A/N: Hey! I'm trying to give some background as I go so that I don't lose you guys lol Hope you're enjoying it so far!
Marrying the Monster
Chapter 2: Midnight
Rey slid down into the giant square tub that looked more like a swimming pool with a sigh. The temperature was perfect. Rose sure knew how to draw a bath. She smiled as she saw tons of red rose petals floating in the oil and smelled some oil in the water itself. She smiled happily as she adjusted her hair into a bun to not touch the water. One thing she hated was definitely grease. She leaned back comfortably, staring at the skylight above her bath. She stayed still in the floral water, lost in her thoughts.
She'd met the Knights. She'd met Hux, the house manager. She'd met two maidservants that she hoped would be her friends here. She was nervous to meet Kylo Ren. She still didn't have enough to go off of on the master of the castle, her betrothed. She sighed heavily. This was a mess. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to live her normal life, running around in pants, climbing trees, doing archery. She didn't want to play the part of an uppity socialite. She hated this. It might have been better had she any idea who she was marrying, but he was going to be missing for kriff knows how long. Her brows knitted together as she sighed again. Why was she so concerned?
She shouldn't care what this monster thought of her. All she had to worry about was "playing her part." She rolled her eyes at Luke's words. She felt alone here. She felt like no one was on her side. Like she was in a dark room all by herself. She heard thunder crash outside, causing her to jump unexpectedly. Perfect. Her first night here and a thunderstorm rolls in? Ridiculous. Could things get any worse?!
She brushed it off with a head shake and settled back in with her eyes closed, pulling her knees to her chest. She rubbed the floral oily water up and down her arms, idly playing with the rose petals her fingers grazed by in the process. Her eyes opened quietly. She began to draw a small design in the water with the petals. The war between north and south. The monster of the north. The Duke of Destruction. What kind of man was he? What kind of man had he become to get that title? To get that reputation? How many people did he kill to get that title? Did he enjoy it? Did he do it because he had to? She wanted to ask him these questions, but she knew that no matter how much time passed, she wouldn't be able to muster up the courage to accept whatever answer he gave, let alone ask. Most people were touchy around death.
But the Knights of Ren... they seemed cold. They seemed callous. They seemed so stoic and empty and... heartless. Was Kylo Ren the same way? Her brows knitted together at that thought. Was he really heartless? She knew he had anger issues from the sisters... but even then, she couldn't really be sure if that was true because everyone interpreted things differently. Maybe he was having a bad day and they caught him at the wrong time. Maybe he was under emotional distress. Maybe he had PTSD from all the deaths he'd seen and caused. She didn't know. She didn't know anything about this man.
And she rushed into a marriage with him to save her country. Was this a mistake? No. She couldn't think that way. She had to stay positive. She didn't know anything about him yet. He could just have a bad reputation. She slowly opened her eyes she didn't realize she'd closed. Renewed determination flooded her being. She was determined to give this man a chance. Even though he had a bad reputation, she would give him a chance. Because he probably never had anyone give him a chance before.
The power flickered before going out completely, causing Rey to gasp. She stood quickly, searching through the dark for her towel. "Lady Rey?!" Rose called from the outside of the door. "Lady Rey, are you all right?"
She sighed heavily and grabbed her towel. "I'm fine, Rose," she called as she dried off and wrapped the towel around herself.
"I'm coming in!" Rose called. A few moments later, the door opened even though Rey couldn't see it very well. Rose carefully walked inside the room. "Lady Rey? Can you see anything?"
"No. Can you?"
Rose sighed. "Not a thing. One moment. Let me get a candle." Rey heard cluttering around before a match was struck, lighting up the room just enough to see each other's faces. Rose lit the candle just as the clouds moved away from the moon and allowed the moonlight to shine in. "Well, that would have been helpful had the clouds moved sooner!" Rey couldn't help but chuckle at the woman's impatience. "In any case, let's get you a robe." Rey nodded and followed Rose. She held Rose's hand as they walked down the dark corridor. "So sorry about the power outage, my lady."
