A cool cloth being laid on her forehead was the first thing Rey felt. And then the headache. And then the soreness that beleaguered her entire body. An uncontrolled, muted groan escaped her as her eyes fluttered open, the dim light harsh on her eyes. She squeezed them shut briefly, allowing her mind to become a little more alert, but it felt like she was crawling out of a fog.

"Good morning," a soft, feminine voice murmured from her right. Rey chanced opening her eyes again, blinking as rapidly as she could to adjust to the light.

She was greeted by Rose's blossoming smile, and she blinked again in disbelief. Were her eyes playing tricks on her? Was she back in Bacca? Had she ever actually left it?

"Rose?" she asked, her voice appallingly hoarse.

Rose shifted out of her chair, kneeling next to the bed that Ray lay in. "I'm surprised you remember my name. We met so briefly."

"Of course I remember your name," Rey uttered, finding it difficult to swallow and clear her throat.

"Well, that's a good sign then," Rose said with a bracing nod, rising to her feet and leaving Rey's line of sight for a few seconds. Rey wanted to follow her movements, but it was hard work to move her head. "It means your mind wasn't compromised, no matter the toll your body took."

She appeared again, a cup of water in her hands. "Now, don't drink this all at once. Just sip. But I can tell you I'm glad you're awake again; it'll be much easier to take care of you if you're conscious." She set the cup down on a side table and wrapped her arms around Rey's middle. Rey gripped as well as she could with her fingers, and she was surprised at how easily Rose was able to lift her to a semblance of a sitting position.

Rose didn't bother offering her the cup, but held it to Rey's lips herself. The first sip bit a little at Rey's throat, but the second was much easier and more soothing. Rose stood patiently and silently until the cup was half-empty. Then she took it away, efficiently producing a towel to dab at Rey's mouth.

Rey experimented with lifting her hands and arms. They responded, but she wasn't able to raise them very high before she had to let them drop. She didn't even try to follow suit with her legs, but the wiggling of her toes gave her some relief that she was relatively intact.

"That'll take a little time to come back, but it will," Rose said confidently as she watched Rey's silent experiments. "Your body went through a tremendous ordeal, and it'll take some time to gain its full strength again. But you're not dead, and that's the important thing." She sat back on her chair.

"If this is living," Rey replied, her voice a little less hoarse, "then I'd almost rather be dead."

"I think there are a few people who wouldn't be very pleased if that happened," Rose said sagely, "so I wouldn't go blasting that around. Unless you want to keep fighting."

Rey groaned. "No, I'd like to avoid that if I possibly can." She sighed, looking at Rose, who in turn looked expectant. There was a barrage of questions waiting to be answered, and Rose was waiting for them to come.

First things first. "Where am I?"

"In the northern castle."

"Still?" Rey asked, her head lifting a little in surprise. On a second perusal, the room was unfamiliar.

"It's well-appointed, and we didn't dare risk moving you."

"How long have I been . . . out?"

"Three days," Rose said grimly, none of her usual cheer. The situation must have been dire, then. But that wasn't entirely unexpected; Rey had given herself up to death, after all. "The first day was . . ." Rose shuddered. "It was uncertain if we'd be able to bring you back. You settled the second day, and we were fairly certain the last of the poison had been expelled, but we had no idea what the lingering effects might be. I hope, now that you're awake and talking - and moving -, the harm won't be long-lasting, even if recovery is slow."

Rey lifted her hand again, letting it hover longer. A slow recovery didn't sound terribly pleasant. But Rose was right; it was better than the alternative. And she'd better keep asking questions while she was able.

"Is Ben all right?"

Rose creased her eyebrows curiously, then gasped lightly. "Oh, Ben. Forgive me, I've hardly known what to call him. You mean the queen's son?"

Rey nodded. At least Rose didn't call him Kylo Ren. Did she know that had once been an option?

"He's well. He's sleeping now. He wouldn't for ages, but . . . well," she trailed off sheepishly.

"Even Ben's not immune to a strong sleeping draught laced into his drink," another voice chimed in, and Rey turned her head to see a grizzled man standing in the doorway.

"Luke!" she exclaimed softly, a smile breaking free.

He gave her a slight smile as he strolled in. "Well, I'm happy that you're glad to see me. I wasn't sure what kind of reception I'd get from you."

"Why wouldn't I be happy to see you?"

His mouth pursed a little. "Oh, just private reasons."

Rose stood. "I think that is my cue to leave."

