I plastered a smile on my face as four hundred guests stood and pivoted toward us, all in their finery. It was an effort to put one foot in front of the other, to keep my knees from buckling.

Kylo had loosened the leash on his power and it drifted off of him like mist on a wind. Gasps and mutters filled the room, not aimed at him, but at me. At my glittering gown, at my place by his side, at my hand desperately clutching his. If he was darkness, I was the light that only his shadows could make clear.

His face was schooled into a cool mask of respect, though I could feel his heart racing on the other side of our Bond. Shock laced confusion tumbled into me, and it twisted my stomach into knots.

What if I'd misread him? What if I'd been wrong, and he didnt love me? What if that's not what he was going to say that drunken night before I'd stopped him? I blinked back tears as I fought an urge to turn and flee away from all these eyes and fall apart in peace.

I'd been honest. I'd told him exactly how I felt. And I'd been so sure, so damned sure that he felt the same that I hadn't even considered the possibility that he didn't.

I'd ruined everything. That ease between us, it was surely gone, now.

We moved toward our seats, and Kylo turned to sit down, but his eyes met mine. In them was a storm of conflict and I wanted to take it back, to tell him I didn't mean it. But, that left the taste of lies on my tongue, though I hadn't even said it.

The orchestra began to play, and the doors swung open for the priest to enter, followed by King Dravic, who was resplendent in cobalt and gold, an sapphire encrusted crown gleaming on his head. His queen was on his arm, smiling and lovely in an ink blue gown, her red hair braided behind a sapphire and diamond diadem. They walked to the front row, and took their seats.

Ovadia's mother was ushered down the aisle, her yellow chiffon gown glinting as the dull light hit its gold accents, and also sat on the front row.

Ardion followed, his suit nearly identical to his father's, his long blond hair pulled back into a low ponytail. He stepped onto the dais, clasping his hands in front of him, and turned toward the door. Two young boys, both no older than four, walked down the aisle carrying pillows trimmed in white lace, and they were followed by three girls who littered the path toward the altar with flower petals. Once in front of the dias, they took their seats, except for one girl, the youngest, who turned her wicker basket upside down and dumped the remainder of her petals in a heap on the floor.

Soft laughter echoed throughout the room.

The music changed to Mendelssohn's wedding March and Ovadia walked in on her father's arm. Her gown was the palest yellow, as was the traditional color of her family name. The skirt was made of several layers of tulle, and embroidered with white roses. The neckline was curved into a heart, though a layer of tulle covered her chest, shoulders and arms, and her long sleeves were also embellished with white. Her hair was down, though the top half of it was pinned up, soft curls framing her face under her shimmering veil. She beamed at Ardion, who's eyes were red as he smiled back.

They reached the dias, and her father kissed her cheek before joining his wife on the front row. The priest began the ceremony.

There was a rustle of fabrics as the guests sat, and Kylo and I lowered into our seats as well.

He leaned over, his lips against my ear as he whispered. "When we took these vows, we were strangers."

His hot breath sent a chill through me, and I nodded, my stomach dropping. We had been strangers who didn't want each other, didn't know each other. We'd only said those vows because we were both forced into a contract.

"Repeat after me." The priest instructed. "I, Ardion, take you, Ovadia, to be my wife."

"I, Kylo, take you, Rey, to be my wife." He said so that only I could hear.

My blood stopped, sending ice through my veins, and I turned to look at Kylo, my eyes wide.

"To have and to hold." He repeated, his eyes locked with mine. "To honor and cherish."

My throat grew tight and I swallowed.

"For better or worse. In sickness and in health." He brought his free hand up to stroke my cheek, his thumb wiping away a tear that fell. "Forsaking all others. Until we are parted by death."

He'd said them. He'd made his vows to me again. Because everything had changed. We were not strangers, and this wasn't a contract neither one of us wanted. He wanted me, and I wanted him, and we both were choosing this marriage, choosing each other.

"Repeat after me." The priest said, again. "I, Ovadia, take you, Ardion, to be my husband."

"I, Rey, take you, Kylo, to be my husband." I breathed, watching his eyes fill with water. "To have and to hold. To honor and cherish." My voice broke, and he leaned in, pressing his forehead to mine. "For better or worse. In sickness and in health."

"Forsaking all others." He said again, with me.

