The morning of the trials arrived painfully slowly.

Rey had been clock watching for hours now, the promise of sleep rapidly disappearing every hour as seven AM rolled around. She couldn't sleep; her stomach was churning with a mixture of worry, anticipation, and even excitement as she thought of the forthcoming ceremony. She had no idea what to expect. Kylo had been so… vague about telling her anything the evening before, cutting their conversation short and citing tiredness for his abrupt departure to his room. She turned on her back, rubbing her hands over her face as she thought of him, that particular enigma.

He still confounded her. His wildly swinging moods, his demanding nature, his overt tenderness. The way he looked at her when he had her pinned on the sofa made her head swim, even now. There was such desire, such need in his gaze, she didn't want him to stop looking at her.

If it wasn't for that damned droid, she thought mulishly. But what would've happened? He could have just stared at her for longer... or he might have leant down and kissed her... She inhaled sharply at that thought.

Their earlier conversation floated back to the forefront of her mind.

'I am completely at your mercy.'

That's what he said, wasn't it? He hadn't even batted an eyelid when she asked to hold off on the whole marriage conundrum, her decision to delay not making him flinch in the slightest.

It was right, she truly did hold the power. So why did she feel as though she was weak? His dark eyes and hesitant, shy smiles made her a slave to those deep emotions she had hidden away for so long, and she felt almost powerless to him. What did that mean? She groaned in frustration.

Soon, her daydreams were interrupted as she heard the familiar, clanging footsteps of Tee-Cee approach her door.

His metallic knocking made her start slightly; the noise was so jarring that she was almost glad he hadn't woken her up properly.

'Mistress Rey! I have your breakfast ready. I'm coming in,' the droid warned, giving Rey a minute to sit up before he walked into her room. In his arms, he was holding a bundle of red fabric.

'You know, as a protocol droid, you should know it's only polite to ask before entering someone's quarters,' Rey said, eyeing up the fabric with interest. What was that?

'Apologies, Mistress Rey, but I was instructed by Master Solo to wake you early and deliver your gown, so I took the initiative. Your breakfast has been laid out in the living quarters,' Tee-Cee answered.

Rey shrugged, clambouring out of bed to meet the droid in the middle of the room, curiosity getting the better of her as she grasped the fabric. It was surprisingly heavy, and on closer inspection, Rey could see why. It wasn't really a dress, but more a dark red jumpsuit, with an overlay of chainmail. It was both exotic and terrifying to look at.

'What is this?' she asked. She had never seen such material before, her fingertips weaving through the chainmail to touch the fabric of the jumpsuit. It was cold and hard, making Rey frown. 'Is this leather?' she asked.

'According to Master Solo, this is going to be your ceremonial outfit. It may need some adjustments, as the last female participant was significantly broader on the shoulders, as well as taller than you. Hence why I thought it would be best you try it on sooner rather than later.'

'Don't tell me you're a seamstress as well as a droid,' she said, her fingertips brushing the cold material once again. She paused as she let Tee-Cee's words register in her mind properly, confusion knitting her brow as she turned to look at the droid.

'And what do you mean, 'last female participant'? Has there been a female Knight before?' Rey looked at Tee-Cee in astonishment. This was all news to her, and she involuntarily grasped the material as she stared at the droid.

'Not exactly, my lady. From my limited knowledge, I believe there was a female Knight going through the trials about five years ago, but she didn't complete the last task,' Tee-Cee said.

Rey frowned as she pondered this, her fingertips stroking the fabric once more. 'Did she die?' Rey asked. With tenderness the outfit didn't require, she placed the gown onto her bed, unease growing in her stomach as she heard the chain metal hit the floor with a dull clang.

What sort of woman wore this? It was armour, not a gown. It made a statement.

'No, my lady,' Tee-Cee answered softly.

'What happened to her?' Rey continued, her curiosity only growing. A woman, joining the ranks of the Knights? Another female, in close contact to Kylo... That made a pang of jealousy tug through her stomach and fill her veins with adrenaline.

'That information is not privy to me, my lady. Now, it's time for you to eat and get ready, I believe.' Tee-Cee gestured at her bed hair. 'That looks like it could take some time to tame.'

Rey rolled her eyes at the droid's pointed insistence, but allowed herself to be guided into the living room, leaving the unknown woman's dress alone in her room.

