When Kylo and Rey led the Royal Army through Jakku's gates a little before sunset, they were immediately greeted with hundreds of cheering citizens, who lined the path all way to the King's Palace. As they passed the crowd, Rey heard her name competing with the roar of applause; at least half of them cheered Niima.
Rey gulped and shrunk back slightly into Kylo's side, he responded quickly by placing his hand gently on the small of her back. Her eyes hovered over the crowd nervously, the makings of a smile playing across her face, their festivities infectious and spreading to Rey easily. She saw many people carried sunflowers in their hands and that delighted Rey. She waved at the crowd, hesitantly at first, but once they cheered louder, she waved more confidently, giggling to herself.
Kylo leaned in close to Rey's face, his lips and warm breath right against Rey's ear. "They adore you," he whispered. "I'm not surprised." Rey's grin grew and she waved some more, trying to wave at everyone she passed. Kylo chuckled by her side, watching her and only her.
She was waving like a madwoman, her boy's tunic slipped off her shoulder which she unceremoniously yanked back into place before continuing her furious waving. She hung over the side of the chariot a moment to catch a sunflower that someone had tossed to her and Kylo felt overwhelmed. He knew he didn't want to miss another moment of Rey, she was the light he had glorious aimlessly sought for, all along.
He had fallen for her so quickly, just like the people now calling her name. He didn't know what to do. When he thought he had lost her… He couldn't even bear to think of that, not with Rey looking the way she did, luminous and glorious.
Rey held the sunflower to her nose, smiling into the petals as they tickled her skin. They were her favorite flower, something she inherited from her Grandpa Ben. He had been a light-hearted and kind man, but he passed away a few years back. His funeral had lacked the usual morbid tone, no one wore black and at the center of the ceremony were hundreds of sunflowers that highlighted his warm nature.
Rey pulled away from the flower, sighing contentedly, and beamed up at the woman who had thrown the sunflower. Within seconds it was raining sunflowers on top of their chariot, each flower another beam of gold connecting Rey to the people of Jakku. She tried to catch them all, giggling all the while, as Kylo looked on, mesmerized by the gentle trill of her laughter. Usually he would not be okay with anything being thrown at him or his chariot, but he didn't mind this. Not at all. Not when Rey was this happy.
"Kylo, I can't catch anymore!" The sunflowers spilled over and out of Rey's full arms, she reached for the fallen sunflowers and even more slipped out of her grasp. Her carefree laughter eased his soul and he breathed in deeply, ingraining the sound of it into his memory.
He put his arms out and Rey placed her pile of sunflowers in them. She caught more and tried to toss some back at the crowd. The people loved it. They loved her. He loved her… He was doomed. He couldn't stop his feelings, not when it felt like this to be around her- not when it felt this right.
By the time they arrived at the King's Palace, their chariot was full of sunflowers. Rey decided to climb over the side instead of opening the door, worried that the sunflowers would spill out otherwise. She placed the strap of her staff over her head, resting it on her back, and hopped over the side of the chariot in one deft and swift motion, still clutching the original sunflower tightly in her hand.
Kylo followed suit before placing a quick kiss on the sunflower Rey held so dearly, "Hold on a moment." He strode over to Poe's chariot. "I'm going to talk to the King. I'm taking Rey with me. Make sure someone takes care of those flowers. I want them in vases in my room by tonight. Rey would appreciate it, I think."
"Definitely. I'll take care of it." He patted Kylo on the back. "I think your father is really gonna like her."
"Me too." Rey was winning everyone over, that he did not need to worry about. He was instead concerned for himself, painfully unwilling to let Rey go even though she didn't belong in Rim. He shook his head, huffing loudly, and Poe quirked an eyebrow in response.
"It's nothing." But Kylo's tone and expression betrayed him, and all he could do was grin wryly, and look up to the heavens for support with an exasperated shake of his head.
"Sure it is." Poe gave Kylo a knowing look, one he had seen many times before. Kylo couldn't keep anything from Poe or Finn even if he wanted to- they read him too easily after all the years they'd spent together. Truthfully, Kylo didn't mind, finding that it was an advantageous quality for his advisors and best friends to have and at this point, there was no point in even trying to hide from them. Poe's hand landed on Kylo's shoulder and he lightly squeezed. "Go on, Finn and I will see you back at the palace."
