Kylo Ren

The name awoke something inside Jay that she had promised not to feel.

Fear.

Ren was known across the galaxy for his brutality, it was no secret that he had slain thousands by his own hand, millions, possibly billions by his orders. He was known to be as cruel as his wide-spread reputation, and destroyed anything and anyone that stood in his way. It had been announced across every world that Supreme Leader Snoke was looking for a wife for his apprentice, from what Jay understood it was to give the First Order a 'poster couple' to encourage a sense of family and a united front, to Jay it was simply a sick facade used to manipulate families into thinking they could lead a normal life within the Order. Jay's family had always been loyal members of course, and high-ranking too. It was only logical that Snoke would decide on a royal deep within his circle, and one given up so willingly by her family was surely a good sign.

Jay's father finished his welcome and announced that a celebratory lunch would be taking place in the couple's honour. Servants led the rooms occupants across the hall and into a large dining room, the stormtroopers lined the walls and stood to attention while the rest of the party took their places at the long table. As Jay was about to take her usual place she was hoisted upwards by her mother's strong grip and practically thrown into a seat on the other side of the table.

After regaining her bearings Jay looked around and found that she was sat at the center of the table, her parents directly across from her, one of her Fathers Lords to her left, and to her right sat the formidable still-masked figure of Kylo Ren.

She sat up straight and looked directly ahead, though out of the corner of her eye she could see that Ren's mask was still directly facing her, though she couldn't see his eyes she could feel them burning into the side of her face.

Her father announced the food's arrival and Jay watched as plates and wine descended before every guest. Everyone began to eat immediately, beside herself and her future partner. Jay looked at the food on her plate and could not bring herself to eat, she felt sick, possibly as a result of her nerves or the fear that had crept into her earlier, whatever it was it had destroyed her appetite completely.

She heard a slight click, followed by a quiet hiss and caught movement in the corner of her eye. Ren was in the process of removing his mask and when he had finished Jay felt nothing but...shock. That was the only way to describe the feeling. She had expected many things from him, cruelty, sadism, perhaps even horns sticking out from his forehead, but she had never expected what she saw.

He was handsome. Very handsome. Dark waves fell to his shoulders and framed a chiseled profile. He had hazel eyes flecked with gold and green, covered by dark brows and thick lashes. Tiny moles freckled his porcelain skin. His cheekbones were high but not skeletal, full lips quirked into a tiny but amused smile when he noticed her gawking at him.

Jay quickly whipped her head back into a straightforward position and concentrated very hard on her glass of wine, again feeling his eyes looking deep into her very soul. She knew he was strongly connected to the force, but she prayed to whatever gods there may be out there that he was unable to see inside her head right now, if he knew how handsome he appeared to her it would crumble her stoic facade immediately.

She managed a few mouthfuls of her lunch before she started to feel queasy, and signaled for a server to take her plate away. Throughout lunch and the chatter that followed she felt it again and again, those eyes, taking her in from the side. He was watching her, studying even, Jay didn't know why. Perhaps he found her as pleasing to the eye as she found him. No. That was not the Kylo Ren the galaxy had come to know. He would never be so weak as to find another being attractive. No, Jay came to the conclusion that he was most likely digging around inside her mind looking for weak spots and vulnerability, that was more like the Kylo Ren she had heard so much about.

After what felt like an eternity had passed, lunch was over. Jay's mother and father stood and announced that everyone should meet outside the main palace doors on fifteen minutes, to wave goodbye to their beloved princess.

Jay's nerves set in again, she knew that the party sent to collect her would not stay for long, but she didn't realise they would be here for merely an hour before she was to be escorted to the First Order's flagship, optimistically named 'The Finalizer', Jay suspected there wasn't going to be a dance studio or a karaoke bar on board with a name like that.

The guests made their way outside, led by their king and queen and followed by the division of stormtroopers, while Jay stayed behind in the corridor and leaned back against one of the gilded pillars. As she tried to control her breathing and concentrated on standing upright, she heard quiet footsteps making their way out of the dining room. When she looked up, she saw the hazel eyes of her betrothed watching her. He seemed as though he wanted to say something, for a moment he even looked ...apologetic? ...sympathetic?

After an uncomfortable split-second of complete silence Jay decided that in this moment she would not look back down at the floor as she wanted to and scurry outside after him, she would show him that she could be stronger than that, that she would not wait to take guidance from him. She stood to her full height and simply stated "well, no sense in keeping everyone waiting" and confidently strode past him and towards the open front door. As she passed his eyes followed her with something akin to intrigue, before he replaced his mask and walked through the doors a moment after her.