Disclaimer: Star Wars is the property and creation of Lucas Film and Disney. I own none of the characters and places mentioned in this story.

Special thanks to my beta-reader Chridder (from AO3) for helping me out with this chapter.

Kylo Ren slashed through battle droids in the training room, pieces flying in all directions. Darkness swirled around him as he lunged and hacked, a single word simmering in his mind.

"Marriage". It's a simple, innocent word, but the command from his master rattled him more than any battle ever had. He wouldn't admit this to anyone, but the idea of marrying a complete stranger made him churn with apprehension and dread.

If his own uncle tried to kill him in his sleep, how he was supposed to marry a complete stranger? Someone who could be as vile as his uncle or worse?

The only relief of the meeting with Snoke was when he chastised Hux, telling him he should have a force sensitive bodyguard. Kylo chuckled at that behind his mask. There was no way in hell, Hux would ever accept a force sensitive as a bodyguard or anything else. He was too afraid of force sensitives even if he kept his fear well hidden.

But this small commiseration didn't make him forget about the marriage part. When he proposed his master to force the compliance of Ken Kenobi by taking his distant cousin, Rey, away, he thought it would be better if the galaxy believed she wanted to work for the First Order of her own volition.

But of course, his master, went behind his back and ordered Kylo to obey, right after he send a message to Kenobi family about the marriage proposal.

His master's reason for the hastened marriage was the need to recover control over the galaxy by whatever means necessary after the disaster known as Starkiller Base.

Kylo Ren knew, though, that this was also a punishment. If he was shackled to Rey Kenobi, his pursuit of Kira Palpatine will have to cease.

But he couldn't... he couldn't let her go. Ever since confronting her on Starkiller Base, she was the center of his mind. She was the poison that stoked his weakness. His light. She was his equal in the Force. Together they would be unstoppable and he would never be alone again.

Then again, who was he kidding? He knew that everyone left him behind. First his family, then Kira. He truly didn't have a place anywhere…

A few days later, Kylo Ren was, once again, holed up in his shuttle. This time, his destination was Coruscant where he was supposed to meet Ken, Rey and Tao to discuss further details regarding the contract of his and Rey's marriage.

He was eager for the whole affair to be over with, so he could hunt down Resistance fighters or people who acted against the First Order.

Also, his thoughts wandered towards Rey Kenobi. For a non-sensitive girl, she was steadfast and brave. She had done what few people had done before her. She confronted him head on even if she knew how dangerous he was. Another thing he noticed was the way her hair fell down her shoulders when she confronted him in the rain on Yavin 4.

She'd looked like a goddess of war ready to face any obstacle in her way. That was the only thing good to come out of this shamble of a marriage, the fact that Rey was a force to be reckoned with.

As soon as he got to the apartment complex on Coruscant, he was greeted at the entrance by Rey, who only motioned him to follow, regarding him with sharp eyes and feelings as cold as ice.

This was no surprise for him. He was used to people feeling like that when it came to him.

Even on their short trip in the elevator, Rey wouldn't even look at him, making that trip one of the longest of his life.

Once they reached the conference room, Rey took a seat to Ken's left with Tao to his right. Kylo took a seat in front of them.

Then Ken gave him a document with the conditions and obligations stipulated regarding the marriage.

"Lord Ren, do you wish to add anything else?", Ken asked curtly.

He moved his head in sign of no and got up from his chair, turned around and started going towards the exit when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Rey, Ken, could you leave me alone with Lord Ren? ", Tao asked calmly.

They nodded in response before making themselves scarce.

As soon as they were alone, Tao withdrew hand from Kylo's shoulder and motioned for him to sit.

"Good riddance ", Kylo thought to himself. If Tao wouldn't have taken his hand from his shoulder, he would've severed it with his lightsaber.

"Lord Ren ", Tao started sagely. "I know this marriage came to be in, one could say, unpleasant circumstances..."

Kylo didn't reply. He already knew that. "What's the point of this old man? " .

"Alas, I think something good can come out of it. As you know, Rey grew up alone on Jakku doing labor work to survive until we found her when she was 15. Even though we offered her a home, she still retained that harshness, recklessness and a don't-trust-anyone mentality from the desert. In short, what I'm trying to say is that she won't open up about her feelings to anybody, at least not completely. That's why I'm asking you to have patience with her and maybe, in the future, you both will have a relationship that involves mutual respect. I don't ask you to love her since rumor has it that you are interested in someone else but be patient and honest with her."

After Tao finished speaking, Kylo tilted his visor towards him.

"What do you mean I'm interested in someone else?", he asked, anger boiling in his veins.

"Well, the first would be the rumors that everyone else knows about, about you chasing down Kira and the interpretations people made out because of it. Secondly, it was your behavior, during this meeting that gave you away. You didn't act like a person interested in his betrothed. You were clearly bored and annoyed", Tao finished with a low chuckle.

Now, I'm afraid, I must take my leave", Tao added as he exited the conference room, leaving Kylo Ren alone.

Was he not trying hard enough to hide it?

Apparently not, since even a non-sensitive man could determine, based on his behavior, that he was interested in Kira and not Rey. But he wasn't interested in Kira romantically. That's where that old man got it wrong. He was interested in her as a possible apprentice, not a lover, let alone as a wife.

"He wasn't in love with Kira, was he? ". Those were his last thoughts as he left the conference room.

Author note:

So our boy, Kylo, is confronted about his disinterest in Rey by an unexpected person.

So what you all thought about this chapter ?

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