Chapter 1: The Fear

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," Poe read aloud from the novel he had opened that morning. Those were the opening lines of the novel he picked up and already he was retching at such a statement. He frustratedly ran his left hand through his dark wavy hair, what nonsense was this writer spreading to women?

"This is ridiculous bantha fodder! Why should I want for a wife at the prime of my life, while working for the Resistance?" He muttered to himself as he lazily strolled to lounge on his chaise-longue. His ante-chamber was where he'd take his breakfast and morning tea. He opened the book once more, absolutely curious what all this nonsense was about a Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. It was all the rage with the women in the base, while the men were eagerly trying to figure out how they could learn the from this popular Mr. Darcy.

"What are you reading there Poe?" came a female voice from behind him. It was a voice he had grown accustomed to and was very fond of, one that used to soothe him as a child crying for his dead mother.

"General! I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you this early in the morning. Otherwise I would've…" As was Poe's custom every morning, he would step out of his bedroom with just his pyjamas and a robe to warm him on chilly mornings such as these. To a young woman, seeing a man in such a state of undress was too intimate, fortunately for Poe this was no young woman, thereby excusing him from the inappropriate awkwardness of it all.

"Oh, tut-tut. Don't worry about it, nothing I've never seen before. Besides I've known you since you were a child, you're practically family." As Leia Organa-Solo made her way to sit across him, Poe tightened his black and white robe around him, making sure that he was completely covered. A gentleman after all must at all times be as presentable, well in this case as close to presentable, as possible.

As always, the General looked every bit as regal as was customary of her station. She was elegantly dressed in a floor length, white empire dress made of the finest muslin, on top of which she wore a greyish-blue Spencer to keep her warm. She looked at Poe and cheekily said, "Now, what's this I overheard about a wealthy, single man wanting a wife? You know that does sound quite like you, except the wanting a wife portion. Although I can't understand why you've yet to decide on marrying Poe. You're such a…" Oh no, he thought, here she goes again with her marriage speech. He had heard this at least ten times since he turned thirty-two earlier that Spring. He missed out on some of the arguments she was positing to him as he had heard her multiple times already.

"You're handsome, intelligent, highly-ranked in the Resistance, practically a hero, quite wealthy and landed I may add, quite stubborn at times, but aren't all men? Then of course…" He cut her speech short as respectfully as he could, "General, shall we get back to why you called on me so early in the morning? I thought we were to have a briefing at ten o'clock? If I'm not mistaken it's only eight thirty." The General had never paid him such early morning visits so he assumed this was a matter of utmost urgency.

"Ah yes of course, I got carried away again didn't I? You know I just want to see you happy. Well I'm sure you've heard Rey will finally be joining us in the Resistance? She's finally graduated from the Academy and is currently vacationing in Naboo before coming back. I daresay you remember her, slight young thing with dark brown hair and eyes? Your precious BB-8 would always disappear when she'd come to visit. You do know how quite headstrong she is, mostly refuses to have a man guard her, insists she can take care of herself…"

Poe was a very experienced strategist and communicator thus he could very well read into where the General was going with these statements. She was easing him in to something, he may as well cut to the chase. "I do remember her, she used to challenge me to a horse race every now and then when she was younger. But where do I fit into all of this? General, please don't tell me I'm to be assigned as a bodyguard? Surely I've made enough of a name for myself not to be assigned such a mission?"

Leia eyed him carefully knowing full well Poe's character, "My dear Poe, you know I wouldn't make you a bodyguard!" She remains silent for a moment, choosing her words wisely, "Luke and I need you to pretend you're her fiancé. A bodyguard would immediately call the attention of the ton in Naboo and the First Order. We've been given intel by our spies that the First Order is after her and has been watching her very closely. We don't know why but we've been told that they are trying to recruit her. We need your help Poe, please? This is too delicate a matter to be given to just anyone. We need someone we trust with her life and you Poe are the only man we can trust." Leia never pleaded, he knew that much. She was a strong-willed woman and for her to be begging him for his help, for his protection of the Resistance's heir, he knew the threat was indeed very serious.

Commander Poe Dameron was never one to turn down a challenge. More than anything this was a duty and a personal request being asked from him by his Princess— she hated being called that— General. "How could I ever say no to you? While I do recall Rey being a headstrong girl, I do remember her telling me one time how she told her schoolmates she'd never marry unless it were for love. It's going to take some convincing to get her to pretend we're engaged."

"Well she does know you're coming for her. She's known for about two weeks now of this plan and has thus begun planting the seeds that she's been keeping your courtship a secret for some time. She knows everything down to the fact that you will be proposing and posting your engagement in the paper." Poe's head was spinning as Leia further explained the plan. It's not that he wasn't accustomed to military tactics or assuming false identities; this was just an entirely different strategy, one that he wasn't sure he knew how to play. How does one pretend to be a man in love, a man soon to be affianced at that?

"Poe? Poe?" Leia said with a look of worry on her face. "I know you weren't expecting this sort of assignment but you're the only one we can trust with Rey's life."

He signed up for the Resistance and part of committing to a role meant committing to who he was serving. It was his duty to serve the Skywalkers and it should thus be an honour to protect one of their heirs. He worried about this mission. He wasn't sure why but his instinct told him something was about to change in his life and he was afraid because he didn't know what that change was going to be.

