Rey dreamt about the Emperor that night.

She dreamt that she went back to his rooms again. This time he was in bed beckoning her, his hand outstretched. Her dream self pulled off her gown and slipped in beside him so that they both lay naked, facing each other. She ran her hands slowly down his hard, muscled chest and stomach as he moaned, the fire in his beautiful eyes visible through the darkness. In time her hand slipped lower until it reached the hardness between his legs and as she clasped it and squeezed, he hissed and called out her name. The index of her free hand came up to his plush lips, gently signaling him to be quiet as she dipped her head down to his for a kiss

"Rey!"

"shssss" Rey whispered sleepily

"REY!"

Rey jolted awake and the visage of Kylo Ren in the darkness melted away and was replaced with the view of gossamer curtains and a sunlit room.

Jess appeared before her carrying a tray with a steaming cup of tea.

"You're up late today" She remarked, placing the tea on a chest beside the bed.

Rey looked down groggily at her hands and remembered how one of them had been clasped around Kylo Ren's manhood moments before. She blushed furiously at the brazenness of her treacherous dreams and cursed herself silently at the memory that suddenly flooded her mind.

She was moody that whole morning as Jess and some maids helped her wash and change into one of her elaborate outfits and jewelry. As Jess filled her in on the harem gossip, she sipped her tea and ate her breakfast.

She hardly heard Jess at all.

"I suppose you didn't get much sleep last night" Jess said, looking at Rey's tired eyes

"Not as much as I wanted" Rey groaned, slumping in her chair

Jess's eyes narrowed

"Where did you go last night?"

Rey looked up at her old friend. They had known each other their whole lives and up until now, there had been no secrets between them.

"I didn't want to wake you…" Rey said

Jess raised her eyebrows

"Come on Rey" She interrupted "You won't even change a piece of jewelry without telling me"

"I went to see the Emperor" Rey said

"What for?" Jess asked "Was it about dinner?"

Rey let out a laugh

"You should have seen his face yesterday, Jess. It was so red, he looked like a giant baby!" She exclaimed

The two women laughed and the mood in the room lifted a little.

After breakfast, they decided to walk into the gardens and meet her parents and the Dowager Queen Leia for a small tour.

Leia was very gracious with her parents and together with a few of the royal gardeners, they went down to the fountain. As one of the gardeners explained when and how the fountain was built and demonstrated how it worked, Rey parents stared in awe. There was nothing like it in their kingdom. In time, they reached the edge of the giant forest and Rey waited until her parents were distracted by the giant willow trees to turn back towards the palace.

As she walked back up the garden path, she was met by one of the palace guards.

He bowed deeply

"Princess, the Emperor commands you to his audience room at once"

Rey frowned

"Why?"

The man bowed again before saying "I can only say that it is an urgent matter"

She sighed as the man turned back and walked away. She was not looking forward to seeing the Emperor again, especially after her embarrassing dream this morning and the meeting last night. But she turned to go anyway.


Rey didn't know what she expected to see in the Emperor's chambers when she entered, but it certainly wasn't the sight that greeted her when she got there.

Kylo Ren was seated behind a great wooden desk with his pale hands clasped in front of him and in the middle of the room were Finn and Poe and a woman she recognized as one of Phasma's servants.

Kylo Ren signaled for her to come and stand beside him, which she did. They were both now facing the three others in the room and Rey noticed with some concern that the woman's hands were tied with rope in front of her.

"Princess" the Emperor began "Poe and Finn are claiming that this woman here is the one that tried to sabotage my dinner that night"

Rey looked at the woman closely. Khema's eyes did not meet hers. She just stood there, eyes downcast, seemingly frozen in fear.

"Your highness" Poe said "A kitchen maid informed us that she saw this woman loitering near the kitchens at the time of the feast and then caught her sneaking around the gardens last night"

Poe reached into his pockets and pulled out a small box

"We found this in her possession"

He stepped forward with the box and Rey reached for it.

