Longest chapter yet! Enjoy!
Oria could barely tell it was daylight outside, the window in her room was so small. If it weren't for the fact that she had been awake for the last half hour, slowly getting ready for their departure, she would have assumed it was still night time.
They were finally leaving.
The thought bounced through her head almost as much as BB-8 bounced around the room, just as happy about their departure.
She felt bad for dragging Poe away from a place he obviously seemed to enjoy, but she couldn't stand being in this room another minute. Besides, she knew Poe ultimately wanted to get back to his base, and staying here wouldn't help with that.
She was just adjusting her headscarf when a knock sounded on her door and Poe peaked his head around.
"Morning you two!" he said chipperly. They were obviously all happy to get on their way. "How'd you sleep Beebee-Ate?" he asked and the droid chirped happily, rolling past him and out the door. "Well I guess he's ready! How about you?" Poe asked and she nodded, looking around the room even though she knew she hadn't left anything behind.
A small part of her wished she could have kept last night's dress, but she knew that was impossible. It's not like they'd given it to her.
Besides, who knew what kind of clothes would be found on the other planets she went to. This was just the tip of the bucket, and there was always a chance she'd find many more options.
Following Poe out into the hallway to join the droid, they both jumped when a man appeared in front of them.
"High Council Leader Turk requests your presence in the grand room," he said with a bow in Poe's direction. "Both of you," he added, not sparing Oria a look.
She wrinkled her nose but stayed silent, clutching Poe's arm as he held it out to her.
"Maybe he'll offer us fuel for the journey," he said wishfully as they walked off down the hall. "Being able to save my credits would be nice."
"Maybe he'll tell us we can't leave," Oria whispered and Poe laughed, shaking his head.
When they arrived in the grand room, they saw the Leader speaking in hushed tones with Carvor, one of the men she'd danced with the night before.
Noting their arrival, the two men separated and the Leader plastered a wide grin across his face.
"Good morning," he said, walking down the small steps and in their direction. "I hope you both enjoyed the ball last night."
"It was lovely," Oria said, cowering slightly when the Leader turned to look at her. Apparently he hadn't expected her to be the one to respond.
Oria wasn't sure if Poe caught onto the exchange, but when he spoke, he didn't address it.
"Leader Turk, it has been a pleasure staying here, but I'm afraid we've overstayed our welcome," he said.
"Leaving so soon?" the Leader asked, a frown appearing on his features. "Surely Commander you would want to stay for today. There's the wedding tonight after all."
Oria wanted to ask who was getting married, but decided to stay silent. The Leader wouldn't want her speaking out of turn and she didn't want to grace him with her curiosity.
Besides, odds were good she wouldn't know who the couple was anyway.
"I'm sorry, I really must be getting back. My General will be wondering where I am, and I need to check in so they know I'm alive."
BB-8 beeped what must have been a joking comment, because Poe grinned, trying hard not to laugh out loud.
"Of course, of course," the Leader responded, ignoring the droid. "Well, I'll walk you out. And I'm assuming you'll need fuel for the journey as well?"
"Yes sir, if that's alright," Poe said, laying on the charm. "I wouldn't want to put you out, of course."
Oria tried not to roll her eyes at his antics.
"Not at all!" the Leader boomed, laughing. Then he turned and snapped his fingers. "Have Maizy come take the girl to her room while I walk the Commander out."
Oria's stomach dropped in beat with BB-8's inquisitive whirs.
"What?" Poe asked with a confused chuckle. "No, we're leaving as soon as I've fueled up."
"You're leaving," the Leader clarified and Oria reached out, gripping Poe's jacket sleeve tightly. He reached his other arm up, clutching her white knuckles protectively.
"No we're leaving," he repeated. "Oria came with me and she's leaving with me."
"But you're not married," the Leader said, his tone indicating he thought they were ridiculous. "A woman can't travel with a man who isn't her husband."
"Oria has no husband," Poe shot back. Oria wanted to butt in, but her slave training told her to stay quiet. Besides, she doubted her nerves would let her make a peep.
