Outskirts of Naboo
Rey sent Poe to meet King Prana and Queen Adah of Jakku about three-quarters of their journey in.
King Prana was furious that he had lost the best member of his guard to the Emperor and chided Poe for his carelessness. Poe took it all in patiently, silently agreeing. He missed his home, he missed his men.
Maybe it was a little arrogant of him to think that he was the best among them, but it was the truth. The royal family held an almost sacred trust and faith in him as he was the most skilled, the most experienced and his family had sacrificed so much for the safety of the kingdom.
Riding beside him, Finn, who had been instructed to accompany the royal delegation, kept his eyes on the road and didn't speak a word on the way there or back. Even though they had interacted a few times, he was still wary of Poe, however charming he happened to be and as they dismounted from their horses to refresh themselves and rest a little, he was taken by surprise when Poe slapped him on the shoulder in a friendly gesture.
"I never got to thank you"
"What for?"
Poe looked right into the other man's questioning eyes and flashed him one of his more charismatic smiles "For helping our Princess"
"Oh, well..." Finn mumbled, looking away.
They sat on the grass for a while in silence while a soldier passed around a bag of pomegranates and a pitcher of water.
"So, tell me about you" Poe settled back, throwing some pomegranate seeds onto the grass
Finn took a gulp of water before saying "I'm nothing special"
Poe felt that the young trooper was being a little guarded. It would probably take a while to crack through that shell. "Somehow I don't believe that," he said "We all have something inside us that sets us apart from everybody else"
"What are you? The resident guru?" Finn snapped.
"Haha….no" Poe responded in a deadpan voice 'I guess I was just…trying to be funny and make conversation, that's all"
Poe had never been as flustered as he was at that moment. As he rose with the pretext of refilling the water pitcher at the nearby stream, the young trooper's hand suddenly shot out to grab his wrist and drag him back down onto the grass beside him.
"Woah!" Poe cried out
Finn placed a finger on his lips, miming for Poe to keep his voice down
"I've actually been meaning to talk to you about something for a long time" He blurted out
Poe raised an eyebrow and leaned in expectantly "I'm listening"
Finn took a deep breath
"I need to get out of here"
"What?"
"I want to get out of here" Finn repeated "I want leave the First Order"
"Huh, don't we all" Poe chuckled
Finn turned to face him fully, a determined look on his face
"No, I'm being serious. I want to get out and you're going to help me"
"I can't help you" Poe sighed "I have a duty to my Princess. The only reason I'm alive is because of her and I need to stay here for her"
"I'm not asking you to come with me. I just need your help to get out" Finn was starting to sound desperate "This is the only life I've ever known, I was raised to do one thing….but I don't want to be a part of this anymore"
"So why don't you just leave?" Poe gestured with his arm
"If I just leave to go anywhere, I'll be hunted for the rest of my life. I won't have a life"
Poe looked into the young man's eyes. He was just a boy, after all, a frightened boy who had kept his fear bottled up inside for too long and just wanted a place where he could finally belong and live on his own terms. He didn't know what Finn's story was, but he had seen many faces like his; victims trapped in power struggles and forced to fight in wars that weren't theirs.
"Can you…get me into Jakku?" Finn stammered.
Poe considered the young man for a bit
Then he made his decision.
Naboo
Honing her culinary skill had been an important part of Rey's education and having it included in her arsenal of accomplishments had never come in handy as it did at this moment. She definitely did not enjoy it as much as her other lessons and it wasn't what she was best at - she hadn't even set foot in a kitchen in a while - but she was going to do this for her parents. She wanted everyone to see what she could do; that she was talented and worthy and that her people were not impoverished or uncultured as the women of the harem made them out to be in their gossip and the stories they told each other, most of which frequently reached Rey's ears. She knew how they laughed at her clothes, her jewelry, her manners and anything else they could find to talk about.
"You put too much salt in this" Jess pointed out
"I did?" Rey rushed around the kitchen to peer into the pot that was simmering away.
"Oh don't worry, we can fix it" Jess consoled her
Jess, in her usual cool and calm demeanor, got to work. Her parents would be coming too and she was just as anxious for everything to be perfect as Rey was. Although a little hesitant at first when Rey suggested that they should be the ones to prepare the welcome meal, she later relented when she saw how enthusiastic Rey was.
Some others took a little more convincing. The royals cooks were vehemently against their kitchen being invaded by a foreign Princess, but there was little they could do to prevent royalty from getting their way in the end.
"And what business do you have in the kitchen?" Kylo Ren had asked, when Rey had approached him with her idea "You're an empress now"
"Which means I can do whatever I please" Rey retorted " And I want to be the one to prepare the welcome meal"
Kylo smirked at her, probably hoping she would fail, that she would give up midway, or that the food would be inedible.
