Jakku's Royal Army had managed to snuff out the Nightbrothers' occupancy in Hays Minor in one decisive battle. The town celebrated as one, thrilled that Savage's army had been driven out. Parties sprang up, alcohol flowed, music blasted from every sector in Hays Minor, and citizens danced openly in the streets.

Rey became the talk of the town. The entire army raved about their victory over the Nightbrothers, attributing their success to Prince Kylo's concubine, believing her to be Niima's avatar. The citizens praised Prince Kylo for attaining the war goddess's favor.

Rey, Kylo, Poe, Finn, and the Tico sisters were gathered in Hays Minor's main palace, holding a small celebration of their own. Each held a goblet of wine, which they clinked together before each taking a sip.

Finn wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and let out a deep breath. "Rey, you were amazing. All of Hays Minor is talking about the Goddess Niima gracing the battlefield today," he said with a grin.

"It was Savage that pushed me over the edge. All I did was run from him," she mumbled, a little flustered from all the praise she was receiving.

"Hardly! I have never seen anything like it. You burst through the fight and pushed unlike any soldier I've seen before. No one rides horses like, let alone like that," Finn gushed excitedly. "It was incredible!"

Rey blushed a deep crimson and fidgeted with her goblet. The wine was not going to help her from turning any redder. "Kylo is the one who started this whole Niima rumor, I had nothing to do with it," she insisted, but Finn looked unconvinced.

Kylo set down his drained goblet and turned his gaze to Rey. As if a current had passed between them, Rey's attention snapped to Kylo. Their eyes locked and she stopped caring if she was red or not.

"Maybe I started the rumor, but you were truly impressive today, Rey. We were lucky to have you."

Rey's heart skipped a beat and she beamed. Praise, she decided, was not too bad after all.

The Tico sisters weren't buying Rey's humility, believing it an act to keep the Prince fooled that she was something special. It was disgusting how she had managed to get away with her life, even if she had helped free Hays Minor from the siege. They were not happy, and had resolutely accepted that their next course of action would likely result in the loss of their lives.

Still, they had told father their plan, and he had sent them off with his best wishes. His blessing gave them courage to do what was necessary. This was the Tico way, the way their line had remained as hard as the steel they forged.

The overseer of Hays Minor entered the room with a cheerful smile and his arms spread out before him. "Your highness, congratulations on your victory." He shook Kylo's hand and his attention quickly shifted to Rey. "My lady, I give you my heartfelt thanks for your contribution on the battlefield today."

Rey looked around and behind her, wondering if the overseer was talking to another lady in the room, but he continued, "I was surprised when I heard the Prince had decided to bring his concubine to war, but I completely understand now why he would. Please, Lady Rey, if you would allow me, I have a gift to bestow on you."

He led Rey, Kylo, and the rest of the party just outside, where an attendant was wrangling the large palomino horse Rey had rode just earlier that day. It was rearing up on its hind legs and shaking its head left and right to free itself.

The attendant was struggling to keep his grip on the reins when Rey jogged up to the horse and grabbed its nose gently, caressing the creature's face lovingly. "Shh, shh, baby it's okay," she cooed at the golden horse, who responded by nuzzling Rey's cheek.

"This horse was meant to be presented to a member of the Royal Family, but it proved to be too unruly. No one was able to completely tame it, but she seems to have an affinity for the Lady Rey. We ask that you accept this humble gift in light of our deep gratitude." The overseer bowed to Rey before he looked at her expectantly.

A moment passed and Poe cleared his throat before Rey realized she was meant to accept. "Yes, thank you," she blurted out. "She's beautiful." Rey ran a hand over the horse's golden coat and through the white mane cascading down her side. "I think I'll call her BB-8," Rey muttered mostly to herself.

The Tico sisters snorted in unison and Poe guffawed outwardly. Kylo merely chuckled with intrigue. "Why BB-8?"

"BB is short for baby, it's a cute way of saying it, or typing it at least. And today is my eighth day here in Rim," she explained but they only looked more confused.

