A/N: Hope you enjoy!
Marrying the Monster
Chapter 14: Magnetism & Marriage Pt. 1
"I know you want to kill him, with good reason, but you can't." Ben stared after her incredulously. Oh, he most definitely could, but why was she telling him not to? "If you kill him, you'd only be showing the whole continent that you are the monster he painted you to be. We want to prove them wrong; not right," she reminded him as she crossed her arms over her chest. He had to admit that he liked the way she looked standing like that. Her arms were crossed tightly around her, her hip jutted out just a bit to the side and her whole body language was just a beautiful speech of confidence.
"So, then what do you suggest?" he asked, bringing one of his hands up to rest on his hip.
"Luke has connections, right? So, there's no way he'll just disappear into the shadows. I say we cripple him financially. If we can get his business partners to back out and instead, do trade with the north, he'll be crippled financially and won't have resources to do what he wants to do."
Ben's eyes widened a hair at the intelligence of his future wife. "And, how do you propose we do that?"
She grinned wide at him. "Hit the guilds. The guilds are a major source of Skywalker Castle income. If you monopolize the guilds, he'll take a big hit."
Ben held his chin in thought as he mulled it over. "We could get Maz on our side. She's the one that controls the guild network in the south. She has for years."
Rey smiled and nodded. "So we talk to Maz, get her to shift alliance to the north, trade exclusively with us, and Luke has no more money. No more money..."
"No army. It could work." He hesitated for a moment. "Why are you so willing to help me? Isn't your inheritance tied up in that castle?"
She shrugged. "It's just money. I never cared for it anyway. Besides, my inheritance is probably mostly gone by now. Either way, it wouldn't affect me."
"But why would you want to bring down the only father figure you've ever known?"
She frowned then and sighed heavily. "He wasn't much of a father. Sure, he provided for me, but he was never there for me. I was just his stage prop." Ben looked at her curiously, clearly confused. "He took me in thinking I had some special abilities. But as I got older, and proved him wrong... I wasn't of any use to him."
Ben pressed his lips into a thin line as he saw her sinking into sadness again. Abandonment was a touchy subject for the both of them apparently. He could tell that she felt just as abandoned by this man as he did. It irked him that he wasn't the only one Luke treated this way, but at least they weren't alone in knowing how it felt. "I'll never abandon you, Rey," he promised as he cupped her cheek affectionately.
She blushed as a small shy smile came across her lips. "Thank you," she said as she laced her fingers with his.
"Are you still nervous about the wedding?" Rey shook her head. "And about the kiss?" She hesitated and blushed, her face a fiery red. He chuckled then stopped. "Don't tell me it's your first kiss," he teased.
Her face got redder, if that was even possible. She nervously cleared her throat. "That's none of your business."
He snickered and shrugged. "As I've said, there's ways around it. If you're uncomfortable, we can either fake it or skip it."
She thought about it for a moment. "How would people feel if they saw?"
Ben shrugged. "The north would be thrilled. The south would be terrified. Luke would be... extremely irritated. Your friends would probably be upset. Why?"
"Let's upset them."
Ben raised a brow at her. "What are you saying?"
Rey laughed. "At the wedding, I want you to kiss me." As she looked at his face, she saw a tinge of pink grace his cheeks. She grinned at him then. "Aw, don't tell me it's your first kiss, too?" she teased.
Ben only rolled his eyes. "And then what? We kiss at the wedding, and then what happens?"
"We'll figure it out. It's a start to irritate Luke though, and that alone is enough to make it worth it."
Ben frowned at her then. It was out of necessity; not want. Truth be told, the thought of kissing him probably repulsed her and she had to justify her actions for doing it. That's what he told himself anyway. Maybe he wasn't good enough. Maybe he was just deluding himself into thinking he was someone she'd want to be with. He allowed himself to hope that he'd found someone willing to put up with him. But maybe he was wrong. His sight fell to the table, idly searching the books for nothing in particular.
It was only after a few moments that she'd realized there was something wrong with him. She quickly ran through her head everything she'd said and how she'd reacted, but she was unsure of anything she'd done wrong. She hesitantly reached out and touched his hand, lacing her fingers around his much larger ones. He still didn't look at her, which made her wonder exactly what damage she'd done. "Ben? What's wrong?" she asked gently.
He slowly looked at her. What was wrong with him? How could he make her understand? It was stupid to be feeling that way. It was ridiculous to hope for anything to come from this arranged marriage. To hope for anyone to fully accept him, flaws and all. Sure, they shared little moments that he quite possibly misunderstood, but that was no reason to hang his hat on her wanting to be with him, right? Surely, he deluded himself. He'd misjudged the situation. He'd assumed their interactions meant something more than what it truly did. He was the one in the wrong. So, then, why did he feel so terrible? He didn't know how to explain any of these feelings to her. How does he even begin explaining that he felt like an afterthought when she talked about wanting to kiss him, just so they could piss off Luke? Was that even rational?
