Ben was nearly thirty and he knew it was time to find himself a wife. In his village, their custom was to take a young maiden and put her on your back and carry her to your home. Once she was in your home, she was married to you. Other villages found this custom to be strange and barbaric but his village took pride in having all the men be strong and fearless warriors.
Ben was a hunter, it was in his nature to partake in such sport.
His village held this marriage ritual once a year and once a year only.
There were so many beautiful maidens this year but none of them caught his attention. He had his eye for only one maiden, Rey, the adoptive daughter of the spinster healer Maz Kanata. He would have taken her earlier if he could but she was not of age to be taken until now. She was a beautiful girl and he knew it will be bloodshed to have her. Many men wanted her but Ben was confident in his skill and strength as a hunter.
Maidens hide this time of year and will put up a fight, which makes the whole custom more of a game. Men will even fight you to the death for the maiden and that makes it even more fun.
Ben was confident that Rey will not escape his grasp. He was determined to have her as his wife. He will not settle for less. The hunter had his eye on her for some time now, about five years. As a hunter, he constantly got injured and would go to the healers from time to time. Rey was the adoptive daughter of Maz Katana, the most respected healer. He would see Rey in passing whenever he was being treated. He never spoke to her when she was young for she was always training and he didn't want to interrupt. She was a sweet child, bright and constantly smiling and he liked that before even knowing why. He was older than her, didn't think much of seeing a healer's child being a child. He has fond memories of a healer tending to his wound as he watched in the background little Rey tend to the plants or play with her doll. It was painful getting a wound treated but he never noticed the pain when he saw her. She was such a warm presence and he wanted to always be around her. As she got older, he understood then that he liked her. Once she became a healer at fifteen, he requested her and only her.
He goes to the healer's quarters and searches for her. The healers don't say a word for they knew there was no use. He rummages through the quarters and tears apart through the beams and floorboards. He finds a few maidens here but none that he was looking for. The maidens were not healers but had gone here for hiding. He couldn't help but to pity them. These maidens in particular were delicate and would not be able to put a fight if a large and unruly grotesque man took them. He hands them each a weapon and wishes them for a worthy suitor. "Thank you," he said kindly to the elder healers. He can tell that the elders were taken aback by the small act of kindness he had for the maidens.
Maz's lips trembled.
He studied her reaction like the hunter he was. It was transparent that the woman didn't want her child to be married off at eighteen and was hiding her well until the next morning, when the custom will be over and men would have to wait for next year. He dismisses it and proceeds to search for Rey. He will find her.
He and Maz Kanata had never discussed of his interest towards her daughter. Her daughter was too young at the time and he found it inappropriate to have that conversation. It didn't matter for it was unnecessary. Maz knew the way he looked at her daughter, the way every man looked at her daughter. Ben couldn't help but be sympathetic for the mother. It never occurred to him how the mothers felt about the custom, for their daughters to be forcibly taken into marriage. The mothers had no control in who will take her. It could be an old man. It could be a heartless and cruel man.
Ben pulls away from his thoughts and proceeds to search for her.
He hears a woman screaming to be put down. He looks up. The woman was being carried by a man around her age. The man was not bad looking but she was clearly unhappy by the way she was kicking and punching him. Ben stood there and felt his stomach churn. Does he really want to do this? Hurt Rey? Force her into being his wife? The woman manages to escape but the man yanks her by her hair and slaps her in the face.
"You little bitch," the man sneered at the woman and spat at her. She was still on the ground but he was dragging her.
Ben's eyebrows furrowed. Ben doesn't hesitate to shoot the man in the arm with an arrow.
She waited for Ben to go to her but Ben didn't. Ben gestured for the woman to escape. She remained still. She was shocked, perplexed that a man would help her without having a motive. "You - you helped me. Why?"
"Go," Ben said immediately. There was no time for a conversation. The man was going to attack soon enough. "I'll stall him, just go!"
The woman takes no time to do so. "Thank you!" she said as she ran off.
Ben searched everywhere for Rey. He goes through home by home unless it was marked. It was still day time, he had started early in the morning but he's becoming more and more worried that someone has gotten her before him. At this point he doesn't care to make her his wife. He just wants to protect her and return her back to her mother.
Ben searches in the forest then. Some women hid in the forest but not many but Rey was a healer, she knew the forest as well as he did. She would not get lost like the others. He couldn't help but to marvel at the sight of the tall green fields. He knew well that no one would hide here since this was open area but he liked being here. He liked walking through the tall fields.