'This is… absurd.' Rey's hands brushed against the cold metal as she turned to examine her form in the mirror.

The gown she had been forced to wear was both shapeless, and entirely too revealing. Even with Tee-Cee's adjustments, the chainmetal hung loosely over the dress, skimming the floor. But worse than that, Rey found that she couldn't properly look at the jumpsuit she wore underneath. It made her too embarrassed. The leather fitted her like a second skin, revealing more of Rey's slight curves and edges than any of her scavenging outfits ever did. She was almost glad the chainmetal was too wide; it was a distraction she felt like she needed.

'And I have to wear this for the ceremony?' she asked, turning her head to glare at Tee-Cee as he entered the room. 'Why can't I just wear my normal clothes?'

'Despite not being very old, the induction ceremony is a noble tradition that all the Knights take great pride in. A ceremonial outfit is required. And as your agreement to join the Knights was so sudden, there simply was no time to get one tailored for you.'

'What will everyone else be wearing? Embroidered smocks, red cloaks?! Or fancy helmets?!' she snapped. 'Where's the Supreme Leader? I want to talk to him about this.'

'He is currently with the Knights. Apparently it's forbidden to see a trainee before their ceremony, so he's asked me to accompany you. Master Solo also thought you might have some opposition, so instructed me to tell you that it will be over soon, and - I think this is quite out of character, if I do say so myself - he said to ask if you'd 'do it for me',' Tee-Cee remarked, making Rey frown as she studied herself in the mirror again.

She clenched her fists as she stared at her reflection. This was irritating. She groaned as she felt the familiar uncertainty of conflict rise up within her.

Part of her wanted to rip this gown off, throw it off the ship and forget any pact she had ever made with Kylo Ren, while another part made her want to do whatever she could to make him look at her, and smile in that kind way she loved.

She dragged her eyes away from her gown and stared straight into the reflection of her own face. Who was this girl who stood in front of her? She couldn't see the scavenger Rebel from Jakku anywhere. Here she was, a Knight-to-be, a maybe Empress, an almost wife… Rey sighed as she stroked the chainmail. If she was going to get through this, she couldn't let this conflict rage through her mind anymore. She had to be resolved in all of her decisions.

She was powerful, she was one with the Force. And, as she thought of Ben Solo and the way his hands held her face as she stared up at him, she wasn't alone anymore.

'Okay. Is it time to get going? The sooner I can get out of this, the better,' she grumbled.

'Not yet, Mistress. You need this belt,' Tee-Cee answered, handing Rey a thick red belt that was held together with a silver clasp. 'The Knights wear something similar, I believe, but in neutral colours. It's for your lightsaber,' the droid remarked.

Biting her tongue, Rey clipped the belt around her waist, sighing as she caught sight of her reflection again. Somehow, the belt drew the chainmail in and caused her figure to be exaggerated. Whoever wore this before wanted this to be eye-catching, and sensual.

'Ridiculous,' Rey snorted. 'Well, come on Tee-Cee. I don't think Vicrul will appreciate it if I'm late to my own ceremony.'

'A wise move, my lady.'

'The training centre? Is that where the ceremony is being held?' Rey questioned, pausing as they reached the hallway before the wide double doors. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but the training centre, where she had challenged Vicrul so spectacularly badly the day before, wasn't what she had in mind.

'Yes, my lady. I would like to point out that my usual very high standards for decorating have been cut back, so please excuse the mess,' the droid responded, sounding disgruntled.

'I'm sure it'll be fine Tee-Cee,' Rey muttered. As she stared at the closed doors, she rubbed her hands down her outfit, flinching as she touched the chainmail again. She was nervous: butterflies were swarming in her stomach, and her palms were slick with sweat.

'What am I supposed to do? Just walk in?' Rey whispered, turning to the droid.

'I'm afraid that information is not known to me, Mistress Rey. I can't be much assistan-'

At the sound of the door creaking open, Rey and the droid automatically took a step back. When she saw Trudgen's head peeking round, Rey found herself feeling slightly better. She was still uncomfortable around most of the Knights, but Trudgen had always tried a bit harder, and she appreciated all the friends she had about now.

To her surprise, the Knight was wearing his battle armour, and up close she could see the sheer amount of gouges and slices that had been inflicted on him. How many times had he gone into battle? And yet, he had triumphed.