Before Rey could protest, Luke laid a hand on Rose's shoulder. "No, I think your patient would like to hear from you a little more before you go."

"Our patient, you mean," Rose said shyly. Rey held back an amused smile; to Rose, Luke was likely still a mythical figure to be revered. "I wouldn't have known how to help her without you, Master Skywalker."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Luke, Rose. Luke." Rose ducked her head. "Perhaps you'd like to inform Rey on how we treated her."

"Actually, I'm more interested in hearing what you're doing here at all," Rey interjected. "How did you know where to go? Is there still a war about to start? Who else is here?" She took in a sudden breath. "Is Snoke . . .?"

"Ash," Luke replied succinctly, and put his hand on Rey's shoulder. "Now, if you want answers, I'm willing to let you hear them, but you can't work yourself up. This is the first time you've been coherent, and we don't want you to push it. Is that right, Rose?"

Rose nodded eagerly. "That's right."

Luke backed away, folding his arms. "Fire away."

Rose hesitated, then giggled. "What do you want answered first?"

If only everything could be told her at the same time, then she wouldn't be forced to give priority to any of her questions. "Is there still a war on?"

Rose looked to Luke for a moment. "No. There shouldn't be, at least. When we found you and realized what had happened, Master Skywa- Luke sent riders to put a halt to any fighting."

"Was there fighting already?"

Rose shook her head, but looked uncomfortable. "It was pretty close to it. Troops mustering and all. Especially after Queen Leia and Master - Luke - showed up. It seemed like any minute we could get word to prepare for battle."

"And then word came," Luke spoke up. "Not word we wanted, but something that I knew was a possibility from the time you left my home. Snoke had abandoned his armies and was racing north. I knew that meant he'd finally found out about your presence in Naboo and guessed where you were headed."

"So you followed him," Rey said.

"Well, not the entire army, but me, Chewie, and some of his fighters from Bacca. And the good physician here," he nodded toward Rose again.

"Finn was one of the fighters that came," Rose added, and Rey felt a small leap in her chest at the mention of her friend. "We wouldn't let them leave us behind," she admitted.

"And a good thing you didn't, because I wouldn't have wanted Rey's sick all over me," Luke said, wrinkling his nose. "You saved her with your quick thinking."

Rey's forehead creased, but Rose answered her before she could ask. "When we came in, you had just fallen unconscious. The prince told us what happened to you, and . . . well . . ." Rose flushed.

"Let's just say that Rose knew how to empty the contents of your stomach and leave it at that," Luke spoke up. Rey couldn't stop her nose from wrinkling, either. That couldn't have been a pleasant experience.

"But Master Luke knew that wouldn't be enough, since it had already affected you so strongly. He knew of a plant, a flower, that might save you." She glanced at Luke curiously. "What's it called again?"

"The amidala," he replied. "Which fortunately grows plentifully in Naboo. Named after a great queen of Naboo's past, actually. I thought that a fitting treatment for you, even if it was a devil to get it into you. We didn't know for at least a day if the little tea we were able to force was having any effect."

Rey nodded, her head beginning to pound a little. "But there's no more threat of war?" she repeated, requiring absolute confirmation.

"We're still waiting for the messengers to return with the acknowledgment and terms of dispersal on both sides, but that should come in the next day. They would have reached the southern borders by yesterday morning," Luke said.

"And the Realms might agree, but would Snoke's army?" Rey asked doubtfully.

"With no Snoke, there is nothing for the army to fight for. They have a queen to await orders from now. If they have any military leaders worth their salt, they'll realize that and not press the issue."

"You've saved us all, your Highness," Rose said softly. "Just like you wished to."

Rey could not share in Rose's assuring smile; her mission had been a failure, and they had won despite her efforts.

"Rose, perhaps now you'd be so kind to give me a few minutes with the princess," Luke said gently, his perceptive eyes narrowed on Rey. "See if there's something in the kitchens you'll approve for her to eat. At the very least, an infusion of amidala would not go amiss."

Rose nodded and, with another smile to Rey, she left the room. Luke, meanwhile, took the chair she vacated and scooted it closer to Rey.

"Out with it."

Rey met his eyes sadly. "I can't take credit for saving everyone, not the way Rose thinks."

Luke snorted. "Rubbish. Why in the world would you think that?"

"Luke, this was a doomed mission. The emperor was never going to side with me; he made that very clear. And then Snoke found out about our plans, anyway. I . . . didn't really do anything, at least not anything that made any lasting difference."