"What is typing?" Finn asked and Rey let out a huff with a shake of her head.

"Nevermind." She rolled her eyes and went back to petting BB-8 affectionately.

Kylo approached her and wrapped an arm around her waist before kissing the top of her head. Naming Rey his concubine had given him the freedom to engage in public displays of affection, a detail Kylo was thoroughly enjoying.

"I think the name is perfect." Kylo put his hand out to caress BB-8 but the palomino snapped at him before he could get too close. He pulled his hand back quickly and it was Rey's turn to chuckle at him.

"A Goddess's champion at heart, it seems," Kylo said wiping his scorned hand on his chest before wrapping it around Rey once again. "We should really get you a staff or spear of your own for combat purposes. You handle one exquisitely."

"Well, some of my mixed martial arts classes incorporated staffs. Lacrosse helped too," Rey said cheerfully. The end of the battle and having her very own horse had left her in high spirits.

"Lacrosse?" Kylo muttered as if it were some foreign language, which surely to him it must be. Rey rolled her eyes again and shook her head. BB-8 whinnied like she understood Rey's struggles, and Rey's body shook with laughter in response.

Kylo looked at them both like they were half mad, but grinned at Rey nonetheless.

On that night, instead of Rey falling asleep alone and Kylo joining her later, they retired to their room together. Rey had to remind herself that she was only there for his protection from the Queen's magic, and to keep up the pretense of her role as Kylo's concubine, another form of protection.

Being watched over like that was starting to grind on her, especially since she was beginning to feel like a nuisance, but she couldn't deny that Kylo's presence had made it worthwhile to her. She was happy that Kylo's duties had lightened enough for them to enjoy some quality time with one another.

However, when she actually found herself alone with him when neither of them was even close to falling asleep, tension hung thick in the room. She gulped and nervously circumvented the bed, opting instead to pour herself another small cup of watered wine and took it to the window. Hopefully the wine would help relax her, but at this point she worried that any more wine might have the opposite effect.

She perched herself up on the sill and looked out at the gorgeous view of Hays Minor's landscape. She saw in the far distance sprays of lava leaping up to grace low, dark clouds with kisses. She realized they were clouds of ash merging into the night's sky.

Kylo felt Rey's tension radiating off her into their shared space, and he decided he would ease her by drawing her attention away. It was difficult to imagine himself actually doing that when he so thoroughly enjoyed the look of her right now, marvelling at Rim, the country he loved so dearly.

There was little light to see other than the lights of the city and the bits of lava flickering off in the distance because of the massive clouds of dust and soot that blocked the red hues of the moon. It left the city very dark, and the dancing shadows created by the candles stretched, painting reds, oranges, and blacks across Rey's clear complexion. The shadows played over her skin like fiery tattoos, and it left Kylo at a loss for words. They seemed to lick at her collarbone, up her neckline, to her ear- all places Kylo wanted to taste himself.

He shook his head and dug his fingernails into his palm, trying to focus on anything but Rey's skin. This was not going well.

There was something about Rey that was so warm and inviting. She was a ball of fire, reckless and hard to keep contained. Everything she did was so full of life, she was bringing color to his otherwise bleak world. Kylo couldn't explain how, but since Rey arrived in Jakku things had started to go right in his life for the first time since his mom died.

But she was going to leave him and when that happened he would have to go on with his life as if she had never existed, something that was becoming more and more impossible as he spent time around her.

There was a weight to Rey's presence, a gravity that pulled Kylo towards her. She was becoming his sun and he was starting to orbit around her.

Stop staring and say something, Kylo.

He was about to open his mouth, figuring 'umm' was as good a place to start as any, when Rey suddenly turned to Kylo and blurted, "Can I have a wall?"

"What?"

"Umm, excuse me." She willed her cheeks to go easy on her for once and felt thankful when they only burned a little, turning slightly pink instead of a deep crimson. "Sorry. It's just that, well, I would like a wall of my own in Jakku. Please," she added.

"A wall?" She nodded. "Why?"