Removing his helmet, the Knight smiled down at Rey.

'Looking good, Rey. That colour suits you,' Trudgen said, his eyes lingering over her newly exposed curves that the belt brought out.

'What are you doing here? I thought it was forbidden for any of the Knights to see me before my ceremony,' Rey asked.

'It is, but the Force was basically screaming your worry at us, and I thought it best to nip out and see if you were okay. I'm glad I did, as you were white as a sheet when I first saw you. But now, you're gaining some of your colour back,' Trudgen teased.

'I just didn't know what I was meant to be doing, that's all,' Rey said defensively. 'I've never done a ceremony before.'

'Well, it's pretty simple. You head in after me, approach the platform and we'll ask you a series of questions to start the ceremony. After that, it's self explanatory,' Trudgen said.

'Sounds easy enough,' Rey muttered. She took a deep breath in, and looked up at the Knight. 'I think I'm ready.'

The Knight smirked at her forthrightness. 'That's what I like to hear. Well then, follow me.' Trudgen said, slotting his helmet back on as he reopened the door, beckoning Rey to follow him.

The scavenger squared her shoulders as she entered the gloom of the training hall.

This was the beginning of her new life, and the first thing she noticed was the flames that greeted her.

The training centre had been transformed. Gone were the high ceilings, the weapons cabinet, and the circular fighting space. Instead, the room was dominated with a jagged stone stage and raised seating which surrounded the platform in a semi circle.

Deep red and metallic grey fabric hung from the ceiling and billowed to the centre of the room, making the vast training centre feel a lot more intimate and closed off. But Rey's eyes were drawn to the trail of bonfires that made a sort of walkway up to the stage. The flames were a luminescent green, and she could smell the stench of sulfur as she walked up the stone stairs to the platform.

It was eerily quiet, Rey's footsteps echoing around the chamber as she approached the Knights. Apart from her heartbeat pounding in her ears, she couldn't hear much else about the crackle of the flames as they cast shadows on the men watching her.

She could feel the Knights were staring at her as she stood in the centre of the stage, but all their faces were masked. Her eyes followed Trudgen, as he made his way next to the familiar figure of Kylo Ren. To her disdain, his face was hidden with the helmet that she loathed so much. Next to him, Vicrul leant forward.

Breathe. Kylo's command brushed through her mind as he soothed some of the tension away from her mind. She smiled slightly at the masked figure.

'Where did you get that outfit?!' Vicrul's voice rang out, the outrage evidence as he slammed his fist down on the table.

'Is... this part of the ceremony?' Rey asked, frowning at the Knight. She wasn't expecting this reaction to her borrowed outfit, and she glanced down, running her hands over the chainmail once more. Who owned this before her?

'Tell me, scum, or I'll force the answer out of your mind!' Vicrul bellowed, his anger growing. The fury in his voice made the hair stand up on her arms, and a cold sweat prickle on her back.

'I gave it to her, Vicrul. Well, I gave it to my protocol droid, if you're looking for exact answers. Now can we start?' Kylo remarked, his voice distorted by the helmet as he turned to his lieutenant.

'You… you gave her that?!' Vicrul pointed at Rey, his disbelief and loathing making Rey flinch again.

'We didn't have time to get a custom outfit ready for Rey, and I assumed you wouldn't mind. You're holding up the ceremony. End this,' Kylo ordered.

What's the big deal? She questioned Kylo over their bond, feeling his irritation meet her curiosity.

Later. His answer was curt. You look... beautiful, by the way.

Rey blushed, her eyes moving away from his mask as she felt her cheeks flare with heat again.

'Whatever you say, Supreme Leader,' Vicrul seethed, turning his attention back to Rey. 'Well, to get this started, please state your name and where you come from for the Knights of Ren, girl,' Vicrul snarled at Rey.

'Rey of Jakku, I suppose,' the scavenger answered, taking a deep breath in as she addressed the men in front of her.

'So, Rey from Jakku, I offer my sincere welcome as the leader of the Knights of Ren,' Kylo continued from Vicrul. 'As I'm sure you're aware, entry into our noble enclave is limited to those who complete our trials. Like I've said before, each trial is driven by a particular emotion. I'd like to introduce my Knights, as this will be the family you'll be joining into,' Kylo said.

