A/N: Things are heating up! I've decided that since this story has dragged on for several more chapters than intended, I'm going to make a sequel. It will be a little later on in the alphabet, but I will make sure I let you know what letter it will be once I figure out a name for it. I want to post them somewhat close together so we'll see what happens! Enjoy the next installment for now!


Marrying the Monster

Chapter 15: Magnetism & Marriage Pt. 2


He stood there, surrounded by far more people than he'd intended to be around. When he first came out of the castle, without his helmet, the people just stared at him as if he had two heads. He supposed they were conjuring all kinds of images of what they thought he looked like in their heads, and every single one of them was wrong. He assumed that's what those looks were, but he decided that it didn't matter. He felt vulnerable revealing his face like this. He'd hidden behind the mask for so long that he was able to do anything outside the castle walls without being bombarded or feared. Now... all that was coming to an end.

As soon as he took his spot at the groom's perch, he heard whispers erupting among the crowd. Whispers of how handsome he was, and how the rumors were all fabricated, and that there was no way that he was the Duke of Destruction everyone had heard of. Overall, there was overwhelming support, which he was grateful for. But it was also very peculiar. He'd never really had any support before besides the Knights, but now, the people were so supportive of him that it was kind of odd.

He kept his eyes fixated on the front doors to the castle, knowing that at any moment, she was going to emerge. He briefly scanned the crowd and saw that the Knights were positioned at the back of the audience, to the sides, and to the front near him. He was grateful for the security because he knew that this wedding was sure to spark an uprising at one point. While this was a good day for him and Rey, he was certain that there would be people that wanted this war to continue on. And at any point, those people could attack.

He flinched when he felt the anger come through their newfound connection. He'd wondered what made her so angry, but also so guarded. He remained silent for now, not wanting to add to her stress. It was then that he started to scan the seats. One was empty: Luke's. His eyes narrowed at the empty seat, Poe sitting to the right and Finn to the left. He cast a warning glare at Poe and Finn, silently telling them that if Luke did anything to upset Rey today, he'd have their heads on a platter displayed at the banquet table. They caught the hint as they averted their stares.

The connection between them only got more intense as her anger flared up, but then, as if it were all in his mind (figuratively!), it disappeared and an eerie calm overtook their connection. It was like prey that had been caught in a spider's web. At first, it struggled as it's life depended on it, vibrating the strings violently, but as time wore on, the struggles became less and less, and the strings became quiet and still. Their connection was like those strings. He blinked away the uncertainty, making a mental note to ask her later, just as the door to the castle was flung open, revealing his betrothed in the dress he'd had made for her. He resisted the urge to smile warmly at her, not wanting the people to think him so soft. Oh, but she looked gorgeous. That dress was definitely flattering, that was for sure. Their eyes met and he didn't fail to notice the blush that creeped onto her cheeks and down her neck, spreading over her chest. He supposed she'd heard his thoughts. He only snickered softly.

She advanced down the aisle, between the crowd, eyes fixated on him as Rose and Paige followed closely behind her, holding up the back of her dress and veil so they didn't get ruined by the ground. He briefly broke sight with her to see Luke sauntering to his seat, that same look of apathy on his old features as he'd remembered. Whatever was going on with her, undoubtedly involved Luke. He made a mental note to murder him later, only to be chastised mentally by Rey. "Cut it out," she hissed in their link, her green eyes flashing with a warning he'd never seen before.

He couldn't help but grin and shrug his shoulder at her, instantly dismissing it as she made it to him. He held out his hand to her and she took it with a small smile. They stood across from each other, brown meeting green as their connection hummed happily in their minds. He could hear and feel her heartbeat. Her joy. Her fear. Her anxiety. Her... affection? No, it was deeper than that, but he couldn't put his finger on it. It was puzzling, for sure, but he was awfully curious about it. To be honest, he was almost matching her emotions to the detail, except for that one that he was unsure about. Nonetheless, he put on a strong face and nodded to her as they turned to face the priest.

He was barely paying attention to the words as the old man prattled on about sickness and health and till death do they part. When it was time to make his affirmation, he said, "I do," both with his mouth and with his mind. He didn't miss the blush that appeared on Rey's cheeks as she got the message. She did the same when it came to be her turn. All around, the ceremony was painless. He slipped a ring on her finger, his dark eyes searching her jade ones as the piece of metal situated itself on her finger as if it were meant to be there. She did the same to him, with a little bit of a struggle since his fingers were bigger and stronger. He held back a laugh, but offered a lopsided grin anyway.

