A/N: Oh, my goodness, it's the end. This story evolved to be so much more than I initially expected, and it's been nerve-wracking and exceptionally fun. Thank you so much for your support and comments; they've really given me a huge boost. Now, onto the long-awaited conclusion, complete with fluff, banter, a bit of steam, and that happily ever after we all crave. Thanks again!

Rey almost immediately began to cry as Ben crushed her to him. She hadn't known how many emotions she could feel at once, the loneliness of the last few months all the more potent in contrast to the relief and gratitude that she was in his presence again. Hope that Leia's intimations meant that Ben was here to stay with her as she wished. Excitement and pleasure and freedom from every trouble that had weighed her down. Everything released from her in wracking sobs, and she clutched at him while burying her face into his shoulder.

Ben was patient, holding her steady as she shuddered against him, waiting for the storm to pass. As the sobs began to dim and she stopped shaking, he brushed his lips over her hair and his hands stroked her back in soothing circles. The reminder of his gentle touch sent sparks through her while also calming her. It was all very contradictory, but Rey didn't mind either feeling. She adjusted her hands to hold him more securely, and the last of her tremblings died away as she breathed her first real, plentiful breaths in months.

"Rey," he uttered softly, his inviting murmur bringing her head around to meet him. There was no hungry fervor, but also no hesitation as he bent his head and kissed her long and deeply. It was a kiss that was passionate, yet still; intense, yet peaceful. It was a kiss that felt like home.

When they parted, but not without a few short pecks to reassure themselves that this wasn't a dream, Ben met her gaze regretfully. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

Rey was caught off-guard at this bizarre opening statement. "What? That was nothing to apologize for," she assured him with a teasing smile.

He returned her smile with a rakish expression. "I hope not." They laughed softly for a moment, and he allowed his forehead to rest against hers. "But I am. Sorry," he reiterated seriously.

She stroked his hair, running it slowly between her fingers. "What for?"

"For those ghastly letters," he replied promptly.

"Mine weren't any better," she assured him quickly.

"For leaving the way I did. And," he paused, a familiar self-loathing in his eyes, though it had lessened in severity, "that for some reason I still can't get that blasted lesson through my head."

Rey cocked her head curiously.

"That I can't be right about everything," he clarified with a steady, penetrating look into her eyes.

Rey thought she knew what he meant, and her chest began to heave a little; she hoped desperately that she didn't misunderstand him. "What were you wrong about?"

"About myself. About us and what staying apart would really be like," he said, strengthening his gaze on her, and her breast felt tense and light all at once. "But I was wrong. And I'm sorry."

Her eyes warmed, her smile tender as she laid her hand to rest on his cheek. Hadn't he known that she was never truly angry with him? Frustrated she had been, but she always knew why he felt as he did, which made the next words easy. "I forgive you."

He gave a tiny jolt of surprise. "Just like that? You forgive me?"

If it was possible to laugh and shake him at once, she would do it. In fact, she could do both, so she did, but none too sharply. Leia had asked her to take care of him, after all, and the possibility that he was offering himself to her despite his deep-rooted demons made her grateful and impatient at the same time. "Ben, do you really want us to be debating right this moment? It's been months, and I forgive you, and I hope you'll forgive me, and I don't want to waste time arguing now that we're finally together again."

Her voice had lost its breathy quality as she gave him that mild scolding, and somehow it was effective in banishing Ben's remaining incredulity. He gave her an impish smirk before drawing her to his mouth again. Shorter kisses, perhaps, but more playful than that initial reunion kiss, and even a little provocative. Rey truly had to catch her breath when he pulled back again.

That impish curve of his mouth remained. "What do I need to forgive you about?"

"Well, I wasn't terribly understanding," she said contritely, and the curve to his lips dimmed. "You carry a weight with you that I wanted to just set aside; all I could do was be selfish. And you weren't trying to hurt me, not really. You were trying to help me understand that you were thinking of my future as Naboo's queen."