Turning in his chair, he gestured to Trudgen, who raised his hand in a small wave.

'For the first trial, you'll be judged by Trudgen and Cardo. They specialise in possession. Ap'lek and Kuruk-' Kylo pointed to the two Knights in the far corner, '-Will judge you on fury. Vicrul and Kuruk will be in charge of venegence. And I will make a final judgement, and that's on passion. Do you need further explanation? Otherwise, I'm going to ask you a series of questions.'.

'No, I'm fine,' Rey responded. Kylo nodded, his approval moving through their bond and making Rey smile.

'You will be required to pass all four trials to become a Knight. That means, if the trial master of the first round does not believe you have put your entire soul into your cause, you will not pass to the second round, and so on and so forth. It is entirely up to the trial master's judgement whether you pass or fail. Do you accept this?'

'Yes,' Rey answered.

'Do you accept that the trials are designed to test you, push you to the limits of the Force, make you doubt yourself, and put you in grave danger, which could end up in mutilation or death?' Kylo asked.

'Yes,' the scavenger answered.

'By joining the Knights, all other connections to friends and allegiances will be removed. Your family will be your brothers here. Your loyalty will be to the Knights, and to the Supreme Leader of The New Order. Do you agree?'

Did he just say 'New Order'? Was that just a slip up? Rey thought, glancing around at the Knights as she watched them shift in their seats. The air in the room felt heavier at Kylo's words.

'Yes,' she whispered.

'And, uniquely to your case, when becoming a Knight, your ascension to Empress of the New Order will be concluded. You will have proven yourself to be a loyal and true warrior. So I ask you, if you do pass the trials... are you ready for this?' Kylo leant forward in his seat.

Rey stared back at the mask for a long moment. Not the first time, she wished she could see the man behind it. Just seeing Ben's eyes would've given her push she needed to voice the words that were trapped behind her closed lips.

But he didn't remove his helmet. And she had to stand up for herself, and remind herself why she was doing this. She had made a decision to join Ben Solo. Not to the Jedi, or the First Order. Not even to the light or the dark side of the Force. To the man sitting before her. And she knew she would travel across the galaxy for him.

'Yes. I'm ready,' she said.

Kylo leant back in his chair, and across their bond, she could feel a wave of happiness radiate from him. She basked in that warmth, knowing it was all for her.

'All very touching scenes, Supreme Leader. But I'd also like to remind Rey of my little promise, if I may?' Vicrul cut in.

The Supreme Leader sighed, waving his hand at Vicrul to continue.

'I just want to remind my new sister that after the trials, you've agreed that we can duel. One on one, without any interference. And if you win, I swear fealty to you. But if I win…' Vicrul trailed off.

'I die. Yes I remember Vicrul. And I hold my oath to that.'

'Perfect. That's all I wanted to add,' Vicrul said, his tone jovial as he leant back in his chair.

'How generous of you, Vicrul,' Kylo said, dryly. 'I hand this ceremony over to Trudgen, as he is the master of the first trial, alongside his apprentice Cardo. He'll discuss the particulars with you, and he'll be the best person to ask if you have any questions.'

Rey nodded, turning her head to look at Trudgen. Even through his mask, she had the feeling that he was beaming at her, and it almost made her smile in response.

'A new Knight... Always exciting,' Trudgen mused. 'As Kylo said, I am the 'leader' or 'master' of this trial, which ultimately means I'm the person you have to impress. For my trial, you will be judged on the emotion of 'possession', or 'to covet'. As with all the trials, these are very subjective and personal. So what you chose to covet may be completely different to what I consider possession is, but the key to passing is in the strength of your conviction. If you can prove to myself and Cardo that you have succeeded in gaining what you covet the most, you will pass. Simple. Do you have any questions so far?'

Rey shook her head. 'No.'

'Good. Now, this is an odd one, as usually we don't set a time limit on trials, but we're currently in a time of war, and your progression through the trials also ties in with your ascension to the Empress of the 'New Order'. Which, we need to speak about,' Trudgen added in an undertone to Kylo. Rey fought back a smile as she heard the rest of the Knights mutter in agreement.

'So we're going to give you two days to complete your trial. This can be altered slightly, if you need it to be?' Trudgen asked.

'No... I think two days should be fine,' Rey added slowly.