She held her jaw tautly and chin slightly raised in defiance, for what reason, Kylo was unsure. He could tell this was important to her and her need to physically prepare to rebuke his judgment was completely endearing to him.

She wanted a wall. Done. She would have it. She could have anything that he could possibly give her, he was just wildly curious. Why a wall?

"Well, it's just… I want a wall to mark the days I spend here. I want to keep track myself," she proclaimed before looking away from Kylo, back out at the dancing magma. "I used to do it back at home." Her voice trailed off a little.

He nodded in understanding; she wanted a little part of home; more importantly, she wanted to count the days until she could return to that home. His heart ached for her and he was tempted to offer her more of home, but was afraid of what that would mean. In truth, he wanted her to forget about her homeworld, to not seek reminders of it in her daily life.

"Also, it's my birthday soon and I don't want to forget that," she mumbled, still looking out the window wistfully. And that look was enough; no request was worth denying if she was going to look so sad.

"Hey," he murmured gently. "You've got it. Rey's Day Wall it is." She gave a small smile at that, the sparkle returning to her eyes just a little. Good. "Anything else?"

"Something sharp." He raised his eyebrows at that but nodded slowly, earning another mischievous grin.

"Done." He crossed his arms over his chest. "How old will you be turning on your birthday?"

"Sixteen."

Kylo's eyebrows shot up and he gulped. "Oh."

"Oh?" She grazed her bottom lip with her teeth, leaving it shiny and pink which Kylo found very distracting. Her lips matched her cheeks, which were growing rosier and rosier. She was lovely. "Too young?"

His gaze shifted back to her eyes, which had become slightly darker. "No. It suits you. Explains some things actually." He said with an amused glint in his eye.

She frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He held back his grin. "Well you're reckless, you blush constantly, and not to mention your sheer lack of kissing experience." Rey gaped at him from her seat. "We could change that if you'd like," he teased with a smirk.

Something ignited behind her eyes and Kylo simply adored how a little teasing seemed to spark a wildfire in her. She quickly picked up a pillow that lay beside her knee and he went into a mock defensive stance. "Hey, that is not fair!" She tossed it at Kylo who easily deflected it with a chuckle. "I didn't know you then so of course I wasn't kissing you back. When Evaan and I kissed, I was much better at it."

Something flashed across Kylo's eyes and he stood up straight, all joking gone from his expression. "Evaan?"

"Yeah, he was my first kiss. We kissed once just before I arrived here," she admitted truthfully.

He scrutinized her a moment longer before she gave a tentative half smile. "So maybe you are right about my inexperience."

His expression warmed up and he gave a smirk. "See, I knew it."

She rolled her eyes to keep up the banter but felt relieved that he had let that go so quickly. She had seen his temper flair enough times to know that the situation could have turned sour quickly.

Kylo felt the same- he knew he had an anger issue that he was always trying to keep at bay but it was a monster; hearing Rey had someone back home did not sit well with him. Still, he wasn't surprised that she managed to divert his fury; she had had that effect on him since her arrival.

His eyes darkened thinking about the many effects she had on him and Rey noticed immediately, feeling the look settle deep inside her. She had to get some space to cool off for a moment, the wine was making her heady and his eyes…

"I need to use the restroom, I'll be right back." She stood up quickly, maybe too quickly and had to grip the window sill to steady herself before she made her way out of the room.

The latrine was not too far and after relieving herself she splashed cool water on her face and looked at her reflection. She looked rosy and her pupils were blown. How had that happened so quickly? She splashed more water on her face and rubbed at her eyes.

Then suddenly she sensed something in the room before she saw a flicker of movement coming from behind her in the reflection. She turned quickly to find two hooded figures standing behind her, one as tall as her and the other a bit shorter.

They immediately went to grab for her, and she ducked out of their way but the bathroom was small and she found herself facing a wall, not the exit, which was blocked by her assaultants.

The taller of the two wrapped one arm under Rey's left arm and over the shoulder while grabbing her waist with the other arm. She immediately responded by pushing off the wall, bringing both of them crashing to the ground. The shorter figure hopped on top of Rey, who began to struggle underneath their weight. However, Rey was stronger and quicker than they had expected so was able to squirm out quickly.