Once all the formalities were done, he lifted her veil and the priest said they could kiss. She bit her lip in expectation, which only made him want to kiss her more, he realized as he grabbed her face delicately, his fingers cradling the base of her skull and his thumbs caressing her warm cheeks. Their lips met, and unceremoniously, he deepened the kiss unexpectedly, earning a soft sigh from the woman in front of him. Their tongues danced in front of God and everyone as they were oblivious to the world around them. The humming in their heads radiated through their bodies as they allowed themselves to feel what the other was feeling: desire... passion... tender affection. They felt it all, but the kiss was short lived as he pulled away, Rey leaning into him as if following his lips. Her eyes fluttered open and she realized that everyone was applauding. He only smirked down at her, grabbing her hand and leading her down the path between the crowd as flowers were thrown on them.

They walked up the steps and stood at the castle doors, slightly elevated above the crowd. Ben then turned to face the crowd and nodded his head dutifully. "We appreciate all of you for attending our wedding ceremony. There will be a ball held in the ballroom as well as a banquet. We invite all to attend," he said as he and Rey both bowed to them and disappeared into the castle.

Ben pinned her against the wall, hands on either side of her head, his eyes staring down at her with such intensity she'd never seen before. "You can't make sounds like that in public," he admonished her, his eyes flashing dangerously.

She only laughed softly, leaning up to gently press her lips against his once more. "It slipped out," she whispered against his lips. They both shuddered before Ben rolled his eyes, earning another laugh from his wife. "So, what now?"

He shrugged as he dropped his hands from the wall. "Why were you so upset earlier?"

She bristled at the question, but sighed and looked up at him with determination and honesty. "Luke was irritating me. I told him that after the wedding, they needed to leave and never come back." Ben's eyes widened a bit at that. When did she get so strong? He straightened out his face and felt a million questions running through his head faster than he could process them. "Before you ask, yes I'm sure about that. All I need is right here in the north."

He gave her a small grin and nodded, deciding not to push it. "If you're certain."

"Never more so in my life."

He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders before offering her his arm. "Shall we get some food?" She smiled wide and took his arm happily. They walked through the halls together and saw the Knights already at the table, waiting for them.

Rey froze midstep as she looked at the Knights. None of them had their helmets on! Her eyes widened as her mouth hung slightly agape. Should she be worried at the lack of formalities? Was this one of those situations where whoever saw their faces would die? She hesitantly looked up at Ben and saw him smirking down at her. "What's going on?"

A man stood with a smirk on his face. He was stocky. He was also bald on top of his head and had a brown beard and mustache combo. His eyes were a dark blue, and she noticed that he didn't look as menacing as the others. He looked... welcoming. "Seems like you're a bit shocked, Rey," teased the man.

She instantly recognized his voice and she couldn't help but smile at him. "Forgive me for staring. I've never seen you without your mask on, Trudgen."

He only snickered in response. "We don't make it a habit to go without them. They'll come back on when the people start coming in."

She nodded in response as she looked amongst the other Knights. Judging by their armor, she felt like she could pick them out, but she wasn't sure. "Up for a challenge?" Ben teased with a grin. She looked up at him curiously. "See if you can identify all of them correctly. If you do, you get whatever you want. If you don't... I get whatever I want."

She stared up at him quietly for a moment, then looked back at the Knights quietly, as if weighing her options. She smirked and looked up at Ben again. "Deal." Ben shrugged and nodded to her. She walked up to the table and looked at all the Knights quietly. Trudgen sat back down with a grin, finding utter amusement in all of this. Rey looked at a man sitting next to Trudgen. He had a very thin mustache, curly black hair and darker skin than the rest of them. His eyes were a piercing brown as he looked up at her apathetically. He seemed bored. Judging by his mannerisms, how he couldn't hold her stare, she quirked a brow. "Vicrul?" she asked, making the man snap back to look at her. He only nodded quietly and glanced back at Ben.

Trudgen let out a loud laugh as he slapped Vicrul's shoulder roughly. "This girl's something, I tell ya."

