What did you do to get the queen's personal army after you?... What did I do? Nothing! "I…" Rey didn't know what to say to this man, the tips of her fingers grazing her lips which still tingled from his hardy kisses.
His large hands were reaching out to her once again, smirk unwavering. "Perhaps your mind is still on our kiss. I do not like to leave business unfinished either."
Rey was tall for her age and gender, yet she felt tiny compared to this man who was quickly leaning down with those plump red lips, his hands firmly on her hips. His smell was musky, warm, and reminded her of mulled wine and cinnamon. His hot breath was in her face, intoxicating.
Snap out of it, Rey! This is not Evaan, this is not your home, this may not even be your world! She shook her head to clear it and quickly pushed the man by his muscled, broad chest, surprised by the firmness. She may as well be pushing a wall so she quickly did what they taught in her self defense course, stomping her foot down on his.
His expression turned to that of surprise more so than pain as he took a two steps back, Rey seized the opportunity to run out the way she came. She shivered, missing the intense warmth of the man who had forced his tongue down her throat.
What now? Rey scrambled down a path she hadn't gone down yet, one that led her to another busy part of the town, full of stands of goods for sale and adults and children bustling about making purchases and carrying heavy loads. At the sight of her, many parted ways and called out about the strange girl who the queen's army was searching for.
Immediately, four men dressed identical to the men who chased her before rounded the corner, heading straight for her. Rey struggled but the four of them managed to seize her easily, one of them pulling a small vial from his garments, uncorking it. Another man held her head, tipping it back, forcing the liquid down her throat.
Her body began to feel numb but she was not losing consciousness. She slumped into the arms of the men and then more came and congregated around her. They dragged her westwards towards what she believed to be the queen's palace, all the while she was powerless.
Rey was sat with her knees bent in front of her and one foot on either side of her hips. Her wrists were tied above her head and she was slumped forward, only managing to move the tips of her fingers and her lips. Her mouth was covered with a white cloth, keeping her from forming any words. She kept moaning, trying to call for help.
She was not alone. In front of her stood the most beautiful woman she had ever beheld, long and graceful. Her slender, elongated features were sharp and distinct, her skin fairer than fair, almost grey. Rey knew that chilling skin tone.
The woman's eyes were a piercing, icy blue. Her hair was a shock of platinum blonde, nearly silver, long and cascading down her back and around her shoulders. Her lips were plump and painted rouge, she wore the finest jewelry Rey could imagine, emerald, pearls, and rubies. The woman was stunning but something about her seemed also hard, cold, and clinical just like the gems she sported. This could only be the queen that had taken her from her home.
"You are a slippery one aren't you?" If Rey thought the queen's appearance was icy, there was nothing compared to the chill of her voice, sending frost down Rey's spine. "I must congratulate you for resisting my first few attempts to bring you here but alas, here you are, ready to serve your purpose."
The queen kneeled down next to Rey, meeting her at eye level, faces inches apart. Rey felt the air around her grow colder. The queen's long fingers and those striped, manicured nails closed around Rey's face, pressing hard. "You are probably wondering why I brought you here, sweet child." She bared her teeth at Rey, a cruel smile and even crueler eyes. "I need your blood, young virgin. With it, I will ensure my son Jova's ascendancy to the throne. That is all you need to know."
Rey whimpered. "Hush child, this will all be over soon."
The queen leaned in and took Rey's mouth with her own and quickly bit Rey's inner lip, drawing blood. "Ahh, so sweet. You are worthless but your blood will serve me well." She licked her lips and rose to her full height. The queen glided across the room to the shelves covered in viles and jars of herbs, and much to Rey's dismay, ornate daggers. The queen grabbed one and turned back to Rey.
A man dressed in the same guard uniform Rey had come to recognize as that of the queensguard, rushed into the room and quickly kneeled to the floor, bowing his head. "My queen! Forgive me! The king heard about the commotion of today and he is coming here now. He is already in the palace!"
The queen's vile grin quickly shifted to a sneer. She cursed under her breath, casting a look my way. She returned the dagger to its place on the shelf and dismissed the guard. Not a minute later, a tall man with a handsome old face, gentle green eyes, a crooked smile, and a few scars on his chin entered the room with slow and sure strides.
"Asajj, my queen, what is the meaning of this? I have heard reports of a woman in strange clothing running amok, creating chaos amongst my citizens. I am told your guards were in pursuit of this woman. Tell me, who is this girl?" The king, turned his gaze from his wife to Rey who sat on the floor, head lulling.