"Rey," she corrected. Rose stopped for a moment and looked at Rey's face. "You can call me Rey."
"Oh, but I-"
"If you're worried about getting in trouble, then just call me Rey when we're alone. But you don't have to be so formal with me. I'd like us... to be friends." Rose's eyes widened for a moment. "I mean... i-if that's ok."
Rose smiled and squeezed Rey's hand reassuringly. "Of course! It'll be nice to have a friend besides my sister." Rey smiled wide at her. "Thank you, Rey." The girls shared a laugh briefly. "Let's get you a robe so you don't need to walk around in a towel."
"That sounds good. I don't prefer to be naked," she laughed.
"Wait here. I'll be right back."
"Rose, wait-" She was gone. Rey heard Rose's retreating footsteps down the hallway, the light fading as Rose's footsteps got further and further away. She let out a sigh as she clutched the towel closer around herself, a slight chill. Her eyes caught on a balcony a little ways down the hallway. She glanced back at the direction Rose retreated to and sighed as she quietly walked down the hall to the balcony anyway. She looked up at the moon as the wind blew the curtains inside the hallway. It was beautiful. Before she knew it, she was at the balcony, hand resting on the beautiful stone railing, eyes glued on the moon. It was more beautiful here than back in the south. She smiled warmly at the moon. No matter where she was, the moon was definitely the same. But perspective offered clarity.
She felt a hand on her arm, wrenching her backwards and back into the hallway. "H-hey! What do you think-"
"Why are you naked, standing on the balcony?" Rey tried to turn back around to look at the man responsible for pulling her back, but she was met with a cloak around her. The musky warm scent assaulted her nose, bringing an instant comfort, yet fear to her senses. She huffed softly as she finally positioned it around her shoulders, successfully covering herself up. "Where's the servants?" he asked, staring off into the darkness.
Rey could hardly make out the features of his face, but she could tell he had really dark hair and dark eyes. "The power went out-"
"I can see that."
She sighed in annoyance, but gained composure quickly. "When the power went out, Rose left to get me a robe. While she was gone, I saw how pretty the moon was and..."
"You realize there are a lot of men in this castle?" Rey nodded silently, her eyes glued to the ground like a child being chastised. The man, who was significantly taller than her, sighed softly. "It's not safe to be wandering around half-naked."
She blushed brightly, realizing exactly how vulnerable she was at the moment. "I... didn't intend to..." she said softly. "Who-"
"Let's get you dressed. If you'd like to go for a walk afterwards, I won't stop you." His voice was firm, but it had a softness to it. Like he was concerned for her safety, and not just trying to be a jerk about it. He held out his hand for her, which she hesitantly took. It was the only source of direction she had at the moment after all. At least until she got more familiar with the castle.
She glanced down at their hands and realized that he was wearing gloves. Her eyes widened a bit. Gloves... the Knights were wearing gloves. Was this one of the Knights? Before she could stop herself, she asked, "Are you one of the Knights of Ren?"
He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I am."
Rey thought for a moment back to the other men she'd met before. "You look... different than the others..."
He scoffed. "And that means...?"
She looked up at him, trying to get a look at his face. "You're taller than the Knights I met earlier."
"How perceptive," he said flatly. She couldn't help but frown at his tone. Had she gotten it wrong? Was this perhaps one of the Knights without their helmet on? Was this not the man she was supposed to marry? He cleared his throat to break her from her thoughts. "Duchess' quarters."
"O-oh. Thank you," she said as she quickly let go of his hand. She paused at the door, hand on the handle with her back to him. She could feel his presence behind her, warmth on her back like she was standing in the sunlight. "Will you... be here when I get dressed?" she asked as she glanced over her shoulder. She couldn't read the look on his face. It was all shadowed. She didn't even know why she asked. If this man wasn't her betrothed, things would get complicated.
"And what would your betrothed think if he saw you walking around with another man?" he asked, as if reading her mind.