She knew these people had been bad news.
"She has no husband yet. After tonight, that will change."
And suddenly Oria realized whose wedding he had been talking about. And then she thought about what the mother had told her yesterday.
"When the girl is ready to be wed, she is brought into a room and all eligible men are allowed to look her over. The Leader judges their feelings and the one he deems 'most in love' wins her hand."
"The men yesterday," she finally spoke, putting all the pieces together. Poe and the Leader turned to look at her, both surprised that she'd spoken. "When you had me wear the gold robe. Those were the eligible men looking me over as their potential wife."
When the Leader didn't argue, she knew she was right.
"No way," Poe said, moving his body so Oria was shoved behind him and away from the Leader and Carvor. "Oria is with me, and I won't let her be married to one of your cronies."
"She's not with you Commander, because she's not married to you."
Oria sighed, realizing the situation they were in.
If Poe continued to argue on her defense, he could break any ties he and the Resistance had with Kiros and the Togrutans - if they had any to begin with. She would be the cause for so much strife, when it was all unnecessary. Poe had done so much for her already, she couldn't ask him to sacrifice more.
"Poe, it's fine," she whispered, bringing her face forward so her nose was practically touching the back of his shoulder blade. She closed her eyes, trying not to give into temptation and touch her face to his back. "Just go. I'll be fine."
She couldn't let him take any risks, especially if they meant putting his life in danger. She'd been a slave before, she could certainly be a wife here. Despite how they were controlled, the women still seemed to have more freedoms than she had before. She could grow accustomed to it.
Poe turned, his back to the Leader as he took Oria's hands and pulled them up to touch his lips.
"I can't let you do that," he whispered and she frowned, feeling tears pool in her eyes. Why was he so chivalrous?
"What are you going to do? Blast our way out of here?" she asked with a forced chuckle, feeling a tear fall. "They'll kill us in a second. Please, just go. The Resistance needs you, and you've already done enough for me."
Poe sighed, closing his eyes and bringing his head forward to rest his forehead against hers. She felt another tear fall as she closed her eyelids as well.
The gesture was intimate, but Oria didn't mind. This was goodbye, and despite knowing Poe Dameron for as briefly as she did, she couldn't help but feel heartbroken that this was how they would end. She'd thought they'd at least have another day or so together before they parted ways. She wasn't ready, but she'd have to force herself.
Poe pulled away suddenly, spinning around to look at the Leader.
"I'll marry her," he said.
What?
Oria's eyes flew open as she looked at her companion in confusion. Below them, BB-8's optical eye was rotating back and forth between them, trying to understand the situation.
"What?" she asked, realizing the Leader had asked the question simultaneously.
"What I meant was, I am marrying her, when we return to our home," he said, lying through his teeth. "We've kept it a secret, but we are to be wed."
The Leader scowled, looking between both of them. Oria tried to make her face unreadable. She didn't want the Leader to realize she wasn't in on this plan.
"Alright," the Leader finally spoke, making them both look at him. "Then instead of her wedding to Lord Baak, tonight we'll celebrate her wedding to you."
Neither were expecting that response and Oria felt her eyebrows rise in surprise.
"Oh… thank you for the offer, but we'd rather-" Poe started to say but the Leader cut him off.
"Commander, please do not belittle our ways by thinking you are above them. Here on Kiros a woman is not allowed to travel in the presence of a man who is not her husband. So either she stays here and marries Lord Baak or she leaves tomorrow as your wife."
Poe sighed, turning back to look at her. Oria felt a fresh wave of tears and tried to blink them away. Hoping he'd understand, she shook her head lightly.
"Fine," he said out loud, ignoring her head shake but not taking his eyes from hers. "I'll marry her."
"Poe," she said, hardly believing what she was hearing. "Can I speak to you please? In private?"
The request was bold, but she had to talk him out of this ridiculous idea.
Poe glanced at the Leader before sighing.
