A/N: A storm's a brewin'! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Marrying the Monster

Chapter 7: Malicious Manager Meeting

Rey sighed as she started to make her way down the hall to meet with Hux. She dreaded this meeting ever since Kylo arranged it. She already didn't like the slimy weasel, but now she had to learn from him? She slightly wondered if he would try to sabotage her or something. As Rose led her down the hallway, her thoughts drifted back to Kylo once again. She was concerned about him. He clearly had no people skills, that much was evident with their awkward bits during breakfast. However, it was somewhat endearing to know that he was willing to try to communicate with her throughout it all.

Still, that temper of his worried her. What if he decided to go after Luke anyway? It wasn't the time to be thinking about that, she supposed, but there was still a small part of her that had a bad feeling about all of that. She knew the bad blood was there, with reason, but that left her feeling vulnerable and worried of what he'd do.

"Rey, are you going to be all right?" Rose asked once they stopped in front of the library.

Rey blinked from her thoughts and gave her friend a small smile. "I'll be fine," she said as she stared at the library door. To be honest, she'd much rather not do this meeting, but she knew she had to.

Rose hesitantly nodded as she opened the door to the library. Rey's eyes widened at the plethora of books that lined the shelves. She felt she had died and went to heaven. She mouthed 'wow' as her eyes wandered all across the room, a variety of colored spines sticking out at her as she wandered. She'd definitely be spending a lot of time here, she decided. She'd forgotten all about meeting anyone as she let her eyes roam. That is, until a certain weasel cleared his throat. "Are you always this distracted, Lady Rey?" he asked, his pompous attitude clearly shining through in his accent.

She ripped her eyes away from the books and glared over at Hux, seeing an arrogant smirk on his face. "Only when I don't want to do something."

"Ah, well I see you haven't grown up yet then," he quipped as he motioned to the seat at the table.

She glared at him, groaning in her head, as she made her way to the table. It was then that she noticed a blonde-haired female sitting next to him. She supposed this was Phasma, but she didn't want to assume. She took her seat, her yellow dress effortlessly sliding over the seat. She glared at Hux again, only succeeding in earning a grin from him. This man lived to annoy her, it seemed. He wasn't the nicest when they first met either. She could tell already that he would be the bane of her existence. "Kylo said I needed to take some responsibilities from you-"

"About that," he interrupted as he arranged some papers on the table. "I don't think that will be necessary. I am quite capable, and you're so obviously..." he said as he looked her up and down. "...not."

Rey quirked a brow at him. "So, you're blatantly defying an order from the Duke?"

Hux shrugged. "When you've worked for the Duke as long as I have, you learn what becomes important and what doesn't. For instance, you should learn that it's important to know your place."

"Oh, and what exactly is my place?" she asked, daring him to insult her again.

"You don't have one. Not here," Hux said with a harsh glare. The angry ginger man stared into her eyes harshly and she could clearly tell he had no soul.

"That's not what Kylo said. In fact, I'm sure he'd be very interested to learn that you, the self-proclaimed house manager, have been constantly defying his orders. Surely, your job would be in jeopardy if he were to find out that you are declining his order to train his future wife to handle any and all house affairs, and even that you went as far as to insult me multiple times." The color drained from his already pale face as she spoke against him. Her voice was low and level, but her words held the same venom she'd been greeted with by him. "You see, Armitage... I'm no pushover. Maybe you should learn that about me before you recklessly open your mouth again."

"Lady Rey, that is quite enough," the blonde-woman said as she cleared her throat. Rey turned her harsh glare over to her then, but the woman was unyielding. "Etiquette dictates that a lady shall not speak so... boorishly." Rey had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. "I suppose I shall add Etiquette classes to your schedule then. It would be most unbecoming if you were to speak so flippantly in public. After all, you are a direct reflection of Duke Ren and his household. It is expected of you to maintain a flawless appearance."

Rey did roll her eyes then. This woman was going to be a hassle, too. "Forgive my insensitivity. I didn't realize I was so uncultured," she said sarcastically.

"Yes, well, that's why there are classes. To help fix that problem," Phasma responded as she looked down at the papers in her hands.

Rey quickly decided that she hated the both of them. "Ok, so, am I to assume that this meeting is to tell me everything I'm doing wrong and how I'm not welcome here? Because that's what the both of you have done so far. As far as I'm concerned, we have yet to get to the real reason I'm here; and that's to learn responsibilities I will be taking once I am married tomorrow."