Luke made a curious face, pensive and confused. "That's not what Ben said."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, judging from Ben's account of everything that happened here before we showed up, you know better than to say you haven't made a difference." Rey was still confused. "Did you or did you not tell Snoke that he would lose even if you died? That his armies would fall and nobody would fight for him any longer?"

"Yes," she admitted slowly.

"And why do you think that is? Why do you think his army's strength was failing and the people were rebelling and the Realms came fighting?"

"Well, Ben placed his knights in -" she began to answer.

"Because of you, Rey," Luke interrupted. "Because of the hope you gave countless numbers of people. Yes, things here didn't go according to plan, but you shouldn't believe that makes you a failure. Everything that has happened - Ben's turn, the Realms uniting against Snoke, your people fighting for a free nation - that's because of you."

Rey bowed her head. They were fine words, and she'd heard them from Ben, too, but if that was true, it would take her some time to really believe it.

"And if you still don't believe me, look at me. Look at what I was before you came into the picture," Luke pressed on. "Maybe not content with my life, but doing nothing to change it, either. And then you come along, you challenge me and remind me of what I should be doing." He shrugged. "So I did something. For the first time in a long time, I did something."

Rey smiled. "You knew you'd be an effective diversion, didn't you?"

"Of course," Luke swiftly replied. "Ben may think Snoke had no interest in me, but I knew that if I joined the fight, he'd be distracted for a little while, at least, from trying to find out what you were up to. It'd make him more crazy to know that the 'legendary Luke Skywalker' was coming out of hiding to assist the Realms. It kept his eyes off you for some time, I'd like to think."

"I think it did," she said. "Thank you."

He placed his hand over hers, a crooked smile softened by sincere eyes. "Thank you."

Rey leaned back into her pillows, breathing deeply. It was so nice to be able to do that. "So they're both dead," she reflected.

"Dead and burned," Luke confirmed. "I made sure of that this time. Leia will be pleased." He paused briefly. "She would have come, but someone needed to stay behind and command the army in case the worst did happen. And she is the General Queen."

Rey nodded, wondering if Ben was disappointed that Leia had stayed behind. "The worst nearly did happen. Snoke nearly killed both remaining Palpatines."

"Rey, don't -"

"I drank poison, Luke," Rey stated baldly. "I took a drink from an enemy, and I drank it."

Luke hesitated. "Yes, you did."

"And how did I manage to survive? Sheer luck. It killed the emperor almost instantly."

"Well, he was over ninety years old, decrepit and ill. You, on the other hand, are young, in good physical health, and you didn't take much." Luke's voice abruptly shifted into an unexpected, jocular tease. "But yes, you're right. What were you thinking?"

Rey's eyes widened, but Luke only grinned mischievously. All at once, she went on the defensive. "I was nervous! It was hard to think! You try standing in front of that man and see how well you do."

All Luke did was raise his eyebrows.

"All right, you're the one person that argument holds no water with."

"I made my own mistakes with the emperor, Rey. You know that," he said kindly. "I'm not going to fault you for one when you're already berating yourself over it."

She shook her head.

"Ben's doing the same thing."

Her head shot up. "What? Why? He didn't drink poison."

"It was his plan for you to come here, and he was so sure it would work in your favor. That stubborn will in him that won't believe he could be wrong," Luke mused with a rueful expression.

"He knew he could be wrong," Rey argued. "He did so much that I didn't know about until -"

"Yes, that much became clear when it was one of his knights that warned us about Snoke's flight. That was a shock to us all. Not to mention the pair about to charge in here with no support when we came barreling up the road at Snoke's heels. But as much as he was able to plan for, as much his other ideas worked out, the one that actually involved you nearly resulted in your death."

"I chose to go along," Rey maintained. "I knew there were risks, but I chose it, anyway."

"And you'll need to tell him that," Luke urged. "You'll probably need to say it more than once. Remind him that no one can make you do something you don't want to do. And somewhere inside of him, he knows he didn't force you into this. But it was all still his idea, and he's nearly killed himself with watching over you and blaming himself. I almost had to force-feed him that sleeping concoction; until last night, he hadn't left your side. And when he does wake up and realizes what I did to him," Luke whistled, "there will be hell to pay."