"Would you excuse us for a moment?" he asked, not waiting for the Leader's response before grabbing Oria's arm and pulling her out into the hall, indicating that BB-8 should stay. "I'd appreciate you not arguing with my decisions," he hissed in a very 'in charge' manner.
"I can argue when they're stupid decisions," Oria shot back, surprised at her own boldness. Poe seemed shocked as well. His eyebrows rose and he leaned a few inches back. "Poe… you can't marry me."
"It's not for real Oria," he scoffed. "We'll go through with this and get off this rock and they'll be none the wiser."
She shook her head silently. She knew he didn't understand.
"Togruta weddings are forever, Poe," she said and he shook his head at her words.
"Any marriage can be annulled," he told her. "As soon as we land on Hosnian Prime, we'll visit one of the judges and end the whole thing."
"But the marriage lasts as long as the tattoo ring…" she said with a sigh. She'd seen a few traders come through the homestead with tattoos; she knew they were permanent.
Instead of being frustrated, Poe laughed.
"We can go anywhere and get a tattoo removed," he told her, much to her surprise. "If tattoos were truly permanent, half of the Resistance would be covered in unwanted ink from drunken nights spent on shady planets."
Oria's forehead wrinkled. Was that true? She'd assumed once they were on your skin, there was no way to remove them…. however, he was more knowledgeable in the ways of the galaxy than her, so she couldn't argue.
"You know," she said with a chuckle, putting her hands on her hips. This whole situation was ridiculous and her emotions had no clue which took precedence. "You don't always have to be the hero."
"But where's the fun in that?" he asked with a shrug and a wink, before turning and heading back to where the Leader was waiting. Not sure what was going to be said, Oria shuffled softly behind him.
"Tonight, at your ceremony, I will marry Oria, and then tomorrow morning, we will leave. Together."
His words had a tone of finality and the Leader raised his eyebrows in surprise. Oria smirked but then tried to hide it. She didn't want to give the Leader more reason to dislike them.
"But sir," Carvor finally spoke up, walking forward. "What about your promise?"
"Oria does not live here, she's never been dependent on you, and she's not yours to promise to someone else," Poe said, and whether he'd done it on purpose or not, Oria was pleased that he kept using her name. It was a direct contrast to the Leader only referring to her as "she" or "her."
The Leader seemed to contemplate Poe's words, thinking them over. Poe watched him, as if expecting him to argue. Instead the man shrugged before turning to Carvor.
"You're dismissed," he said, and then he watched a disgruntled Carvor storm out of the hall before looking at Oria. "And you," he started, taking a step towards her.
Oria cowered behind Poe, and his arm shot up to barricade her from the older man.
The Leader frowned at the exchange before turning and snapping his fingers. Immediately, Maizy appeared, looking at each of them with curiosity.
"Take the girl to the preparation room for her wedding to Commander Dameron."
Realizing they would be separated, Oria gripped Poe's wrist, nervous about being out of his sight.
"It's fine," Poe whispered, turning around and facing her again after the Leader had spoken. "Go with her, and I'll check on you if I can. Take Beebee-Ate with you."
Taking his words as an order, Oria nodded, smiling softly when Poe took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
The girls walked silently down the hall, up two flights of stairs and down another hall, stopping outside of an elegant wooden door. Somehow the droid kept up, his usual chipper sounds missing as he kept Oria in his sight.
When Maizy opened the door to let them in, Oria had to admit it was a definite improvement over the last room she'd been put in.
"Maizy," she said as soon as the girls were inside, giving the room a quick lookover before turning to her companion. "I know we haven't talked much, but please, I don't know what's going on, and I could use someone to explain it all to me."
Her words seemed to do the trick, and the other girl's features softened into the first smile Oria had seen on her face.
"It's not as scary as you think," Maizy told her. "Let's get you into a warm bath and I'll explain while I wash your hair."
No one had ever bathed Oria before, and she had to admit she felt self-conscious stripping out of her clothes and climbing naked into the water.