"Until we are parted by death." I vowed, and took a shaky breath, fresh tears spilling down my face.

"I now pronounce that you are husband and wife, and you may kiss your bride." The priest proclaimed.

The room erupted into a roar of applause that faded away when Kylo's lips found mine.

It was gentle - soft. The kiss we might have had on our wedding day, had we met under different circumstances, been granted the opportunity to court each other.

We broke apart, and the room, the cheering, the music, it all flooded back as the guests began migrating outside for dinner and dancing. I remembered where we were, why we were here, and every reason I wanted to leave.

"You know," I said to Kylo. "We only had to go to the ceremony. The reception is optional."

His brows rose as his eyes darkened. "Oh?"

I gave him a smile as I stood. "Yeah." A smile tugged at his lips as well as he followed, close by my side as we walked hand in hand toward the exit.

"Supreme Leader!" A deep voice boomed behind us, stopping us in our tracks.

"Son of a bitch." Kylo growled under his breath, and turned to the King and Queen of Vulpter, Ovadia's parents.

The King bowed, and his wife curtseyed, both smiling broadly. "The reception is outside." He said to us, standing upright.

"Well, we're really tired." I lied, my voice regretful.

"Exhausted." Kylo agreed. "We were just going to turn in early, you know? Long flight tomorrow."

The King waved his hand in dismissal. "Nonsense. You and your wife are my honored guests. I insist you join us."

"After all," his wife said, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze. "There wouldn't have been a wedding tonight if it weren't for you."

Kylo pursed his lips, raking a hand through his hair, then laughed once. "How can I say no to that?"

The King and Queen moved, motioning for us to lead the way, then stepping beside us when we walked toward the open doors leading outside.

The white silk tents were thin enough to see the stars and were lit with the glow of a thousand candles. Massive flower arrangements centered every table, cascading from the crystal vases, and perfuming the air. The tablecloths were white, the runners and details alternating between Vulpter yellow, and Lothar blue to signify the joining of two kingdoms.

"It's so romantic." I said to Kylo.

"What's romantic about a giant fire hazard?" He asked, dryly.

I shot him a glare.

He showed me his palms in mock surrender. "I'm just saying, if some drunk uncle knocks over one of these candelabras, this whole place will be a romantic pile of ash."

I shook my head, rolling my eyes.

He wrapped an arm around my waist. "If it all went up in flames, I'd save you."

I smiled up at him. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah." He nodded, his eyes glinting in the candlelight. "I could use that dress to signal for help from low flying aircraft."

I let out a shocked laugh. "Oh, you wouldn't save me, you'd save the dress."

He grinned down at me. "I'd technically have to save both, if you're wearing it."

I raised a suggestive eyebrow. "Would you rather me not be wearing it?"

His eyes darkened with that predatory need and hunger that made my knees wobble. His hand grazed the bare skin on my back, and wet heat pooled between my legs. I whimpered, his fingers dipping under the fabric of my dress to trail along my side.

The King of Vulpter stepped in front of us, flanked by Dravic and another King I didn't recognize. They all bowed to Kylo, then to me.

"Supreme Leader." Dravic said. "Sabater and I have discussed it at length, and we want to ally with Mustafar. With you."

I felt Kylo tense at my side. "Ally?" He said, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

I felt an arm loop around mine and pull me away, but Kylo's grip immediately tightened, and he looked at me in alarmed confusion. "Let's leave them to discuss their contracts and treaties." The Queen of Vulpter said.

Kylo relaxed, and pressed a kiss to my temple. "I'll be right back." He promised, letting me go.

"I'm Alcmene." The Queen introduced when we were several steps away.

"I'm Rey." I told her.

"It's a pleasure." She said, and sounded like she meant it. "Sabater and I had chefs flown in to make some dishes. I'll show you which ones, so you can successfully avoid the Lotharian cuisine."

Ardion and Ovadia were announced shortly after, and I migrated away from the other queens and their idle gossip. I stood aside and watched the couple dance, then cut the six tiered wedding cake, and playfully fed each other before heading upstairs.

The band began to play and all three dance floors were full of dancing couples, swaying and twirling with the music. I sighed, looking around, my eyes going back to the cake. I thought back to my wedding, to my reception, where I sat alone while everyone danced and dined. At our wedding, Kylo had disappeared as soon as we were announced, and I hadn't seen him again until he walked into his bedroom for the bedding ceremony.