"Very well wife. But don't think you have anything to prove to me or to anyone else here. Insecurity is not a desirable trait in an Empress"
Arrogant bastard
As much as he tries to see through her, he would never really know what it feels like to be in her position. He was the Emperor; he was incapable of mistakes and his will was always unquestionable. And here she was, the youngest child of an inconsequential royal family, a Princess at that and married off against her will to the man who had taken her kingdom by force, expected to live in harmony among strangers who would only ever look at her with suspicion and derision.
Rey was lost in thought when Jess next spoke
"Everything's almost done" she said gently, placing a comforting hand on Rey's shoulder, rousing her. "Shall I call for a cook?"
Rey nodded wordlessly and her only friend stepped out of the kitchen, leaving her alone to wipe her eyes on a corner of her glistening shawl.
The royal party from Jakku were greeted warmly by the Emperor and his court. Neither Phasma or Leia were present to welcome their new family from Jakku and Rey thought it was just as well. She had enough to worry about without the added stress of making introductions. Most of the court that were present had been there at her wedding anyway and the welcome was more lighthearted than expected.
The Jakku delegation gazed around in wonder at the grandeur and beauty of the palace and the surrounding grounds. While the palace in Jakku was constructed from plain stone and red brick, the marbles and granites that adorned the walls and ceilings of the Naboo palace invited awe with their gorgeous natural patterns and colors.
Rey's mother pulled her back from a hug, taking in the sight of her. She squirmed in her mother's arms like a peeved child when the Queen exclaimed how it seemed as though she had gained some weight. This was probably true, since Rey unapologetically enjoyed the native fruits and sweets of Naboo more than anything. But the Queen had other ideas.
"Could it be…something else?" the Queen asked, eyeing her daughter expectantly
It took a while for Rey to comprehend the meaning behind her mother's words.
"No!" She breathed, rolling her eyes and breaking free of her mother's grip "believe me mother, there is no question of that!"
"Oh well" The queen sighed "Leela is due five moons from now. It would be good to have two grandchildren born in the same year"
She waited for a response from Rey but was met with silence.
"You know, if you were to give the Emperor a son and heir, it would ensure us a better position within the Empire!" She continued happily as the delegation was led through the gates into the main courtyard
And Rey scrambled to change the subject to focus on her sister in law, whom she had just been informed was expecting her first child.
"You must give her my love when you return" She said hastily "And tell them I will visit as soon as possible once the baby is born"
"Keep her in your prayers" Queen Adah requested "Pray every day for a future King of Jakku"
"I will pray for a happy, healthy baby" Rey responded levelly
"If I had cooked this, I wouldn't have added raw ginger" One of the royal cooks proclaimed loudly, as the royal taster sampled one dish after another off the Emperor's food tray "It completely takes away the natural flavor of the prawns"
The taster put down his spoon and picked up a napkin
"It's actually quite a good dish" he countered, savoring the richness of the curry.
The Princess of Jakku couldn't deprive them of their jobs, but it certainly seemed like she could hurt their pride. The cooks consoled each other with the fact that she would not be a regular presence in the kitchen, even if her cooking really was better than they thought.
The head cook turned to one of the kitchen maids and instructed her to wait for the Princess to lead them through that night's service. Then the group accompanied the royal taster out of the room.
Watching them leave from a curtained alcove in the kitchen, Khema emerged from the shadows, cradling a little box in her hands.
"Alright," She muttered, taking a deep breath and stopping in front of the Emperor's very own gilded food tray.
If she was caught sabotaging the Emperor's dinner, it was sure death. But she knew what she was doing and her loyalty to Phasma and the Empire outweighed her fears.
She considered for a while and then reached out and lifted a golden lid off the biggest bowl in the middle of the tray. For a moment, Khema was overtaken by the delicious smell of a coconut vegetarian curry.
Smiling, she reached into her little box and took a pinch of the bright red powder within, delicately sprinkling it over the curry.
Maybe…Some more..
She sprinkled some more and reached for a spoon to gently stir the curry.
To her dismay, the color darkened. She wouldn't be able to add all the powder without the color changing and risking someone noticing. So instead she went through all the other smaller bowls, sprinkling the entirety of the powder in them and then gently stirring the contents.
This should do it
"Your Majesty, I would really like to meet your mother" Queen Adah said as the court settled down for the evening welcome meal.
"My mother won't be joining us this evening, unfortunately," Kylo replied "But you will definitely be seeing her while you're here"
"I've heard many great things about her…" Queen Adah began before catching King Prana's warning look.
"I'm sure you have" Kylo muttered
Rey had disappeared to oversee the kitchen preparations and only reappeared again accompanied by kitchen maids carrying trays laden with food once everyone was seated. The chamber was immediately filled with the delicious smell of curry and the buzzing died once trays were placed in front of the court and their guests. Everyone quietly admired the colors, textures and presentation of the meal and as was the rule, waited for the Emperor to take the first bite.