In fact, she'd never even had a warm bath before. At the homestead, slaves took quick showers every few days so the smell wouldn't get too unbearable, and the water definitely couldn't be described as warm. Still, she'd never known anything else, so it hadn't seemed too bad.
Nestling down under the purple soap bubbles, she sighed and closed her eyes while Maizy began scrubbing her scalp.
She'd been wrong. Cold showers were terrible compared to this.
Despite her nerves at the whole situation, Oria relaxed. She could get used to this kind of pampering.
As she scrubbed, Maizy told Oria everything she needed to know about a Togrutan wedding ceremony.
"I don't know how weddings are where you come from, but here the focus is on the connection that will bind the bride to her groom for the rest of her life. The groom will enter first, and participate in a short ceremony with the Leader. Only the men are allowed to witness that. Then the bride will enter, accompanied by her ladies in waiting, who are the only women allowed at the ceremony. You will walk down the aisle and meet your groom at the altar, where you will both say a reading from the Great Book. After the reading, the Designer will step forward and bind you together with the marriage bands. A song is sung, and then the ceremony is over."
Oria had only ever attended slave weddings, so she didn't think she was an expert on how a ceremony went. Still, it sounded somewhat similar to how Maizy described it, with the exception of the groom's superiority.
After her bath was done, Oria climbed out and was handed a lush white robe. She snuggled into it while Maizy began combing out her damp hair.
"I mentioned it before, but I'm unfamiliar with hair," Maizy told her as she combed. "And I'm not quite sure what we'll do with it for the ceremony. I mean… we could cut it I suppose…"
"No!" Oria cried, reaching up and grabbing her hair with both hands. Maizy stepped back cautiously.
"Alright fine, but don't expect it to look perfect by any means," she said with finality, going over to the dresser to set the comb down.
A knock on the door made Oria jump, and Maizy chuckled.
"That'll be your other ladies in waiting. Since you don't have any friends here, I invited a handful of my own," she explained as she walked over to open the door and let the five women in.
At the arrival of more Togrutans, BB-8 beeped, looking from them to Oria. She shrugged in response, assuming he was just as curious to the situation as she was.
Cheerful chatter sprang up around the room as the women got to work, pampering and preparing Oria for her wedding.
That thought made her stomach flop and she tried to focus on the women's discussions instead. Afterall, it was just temporary. It couldn't even technically be called a real marriage, but that didn't mean it wasn't a real ceremony.
Two of the women ran their fingers through Oria's hair, untangling it and letting it dry. A woman sat on front of her, hands lathered with lotion as she rubbed it all over her legs and feet. It tickled, but Oria didn't want to make the situation more awkward than it was, so she stayed quiet.
The remaining three women huddled in the corner, talking as they prepared something Oria couldn't see.
She found out what it was a moment later when the women walked over and began spreading oils and lotions on her face.
After hours of preparation, Maizy finally deemed her ready, pulling Oria to her feet and letting her look in a mirror.
Oria's jaw dropped.
She looked ridiculous.
Her hair was pulled back as tightly as it could go, twisted into a knot at the top of her head. Her skin was covered with a layer of makeup, giving it an orangish tint that made her cringe. Sure, the color looked good on the Togrutans, who had naturally orange skin. But on her, it just looked like she'd been out in the fields on Lothal for a very long time.
Her eyebrows had been slicked with goo until they seemed to blend in with her skin, while her eyelids had been dusted with purple shadow, making them seem sunken. Her lips stood out the most, a deep mauve in contrast with the rest of her features.
She supposed the look was traditional for their weddings, but she wasn't a traditional Togrutan and it looked awful. She looked from woman to woman, expecting one of them to voice a similar opinion.
Behind them, BB-8 made an odd sort of raspberry and turned his optical eye away from her. Oria took that to mean he was on the same page as her.
"Gorgeous," Maisy said with a smile, standing in front of her. "We'll place the tears of honor closer to the ceremony."