Kylo walked back over to Rey and took her by the hand. "I have to go and report to the King now. I want you to come. It's time you meet him." That and Kylo was not willing to let Rey leave his side after what happened in Hays Minor. He wanted to have eyes on her at all times. She was a magnet for trouble, and though he was fond of that, it was also driving him mad.
"How much does he know about me?"
"Nothing. He knows what the public knows and sadly we have to keep it that way. For now. There is no use in us throwing out accusations without having a plan first."
"You're right." Rey understood that Ventress was no joke and they would have to act carefully to avoid war or another tragedy like Aiden's death. She nodded and allowed Kylo to lead her up the long stairway that led up to the palace, steeling her nerves for her impending talk with Kylo's father.
Once they reached the top of the steps, Rey turned around using her hand holding the sunflower to wave at the crowd for the last time before entering the palace. They found King Solo in his preferred lounge, playing some card game Rey didn't recognize. The King's opponent was someone she also didn't recognize, but she could tell he knew Kylo by the way his bright green eyes lit up when they entered the room.
The man set his cards facedown on the small round table they were playing on, before rising to his feet. "Ben!" Maybe he didn't know Kylo afterall, Rey thought. "Don't you dare peek Han, I'll know if you do," he jested and then strode over to where Rey and Kylo stood.
"Luke, it's good to see you." The two exchanged a quick one armed hug, the height difference forcing Kylo to drape an arm over Luke's shoulders, before turning to face Rey. "Rey, this is my uncle, Luke." His dark eyes bore into her and she could tell he was gauging her reaction. She wondered about his uncle calling him 'Ben' but she tucked that thought away for another time.
She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by King Solo, "So, you're Niima's avatar." The King regarded her with his chin raised high, perhaps trying to intimidate her, but the relaxed way he held his shoulders and the glint in his eyes betrayed him. "Hard to believe this little thing caused the Nightbrothers so much trouble."
"Now, wait a minute, Han. Girl's almost as tall as me," Luke pointed out with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm Luke Skywalker." He extended a hand to Rey which she shook firmly before stepping back again.
"Luke, King Solo, it's nice to meet you both," Rey said, bowing her head slightly.
King Solo snorted before striding over to Rey and wrapping an arm around her shoulder as if he had done it a million times before. His embrace was so much like her own father's- warm, strong and comforting. "None of that, girl. When it's just us, call me Han."
Rey grinned up at him, hugging him back. "Alright then. So long as you call me Rey, not girl," she quipped earning another chuckle from Han.
He patted her on the back hard between her shoulder blades, the action nearly unbalancing Rey. She didn't mind at all; Han was straightforward and that was something she could understand. "Deal. Wine?" he inquired.
"Yes, please." He led her over to the seating area located in a corner of the expansive room.
They sat down with a goblet of wine each, except Luke who sipped on water. "So, tell us about Hays Minor," Han said after taking a long sip from his cup. "Clearly Rey is still alive so it couldn't have been all true."
Rey sat up straighter in her seat, clearing her throat. "Well, I rode on the back of a horse into the battle, flanking the Nightbrothers and sending them into disarray. Kylo crushed them easily after that," she finished simply. Rey watched the King and Luke closely, sizing up their reactions. They both just blinked at Rey and Kylo as if there was more to be said.
A war of stares and a long silence passed before Han intervened, "Did you really face Savage Opress on your own?" he asked Rey directly. "What happened?"
Rey took a sip of wine, seizing the chance to figure out what she would say. She nodded slightly, feeling shy under the intense stares she was getting from Luke and Han. Facing the crowd outside was one thing, but facing Kylo's father and uncle was another thing altogether and Rey had to admit, even to her own ears what she was telling them sounded implausible.
"I killed Savage by knocking down the wall he stood on, with this staff staff," she looked down indicating the staff now resting across her lap. "He fell to his death and his head split open." A shadow clouded Rey's expression at the dark memory, Aiden's death still weighing on her heart, pulling her into an inescapable darkness. She felt no remorse at her actions- Savage deserved even worse, and she hadn't delivered.
The face she made resonated with Han and Luke, deep within their core. They understood death better than most, war after war had left their dreams full of corpses, not even able to escape the burden in their sleep. Even worse- they understood being the killer and it was written all across her face: she had killed Savage, plain and simple. They nodded solemnly at her, but remained silent, as if urging her to continue.