"My king, as a servant to the gods, I have found a virgin worthy of sacrifice." Ventress was quick to think up a suitable reason for causing such a commotion over this girl. "The gods desire her, and I intend to hold a public sacrifice at today's sunfall at the East temple. Would this please you, my liege?"
The king eyed the girl on the floor who seemed on the edge of consciousness. "If it please the gods, so be it, my queen. I shall be present at this sacrifice and bring my sons and daughter. I will leave you to your preparations." With that, he turned and strode confidently out of the room.
Ventress snarled and went back to her shelf to retrieve an ornate platinum goblet which she filled with a rose colored liquid from an opaque jar. She took a sip and then glided to the only window in the room looking out. "Lucky you, you have an extra two hours to live. Enjoy it while you can." Then she gracefully walked out of the room, the sound of her footsteps fading.
Rey found herself in front of the East temple still tied by the wrists, dressed in a white gown that hugged her lack of curves and exposed her lack of cleavage. The queen's maidens had put oil and balm on her neck, wrists, ankles, and between her breasts but left her otherwise unadorned. Rey noticed that everyone, even the priests and priestesses wore ornate jewelry, another defining detail of this strange place which she would soon be forced to leave.
The king sat on a throne flanked by what could only be his sons and one daughter. Each child was stunning and different from the last. It seemed that none of the royal children shared a mother in common. The princess was a sight to behold with straight, emerald hair that cascaded down. Her sharply cut bangs met the black ribbon and lace that covered her eyes. What an odd fashion…
The second seat from the king was empty. Rey didn't have a chance to ponder that as the ritual began. The queen approached Rey slowly with two priests flanking her. She put her hands out in front of her and slowly raised them to the heavens.
"God of gods, please accept this virgin sacrifice and grace us with your care. We ask that you bless our lands with fertility, peace, and prosperity. We ask for a bountiful harvest and a winter free of disease." The queen's words cut through the air, chilling Rey even below the warmth of the two descending suns.
Rey caught a glimpse of the beautiful stranger from before- the prince- arriving late and taking his seat beside his sister, brothers, and father. He was dressed much more like a prince than before, no longer donning the black cloak, opting instead for a crimson and black robe, loosely wrapped around him, his chest exposed. His jet-black, thick, wavy hair fell to his jaw and the back of his neck, and he wore dangling ruby earrings that matched the gems inlaid in the headband which he wore like a crown. His jeweled fingers held the goblet to his lips as his eyes met hers, his gaze unwavering, his expression unchanging.
In that moment, Rey felt the last of her strength leave her, the first tear falling down her cheek. She couldn't explain why but for some reason his acceptance of her sacrifice meant there was no hope for her. She refused to show her fear but could not help the unbidden tear. His gaze only intensified.
She bowed her head, no longer listening to the queen's ramblings. Then it grew silent as the executioner stepped forward with a large axe in his hand. He took slow, sure steps towards Rey, and the queen's two priests knelt on either side of Rey and held her down, exposing the back of her neck. The tears were flowing freely now and Rey whimpered and hiccuped as silently as she could, still not wanting to appear weak despite being completely powerless.
The executioner put the axe to the back of Rey's neck, lining up his target, and then lifted the axe preparing to bring it back down when a goblet came crashing to the floor beside Rey, breaking into many pieces. The red wine looked like blood as it trickled on the stone and down the executioners face.
"What is the meaning of this!?" The queen hissed, eyes searching for the assailant. The dark prince rose from his seat. "Kylo! Explain yourself, how dare you mock the gods?"
His deep voice came out like honey, "On the contrary, mother dearest, I am trying to ensure quite the opposite." In a few long strides he closed the space between him and Rey. He gave her a scrutinizing glance before he said, "Ah yes.. I see.. This emis/em her."
He reached down and scooped Rey up into his arms with such ease it left her breathless. "Sorry mother, father, it seems that this one is no longer a virgin. My doing. Therefore, she is unfit for sacrifice but no worries, mother," he said taking in the queen's deathly glare and returning it with a wicked grin, "I will make sure to sacrifice forty lambs from my personal farm to the gods instead. This girl, however, is better fit for my harem than sacrifice, wouldn't you agree father?"
The king erupted in a howl of laughter. "Oh, son, that suits me just fine. I can't say I'm surprised that you have spoiled the maid, she is quite unique." Kylo simply nodded and flung Rey over his shoulder who squirmed against him. "Thank you, father. I shall see to the preparations of the lambs for sacrifice and return her to my palace."