"Tears of honor?" Oria asked, confused to the meaning. Maisy seemed to remember she wasn't from there and smiled condescendingly.
"Before the Togrutan men came along, us women were treated cruelly by our masters. We often remember our ancestors, the mothers who were not free as we are today. The tears of honor are placed on our faces as a testament to what they went through so that we may be free."
Oria wrinkled her nose but otherwise stayed silent. She may have been raised a slave, and thus not been given a proper education, but even she knew that something in that story didn't add up. However it wasn't her place to say, and her goal was to run into as little trouble as possible before they left.
One of the women walked over to the closet and pulled out a large, cream-colored robe. It was embroidered with different colored threads, spinning out pictures and symbols that certainly had as much meaning as the tears of honor did.
This time Oria chose not to ask what they all meant.
The thick bathrobe was tugged off of Oria's body, leaving her standing naked in the middle of the room. Wincing at the sudden drop in temperature, her arms were quick to cover her body from view.
The group of women didn't seem to care, instead taking the formal robe and draping it around her body.
"Do I not wear anything underneath?" Oria asked, startled that she wasn't even given undergarments. The fabric was thick, but the airflow didn't do much to warm her up.
"Of course not," an older woman said, stepping forward to begin lacing up the front of the robe. "After the binding ceremony is the consummation. There's no need for clothes underneath for that."
Oria blushed, realizing what she meant.
"There is something we need to tell you," Maizy said, glaring at the other woman as if she said too much. "When a man and woman get married, they must participate in a consummation of the marriage, upon which they-"
"Yes," Oria cut her off quickly, embarrassed to have this conversation in front of strangers. "I know what that is."
Raised eyebrows looked up at her and she realized she had said the wrong thing, again.
"You do?" Maizy asked, sounding surprised. Her eyes narrowed and gave Oria an accusatory look. "How?"
It was obvious that sex was a more sacred act here than on Lothal. As a slave, girls weren't expected to live a pure life of innocence until married. There were no rules when it came to how a man and woman should engage in private acts, and Oria would be lying if she said she hadn't overheard a few impure conversations among her fellow slaves.
Still, in the here and now, that seemed a very dangerous thing to admit out loud.
"My mother taught me about it recently," she chose to lie instead, hoping it would suffice. "Where I come from, girls are taught about it before there is any chance they may experience it, either via force or marriage."
The women looked at each other silently before seeming to accept her excuse. With a shrug, Maizy took to smoothing the robe sleeves down until they covered Oria's hands.
In the silence, Oria was hit with a thought that made her stomach turn.
Sure, the marriage was a ruse to offer her protection, but would Poe still consider consummation on the table? She realized she didn't know him well enough, and while honor seemed to be a top personality trait of his, making love to your wife in consummation of your marriage wasn't necessarily unchivalrous. Even if you were planning to annul it a few days later.
"It's almost time," a woman announced from the doorway, causing them all to look up at her. Then Maizy dashed over to the dresser and returned with a brush and a pot of red paint.
"Now stay still, the lines must be absolutely straight or it calls for an unlucky marriage."
Oria obliged, closing her eyes and only gently wincing when the cold brush touched her cheek, right under her eye. The bristles stroked down her skin, stopping just level with her lips. The same motion happened on her other side, and then Maizy announced she was ready.
One of the women brought over a large, awkwardly-shaped headdress, complete with a veil of thick, cream colored fabric that was long enough to flow down her shoulders and to the ground behind her.
"You don't have head tails, but that shouldn't affect this part of the outfit," Maizy said, lifting the headdress up onto her head. The corners were peaked, obviously to nestle on top of the Togrutan's head tails. Since Oria lacked them, the headdress wobbled slightly.
"Pin it," a woman ordered and Oria felt dozens of hair pins dig into her scalp, holding the fabric in place.
"We'll flip the front forward after you've done all the stairs," Maizy told her before the seven women turned and headed off down the hall.
