A/N: Hey guys! Here's the new installment in the ABCs of Writing Prompt. I hope to keep up with this one better than the L one. Sorry again about that lol Anyways, hope you enjoy this! I wanted to do a story set in a different time period and I thought this time period would be interesting! So, I'm exploring Dukes and Duchesses and kingdoms. So this one will be an arranged marriage fic. Hopefully it goes well lol

Marrying the Monster

Chapter 1: Moving

"You want me to do what?!"

Poe sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Rey, you know that the only way to end this war is through a marriage alliance. I know it's not ideal, but-"

"'Not ideal'? Poe, you're sending me to the north. To the Duke of Destruction! Does Luke care nothing for me that he feels the need to send me away to possibly be murdered, all in the name of an alliance with a country that is bent on destroying us?"

Finn stepped forward then. "Rey, what Poe is trying to say is it's worth a shot."

Rey glared at her friend. "Finn, my life is not something to be gambled with."

"Listen... just maintain the marriage for a year. That will give us enough time to amass an army suitable enough to defend ourselves if he's still bent on war. One year. You get in, act like a wife, and we get you out and act like it never happened. Can you do that for us all?" Poe stared at her expectantly, half on the edge of hysteria and concern.

Rey huffed under her breath as she glared at the floor. She was a capable young woman. She could defend herself, but the thought of going to that... monster was a different story. She'd heard nothing good about him. All she knew was that her adoptive father was his uncle. And she was the only eligible lady in society at the moment that had any social status worthy of ending this war. After all, her adoptive father was the advisor to the emperor. She frowned as she stared into her reflection, back to the men in her room. She stared at her cream colored dress with yellow accents. Her hair was done up nicely with a yellow bow securing her hair in a half up, half down style. She hated wearing dresses. She hated it so much. She'd much rather be wearing pants. But that was unheard of for a lady in the south. All women wore dresses. Especially those in high society. Her brows knitted together in irritation and apprehension. "What if... I can't make him happy? What if he decides to call off the marriage before you're ready to defend our country?"

Poe shook his head and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about all that. We will do everything we can to make sure we are ready before the year passes. We just need you to make some adjustments in the meantime."

"Adjustments?" she asked.

"You need to wear dresses," came the voice of her adopted father as he entered the room. His blue eyes stared at her seriously. She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up his hand to silence her. "I mean it, Rey. If this plan is going to work, you have to play the part of a lady in high society."

"Luke, how am I supposed to hide who I really am?!"

He stared hard at her. "You must!" She flinched at his tone. He sighed hard as he looked out the window into the garden. "Rey... if this is going to work, you need to make sure you are the best you can be. He is very particular... and he has an anger problem. He... may have some good qualities, but it will take time to know for sure." Rey frowned as she glanced up at the faces of Poe and Finn. They didn't look hopeful. She didn't feel hopeful. "Rey... I know this is difficult to ask... and it's not fair. However, if we can get him on our side-"

"So, what? You want me to seduce him and hope he's stupid enough to fall for it?" Luke remained silent, as if mulling over her rephrasing. "Luke... that's wrong. I will go through with the marriage and play my part, but don't expect me to lead him on. Nothing good ever comes from an arranged marriage."

Luke shook his head. "I wasn't asking you to lead him on, Rey. I was just asking you to try to convince him we have the same interests and that war isn't necessary." Rey hesitantly nodded. "Great. Poe, Finn. Gather her things and get them in the carriage downstairs. She leaves tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!?"

X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X

She sat in the carriage, particularly irritated, and somehow apprehensive. She knew that what she was doing was the right thing, but she couldn't quite shake the feeling that this was such a bad idea. She had a very bad feeling about this. However, she had to do what was expected of her. She silently questioned how he was all right with this. Maybe he was desperate? Yeah right. The Duke of Destruction was hardly considered desperate for anything. He could have any lady he wanted, yet he readily agreed to this marriage to her of all people? Why would he even agree to this arrangement anyway?