He searches every inch of the forest, even looking up at the trees. He remembers her in her youth being quite good at climbing trees. Healers were very protective of their children. The healers kept them in the healer quarters and the forest for lessons. He encountered Rey in the forest from time to time. She knew him for nearly most of her life and she was friendly and always greeted him before being pulled away by a healer.
The healers didn't want her to get too close to any man in fear of this.
He stopped by the river to get some water. The water was clear but mirrored a green color since everything surrounding it was green. The grass. The trees. The plants. Even his cloak which was more of a dark moss green. Ben knelt down and stared at the water. There was something off it. Yes the river flowed in bends and waves but something was not right.
He leaned closely and studied the water intensely. He stood up and gently touched the water with his foot. "You are safe," he said calmly. He watched as a figure emerged, gasping for air. Rey. It was Rey. He was unable to pull away from staring at her. She was completely soaked, clothes and all. Her hair was drenched in long loose waves and her lashes looked thick. She remained in the water, floating naturally as if she was one with the water. She was beautiful, this little nymph. "Hello," he murmured.
"Hello," she answered back, smiling like always. She had such a sweet mouth. He wanted to kiss her there.
"How long were you in the water?" he asked.
"For a few minutes. I was only under the water when I heard something," she chuckled.
"Good, I was afraid you were trying to kill yourself." His eyes darkened as he watched her cheeks become flushed. She was looking up at him in such a gentle manner. Such a sweet girl. She looked so happy still despite he was here. His skin tightened. Perhaps she didn't think he wanted to take her. "I've been waiting for you," he tells her then. He wants to pull her out of the water but he doesn't. He knows well that she was staying in for she was embarrassed if her clothes were too thin. "For the last few years," he mumbled. His heart was racing.
Ben watched as her eyes widened in surprise. To his own bewilderment, her gaze softened and she grinned. "Really?" she asked.
He took a step back. She sounded excited. Pleased. And somehow that reassured him. Ben nodded as he slowly unfastened his cloak. He set his cloak on the ground first so he can pull her out of the water. "I want to take you as my wife." He holds out his hand for her. She takes it without with out any hesitation and he pulls her out. "If you want," he quickly added. He tries not to look but he does. He can see the shape of her body, how small her waist was. Her breasts were small but they looked so firm. Her nipples were pebbling through her soaked clothes. His face grew hot. Ben doesn't know why he's suddenly nervous. He was dead set on making her his wife. He wasn't going to take no for answer but now he was worried about her feelings. He doesn't want to hurt her. Doesn't want to make her cry.
Ben covers her with his cloak before she could answer.
She blushed. He was covering her up in such a gentle manner. He was so tall but she didn't realize how massive he was. He was bigger than her but it made her feel safe. He lowered himself, trying to level himself to her face. She was so much shorter than him and the only thing he could do was look down. Their height difference was drastic.
"I didn't know that men ask for a woman's hand." She stared at his eyes, his eyes were dark. A stark contrast to hers.
"They typically don't but I want you to have a choice," he was flustered. "If you don't, it's okay. I'll take you home once morning comes."
"I would like your hand," she said shyly.
Ben blinked. "You - you would?" He was confused. Puzzled. How can someone like her want him?
She nodded then, reassuring him. Her eyes were still locked on to his eyes. She can tell by her reflection in his eyes that she was blushing too.
He smiled at her. He held out his hand for her and she took it. Her hand was so tiny in his and cold too. She was shivering. He was going to warm her up once they were at his home. He wanted to kiss her but felt it was a little too early.
"I think you're supposed to carry me home."
"It's custom because it's usually by force," his voice went low. He doesn't think he should since he doesn't want to do that to her. He grew up watching it every year that he was desensitized to it. It didn't take him until this year to realize how horrifying it was for a woman to go through.
"Oh," she swallowed. "Are there any couples that were married by both of their wills?"
Ben stopped to think about it. "I'm not sure to be honest."
"It's tradition so I think you're supposed to carry me to your home to make our marriage legitimate."
Ben scoops her in his arms but he doesn't put her over his back, he carries her. He holds her close to his chest. His heart skipped a beat. She was so light in his arms, he could carry her forever if he could. The walk to his home was surprisingly easy. There were men that Ben knew that were also interested in her but they didn't do anything. The men were too confused that she wasn't resisting than to try to take her from him. He gets home with ease.
He lays her on the bed first before marking his house.