Rey blushed and nodded. "I... wasn't thinking of any impure intentions, Sir Knight. I was just thinking that since you know this place far better than I do, you can show me around the gardens. I already know you have my best interests in mind as well since you so adamantly refused my want to stand on the balcony in a towel."
Silence passed over them for a few moments and Rey was about to give it up and just go inside the room, but she heard a soft snicker from the man behind her. "Get dressed. I will escort you."
Rey smiled back at him and nodded. She quickly retreated into the room, leaving the Knight outside. She stumbled through the dark, tripping over her luggage and cursing under her breath. She quickly grabbed a pair of pants, slipped them on, as well as a baggy white shirt. She darted out of the room and almost ran into the man's chest in such a hurry. He stepped back just enough to avoid her running into him and she was silently grateful. "Sorry for the delay."
"That's... fine... but, what are you wearing?" he asked, apprehension in his voice.
She rolled her eyes with a huff. "They're called pants. I believe you know how they work, Sir Knight, considering you're wearing the same thing. Are we walking, or not?"
The Knight scoffed quietly and shook his head. "Do you have the cloak?" Rey offered it to him, but he refused it, putting one of his large hands up at her. "It gets quite chilly at night. I suggest you put it on."
"Um... ok?" she said as she slipped the cloak on without a word of complaint. The length of it touched the floor, and the sheer girth of it engulfed her like a mouse in a tent. He'd dare to say she looked rather small and... cute. He offered her his hand again and she hesitantly took it.
As they made their way down the hallway, Rey could barely make out footsteps coming their way. "Lady Rey!" called Rose. The Knight froze mid-step, causing Rey to glance up at him for a moment in confusion. "Oh, Lady Rey, I was looking all over for-" Rose stopped dead in her tracks. "O-oh..."
"This Knight is taking me for a walk around the garden," Rey informed her. "It's nothing inappropriate, so please don't misunderstand."
"O-oh, no, Lady Rey. I wasn't thinking-"
"I will make sure she gets back to her room on time and unharmed, Rose. You can go," he said with a nod of his head.
Rose pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded with a small curtsy. "Y-yes, Sir Knight."
The Knight guided Rey past Rose and led her to the garden in silence. Neither one found the need to break the silence as they roamed the halls. He took his time with her, waiting patiently when she stopped momentarily to take a look at something that caught her eye. He didn't huff in annoyance. He didn't sigh in irritation. He didn't grumble or insult her. It was... pleasant. She wondered if he was being nice because Kylo told him to be, or if he was just being chivalrous. Either way, she wasn't sure, nor did she care. She was wondering why Rose was so uncomfortable around this man, but then again she figured Rose was uncomfortable around all the Knights of Ren due to their murderous disposition.
The Knight led her out the back doors and Rey looked at the fountain she was greeted with. It looked similar to the one out front, but this one had two people on it. It looked like a woman and a man. Both held guns, standing back to back. The woman had buns on either side of her head and the man wore a vest. She wondered who they were, but didn't ask. They walked around it and into the garden, hedges leading the way. Finally, it was bright enough for Rey to catch a glimpse of the man's face. She looked up at him and saw a strong face, sharp jaw, long dark hair, and even darker eyes. His skin was slightly darker than hers. He had a thick frame, very broad and masculine looking. She wondered if all Knights were built that way. She wondered if Kylo was built that way. "Do you make it a habit to stare at people?" he asked, not bothering to look down at her.
She let out a soft laugh. "Only if I'm trying to read them." The Knight didn't show any emotion. He didn't acknowledge her at all actually. "So... do you know Kylo Ren?"
"Considering we are the Knights of Ren, it would be ridiculous not to."
It was a simple enough statement, but for some reason it irked her. "How do the Knights feel about my being here?"
He was silent then as they walked through the garden under the moonlight. "Does it matter?"
She stopped walking then and rounded on him, defiance and determination in her green eyes. It was then that he noticed the freckles on her face as well. "If it didn't matter, why would I bother asking?"