She sighed to herself as her mind raced in circles, as if competing against itself. She just didn't understand it. Who was her betrothed? All she knew of him was that he was called the Duke of Destruction. He had a name that most people referred to, which was Kylo Ren. He was the leader of the Knights of Ren. The Knights were a formidable opponent for sure. There were only a handful of them, but they were as deadly as a legion. She'd only heard rumors about them. They come from different backgrounds, mainly mercenary work, and Kylo had joined them all together to fight for the north. Not only was Kylo Ren the leader of the Knights of Ren, but he was also the Supreme Leader of the north. So, no one in the north had more power than he did. The citizens cowered in fear at his very name. She shuddered at the thought of so many people being in fear of him.

Come to think of it, she didn't even know what he looked like. And all those that had an inkling of what he looked like never lived to tell the tale. Given his gruesome reputation, surely he was just as gruesome in appearance, right? She leaned her head in her hand as she watched the scenery change. The carriage was a smooth ride, for the most part, but she hated seeing her homeland disappear at the blink of an eye. All the orange-ish trees started to change into a dark forest green. Snow riddled the ground in icy patches. She frowned to herself. She would much rather choose the heat. But the north was a cold, desolate place, from what she was aware of. The castle she'd be living in was situated on a mountain, surrounded by ice. Not many people even happened upon it so there weren't any real records worth mentioning about it. She'd tried to do her homework on this Supreme Leader Ren, but nothing was useful. She supposed she'd just have to wait until she met him face to face.

She pulled her eyes away from the glass and looked down at her dress. She wrinkled her nose as she saw all the blues assaulting her eyes. Her eyes were green, her dress blue. She hated blue. She liked earthy tones. Browns, creams, sandy colors, neutrals. Blue was just... ugh. Hopefully she'd get a new wardrobe when she got to the north. And hopefully that wardrobe consisted of pants. She had to hide the grin threatening to form on her face then. Maybe she could sneak off in pants once or twice. Surely he'd never notice, right? A man clearing his throat broke her from her thoughts. She glared up at Poe, sitting across from her with Finn at his side. "How are you holding up?"

Rey only scoffed in return. "Peachy."

Finn looked at her worriedly. "Rey-"

"I know, I know. Play the part of the wife. Wear dresses. Don't wear pants. Act like a lady. Save your country. It's your duty!" she said mockingly, as if imitating Luke. Finn snickered under his breath, but Poe's glare made him stop. "I know. You don't have to keep telling me." She huffed as she leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest.

Poe rolled his eyes. "Part of acting like a lady is sitting like one, Rey."

"Oh, come on! We're in the carriage, Poe. Do you honestly expect him to have eyes everywhere!?"

Poe shrugged and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're such a pain."

"The feeling's mutual, I assure you."

"Rey, I'm serious! Stop being so difficult!"

Rey glared at Poe. Finn cleared his throat then and gently took Rey's hands with a small reassuring smile. "It probably won't be all that bad. Surely, there's someone at the castle you can make friends with. Just like you befriended us."

Rey's glare softened as she sighed heavily. She nodded quietly and sat up straight, attempting to act more like a lady. "Maybe... Thanks, Finn."

Finn smiled wide at her. "Maybe we'll be able to visit every once in a while. And if not, you can always write. We can definitely keep in contact that way." Rey nodded again. "One year. That's all. It'll fly by and you won't even notice you were here."

"Yeah, besides... he can't kill you." They both looked at Poe skeptically. "I mean, he can, but then he'd have the south and all our allies on him in a matter of days. So killing you isn't in his best interest."

Rey rolled her eyes and shook her head with a small grin. Finn released her hand, settling back against the chair on his own side as Rey's sight drifted back out the window at the scenery. The trees were still a lush green, matching more of her tastes than the orange back home. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad here after all. The thought of meeting him though was still weighing heavy on her mind. She involuntarily shuddered at the thought. One year... one year... Hold it together for one year.

X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X

They'd been traveling for hours. It was such a long drive from the south's kingdom to the north's. She'd found herself nodding off quietly, having long given up on her thoughts of the castle and who Kylo Ren was, deciding she'd figure it out when she got there. She awoke to a gently jostling and her name being called. Her green eyes fluttered open to see Finn's face. "We've arrived, Rey."

She couldn't quite place the look on his face and the emotions in his eyes. Was he scared? Was he trying to hold it together for her? What had he seen? She sat up with a small sigh before the door opened to the carriage. Poe and Finn exited first, Poe offering her his hand when he stood on the ground. She dutifully took his hand and walked out of the carriage, careful not to trip on the stupid thing. Once she was out, she got a nice long look at her surroundings. The castle was... magnificent. A lot better than what she'd expected! It was a grey stone castle with a black roof. It didn't look medieval or anything like that, but the architecture was astounding. It definitely put the south's castle to shame.