"Oh, what about BB-8?" Oria asked, bringing them all to a stop. The women looked at each other before Maizy sighed and dropped to look at the droid.
"Down the stairs, take two lefts, down the hall, a right and then through that door is where the marriage chamber is. That's where they'll go after the ceremony," she told the droid. He paused in thought before beeping and turning to head away from them.
"The men are just finishing up their part, we need to hurry," one of the women said and the group took off down the other steps at a trot, making Oria stumble slightly.
When they reached two large wooden doors, Maisy turned and quickly pulled the solid veil up and over Oria's face, covering it and blocking everything from view.
"I can't see…" Oria said slowly, confused. How was she supposed to walk if she couldn't see in front of her?
"Just look down at your feet," someone told her, and then she heard the sound of the doors being pulled open.
An instrument she didn't recognize played a soft melody as she was lead down the aisle, two women in front of her and four behind. As they walked, she watched her feet, wondering if her concentration wouldn't make her more likely to trip.
She felt someone tug on the back of her robe and assumed that was a sign to stop walking, she did so, looking up and then remembering that she couldn't see anything. Back to gazing at her feet it was.
"A reading from the Great Book!" she heard the Leader announce a few feet in front of her. Shuffling was heard to her side and then Poe's rich voice spoke next to her.
"Were it that I, one lover among men, gave my life upon hallowed ground to a woman, so chosen by the Leader as the completion of my soul."
Something hit Oria's hands and she realized Poe was passing her the book. Lifting the heavy tomb in order to see the words, she smiled when Poe's hand appeared in her view, his finger pointing to a line of text.
"Were it that I, one woman, one body, gave my life upon hallowed ground to this man, who with his own heart, and the blessing of the Leader, has chosen myself as the completion of his soul."
The book was tugged from her hands before she realized her part was over, and she jumped at the sudden movement.
Footsteps echoed through the room as someone approached them, and Oria thought it was the Leader until he spoke and the voice was unrecognizable.
"By the will of our lords, I bring forward my tools, to forge upon this man and woman a symbol of their love, to be bound forever more, in life and in death, until this symbol has faded. Such is their love."
Skin touched skin and Oria smiled to herself, accepting Poe's hand as he reached to hold hers.
"This may hurt," his voice whispered in her left ear, and she was surprised to realize how close he stood to her.
His hand lifted her's, and immediately a prickling pain spread from her ring finger through the rest of her hand.
She was thankful for the thick veil, which hid her winces and tears at the discomfort she felt.
And then it was over, making her sigh with relief. A bandage was wrapped around her finger and all she wanted to do was cradle her sore finger until it felt better.
However, the ceremony had other plans. Poe fumbled with her hands, switching positions so she was holding his left hand. She felt his muscles tighten and knew it was his turn to be tattooed.
While her's had seemed to go on forever, his was over relatively quickly, and when their hands dropped, he gently looped his right pinky with her's, hiding the gesture in the fabric of her robe.
It was small, but the impact was significant. They were in this together, and he wasn't going to leave her behind.
"As these two are bound, so is it seen by our lords. May they bless this marriage with much fruit."
Oria blushed at the Leader's words, then jumped when the veil was unexpectedly pulled back.
A quick glance around told her most of the men on Kiros were seated on stools that filled the entire room. Candles were lit, but a large chandelier overhead filled the room in a bright light that made her blink as her eyes grew accustomed to the increase in brightness.
Seeing Poe for the first time, she focused on his widening eyes. Then his cheeks puffed and she realized he was trying to hold back a laugh.
She knew she looked ridiculous, but did he have to make it obvious?
"You may kiss your wife as a testament to your marriage," the Leader said, and Poe took Oria's hands in his before leaning forward. His forehead rested against her's for a moment, as if making sure his actions were okay. She gave a small nod and closed her eyes.
When his lips brushed against hers, Oria's first thought was that space had dried out his skin. But as contact grew stronger, that thought went away.
