Chapter 1: Perfect

The planet of Alderaan was wealthy and beautiful. No one went without a roof. No children went hungry. Everything was just right. Perfect. A beautiful planet with vibrancy and happy citizens.

There was just one problem, and it lied at the top of the food chain. The wealthiest, the strongest, the most powerful.

The Prince of Alderaan was feared.

As in, he was known for his temperament getting out of control at even the slightest inconveniences. He was rumored for destroying entire rooms out of raw rage with his fists alone, and that wasn't even counting on his lightsaber. One particular event involved force-choking one of his servants in front of an entire room of witnesses and he didn't even care. Or so the rumors said.

Disobeying or disagreeing with the Prince was far beyond out of the question.

Rey steeled herself, keeping in mind of this knowledge of the Prince of Alderaan as she approached his very lavish palace. It was just outside the main capital with its very polished black floors and fiery red walls.

The reason today Rey was even braving the palace to see the Prince of Alderaan was of, well, desperation. She had been taken off her planet against her will—in her words—and was forced into a house on a different planet with no way to get back to Jakku.

Jakku wasn't the best place, far from it, but she had reasons to stay there. At least they got rid of Unkar Plutt. No complaints about removing the gang leader rationing the scavengers to pitiful near-starvation.

So she decided after three days of agonizing deliberation, sleepless nights in a warm bed unknown to her body, to just gather her wits and march right up to the person in charge and demand for her right to return to Jakku.

Rey didn't know if this was even more reckless than trying to haggle with Plutt.

Walking through the doors to the throne room by guards in imposing black masks—members of the Prince's personal guard, the Knights of Ren—Rey was greeted by the sight of a man cloaked in black, leaning on his hand on the armrest of his stark-black throne.

Upon closer inspection with each careful step she took, suddenly out of place in her scavenger rags in the wide polished room, she noticed the man's soft hair, tousled and curled to perfection. Of course, the Prince would have great hair care. To his side was a ginger-haired man in an ironed black uniform looking rather weary of the person sitting on the throne.

"Speak," the prince said, not even looking at her in the eyes. "What is your business?"

She bit her lip. "I am here to request transport back to Jakku."

The prince—Kylo Ren as he was called by all—scoffed. "You want a transport back to that—" He looked up from staring at the polished floor to finally see her. Progress. "…Place."

She tilted her head at his sudden change in demeanor. "Yes."

"Why? A scavenger wants to go back to that kriffing planet?" Kylo questioned as if it was the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard and how dare she even entertain asking him that.

Her nostrils flared. "Yes, this scavenger would like to go back."

"Are you… Ungrateful? You have shelter, food, no gang leader lording over you, and you want to reject all that to go back to a terrible desert."

"So what if I am? I didn't ask to be dragged off my planet against my will. So I ask you, Your Highness," she said, trying hard not to snap at this arrogant snob of a prince. "Give me transport."

"Why?" He asked her, his tone getting harsher and louder. He sat straighter on his throne.

For one reason or another, Rey decided to disregard the rumors about Kylo Ren's temperament. Her blood surged with fire and her mind went blank as each word out of the Prince's delicious-looking mouth drove her up the wall. "None of your business, Highness."

His eyes widened. "Excuse me, I think I have a right to know why my subject is making demands in my throne room in my presence."

Prince Kylo of Alderaan wasn't just a walking bad temper, he was a total asshole.

"I will excuse you from having to know my reasons for wanting to leave," Rey retorted.

Oh, that was a mistake.

Kylo stood up from his seat. His shoulders were very wide and trembled with anger. His eyes were very dark in the low lighting and if looks could kill, Rey would be dead on the spot.

She planted her feet. She was not about to be intimidated by his attitude or size.

"You, a lowly scavenger, have no right to deny me." He lifted his hand up and Rey let out a yelp. She was jerked off her feet in mid-air and tugged over to Kylo. She was still kept at arm's length from him, but she was close enough to see the smattering of moles across his pale skin. She swallowed, not out of fear—no, because why did he have to be good looking? Why did all good-looking gorgeous men, even the unconventionally attractive ones such as the Prince of Alderaan, have to be huge assholes? It made it hard to concentrate on the fact she was being held up by the force and that his temper was flaring up like fire.

"So?" Rey fired back, straining to regain usage of her arms.

"You know I can take whatever I want," he said in a darker, lowered tone, tilting his head at her as if he was more curious than angry. The utter nerve of this arrogant, gorgeous man.

She gritted out her words. "I'm not giving you anything."

"We'll see."

Rey had known that sensitives to the force could pull mind tricks on others, and right now she really had no plans to be a victim to this. She felt herself push back and regain usage to her arms. She threw her hand up and shoved him back right into the throne.

Collapsing to her feet, she gawked at the display of power. Her breath was shuttered.

She was sensitive to the force.