The stones at her feet were a nice grey stone, perfectly aligned all the way up to the castle's front doors. On the opposite side of the carriage, behind her, was a fountain. A round fountain made of marble. It had three layers and each layer emitted water for a calming atmosphere. The grass was a lush green, which she thought was odd being so far north, but it was definitely welcoming. She'd have thought that the snow would have killed it, but the grass must have been hardy to be able to withstand the cold. And that was another thing. It wasn't near as cold as she'd imagined it would be. Sure, it was chilly, but it wasn't cold. As she continued to let her eyes wander, she finally came to notice six people standing at the entrance of the castle. Each one held a different weapon, but they wore blackened armor and helmets that obscured their faces. These must be the Knights of Ren. They looked even more terrifying than the rumors stated.

Their presence was one that demanded submission. She definitely didn't want to be on the wrong end of these guys. She stood her ground though, knowing that they'd be sharing a property together. She was so focused on the Knights that she hardly acknowledged a redheaded man stepping forward to greet her. He bowed his head slightly, dressed in all black as a stark contrast to his pastey white skin. She already decided she didn't like this man. "Greetings. And welcome to the north, my lady. I am Armitage Hux." He noticed she didn't really care to acknowledge him because her eyes were still glued on the Knights behind him. He let out a small scoff. "Those are the Knights of Ren. From the left to right, they are Cardo," he said as Rey's eyes fell upon them individually. The one called Cardo had a ranged weapon, from the looks of it. Something like a cannon or a bow. She'd never seen it before, but it looked interesting enough. Maybe it was a gun of some sorts. "Next to Cardo is Vicrul."

As she looked at Vicrul, she could see that this one was nastier. He carried what looked like a scythe on his back. His armor was slightly different, but still looked identical to Cardo's. He was also slightly taller, probably an inch taller, than Cardo. "Next to Vicrul is Ushar." As Rey looked at this man, her stomach sank. He carried what looked like a club of some sorts, but it definitely looked more deadly than that. He stood about the same height as Cardo, but with each introduction, they seemed to emit a deadly aura. Still, she stood her ground and nodded at each of them as they were introduced. She schooled her features as Hux went on with the introductions. She could feel the fear, however, rolling off of Finn behind her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but Poe stood tall as usual.

"On the other side of the stairs is Trudgen." This guy looked menacing. He carried an overgrown cleaver as a weapon. He was shorter than the others, but she knew better than to underestimate him. He was also the most rigid of the Knights, standing the straightest and the stillest. She half-wondered if he was a statue. She even noticed a second sword-like weapon on his side as well. Yeah, definitely interesting. "Next to Trudgen is Kuruk." Her eyes fell upon Kuruk and instantly noticed a gun in his arms. It looked like a modified rifle of sorts. She nodded as she'd done with the others, growing bored with all the introductions. She hoped that she wouldn't be expected to remember these names until she'd interacted with them. If she interacted with them. "And lastly, Ap'lek." This guy was the one that Rey was deeply unsettled by. He carried an axe and wore a helmet much different than the other Knights' helmets. If she had to describe his appearance, it reminded her of the grim reaper. He was one of the shorter members, but she knew that height wasn't any matter with the Knights. They were all interesting in their own way, but she figured she would be spending a lot of time avoiding them.

"Now that introductions are over with, let's get you inside, shall we?" Hux said with an arrogant smile, bowing as he extended his hand to the side. She nodded silently as she walked the direction he was signaling. She neared the steps and she felt her heart pounding in her chest at the Knights and their presence. Their overwhelmingly intimidating presence. They stood still as statues, not moving an inch as the entourage passed by and went into the castle.

