AN: Thank you everyone for being so understanding with the long gap between chapters. Real life and work has been kicking my ass. I hope to get back into the swing of things over the next few weeks. Your kind words always overwhelm me.

Part XXX

Rey woke the next morning to a cold and empty bed which caused a pout to form on her lips and a whimper to escape her throat. Last night, wrapping in Ben's arms, she had been so warm…almost too warm, but she didn't dare try to wiggle from his slumbering embrace. After all she was used to hot nights, her AT-AT almost acting like an oven in the summers and also having to deal with the ever malfunction climate control system on the Resistance Base.

There was a knock at the door and with a haphazard wave of her hand, the door opened and Arlan poked her head into the room. "Good morning Rey."

Sitting up in the bed with her back resting on the plush headboard, Rey smiled when Arlan finally used her name. It only took four months, Rey mused to herself as the corners of her mouth turned up. "Morning," she answered back, taking the cup of caf that was being held out for her.

Patting the bed in a gesture to tell Arlan to sit with her and with niceties out of the way, Rey didn't feel guilty for asking the question that had been itching on her tongue since she woke. "Where's Ben?"

Arlan smiled, remembering her Emperor asking the same on Naboo when Rey had woke before him. She almost envied how in love Rey and Ren were but she also wasn't blind to Tyris and his longing gazes. "He was up before dawn and only said that he had some business to attend to and that he would be home for dinner."

"Business?" Rey asked, not remembering Ben mentioning anything about having to attend to any official meetings, but then again, she had also unexpectedly asked him to bring her to their home after what was supposed to be a quick rendezvous.

"I don't know much more than that, but he left you in my charge and I have already received comms from Davin that the Queen is anxious to get you out into the city and into a dress."

Rey groaned and Arlan smirked. "I think I'm going to need more caf," Rey downed what was in her mug before she threw back the blankets and slid out of the bed.

Watching Rey move towards the fresher, Arlan stood from the bed quickly, remembering Ren's words of warning about staying out of his and the Empress' private quarters. She had understood Rey's leeriness at first, Ren was a good looking man with all the power in the galaxy, and as part of his personal guard, Arlan knew him better than most. But the simple trooper from Utapau wouldn't trade places with Rey for all the credits in the Core because she had witnessed that their love was as gentle and pure as it was fierce and conflicted.

"I'll have Tyris make you something to eat," Arlan called as she made to leave.

"Thank you," Rey said, peeking out from the fresher, thankful that she wouldn't have to spend the day alone, waiting and unknowing of Ben's whereabouts.

As she showered, Rey thought about everything that had transpired the prior day. She was engaged and had to pinch herself to ensure that she truly wasn't dreaming. The weight of the promises she made last night were also swimming and she took a steady breath, becoming even more steadfast in her decision to marry Ben and then leave the Resistance. She had already given them enough of herself and now it was time for her to live and to make a real difference for people who would actually welcome her help.

She also cursed herself for being so tired that she didn't feel Ben leave their bed, but she also had to remind herself that before he was a lumbering Dark Knight, he was a stealthy Jedi. After taking part in Cale's Knighting, Rey wondered if Ben had ever completed his Jedi training, achieving Knighthood in the Light as well as in the Dark.

But through the chaotic power of Ben's saber, a fire had been lit, somehow a distant yearning bloomed and Rey now wished to have such an honor bestowed upon her. When she finally stood as Empress, she would not want to be treated like a delicate flower. She wanted to be Ben's equal on every front and that included passing whatever test that would put her on her knees before him, the heat of a lightsaber cresting each of her shoulders as she spoke the words that were now burned in her mind.

Rey giggled to herself, thinking that maybe she shouldn't shower alone anymore. When Ben was with her, he distracted her racing mind in the most divine way that only he could, but when she was alone, she seemed to come up with even more grand plans for her future that for some reason, still felt just slightly out of reach.

Instead of letting the pressure of her pending ambitions weigh down on her, Rey put them all away in the little spaces in her mind where she hid all of the plans that both excited and terrified her.

Out of the fresher and standing in front of her closet, Rey wasn't sure what Irris had in store for her so she just shrugged on a longer robe and padded across the apartment and into the kitchen.

