A/N - Welcome to the next chapter! Here comes the angst...
Rey stood uncertainly within the doorway, hesitant as to whether she should enter the sitting room or not. Kylo was in there having a quiet conversation with another man, their heads bent close together.
She knew she should probably retreat to her room, stay away until this stranger left, but she was curious about this other man. Maybe they were discussing something important, information about the Resistance perhaps.
However, she didn't feel like right now was a good time to make her presence known. She took a step back, but not quietly enough, for both of their heads shot up.
Kylo immediately rose to his feet and turned towards her. The other man, a ginger in a general's uniform, remained seated for a moment, shock evident on his features. Then, he leisurely rose also.
"I'm sorry," She stammered out an apology as she took a few steps back, instinctively knowing she had done something wrong, that her safe position had somehow been shaken.
"Wait," It was not Kylo who had spoken, but she froze anyway, her heart racing as the stranger studied her keenly. She almost looked to Kylo for help, for some sign of reassurance, but she didn't dare let this stranger think that she may trust or even like her captor.
No, she knew that now was the time to play the role of being docile and beaten, as much as it stung. It was the only way to stay safe.
"Come here," the stranger commanded.
Rey's pride pricked and anger shot through her, but she managed to keep her face impassive as she played the role of a meek servant to the best of her ability.
Kylo bristled and took a step forward, and Rey hesitated. She was unsure of the situation she had placed herself in, but knew this stranger might be a danger to them if she refused.
Swallowing heavily, she folded her hands before her and moved hesitantly forward. Though she was often defiant, confident, and bold with Kylo, she instinctively sensed that those three things had no place here.
She kept her eyes downcast, knowing not to look at the visitor in the eyes as she stopped before them.
The stranger approached her, circling her like a vulture. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, hoping for strength and patience to help her get through this awful, humiliating experience. She had to hold her tongue, remain demure, if she was to remain safe.
She chanced a glance at Kylo, but he remained indifferent as he leaned back on his heels. Though he appeared casual, she could see the tension in his shoulders.
She didn't know what was really going on here, but she sensed that it was more than met the eye.
"Not bad, Ren, not bad." The stranger stopped before her again, this time stepping closer. Rey had no choice but to step back. His eyes gleamed with amusement as he pressed closer to her, causing her to retreat another step.
Resentment shot through her, and she longed to pull out her weapon and stab him. She itched to kill this man, but revealing her weapon now would do nothing for her other than earn her certain death.
This was not the time to be reckless, not the time to be foolish. If she was ever going to get a chance to escape she couldn't blow it by losing her temper now.
It didn't matter how much she aspired to stand up to this imposing, overbearing, pitiless creature, to do so would only cause problems.
Kylo remained silent, his indifference causing a small twinge in her chest.
Had she just imagined the growing bond between them? Had she simply just chosen to believe that there was still Light in him? What other reason could there be for taking her on a walk today? Why else would he have been teaching her to read?
Had she truly been that gullible?
Of course she had been, she realized. Completely exasperated with herself, she forced her head back down. Of course he cared nothing for her; she was nothing to him, she never had been, and never would be. She had known that he was only toying with her, stringing her along just to make it hurt more in the end, when he tried to turn her to the Dark side.
And though he probably was not done playing his game with her, she most certainly was.
Her fingers clenched, she closed her eyes as she took a deep breath and fought to restrain her temper. She was not angry at them, she was not even angry with this whole awful situation, but she was infuriated with herself. She had been a fool to let her guard down, a fool to think she was anything other than a tool to them.
She wanted so badly to be free of this room, wanted so badly to take back the last five minutes. She wished she had never come out here, wished that she had been able to slip away before either of them had noticed her.
This was better, she decided, it was much better this way.
She had been spending the last couple of weeks in a kind of suspended dream. She had been trying to deny reality, but now it was staring her in the face and it was just as grueling, and just as cruel as it had always been.
She had known food, opulence, and cleanliness here, but that was little compared to the respect and unconditional love of her friends at the Resistance. She craved that so very badly right now.
"Perhaps when you are done with her…"
"I don't think so, Hux," Kylo said forcefully.
Hux's face twisted into a malicious smile.
"What do you plan to do with her?"
"I haven't decided."
Rey shuddered in horror at the words. She forced herself to keep her head down; she was afraid that if she looked at either one of them she would start screaming and never stop.
She fought the urge to tell them how awful they were, how wrong and horrendous and cruel their world was. She wanted to scream at them that she didn't deserve this, that her people didn't deserve this.
She wanted to tell them exactly what she thought of the both of them, but that would only guarantee her death.
She intended to show them that she was more than just a tool, that she was something special. To do that she would have to get free of here, she would have to be the first Resistance fighter to ever escape the First Order capital.
She could do it somehow, she knew she could.
"Leave us," Rey glanced up quickly, briefly meeting Kylo's eyes. Hux was still inspecting her as if she were a piece of meat, his eyes fixated upon her. She hated the leering gleam in his eyes; it reminded her of the creepy officer that had first claimed her. "Now!"
She started at the barked command. Kylo had never raised his voice at her. He had been overbearing and pushy when she had first arrived, but he had never yelled at her.
Fresh indignation washed through her, which she quickly buried beneath her growing fury and sense of betrayal.
She managed a brief nod before turning on her heel; she had to force herself not to run as she hurried from the room.
She didn't want them to suspect just how infuriated she truly was.
A/N - Uh oh, Rey is angry now.
As always, please leave a review with your thoughts, suggestions, and predictions, and I'll see you in the next chapter!
~ Elizabeth (FanOfDeliciousFlavour)