Rey's parents smiled proudly at her as she took her seat beside them.
Kylo Ren sampled each of the curries with the rice, chewing slowly before swallowing. In moments his senses were alight. Feeling all eyes on him, he tried to compose himself, smiling through the sweat that was slowly collecting on his brow while a fire raged in his mouth.
A little ways away, Rey sensed something was off. She prepared herself for the criticism that she knew would come from him but was surprised as he shot up from his seat and stormed past her, shutting himself in an antechamber.
She hesitated before getting up and following him into the room, shaking her head at her parents' enquiring looks.
Shutting the door of the antechamber behind her, she turned to face the Emperor, who had his back to her. He was bent over a pitcher of water, spluttering.
"Your Majesty..." Rey called, tentatively
When he turned towards her she was shocked to see his tear-stained face, bloodshot eyes and reddening mouth.
"What's wrong?!"
Kylo Ren huffed and stomped towards her,
"What's wrong!?" He spat back at her
And this time Rey cowered under his terrifying gaze. He towered above her, breathing deeply and his red face livid.
"What the hell did you put in my food?!" He cried
Reys fear melted away as indignation washed over her at his accusatory tone.
"Keep your voice down, everyone can hear you!" she hissed
In response, Kylo Ren breathed deeply again, trying to suck in air between his teeth, his dark eyes wide and glassy. He looked like a little boy about to cry.
"Oh don't be such a baby! It's only a bit of chili powder!" Rey sighed as she realized what it might be. She picked up a corner of her shawl and attempted to wipe his trembling, wet mouth.
"A BIT?!" He bellowed, pushing her hand away "I feel like I've swallowed a whole field of chilies. Look at my FACE!"
"Can you PLEASE keep your voice down for goodness sake!"
Rey was panicking now. She and Kylo Ren had locked themselves in a room, shouting at each other with half his court and her parents outside, possibly listening. Also, there was something wrong with her food and she had to get back before the others started eating and try to calm Kylo down at the same time before he declared war on her entire family.
Kylo had walked back to the water pitcher and was gulping down the remaining water as though he were about to die of thirst.
"We should go back" she said
"You go" Kylo Ren replied in a raspy voice, leaning over the table with both hands placed flat on top of it "I'll follow in a bit"
Slowly, she opened the heavy door and stepped outside to be greeted by cheerful chatter, the clinking of goblets and soft music.
"Your Majesty!" One of the ministers cried out upon seeing her
He held out a goblet of wine in salute
"Well done on a fabulous meal!"
A roar of laughter rose from the group and then died just as quickly as Kylo Ren appeared behind her, his face livid.
Poe Dameron, seated right behind King Prana, looked between them, ready to spring forward in case something broke out. The expression on Kylo's face was dangerous as he seated himself at his place at the head of the party and Rey herself seemed uneasy and knowing how unpredictable he was, Poe readied himself for a potential confrontation.
To everyone's surprise, Rey picked up her own food tray and walked over to Kylo.
"To celebrate the union between our families, I would like to share my meal with the Emperor" She declared
If Kylo was surprised, he was hiding it well as he gestured for her to sit beside him, pushing his own food aside.
The court watched curiously as they both took their first bites,
Rey's eyes met Kylo's over the wafting fragrance of spices and steaming white rice and she could see how they were still red from his first disastrous tasting.
"This is good" He said quietly
Rey breathed a sigh of relief
"Thank you"
"Maybe I should have my taster beheaded" He spoke again through a mouth full of rice, eyeing her.
"Don't you dare!" Rey hissed "I think someone may have tampered with the food after it was tasted"
"Or" Kylo added in a low voice, leaning forward "You did it to get back at me"
Rey snorted "I wish"
"If you did, then this is very petty of you, not to mention, childish" Kylo smirked "If I'd known you were trying to punish me, I would have expected more quality entertainment"
"Like?"
"Oh, some mind games or some political intrigue at least. This plan to make me cry in front of my ministers seems rather beneath you"
His soft brown eyes crinkled and glistened as his smirk grew wider. Five minutes ago he was angry with her, now everything was suddenly a joke. How unpredictable of him.
"I wouldn't give you the satisfaction" Rey responded, matching his smirk with a sweet smile, knowing the court was still watching. She wanted to rage at him some more but a part of her was thankful that he hadn't made a scene in front of the whole court and her parents.
"In any case, I'll be looking into this" Kylo said, taking a sip of wine
Rey did not argue any further and by the end of the dinner, even Poe felt relief wash over him as Kylo fell into an easy conversation with King Prana and even Rey was smiling again.
