The day would be even hotter than the previous days, so I chose a sleeveless, muslin gown, its neckline stopping at a point in the middle of my sternum. It was tight across my chest and waist, but the skirt was loose and fluttering. I knew there was no way to avoid the affect the humidity would have on my hair, so I left it unbound, using a headband to keep the frizzy curls out of my face.

id never considered myself attractive, with my awkward brown hair that was thick and wavy, curly, but not curly enough to be curly, and eyes that were the color of mud. Id always been thin, and my small beasts and narrow hips had always been an insecurity. But, today, I felt feminine, and catching a glimpse of myself in a mirror before leaving my room for breakfast, I even felt...pretty.

When I arrived in the breakfast hall, I was surprised to see that Gavriel was the only occupant, sitting at the empty table, and sipping coffee from an ornate mug.

"Good morning." He said with his cartoon white smile.

"Good morning." I pulled out a chair a distance from him and sat down.

"Some breakfast?" He offered, and the servant came to take my order.

I wanted to wait for Kylo, but I was hungry, and a headache was beginning to bloom behind my left eye, so I ordered a pot of tea, and a breakfast of berries and drop scones.

Gavriel and I waited in tense silence until the tea arrived, and I took a sip. Jasmine and rosehip. My breakfast wasn't far behind, and I began to eat.

"I was hoping I could take you on a tour of Cloud City today." He offered.

That caught me off guard but I nodded, smiling sweetly. "I'd love to see the city."

He seemed pleased. "We'll leave as soon as you're done."

I looked down at my nearly empty plate. "I'd rather wait for Kylo."

"Kylo won't be joining us." Gavriel said, enough command in his voice to know that he wouldn't be persuaded differently. "And neither will any of his Knights."

My breakfast turned to lead in my stomach as unease gripped me. But, Kylo had asked me to come with him to see where Gavriel stood, and a day alone with him would be the best way to get it. So, I pushed my plate away, and smiled at him.

A speeder was waiting for us that we boarded, and though I was expecting Mayea to join us, we departed alone, with the king himself driving.

"The planet is gas." Gavriel said. "We extract the gas through mining, but the cities have to be built in the life zone, which is why they float."

"The life zone?" I repeated.

"A strip of breathable air in the atmosphere. If anyone were to venture too high or too low, they'd be unconscious in forty seconds, and dead in two minutes."

I looked out at the clouds above, below, and around us, halfway paying attention when he spoke about trade and exports. We stopped at a shop for lunch around mid-day, and I was munching on meringue cookies while he told me about the Baftle of Endor, and how they'd won their independence.

For the most part, the day was hot, humid, and boring as hell, without the slightest mention of alliance or rebellion or war.

When the sun was beginning to sink into the horizon, we flew not back to the palace, but to the hangar. He got out, and I looked around, finding the place to be empty. There was only one vessel docked, its engine humming as it idled. He came to my side of the speeder and offered a hand, but I didn't move. "What is this?" I demanded.

He motioned toward it. "This is a vessel that is truly unmarked and untraced, and the coordinates are already set to a haven planet on the mid-rim."

He couldn't be serious. I was tired. I'd had too much sugar in the heat, and I was in no mood to have this conversation. "Kylo has an unmarked, untraced vessel already docked-"

"And, you didn't take it. Probably because you knew it wouldn't really be untraced. But," he pointed behind him. "This one is."

I shook my head. "Im not leaving Kylo."

"Rey, you can trust me. I understand that this is frightening, but if you don't leave now, you won't get another opportunity. Mayea is distracting him today and tonight, to give you a chance."

I froze, even my blood turning to ice in my veins. "She's...what?"

He shrugged. "I had to get him away from you somehow."

I was going to vomit.

"Why would you want Mayea to distract him if you're so convinced that he's raping me?"

"Because Mayea isn't the virgin sold to him for the sole purpose of producing his heir. Because Mayea and Kylo have a consensual history. And, because Mayea knows exactly what kind of man he is, she's not bewitched by the honey he's pouring in her ear."

Bile rose in my throat. "They have a history?"

He sighed. "Our marriage is a political one, but there's no affection between us. I have lovers, and so does she, and one of them is Kylo."

They were lovers. I'd had my suspicions before but for him to confirm them. For him to not care. And his wife was alone with my husband and had been all day. I didn't know which would come first, vomit or hysterical sobs. "Take me back." I breathed. "Now."

He shook his head. "I can't send a victim back to her abuser. I'm not that kind of King, and I'm not that kind of man."

I raised my chin, tears spilling onto my face as I met his blue gaze. "I am not a victim. I am not being abused."

He rolled his eyes.

"Despite what you think you know about him, my husband hasn't so much as laid a hand on me without my consent." I told him. "But, you will if you drag me onto that vessel." He blinked, his brow furrowing. "Yes, drag." I said. "Because I'm not getting on it, otherwise."

"Rey, even if he's not forcing you." I leveled a glare at him and he held a hand up, slowing me his palm. "Which, I believe, ok? I believe you. But, he's still Kylo Ren."

I raised my chin. "Yes, he is." I said, my voice quaking as I remembered who I was, the authority I had. I...outranked Gavriel. And, that was the only way to get him to take me back. "And as Queen Consort of Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, you will take me back to your palace."

He straightened, looking at me as if this was the first time he'd actually seen me. But, he didn't budge, and I set my jaw. "Now." I snarled, through clenched teeth.

He swallowed, lowering his gaze. "Yes, Supreme Leader." And walked around the speeder to get into the driver seat. The ride back was heavy with uncomfortable silence, and just before we reached the palace, Gavriel turned to me. "Do you want me to tell you?" He asked. "Who he really is?"

I looked over at him.

"What he's done?" His gaze hardened.

"The people he's slaughtered?"

"No." I spat, my hand going to the door handle to bolt as soon as we docked.

"Then, make sure you ask him yourself." He pulled the speeder to the dock, his eyes not leaving mine. "Then you'll understand why we all tried to save you."

The hydraulics hissed as they disengaged and I pulled the handle, jumping out and running inside.

I ran to his room, and threw the door open, looking around. I went to the bathing room, the closet, the study, my heart sinking deeper with every room I found empty. My breathing became erratic, my pulse throbbing in my ears.

Ok, ok, calm down. He's coming back.

I repeated that to myself while I paced back and forth in front of his door. I repeated it with every page turn of a book i read to try to distract myself. I repeated it every time I glanced at the clock as the minutes turned to hours. At some point, I fell asleep, and woke up alone, the time reading 4:13 AM. I laid awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling until the room began to lighten with early morning sunlight.

He hadn't come back.