Rey glanced to the next Knight. He had black hair that stood up like a mohawk. He had dark eyes and paler skin than Vicrul, but darker than Trudgen. He was slender, but muscular. He looked like he didn't really appreciate this game, but was playing around because he had nothing better to do. She thought long and hard about this one, glancing back at Ben to see if he would help. He only crossed his arms over his chest, daring her to guess wrong. She turned her attention back to the man. "Say something."

The man only rolled his eyes at her. "This game is ridiculous."

Rey grinned then. "Ap'lek." The man quirked a brow at her and scoffed. Assuming she got it right, since Trudgen only laughed and shook his head in disbelief, she continued on to the next man as Ap'lek crossed his arms over his chest. This Knight had dark black hair, almost darker than Ben's. His eyes were a greenish-brown color. She noticed he had a scar above his left eyebrow. She also noticed he looked guarded. Moreso standoffish than the rest of them. She thought back to their runs and noticed that Cardo was the last to join. She wondered if this was him. Sensing her sight on him, he glanced over at her and nodded his head respectfully. "Cardo?" He nodded again and she gave him a smirk.

"You got two more, Rey," Trudgen said with a grin, confident she'd get these and that Kylo was in for a rude awakening when she asked him for a favor.

She smiled over at Trudgen before turning her sight to the last two Knights, who were engaged in a teasing session of their own. The one that ran his mouth the most had dark brownish hair, blue eyes, and facial hair, but not as thick as Trudgen's. Even though he was grinning at the other Knight, she noticed an analytical look in his eye, as if he were analyzing the other's reactions to know how he needed to focus his teasing for the best reactions. The Knight who sat there and took the jokes had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He had a strong, square face with stubble across his jaw. He looked bored and irritated. As she listened to the first Knight's voice, she thought back to what voice that was. The only two she had left were Kuruk and Ushar. While she'd heard all the Knights speak, she didn't really remember what Kuruk's voice sounded like nor Ushar's. She thought about it some more and crossed her arms over her chest. "Need some help?" Ben teased in her head.

She shot a deadpan glare at him. "What'll it cost me?"

"The win."

"Then, no. I don't want your help." She turned back to look at the Knights then, seeing the talkative one staring at her. He only grinned up at her and nodded his head at her. She was almost positive that Ushar was more outgoing than Kuruk. Eh, what was the worst that could happen? With a sigh, she pointed at the first one. "Ushar," she said and pointed at the other. "Kuruk."

Trudgen started clapping. "Looks like she got you, Ren," he teased.

Rey smiled back at him and winked. "Looks like you get to do whatever I say."

Ben rolled his eyes and smirked. "We'll see."

Rey scoffed and rolled her eyes at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but she heard the doors opening in the front. She glanced back, but as soon as she did, she heard the Knights rising quickly and shoving their helmets on their heads. When she looked back at them, they had their helmets on and they were dismissing themselves. "They work fast," Ben said as he took her hand and led her to the banquet hall.

There, Rose and Paige were finishing off the last of the preparations, setting food out and fixing table cloths. Rose smiled up at her and waved happily, making Rey wave back with a smile. "It seems everyone's happy today."

Ben only nodded in return. Truth was, he was, too. He looked down at her dress and then back at the hall that started to fill with chattering people. "Do you want to change?" Rey flinched and frowned then. Her mind went back to what Luke said and she sighed heavily. "Don't worry about what he said. It's your choice."

She looked up at him and saw the pent up anger flashing momentarily behind his dark eyes. With a small smile, she shook her head and kissed his cheek. "Thanks... but I'm fine for now."

Ben nodded. "Good. The dress suits you anyway," he said as he led her off to the food, not giving her a chance to respond. All she could do was blush and follow him.

Time started to blend together as people filed in, some approaching them and offering their congratulations. Amilyn was there. She appraised the dress on Rey and smiled wide, nodding her head at Ben and earning one in return. Everything was going smoothly. She hadn't seen, nor heard from Luke or Finn or Poe. She supposed they listened to her and left after the ceremony. She felt a small pang in her chest, but realized that it was for the best. They'd never understand, and she was all right with that. She stared off into the crowd silently, watching as people started coupling off and going toward the dance floor. Ben stayed by her side, not making any move to leave, nor disturb her thoughts. He was just... there for her. Her heart did a somersault in her chest. She hesitantly reached out, taking his hand in hers.