Her idea for her trial had been forming in her mind for a while now, and being given the time limit solidified it even further.

'And I believe that the Supreme Leader will be accompanying you on this first trial, is that correct? So, is this trial to be conducted on The Silencer or off-ship? We'll just need to factor in travelling,' Trudgen asked.

'I think that was agreed, yes,' Rey turned her head back to Kylo, who nodded in agreement. 'And I want to travel to Naboo, if that's possible?'

'Naboo? What an interesting choice… That is doable, yes. Your trial will officially start when you step foot on the planet surface. I'm assuming you'll want to start in Theed?' Trudgen asked.

That is the capital, isn't it?' Rey asked, hastily trying to remember through her star maps and systems that Leia had given her to look after.

'Yes. We can take you close by, but thanks to the Resistance sympathiser's blockades, you'll need to get on a passenger freighter from nearby Karlinus. It's not the most savoury route, but you'll be perfectly safe with the Supreme Leader,' Trudgen added.

'That all sounds fine to me. Kylo? I mean... Supreme Leader?' Rey blushed as she addressed the man in front of her.

'I'll assist Rey in whatever she needs,' Kylo said.

'That's all settled then. We'll set a course to Karlinus tonight, and you should be on Theed by dawn. Then the fun begins,' Trudgen laughed.

'Good. If we're all in agreement, we'll finish the ceremony off?' Kylo said, leaning forward and looking around at the Knights.

Rey raised her eyebrows as she surveyed the Knights. Was that… it? It's horrible to say, but she had such high expectations for the trials that she felt almost disappointed at how easy it had gone.

'No! Hold on, you're missing the most important part of the ceremony, Solo!' Vicrul's voice rang in indignation.

'And what is that, Vicrul?' Kylo sighed. 'If this is just another one of your additions or quips, I'm not in the mood.'

'Always the joker, Solo. No. The blood oath. The thing that bonds us all together, and seals in the promise. Plus, you haven't told Rey what'll happen if she fails the trials. That's my favourite part,' Vicrul said.

Rey took a step back as she watched him slowly walk around the table. He looked like a prowling Nexu as he approached her platform. Her eyes flickered briefly back to Ben, her hope blooming as she saw the rest of the Knights leave their seats and stalk Vicrul.

'There's been talk about what happens if you pass the trials, and become Empress. But what happens if you fail? Well, it's simple, little bird. You die. Because we can't have secrets about our order slipping out now, can we? And do you want to know the best bit? The leader of the Knights has to kill you. Isn't that touching. So... I'm going to ask you this now: are you ready for this?' Vicrul crooned.

With a quick movement, he snatched her hand and pulled her towards him. Rey instantly dug her heels in, wanting to flee as she was cornered by the larger man, but Vicrul was a lot stronger as he opened up her palm.

'Join me, brothers. Let's not keep Rey waiting any longer.'

Rey gasped as Vicrul produced a thin dagger from his pocket. She knew that the blonde Knight wasn't going to hurt her badly, but the sight of it made her head swim.

'A shallow cut on the thumb, Vicrul. That's all you need,' Kylo warned from behind Rey. She glanced around at the rest of the men that were circling her. With speedy movements, they all nicked their fingertips, squeezing a bright bead of blood to the surface.

You didn't tell me about this?! she called across their bond. Rey flinched as she felt a hand brush along her shoulder.

I'm sorry. I thought he might've forgotten. It'll be over soon. Kylo said back, regret clear in his thoughts as he held his hand out, the scarlet dripping down his thumb and over his wrist.

'Take a deep breath in, Empress,' Vicrul warned.

A shallow cut on the thumb, I can do this, Rey thought. She had been hurt before, and always found that expecting it was almost as bad as the actual act.

In a quick movement, Vicrul brought the dagger along her palm and gashed it along, opening up a deep wound that made her stumble with a blinding jolt of pain.

'Welcome to the Knights,' Vicrul laughed, his bloodied thumb pressing against her palm, mixing their blood together in an unforgettable promise.

Author's note: Another fairly lengthy chapter (hence the silence), but I hope you enjoy the plot kicking off a little bit more.

Like I said before, I may be a little MIA with the next few chapters, but thank you to all those who reviewed and commented on my last post.

Once again, a huge thank you to my editor 'Across The Stars' - can't wait for our holiday.