hot streak of pain shot through her right upper arm and another one through her side. Four speeders crashed through the gardens, masked, and armored figures on then pointing at her and Kylo. Six other figures appeared behind the marble columns of the palace, pointing their blasters at them.

Swiftly, Kylo pushed her behind his back, igniting his lightsaber. Red flashes cut through the cold air as he fought back. The side of Athena's dress turned red with blood. Without thinking, she grabbed her lightsaber attached to her waist. It didn't take long for Kylo to finish the three men to his right, slicing through their bodies as if they were paper. Athena covered his back, fighting off the men approaching from the other side. The speeders stopped in front of the balustrade as their riders stormed the balcony.

The countess pushed them back with the Force, making them fall right off the balcony again, while turning to cover her left and disarming the man closest to her. Relying on her instincts completely, she swirled around and kill two of the men approaching from behind her. The two remaining attackers who had arrived on the speeders were masked, but Athena could feel their horror at the speed at which Kylo slaughtered their companions. As they turned around and ran away, Kylo followed them, swinging easily over the balustrade, and walking slowly towards them. Before they could escape, he stopped them in their path, holding them both with the Force at their necks as he lifted them up.

Athena reacted immediately, screaming "Wait!", but it was already too late. One by one, Kylo Ren cracked their bones through the Force, followed by inhumane screams of pain until their limps hang down morbidly. With a last loud crack, he ended their lives, as their heads fell to the side.

Athena pushed her teeth together, only then realizing the pain in her arm and her side.

"You should have questioned them," she yelled at him angrily.

Kylo turned around, his face betraying untamed hatred. But not for her.

With quick steps, he joined her and pushed his arm under her side.

"We will never now who send them!" Athena protested, as she slowly walked inside, assisted by the knight of Ren.

A couple of stormtroopers arrived, attracted by the noises. "Now they're coming?" the woman groaned, abashed by their incompetence.

"Double the guards, send more to her quarters. No one leaves or enters this palace," Kylo commanded as more of her own family's guards arrived. Athena felt too weak to protest as he was commanding her own subjects. Hot blood sticked to her dress and the tip of her hair.

As they arrived in her quarters, the halls of the palace were swarmed by stormtroopers.

"This is not necessary," the countess shook her head as Kylo sat her down on her bed.

"I will find who did this," Kylo said matter-of-factly, ignoring her words completely.

"I should have checked with the security detail before going outside, this is completely my fault. But there's no need to overreact," Athena muttered as she assessed the wound on her arm. It was bleeding heavily, but it wasn't serious.

"You were stupid to go out alone and to get distracted so easily," Kylo's raised his voice aggressively, making Athena raise her eyebrows at him. "Me? You didn't notice them either!"

As if to avoid her gaze, Kylo grabbed the medical pack handed to him by a servant droid and ripped it open.

"I should have made them suffer even longer for what they did. Yet I was merciful – for your sake. I knew you would dislike me torturing them on your property."

Athena's breath was left stuck in her throat. Did he seriously ask for approval for being an unhinged, unreasonable child?

"That's insane," she sneered.

"Hurting my apprentice is an insult to me," Kylo ignored her insolence, taking out the bacta spray out of the medical kit.

"Yeah, tell yourself that. Give me the bacta and leave." Maybe it was pain or exhaustion, but she was in no mood to play nice.

"You know I've punished people for far less, Serenno," his tone was not nearly as menacing as his words, as he attempted to spray the bacta on her wound. Athena turned away, fighting him off. "How many times will we have this conversation? Just leave me alone!"

She felt childish not letting him treat her wounds, but the day had been long.

"You're acting like a fool. You should focus on healing this wound with your powers instead," he chided softly, grabbing her wrist, and holding her still as he managed to net the wound with the cooling liquid.

"That's rich coming from you. I would not have expected the great Kylo Ren to be a liar. For someone who doesn't care, you care quite a lot." Athena let out a soft moan as the spray immediately began to work.

Kylo Ren slowly dabbed a piece of cloth over the wound on her upper arm. His mind was racing, he felt caught. Athena's foul mood made her quite venomous. She was right. He did care about her. And instead of admitting it, he had preferred to lie to her and to himself. The moment he realized those men had hurt her; the rush of vengeance had blinded him to a point where he could not stop himself. Without any self-control, he had proceeded to kill them, without questioning or torturing them.

But he wasn't supposed to feel those things. It shouldn't even be possible to feel those things.

Athena watched him as he continued to put a bandage around her arm, her eyes contemplative.

His hands found the zip on the side of her dress. Slowly, he tugged it down, peeling her out of her dirty, bloodied dress.
"This dress… this color… it suits you," he said awkwardly. He didn't know why he said that. Maybe because Athena's ability to enjoy beauty became somewhat endearing to him.

"Thank you, master," she muttered, her cheeks turning slightly pink.
"You may call me Kylo."

"Sure, Kylo."

The second wound on her side was like the one on her upper arm. Not deep, but painful. This time, Athena let him use the bacta spray on her, welcoming the healing liquid.

"I haven't been truthful to you, Athena. I don't know what it means or how this could happen… but I do care about you. I want you near me, I want you to be safe and… happy. You are mine."

"I didn't mean what I said either." Suddenly, tears started to dwell in her eyes. Kylo looked at her with surprise. Was she crying because he just said? Was it so difficult to believe he was still capable of caring?

Athena turned her head, hiding her tears from him. Softly, he put his finger under her chin, making her face him again.

"Don't hide from me," he pleaded, merely whispering.

"I am scared, Kylo. I know I hide it well… but I am scared. All of this scares me," she sobbed, wiggling her head to escape his gaze. She didn't need to tell him what exactly she feared, he knew already.

"You possess strength, Athena. Rely on it. The Dark Side allows you to feel what you feel, to feed on it. You don't have to play a role with me. You're free," Kylo cooed.

"Our arrangement is literally the opposite from being free, Kylo," she laughed bitterly, raising her eyebrows at him.

"When have you ever been this powerful? You flourish at my side."

"Or rather you at mine," she answered dryly.

Kylo laughed at her words, feeling the unfamiliar vibration in his chest from a true, genuine laugh. Something he hadn't done in a long time. "You seemed to flourish under me last night," he grinned at her.

Athena smiled back, the tears still drying on her face. "Really? I think you have to show me again what you mean by that," she chuckled, a sound that made his heart flutter.

"If you manage to heal your wounds by yourself with the Force, I might reconsider. But you must rest for now, countess. Without any further words, he drew her in his arms. She leaned against his muscular chest, smelling the familiar scent of leather, burring her head in him, hoping that this moment would never end. Happy. It didn't seem like something either of them could hope for.

A kinda sweet moment between them. Thank you so much for your reviews, I'm so glad your enjoying the story! Next chapter there will be a special appearance of one of my favorite characters! Who could it be?