Rey was sorry to hear of Ben's self-condemnation, but she couldn't resist a smile at the thought of a vengeful Ben coming after Luke for making him sleep. And to know he wouldn't willingly leave her alone rekindled a warmth in her breast. She longed to see him, to see the light in his eyes and tell him what she hadn't been able to before, that she was proud of him and that she loved him. He knew the second part, of course, but she had wanted so desperately to say it when she had been sure death held her in its grip, that she would not hesitate to say it again when he did appear.

"He may wish to hide you in the folds of his cloak going forward," Luke alluded to Ben's starry myth with another mischievous quirk of his mouth.

Rey thought that, given her current state, her body wouldn't be able to produce a blush, but that was apparently a fool's hope. "So are you coming around to his way of thinking, then?" she asked in an attempt to steer Luke away from more personal observations.

"I'm considering it. He's given me ample proof of the lengths a man will go to in order to protect the queen he loves." Luke would not be steered away, it seemed.

Rey pressed her lips together in embarrassment. "How long have you known?"

"Known?" he repeated. "I've known only three days. The way he refused to leave you, the castigation, the longing looks, the times I found him holding your hand - that all made it fairly obvious."

"But . . ." she prompted.

"But . . . I suspected from the day Chewie brought you to my door and you told me what Ben had done for you. I knew he had to have significant motivation to break the chains that Snoke bound him with, and him being in love with you was a plausible explanation. As for you, I wasn't quite sure of what you thought of him. I wondered when you asked me about being attracted to the wrong person if you were thinking of Ben, but you might recall I told you not to name names. But later you made me talk about him, and I could tell that, even if you weren't in love with him, you had an uncommon interest in him."

He smiled awkwardly. "So I can't say I'm surprised by this turn of events."

"He doesn't want me to love him," Rey said somberly.

Luke sobered. "I know how that feels. What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know yet. I love him, and I want him to stay with me, but I can't . . ."

"Go into seclusion," he finished ironically. "You've got some decisions to make still."

She nodded.

"But first, you need to mend," Luke said a little more firmly, rising to his feet. "And considering how long you've managed to keep up a conversation, I have high hopes that you'll make a full recovery. But we'll leave it to the physician to declare it officially."

Rey leaned back again into her pillow, allowing the weariness to take her over again now that the discussion had come to a close. Luke began to tiptoe his way out of the room.

And then a door slammed out in the hall, and she raised her head quickly.

"Luke!" a familiar voice shouted out, and Luke halted in the doorway, sending her a pointed look.

"Luke, what did you give me?" Ben appeared suddenly, towering over his uncle in an indignant fury. His hair was wild, his clothes were rumpled, and his face was contorted in rage; Rey had never been so happy to see him in her life. "What were you -" he cut off at the long-suffering look Luke was giving him, and whirled to face her, his eyes wide with frantic hope.

She pushed herself feebly and unsuccessfully into a better sitting position, meeting his gaze with a shy smile that was quickly threatening to devolve into tears. He spluttered incoherently for a split second, and then launched himself across the room. He made it to her in three long strides, and cast himself on the bed, his arms wrapped around her middle and his face buried in her blanketed lap.

"Thank God," he muttered into the blankets, and his body began to shake with uncontrolled sobs. Rey's tears fell more quietly as she stroked his hair, wearing a grateful smile that would not budge as she looked upon this great-hearted man who had borne so much for her sake. In her heart, she repeated the words he uttered.

Thank you, Lord.

The next few days passed in a surreal haze. Rey was confined to her bed as strength slowly trickled back into her limbs. It was not a circumstance she enjoyed, being entirely unused to simply lying about, and she grew a little irritable at the necessity. She certainly had never slept so much in her life, and she felt like a useless worm, no matter how often Ben and the others assured her otherwise. It was easy for them to say; they were free to move about if they so desired.

Not that Ben strayed very far from her room. He made himself a permanent fixture at her side, reading to her from a myriad of books he'd found who-knew-where and keeping an unshakable hold on her hand. It was as though he was afraid she would vanish into thin air if he was not touching her. She had no complaints, of course. When she was feeling cooped up, his thumb caressing her knuckles was one of the few gestures guaranteed to soothe her. Exhausted as she was those first few days, his deep lilt often sent her off into untroubled sleep. And when she awoke again, he was always there. Sometimes asleep himself. She would watch him in quiet adoration until he awoke, which was nearly as restful as sleeping herself.

