"You must be one of Kylo's cronies," Armitage said, his expression lazy and bored, as he pushed himself to his feet. "I must say, I'm not entirely surprised to see that he has you babysitting his bride." He straightened the lapels on his jacket. "I was congratulating the Supreme Empress on her marriage, and finally securing the alliance Kylo has been after for years, when she propositioned me."

Heat flooded my face, my neck, my ears, as a blazing rush of humiliation scorched me. I didnt know which was worse; what he'd called me or the lie he'd just told.

Ushar was absolutely still in front of me. He didn't speak, didn't turn to look at me in confirmation or denial, and he did not lower his defenses.

"I refused her, and she slapped me." Armitage tisked, giving me a chastising look. "Such a violent temper. I had to restrain her merely out of self preservation." He grinned like a cat playing with its dinner. "What you saw was a misunderstanding."

Shadows slithered up Ushar's legs, coiling around his waist, his arms, his neck. He tilted his head to the side, as a shadow perched on his shoulder, and whispered into his ear. "You know the difference between you, and shadows?" He asked, as they seemed to wrap tighter around him. As if he was their stronghold in the world of light. "Shadows don't lie."

The wicked amusement glinted in Armitage's cold eyes. "You're his Shadow Guard." The grin returned, seemingly unfazed by the realization of just who, and what, stood before him. "I'm a huge fan of your work. Though, you're not a proficient guard, since Snoke was killed on your watch. But, the stuff you did while he was still alive?" He shook his head as he clapped his hands in applause. "That was inspirational. That was art."

Bile rose in my throat as I saw Ushar tense at the condescension. I knew the barest details of what Snoke had forced Ushar to do, but I knew that it haunted him, the same as it haunted Kylo. There were things he'd done, things he'd been forced to witness, things he'd had to endure that he refused to share with me. Whether it was from guilt or shame, I didn't know. And, I hadn't asked either one of them, because I didn't want to know.

Yet Armitage not only knew what they'd done, he found it inspirational. He'd applauded, even. It occurred to me that despite what the galaxy believed, the real sadist, the real monster, was standing in front of me, and it made a chill run up my spine.

"Since you want to insult my honor by calling me a liar, we should ask the other Kings what they believe." He said, his voice light.

I thought he must have been joking. Going in front of the Kings would mean going in front of Kylo, who would hear of what happened, what he'd said to me, and most likely tear him and the Priest apart, bit by bit.

But, he wanted that.

I remembered our first night on Lothar, when Kylo had lost his temper and punched Gavriel. I remembered the devastated look on his face, the haunted regret in his eyes. Then, when we'd returned to our rooms, when he thought that I'd finally seen enough and was leaving.

It dawned on me that this man in front of me confronted me to goad Kylo, to get him to attack him in front of the Kings who'd just signed that treaty, to prove that Kylo was what everyone believed him to be. He wanted to use me to ruin the alliance.

And, it was a plan that would work, if I didn't stop it.

"Dont!" I said when Ushar moved toward him. He stopped, and Armitage raised a red eyebrow, his face expectant. I met his gaze as I walked to stand next to my Knight. "It was a misunderstanding, as you said."

His green eyes narrowed. He hadn't been expecting that.

Ushar looked at me, confusion creasing his brow. I put my hand on his arm, and dipped my chin to Armitage. "We will leave in peace."

He set his jaw as he watched us turn, his nostrils flaring, but made no move to stop us as we walked down the hall.

"We are not just walking away." Ushar growled under his breath.

"Yes, we are." I told him.

"You mean you're just going to let him get away with what he called you?" He demanded. "With putting his hands on you?"

"He didn't get away with it." I reminded him. "I slapped him for what he called me, and you threw him across the hall for putting his hands on me."

Ushar scoffed, shaking his head. "When Kylo hears about this-"

I stopped, pulling him to a stop as well. "Kylo will not hear about this."

His eyebrows shot up. "Beg pardon?"

"He won't hear about this, not here, and not from you."

Something like hurt flashed in his amber eyes as his face fell. He shook his head slightly. "I can't not tell him, Rey."

My heart twisted. Ushar hadn't grown up with Kylo like Vicrul and Aplek had, but he was just as fiercely loyal to him. More tightly bound than any blood connection. Kylo was his brother in the ways that mattered, and he'd sooner throw himself on a saber than betray him.

"Ushar, listen to me." I begged. "I'm not letting Armitage get away with anything, I'm protecting Kylo and his alliance."

His eyes tightened.

"If we barrel in there, and tell Kylo what Armitage has done, what will happen?"

"He'll beat the living shit out of him." Ushar said, without hesitation.

"In front of everyone he just secured an alliance with." I pointed out. "Half of which will withdraw from it before the ink is even dry on the treaty, which is exactly what Armitage wants."

He sighed, bringing a hand up to rub his eyes. I was right, and he knew it.

"This alliance is too important to risk." I reasoned. "I will tell him. When we're back on Mustafar."

He sighed again.

"And, until then, Ushar," I waited for him to meet my gaze before I continued. "You are not to say a word."

I saw the muscles in his jaw work as he ground his teeth together, but he offered a curt nod in understanding. The tension in his jaw did not relax when we walked back into the conference room, though he didn't stay, literally disappearing as soon as he walked in.

Kylo's forehead puckered when he saw me. "What's wrong?"

My stomach dropped. "What?" I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible, even as my voice shook.

He brought a hand up to my face, his thumb stroking my jaw. "You...feel weird."

Of course he could sense when something was off. I hadn't even thought of that.

I put my hand over his and gave it a squeeze. "I'm tired." I told him.