He shook his head with a lenient expression, but she spoke before he could absolve her of responsibility. "Now before you contradict me and tell me I wasn't so bad, you need to know that sometimes I wanted to march into Alderaan, find you and the nearest trough, and throw you in," she admitted.

His shoulders shook in a silent laugh at that. "You think you could have lifted me?"

"I would have tried," she asserted.

He seemed even more amused at the obstinate look on her face, and then bent to kiss her again. "That certainly would have been an entertaining strategy to win an argument. But I will say, I don't think you need to resort to that kind of violence. I kind of like arguing with you the way we already go about it."

"Oh?" she replied archly.

"I enjoy it much more than arguing with my mother. You want to know why?" She lifted an eyebrow. "Because you actually give me the respect to let me argue my side of things. Leia does not allow me the same privilege," he told her frankly.

"In general, or because you're her son?"

He raised his eyebrows in skeptical inquiry. "Have you ever won an argument with her?"

Rey hesitated. Her mind was agreeably engaged by the feel of his arms encircling her, and it was reluctant to think of anything else. So she wasn't able to determine any time she might have debated anything with Leia. But she could believe it would have been a fruitless effort if she'd ever really tried.

Ben explained the process, trying to sound morose but utterly failing. He clearly spoke in admiration. "She's very good at talking over you and not allowing you to get a word in edgewise, so you're forced to just listen to her lecture, and no matter how much you might disagree at first, she always makes you come around to her way of thinking. She's a force of nature that cannot be contained. And what she says always ends up making sense."

"Such as?"

He caught her gaze again in that steady, meaningful look. "That it's well and good for me to want to make reparations for my past, but it's ridiculous to think I can't do that at the side of the woman I love."

Rey had to remind herself to breathe.

"And that I would be better able to make amends if I was 'at the queen's right hand'. Better equipped, better supported, all of that. She made a list, actually, of exactly how each wrong I did could be better corrected if I accepted the position."

"You make it sound as though I've offered you employment."

A corner of his mouth lifted. "In a sense. There are duties and responsibilities I would take on, after all. Rectifying my offenses would have to be encompassed in that."

Rey nodded slowly.

"She also told me that I shouldn't ignore the advantages of my new-sprung reputation, however undeserving of it I am."

"Not undeserving," she said decisively.

He ducked his head. "Not entirely, but it's still not wholly based on truth. But maybe, it would be enough so that your rule would not be too tainted by me."

Rey bit the inside of her lip, fighting back more arguments in his favor. He spoke far more hopefully than she had ever heard from him, but she sensed he wasn't in a state to listen to more adulation. And there was no doubt that they really were standing on the brink; she wouldn't jeopardize that for anything. "Did Leia say anything else that made sense?"

That rakish smirk appeared on his face again. "That I'm fooling myself if I thought that both of us were going to control ourselves if you agreed to my conditions four months ago." Rey ducked her head in a deep flush at Ben's words, but he wouldn't allow her to avert her eyes, and tilted her chin up. "You said it yourself, that it's foolish to long for each other when we're both right there. I know I would eventually give in."

An image of Ben lying above her, pinning her under his strong body, flitted through her mind, further inflaming the red in her cheeks, and she confessed, "So would I."

His eyes had darkened as they roamed over her, but he merely nodded at her admission. "So if we're not going to keep our hands off each other, we may as well be sanctioned properly."

His phrasing made her chuckle, dispelling a little of her blush. "And that's why you will now agree to marriage? To sanction our . . . activities?" She still couldn't quite imagine speaking as bluntly about intimate relations as Delphine did, and settled for vague substitutions.

Ben's expression sobered and he replied earnestly. "No. I want to be your husband. More than anything my mother said, the unbelievable pain of missing you these last few months convinced me that I couldn't be satisfied with less. There's a long way to go for me, and there are risks, but I'm willing to face them with you. If you still want me."

Rey was struck again in the chest at his heartfelt declaration. "Of course I do. I want to be your wife, come what may."