Once inside, she had to school her features. There was so much red. It was a miracle there were any other colors in the castle, to be honest. She pressed her lips into a thin line as she admired the surroundings. There was a grand staircase directly ahead of her, leading up a level and then branching off into two separate staircases leading to different wings. The stair rails weren't stone though. It was like a polished ebony of some sort. It was a deep black color and shiny. It looked beautiful in contrast to the red carpets hugging the stairs. There was a chandelier hanging above them, decorated with gold fixtures and bright white lights. The walls were a polished grey stone, darker than the stone they'd walked on outside. To the right of the foyer was a fireplace with seating arrangements fit to seat six. To the left of the foyer was a dining hall, from what she could tell.

"Do the Knights all stay in the castle?" Poe asked as if he were trying to make conversation.

"Yes, but they all have their own entrances and their own wings. Lady Rey will be staying in the east wing with Master Ren. The Knights and servants all stay in the west wing," Hux said. "Ah, and here's your personal attendant, Lady Rey. This is Rose."

Rose stepped forward and bowed with a sweet smile. "Nice to meet you, my lady."

Rey gently nodded her head, a small smile on her lips as well. At least there was another woman here. "A pleasure." Rose gave her a wide smile.

"Yes, well, Rose, grab the lady's things, won't you?" Hux said disdainfully. Rey wondered what the man's problem was, but she didn't dare voice it.

"So, when will we be meeting Lord Ren?" Poe asked as Rose took the bags from Finn and handed them to another maidservant. The women carried them up the stairs and to the east wing, just as Hux had said.

Hux turned his attention to Poe, looking him up and down before settling on his face. "Not anytime soon, I'm afraid. He's out at the moment. He's not expected to return for another couple of days."

Poe hesitantly nodded and glanced over at Rey to see her admiring the castle in silence. "Are you all right, Rey?"

Rey looked over at her friend and nodded. "I'm fine, Poe."

Hux watched the exchange with growing interest and Rey could tell he was forming his own opinion of their relationship. He flicked his eyes over to Finn, who was silently cowering behind Poe. "It seems your friend is about to have an aneurysm."

Rey and Poe both looked at Finn and knew what Hux was talking about. Rey chuckled for a moment and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. The castle isn't going to kill you."

"No, but the people might," Finn whispered.

Rey rolled her eyes. "You're leaving soon. Don't worry." She looked over at Hux and smiled pleasantly. "So what do you do here, Hux?"

"I think the better question would be 'what don't I do here?'" he said with a small scoff. "I manage the affairs of the castle. Finances, mail, workers. Think of me as the castle manager. If you ever have an issue with the staff or with the Knights, come see me and I will handle it." Rey nodded silently. She saw Rose and another girl come back down the stairs, smiling pleasantly as they bowed to Rey. "Rose, Paige, why don't you take Lady Rey to her room?" The girls bowed and turned on their heels to get ready to lead Rey. "I'll be in the west wing if you should need me, my lady."

"Thank you," she said as she politely curtsied. Hux left and Rose and Paige visibly slackened with a sigh of relief. Rey didn't fail to notice, but chose to keep quiet for now. She looked at Poe and Finn with a small smile. "Well, I guess this is it."

The boys nodded and gave her a tight hug. "Stay out of trouble, Rey," Finn said with a small smile.

Poe whispered in her ear, "Remember what we said. One year then you're out. Try to bear with it until then."

Rey nodded in understanding and saw the boys out. She stood at the doorway, watching as they loaded back up into the carriage. She watched as the carriage pulled away, leaving her standing there among the Knights of Ren. She let out a soft sigh when they were out of sight. The Knights stood motionless around her, which left her feeling unsettled. She went back inside, closing the door behind her. When her eyes landed on Paige and Rose, she saw them smiling eagerly to her. "Ready to see your room?" Rose asked with energy she didn't see before when Hux was around.

Rey smiled wide. "Lead the way."

The girls walked up the stairs, chattering softly as they went up into the east wing. Rey continued to look at the walls and everything the castle was decorated with. She saw pretty red flowers in a black vase sitting on a table in the east wing. Paintings and photos lined the walls as they walked deeper and deeper down the halls. It wasn't as menacing, but it definitely was a little dreary. "So, Lady Rey, we hope you'll make yourself at home here."

"Yeah, it's been so long since another woman was here!" Rose added with a wide smile.

"Is it just you two here?" Rey asked, turning her attention back to the two.

Paige nodded and Rose scratched the back of her neck. "It's difficult keeping women here because of the Knights."

