Rey and Aiden jogged down the streets of Jakku and were well on their way to the queen's palace.

"Rey, I think it's very impressive how you stood up to the Prince. No one talks back to him like you did. My sisters say that the prince leaves most girls speechless, but you don't seem to be affected by him at all."

She grimaced. The prince had been having more of an effect on her than she was willing to admit. She decided to stay away from that subject.

"You have sisters, Aiden?"

"Yeah, two older sisters. They made me this choker before I moved from my home to serve the prince. It has my family name engraved in it, Tico." He touched the metal choker he wore affectionately. "I miss them." Rey understood wholeheartedly and wished she had something like the choker to remember her sisters by.

Aiden came to a sudden halt, grabbing Rey's hand to stop her too. He pointed up at a large temple on a hill straight ahead of them. "That's the queen's palace."

The moon's light cast an ominous glow over the palace, painting it blood red. Rey gulped. "Let's keep going."

Kylo was livid. "Poe! Finn!" he hollered into the night. He picked up his robe from the nightstand and shoved his long arms through the sleeves. Before he could stop himself, he picked up one of the goblets from the nightstand and hurled it across the room, shattering it.

That impudent girl! How dare she defy my orders? How did I not expect this? What is wrong with her, is she trying to get us all killed?

He took a few deep breaths to try and calm his thoughts. He had struggled a lot in his youth with maintaining his composure in front of the people who served him, and though now they believed him to be calm and calculating, they would not think so if they saw the tantrum he was was throwing now.

Kylo stalked out of his room and turned down the hallway towards the chambers that belonged to his two advisors and best friends. "FINN! POE! Get out here, now!" Poe slipped through the door first and Finn followed closely behind. Both men were fully dressed and prepared for Kylo's orders even though it was the middle of the night. It was something they both felt was part of their responsibilities; they were always ready.

"She's gone. She waited until I was asleep and escaped. No doubt, that girl is at queen's palace getting herself caught."

Two attendants approached and both kneeled. "My lord, I'm afraid to report that Aiden has also gone missing. We have not been able to locate him within the grounds."

Kylo pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wonderful. We must bring her back before they gets caught."

A door in the back of the queen's palace was unlocked and Rey pushed it open to reveal a garden with a pond and a large tree. She was relieved they would not be forced to scale a wall to gain access to the palace, but upon entering the grounds she felt a chill creep up her spine and the hairs on her arms stand up.

"Rey, are you sure we should not just go back?" Aiden must have also felt the change in the air.

Rey hesitated for a moment but shook her head. "We came all the way here." She was determined to see this through. "You could wait out here, Aiden. I would understand if you did." She gave him her most convincing smile.

He shook his head. "No way. I'm with you. I owe you my life, Rey. We just have to be very careful of the queen's water."

"It's just water, so as long as we don't swallow it we should be fine, right?"

They crept forward silently.

"I wonder where the queen hid my clothes."

"There are several temples within the palace. I suspect it would be in one of those."

Suddenly the pond started to ripple and a strand of water sprung out heading straight for Rey. It sliced through the air quickly and she instinctively raised her hand to block the water as it shot at her. The water came to a sharp point and lanced right through her hand. Rey screamed in pain and fell backwards clutching her hand, blood spattering on her tunic.

"Rey!" Aiden crouched to help her and his eyes widened. "Rey, get off the grate." She had landed on top of a wooden grate with a trench of water underneath. She noticed it stretched all along the wall, cornering off and connecting with other grates. Horrified, Rey realized that Ventress kept the entire palace lined with water channels.

They had to get out and fast. Aiden helped Rey to her feet and they both hurried for the exit. Before they reached it, it flew open and the largest man Rey had ever seen ducked through the door.

Rey had thought the prince was a large man, tall with broad shoulders and a chest to match, but this man stood over seven feet tall with a crown of horns, making him even more looming. A necklace of teeth hung from his thick neck, and a long vest of patched leather from his shoulders.