"Oh good, you're up," Irris quipped from the dining table as she stood from her chair and rounded the counter top before coming and kissing each of Rey's cheeks.

"Is it late?" Rey asked, finally looking around for the time. When she saw that it was barely past 0700 she groaned and but was ever grateful when Arlan handed her another large mug of caf.

Irris flicked her wrist in a nonchalant manner, "I must still be on Naboo time, but do get on with your breakfast so that we can get out on the town."

Tyris gave his Empress a sideways grace that made Rey's lips turn up at the corners as she smirked into her caf. All the same, he planted up some eggs, toast, and fruit for all three ladies before Davin announced himself while entering the apartment.

"Where is Cale?" Rey questioned.

Tyris and Davin shared a look, "He went with Ren and the rest of the Knights."

"Oh," Rey said, bitting at her lip. She tried not to think too much about what that bit of information meant, assuring herself that the Knights must go out on missions all the time, or perhaps it was a celebratory trip that was part of the tradition with new Knighthoods.

As she slowly chewed her breakfast, not really tasting any of it, but knowing that she would need the calories to keep up with Irris for the day, Rey appraised the dress of the Queen. "You almost look normal without the make up and jewels," Rey remarked.

Squaring her posture in the chair at the head of the table, Irris smiled as if taking the observation as a complement. "Then my girls have done their job well." Stabbing a piece of melon and seeing the confused look on the Empress' face, Irris chewed and swallowed before continuing, "We are to look like common people today. The press have seen Ben sneaking a woman into my palace. If you show up on my arm, it will all but confirm that woman is you."

"There are already holovids of the shuttle landing from last night and I had to take down three drones this morning," Davin relayed before taking a sip of caf.

"Is this a good idea?" Rey asked with a weary expression, "Us going out?"

Irris waved her hand, "We will just be some upper-level ladies out on the town with our boyfriends and helping our newly engaged friend find a dress."

"Boyfriends?" Arlan asked after choking on some dry toast.

"Ben gave very unarguable instructions that Davin and Tyris are to accompany us out into the city." Irris pointed her fork between Arlan and Tyris, "You two can keep up appearances, can't you?"

Davin snickers into his caf as Tyris turned red up to his ears. Rey also tried to hide her smile but shared a knowing look with Arlan.

The female guard sat up straighter, pretending to be unfazed by the comment. "We've gone incognito before. I'm up for it if he is." The only thing that gave Arlan away was the quick flick of her gaze as it shifted from Rey to the blonde man still standing in the kitchen before landing on her plate as a blush touched to tops of her tanned cheeks.

Irris's lips were pressed into a tight smile as she winked at Davin. "All that is left is for her Imperial Majesty to get dressed."

It was a good thing that Rey was a quick eater and with one last gulp of caf she set her mug down on the table. "Okay, okay. I'm going," she said in mock annoyance before inclining her head towards Arlan. The guard stood without a word and followed Rey out of the kitchen.

Once they were behind the door of the sleeping quarters, Rey rounded, "Are you sure you are up for this? I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Arlan walked over to the closet, pulled back the door and started to shift through tunics. "It's fine really. I'm not blind…or deaf for that fact. I've heard Cale and Davin pocking fun at Ty and I've seen the way he looks at me when he thinks I don't notice."

Rey came up behind her friend and placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder. "And do you share his affections?" Rey was brought back to the many times over the past year that she had to flat out tell men around the Resistance base that she was not interested. Stinging along a man almost always ended in disaster.

Shrugging her shoulders Arlan handed a pair of white leggings and a taupe tunic to Rey. "He's a great guy…" she mused before looking off with a slight smile on her lips. "He's funny and considerate…"

"And handsome," Rey adds, trying to catch her friend's eye.

Arlan blushed again. "So you've noticed," she said in a playful voice.

Rey now had to outright laugh and it felt good to be carefree…to be happy in this aspect of her life, and she hoped that she could retain this feeling as the permanence of her decision mounted. Her heart only hurt a little at the possibility of Rose and Finn never talking to her again, but for now she had this friend's heart to consider. "Perhaps beauty was mandated to be part of Ben's guard unit." Now it was Rey's turn to blush, "Why do you think I was so jealous when I first came here?"