They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, and Rey felt as though the very air held its breath. Had they just determined their future? Was it really that easy?

"Is that it?" she asked shyly. "Are we betrothed now?" She smiled playfully. "Was that your proposal?"

Ben drew back from her fully, holding only her hand in an exaggerated, proper manner. "In such cases as these, protocol dictates that it is for a sovereign to formally propose marriage when a suitor presents himself as a viable candidate."

"A viable candidate?" she repeated ironically.

"A worthy partner."

Rey's smile faded a little. Months before he had used that word, proclaiming himself unworthy of her hand. It was not insignificant that he used that word again. "You turned me down before," she reminded him.

"You never formally proposed," he pointed out matter-of-factly.

"So . . ." she trailed off, and bit the inside of her lip. Why were there still nerves fluttering in her belly? "Do you accept?"

"Yes," he answered, the gleam in his eye exciting her despite his serious tone. "I do."

And he pulled her close again.

After several minutes, they finally broke apart, panting heavily and rearranging their dishevelled hair (and in Ben's case, re-tying the front of his waistcoat, that had somehow become partially undone).

Rey adopted a business-like manner to regain some control over her body. "Well, there's a lot to do. We'd better find Mitaka and make the necessary arrangements."

"Mitaka?" Ben looked up as he finished the task of reordering himself.

Rey began to walk toward the door. "The new archbishop. He's conducting the coronation, and now we need to tell him he's conducting a wedding, as well. He won't argue; I think he'll be too afraid to."

Ben's whole body jerked in shock. "A wedding? What -"

Rey whirled around. "You just agreed. You're already going back on it?" she challenged with a raised eyebrow.

"No, but -"

Rey crossed back over to him, laying a firm hand on his chest. "I'm not taking the chance that you're going to talk yourself out of this. And I don't want to wait any longer to be married to you; I've got to claim you while I can." She hopped again toward the door. "And besides, we've already got a crowd gathered. What's the point of bringing all these people back again? It's perfect."

"Rey, slow down," he followed her warily.

"Well, and then there's the question of what should come first, the wedding ceremony or the coronation. Unless we can mash them together in one," she considered, tapping her fingers against the handle.

Ben stood before her, his eyes boring into hers. "You really want this?" he asked, searching her face.

"Yes," she replied determinedly. "I really want this. I will never not want this." She placed another decisive kiss on his lips.

Ben shook his head in bemusement, and he sounded totally surprised as he said, "All right. Let's find Mitaka."

Rey beamed triumphantly. "Good. And I'll ask him his opinion on what should come first, especially since I want to be certain I'm crowned under the proper name."

Ben's hand shot out and stopped her from turning the handle. "Wait, wait . . . proper name?"

Again, Rey was determined, no matter the argument. "Well, if I have a chance to shed myself of the Palpatine name, I'm going to take it."

Ben stood still, his expression pensive as he took in her words. "So you'd . . ."

"Take your name," she finished for him.

Ben looked like he wanted to argue, but wasn't sure how to begin.

"This is a problem?" she asked. Another one?

"You'll have opponents on that decision," he said carefully.

"I have opponents on every decision; I'm getting used to it," she asserted blithely.

"One of them will be my mother."

That did make her start. "What?"

"She didn't take my father's name. She kept the name of the royal house. She'll tell you you're setting a dangerous precedent, a female sovereign submitting to her husband's name."

Rey considered for a moment, then searched his face herself. "Do you think I'm submitting to you?"

His lips curled suggestively, and he grazed his fingers down her neck. He leaned in, his lips hovering just over hers. "Not yet."

Rey's breath caught in her throat. After years of failing to understand the carnal impulse, now she was so susceptible to this mutual desire that even a few minutes of delicious caresses weren't enough to hold her. Leia had been right that Rey and Ben couldn't have possibly avoided a bed (or a wall, for that matter) for long. "Don't try to distract me," she ordered breathily. "There'll be plenty of time for that once we're wed." A corner of his smile deepened as he stood up straight, and Rey was able to remember what they had just been discussing.