"Why does it matter to you?" he clarified, undeterred by her feisty tone.
"Because... I'd like to know what I'm walking into. I would like to make this a painless transition for everyone. And if they don't want me here, I would like to find a way to make myself useful to them so they don't feel like I'm a waste of space." Her words were sincere, which took him aback for a split second. She let out a heavy sigh, averting her glare to the flowers on the side. "This was sprung on me last minute, too. So, I can completely understand why they would find it odd that some random woman, from a warring kingdom, no less, would show up at their doorstep, marry the master of the castle, and put them out of work. With that being said, if anyone is feeling out of sorts, or has any ill will towards me, I would like the chance to smooth it over and make a smooth transition."
Her eyes reconnected with his and he studied them for a moment. He saw the same determination in her eyes as when she'd stood up to him before and he found the quality admirable. He had to admit though that he still didn't like this whole situation. The Knight maintained an emotionless face as he gave a curt nod. "The Knights aren't exactly welcoming."
"Picked that up when I was meeting them earlier," she mumbled.
"The Knights aren't the one you need to look out for; it's Hux."
"Not going to lie, he struck me as a slimy little weasel." The Knight paused in his steps for a moment, looking down at her incredulously, with a bit of play in his eyes, but not allowing it to reach his mouth. "I'm sure you can keep that between us and not tell Kylo about it?" she asked shyly, realizing what she'd said. "What I mean to say... is that he seems like he has an ulterior motive. He seems to have a severe disdain for women in general, too. The way he treated Rose and Paige was rather annoying." The Knight remained silent during their stroll, allowing her to voice her opinions. Rey sighed softly. "Back home... we didn't have a garden like this. I didn't think the north could house flowers that could withstand the cold like this."
The Knight stayed quiet for a moment before choosing to speak. "The Duke's father had this garden made for his wife. Up until a few months ago, the Duke's uncle stopped maintaining it."
"What happened?"
"He died."
Rey paused. "Oh... Was it hard on the Duke?"
"Not as hard as when his father passed."
Rey looked over at the Knight, sympathy in her eyes. "I'm so sorry..." she whispered. The Knight remained motionless and stoic. "What happened?"
The Knight sighed and averted his sight to the flowers she was interested in. "The Duke killed him."
The color drained from her face as she processed what he said. So, was she really marrying a monster? What kind of monster murdered their father?! She sucked in a slow breath, turning her sight back to the white flowers in the flowerbed. She crouched down to it and gently ran her finger over the petals. You can't bring back the dead. Surely, the Duke knew what he was doing when he killed his father. Surely he knew it was irreversible. The effect it would have on the rest of the family. The long term effect it would have on him. She pressed her lips into a thin line as she gently caressed the petals. "The Duke... must have had his reasons..." she said softly after what seemed like forever.
"What did you say?" the Knight asked, unsure if he'd heard her correctly.
Rey hesitated for a moment with a heavy sigh. "I said... he must have had his reasons. No doubt, it took a lot to kill his father. And I'm sure it wasn't for no reason. But what if..." She stood up quietly for a moment, brushing off her knees from where she was kneeling. "What if he's just misunderstood?" She moved her eyes to look at the Knight. The look on his face was one of disbelief, as if he were having such a hard time schooling his features. "Everyone paints the Duke as some... murderous, blood thirsty monster... But what if he's just misunderstood because no one wants to see his side? Because no one wants to try to understand his reasoning?" The Knight refused to give any answer to what she'd just said. He just stood in silence, listening to her musings, questioning the sincerity of her words. After a few moments passed, Rey gave a small smile. "When I came here... I told myself that I would give him a chance. I know... nothing about the Duke except the war stories I've heard. But those are usually doctored by one strong opinion. I want to... make my own opinion..."