Their noses smooshed together as he pulled her closer, his lips tugging against hers in a way that felt very passionate for a chaste wedding kiss. Oria inhaled through her nose, trying to get enough air to keep from getting winded.
The man could kiss!
She'd be lying if she said she hadn't imagined kissing him before they parted ways, but she'd definitely never imagined it to be like this. In fact, she was started to find herself not wanting it to end.
He pulled away much too soon for her liking, his head hovering near her's for a second before they both turned their attention to the music being sung by the men in attendance.
Moving first, Poe turned to face a door to their right, taking her hand and looping it through his arm before leading her across the room and away from the crowd.
He pulled her quickly and she could tell he was just as eager to get away from prying eyes as she was. They'd done their performance and now they wanted some privacy.
When he pulled the door open, BB-8 let out a loud beep of surprise, then a chatter of sounds when he realized it was them.
As soon as the door was shut, Oria let go of Poe's arm and reached up to tug the headdress and pins from her hair, wincing at the soreness in her finger.
Behind her, Poe couldn't hold back his laughter any longer, taking a few seconds before he was able to calm down enough to speak.
"What's with your face?" he asked and she turned with a frown. He was right, but he didn't have to word it that way.
"Apparently they only know how to make a Togrutan woman look beautiful," she told him sarcastically, reaching up and tugging her hair loose of it's tight tie. Her tresses fell down around her shoulders, causing the roots to ache at the change in style.
As they stood there, she was surprised to realize she wanted him to argue; to say that she was beautiful and the Togrutan's were foolish for thinking otherwise. When he didn't, she scolded herself.
Of course he wouldn't. Their marriage was fake. Just because their kiss had been intense, it didn't mean he wasn't about to start getting romantic.
"What a day we've had," she chuckled, mostly to cover her awkwardness at wishing he regarded her kiss had messed with her head more than she realized. "If you'd told me back on Lothal that a short time from then I'd be free and married to a pilot, I'd have laughed in your face."
"I wasn't hearing wedding bells chime either, sweetheart," Poe said with a smirk. "I'm just as out of my element as you are."
"This just is not what I pictured freedom looking like," she said with a sigh, before realizing the comment could be taken as an insult. Looking at him, shadows from the lamps flickering across his face, she held back a smile.
If she was forced to marry anyone in the galaxy, even only temporarily, she was glad it was him.
Afraid to let him know that, because she knew his caring wasn't on the same level as her own, she turned and walked over to the window, pretending to be enthralled by the darkness outside.
"I promise you Oria," he said from behind her, across the room. "I will do everything I can to break this vow immediately so you really can be free."
Despite the fact that they had been pulled into this marriage against their will, Oria's heart fell at his words. She knew a small part of her was starting to care for the pilot. How could she not, when he was so charming and kind to her? He'd already put her before himself on multiple occasions on this journey, and she had never had anyone do that before. She'd assumed it was because he cared for her, but perhaps it was because that's just the kind of person he was.
She kept her back to him, hoping her fascination with the window was believable. She had to keep her distance, lest she fall for him more than she already had. That would only lead to heartbreak when he inevitably left.
"Time to get out of these ridiculous clothes," Poe announced, tugging his shirt out of his pants as he walked over to a closet. "My face may not be painted, but I feel as ridiculous as you look."
Feeling embarrassed at the fact that they would be changing in the open, Oria turned so her back was to him, beginning to unlace the front of her robe.
And then she remembered she wore nothing underneath.
She was about to comment on it when she froze, remembering why she wore nothing. What if she commented on it and he was reminded of what should occur tonight? Even if the marriage was temporary, he had a right to what was his, didn't he? That's what she'd always been taught… a wife owed her duty to her husband. Did Poe believe the same thing the slaves did?
Nervous, she turned and pretended to look back out the small picture window.
"Aren't you going to change out of that monstrosity?" Poe asked, pulling her attention back to him. "The night sky can't be that entertaining."
So he had noticed her focus of attention. Wrinkling her nose at being caught, she turned to look at him instead.