"As for the horseback riding… I can't explain it. My instincts just took over and suddenly I was on BB8 leaping over the edge of the cliff. I don't know how it happened, I didn't ask to be Niima. I just… emerged out of a spring and ran right into Kylo," she finished slowly, before raising her eyes to peer over at him, wanting to be sure that she had said the right thing. He gave her a small smile, and her stomach did a flip but she managed to keep the pink from creeping into her cheeks.
Kylo spoke next, "It's true. Almec Tico bestowed upon Rey the Tico's long hidden recipe for infusing volcanic glass into weapons. I saw it myself. Rey punched a hole through stone with that staff."
"May I, Rey?" Luke carefully reached for the staff and took it in his hand, surprised at how light it felt. He tossed it in the air before catching it and then twirled it in his fingers, faster than even Rey could. "I thought this material was only in legends." Kylo hummed in agreement. "We are lucky to have you, Rey."
"I would like to share that gift with Rim," Rey spoke clearly and seriously. "But in exchange, I have a demand." Rey directed this last statement at King Solo, who nodded and chuckled with a boyish, age-defying smile on his worn face.
"I like her," he said to Kylo and then shot a quick wink to Rey.
Kylo rolled his eyes, "Of course, you do." He placed a protective arm over Rey who sat up straighter, unwilling to be distracted by the Solo men's antics.
"King So… Han, I want a permanent spot in Kylo's army, I want my handmaidens by my side. In fact, any woman who wants to fight in the army should be allowed to, and you can send them to me to be part of my unit. Oh, I guess I want a small unit then, of my own, that I can choose myself. That's all."
"Is that all?" Han chuckled heartily, gulped down the contents of his chalice and set the cup down with a loud clang. "Once again, deal. There are two girls I can think of now who have been itching to fight, I'll send them your way."
Luke looked contemplative but nodded in appreciation as well. "It seems you are Niima's avatar after all," he said thoughtfully and Kylo hummed in agreement. "If I may, what in the world is a BB8?"
"Rey's horse," Kylo explained. "Rey was able to defeat several Nightbrothers on horseback. The mobility and height alone are advantageous, not to mention how cheap it is to breed horses."
"That reminds me," Rey added, choosing her words carefully. "I have some... ideas for making riding easier. A seat that can be strapped on the horse's back."
"Rey, we will have you talk to some of our engineers that can sketch that up. I want to see you on your horse in action at your best. You tell us what you need, and we'll make it." Han said as if it were final, and Rey smiled at him happily.
"Deal."
"We should send our best smiths to Hays Minor to assist with production and learn the obsidian craft from Almec," Kylo said.
"Absolutely," Luke agreed heartily, nodding his head. "We should also get in touch with the horse breeders. We need stronger, larger horses that can carry men and women on their backs for extended periods of time." Luke sent Rey an assuring smile, which she returned, thankful that he included women.
"We can work out the finer details later," Han said, quickly wrapping up the strategic talk in favor of something he'd much rather discuss. "Let's throw a celebration in Niima's honor."
"I think that's a wonderful idea. Besides, Rey tells me it's her birthday in thirteen days. We could have a joint celebration, both for her victory and her nameday." Kylo's smooth voice warmed Rey deep inside, she couldn't help but love the way he said her name. Still, a nervousness crept from her stomach and up her throat, wrapping around her heart along the way.
"It doesn't have to be a big thing, does it? I think I would much prefer a smaller celebration," she said tentatively. She didn't know much about Jakku's customs but she knew she wanted to avoid talking to too many strangers, especially when she had to keep her past hidden.
"Of course we can keep it small." Kylo placed his hand on Rey's which rested on her lap and gave a gentle squeeze. "I think it's time we go home, we have a small celebration of our own planned. We will talk more tomorrow?"
"Actually, I thought it would be nice if you and your team took a few days off to enjoy your victory. You all did well in Hays Minor and deserve a break. Luke and I can handle things in the meantime."
"Thank you, father. I'll see you both in a few days." He stood up and offered his hand to Rey and helped her to her feet.
"It was nice to meet you both, I'll see you soon, I guess," she said rather awkwardly but they both just returned smiles, Han's more like a smirk than a smile.
They exchanged hugs and Han even went as far as kissing Rey's cheek, and much to Kylo's chagrin Rey just laughed in response. "Let's go home, Rey," he huffed, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the exit.
Rey turned around, still being dragged out by Kylo. "Bye, Han! Bye, Luke!" She gave that adorable, spazzy wave and Kylo instinctively slowed his pace, matching it with hers so they could walk side by side, enjoying how right it felt.