Rey, nobody scavenger from nowhere Jakku, was able to use the force.

She was able to use the force and used it against the Prince of Alderaan.

She used it against the Prince of Alderaan, known for his temper and general-jerkass attitude.

Worse, she apparently hit him hard enough there was a bit of blood on his temple.

The man next to him pulled his blaster and clicked it, aimed to fire at her. "Guards! Arrest the scavenger!"

Kylo groaned as he sat up, staring at Rey in disbelief. "No… Escort her out, Hux."

"Your Highness…"

"Just do it, Hux."

Hux, obviously smart enough not to risk Kylo's rage, lowered his blaster as the guards rushed in to drag Rey off.

Kylo leaned his head back on the throne as Rey went with limp limbs. Why wasn't he arresting her? Why let her go?

"And your request, scavenger," he muttered even though the room echoed his words too easily. "Is denied."

Well, that could have gone much worse in her opinion.

She could have been torn in half by his lightsaber.

Freckles.

Stupid. Freckles.

The second he looked up to see a scavenger with three buns tied behind her head, dusty rags draped over her lithe body, and a smattering of freckles across the apple of her cheeks, Kylo knew immediately he was not about to let this scavenger leave his planet.

Nope. None. Her freckles compelled him to keep her here.

So he decided to entertain the notion of even considering her ridiculous request—why would she, a lowly scavenger who had been handed a new life, want to go back to that hell hole of a desert? Though, he supposed, he did make it better to survive now that he cleaned out Plutt's gang, but still.

Too bad this scavenger had a mouth on her. A pretty one, but a mouth all the same.

And she was defiant to a fault, it was irritating.

As Kylo sat there, limp on his throne with the scavenger getting dragged away by his Knights, all he could think about was how she was strong enough to push him away and break his hold. He didn't plan on hurting her—he didn't even want to really prod her mind but she left him with no choice in that matter. But clearly the ungrateful girl didn't care and she used the force.

She didn't even know she had the force.

"Highness I shall call the physician…"

Kylo raised his hand to halt Hux's words. "No. I am fine."

"Highness."

"Hux," he growled out, raising his hand to shove Hux aside with a flick of his wrist. "No. I will be in my chambers. Find out who that girl is."

Standing up and flicking out his cape, Kylo stomped out of the throne room.

Her and her stupid, adorable, lovely freckles.

Yet, there was something about her. Something tugging at his lonely soul. He needed time to process this odd feeling before facing the scavenger again. That was frustrating, to say the least.

His fingers twitched for his lightsaber but decided against it. He couldn't even stay mad at her for very long. His gloved fingers reached up to his temple to touch the hint of blood on his open wound. He would deal with that later.

For now, he needed to vent his frustration via elegant forms of lettering.

And maybe sketch out a drawing of the scavenger's lovely face.

Hux exhaled with exasperation. The Prince was such an unreadable prick at times. Especially now. How much longer did he have to put up with this job?

Find out who the scavenger girl is. Easy. Dig through the archives, find her photo. Find her profile. Deliver it to His Royal Pain-In-The-Ass and all before dinner.

Hux made his way to the archive room and pawned off the task to Mitaka. "Search for a scavenger's profile. From Jakku's recent occupation. Between the age of 18 and 24. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Get to it before the Prince cuts our heads off with his obnoxious lightsaber," Hux ordered.

Mitaka with trembling fingers began searching on the computer panel. "Y-Yes, sir."

Hux turned on his heel and made his way to an office belonging to the advisor to the Prince, Snoke. A rather wrinkled ugly old man who insists on wearing obnoxious golden robes, but Hux didn't really care as long as he got his paycheck. Snoke can look ridiculous all he wants.

"What, did the Prince throw a tantrum again?" Snoke said, glaring down at his reports. "Another reason to remove him from power?"

Hux shook his head. "Oh, if only."

"He's a petulant child. If he snapped again and made a single mistake then it would be easier to get rid of him. He uses fear and intimidation to get exactly what he wants, as I taught him." Snoke scowled. "But the idiot uses it to waste Alderaan's wealth away!"

Hux cleared his throat, not willing to really hear Snoke's dramatic rant about Kylo Ren again. "We have an opportunity. He is distracted."

That made the bare skin above Snoke's eye twitch in curiosity. "Oh?"

"Yes. A scavenger appeared and demanded transport and subsequently attacked Ren. Instead of arresting her, he let her go and stomped off in a huff."

Snoke tapped his fingers together. A chilling grin formed on his face. "This moment of weakness shall be his downfall." He gestured to a small panel on the wall. "Pull the lever, Hux."

Hux walked over and opened the panel. Two levers, both of the same size and color—Snoke really should label these things—were inside. He reached for the one on the left and Snoke hissed at him.

"Wrong lever."