The Knight just stared at the woman before him. She was definitely different, that was for sure. He didn't know what her game was, but judging by difference of opinion, he wondered if she would truly be able to accept the Duke as he was. He wondered if she would be able to look beyond the stories and see the Duke for the man he was and not his reputation. She said she wanted to form her own opinions... but what did that entail? Would she push him? Would she betray his trust? Would she leave him if she found she got in too deep? How would she really fare in the north? He averted his glance silently to her pants. "Do southern ladies not wear dresses?"
Rey's brows knitted together at the sudden change of subject. Had she made him uncomfortable? Had she said something wrong? Or was this going to pose a problem with the Duke? "They do..." she said hesitantly, unsure of where this was headed and deciding to err on the side of caution.
"Just not you?" he asked again, one brow raised.
She didn't know how to answer that. Why was she being so self conscious? It's not like this particular Knight would tell on her, right? It was only the Duke she didn't want to find out. And Hux. That man was a slimy weasel if she ever did see one. She felt the fear rising up in her throat as she stared into his eyes, wondering what his motive was. She couldn't quite read him. Was it genuine curiosity or was it gathering intel to make her life difficult? Was he one of the Knights against the marriage? And she'd just exposed herself as a pants-wearing woman. Her head raced with uneasiness as her heart thumped so hard she was sure he could hear it. "I-I..." Her cheeks flushed as she looked down. She was busted. She didn't have an excuse. She sighed heavily. "Truthfully... I hate dresses."
He scoffed softly. "I don't think I've ever heard that one before."
"It's true. I think they're downright uncomfortable and difficult to move in. I prefer pants. I know it's not ladylike and I know that any man would love women to wear dresses to fit in and play their part, but I dislike them a lot. I wear them because I have to." She huffed in irritation at herself for just vomiting all the truth at this one Knight, not knowing his intentions or what he would do. "Please don't tell the Duke... I'll wear dresses from now on..."
He quirked a brow at her. "You want me to keep a lot of secrets from the Duke. First with Hux, now with the dislike for dresses. Tell me, do you like to deceive people?"
Her brows pulled together again in agony. "N-no! I-"
"Hmm... then why do you want to keep so many secrets?"
Tears started to form in her eyes as the stress became overwhelming for her. She didn't know what to say. Luke was right. All she had to do was play the part! All she had to do was wear the stupid dress! But no, she wouldn't do that. She grabbed pants! And now it was going to come back and bite her. And she couldn't keep her mouth shut when it came to someone that clearly the Duke trusted enough to manage his house. She sat down on the bench in the garden and sighed heavily as the stress and anxiety and worry all started to overwhelm her. Before she knew it, her breathing hitched and picked up a bit as she started to have a miniature panic attack. "I-I don't mean to have so many secrets. I know that my behavior is what hinges on this war ending. I just want to save my family and friends. I don't mean to deceive anyone! But I also don't want to live a life where I can't be who I really am. If the Duke has an issue with me wearing pants, then so be it. I will change and wear dresses. Or maybe I won't. I don't know!" she said as tears finally spilled over onto her pale cheeks.
The Knight was in front of her without a second thought. He knelt on one knee as he gently wiped the fallen tears, causing her to stiffen under his touch. This was improper. He shouldn't be touching her and consoling her like this. If this was the south, he surely would have gotten reprimanded. But maybe things were different in the north? Was this sort of thing allowed here? That was another thing. She didn't know diddly squat about the north and their customs. She was sent here on a whim. She was sent here because she had no choice. She was given a day to prepare and then Luke shipped her off to be married off to a man she didn't know to live in a region she knew nothing about to manage a house she was at a disadvantage at managing due to her incompetence in customs. All of it was so overwhelming. Her green eyes met the Knights dark ones as he wiped the tears silently. She hoped the Duke was this patient with her. She hoped the Duke wasn't a monster like everyone said he was. She hoped it was all just one big misunderstanding. "I will take you out tomorrow to learn the north's customs. But in the future, honesty is best when dealing with the Duke."