I thought about what it might be like, to have had a wedding ceremony and reception as we were now, as two people who loved each other, as two people who wanted to be married.

I felt his power envelope me and smiled, closing my eyes as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to him.

"Do you remember," he said in my ear. "Those three questions you owe me?"

"From the night with the scotch?" I groaned. "How could I forget?'

"I'm cashing one in, now."

I turned my head to look at him, waiting.

"What were you thinking?" He asked. "Just now, before I hugged you."

"Shoving cake in your face." I answered, honestly.

His brow furrowed.

I leaned against him, my head on his shoulder. "I just wish…" I shrugged. "I don't know, that we'd done this. Which, I know that we did, but-"

"I wasn't there." He finished.

"And I understand why you weren't, so it's really not fair for me to feel this way-"

"Yes, it is." He assured me. "It's absolutely fair to regret not getting to do this." A long, silent moment passed. "I'm sorry." He said.

I looked at him. "For what?"

"For not being there on our wedding night, for not letting you shove cake in my face. I just assumed you wouldn't want anything to do with me. You seemed so-" he sighed. "Fragile. Like you were a breath away from breaking, and I didnt to be the reason you fell apart. So, I...gave you as much space as I could, for as long as I could."

He had given me space. He'd given me time. He'd given me the choice, which was more than I thought I'd ever have.

"I wish things had been different." He admitted. "Not just with our wedding, but with everything. I wish I'd somehow been able to meet you between our two planets, and gotten to know you. I would have given you the wedding you wanted, instead of the wedding we got."

"Your majesty?" I heard a woman call.

Kylo straightened with a sigh, and I looked behind him to see a servant dip into a curtsey.

"Forgive my intrusion, Supreme Leader, but the princess has requested Her Majesty's assistance."

Ovadia, most likely wanting me to help her prepare for the bedding ceremony.

I gave my husband an apologetic look.

"It's ok." He said, and bent down to kiss my temple. "I'll wait here."

I moved out of his arms, and he held my hand until it slipped out of his grasp. I shivered at the absence of him, his warmth, his power, his scent. My legs shook as I followed the servant to Ovadia's dressing room, my dress sighing with my movements.

There was a crowd of women outside of the door, queens and servants alike.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"She won't let anyone in." Someone told me, I wasn't sure who.

I went to the door and softly knocked.

"Go away!" Ovadia yelled back.

"It's Rey." I told her, and a moment later, the lock slid back. I turned the handle and dipped inside, slamming the door behind me before anyone else could get through.

Ovadia paced in front of the window, each turn as sharp as a blade. She held two fistfuls of her skirt, holding it up, and her train was twisted around itself, her pacing making the twist knot.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The priest intends to be in the room," she panted. "Instead of outside the door."

I sighed, went to Ovadia, and caught her by her shoulders, stopping her. "You have more power here than the priest wants you to believe." I told her. "You are his future Queen. You're everyone's future queen. And aside from that, Ardion loves you. He truly, wholly, honestly loves you, and will want your wishes respected." I put my hand under her chin and pushed it up, pushed it high. "Remember that Ardion chose you. You're not a contracted wife, you were not part of a treaty. There is peace between your two kingdoms because of you. Don't let that priest make you believe that you bow to him. Remind him that he now bows to you."

She was silent for a moment while she stared at me, her teal eyes practically glowing. "You're right."

I nodded once. "Do you want to go to Ardion's bedroom?"

She blushed, and I saw her throat move as she swallowed. "Yes."

"I'll help you get changed." I offered, and she turned around, moving her hair away from the line if white buttons down her back.

"Were you nervous?" She asked. "On your wedding night?"

"Yes." I admitted. I thought back to that night as my hands worked on the buttons. Part of me wished that we could take it back, do it over so that we could have an actual wedding night.

"What are you wearing?" I asked, undoing the last button. She nodded toward a blindingly white negligee on the foot of her bed, and I handed it to her, turning around so she could put it on herself. When she was done, I grabbed her dressing robe, and tied the sash when she slipped it on.

The ladies had dispersed when we emerged, and I walked with Ovadia to Ardion's bedroom where, sure enough, the Priest was waiting on her.