Ben snapped from his thoughts as soon as he hand cupped his cheek. "Ben, what is it? Please tell me."
"It's nothing."
She frowned as she stared up at him, wondering truly what he was thinking. He'd shut down on her. She felt a pang in her chest at that realization. She couldn't reach him if he wouldn't let her. As she stared at him, she tried to figure out how she could, but she honestly didn't know. She was still getting to know him! She didn't know how to deal with him when he shut down like this! What if she couldn't ever bring him out of this closed down state? She bit her lip quietly before squeezing his hand to get his attention. "Ben," she said softly. He blinked curiously at her, his full attention on her at the urgency in her voice. "I want you to do me a favor."
His brow shot up at the sudden request. "What do you-"
"Kiss me." His eyes widened then at the sudden request. Well, more like demand. His mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out. If she wasn't so nervous, she'd have laughed at the cute reaction she'd just gotten from him. She let out a soft sigh, a blush burning her face as she fiddled with his hand in hers. "You offered to practice before the wedding... I've reconsidered."
Ben couldn't help but let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "You're serious?"
She looked up at him from under her lashes shyly. "Yes."
His body stiffened at the confirmation. "Why?"
She bit her lip again. "I want you to."
"Why?" he asked again.
"Because-" She hesitated as her heart threatened to beat right out of her chest and into his arms. She started to feel dizzy as her heart pounded in her ears. "Because I don't want my first kiss to be with anyone other than you and I'd rather it be a private affair than to have a whole room of people staring at us like we're on display!" she said quickly.
He didn't know how to process that. She wanted to kiss him? Did that mean she really did like him? That she wasn't just acting or playing a part? Did their interactions actually mean something to her, like they did with him? His heart raced about as fast as his mind. He wasn't sure what happened, but his body moved on its own. He reached out and gently cupped her cheek, gaining her instant attention as she looked up at him with hope in her eyes, but also shyness and fear. His eyes softened as his thumb caressed her heated cheek affectionately, carefully, delicately. "You're not allowed to regret this."
She smiled wide. "Never," she promised breathily.
His lips twitched into a small smile of his own as he nodded briefly. He unlaced their fingers, bringing his now free hand to rest on her waist, pulling her closer to him. She brought her arms up to wrap around his neck as their faces drew closer until they felt each other's breath on their lips. They searched each other's eyes for any signs of backing out before Ben closed his and gently pressed his lips against hers. Her lips were soft, small, smooth and warm. He felt her fingers wind in his hair at the nape of his neck as she relaxed into the kiss.
And then they felt it. A shock ran through their minds, causing them both to flinch, but they refused to pull away from each other. His fingers trailed down to her neck, applying slight pressure, coaxing her to tilt her head back more so he could deepen the kiss. This only succeeded in causing a soft hum to resonate in their minds. Their bodies were on fire, their minds racing and humming. And then something else changed. He heard Rey's thoughts. "This is better than I thought."
He smiled into the kiss at her thoughts, but was wondering why he heard her voice in his head. "I wonder what changed..." he mused to himself.
Rey pulled away with a gasp, her vision struggling to focus as her body tried to calm down. "What was that?" she whispered breathlessly. "I heard your voice in my head."
"I heard yours, too."
Rey's eyes widened as a whole other round of blushing came around. What had he heard!? She was mortified! "How is this-" She stopped talking abruptly as she thought back to what she read in the book about Manipulators of the Force. "Are you force sensitive?" He hesitantly nodded. "I... think I might be, too."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I think this is a dyad I read about."
Ben's brows furrowed. "That's unlikely. They're extremely rare. There's only been one other case in the last several hundred years."
She looked into his eyes and pressed her lips into a thin line. "Can you hear me?"
His eyes widened. "How is this possible?"
Rey released him and rushed to the table, quickly picking up the book she'd read last night. She flipped through the pages, scanning the words silently before tapping it. "Here. 'A dyad in the force is when two Force-sensitive beings have a unique Force-bond that was unbreakable that made them one in the Force. The power of a dyad is as strong as life itself, with the individuals forming the dyad sharing a connection that spanned across time and space.' Sounds so... surreal... doesn't it?" she asked as she passed the book to him.