"You have to believe me that nothing has ever transpired between Ren and me…" Arlan's gaze was pleading for understanding.

"I know…" Rey sighed, cursing her past insecurities for ruining what was supposed to be a compliment. "I was trying to say that you are lovely and any man…or woman would be blessed to have you."

Now Arlan looked down at the floor before turning back to the closet to pick out a pair of shoes. "I've been a trooper my whole life," she started and pulled out a pair of nude booties. Behind her, Rey had shed her robe and being only clad in panties, Arlan was glad that the Empress felt so comfortable in her company, remembering their awkward moment back on Naboo. "We weren't really given the luxury of expressing our feelings…let alone dating."

Both women gave soft giggles as Rey shimmied into the leggings. "But now it doesn't seem that Ben is opposed to fraternization, especially since his cousin is obviously having her way with Davin."

"It's not that…" Arlan picked up the discarded robe from the bed and hung it up on the back of the closet door.

After smoothing out the thick cotton tunic, Rey walked the few steps over to Arlan, reaching out to touch her friend's upper arm. "You can talk to me," Rey reassured.

"I know," Arlan was bashful again. "It's just that we weren't shown…taught about love…What it is, how to react to it, how to reciprocate."

Rey's expression softened. While the children that became troopers were provided with clothes, a warm place to sleep, and steady meals, they too were orphans. She doubted that barracks leaders showed any type of affection towards their charges and for all she knew, Arlan had her very own Plutt that haunted her childhood.

Moving her hand from Arlan, Rey grasped both of her hands and turned the trooper so that they were facing each other. "Then you are just as lost as the rest of us," Rey said in a light joking tone.

"You and the Emperor make it look so effortless," Arlan argued.

A discrediting look now painted Rey's expression. "My relationship with Ben is anything but effortless…and I'm sure he would say the same of me." Rey wasn't ignorant to her own stubbornness.

"But you both are so in love…"

"Yes we are, but you weren't around in the early days when he was kidnapping me and I was slicing his face open with a lightsaber," Rey mused.

Arlan giggled, "We all wondered how he got the scar."

Rey returned the smile, "Relationships take patience, understanding, forgiveness, and sometimes love just sneaks up on you."

"When did you know you loved Ren?" Arlan asked with equal parts curiosity and embarrassment at such a personal question.

"I knew that I was attracted to him the first time he took off that insufferable mask on Starkiller."

"Who can blame you," Arlan quipped with a smirk.

If only awkwardly tall teenaged Ben could hear them fawning over his features now, Rey thought to herself. "I knew I would love him…one day…when we were connected through the Force on Ahch-To. I knew he was someone worth fighting for on the Supremacy. I knew he was changing into the man that I could love as he courted me through the Force." Rey took a steady breath, "I knew I loved him when we finally found balanced within each other.

"But we are a little different," Rey moved to the bed, sitting on the edge and pulling on the booties that Arlan had set out for her. "I'm pretty sure that we were destined in the Force to end up here since conception."

"So you have no free will over who you would spend the rest of your life with?"

Rey slightly frowned, "The path was our choice but I think the destination was always going to be this…but I am content to not know any other love but his."

"And what about us who don't have the Force?"

"Everyone is connected to the Force, we are all pieces of a whole, but my advice would be to trust your heart. It may lead you to do crazy and reckless things, but it can also allow you to open up to the possibility of something amazing."

Arlan nodded her head with an accepting but tight smile. "Now we should go before Irris sends out a search party."

The two women walked back to the kitchen seeing that Davin and Tyris were changed into civilian clothes and Irris came in from the terrace, clapping her hands and shooing everyone back towards the entry.

They took the lift down a floor to the enclosed hangar, passed by the sleek craft that Ben had taken her to the Temple in as it only sat two, and instead, the men ushered the women into a slightly larger airspeeder. The exterior of the ship was sliver with no flags or insignias to indicate it was a vehicle for the royal or Imperial family. The interior was covered in soft cream-colored leather and the three ladies took up the rear while Davin and Tyris situated themselves in the pilot's compartment.

"Here my dear," Irris said to Rey. "Let me do something with that hair."

As the Queen pushed at her shoulders, Rey turned her back to Irris and almost moaned when nimble fingers went to work combing out and braiding her hair that now came down to her mid back.

