Jay had taken her time at breakfast, willing herself to eat slower and just enjoy the company of her only friend.
Pru had been the beautiful soul she had always been, trying desperately to cheer Jay up, but to no avail. She had spent over an hour trying to convince her that things may be better for her on the First Order flagship than they were here, in her own home. Jay could neither agree nor disagree with her.
She had despised her time in her palace home, her parents were cruel and sadistic rulers, who believed the only way to command was with brute force and extreme punishment, which was how they had also decided to raise their children. Jay and her siblings had been submitted to regular beatings and solitary confinement, all meant to toughen them up to their parent's standard. Jay had often been beaten for her behaviour, her kind nature and sweet spirit an unforgivable blemish on her family's name, but it had never broken her spirit. She doubted things would be much better when she entered her new role. She had heard about the volatile nature of her future partner, and was not prepared for an easy ride.
Deciding not to let her fear take over until it had reason to, Jay finished her breakfast and wrapped her arms around Pru for what would most likely be the final time, as her handmaid needed to rush back to Jay's bedchamber and start organising her possessions to be packed. Jay watched as her dear friend hurried down the corridor and out of sight, before turning on her heel and heading down the winding corridors of her childhood home and into the gardens. Making her way down the main path towards her favourite spot, she settled on a secluded patch of grass beneath a towering orange oleander tree and gazed over the wide variety of flowers and shrubs before her, taking in the overwhelming floral and fruity scents in the air.
After half an hour of leaning back against the thick tree trunk with her eyes closed, listening to she sounds of her native world, she heard a familiar low rumble that slowly started to get louder. Jay opened her eyes and sighed, she had memorised the sound of an approaching First Order shuttle from a young age, it always signaled the arrival of a general or dignitary and a period of compliance on her behalf, when she acted as dignified and respectful as she could so as not to bring forward any punishment from her superiors.
Though the engines were not loud, due to their superior design, she felt the ground vibrate as the shuttles came closer. Looking up through the canopy of her favourite tree she saw two large standard troop shuttles that flanked a smaller, but much more impressive lead craft. She knew immediately who was on board and watched as the three ships made their way gracefully over the palace turrets and, presumably, land at the end of the large causeway that led to the palace's front steps.
Raising herself from the floor and brushing the stray blades of grass from her skirt, Jay made her way back up the pathway towards a rear entrance, stopping only to pick a small handful of her favourite flowers, blessed woodbine, deciding she would take them with her and press them, a small reminder of the tiny part of home she actually would miss.
Walking through the enormous glass doors and into the cavernous inner hallway, Jay was immediately cornered by her mother. Tall and thin, she jabbed at Jay's abdomen with her spindly index finger, her face inches from Jay's own, and said in a low, dangerous voice "I don't know where you've been or what you've been doing girl, but our guests from the Order have arrived and you weren't at the front steps to meet them. Any more trouble from you today and I'll have you practically begging the Order to take you sooner", a sadistic smile gracing her thin lips.
Jay tried to ignore the feeling of disgust she felt and simply replied "yes mother, I'm sorry, I was distracted". The queen sneered at her daughter and dragged her with a vice-like grip around her wrist towards the main reception hall, where Jay's father was most likely waiting for them.
Upon entering the large, unbearably ornamental room, the first thing that Jay noticed was how eerily quiet it seemed despite the large crowd inside. She could see her father, his usual disgruntled and unamused expression in place, plus a few of her planet's highest-ranking officials and military officers. Then there were their guests. Forty stormtroopers at least, all clad in their usual white armour, a couple of whom appeared to be captains or other officers, still in the same basic armour but detailed with red or black shoulder panels depending on position. There were four generals, three men and one woman, all standing to attention and flanking the main member of their party, Jay couldn't take her eyes off this particular member of the group.
Dressed from head to toe in black, wearing a ribbed tunic that extended down to the upper thigh and fastened at the front, a wide leather belt across the abdomen, thick black fitted trousers covered from the knee-down by black leather boots. A long black cape fell in waves down the figure's back and ended just above the floor, draping gracefully over the shoulders and held in place, Jay assumed, simply by weighted material, as there was nothing to secure it at the neck. The most noticeable piece of clothing though was the mask covering the stranger's face.
Obviously meant to look as imposing as possible, the mask was detailed with silver lines that framed covered eye segments and ended just below. Jay knew that this figure intended to look as intimidating as they could, but she didn't feel afraid, only fascinated at what kind of creature could be so determined to hide their true self and apply this facade.
Jay was pulled out of her evaluation of the scene before her by the booming voice of her father.
"My Lords, Ladies and distinguished guests, welcome to this, the presentation ceremony of our beloved daughter, her royal highness Jay of Dannillion" her father shot her a look which may have looked completely innocent to any onlookers, but she knew there was malice behind his eyes. He continued, "...to his lordship, Kylo Ren, of the infamous First Order"