Not a lie, not entirely, though it certainly felt like one.

The lines around his eyes deepened, but I pulled away before he could question it further, and left him with the other Kings to finish their discussions.

The meeting lasted another two hours, most of which I nervously watched the doors to see if Armitage would indeed approach Kylo.

He hadn't.

Ushar hadn't returned, either.

When we finally made our way to the hangar, my cheeks aching from holding my sweetest smile, I sank into a seat next to a window. A headache pounded at my left temple, and I sighed as I rested my head against the glass. I was drifting in and out of consciousness when I heard Ap'lek and Vicrul board the craft, their voices hushed.

I felt a warm, calloused hand press to my forehead, then my cheek. My eyelids slid back, and I saw Kylo kneeling in front of me, his eyes tight with concern.

"Are you sick?" He asked.

I weakly shook my head, and let my eyes close.

There was a hiss and rustle of fabric, and then something was draped over my arms and chest, its warmth and scent enveloping me. His jacket.

The hum of the engines jumping into drive lulled me to sleep.

I woke up to a painful throb from my temple to the back of my skull, and groaned, turning my face away from the dull light that seared into my head.

My face didn't hit the glass of a window or the hard cushion of the aircraft seats, but buttery soft linens that smelled of citrus and cedar.

Home. We were home. I could have wept in relief if crying wouldn't have made my headache worse.

I pushed myself up with a grunt. I needed water, I needed food, and I needed to get out of bed to obtain those things. Sara was down the hall in my bedroom, unpacking my suitcases.

"You look like death." She commented, and went back to her work. "I would've gotten you up, but Kylo told me to let you sleep as long as you needed."

"Where is he?" I asked, my voice sounding pained.

"Downstairs, in a meeting with his Knights." She said, and turned to face me. "He said you got sick before you left Lothar, and fell asleep on the flight home."

She smiled softly at me, and I blinked. I'd never seen Sara smile. "Uh, yes, I did."

"Do you have any other symptoms?" She asked. "Nausea? Vertigo? Breast tenderness?"

I swallowed, my heart sinking, as I realized why she was so happy. I did a mental count, realizing that my period was two days late. And, she thought…"I'm not pregnant." I told her.

"Have you bled?" She walked to know.

I shook my head.

Her smile widened. "Kylo will be overjoyed!" She brought a hand up to cover her heart. "Oh, if only Leia could see him, see you with him, the way he looks at you, how much he loves you." Her grey-blue eyes filled with tears. "You are all she ever hoped for."

My throat tightened painfully, and I swallowed. For the first time since marrying him, I felt guilty for not being pregnant, for not being ready to be pregnant.

I knew I wanted to be married to Kylo, and yes, I wanted to have children, his children. But, I was in love with my husband, and he was in love with me. I wanted time to enjoy that, to just be us.

"Can I get you anything?" Sara offered. "Are you hungry?"

I hadn't eaten, I realized, not since what little I'd had at the wedding the night before, and I nodded.

"I'll go down to the kitchen, and be right back up." She said, heading toward the door. "And, don't you dare touch those suitcases!"

It was well past midnight when Kylo returned to his room, but I was sitting in his chair under a lamp, my feet tucked up under me as I read. I'd wrapped a throw blanket around myself, and I wore my thin, cotton nightgown, my hair pulled back in a lazy ponytail.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked, pulling off his tie as he walked toward me. He was still in his black on black finery, and he looked exhausted, his face pale and drawn.

"It was just a headache." I told him, tilting my head back as he bent down to give me a swift kiss on my lips. I watched him unbutton the cuffs of his sleeves as he stepped away. "How was the meeting?"

"Horrendous." He answered with a sigh. "I hate politics."

"I think you're in the wrong profession." I quipped.

"But, I'm so good at it." He teased, a smile playing on his lips as he moved to the buttons on his waistcoat.

I smiled, and went back to my book, though I couldn't focus on the words in front of me. I sucked on my bottom lip, lost in thought.

"Kylo." I called, and he looked over at me. "We haven't discussed last night."

He slid his hands into his pockets, his eyes guarded. "Do you regret it?"

My eyes flew up to meet his. "What?" I demanded. "No! How could you even think that?"

His shoulders moved in a half-hearted shrug. "You've been weird all day. You wouldn't talk to me after the meeting on Lothar, you didn't come get me when you woke up, you didn't have dinner with me."

My heart clenched almost painfully.

I stood, and walked over to him, the blanket still wrapped around me. "Of course I don't regret it." I told him, gently.

He let out a long breath. "It's ok, if you're not ready-"

"I know that." I snaked an arm from under the blanket to touch his face, and he nuzzled into my palm, closing his eyes. "When I woke up, I had to deal with Sara, and of course she fed me a four course meal at three o'clock, so I wasn't hungry at dinner." I explained. "And, I knew you had alot to catch up on with Trugden and Cardo, so I left you alone."

He visibly relaxed, sighing in relief. "A million thoughts were going through my head-" he opened his eyes, and stopped, his face falling as his eyebrows pulled together. His fingertips lightly caressed the bare skin of my bicep, and his eyes hardened. "What is that?"

The blanket had fallen off of my shoulder, and down my arm. When I followed his gaze to see what he meant, I saw purple blotches marking my skin.

Bruises.

I tensed. Maker above, I hadn't noticed them, and I'd completely forgotten about this morning.

Kylo's hand trembled as his fingers lined up with the marks perfectly, and his face darkened. His voice was quiet, calm, yet laced with so much power and rage that it was a promise of cold death when he asked, "Who did this to you?"