"The Emperor wanted you to have these…" Arlan offered, holding out two gold cards that easily fit into Rey's palm.

Davin bought the speeder to life and pulled up to the hangar doors. Pushing a few buttons on his wrist-worn comm unit, he gave the order for the troopers on the top deck to activate the electromagnetic pulse device that would interrupt any holo drones that may be flying around the building. Once he got the all clear, the bay doors opened and Davin inconspicuously merged into upper-level traffic.

In the passenger compartment Rey looked down at the cards, "Did he say how much was on them?"

Irris giggled as she pushed a final pin into Rey's hair. "As if that man could ever put a limit on something that brings you happiness." When the Empress turned to look over her shoulder at Irris, the Queen just shrugged, "This is your wedding dress. You only get to experience this once…unless…"

"No," Rey understood Irris' hanging question. "Ben is it for me. There will never be anyone else."

"Well there you have it," Irris confirmed. "Apart from your coronation dress, this will but the most memorably gown you will ever wear. Have you thought about where you will wed?"

Rey bit at her lip. She had been engaged for less than a standard day and now a little bit of fear was starting to set in. "I don't know," she finally answered while picking at her nails. "I want to marry him as soon as possible and it will need to be private." Truthfully she didn't know what all was involved in a wedding beyond what she had seen on her stories on the holonet.

She was sure that she didn't want anything grand and she also was curious of any marriage traditions of the Jedi, Sith, or within the Force. All questions that she would have to set aside to ask Ben when he returned from whatever business had pulled him away.

"So think of this dress as something just for you and just for Ben. It should make you feel like an Empress, like a woman so incandescently in love, like you could conquer worlds in it, and let's not forget that it should make Ben fall to his knees at the same time." She ended her speech with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"That's quite a tall order," Rey surmised.

Irris patted at Rey's thigh, "O ye, of little faith."

They had ventured further into the city center and Davin pulled up along a bay door. A floating droid came up and scanned a card that the guard produced from an inside coat pocket and then the hangar opened and they were guided into an enclosed parking area much like the one in their building.

Tyris was the first out of the speeder while Davin shut down the flight systems. With the passenger hatch open, Tyris helped the Empress out first and the next time his hand reached into the speeder, Arlan was putting her fingers into his warm palm as she stepped out next to Rey. He may have swiped his thumb along his guard mate's knuckles as he helped her from the speeder, and she may have ducked her head with a shy smile at the gesture.

Davin finally came around and extended his hand to Irris before she hooked her hand into the crook of his elbow. "Shall we?" Irris asked.

As if on instinct, the guards fell into formation. Tyris walked ahead as sentry, being the chivalrous man to help the ladies avoid oil puddles or hold open doors, Arlan linked arms with Rey, appearing to be just two girlfriends embarking on a day of shopping, while Davin not only held guard over the Empress of the New Order but also the Queen of Naboo.

Doing his duty, Tyris held open the heavy glass door and a chipper blonde in a fitted black dress approached the group. "Welcome to Kodai Corse."

"We are going to need a room," Irris said, strolling into the brightly lit store like she owned more than half of the stock in the company.

But the sales woman took it all in stride. Since the Emperor of the New Order had taken charge and the war was all but over, more planets were prospering, royals and dignitaries finally felt safe enough to leave their home worlds and come to Coruscant for the latest fashions. The young woman couldn't help but join in with the rest of the galaxy in celebration of peace after such a long period of civil turmoil.

So with a confident but easy smile, the blonde led them across the show room and Rey had never seen so much white, cream, and pearlized fabric in her life. The room they were taken to had white and silver damask wall coverings and deep blue couches. "My name is Tiali and I will be assisting the bride to be…"

When the sales woman held out her hand, Rey only stepped forward when Irris nudged her in the back with an elbow. "That would be me. I'm Rey."

Tiali smiled at the young but well put together woman and gave a polite hand shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rey." She then turned to the two men standing in attendance, "Are either of you the fiancé?"

"No," Rey answered for the group. "My fiancé," the word still felt foreign on her tongue, "is away on business."

"Well then," Tiali quipped. "Men stay out here and women with me."