She sniffled and nodded, her fists balled on her knees as she let the emotions slowly subside. He was patient with her as he knelt before her, waiting for her to calm down. She knew she couldn't hug him, which was what she really wanted. She didn't care who she hugged; just that she needed one. But she was already at a disadvantage here and she didn't want the Duke to find out or think she was committing infidelity. "Will the Duke send me away if I tell him I dislike dresses?" she asked, her usually confident voice very small now as the emotions surged through her in intervals.
The Knight pressed his lips together into a thin line. "The Duke... values honesty over tradition." She stared at him for a moment, letting that sink in. He sighed for a moment, realizing he would have to give her more to go off of. "The Duke has been lied to for the majority of his life. So one of the things that makes him the angriest is dishonesty. It's in your best interest if you never lie to him and never deal treacherously with him. Is that clear?"
She wiped her eyes and nodded quietly. "Yes... thank you, Sir Knight."
He nodded and stood back up. He offered her his hand, which she took, and he helped her up. "We should get back inside. It's getting colder," he said as he held his arm out for her to take.
"Thank you," she said softly. He shot a look at her curiously. "For... being so kind and offering advice."
Being told he was kind was a foreign concept to him, but he silently nodded anyway as she took his arm and allowed herself to be led back inside. They walked in silence for a few moments as they walked back into the castle. Then, Rey wondered what his name was since she only had his title to go off of. Would it be improper to ask what his name was? She didn't think so... especially since Hux willingly offered up the other Knights' names upon first meeting. But why was it so hard to want to ask him his name? She glanced up at him briefly, returning her sight to the floor as they walked. "Sir Knight... what is your name?" He paused for a moment, as if the question made him uncomfortable. She quickly followed up to try to ease the tension. "I was just thinking that... when I first arrived here, Hux introduced the other six Knights to me by name... but I don't know yours."
"My name isn't important right now," he said as they made it to the east wing.
Her face took on a sort of downcast sadness to it. "So... should I continue calling you Sir Knight?"
He pressed his lips together for a moment, realizing that it would be odd had he said yes. He also knew that if she really found out who he was, things would change. And he had a pleasant night with her, too. She was much different than what he was expecting her to be. He expected her to be a headache and a nightmare, but she was... perfect. He walked in silence as he debated how to answer her question. The truth would eventually come out, but he wasn't ready to let it out yet. He realized they were at her door and he also realized he hadn't given her an answer. The girl was already uncomfortable, which he only added to with his silent escort. He turned to her, noticing she looked dejected. He cleared his throat before looking down the hallway at the balcony he'd found her at this evening. "Ren. You may call me Ren."
Her eyes widened at the name as she backed up a step. "As in Kylo Ren?"
He rolled his eyes. "And Cardo Ren and Vicrul Ren. But I am neither of them. You may call me Ren. The rest can go by their first names if they choose, but I prefer Ren." He looked over at the woman to see confusion on her face. He let out a small snicker. "You truly know nothing of the Knights or the north, do you?" She blushed and averted her sight. "When we become Knights of Ren, we adopt Ren as our surname in a way. Just as you are Lady Rey of House Skywalker, your name, in the north, would technically be Rey Skywalker. However, in the north, the Knights of Ren adopt Ren as their last name."
She hesitantly nodded in understanding. He wasn't Kylo. Thank God! She would be mortified if he was! "S-so... you want me to call you by your surname?"
"For now. I will explain more tomorrow. If we are going to the market tomorrow, you need to rest now."
She gave him a small smile and nodded. "Thank you... Ren," she said as she curtsied respectfully.
He bowed his head customarily. When their eyes met, however, it was difficult to want to separate. He cleared his throat and tore his sight away first. "Good night, Lady Rey," he said as he trudged off down the hallway.
She smiled warmly at his back before going into her room quietly. She felt a yawn tear itself from her lips, not realizing she'd been holding it in. The fatigue started to settle in as she collapsed onto the bed, curled up in the Knight's cloak she forgot to give back to him. With a small sigh of content, and her nose filled with the scent of trees, she drifted off into a peaceful rest.