Ben was not the only one to keep her company. Finn, Luke, and Chewie were regular visitors, though the latter two were savvy enough to recognize that their presence was not required beyond sharing the latest reports from the south and asking her opinion on what orders to send as the armies dispersed and the fate of her nation was in an understandable state of uncertainty. Finn was a little less discerning, and often Chewie had to strong-arm him into giving Rey and Ben privacy. Rey appreciated his efforts, although her mind was sent into a tumble as the official requests began pouring in; as she lay there, barely moving, the nation she had fought for actually had fallen into her lap. She may not wear the crown as yet, but she was now sovereign.

This was totally unreal. Perhaps if she had been present with the armies or commanded great battles, she might feel more solidly that her goal was truly achieved. But now that she was expected to be queen, she felt totally adrift being so far removed from, well, everything. So many months of waiting had not prepared her for the feeling of actually winning. In her bed, it felt like pretending.

There was also a vague resentment that she wasn't allowed to properly rest and feel at peace before being bombarded with state affairs. Logically she knew that business must be attended to, but personally she didn't want to use her brain right away. Luke seemed to understand this, and was adept at couching suggestions in a way that she could simply agree while making it seem as though his suggestions originated from her. This was a relief; it allowed her to keep her mind and heart where she preferred it to be, however temporarily she knew she could avoid full responsibility.

"I shouldn't avoid the responsibility, though," she said to Ben one rainy evening as she rested her head against his chest. He had found a way around the "confined to bed" rule by carrying her to the window seat and cradling her to him, she wrapped in her bedclothes. They had spent many an evening in such an attitude, even after she was able to take tentative steps on her own, in speech and silence, reveling in the simple feel of holding each other.

"I asked for it. I demanded it," she reflected. "And now that I have it, all I want is to stay put?"

She felt the rumble in his chest as he chuckled. "You don't want to stay put. You hate staying put."

She wrinkled her nose. "Well, I'm not in a hurry to be in the thick of things, that's all. And that's not fair. The people need me; this peace won't last if it's left unanchored, and I need to start actually making decisions, and not let Luke guide me by my leading-strings."

Ben sighed. "You're not giving yourself enough credit. Or mercy. You've been through something here, and whatever your responsibilities are, it's also important that you're in a fit state to lead. Besides, you won't be satisfied putting off your duty for too long. You're already restless, and that will eventually extend to royal activities as well as physical ones."

"You think so?"

"I know it. And this strange pretending feeling will pass once you're in the thick of it, too. You'll have plenty to remind you this isn't pretend."

Rey snuggled into him deeper, and his arms tightened around her. The window they looked out of was on the cliff-side of the castle, and she could see the fields and distant waters of the lake. They were truly beginning to grow green, and she enjoyed seeing the gradual change of the season work its magic on the flora.

"I just want to stay here and see what the Lake Country looks like in full bloom."

"That might take longer than your people will allow," he replied.

"Have you seen it?" She peered up at him. "I mean, I assume you've seen it. You've seen more of my country than I have."

He nodded. "I have. Not that I had the time to enjoy it, but it is beautiful. The grasslands grow wild, and there are a few hidden waterfalls south of this valley you should see. Even from here, you'd be able to enjoy the view. That field below will be a riot of color, yellow and purple and white, and the lake will glitter like a sapphire in the sun."

Rey smiled secretly to herself; it was not just the stars that turned Ben into a storyteller.

"And I'll miss it all."

"You can come back when things are better settled," he assured her.

"Oh, yes, just come back, as though I'm not already intruding," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Rey," Ben said in amazed tones, "has no one told you that this house is yours?"

She lifted her head to look at him more closely. "No," she said, drawing her voice out skeptically.

He nodded firmly. "This is the Palpatine holding, the one that pre-dates the family's ascent to the throne. Do you remember one of the emperor's unofficial titles?"

Oh. "The Tyrant of the Northern Mountains."

"No one in Naboo knew where the family home was, just that it was near the mountains. That's why so much effort was put into keeping the Gungans from moving too far north. And considering the tactics employed to keep them in check, no one else was eager to try and find it. It's unknown how much the family themselves actually came here once they took power."

Rey rested her head on his chest again. "And now it's mine." Even now, there was still so much to learn, even about her family. Although, outside of her unresolved questions about her parents, she didn't want to know much. To be shackled to that name still grated at her.

"And speaking of family homes," he said, shifting her around so she had to sit up straight and look at him. He looked especially serious, and Rey braced herself.

"I need to go back to Alderaan."

