' alike.

As the applause died down, she turned to face her brother, and perform her first act as Queen. Réillata had to remind herself that the Governor, since their membership of the Consortium, was elected by the leaders of the Chommel Sector, not appointed. Although he had technically been elected around the same time she had, and therefore she had not been able to vote for him, it was her duty, and her delight, to now formally recognise his election.

"Kai Veruna, it is my pleasure as your Queen to invite you to accept the wishes of the leaders of the Chommel Sector, to take the position of Governor. Will you represent the interests of the Sector," she paused and added, "- and of the Naboo, in your duties as Governor?"

[

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

And just like that – the Naboo had a new Queen and a new Senator.

And Emilia no longer felt like she had the crushing weight of the lives and futures of several hundred million people pressing down on her. She had borne the responsibilities and the like rather well, she liked to think, but now that they were officially gone she felt the release that came from just letting them go.

She wasn’t a senator or a Queen anymore – she was a private citizen and she could enjoy all that that entailed without worrying about how it would reflect on either position. So when she smiled at the new Queen and senator from the side-lines it was genuine, which would look fantastic for all of the cameras after all.

That the new Queen was taking the coronation as the time to appoint her new senator, officially, was a good idea in Emilia’s eyes. Just like with the office of Queen, it was nice to see it passed smoothly to assure the people of the certainty and security of their government.

@vamp @Nor'baal

 

[Kai Veruna]

As the former Queen stepped back, Kai approached the balcony and strode into the light, the crowd suddenly appearing much larger than before. He looked around, at the masses as far as the eye could see, and then back to his sister as the applause quietened ever so slightly and she was able to speak.

"I shall," he replied, and the cheering erupted again. The people of Naboo were emboldened by the promising new horizon, just as Kai was. Standing there next to his sister was something that he had been thinking about and working toward his entire life. To see it actually happen was dream-like, and he wondered if he would ever feel something like this again.

Various diplomats and family members approached to offer their congratulations to the new Queen, from the nobles of Farstine to the heads of Naboo's planetary defense forces. An orchestra played from within the courtyard, a massive gathering of hundreds of musicians who had been preparing for this occasion for a very long time, much as they had.

He did not see where the former Queen had gone off to, so he tapped his sister on the arm and motioned that he was going to go find her, then took off, making his way through the crowd with practiced ease, like a fish through underwater currents. He spotted the top of a head of ginger hair and approached, finally exiting the stifling gathering and finding himself in front of Emilia Parnelli.

"My Lady, it is an honor for House Veruna to take over the mantle and continue the legacy of the monarchy," he said, just loudly enough that she'd hear but he wasn't yelling.

@Nefieslab @Nor'baal

 

[Sandé A Veruna]

Sandé had to stop herself from beaming with pride as her brother (@vamp) swore in as Senator for the Sector they called home. For most of their adult life, and a sizable chunk of their late teens, the two of them had pushed for this to happen - schemes, plots, and a great deal of work had gone into ensuring that this could happen.

And now it had.

But almost as soon as her pride had kicked in, so soon had her fear of losing what they had only just taken. She only had a finite term limit, and then it would all be gone - Sandé had mere years to make her mark, as well as expand her families influence to such an extent that the Verunas would still be a force to be reckoned with when the crown rested on another's head.

She returned indoors, as her brother headed off to seek out Emilia (@Nefiesland), where she was expected to sign a veritable tidal wave of documents to commence her reign.