The ladies were ushered through another door and into a room slightly larger than the receiving room that Tyris and Davin had been left in. The same navy couch sat along one wall while a round platform and three side mirror took up the majority of the far corner.

A droid rolled into the receiving room holding out a bottle of champagne to the men. "None for us," Davin replied, knowing that they needed to keep their wits about them. "But the ladies are through there."

Irris clapped with glee when the navy and gold droid came in with a familiar green bottle resting in a silver ice bucket and a handful of crystal flutes.

"Now Rey, please come up here so I can scan in your measurements," Tiali asked and motioned to the raised stand.

Rey looked over her shoulder when it was requested that she strip to her underthings. Irris took a slow sip of the bubbling drink, "I get dressed with eight people watching me each day. Nothing to be shy about."

Arlan tried to turn down the glass of champagne but Irris shoved a flute into the guard's hand as they watched Tiali help Rey removed her tunic and leggings before small droids started to circle around her, red beams scanning every curve of her body and relayed the figures to a datapad in Tiali's hands. After the droids flew back into a panel in the wall, Rey was offered a skin robe to wear and Tiali excused herself to pick out some dresses.

Over the next hour, Rey was shoved into dresses made of satin, silk, charmeuse, chiffon, organza, tulle, and lace. Some were short, others had impossibly long trains, while the necklines fluctuated from suffocating to nonexistent. Her shoulders were starting to hurt from the weight of some of the more elaborate beading while her rib cage had been pinched into more corseted bodices that she could count.

Starting to get frustrated and feeling overall dejected, Rey was ready to give up and just marry Ben in the nude if she had to, even though she had an inward musing that Ben wouldn't mind her in this state of undress.

Tiali was buttoning up perhaps the last dress that Rey would be able to stand for the day when Irris let out a high pitched scream.

Rey spun around just in time to see Davin and Tyris slam through the door. Arlan had jumped to her feet, spilling her champagne on the gold carpeting, Tiali squeaked and held her hands over her chest with fright.

"Emp…Rey…" Davin stammered while looking around the room trying to assess for any threat.

"What the hell Irris?" Rey said from her spot up on the raised platform.

"Sorry," she giggled offhandedly. "It's just that dress is perfect!" Perhaps the bubbly drink may have gone to the Queen's head.

Rey looked down at the layers of delicate lace that wrapped around her torso and fell away from her waist. "This one?" She questioned, turning back around to look at her self in the mirror.

The neckline of the dress was high, wrapping halfway up her throat but that did not mean the bodice was meek by any means. The tight weave of the lace that crossed her chest was just a ghost of cream colored coverage. Embroidered and beaded flowers ran down from that capped sleeves to between her pert breasts while the same design came up from the flared waste, only just covering the rosy hue of her nipples.

Layers of sheer, embroidered, and beaded lace fell from her hips but she could still see the tan of her lean legs through the dress. As she looked at herself in the mirror again, Irris' words from earlier echoed. She felt delicate and feminine but also powerful and knew that if she walked into any room wearing this gown that she would command every person's attention.

"What do you think?" Rey asked, meeting Arlan's gaze in the mirror.

"It's beautiful Rey."

"Ty? Davin?"

The men shifted on their feet, feeling torn between knowing that they shouldn't stare but also being unable to tear their gaze from their beautiful Empress wrapped in cream lace. "Any man would be lucky to have their bride looking as you do now…" Tyris voice became dry near the end of his sentence as his gaze shifted from the soft curves of Rey's back and hips to Arlan's cutting eyes.

"They are being modest," Irris said, standing from the couch and walking up onto the platform next to Rey. She fingered the lace sleeves before placing her hands around Rey's slim waist and rested her chin on her friend's shoulder. "Ben will fall to his knees at the mere sight of you," Irris whispered with a coy smile.

Rey returned the smile and appraised herself in the mirror one more time before nodding at Tiali, "This is the one."

The sales woman who had finally come down from the shock of the men barging into the room looked between the five people standing about and started to wonder who she had been dressing. Not recognizing the woman from any of the tabloids, Tiali made a mental note to look out for the petite brunette gracing the holonet in the Murad gown. "When do you need it by?"