"Ben," she said deliberately. "I don't want to be associated with that name anymore. I won't deny that it's the family I'm descended from, but it's a relic of the past. There is a future ahead of us that I want to make new. I want a name to be proud of, a name that we share." She took his hand in hers. "Do you remember what you told me, that first night in the cave? After I told you about Liecia? Do you remember what you said?"

He didn't take long to answer. "You're not alone."

A comforting warmth enveloped her at the repetition. "Neither are you. We're taking these steps together. I want the name I bear to show that."

"You don't think 'Rey Solo' sounds like a smuggler?" he remarked skeptically.

"I think 'Rey Solo' sounds like 'Ben Solo's wife'. It sounds like 'Ben Solo's family'. That's what we're starting."

He stared at her in amazement for a few moments before leaning down to kiss her again.

"You're still going to have to convince my mother," he stated against her lips.

"Well, then, it's a good thing we're in Naboo, and I am the queen here."

To Ben's surprise, Leia hardly fought the name issue at all. She was so delighted that they were proceeding quickly that her mild disapproval lasted for scant seconds. She immediately insisted on taking charge of any modifications to the coronation celebrations, and Rey got to witness firsthand what Ben had just told her about Leia's ability to lecture people into her way of thinking.

In a matter of perhaps an hour, Leia had worked out the ceremonial details with Mitaka (who Rey had been right about being too timid to protest the additional responsibilities), met with the necessary artisans who might quickly create an appropriate coronet for Ben (which he protested strongly, but Leia had entirely ignored him rather than bother arguing), strong-armed the palace steward into ordering more food for the ball so that it might double as a wedding banquet (a day's advance was more than sufficient, she claimed), and led Rey through an inspection of the private family rooms so that plans for refurbishment could be made. Leia was very firm on the subject of potential grandchildren; she absolutely expected them.

Leia's efficiency aside, Rey and Ben still had hardly a moment to themselves. The day was already far gone by the time they had been reunited, and there was still the little matter of coronation duties, which included a rehearsal of the ceremony with the stuttering archbishop, an appearance in the capital square, and the feast to attend. Rey had been looking forward to it, anyway, but her pleasure in the evening was elevated as Ben sat by her side, whispering into her ear and seeing to her every comfort.

The toasts she had been dreading were no longer so repugnant since their focus wasn't solely on her. Leia rose first and announced the marriage of her son, Prince of Alderaan and Duke of Chandrila (so he did still hold that title, Rey thought), to the Queen of Naboo. So every goblet that was raised to her was now also raised to him. Ben hated the attention even more than she did, a consequence of being out of practice in such gatherings as well as his belief that he didn't deserve any praise or accolades. Chewie gave a toast that made the tips of Ben's ears turn pink, and he sent a death glare to warn Luke away from following suit. Luke wisely remained seated.

Rey didn't bother to inform Ben that his behavior, so focused toward her and so dismissive of the attention, only piqued the public's interest in him. Luke's report of Ben's reputation had been highly accurate. Ben held a certain heroic mystique, one that worked to his advantage, since it made the people more benevolent as they speculated on the reasons for his behavior. His blatant repulsion of public notice, for example, could have been considered rude, but was attributed to shyness. He might need to work on that as the years passed, she thought privately. Another fight for another day. Right now, she focused on his flattering fixation on her. In fact, she reveled in it, considering how long he had resisted showing her any sign of his adoration. There was no concealment now, from either one of them.

As the revelers began to disperse and they were not subject to such close scrutiny, Ben stole her away to the moonlit courtyard. There, nearly in the very spot he had watched her dance a year before, he alternated between adoring words and alluring kisses that severely tested her self-control. When he asked her to keep her balcony window unlocked that night, she agreed before she knew what she was doing, and the thought of what he might have in mind made her body tense in excited apprehension as she awaited him.