His eyes were ablaze and he sneered, revealing a set of sharpened, yellow teeth. Aiden was unable to contain his scream, and Rey took a step in front of him protectively. "There you are." His voice was deep and scratched like sand. In a few quick strides, he had grabbed Rey by the top of her head, his hand easily engulfing her entire scalp, and lifted her into the air as if she weighed nothing. He stroked her face with his other hand. "Such soft skin."

"Let her go!" Aiden lunged for the man, but he easily backhanded Aiden across the face, who crumpled to the ground unconscious from the impact.

The man picked up Aiden effortlessly with his free arm and slung the boy over his shoulder. He tucked Rey under his arm.

She beat at his chest, his side, any part she could reach but the man did not even seem to feel it. "Please, let us go!" He paid her no mind and took her to the queen's preferred temple, which was a large room with a crystal basin in the center, an altar, and a single window letting in the moon's red light. Rey saw her clothes strung up on the altar with a stone platform right in front of them.

He dropped poor Aiden on the floor and stepped up to the stone platform. The man plopped her down on it roughly and bound her wrists and ankles together.

Then, the queen entered wearing a hooded cloak and carrying a staff in her hand. It was made of bonewood with a blue crystal encrusted on the tip."Well done, Savage. You will receive your payment after the sacrifice is complete. Bring the girl to the basin and hang her up."

He grabbed the rope bind and lifted Rey into the air following the queen's orders. "My queen, the girl has the most lovely skin. I must have it. You see your grace, I wear the skin of those I've killed as a prize." Rey's heart stopped. He was referring to the vest he wore that she had mistaken for leather. It was human skin. Her stomach lurched and she felt dizzy.

"I care not what happens to her corpse after I am finished with her. You may have her. Now, be prepared to cut her throat." Savage put a dagger to Rey's throat and waited for the queen to give him the signal.

The queen undid her cloak and dropped it to the floor. Beneath it she was naked with three large snakes of different colors coiled around her body. They wrapped tighter and tighter constricting the queen, which she accepted with grace. The queen stomped the butt of her staff on the ground and cast her eyes up at the moon. "Water gods I call thee. As your servant I bid you to crown my son king. Receive this blood and accept my offering!"

In that moment Rey thought of the prince. She remembered finding comfort in his arms when she cried over her family and the sweet smile he wore when he spoke of his own family. She thought of his kiss and the way he looked at her with those hypnotizing eyes. She had failed him and she couldn't bear it.

Before Savage could slice his blade across Rey's throat, he gave a howl of pain that echoed through the room and stumbled forward, knocking Rey to the ground and crashing into Ventress's crystal basin. Despite its size, the basin tipped over under Savage's weight and all its contents spilled to the floor.

Aiden had regained consciousness, snuck up on Savage with his dagger, and plunged it into his back. Aiden quickly cut Rey's bonds, freeing her. "Let's go, Rey!"

The queen screeched, "Get them, Savage! I can't control water when you've emptied my basin!" The queen was still bound by the snakes that had encircled her limbs and midsection.

Rey took the opportunity to grab her uniform and shoes. Then her and Aiden scurried out of the temple as fast as their feet could carry them, running for the garden where they had entered.

They had nearly reached the door when Savage burst out from one of the grates and grabbed Rey by the ankle. She fell to the ground, but Aiden was quick to react. His dagger found Savage's hand and forced him to release Rey. Aiden grabbed Rey, pulled her to her feet, and pushed her towards the exit.

"Go, Rey! Go!" He swung the door open and pushed her out first before he tried to follow. Before he could, Savage grabbed his leg and pulled him to the ground. Rey turned on her heel and shrieked in horror. Savage was pulling Aiden into his grasp looking much like the snakes that had encircled the queen.

Aiden smiled at her as he struggled under Savage. "Thank you for saving me, Rey!" Savage had a full grasp on Aiden and then the door swung shut.

Rey threw her clothes to the ground, caring only about saving the boy, and pushed the door with all her might. It would not budge. She heard Aiden's screams from the other side of the door fade as he was carried away.