It was a small, plain, metallic box that felt cold in her hands as she turned it over. Undoing the clasp, she opened it and peered at the contents. There wasn't much in it except for remnants of some bright red powder. The smell that reached her was so sharp, it was almost sweet. She recognized the powder from her lessons with the royal healer back in Jakku. It was rarely used in cooking because of how strong it was, but it had a distinct flavor which the healer had said was good for some potions. The powder was also rare and expensive, there was no way that a maid would have been able to get her hands on something like this without help. So, this must be the work of Phasma.

"Scorpion powder" She breathed.

"What is it?" Kylo Ren demanded "Is it poison?"

"No" Rey said quickly, shutting the box and handing it back to Poe "It's just a form of really strong chilli powder"

"Ah, then it must have been her" Kylo Ren uttered "She's the one that tampered with my dinner"

Rey say a muscle twitch in Khema's jaw, but otherwise, she did not react.

"Do you realize that you have committed treason against your Emperor?" Kylo addressed the woman, leaning forward.

Khema said nothing

"And do you know what the punishment is for treason?"

Khema looked up

"It is death"

Tears began to well up in the woman's eyes, but still she said nothing

The Emperor leaned back in his great chair.

"As much as I would like to hand out the punishment myself" He said "In this case I believe the true victim here is my wife"

Rey looked at Kylo Ren and their eyes met

"...And so I will carry out any punishment that she decides to give you"

Rey's mouth opened, but she stopped herself from protesting. This was a great gesture from the Emperor towards her and she was at a loss for words for a while

She..." She began "She will be punished. But the punishment I give her will not be death"

"Very well" Kylo Ren agreed

"She must spend two days of every week for the rest of her life working in the hospital for the poor" Rey decided

Khema looked at her in surprise

Kylo Ren raised his eyebrows in amusement and gestured at Finn and Poe

"Well then, it has been decided" He declared "Captain Poe, I would like you to draw up an official document stating the crime and the punishment, which I will sign. And Finn, you may escort this maid back to the harem, but you…"

He pointed at the woman

"If you are ever caught in wrongdoing again, the punishment will be death"

If Finn and Poe were surprised, they did not show it. When the three of them had left the room, Kylo Ren stood up from his chair and turned to Rey, smiling

"You think I wasn't harsh enough?" Rey asked

"Perhaps" Kylo Ren shrugged "But I know you are a very forgiving person…"

"Maybe"

"Towards everyone but me" He added

There was a strange look in his eyes as he spoke and Rey felt as though she were melting under his gaze. She swallowed, remembering the dream and looked away, blushing.

There was a moment of silence before Kylo Ren spoke again

"There's something I want to discuss with you, Princess" He said gently

"Yes, your majesty?" Her voice came out soft and almost breathless

"I've been thinking about what you said last night" He said, his brow furrowed

"Yes?"

"You know, I'm not the man you think I am"

Rey blinked

"...And?" She asked

"I want to show you" He replied

"How?"

The Emperor turned away from her and walked toward a great, arched window.

"I realized that I haven't always been a fair ruler" He said "And I haven't been fair to you, Princess"

Rey said nothing

"I have decided that if you are willing to annul our marriage, I will help you do it"

Rey's mouth fell open

"I don't bear any ill will against you anymore. We can part amicably"

Kylo Ren turned back to her and she just looked back, shocked

"I don't understand…" She began

"What I'm trying to say is that I don't wish to keep you here against your will anymore" Kylo Ren reasoned.

"You mean, you'll let me go home?"

Kylo Ren nodded

"I will inform your parents of my decision at the feast tonight. There is just enough time to finalize everything and when they leave Naboo, you can go back with them"

Rey's face broke into a smile at the thought of going back home

"I am so grateful to you" She said

She reached out her hand to shake his and when his bigger hand clasped around hers, a tear escaped and rolled down her reddening cheeks.

She felt so small and warm in his grasp that Kylo Ren for a moment did not want to let go.

When they finally released their hands, Rey bowed more deeply to him than she had ever done before and left the room.