"As I have said before," Hux said, his voice showing slight irritation then. "That will not be necessary. I am-"

"Right. Then why am I here?" Rey asked, formalities out the window the moment she was being attacked. She couldn't give less of a thought to these two. They clearly had each other's backs and she knew that was going to be bad for her in the long run. She only hoped that Kylo would listen to her and believe her over them. A part of her wondered if that was even possible since Hux had been here far longer than she had and he'd built a rapport with Kylo in his years of service. She felt she was fighting a losing battle and she should just accept her fate now.

"As a formality," Phasma clarified.

"A formality? And that means what exactly?"

Hux let out a small huff, but it was Phasma who continued. "Duke Ren asked us to meet with you to discuss house duties. That is what we plan to do. However, you will not be taking on anything of importance as you are still ignorant to how we do things in the north. So, firstly, we are going to arrange Etiquette lessons, as well as History lessons. I will assign private tutors to educate you on the north and our traditions so that it will be easier for you to fall into your own place."

"So, you're saying that I have no place until I learn your ways," Rey surmised as she flicked her eyes back and forth between the two.

"If you would like to look at it that way, then yes," Phasma stated, unperturbed by her words.

Rey nodded curtly, mentally making a note of exactly how unwelcome she was. She expected kickback, but not this harshly. She supposed she would go along with these classes for the time being, but she thought it was useless. After all, Kylo didn't really seem to put a lot of emphasis on the history. He seemed to answer all the questions she had just fine, so why couldn't he educate her on the north and its traditions? Was it that he didn't want to, and so he let Hux and Phasma tell her instead? "So, when do these lessons start?"

"Immediately," Phasma said as she nodded to Hux. The redhead set off to retrieving books, making Rey focus in on Phasma. She couldn't read this woman, but she knew she was dangerous in her own rights. And she clearly had a disdain for Rey by how she was treating her. "In case you haven't put it together already, I am Phasma. I am in charge of your scheduling, as I'm sure the maids have told you." Rey nodded quietly. "Once you marry the Duke, you will be expected to attend tea parties held by the women in the north. It is a social formality, much like the ones in the south, but I warn you not to partake of any gossip while you are there."

Rey rolled her eyes again. "Phasma, I know you don't know me, but I do not gossip."

"All ladies gossip, madam. You are no exception." Rey glared at her then. How dare she assume she gossiped. She didn't even know her, but she was basing such... baseless assumptions on her like that! She noticed Hux came back when he slammed a stack of books down on the table, earning Rey's attention as her eyes widened. Just as she was about to ask what all of that was, Phasma spoke as she stood. "These are your textbooks. I expect you to have them all read by the end of the week. You do like reading, right?" Rey opened her mouth to respond. "It doesn't matter if you do or don't. Read them anyway. Once you are done with these books, I can arrange a meeting with a tutor on each subject. Any questions?" Rey opened her mouth again, but Phasma once again started speaking. "Off you go then."

Rey had finally had enough. She slammed her hands down on the table and stood angrily. "Listen here," she hissed. "I don't know who you two think you are, but you clearly think too highly of yourselves. You are here to help Kylo; not micromanage me or undermine his authority! It seems you two have forgotten your place!"

"As have you," Phasma said cooly again. "As the future Duchess, you will be expected to refrain from such childish antics as this. If you read the Etiquette books, you will understand more fully."

"Etiquette clearly missed you, too," she hissed, earning a glare from Phasma then. Ah, so this woman prided herself on appearance, too. Now Rey understood. "I see through that mask you've constructed, Phasma. And I know that this is all just an act. You're not as dignified as you make yourself out to be. You're angry I'm here. You're angry because that means that I'm a threat to your position. You know that the longer I'm here, the less useful you'll both become. That's why you want me gone so badly. Tell me I'm wrong," she said as Hux and Phasma both stood there, flabbergasted at Rey's ability to put things together so quickly. Phasma opened her mouth to speak, but it was Rey that cut her off this time. "You can't tell me I'm wrong. And even if I were, that's not your job to tell me I'm wrong. You see, the last time I checked... Duchess ranks higher than house manager or scheduler. So, in the future, I hope you will also read the Etiquette book and realize how you need to address me from now on because," she said as she leaned closer to the both of them with a small grin. "I'm not leaving," she whispered.

Hux's face was turning as red as his hair and Phasma stood frozen in place, quivering with anger. Rey knew she just made two very powerful enemies, but she didn't care at this point. What were they going to do? Destroy her reputation? Good luck. She was tired of being walked all over by people. She hated being mistreated and made to feel like she would never have a place anywhere. She didn't feel like she belonged in the south, and she doesn't feel like she belongs in the north. And it was only these two that were making her feel that way. Clearly, if everyone else didn't want her here, they wouldn't be this nice to her. She grabbed a history and traditions book out of the middle of the stack, allowing the rest to fall in Hux's lap as he hissed in pain. "I'll take this one. Put those back where you found them. I'll read what I want to read at my own pace." She turned on her heel and walked to the door. Once she opened it, she cast a glare over her shoulder at the two. "And just so you know... Kylo will be hearing all about this meeting." With that, she was gone from the library.