He had changed into black woolen pants and was pulling a grey tunic over his head as he walked in her direction.
"I uh… I'm wearing nothing underneath," she said cautiously and he paused before bursting into laughter again. Behind him, BB-8 seemed surprised, his head tilting as he looked around Poe at her inquisitively.
"These people," he scoffed with a shake of his head, tugging the tunic back over his head and walking over to hand it to her.
She tried not to stare at the muscles in his bare chest and abdomen as she took the shirt and then looked at him expectantly. He rolled his eyes and then turned around so his back was directly to her.
Quickly, she pulled her robe loose and let it fall to the ground while she pulled the tunic over her head in a rush before he got anxious and turned back around.
"There," she announced, tugging the hem of the tunic farther down her thighs self-consciously. Poe turned and smiled before walking over to the bed and pulling the heavy comforter down.
"It's been two nights since you've slept next to anyone," he told her, climbing into bed underneath the blankets. "I'm sure you're exhausted."
BB-8 grunted and Poe laughed.
"I'm sure you were a good sleeping companion buddy," he said, making Oria smile.
Before she could say anything, he'd turned so his back was facing in her direction, leaving plenty of room for her to settle down next to him in a non-intimate manner.
He was too nice; too caring towards her. Her whole life had told her that a person would only do the right thing as long as it didn't compromise himself in the process. Yet here Poe was, continuously proving that false. What had she done to deserve his gentle treatment?
Wiping moisture from under her eyes and mentally blaming it on the exhaustion he referenced, she scurried to the bed and climbed in next to him, pulling the covers up and trying to keep from having any contact with his bare back.
"Poe?" she asked softly after they'd both been silent for a few minutes. He hummed in response, indicating he'd heard her, and his body shifted slightly to face up instead of to the side. "What are we going to do when we leave here? About me?" she clarified so he knew what she meant.
"I'm taking you to Hosnian Prime," he said with an air of confidence that told her he'd thought this over. "My cousin is there, working as an intern with the Galactic Senate. We can get this marriage thing ended and she has a residence with enough room to house you until you decide what you want to do next."
"Will she take me?" Oria asked, worried about what this girl would think of playing babysitter to a naive slave girl. She rolled over on her side, propping her head up with her arm and looking down to where his head was laying next to her. Despite sharing the same bed, their situation didn't seem uncomfortable, and Oria was happy they were getting comfortable with each other.
"Yeah, Haava's nice," Poe said, looking up at her before crossing his fingers together on his chest and looking at the ceiling. In the dark, she could just barely make out the bandage wrapped around his finger, reminding her of her own. "She'll enjoy having you around. She actually likes when people ask questions," he teased and she rolled her eyes, even though she knew he couldn't see her.
"What about you?" Oria asked the question slowly, worried as to his answer. It was obvious from his wording that he wouldn't be staying with her, so where was he off to?
"I have to return to the Resistance. General Organa will be expecting me as soon as I make contact that I'm alive and well. Hopefully they haven't already had my funeral."
"Is the Resistance far from Hosni.." she trailed off, forgetting the name of the planet that was to be her new home.
"Hosnian Prime," Poe told her, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "It's about 40 parsecs, so not exactly neighbors."
Oria didn't know how far away that was, but she didn't want to bother him with specifics.
Besides, she was more worried about what that meant for her. Sure she was free, but what would happen now? What happened to a woman when she had no education and was left on an unfamiliar planet?
And speaking of being left, what did all this mean for them? Would be drop her off and never see her again? Or would he come visit regularly?
Deciding she was too tired to ask these questions now, Oria yawned and rolled over onto her other side, tucking her hands under her pillow and closing her eyes.
"I'll take care of you, Oria," she heard him whisper into the dark. "Despite this unplanned hiccup, I will make sure you're alright."
What do you guys think? I have to admit, I was a little anxious about this twist, so I'm interested to hear what people think!
Thanks so much to sarahmichellegellarfan1 for reviewing last chapter! You rock!
