#queen’s shadow

[skywalkr-nberrie]

It’s so wild how many fic writers in this fandom still tag in their fics (which are wrongly tagged as Anidala) that Clovis is Padmé’s “ex lover” in ones which include his character.

Canonically this false interpretation has long been debunked in Queen’s Shadow where it’s revealed that Padmé never associated herself to Clovis in anyway. He wasn’t even a friend of hers for most of it, and even then he made things worse by forcing a kiss on her. She didn’t want anything to do with him for more than half the book, and made her hate him by it’s end, lol.

Clovis was always the one chasing after her while she made her feelings and stance clear that she’s not interested in him. The book often hints at her aggravation and irritation of him many times. And at the end, after she’s reluctantly agreed to work with him, and they’ve passed a bill together, he completely ruins their new found friendship by being his usual “creepy” self to which Padmé (rightfully) angrily tells him off. Then going forward she broke off all contact with him. No romantic feelings or relationship in sight.

Even way before the Queen’s Trilogy came out, the VA to Padmé in TCW (Catherine Taber) confirms in a podcast once (Coffee with Kenobi #25) that Padmé never once harboured any romantic feelings for Clovis. Even confirms that they only had a relationship where they were friends and nothing more.

[serendipity-by-chance]

the love i have for padme’s handmaidens is sth else. all of them. they’re loyal to padme even after her death. loved her so much. changed their names for her. they make me cry i love girls and i love friendship that women have which is so precious

[tonsillessscum]

Just finished Queen’s Shadow, no one could have told me that I would ship Padme in a sapphic ship. I’m actually in shock. Puking crying.

[starwarsbookclub]

PIA (NABOO HANDMAIDEN) | page 36 | Artist: Anthony J. Ryder Star Wars: Visions by George Lucas (Author) & J. W. Rinzler (Introduction)

[transitranger327]

Happy pride to disaster bisexual Sabé. We see you eyeing up Kooib-s, falling for Padmé, and making out with Tonra. Queen’s body double shit

Anyway go read Queen’s Shadow by EK Johnston

[ali-crs]

„Padme Amidala lay completely still.Her face was surrounded by a brown halo of hair.The effect here and there was softened by white flowers that danced in the air to settle among the curls. Her pale skin was flawless, and her face was painted with serenity. Her eyelids were closed. She floated, her hands folded over her stomach. Naboo continued in her absence”

That foreshadowing was too much for me to handle. Plus the fact that this description fits two extremely different situations hurts even more :(

I translated the text from the Polish version of the book, so it may not be one-to-one like in the English version

If anyone hasn't read the book, In the text above, Padme was swimming in the lake on naboo with her handmaidens. This was happening near the end of her term as queen.

[thanksgiving-isnt-ur-fav-holiday]

just remembered sabé exists and i am torn between reading queen’s peril and avoiding it at all costs. recommendations on how to continue @ekjohnston ?

[morosecloud]

i wanna talk about this scene in queen’s shadow that perfectly mirrors padmé’s funeral

“Padmé Amidala was completely still.

The brown halo of her hair spread out around her, softened here and there by white blossoms that had blown through the air to find their rest amongst her curls. Her skin was pale and perfect. Her face was peaceful. Her eyes were closed and her hands were clasped across her stomach as she floated. Naboo carried on without her.

Even now, at the end, she was watched.

It was no more than was to be expected. Ever since she'd entered the arena of planetary politics, her audience had been unceasing. First they had commented on her interests and ideals, then later on her election to queen. Many had doubted her strength in the face of an invasion, when the lives and well-being of her people would be held ransom against her-hers to save if only she would give up her signature-and she had proven them all wrong. She had ruled well. She had grown in wisdom and experience, and had done both rapidly. She had faced the trials of her position unflinching and unafraid. And now, her time was ended.

A small disturbance, the barest movement through the otherwise peaceful water, was Padmé's only warning before her attacker struck.

An arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her down into the clear shallows, holding her there just long enough to let her know that she had been bested.

The Queen of Naboo surfaced, sputtering water in the sunlight as her handmaidens—her friends—laughed around her.”

so clearly there’s a connection between the ends of an era, both for the world/galaxy as a whole and for padmé herself. this scene takes place on padmé’s last day as queen of naboo.

in this scene she’s peaceful by choice; she’s relaxing and waiting for the election results. but then why compare it to her death?

padmé’s funeral is like a marker for the end of the republic as a whole. by the end of the clone wars i’m pretty sure she was one of the only people who still had unwavering faith in the republic that she refused to give up, despite what she’d seen. the jedi were wary, most coruscant citizens were wary, and even though the separatists were losing they had a lot of systems on their side. several clones had either uncovered secrets or deserted, etc etc. so padmé’s funeral is like symbolism for the death of democracy.

and this is especially interesting because after padmé’s term as queen ends, the next queen is someone padmé and all of her friends and bodyguards did NOT vote for and were not happy to see on the throne.

it’s also the death of one version of padmé—the queen— and the birth of the senator. queen’s shadow goes on and on about how different and confusing the senate is and how much padmé has to change and all the political turmoil she gets involved in. the most interesting to me is how upon becoming senator, she was ridiculed by news outlets, ridiculed by fellow senators, mistrusted by bail organs and mon mothma, and made out to be a little, foolish girl under someone else’s control. much of the same as when she was queen! but as we see in clone wars, padmé builds a reputation for herself and is among the most trusted of all senators.

so why was this change represented with a parallel to her death?

i’m guessing it can be interpreted two ways. upon dying, padmé was laid to rest with recall to the most peaceful she’d ever been; no longer a queen, and not yet a senator; just at peace, with the people she trusted most. the scene abruptly ends with one of her handmaidens pulling her under. it’s calling us out of the connection and reminding us she still has a long way to go before she can really have peace. the other is that taking on the role of senator, of joining the republic when it was so clearly dying, was a way of killing padmé in and of itself. to fight for something that will fall in the end would slowly kill her.

anyways. i love padmé and i believe she made the right choices again and again, but she, just like everyone else, was doomed from the beginning

[jerrytheduck]

R2-D2 immediately playing with Padme’s niece is adorable actually

(This is in Queen’s Shadow by E.K. Johnston— def worth a read!)

[captain-jebi]

just finished the queen’s shadow audiobook and i’m so emotional

[judgingbooksbycovers]

Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow

By E.K. Johnston.

Cover art by Tara Phillips.

[cheseely]

Mother Marika

[axydoesstuff]

Miyazaki i see what you did there

[drenched-in-sunlight]

they should have let me talk to snek boi

(please note my art is drawn based on this lore theory)

[buriedknight]

Wherever you go, the moon still sets in Caria Manor. Wherever you may be, Caria Manor is your home.

[texaschainsawmascara]

Mini vampire hunting kit