Poe stood up, saluted and said, "It would be an honour to protect your niece, General. I will do everything in my power to protect her from the First Order."

"Thank you Poe. Now, I shall take my leave and let you finish your breakfast. I think I've interrupted long enough. We can further discuss travel plans after the briefing. See you at ten o'clock then."

This was going to be a long day after all. Teaching new riders and fighting on the battlefield was much easier than what he needed to do: pretend he knew how to be a fiancé and care so much about propriety, social graces and dancing. Kriffing hell, dancing! It's not that he didn't know how to dance, he just thought it was a ridiculous pastime done to forget about the war that was going on. A Commander of the Resistance having to dance? He pushed all those worries aside for later, he had to finish up his breakfast and get dressed. The last thing he wanted was to be late for the briefing because he was shocked with his new assignment.

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun…" Rey read aloud to Jessika. Her face was beginning to scrunch up in disgust, not quite believing the words she was reading.

Jessika eyed her knowingly, "Rey, what is with you and your fear of romance? You do realise that's what adds excitement and spice to a relationship right? You don't want a boring romance, you want a story that you can tell your children and grandchildren!"

Rey had suitors in the past but none that ever really caught enough of her attention, no one to match her wit and quick remarks. "It's a bit dramatic though don't you think? I mean shouldn't she have been able to tell that she was falling for Mr. Darcy? Seems quite ridiculous that she's so unaware of the growing feelings for him!"

"Speaking of feelings… what about this young Lord of yours coming to fetch you? You have told me bits and pieces about him over the past few weeks and he seems to be a man who could make you happy. Unless of course I've misinterpreted your feelings and stories?" Jessika observed Rey's reaction to her questions. She had known Rey their entire boarding school life and prided herself with being able to sometimes read Rey's expressions and statements.

"Poe? Well yes he is very handsome I daresay. But I'm not too sure it's the right time to be thinking that way…" Rey was lying through her teeth and to her best friend no less. She hated that she had to pretend about all this but she had to do it for her safety and in consequence for Poe's as well.

"At our age, it's never too early to get an eligible bachelor to propose! He's a gentleman of good breeding, a Lord in the Republic, and he's clearly ready to settle down and start a family. He wouldn't be coming all the way to Naboo to fetch you if he weren't planning something," Jessika wiggled her eyebrows and grinned with mischief at her best friend.

"Jess, if you're so convinced of what a great man he is why don't you marry him?" Rey giggled. Jess scoffed at her suggestion. "If he can beat me at riding, fencing, shooting and combat, then I'll begin to consider taking you up on your offer." Jess, like Rey, was one of the top performers in boarding school and believed in a relationship that would also be a partnership. "Besides, like I said he seems to be in love with you already. He is coming for you after all! I'm sure a Republic Lord has a very busy schedule and is constantly in demand. And to…"

"Alright Jess, I get it. I get it. Promise me you'll behave though? Please? No inappropriate comments." Rey was anxious about all this. She remembered Poe well enough to know that he was handsome and friendly but was always bound to his duties. Knowing him he'd refuse to dance with her.

"No promises, but I shall do my best!" Jess grinned mischievously.

A rap at Rey's bedroom door called their attention. "Come in," Rey said to the unknown knocker.

"Lord Dameron has arrived Ma'm. Shall we show him his rooms and lead him to the parlour to wait for you?" Maz, her lady's maid, questioned her with a knowing look in her eyes. Maz had been a loyal servant in her family for as long as she could remember. She could always read Rey's mind for some unusual reason.

"Thank you Maz, that would be of much help. Please tell Lord Dameron that I'll be down in 5 minutes." Rey had to keep a facade, reminding herself that part of her first mission was pretending to be in love with the Commander and allowing herself to be engaged to him. Nothing could have ever prepared her for this.

"As you wish, Ma'm." Maz bowed out and made her way back to the Commander.

"He's here… I wasn't expecting him till tomorrow. I thought we'd have one last day together, Jess. I'm so sorry." Rey said with concern on her face.

"Rey please don't worry about it. I must say though, this convinces me even more how passionately in love he is with you. He's a day early because he couldn't stay away from you any longer! Honestly Rey, I'd be surprised if he doesn't propose within a fortnight."

Rey was struggling to contain her nervousness. She had to play the part even in front of Jess. "Stop exaggerating Jess! Besides, he's probably here earlier so we can make it back to the Resistance Base earlier than planned. Let me just add some rouge to my cheeks before we go down," Rey stood up from where she was seated and walked to her boudoir to add some colour to her cheeks.

As they walked down the staircase, they could hear Poe talking, "BB-8, sit. Please relax. I know you're excited to see Rey but can you please just sit still? Stay… Stay… That's my boy!" Rey couldn't help but grin as she heard who else was there with Poe. It had been nearly a year since she was home last due to her last two semesters in school. She had too much to attend to and finish in her last year hence her not being able to visit the base. She missed playing with BB-8 and riding her Chestnut horse around the base. She missed her freedom to roam the grounds Rey was so deep in thought that she did not notice she and Jess were already in the parlour.

"Rey… Is it really you?" a familiar, masculine voice woke her from her daze.