He took it and read it to himself. "Members of a dyad were attuned to each other's senses completely, including what they saw, heard and felt. They possessed unique Force powers, such as the ability to physically interact across many light-years in the galaxy. A dyad could also utilize Force healing to such a degree that, should either member of the dyad die, the other would be able to transfer enough of their own Force energy to resurrect them, albeit at the cost of their own life." He looked up at her for a moment. This explained a lot. Their attraction toward each other, their understanding of each other. Why he felt so alone when she wasn't there.
"Does that mean we'll feel that every time we kiss?" she asked curiously.
He closed the book with a thump, setting it on the table. With a smirk, he said, "Care to test it?" She blushed at his advance before smiling shyly and nodding. He held her face in his hands and brought their lips together once more. There was no shock, but there was a small hum in their minds. He deepened the kiss again and she brought her hands to his sides, gripping his shirt to steady herself as her mind started to swim again. She felt a pressure in her mind, and then she felt him in her head. This was all so new and exciting! They were an extremely rare dyad. The excitement rang through her head, as well as the fear and the curiosity.
Before she knew it, he broke the kiss to give them both air. Their breaths mingled as he rested his forehead against hers. They stared into each other's eyes and then she saw the most beautiful thing ever: his smile. His true, untainted, affectionate smile. He chuckled as he heard her thoughts in his head. "I like your smile, too," he whispered.
She giggled softly. "We need to work on boundaries."
He grinned wide. "Agreed. Though... I do enjoy hearing your unfiltered thoughts."
She rolled her eyes and kissed his lips briefly. "I bet you do." A sudden knock came at the library door, making her sigh in aggravation. "Always at a bad time."
"If I didn't know any better... I'd think you were enjoying yourself."
Rey only grinned at him, pressing her forehead gently against his a little more. "Definitely not disappointed," she whispered before pressing her lips against his one more time. When she pulled away, he chuckled softly. He watched her go, leaning against the table with his arms crossed over his chest. "I expect the same intensity at our wedding, just so you know," she tossed back flirtatiously.
He felt a small blush creep onto his cheeks as he cleared his throat. He glanced back at the book on the table. He didn't have a chance to analyze it further as he heard Rey sigh in irritation through their connection. This was going to be distracting. But not unwelcomed. He grabbed the book off the table, turning on his heel to leave the library himself. He paused when he saw Rey standing at the door with Poe and Finn. He frowned at the two. He also noticed that they stopped talking when he approached. They were hiding something, he realized. He flicked his eyes over at Rey, feeling the irritation and discomfort bleeding into his mind from her. He walked up to her, glancing down at her to make sure she was all right.
When she refused to meet his gaze, he kissed her temple in front of them. "See you in a few hours. If you need anything..." "Call me."
She looked up at him then and smiled sadly. He wasn't sure what happened between them, but he wasn't going to push. He walked past the two men, shooting Poe a warning glare, knowing he was the instigator. And with that, he was gone. When he was out of earshot, Poe sighed softly. "Rey, you don't need to do this."
Rey glared at her friend. "I want to, Poe. End of story. Let it go."
"No, you only think you want to. He's manipulating you! There's no way you have feelings for that... monster!" Poe said, throwing his arm behind him as if to emphasize him.
"Don't call him that!" she hissed. She felt the pressure again in her head and pushed it away mentally. "First you want me to go through with the marriage. Then, when I agree to it, you tell me you're going to get me out. Then, when I tell you I don't want out, you call me a traitor. And now, when I say I actually want to marry him, you call him a monster and question my decisions!" she said, volume increasing with each situation she brought up. A tense silence passed by them for several moments. Then she sighed heavily. "Look... I'm not a little girl, Poe. I don't need you, or Finn, or Luke to make my decisions for me. The last decision Luke, and by proxy, you and Finn, made for me was for me to marry Kylo Ren."
"Yes, but-"
"You are not going to talk me out of this decision, Poe. I want to be with Ben, and I want to be in the north, and I want to be free! And I'm tired of being made to feel that I'm not competent enough or that I'm not capable of making my own decisions!" she hissed angrily at them, her voice raising to a shriek.
Poe put his hands up at her defensively and lowered his head in defeat. "Rey... I'm concerned about you, that's all. I don't doubt that you're capable. Nor do I doubt that you know the consequences of your decisions. But are you really sure that you want to marry that mon-" Rey glared harshly at him. He sighed. "The Duke."
Rey sighed. "I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life."