He looked down at her silently, face clearly showing confusion, but not dismissing the action. He saw the blank look on her face and felt the torn emotions rolling off of her in waves. Her pain became his pain. He turned his sight back to the crowd with a soft sigh, lacing his fingers with hers without a second thought. She held tight to him, neither one saying a word out loud or in their minds. Rose and Paige showed up, holding a letter, both of them looking uneasy. Rey's sight focused on them before sighing heavily and taking the envelope from them. They hesitantly walked away, leaving Rey to glare at the letter in her hands. Ben glanced down at it and then at her face. He didn't like this whirlwind of hatred swelling in her. Having made a decision, he snatched the letter from her hands and tucked it away, earning a scoff from Rey and a short glare. "Ben-"

"Quit sulking. You can have it later. Dance floor. Now," he said as he grabbed her wrist and led her out to the floor. She grumbled all along the way, but he noticed her emotions starting to level out. One that stood out to him the most was gratefulness. They stood in front of each other and he wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him as she grunted and glared up at him. With a sigh, she took his hand and put her other on his shoulder. The music started playing and they quickly found their rhythm. She avoided his sight as she started to stew on what the contents of the letter could be. He suddenly twirled her, stopping her with her back against his chest and his arms wrapped around her as they swayed to the music. He ducked his head down to her ear. "Worry about it later," he whispered. She flicked her eyes over to him. "Don't let them ruin your day."

Her face heated up on its own accord before she sighed softly and let herself smile. She was ruining the moment. She knew this was one of those moments that would be rare, so she should try to enjoy herself while it lasted. "You're right," she said, giving in and letting it go, tucking it away in the back of her mind for now.

The music changed pace, catching Ben off guard and Rey gasped excitedly. "I know this song!" she exclaimed with a mischievous grin. She broke away from his embrace, standing across from him as other ladies joined in on her side. The men joined in on Ben's side, making Ben slightly curious as the ladies started clapping their hands, joined shortly after by the men. Ben only smirked at her from across the way as he watched the women skipping into the middle, linking arms with their partner and going off across the other way to link arms with the next man. It was like an exchange of partners, he noticed. And it all came back to him. He knew this dance, too. It had been quite some time since he did it though. Everyone waiting their turn, or those done with their turn, clapped their hands, the partners swinging and looping down the way until the next man came to Rey. She linked arms with him and he took her spot where she was standing as Rey linked arms with Ben, spun him, and took Ben's spot.

She watched as Ben swung Rose and took her spot, diagonal from Rey. They both grinned at each other. This was a lot more fun than they could both hope for. When the partners came to the end of the line, they fell in line with the oddball grabbing hands with the one diagonal from them and galloping hand in hand down the middle of the dancers. They took their spots at the end, twirling the ones next to them as if slinging them into the aisle with the next couple. They came galloping down the way as well and Ben quickly worked out that it would be him and Rey that would be doing that together. When he looked over at her, he saw her laughing and smiling joyfully. She was truly enjoying herself now that she let herself do so.

It came to be their turn and Paige flung Ben while another man flung Rey. They met in the middle and galloped together down the aisle, Rey giggling all the way.

Eventually the dance ended and everyone clapped and cheered before Rey walked up to Ben and wrapped her arms around him, laughing softly. "This was fun."

Ben loosely wrapped his arms around Rey and nodded his agreement, leading her off to go get some water. They stood there for a few moments and Rose and Paige came back up to them with eager smiles. "That was entertaining!" Rose laughed. Rey laughed in return and nodded. "I never thought I'd see Master Ren dance like that in my lifetime," Rose giggled.

Rey shot a mischievous look up at her husband. "Me either." Ben cleared his throat and averted his glance, clearly uncomfortable with this conversation. It was then that Rey noticed that it was starting to get late. She cleared her throat and smiled shyly at Rose. "Rose... can you let everyone know that the party is coming to a close? It's late in the day now," she said with a small smile.

Rose whined her protest, but nodded respectfully. "Yes, ma'am." She curtsied and her and Paige took off to let everyone know that it was time for them to leave.