As it happened, Ben had no plans to seduce her that night. To avoid the guards in the corridors, he scaled the outer wall with the same ease he had done that memorable night in Aldera, dashing and dangerous. But he did not pull her to her bed, only out onto the balcony. It was one of those rare late-summer nights in Naboo that the skies were not covered in stormy clouds, and he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to watch the stars together.

Rey settled onto the gravelly floor of the balcony and backed up against Ben's chest, his knees on either side of her and his arms wrapped around her. She shivered and he adjusted the folds of his green cloak (which he claimed concealed him better than that princely cape, but she suspected he wore tonight because she had grown terribly fond of it) to cover her more fully.

"I can't see Ren and Kira from my room," she said softly, looking up at the sky. "My window faces the wrong direction."

"You are the queen, you know," he replied, his breath tickling her ear. "If you want to switch rooms, there is no one to stop you."

"It seemed such a little thing to be bothered by; I didn't want to put anyone out."

"Well, you are getting a husband, and it seems to me that we'll need a proper suite that's big enough for the two of us, so now you have your excuse. If you want the right view of the sky, you should get it."

"Are you happy, Ben?" she asked suddenly, a little grateful that she couldn't see his face.

There was silence for a while. "I'm with you," he replied, his voice husky. "That's more than I deserve."

"But does that make you happy?" she pressed. "This path you're on, I want it to lead to your happiness. I want to see you really smile."

"Rey, look at me," he said seriously, and she tilted her head to the side to meet his eyes as best she could. "You shouldn't shoulder the burden of my happiness."

"I'll be your wife in less than a day, Ben. I think it's usual for husbands and wives to wish for each other's happiness, and try to make each other so. Don't you want to make me happy?"

"Yes," he conceded her point. "But I don't want you to think you've failed if there are days I just can't be made happy. And there will be those days. I can't just snap my fingers and forget my past. For your sake, I wish I could. It will always be there, and I will always be trying to make up for it. Often that will mean a painful day, or more."

"I know." She paused. "There might be days I can't be made happy, either."

He chuckled. "You're right. There will be days when we just put up with each other."

She snuggled back into him. "Right now that's hard to imagine, even for me."

"Me, too."

"But even on the worst days, we won't leave each other. We won't give up on each other," she said confidently, then hesitated. "Right?"

"I won't leave you," he assured her quietly.

"Good. Because we're better together than apart." Rey looked back up at the stars, wondering which constellations Ben hadn't told her about yet.

He broke the silence after a minute or two. "I am happy. Right now. With you. You . . . make me happier than I ever knew I could be." Rey's lower lip began to tremble and her eyes filled with tears. "I love you, Rey. I love your compassion, and your bravery. I love that you won't give up on me, even if I can't always understand why. I just . . ." his voice disappeared into emotion. "I just love you."

Rey couldn't speak at first for the joy that filled her nearly to the point of pain. A tear dropped onto her cheek, but she wouldn't shift any part of herself out of his arms to wipe it away.

"I love you, Ben," she murmured. "I love your devotion and the way you spin a story. I love your ferocity and your will to defend. I know that agreeing to all this hasn't been simple or easy, but thank you for wanting to make me happy. You do. I'm happy right now with you, too."

Ben tipped her head back again to kiss her, tears mingling with their lips. And when they had watched the stars so long that her head began to droop, he carried her back to her bed and tucked her in with gentle hands. When she awoke in the morning, she could still feel the press of his mouth on her brow.

Rey had expected the day of the coronation to be hectic, and once she and Ben piled a wedding on top of it, she expected it to be downright chaotic. So she was surprised that the morning was fairly sedate. She was not rousted out of bed the minute the sun broke as she had predicted, and the hours passed in a leisurely manner. Ben was nowhere to be seen, but Leia told her he was well in hand and taking care of the responsibilities that had been thrust on him by her impulsive decision the afternoon before.