She raised her chin. "There will be no one in our bedroom but me and my husband." She told him, enough authority in her voice to let him know she wouldn't be swayed.

"My lady-" he started.

"You will address me correctly, Father." She said, "Or have you forgotten what my nuptials make me?"

He blinked, looking at her, considering her. "It's my job to ensure that the deed is done, your Highness."

"Which is why you collect the sheets." She reminded him. "But if you walk into that room, I assure you, I will not."

His cheeks tinted red. "I will drag you into that room if I have to, girl."

"You wanna try that?" I asked, a smug smile on my face as I called his bluff.

His face turned from red, to purple, to white as he stared at me, but he did not move as Ovadia walked into the room and locked the door behind her. I crossed my arms over my chest, staring him down.

"Do you know what you're doing?" He spat.

"I'm protecting a bride from the pervert who wants to watch her lose her virginity." I cocked my head to the side. "They have videos of that, you know." I'd learned enough about holoporn to know there were, regrettably, videos of everything.

"You forget your place." He took a step closer to me, and I didnt so much as blink. "You are the granddaughter of a Nabooian senator, bought to make an heir. Nothing more."

"Oh, come now, Father." I drawled. "You know I'm much, much more than that." I turned without another word and went back to the reception.

I was still smiling when I made it to the tents, and followed the tug of the bond to Kylo, who held an arm out to me that I easily slipped into.

"Everything ok?" He asked.

I nodded, and took the short glass of amber liquid out of his hand, turning it up to take a sip.

I was expecting the burn of some sort of liquor, but got a burn of a different kind and spat it back into the glass. "What the hell is this?"

Kylo's eyes gleamed. "A witches brew of your spit and ginger ale."

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "It's gross."

"Well, yeah, now." He took the glass from me and put it on a nearby table, coming back with a small plate with a triangle slice of vanilla cake.

I eyed it. "Cake?"

"Yeah." He said. "Shove it in my face."

I laughed, and stopped when he didn't join in. "You're serious."

"You didn't get to do this at our wedding because I wasn't there." He held the cake up. "Well, I'm here. Shove it in my face."

"I'm not subjecting you to that cake."

"I'm literally asking for it. Come on."

I scooped up a glob of icing with my finger and swiped it onto the tip of his nose.

"Nope." He shook his head. "Whole thing."

I looked around. Everyone was on one of the dance floors, or too enamored in their own conversations to notice us. I picked up a layer, and fed it to him, smearing it across his mouth and onto his chin.

His eyes widened as he chewed. "It's good."

"It is not!"

"No, it's really good." He picked up the other layer and offered it to me. I opened my mouth, smiling as he slowly moved the cake toward me, then smashed it into my face. I tried to dodge, hysterical laughter erupting out of me, and I squealed as he pulled me to him, rubbing his face on mine, smearing the cake further.

He laughed. Not a chuckle or a snicker, but a cackling laugh that drew the attention of several guests around us.

We straightened, though Kylo's arm still rested in the small of my back. "I'm going back to the room, since I'm covered in cake." He said.

I giggled. "I'm covered in cake, too."

His hand found mine and laced our fingers together. "Well, then I guess you'll have to come with me." He turned toward the palace, pulling me with him.

When we made it upstairs, Kylo looked at me in the brightly lit hallway and burst out laughing again. "It's everywhere." He laughed, bringing his hands up to wipe my cheeks.

I curled my fingers around his wrists, and he stilled, his smile fading as his eyes searched mine. "There's one more thing I never got." I told him, feeling heat rise as my heart began to pound.

His eyes tightened. "What's that?"

I swallowed, and took a breath. "A wedding night."

The stars in his eyes guttered as he pulled away. "What are you saying?"

I still held his wrists, and could've sworn I felt his pulse quicken as well. He wouldn't lay a hand on me, not unless I specifically asked him to. He'd proven that time and again. If I wanted this from him, and I did, I was going to have to say it. "I want you to make love to me."

I'd barely gotten the words out when his mouth captured mine in an urgent kiss. My lips melded to his, my jaw relaxing, and he wasted no time darting his tongue inside.

My body reacted with an instant throbbing between my legs. He bent down, his lips never breaking contact with mine, and hooked an arm behind my knees, holding me against his chest as he lifted me up.

Our bedroom door swung open, and he carried me inside, kicking the door closed behind us.