"The Knights?" Rey asked, brows knitted together in confusion. Paige and Rose nodded quietly. "Well, I could see how they could be intimidating."

"Right?! Their whole presence screams murder!" Rose exclaimed as she threw her hands in the air for emphasis.

Rey couldn't help but laugh at Rose's animated mannerisms. Paige shot her a small glare. "Rose... remember your manners."

"Oops... sorry..." she said softly, bowing her head with a soft sigh.

"Pardon me asking... but are you two sisters?"

"Is it that noticeable?" Paige teased with a small laugh.

"You're definitely the older one," Rey laughed in return.

The girls giggled as they walked down the hall a little more. Once they made it to the third door on the right, Paige opened it. "Here we are. These are the Duchess' chambers." Rey walked through the double doors and gasped at the elegance of the room. There was a large bed with white linen. The bed itself was made of what looked like a gold metal. It was a canopy bed with sheer curtains tiled to the posts. There were two windows on either side of the bed. Under the window on the left was a bench seat with a red cushion and gold and black throw pillows. The window on the right opened up to a balcony. There were other amenities in the room like a wardrobe, closet, seating area with a red couch, and a dresser. "Is it to your liking, Lady Rey?" Paige asked.

"U-uh... yes. It's... gorgeous." She didn't really know what else to say! It was far beyond what she'd expected. "Has there been another Duchess?"

The girls looked at each other and shook their heads in unison. "Honestly, we were surprised when we heard the Duke was getting married. He'd never shown an interest in it before," Rose said as she nervously rubbed her arm.

"But we're glad you're here," Paige said hurriedly with a smile.

Rey got the feeling they were hiding something form her, but decided not to push it. Though they were comfortable around her for now, she didn't know exactly how comfortable they were, nor did she know how much she could trust them. "Can we draw you a bath?" Rose asked with a small smile.

Rey's eyebrows went up for a moment. "Oh... uh... sure."

"Great! I'll be back soon!" Rose said as she scurried off.

Paige smiled softly at Rey as she walked over to open up the curtains to let some light in. "If you should need anything at all, we're across the hall."

"But I thought Hux said the servants are on the west wing...?"

"The male servants are on the west wing. But seeing as you are on the east wing, it's only right that we stay on the east as well so that we can attend to you better." Rey didn't question it, but she thought it sort of odd. Either way, she thought it would be better if they were around anyway since she would probably need the company of a woman from time to time.

"So, how long have you worked here, Paige?"

Paige rolled her eyes up in thought. "Um... I suppose this will be my second month here. There wasn't really a need for female servants since there was no lady in the house. But since the marriage negotiations, the master decided to hire a couple of women to make you feel more at home."

"Oh, okay. So... is it just you and Rose? Or are there more women?" Rey asked, truly curious to see what the Duke had done while she was on her way over.

"There aren't many, my lady. Rose and I will be your maidservants, but there is one more woman: Phasma. She will be handling your meals and scheduling."

"My scheduling?"

"Yes, ma'am. for luncheons and teas and balls-" Rey visibly shuddered at the thought. She forgot about that. She would have hoped that she would be able to get out of that being in the north, but she guessed wrong. "My lady, are you all right? Is it too cold?"

"N-no... I just don't..." Rey pressed her lips into a thin line and shook her head. "I have difficulties with social settings sometimes."

Paige smiled knowingly. "Ah, no worries. So does the Duke. That's why he doesn't show his face at gatherings." Rey looked at her curiously and found her curiosity rising about the Duke. Could she get an inside sneak peak of the Duke before she met him in the next few days?

"What's the Duke like?"

Paige bristled at the question. "Well... h-he's..." She searched carefully for the words, bringing a hand up to her chin as she thought of how she would describe him favorably. "He's quiet..."

"Except when he gets angry!" Rose said from the doorway.

Paige stiffened as she shushed Rose hurriedly. "What if Hux hears you!?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "He's on the west wing. No way he can hear me. Besides, it's true."

"Rose-"

"I've heard the Duke has a temper... I hope he hasn't lashed out at you?" Rey asked with a small worried frown.

Rose smiled. "No, not at us. Mainly just Hux. It seems the master hates Hux."

"Then... why is he here?" Rey asked.

Rose shrugged. "Beats me." Rey hummed under her breath in thought. "Anyway... your bath's ready!"