Leia and Maz kept her company, sharing stories of pirate ships and diplomatic battles. Rey tried not to show how much more interesting the pirate stories were to her, lest she offend her future mother-in-law. Delphine dropped in, handing her a box tied with a linen ribbon, and telling her with a ribald smirk to open it that night before bed. Rey blushed heartily, while Maz laughed loudly. Maz and Delphine were two peas in a pod as they encouraged her to be more open and forward, declaring that her groom would have no complaints if she was. Rey tried not to be too mortified by the more direct things they said, but she did feel her nerves quaking in her stomach all the same. She may be ready to share Ben's bed, but that didn't change the fact that she had never done so before, and knowing the mechanics of it didn't make her any less of a novice.

She and Leia were left alone after a while, though, a courtesy Leia had asked for the evening before. Leia directed Rey to sit on the stool at her vanity, and for a moment Rey was afraid that now was when Leia would give her advice about her wedding night. But as Leia began combing her hair, Rey realized Leia had something else in mind entirely. Leia parted Rey's hair into strips and began weaving and braiding them in intricate patterns. She didn't say anything at first, her concentration never wavering from Rey's hair, and Rey felt strongly this was a solemn rite, so she remained silent, as well.

At length, Leia finally began speaking. "Occasionally I wondered," she said, eyes still on her task, "what it would have been like to have a daughter. Han, for all his wonderful qualities, wasn't enamored of our braiding tradition, and kept his hair too short for me to work at, anyway. Ben was self-conscious about his ears, so his hair was always long enough to hide them, and long enough for me to do something with. But as we grew apart, he wouldn't sit for me. So this is something I haven't done for a long time, at least not for somebody else, and never for a daughter."

She tied off a braid with a thin silver ribbon and laid her hands on Rey's shoulders. "Thank you for loving him, and for giving him a second chance at life. These last few months have been so wonderful for me. Difficult beyond belief sometimes, but wonderful, and I only wish . . ." She brushed away a rogue tear. "I'm afraid words just aren't enough. But thank you for my son. And thank you for letting me do this for you. You are a part of our family now, and I couldn't be happier."

Rey couldn't let Leia's words go unanswered, but words failed her, so she stood and hugged her close for a long time. Then, with embarrassed laughs they helped each other wipe their tears away, and Rey was set back down.

The only advice Leia gave her was as she tied off the final ribbon. "Let Ben take your hair down. Trust me."

As leisurely as the morning had been, the momentous afternoon was a blur in which only curious details stayed with her. The heavy weight of the coronation crown on her head. The sweat dripping off of Mitaka's forehead as he painstakingly recited the ritual words. The silver that was threaded through Ben's black waistcoat, meant to match the ribbons in her hair. The itch on her nose that she desperately wanted to scratch when the silent audience rose to their feet to honor her. Chewie's loud guffaw echoing over the din of the people when the ceremonies were finally done. The humid air that made her sweat when she made her presentation to the citizenry outside the palace.

The flash in Ben's eyes when he first beheld her in her gown. The touch of his hand when he knelt before her and swore his fealty, honor, and devotion. His caress when he slipped the simple silver band over her second finger. Just Ben, really.

And when the pomp was over, she was a queen. She was a wife. She belonged to the people, and she belonged to Ben.

The ball that followed it all was far more enjoyable than the stiff rituals that had bound her to her chosen fate. Rey allowed the tension to slip from her shoulders as Ben slumped into his chair beside her and ripped the thin coronet from his hair. Rey smothered a grin; she thought he had looked quite fetching in it, really, but she couldn't blame him for casting it aside. It wasn't as though she wanted to wear that cumbersome crown much longer, either.

The banquet that Leia ordered was done quickly and without fanfare, as the guests were more interested in mingling and movement rather than being forced into more sitting after a whole afternoon of it. A couple more toasts were made to queen and consort, but not nearly as many as the previous night, and Rey was much happier accepting individual congratulations from the well-wishers that passed by her and her husband.

Her husband, she repeated to herself in amazement.