Rey stomped down the hall, irritation rolling off of her as her light blue dress tailed behind her, the swishing of the fabric being in tune with her every step. The audacity of those two! It wasn't even like she wanted to be here, but here she was! The least they could do was accept her since this marriage was a necessary evil. She supposed that was excessive... She sighed heavily as she trudged further and further down the hall. Her brisk walk turned into a small jog as she made it to the stairs. She quickly descended, coming to the main staircase and descending those, too. She rushed past Paige, who looked at her incredulously, saying her name, only for her to ignore her and rush out the front doors. She dropped her skirt at the door, leaving her in her corset and pants underneath. She'd planned on going for a run today anyway, but now, things were different. She kicked off her heels at the door and darted off down the steps and out toward the main gate.

The Knights watched as she took off into a run, mildly curious as to what their future Duchess was doing. However, they said nothing as they watched her. It was only Trudgen that snickered and shook his head, earning the attention of a few of them. "She's definitely something," he said simply as he shrugged. The rest of the Knights exchanged a glance between them before resuming their positions. It was Trudgen that broke formation as he took off after her. With his longer gait, he quickly caught up to her, taking to jogging slightly behind her.

After a few moments, she huffed and stopped abruptly. "If you're going to follow me, you may as well jog next to me," she hissed, rounding on him.

Trudgen snickered and shrugged. "Do you make it a habit of tearing off out of the castle and jogging around the wall?"

Rey scoffed this time. "Only when I'm processing," she said as she turned on her heel and started running again. Trudgen took off with her, running beside her as suggested. She didn't really feel like having an audience, but maybe this was what she needed. She concentrated on running as she sighed irritably. The nerve of that redheaded menace and his blonde. She inadvertently picked up the pace, getting angrier as she thought about it. Kylo told her to take responsibilities, but Hux refused to give her any, stating she had no right? How could Kylo allow Hux to usurp his authority? Did Kylo even know Hux had been doing this to him for years?! Has no one cared enough about Kylo to say something?!

Her eyes widened and she faltered in her steps for a moment. No one cared about him enough to say something to him. She slowed for a few moments to catch her breath, letting the clarity take root in her head. No one said anything about Hux's antics, nor did they do anything about it because they didn't care about Kylo. There was no working together. Everyone was out for their own interests, it only working because they never got in each other's way. Kylo never said anything because there was no need to. Things were running smoothly enough for him to not be bothered by it. So then... should she say something now? Did she have a right to? Did her opinion matter?

Trudgen snickered. "You get fired up way too easily," he said as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Rey glanced over at him curiously. "Let me guess... Hux pissed you off, probably Phasma, too, and now you're running to clear your head to figure out how to best deal with whatever they just laid at your feet."

Rey just stared at him. "H-how..."

"You're not the only one that hates him," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "We've had to endure it a lot longer than you."

"Why hasn't Kylo done anything about him?" she asked as she stood up straight. She put her hands on her hips as her breathing started to return to normal.

Trudgen shrugged his shoulders. "Because as far as Kylo knows, Hux is doing his job. And he is. We all are. However, Kylo doesn't follow after us all, checking in on us like we need babysitters." Rey quietly thought about his words. She wasn't sure how to feel about that. "Look. If you have issues with Hux, handle it yourself."

"How do I do that when him and Phasma gang up on me and tell me I have no place here?" she countered, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation.

Trudgen shrugged. "Office politics suck." He let out a sigh and shook his head. "Lady Rey, Hux is not your boss. Once you marry Kylo tomorrow, you will be his boss. Until then... lie in wait. When you become Duchess, put them in their place. Kylo won't object so long as you can handle the work you'd be taking on because of your decisions. That is my advice." Trudgen snickered and shrugged. "But what do I know? I'm simply a Knight of Ren. And this isn't war."

Rey hesitated for a moment, chewing on his advice mentally. She then gave a small smirk. "You're wrong." He turned his sight to her then. "This is war. And I intend to win," she said as she shot him a determined grin. "Thank you, Trudgen. I appreciate your advice." Trudgen only nodded in response. "Try to keep up," she said as she took off running again.