Rey kept squirming so Kylo practically breathed into her ear, "Best if you kept still now and just went along with it, don't you think? I'm trying to save you from the queen." She looked into his eyes, gold meeting obsidian and all she could do was nod once.
He quickly strode out of the temple. Outside was a carriage with two men of roughly the same height, a dark skinned man with short black hair and a tan man with brown curls surrounding his face. Both men were extremely handsome, grinning brightly at Kylo.
Kylo mounted the carriage, it creaking under his great weight, and placed Rey in his lap. "Poe, Finn, let's head home."
The tan man took the reins and with a flick of his wrists the horses began pulling the chariot down the faded stone path.
"Who's the girl?" he asked Kylo with a cheeky grin, which he turned on Rey and added, "I'm Poe by the way."
"A victim of one of Ventress's latest schemes apparently, otherwise I am not entirely sure." His dark eyes turned to Rey's. "I am Kylo. This is Finn." He nodded to the other man.
"Who are you?"
Rey hesitated, skeptical of the three men. She chose to answer with a question of her own.
"So, you are not, um, friends of the queen?" Rey asked, her voice coming out raw from lack of water and the silent tears she had shed. Each man chuckled but Kylo's was the hardiest, just as his father's laugh had been, his entire body rumbling beneath her.
"Far from it. In fact, I don't believe there is anyone she despises more than she does me." Kylo says grinning.
"That's for certain." Finn says with an amused expression.
Rey found their relaxed nature comforting but it was not enough for her to feel safe… yet.
They passed more people who walked on foot, generally dressed in white or tan colors. There were stands of food and textiles, and children at play with dogs chasing at their heels, all kicking up dust. "Where are you taking me?"
"To my palace. And do not fret, I will not be taking you to my harem, that was just a pretense for my father. You are my guest. Now, tell me your name." His dark eyes were searching hers again, his intense gaze unrelenting.
He was still holding Rey to his chest much to her chagrin but there wasn't exactly room for her elsewhere. Kylo took up most of the space on the carriage, his long limbs spread out comfortably. Poe was snugly located at the front, manning the reigns, while Finn hung off the side though he didn't seem to mind that one bit. He hadn't stopped grinning since Rey had met him and she also found that comforting.
She relaxed a little more, settling into Kylo's lap. "Rey. My name is Rey... Will you be able to help me find my way back home?" She asked tentatively, teasing her lip between her teeth, a nervous habit of hers. His eyes flickered for a moment from her wide hazel eyes down to her lips and then back up.
"Where do you come from, Rey?" His head cocked to the side slightly, his hair falling into his eyes. She found that entirely too distracting, a blush creeping on her cheeks accentuating her lovely freckles.
"The queen… she stole me from my hometown… err home world." Rey looked at the second sun and accepted the fact that she may not even be on Earth anymore. "I am from England originally but my family moved to the United States three years ago for my mother's work."
The men exchanged a few glances that said all they needed to. She was farther from home than she could even imagine. Rey's heart sunk as her biggest fear was realized, tears beginning to well in her eyes. Kylo's expression hardened upon seeing that.
Poe looked very apologetic as he said, "We have never heard of such places… Perhaps… are they small towns?"
Rey shook her head. "No, they are two of the most well-known countries among the people where I come from." Rey grit her teeth trying to swallow her fear, then bit her cheek but the traitorous tears still spilled over. "I'm sorry," she said quickly wiping her cheeks.
Kylo gently placed his index finger below Rey's chin and tilted her head, meeting her gaze to his. "Rey, you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm sorry you were dragged into this by my stepmother. I promise, we will do what we can to return you to your home."
Kylo said it with such calm determination that Rey felt warmth spread from the back of her neck down her spine. The other two men nodded solemnly at Rey.
It felt like she could let her tears flow freely in front of these people, they seemed to be understanding enough. After a few moments and a few deep breaths she replied, "Thank you."
They were approaching a long white stone gate with gold trim. A series of white rooftops with golden trim peeked out from behind the gate, reflecting the sunset's magenta and orange hues.
"Rey, do you happen to know why my stepmother brought you to Jakku? It may help us figure out how to return you to your home." His voice was soft and clear.
Oh, that's right! "Yes! The queen, she… she said she wanted to curse the crown princes, that she needed my blood to put a curse on them so that her son would be next in line to be king. I think she would have killed me earlier if your father hadn't visited her."
All three men shared hard, knowing looks, a silent conversation passing between them as they passed through the gates.
"Of course," Poe said with an exasperated sigh.