"Four weeks," Rey answered automatically knowing that she could get off world for another supply run in a month's time. She also knew that it would giver her enough time to make one last go at Poe's better senses and hopefully usher him away from fanatics and towards peace.

"That's a little rushed," Tiali observed and then smirked at her client. "Perhaps there is a little one on the way."

Irris raised a brow from her position behind Rey, a tight smile on her lips, intrigued by the prospect.

"No," Rey was firm. "Nothing like that. We are just excited to start our lives together."

Tiali blushed, "My apologies. We would be honored to have your dress ready in four weeks. Now if the gentlemen would excuse us, I'll get Ms. Rey out of her beautiful wedding gown."

Davin and Tyris nodded and then went back out into the receiving room. Arlan settled back onto the couch but Irris kept her eyes on Rey for just a moment before she turned to the sales woman. "Can we have the room please?"

"It's against policy to leave a client in a dress…" Tiali gaze shifted from the three women.

Irris moved over to where Rey's clothes were hung up and fished the credit card out of the back pocket of the leggings before strutting back over to Tiali and held out the gold plastic between her middle and forefinger. "Why don't you go ring up the order and I will help my friend out of the gown."

Tiali took one more look at the women, seeing by their expressions that they were not accustomed to hearing 'no', so she just smiled and took the card, for some reason feeling the need to curtsey as she turned and left the room.

Arlan went to stand by the door giving the Queen and the Empress a sense of privacy. Irris went to stand behind Rey again and started to slip the lace covered buttons through their satin loops. "This should be a happy day, but you look like someone just handed down a life sentence."

Rey looked at her refection and saw Irris' kind brown eyes in the mirror. "I'm leaving the Resistance. As soon as I can after the wedding, I am leaving them behind to be with Ben."

"That sounds like wonderful news…"

"I have friends there. People I love and consider family and I am worried about them."

Irris sighed, "How much of your happiness are you willing to give them?"

"Not much more," Rey said as her shoulders slumped and the lace bodice slid down her chest.

"You may not have been born and raised to rule like many of the noble families of Naboo, but you have the heart of a warrior and the intuition that could only be forged under the challenges of your childhood. You were meant for this, meant to stand at Ben's side, meant to bring this galaxy back to harmony and prosperity."

Rey stepped out of the dress and Irris held it out for Arlan to take. "Look at yourself," Irris instructed as Rey stood in just a pair of panties. When the Empress tried to cross her arms over her chest, Irris placed her hand on Rey's shoulders, pulling them back slightly and then moved her hands to position Rey's arms at her sides.

"Neve be ashamed of who you are, where you came from, or what you want. You should be just as confident like this as you are when draped in silk and gems. Don't let anyone ever tell you that are anything less than an Empress."

Pulling her shoulders back just a little more, Rey tried to feel as sure of herself as she did when standing nude before Ben, when he looked at her like she was the sun, the moon, and the stars, when he declared his desperate love for her and then worships at the temple made of her flesh and bone. She tried to feel as grounded as the first time she reached out to the Force on Ahch-To, as steady and true as when she discovered the Force was with her on the cliff side on Starkiller under the burning gaze of the man she now loved more than her own breath.

As a sense of ease washed over her, Rey wondered if this is what Ben felt like on the Supremacy when he made the decision to forsake his Master for the love of a girl. She knew once she married Ben, once she left her friends and was crowed Empress, that there would be no going back and she would be damned if she was going to let some tyrannical First Order Officers see her as anything less than their sovereign, appointed and blessed within the Force to bring balance and peace.

Irris broke out into a smile when she watched an expression of resolve cross Rey's features and for a moment she thought back to when her mother had a similar conversation with her right before her coronation at age fourteen. A Queen guiding an Empress would most likely be frowned upon, but Irris and Rey were about to be family, and the feisty sovereign wished for Rey to see her as more of a sister than a subject of the galaxy's many realms.

"Good girl," Irris quipped and patted Rey on the rear with a light giggle. "Get dressed so that I can take you out to the best restaurant in the Core."

AN: Your comments, reviews, follows, faves, and kudos make my freaking day! Please keep them coming...it makes the pain in my fingers worth while.

Also, the dress is from the 2013 Fall/Winter collect of the designer Zuhair Murad, if you want to put a photo to Rey's wedding dress.