Her husband claimed the privilege of first dance, which she gladly accepted, but again she felt totally unprepared. One of these days she would have to learn the traditional steps that the Naboo and Alderaanian courtiers knew from childhood. Fortunately, Ben had supported her insistence that they not be forced to display themselves alone on the ballroom floor, and in the crowd of dancers he guided her along discreetly. She tripped a couple of times, but he was always there to catch her, and the experience was so pleasant she contemplated tripping on purpose. Ben's arms were possibly her favorite feature. They certainly gave his eyes some competition.

When the first dance was ended, Ben reluctantly handed her off to Lando, who had come to claim the dance she had never actually agreed to. He was a little more vocal about her mistakes, but never unkind, and she enjoyed herself, spinning under his arm and finding Ben on the edge of the floor, always watching.

A few more dances had to be spared to others, Luke and Chewie and Finn, plus a couple of other dignitaries who would not be dissuaded. But as the evening progressed, Ben became more possessive, deftly steering Rey far from anybody else who threatened to take her away from him. When they danced again, he held her closer, and the heat of the room made her dizzy in his hands. General chatter and gaiety began to fade into the background, growing more distant each time she met his eyes. The intensity was becoming overwhelming, and, nervous as she was, still she thought that if they had to wait much longer to be alone, she might just throw caution to the wind and order him to carry her out over his shoulder.

Whether it was coincidence or divine design, the focus on her and Ben slowly began to dwindle, the guests talking more amongst themselves than seeking her out. And that was when Ben made his move. He was subtle at first, simply taking her hand and casually strolling about the edge of the ballroom. But the instant they neared an exit, he yanked her out and broke into a dead run, Rey breathlessly laughing at his heels.

They rounded into a dimly-lit corridor, and he pinned her against the wall, unable to restrain himself. For a few exquisitely impassioned moments, his luscious mouth assailed hers, and his hands were not content to remain in only one location. Rey's breaths quickly turned into gasps, and she could hardly stand with the eager way her body responded to him.

"Ben," she breathed between kisses, "Somebody could . . . still see . . ."

He growled against her lips, but obeyed her implicit plea and released his hold on her. She offered him her hand in a temporary compromise, and they walked, albeit very quickly, the rest of the way to her bedchamber.

Her demurral in the corridor had cooled a little of his desperate ardor, and the sight of the bed intensified Rey's nerves, so they didn't precisely attack each other once the door was shut. Instead, Ben took her face into his hands gently and caressed her lips with his. And when Rey led him to her vanity rather than the bed, he looked bewildered for only a moment before comprehending what it was she wanted him to do.

Untying the ribbons and unbinding her hair was a more swift task than braiding it had been, but Ben still took his time. His fingers massaged her scalp where her hair was freed, and he rarely looked away from her image in the mirror as he felt his way along. Rey began to understand why Leia had made this particular suggestion.

The anticipation aside, there was a solemnity to the process that mirrored the practice of braiding her hair in the first place. The braiding had bound her to tradition and family; the unbinding, the air growing heavy with want at each step, tied her to her husband. The thrumming in her body returned with each loosening of ribbon, and her breaths became short and fast the longer he took to unravel each braid. As he let the last strand fall, her lips parted as they stared at one another. In the mirror, she saw him kneel behind her and gather her hair to one side, laying the other side of her neck entirely bare.

He pressed a hot kiss against the sensitive skin, and she gasped, letting her head tilt to the opposite side. He took advantage of the opening, laying more kisses along her neck, and the rhythms of her body grew more frenzied as she yearned for more. Her sigh was enough signal for him, and he spun her around with great alacrity, allowing them to crash into each other. Hands fumbled at laces and kisses were punctuated by some awkward laughter and hurried apologies, but soon her remaining inhibitions were floating away with every fervent touch. When he carried her to the bed, she gladly surrendered to the unknown, no longer nervous or afraid. She was safe in Ben's arms.