When Rose was gone, Rey looked up at Ben to see him already looking at her. "What?" she asked.

He only smirked and shook his head. "Only married half the day and already acting like a Duchess," he teased.

"Well, it's nice to know I'm not falling short yet."

He frowned then. He understood her humor, but it would have been perfectly acceptable if she'd left off the "yet" part. He tilted her chin up to look at him, staring seriously into her eyes. "Stop being so critical of yourself. You'll do fine."

She gave him a small sad smile. "At least someone has faith in me."

"I'm all that matters," he said with a shrug.

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "True." He dropped his hand from her chin and sipped his drink idly as the guests started to pass by them, smiling and nodding respectfully and offering thanks for being invited and warm hospitality and other things Ben didn't care to remember. "Hey," she called, keeping her smile on the crowd and nodding at them courteously. He glanced down at her. "Let's go for a stroll."

He smirked and nodded quietly. "Where?"

She smiled up at him. "The garden. Where else?" she teased, playfully pulling him along. They exited out the back and Rey kicked off her shoes at the door with a sigh of relief. He held back a snicker when he saw that she lost a few inches in height. She held out her hand to him with a bright and beautiful smile that rivaled the sun. He couldn't help but be drawn to that smile, like a magnet to precious metal. He took her hand and they walked side by side in the fading sunlight.

When they made it to the center of the garden, Rey sat on a bench with a small sigh, staring out at the fountain thoughtfully. "I've been thinking..." she said softly. He crossed his arms over his chest silently, waiting for her to continue, determined not to interrupt, despite what she was going to say. He watched her fiddle with the ring on her finger, he supposed she wasn't used to it yet, and neither was he. "This marriage was supposed to be an alliance for north and south. Luke didn't care that he threw me away anymore than he cared that he threw you away."

He couldn't argue with that, he supposed, but he was growing more curious as to where her mind was leading her. She glanced up at him for a moment with her green eyes that he'd come to adore subconsciously. She averted her sight back down to her ring, and that's when he felt her nervousness through their weird connection. He had no idea how one person can literally feel everything that their partner was feeling. He felt her anxiety, her pain, her nervous energy, her uncertainty, her restraint, her hope. Hope? His brows pulled together incredulously. "It was only supposed to be a marriage alliance. One that would put an end to the war so both sides could breathe easy. But... things have gotten... muddled..."

"Are you referring to Luke wanting to raise an army?"

Rey hesitantly nodded and sighed as she leaned back against the bench, hands clasped in her lap. "Not only that..." His brow shot up then. What more could there be?! What other complications was she made privy to between now and the first letter? "Luke is only trying to look out for the south, and I understand that. But I'm trying to look out for the north and its people, too. If Luke raises an army... another war will start, and then we'll be back at square one."

"We have a plan for that already. Unless you wish to back out?" he asked, staring at her face to try to decipher her emotions.

She shook her head. "No, it's what must be done. I'm not having second thoughts about that..." she said softly, the same nervousness shining through their bond again. It was the same nervousness that made him nervous and froze him in place. He didn't know whether he should sit next to her and take her in his arms, or if he should just stay rooted in spot in front of her. She let out another sigh. "It worries me how much things have changed since I came here. I had every intention of going along with this marriage with my head down. I wasn't going to make any waves, I wasn't going to get too involved. I was only going to do what was asked of me. But when I found out that pretty much everything I learned about you was wrong..." She shook her head.

"So... you're saying it would have been easier had you not gotten to know me," he stated with a sigh, his arms dropping from his chest to land on his hips. He didn't know how to proceed with this information now. He'd let himself get too comfortable around her, but now he knew it was just an act. He ran his hand over his face, the web of his hand resting on his forehead, obscuring his face as he tried to straighten himself out. His head was tilted down, in what looked like disappointment. Before he could stop them, his emotions started swelling through their connection. Fear. Anger. Guilt. Ridicule. Misery. Pain. Abandonment. Inadequacy. Rage. Disappointment. Sadness. Darkness.