She wished she hadn't drank the wine because she was feeling extremely dizzy, and a haze had crept into her vision. They were quickly grabbing her again and she struggled and twisted but it was becoming harder to get out of this tight space. She was throwing out wild punches and one of her attackers yelped. It was a woman's voice.

That's when she remembered her own voice and screamed for help. "KYLO! KYLO!" That earned her a desperate punch in the gut and she crumpled over some. An arm wrapped around her neck and Rey instinctively reached her arms up to grab it, gasping for air as they squeezed.

"Hurry, get the vial out," the voice behind her urged.

Rey struggled and stomped and elbowed but the grip around her remained iron firm. She threw her weight back and forth but her attacker only used that to their advantage, throwing their weight backward with Rey so they were leaning against a wall, giving a lot more control to the person holding her.

The smaller figure, unveiled themself to Rey. It was Rose Tico. She knew then that it was Paige who held her from behind. "You killed my brother," Rose snarled.

Rey couldn't move her head, it was locked in place by Paige's grip. She could hardly breathe, let alone speak but she kept struggling, wanting to confess her role in Aiden's death.

She heard a pop before Rose gripped her face hard, prying her mouth open. Rey screamed again, still struggling and that was when she felt the first drops hit her lips and trickle into her mouth.

Kylo rounded the corner looking completely distressed, eyes wildly looking for Rey, but it was too late. Poe and Finn rushed in right after.

Rey's body convulsed, her head rearing back and her pupils shrinking so much that her golden irises were all that was left. The light receded quickly; her vision blurred and dimmed.

Rey felt her heartbeat immediately slow to a quarter of its speed. Each beat instead became four times as strong, reverberating through her entire body and sending chills from her core to the tips of her hair, fingers, and toes.

It was completely surreal and she panicked at how unnatural it felt. Her life force was beating out of her and she could no longer breathe or move.

"We accept the consequences, but the girl Rey had to die for murdering Aiden!" Paige's voice shook. "We know the truth. Your personal servant said so!"

"You are wrong! Rey saved Aiden," Poe shouted at them. Finn ran out to get a doctor as soon as Rey began to convulse. "Savage Opress is the one who cut Aiden down. Besides, Kylo did not send any servants to go talk to you beside myself."

Kylo grabbed Rey's shaking body, propping her up against him. "Rey! Rey, stay with me," he pleaded her, his voice rushing out as he pressed his ear against her chest, frantically listening for a heartbeat.

Rey's chest, throat, and heart were freezing quickly and it burned like frostbite. She managed to grab her own throat to squeeze some warmth in, clawing to get some air in but her limbs felt so, so heavy. Her actions slowed and everything stopped within her, her last sight being Kylo mouthing her name, tears gathering in his beautiful, distressed eyes. She faded out, eyes fluttering shut.

The Prince was absolutely distraught, saying Rey's name over and over despite the fact that she clearly could not hear him. He clutched her to himself and the sight brought doubt to the Tico sisters. Had they been wrong? They watched the scene horrified, unsure what to think.

"Rose, what did you give her?" Poe asked.

"I don't know what it is. The man who claimed to be your servant gave it to us. Oh!" She grabbed the vial from her back pocket. "Here, take it." She handed it to Poe who quickly uncorked the vial and carefully tipped it over to inspect the liquid. It was completely empty.

"What did the man look like?"

Paige answered. "He was about six feet tall and was tan and had dark hair." She knew that wasn't helpful- besides the height she may as well be describing Poe himself. "He had an interesting accent… and he had a scar over each eye!"

"Jango," Poe gasped. "If it's one of Ventress's poisons…" He didn't want to finish that thought, afraid of how Kylo would take it. His Prince was crumbling in front of him, as he held the girl.

The doctor rushed in with Finn in tow and began to examine Rey. A minute hadn't even passed before he looked up seriously at the Prince and shook his head. "I'm sorry Your Highness, but it is too late. She has passed away."