Exhausted by the events of the past month, and satisfied by the fulfillment of passion, Rey easily drifted off to sleep. Some time in the night she awoke again, unused to the feeling of another body beside her in the bed, and nearly attacked on instinct. Fortunately, she remembered where she was and who was beside her once she realized that the bare chest she used as a pillow was Ben's. He woke up, as well, startled into his own warrior reflexes at her sudden movement. Their shared battle instincts prompted a few moments of slightly macabre humor, but once they sobered, they both realized their dilemma - they were wide awake. Ben didn't wait long to innocently suggest what they might do to tire themselves out again. They set to it hastily, and somehow more eagerly than before, since they were both now a little more used to the proceedings. Afterward Rey lay beside him in contentment, listening to his breathing steady into slumber.

It was then she remembered Delphine's still-wrapped gift, but she smiled slyly to herself that whatever it was could wait for a different day. Delphine's presumptuous assumption of Ben's aptitude as a lover was not far off the mark. Not that Rey had anything else to judge him by, but based on the cries he'd already managed to draw out from her, she was confident that she had no cause to complain.

It was not the sun that woke her up in the morning, but her husband, who was nibbling lightly on her earlobe. It tickled in a pleasant sort of way, but she couldn't help teasing as she opened her eyes and stretched. "You are insatiable, Ben Solo, did you know that?"

He turned her body to him and gave her a long-suffering look. "Nearly three years, Rey, don't forget that. Nearly three years I've wanted this and never thought it was possible." He gave her a searing kiss. "Won't you indulge your patient husband?"

She was not at all inclined to refuse him, but she wouldn't relent just yet. "Patient? Who dragged whom out of the ball last night?"

Ben was peppering her neck with light kisses now. "As though you weren't itching to get out of there yourself. Don't think I didn't see you."

"Who is sovereign here, I'd like to know?"

"In Naboo, or in our bed?" he breathed into her neck, and she giggled. To the first choice there was no doubt of the answer, but the second was still up for debate.

"But it's day now," she argued feebly, though with a blush when she remembered exactly how she had reacted to him in the middle of the night. "Won't somebody hear us? I didn't know I could be so noisy."

"I know," he spoke with great relish. "I enjoyed knowing that I am such a quick study."

"Really?"

He pulled back a little, peering down at her from his perch. "Really. It makes me happy to know you are," he said softly, skimming the tip of his forefinger down her arm.

"And how can I return the favor?" she asked with a provoking slant of her eyes.

He grunted. "You can stop talking and let me make love to my wife."

"Will you be as noisy as me?"

He smirked again. "I don't know. You've already set a pretty high standard."

"Mark my words, Ben Solo, I will learn how to make you . . . noisy," Rey tried to sound authoritative, but ended a little shyly as she couldn't come up with another word.

"I look forward to your research, Rey Solo," he replied before capturing her mouth with his.

Between kisses, Rey murmured breathily, "Ben?"

"What?" he growled impatiently, pulling back with exasperation.

She pressed her lips together to suppress a laugh. Once the temptation was gone, she smiled fondly and carded her fingers through his hair. "I love you."

He paused for a moment, the exasperation dying away into an expression that was almost pensive. Then he replied, the corners of his mouth twitching. "I know."

And Ben smiled. A real, honest-to-goodness, wide smile as he let out a breathy laugh of joy and humor. Rey had thought he was beautiful before, but now that she was finally granted this gift, he was dazzling. Her heart burst wide open and she pulled him to her.

Rey's imagination served her well. She could envision so much: peace and prosperity for her nation; holidays to the Lake Country where she would see the lake glitter like a sapphire; visits from long-time friends, loving queen mothers, and boisterous and grumpy uncles; rides on horses whose coats shone like obsidian; a child, then two, then more. She could see it all. But mostly she could see Ben at her side.

There would be more days like this, with unalloyed happiness and bright prospects. And there would be days that were dull in comparison. And then there would be days that were draining and awful and frustrating. But through them all, she knew that they would walk together.

Today was a good day, and right now, she had all she wanted.