It was only when he felt her hand on his at his hip that he felt the whirlwind dissipate immediately. He dropped his hand from his face to look at her, keeping his hand on his hip and not bothering to try to hold her hand. "Let me finish..." she gently admonished. He hesitantly nodded, his face devoid of any emotions now as he took what she said with a grain of salt. He still had that nagging in the back of his head that he'd been a fool for letting himself get carried away with her. She squeezed his hand, bringing him back to her once more. How this girl had such power over him, he would never understand. He would never understand why he gave her that much power over him. "In a way... it would have been better had I not known much about you. In a way, I wish I had kept my head down and just did only what was asked of me, playing the part as Luke told me to do."

He averted his sight out toward the garden, refusing to meet her eyes as every pain he'd ever hoped to avoid came rushing at him in one fell swoop just with a few sentences from her. He felt his grip tighten on his hip just a hair, but she gently squeezed his hand again, delicately prying it off of himself and holding it in front of her as she sat up. She held his hand with both of hers and ran her thumbs over his knuckles. He just watched. "It would have been a lot easier..." she started quietly. "But," she said, her voice getting slightly louder to make sure he heard her properly. "Had I just kept my nose down and not made an effort here... I wouldn't have gotten to befriend the Knights, or Rose and Paige. I wouldn't know some of the traditions I know from you're teaching, or how the people truly felt about you, or the history of the north-"

"There's books for all of that," he said gruffly.

She flicked her eyes up at him, silently hushing him before looking back down at his hand. She played with one scar in particular over his middle knuckle, gently caressing it with her thumb to try to focus herself on what she was trying to say. "There's many books in your library on history and traditions and the Knights. But none of it is a substitute for getting to know it personally, to make it your own. Without you, I wouldn't have gotten to see how colorful the north is. How happy the people are. How grateful they are to you and the Knights for your protection and constant efforts to ensure they have what they need. The busy trades that go on daily in the marketplace."

"Again. Books," he said, quirking his brow at her and finding himself getting rather impatient with what she was trying to say. Was she thanking him? Was this goodbye? What was her motive here? He couldn't read her cryptic words, nor the emotions she held in her voice as she spoke to him.

"Books don't teach you the people!" she exclaimed, her voice going up in frustration as she felt angry tears prick the sides of her eyes. She pushed them back as she sighed heavily at him. She turned her gaze upwards to him and he felt the determination and the reverence rolling off of her. It almost knocked the breath from his lungs, if he had to be honest. This connection was surely something to behold. "Books can't teach me the happiness these people feel when they know they're being taken care of. They can't teach me the safety they feel, knowing their home is being protected. They can't teach me... that even though they're pains to deal with sometimes, the Knights are actually very loyal to those they consider their friends."

He watched her stand up then, her eyes fixated on his now. She continued to hold his hand in hers, but used one to gently run her fingers over his cheek. "And books can't teach me the way your eyes crinkle when you smile. Or the dimples that pop up with every little smirk or grin or snicker. Or the worried look you get in your eyes when I stare at you just like this." She gave him a small smile and he just stared at her like a deer in headlights. He wasn't really sure what to make of this situation, but he knew he forgot to breathe when he released the breath he'd been holding. "My point is... I don't regret getting to know the Knights or Rose or Paige or you. Especially not you, Ben."

"Are you sure you haven't had too much wine?" he asked flatly.

She giggled and shook her head. "Not a drop," she said as she pressed her lips to his as delicate as a feather. He didn't even have time to react because she pulled away almost immediately afterwards, giving him that breathtaking smile he'd come to rely on. "When I said things got muddled... it's not just with Luke. It's with me, too." His brows tugged together as she stayed within a few inches of his face. He could tell the blood rushed to her face as she whispered to him against his lips, "I've come to be very fond of you."

He let out a shaky breath at the confession. Was this really happening? Was this another trick? Was she messing with him? Of all the years he'd been alive, he'd never heard another woman confess to liking him. Especially not romantically. It wasn't exactly love, but it was a start, dang it! He let himself offer her a genuine smile, one that he thought he'd lost. He laced their fingers then and brought the other hand up to hold her face, fingers resting at the base of her skull as his thumb stroked her cheek gently. "Thank you," he said as he gently kissed her as the last bit of sunlight faded from the sky.

She smiled into the kiss, realizing he didn't reject her. Though he didn't say anything in return, that breathtaking smile of his and this kiss was enough to make her knees buckle. Thankfully, she had him to lean on as she giggled softly into the kiss. This was going to be a very interesting relationship.