Rey inhaled quickly, sitting up even taller. Ben took her hands in his, looking down at them as he continued.

"There's still so much . . ." he exhaled heavily. "So much to fix. So much to make right. And much of that is here, but I need to start at home. With my mother. She deserves that."

"So do you," Rey said gently, and Ben looked up at her again. She drew one of her hands out of his grasp and caressed his troubled face. This was one of those responsibilities she had wanted to avoid, but it was only right that Ben make this journey of reparation and reconciliation. Although she had to admit to herself that the thought of being separated from him made her want to weep. "You need to go."

He nodded, his eyes a swirl of gratitude and sorrow. He bent his head again and brought her hand to his lips in a fervent kiss.

"For how long, do you think?"

He kept his gaze down. "I don't know. It will take some time. I don't know where I stand with her."

"She will welcome you back with open arms," Rey asserted, squeezing his hand. "I know she will. She's missed you so much. I'm sure it's been so hard for her not to come here herself."

Ben gave a few small nods of acknowledgment.

"Will you go to Aldera?"

He took a deep breath and looked up, his expression now uncertain. "Not sure. Probably. But I hope we can go to Chandrila. I think I might still hold that title, actually." He scratched at his forehead. "I'm not sure what titles I hold these days. Definitely not Crown Prince. I got demoted to just Prince from that one, I know."

"Where's Chandrila?" Rey asked, her lips twitching in amusement at him speaking so casually of noble titles, like they were fruit handed out at a bazaar.

"It's in southeast Alderaan. Borders along the Great River, close to Hosnia and Bespin. I never spent much time there, but it's the closest thing we have to a family home."

"Then I hope you can go there, too." Rey began to chew the inside of her lip, wondering if she should dare ask her next question.

"What is it?" he asked with a fond, teasing smile.

"You . . ." she hesitated nervously. "You will return, won't you?"

To her relief, he nodded immediately. "I have no plans to leave you permanently."

"And then we -" she began hopefully.

"Rey," he interrupted, his voice weary. "We've talked about this. I can't be . . . I shouldn't be your consort."

"Ben, hardly anyone knows what you used to be," she argued, wishing she could convince him. "Rose hasn't even guessed, and she's always with us, or Finn or Chewie or Luke. Leia even told me ages ago that no one ever made that connection. To the Realms, I would be taking Ben Solo, prince of Alderaan."

"Even if nobody made the connection," he replied, shaking his head, "even if you didn't have to face the judgment and scrutiny of others, I still know. I still carry that with me."

"But you're not that man anymore. You can't dispute me on that," she held up an accusatory finger, halting his argument. "You said it yourself. You told Snoke exactly who you are."

Ben grabbed her finger. "I know what I said; I'm not going back on that. But I am still the man who helped terrorize your people. I have a long way to go before I'll have made up for everything I did. And until I do, I can't ask for your hand."

"So then what will you do?" Rey demanded. "Come back to Naboo, but stay away from me while you spend the rest of your life making up for your past?"

"No, I couldn't stay away from you," he said, gripping her hands again. "I thought at first that would be my path, but then I almost lost you, Rey. I watched you nearly die in front of me, and I knew that if you lived - by some miracle, if you lived - I could never leave you alone. I would dedicate my life to you, to your safety."

"But not as my husband."

He averted his eyes and shook his head.

Rey shook her head in confusion. "So you would return and be . . . what, the captain of my guard? How is that any better than you leaving me? How is it better for us to spend our lives together and yet not together, always longing for each other? That is nonsense, Ben."

Amazingly, he would not be riled into raising his voice. He loosened his grip on her fingers and drew back, his face sadly resolved. "Would you force me into a marriage when I don't feel worthy of it?"

Her frustration quickly was blanketed with sorrow. How deeply his guilt ran. "No. I wouldn't force you. But this vision of the future isn't what I would pick."

His eyes flicked down and up. "It's the best I can offer right now."

This time she voiced aloud her inner response, gentle but firm. "We'll see."

A/N: Your responses to the last chapter were simply overwhelming in the best way. And my slightly evil husband told me that I should wait to post this chapter and just keep you all in suspense. I will admit there was a tiny part of me that laughed at the idea, but I would not take his advice. So, be glad it's me writing this story and not him. ;)

And I know this chapter doesn't end on a wonderful note, but well . . . even in a fantasy story where there will be conveniences to get to a happy ending, I still have to acknowledge that some things can't be fixed overnight.