Kylo Ren watched her go with a feeling of something like sadness


Rey was her brightest and most cheerful self at the feast that night. She happily chatted with her father's courtiers and the Emperor's. Rey's parents meanwhile were happy that the Emperor seemed pleased with their daughter and that she seemed to be enjoying court life to the fullest.

To Kylo Ren, her smile seemed to brighten the whole room. But he was rather quiet and subdued that evening that even Phasma noticed. She also noticed how much Rey and Kylo Ren seemed to be looking at each other.

She had been furious when Khema had come crying into her chambers that afternoon and was even more furious now that her plans weren't working. But no matter. She still had one idea up her sleeve, one that would put this Princess of Jakku out of her way forever.

As the food platters were cleared away and the music began, everyone listened intently to the royal musicians.

Rey however, was distracted.

She couldn't wait for the moment when she would be free. In a few days she would be going home as a free woman. She looked sideways at Leia, and felt a pang of guilt at the pain she would cause her. Leia had grown to love Rey in the few months she had been here and Rey had in turn grown to love her as a mother as well.

No matter

She could visit and even write to her regularly.

As the last notes of the tune ended and everyone clapped.

The Emperor suddenly stood and held up his hands. The entire room fell silent, wondering what he would have to say this late at night. But when Rey got up from her seat and went to stand at the Emperor's right hand side, murmurs arose in the crowd and all thought of sleep left them.

Rey's parents looked on curiously, wondering what kind of announcement the Emperor and their daughter had to make.

"Princess Rey and I have come to a decision" Kylo Ren began "And we would like to formally announce it this evening"

The court looked on greedily

"I would like to announce that the Princess and I have decided to separate"

At once the crowd began to whisper and Rey's smile fell as she noticed the looks of horror on her parents' faces.

"Mother, father…" She said trying to hold her smile "I can come home"

But they ignored her.

King Prana stepped forward.

"Your Majesty!" he said loudly "Why was I not consulted in this matter?"

Kylo Ren looked confusedly at the King

"Since I believe this is a matter between me and my wife, I didn't think I needed consulting" he said simply

"No Your Majesty" King Prana said angrily "This is a political matter between kingdoms and it absolutely needed consulting"

King Prana was now facing the Emperor

"When I promised you my daughter, it was for in return for the protection of my kingdom!"

"Don't worry, King Prana" Kylo Ren assured him "Your kingdom will still have my protection"

At this, Queen Ada stepped forward

"Your Majesty" She spoke in a calm but loud voice "It is against our traditions and customs for a man and wife to separate"

She turned to give Rey a dangerous look

"You should know better Rey. You will never be welcomed back to your parents home as a divorced woman"

Rey stared at her mother in shock

"If you leave your husband's home, you will be no one, a nothing!" Her mother cried

The crowd went silent

Rey looked pleadingly at Kylo Ren, but he was looking at her with something like pity in his eyes.


That night, Rey lay in bed, tears streaming down her face, soaking her beautifully embroidered silk pillows.

Jess had stayed up with her for a few hours before falling asleep. She had stroked her hair and they had both cried.

It seemed to her that she would never leave Naboo and even if she did, the door of her childhood home would always remain closed to her.

She sat up in bed.

Was she willing to give up everything and be a nobody and a no one in exchange for her freedom?

Rey found that she didn't care about anything anymore. She just wanted to get away from everything and everyone. She wanted to lose herself in her grief somewhere far away. She wanted to run far far away and see where the Gods took her.

Quietly, she made her way out of her room, so as not to wake Jess. When she reached the courtyard, she broke into a run, running across the courtyard, through the harem gates and out through the gates of the palace.

She stopped in her tracks, spotting a few guards huddled together, asleep.

They did not notice or even flinch when a wife of their Emperor quietly crept towards their horses who were tied up near the great wooden gates and climbed on to one.

One of the guards stirred as the horses neighed and the sound of galloping forced him to open his eyes. The sight that greeted him was that of one of their horses galloping away on the path into the forest, with the bright yellow shawl of the rider whipping around them in the wind, visible through the darkness.