Poe stared at her for a long moment, scanning her eyes for any signs of fear or hesitation. When all he found was determination, he nodded curtly. "Ok... But if you're ever in trouble-"
"That's not necessary... but I know where to find you." Poe nodded again. "Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to start getting ready." Poe nodded curtly, not at all happy about how this talk went down, but realizing the level of defeat he'd have to accept. He exited the library, leaving Rey in there to sigh in irritation and pinch the bridge of her nose. This was such a headache. Why couldn't they just accept that this was something she wanted to do? Sure, it started out as a duty, against her will, but she'd grown to develop affections for Ben. Through time, she'd realized he wasn't half as bad as everyone made him out to be and that he was actually a decent person. He was looking for companionship as much as she was. They had more in common than she thought they would, too. And he was so patient with her. Always teaching her so she could understand, answer her questions, no matter how annoying they may have been...
"Your questions are never annoying, Rey," he said through their connection.
Rey blushed and looked around the room before sighing and groaning with embarrassment. "Stop that!" She heard his soft laughter through their connection and smiled warmly. That was a sound she could completely get used to. She shook her head and rolled her eyes as she bounced out of the library and off towards her room to get ready for the ceremony. Hopefully, no one else would try to make her life a living hell in the meantime.
X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X
Hours passed and Rey was ready for the wedding. She stared at herself in the mirror and smiled at the dress. Apparently, Ben had Amilyn make the dress for her in secret. She understood now why there were extra boxes. No doubt, he had an outfit prepared for himself, too. She smiled at the dress he chose. It was an off-the-shoulder dress. It hugged her curves closely, but not in a confining way. She found she still had room to move in it, which she was grateful for. The neckline plunged just a bit, revealing a little bit of cleavage as the arm bands came to meet at her breasts. The skirt itself was floor-length and resembled a ballgown style. She had a big bow on the back that matched the width of her off-the-shoulder straps. It was very tasteful, and very beautiful. She had no idea that she would love the dress as much as she did.
She watched as Rose pinned her hair up into three buns, adorning each one with a white flower pin on each. She noticed that the flowers alternated sides, the first and third flower pins were on the left of the buns and the second was on the right. Rose carefully pinned her veil to the first bun and smiled wide at her mistress. The veil itself was long and matched the dress in its simplicity. The outside edges of it were decorated with embroidered flowers, but the rest was a see through lace. She smiled back at Rose as Paige stepped up to finish with her makeup. Paige applied little to none, Rey noticed, and she was grateful for it. When Paige was done, Rey looked at herself and noticed that it was all nudes that looked natural. She smiled at the sisters as they gave her toothy grins. "It's beautiful, Lady Rey," Paige said as she clapped her hands excitedly.
Rose squealed and clapped, too, before retrieving the bouquet of yellow flowers mixed with white. She handed it to Rey with a wide smile. "I'm glad you're here."
Rey smiled. "Me, too."
"Shall we?" Rose said as she walked to the door. Rey nodded and sighed to ready herself. In just a few moments, she'd be a married woman, and she'd be a Duchess. The thought alone made her giddy, but also fearful. She knew she'd adjust, but she didn't want to fail him. She wanted to prove herself capable.
The door opened and there was Luke standing there before her. He gave her a quick up and down and then nodded at the two maids to leave them. Rey inwardly sighed. "I can escort myself."
"You can; but you won't. This is traditional in the south."
"We're not in the south," she grumbled.
Luke shot her a look before extending his arm to her. "Does propriety mean nothing to you? Have I taught you nothing?"
"No, you haven't. You just bullied me into submission until I did what you wanted me to do."
Luke sighed as Rey took his arm and begrudgingly walked down the hall with him, a frown on her face the whole time. "At least you had enough common sense to wear a dress and not pants to your own wedding."
Rey shot a glare up at him. "Must you be so insufferable?"
The older man shrugged his shoulder. "I'm only reminding you of how you're expected to act once you're 't forget your etiquette."
She rolled her eyes at him. "You know... we could have gotten along if you hadn't cast me aside once you deemed me useless."
"I never cast you aside."
"Right... so then ignoring me for seven years, making me eat meals by myself, only seeing me in passing at the dinner table, and never once looking me in the eye unless you needed to scold me wasn't casting me aside? Once you found out I didn't have the power you were looking for, you cast me aside almost as quickly as you disposed of Ben."
Luke's eyes widened at that. "What are you talking about?"
"He told me. Everything. How you cast him aside and sent him off to the north because you were scared of his power. You abandoned him. You turned his mother against him. You sent me here to marry a man I never met, nor ever heard anything nice about! You're the monster here; not Ben!" she hissed as she snatched her arm away from Luke and walked ahead of him a little. She paused at the bottom of the main staircase and looked over her shoulder at him, pain in her eyes. "Once the wedding is over, I'd appreciate it if you all left and never returned. I'm not aiding you in your war against him."