Trudgen grinned under his mask as he took off after her, easily catching up with her and even surpassing her. Rey scoffed as she picked up the pace and the two constantly exchanged leads as they ran around the castle grounds. It was probably one of the most pleasant experiences she'd had since coming here.

Time passed and they circled back to the front of the castle. The two made their way back to the rest of the Knights and Rey only nodded to them in response with a small smile. "You guys should join me next time. It can't be good for you to just stand at the castle entrance all day," she said as she bowed her head and walked inside, picking up her skirt off the floor as well as her shoes. The door shut behind her, leaving the Knights outside as Trudgen resumed formation.

"If Kylo finds out you were running with his betrothed, he won't be happy," Ap'lek said.

Trudgen snickered and shrugged. "Trust me, there's no interest there."

"Explain that to him," Kuruk chimed in.

"I won't need to. He already knows there's no threat." He then turned his sight to Kuruk. "But thanks for the concern."

"You broke formation. Are you not concerned that will be a problem?" Vicrul stated, not bothering to turn his head.

"Rather than focus on whatever my punishment may or may not be, why don't you take the Duchess up on her offer to run with her? You'll find she's very enlightening." All the Knights turned their heads at that. A few moments of silent staring fell among them all. "I think she'll be a good fit for the north. Once you get to know her or talk to her, you'll see she's good for Kylo." The Knights looked between themselves for a moment before returning back to formation like the statues Rey thought they were when she first arrived.

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

Rey walked up the stairs of the main staircase just as Phasma and Hux were descending the west wing staircase. She didn't bother to look at them, but Hux and Phasma stopped dead in their tracks. "Lady Rey, whatever are you wearing?" Phasma asked, clearly appalled by her attire.

Rey looked down at her pants and then at Phasma. "Have you never seen pants? How uncultured..." she said as she continued on up the stairs of the east wing. All she heard was a scoff behind her coming from a female, which brought her satisfaction. She made her way to her room and saw the letter she'd still yet to open sitting on her bench. She frowned as she stared at it, mindlessly closing the door behind her. She was scared of the contents. She was scared how the contents would affect her life here. She was scared of Kylo finding out what he said.

She let out a heavy sigh as she walked over to retrieve the letter, sitting down on the bench. It was undoubtedly Luke's handwriting. She flipped it over in her hand and opened it hesitantly. With a heavy sigh, she started reading the letter to herself.

"Rey,

I hope you are settling in well in the north. I wanted to apologize for how I sent you off so suddenly and harshly. I felt it best to do so because I knew you didn't want to go, but you needed to. In any case, Poe and Finn have told me they promised to get you out within a year. That's not entirely possible. Nor would I agree to it. Peace is entirely dependent on your marriage. Please accept that your new home is the north; your new life is your husband."

The more Rey read, the more she started to feel abandoned all over again. Tears came to her eyes as she became hung up on the words "your new home is the north." It was like a gut punch. She silently cursed him under her breath. He had no intention of letting her come back. The option to leave was taken away from her, but worse yet, the contingency of peace was all resting on her shoulders. She was already trying to make things work as it was, but now she had to try harder. The option to fail was not an option at all. It wasn't fair for him to put that pressure on her. It wasn't right for him to hang the idea of peace all on her. As if everything she did resulted in peace or war. He placed the possible blame of either one at her feet. She felt the whole south watching her lift her foot to step on the corresponding path.

"Kylo Ren is not the man you think he is, nor will he be the man you want him to be. This marriage alliance is necessary. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you can try to make a life for yourself in the north and make this marriage work. Do your part, Rey. The south depends on you."

She glared down at the paper. The more she read, the more she hated Luke even more. She resented the position he put her in. She looked out the window in thought. She'd come to like Kylo. She'd come to resent the rumors that were spread about him, not sure what to believe and what not to. She wasn't sure how she fit into the north. She wasn't sure how to deal with all of this. She wasn't sure about anything. All her life, she'd been groomed to be a perfect lady in society, but she fought every step of the way. She was so unconventional. She didn't fit into society. Not by any normal means. Maybe that was why she was banished to the north. Maybe she was banished because of that very reason. She didn't live up to his expectations.

"Poe and Finn want to organize a visit, but I told them to hold off once you are married. We will be there for the wedding, but don't expect us to stay long. That's all. Take care, Rey."

She wasn't marrying the monster... She was adopted by one. She frowned as she crumpled up the paper and threw it on the other side of the room. She hesitantly curled up on the bench, feeling even more alone than when she came here in the first place. She couldn't talk to Kylo about this, nor could she talk to Rose about it. She had to keep this and work through this alone. And at that moment, she gave way to the waterfall of tears that waited their turn to wreak havoc on her body.