Hux tried to hold back a roll of his eyes before reaching for the lever to the right. Tugging it down, the wall behind Snoke folded in on itself. In the secret room were shelves stacked with vials of various colored liquids.

"He won't notice if we slip something inside his drink. He'll be dead before dessert," Snoke explained, getting up from his desk and inspecting his wares. "Ah, this." He plucked a vial of some green substance up. "This is known as death to force-users. It's perfect for the likes of Kylo Ren."

Hux quirked an eyebrow. "And it won't leave any evidence?"

"We'll take a sample of his blood and fake the evidence of his death using his clothes. This is a silent killer for many force-sensitives." Snoke placed the vial in Hux's gloved hand. "Slip this into his drink while I talk him up. If he's distracted enough he won't notice. Got it?"

Hux nodded, thrill in his gut at the prospect of removing terrors like Kylo Ren and having a proper leader in charge. "Of course, Snoke."

Kylo sat at the head of the long table in the dining hall. He glanced at the two chairs at his left and right. A lump formed in his throat, but he dismissed the thoughts and turned back to the scavenger.

In front of him was the file Hux brought to him on the girl.

Rey.

So simple of a name. No last name either. It suited her very well, her and her lovely freckles.

He flipped open the file and found it to be bare bones. Much of the record was gathered from files under Unkar Plutt, including the reason behind Rey being stranded on the planet. Sold to Plutt at the tender age of four for drinking money. His temper flared and he itched for his lightsaber on his belt but decided against it. He needed to keep reading. If Rey was thrown away, why did she want to go back? That was the most confusing thing of all. He would have to bring her in for further questioning… And make her his student in the force.

He set the file aside, still thinking about her. Earlier that evening while he was writing away his frustrations, a curious thing happened in the force, connecting him to Rey. He would have to research this connection later on.

Snoke walked in and sat down at the opposite end of the table.

"Greetings, Your Highness," Snoke said, a hint of scorn for the title. Whatever, Kylo knew that his advisor had no guts to do anything about his royal title. It's not like Kylo asked to be Prince in the first place.

"Yes hello," Kylo responded, not in the mood for small talk.

"Any new developments?"

"Nothing of note. The rebuilding of Jakku is on schedule," Kylo said, unconsciously touching the bruise on his temple. The blood had dried but it still stung.

"Well, I should bring to your attention matters of other planets such as Hosnian Prime…"

Kylo tuned out Snoke's insistent chatter about nonsense. He would find out about such matters in the morning when Hux brought him the debriefing. He was usually bored to death at dinner and these talks. His advisor was wise but can he not drag out the conversation for any longer? All Kylo could really focus on was Rey.

He had to hold back his amusement at thinking of seeing her again.

A glass was set down in front of him by Hux. Red wine to take the edge off. Normally, Kylo would refuse alcohol—it affected force users quite differently, he got first-hand experience with that when he was 23 and decided to get very, very drunk on his birthday against his uncle's wishes. Not only did he wake up with a terrible hangover, but he swore he saw his uncle holding a lightsaber above him in the middle of the night with an attempt to kill, something about Chewie marrying his mother, and his room was trashed from terrible and sloppy use of the force to move things. Kylo swore off drinking after that insanity.

But sometimes he would indulge in a glass or two. He knew his limits. He took a sip as he let Snoke drone on, occasionally muttering out a yes or polite disagreement.

How much it would cost to get Rey a new wardrobe—she cannot go around dressed like a scavenger any longer. She seemed to be the simple type so extravagance was out of the question. It was selfish to think of even spending money on a girl like this, but she needed to be more presentable instead of sticking out like a sore thumb in his own throne room.

He finished two glasses of his wine and picked at his food, mulling over the expenses in his head. Where did she live exactly? Was she treated well by the people who took her in? Maybe she was being abused—and that made his blood boil in thought. No, she came here of her own free will and not very afraid in the slightest. Did she really have a death wish? And why was he thinking about her so damn much?

He stood up, interrupting Snoke's constant rambling. "I'm going to bed," Kylo announced, pushing his chair in—he wasn't a total scoundrel like his father—and began walking out of the dining room.

He couldn't even take two steps before something dragged at his limbs. Why was his mind feeling so empty all of a sudden? Why did fire lick at his soul? Like he was being devoured alive. He stumbled, trying to reach out to the force to steady himself. He saw the gaudy shoes of Snoke.

"Ah, and so the youngest Skywalker falls at last," Snoke said with no remorse in his sneering voice.

Breathing was hard. How much did he drink? Wait, it had a tangy off-taste. His mind scrambled to keep up but ultimately the world went black and Kylo Ren collapsed to the floor.

A/N: Yeah I couldn't help myself and I needed something even more light-hearted than my Aladdin AU (and more sexual tension) XD

Also no llamas in this fic... But don't worry Kylo gets a very befitting punishment for being a dick.