Ƭhe next morning arrived far quicker than Rey had hoped. Rose and two other servants helped her put on her wedding gown and get ready. She was a little surprised that her wedding dress had been finished in time. But the tailor did have several seamstresses working on it.

She let out a deep sigh, she felt a heaviness in her heart. She didn't want to get married, but she was determined to so for the sake of Alderaan. The sadness she felt was caused by something different. She missed her father and the mother she'd never known. It was at times like these that she missed them most. She didn't have a mother to talk to or a father to walk her down the aisle.

Once they had finished doing her hair and putting on her wedding veil, the servants began to exit the room. Rose stopped to smile encouragingly at her and Rey smiled in return, keeping everything she felt concealed. Then Rose left with the others and she was alone. That was when her emotions began to take hold. She wished that her father was here, and he wasn't all because of the man she was about to marry.

She heard someone enter the room. She tried to hide her emotions as she always did, but it was too late.

"What's wrong dear?" Queen Leia asked.

"Nothing, I just... I wish that my parents were here."

The Queen smiled sadly and placed her hand on her cheek. "I understand darling."

"But I'll see them again, one day..." she allowed a single tear to pour from her eye. "... in heaven."

Queen Leia wiped her tears away and pulled her into a hug. "Until then, we're going to be your family. We love you like a daughter," she whispered.

Rey smiled. Even though she was afraid that she would lose Han and Leia like she lost her mother and father. She was afraid that becoming attached to them or anyone else would only cause her more pain. But she did love them; to her, they were family even when she tried to keep a distance from them. She still felt an attachment to them, even when she tried to keep herself from doing so. She wanted a family, and if they wanted her too then how could she refuse the one thing she wanted more than anything?

"Thank you," she whispered. "You're the closest thing to a mother I've ever known." And it was true.

Leia took her hand and placed her ring in it. "This ring belonged to my mother, I want you to have it. I was supposed to pass it down to my daughter for her wedding day. Han and I never had a daughter, but I will never see you as anything less than one."

Rey looked at the ring. It was silver with elegant designs around the band and a small round sapphire stone on the top of the ring. "Thank you, I will cherish it forever."

Leia smiled at her. "Are you ready?"

Rey nodded. As I'll ever be, she thought, then they stepped into the hall.

King Han was waiting for them and he smiled as they approached.

He placed his hand on Rey's cheek, in a fatherly way. "You look beautiful."

Rey smiled up at him shyly.

Han turned to Leia and took her hand. "This reminds me of our wedding day," he said; kissing her cheek lovingly.

Rey smiled, she always loved the way they looked at each other. But now she felt a stab of pain in her heart, she knew that she would never know the kind of love they shared. No one would ever look at her the way the king looked at his queen. Or kiss her cheek so tenderly.

Han turned to look at her, offering her a small smile. He offered her his hand. "I know that your father isn't here, but would you allow me the honor of giving you away in marriage?"

Rey smiled taking his hand. She was so relieved that she wouldn't have to face the prince alone. And she was very close to King Han, almost as close as she had been to her father. "Of course, I love you as if you were my father. And I'm sure my father would be grateful to you for taking such good care of me."

Han nodded, a look of affection and empathy in his eyes.

꧁❀꧂

Ben stood beside the altar, awaiting a bride whom he had never laid eyes on. He wondered what she would be like. He was glad that his parents had chosen Rey instead of one of Baroness Tilda's daughters. He didn't know Rey, but she had to be kinder than them. They were nothing but arrogant, selfish snobs. He did wish that he could have met her before today, but she hadn't been able to attend dinner the night before when they were supposed to meet. He was sure that it was because she was nervous, he was too.

He had considered running away, but he was under lock and key which made it impossible for him to do so. And he felt that this was the only way he would be able to make amends with his parents...to earn their trust. Besides every time he thought about escaping his mother's words would resurface in his mind. That Rey would most likely be disappointed if he said no. Even though he couldn't dare to believe that that was true, abandoning her at the altar seemed heartless.

He looked around, trying to distract himself from how nervous he was. The chapel had been beautifully decorated. There were flowers almost everywhere he looked. Silks and ribbons adorned the walls and the seats. The seats...just the sight of the crowd made him feel nervous. A third of the people here probably wanted him dead, and another portion was most likely jealous that he was marrying a commoner and not their daughter.

His eyes scanned the crowd for his uncle, but he couldn't see him anywhere. His mother had invited him, so either he couldn't see him, he was late or he hadn't been able to come.

The chapel doors opened and he felt his heart freeze in his chest. The cold hand of fear gripped him and couldn't move. And then he saw her and it all melted away. Rey...she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. She was more beautiful than the starlight that filled the night sky... more beautiful than the sunlight in summer. He was so taken by her that he barely even saw his father next to her as he walked her down the aisle. He couldn't pull his eyes from his future bride.

Her long brown hair fell loosely over her shoulders. The white gown she wore was long and flowing. It was the most beautiful dress that Alderaan had seen since the wedding of Princess Leia to Han. Her pink lips were soft and full. Her eyes were a beautiful hazel, like leaves that had been touched by autumn. Her eyes held so much... determination, anger, hatred, and the smallest trace of sadness. He was slightly frightened by the look in them. Yet at the same time, he was intrigued.

Rey looked at her future groom, he was just as beautiful as he had ever been. His thick black hair was a defining feature that she couldn't help but admire, despite the hate that she felt for him. But the sight of him filled her with such rage. She wished that she was meeting him in battle, not meeting him as his bride. Perhaps if she knew nothing about him she would have found him handsome. But all she could see was a wolf in sheep's clothing, a monster disguised as a prince. Perhaps if things had been different, she would have felt attracted to him. But all she felt when she looked at him was disgust.

Despite that she felt herself blush slightly as his gaze stayed focused on her, his intense stare taking her in from head to toe. No one had ever looked at her like that before. The way he looked at her made her feel beautiful. But she wished that it was almost any other man in the world besides him that was looking at her that way. As his dark eyes met hers, a look of sadness crossed his face. Perhaps he could see through the mask she wore. Maybe he could see the anger and hate she kept concealed. She hoped that he could.

Before she knew it, she was standing next to her groom-to-be. She had seen him from a distance a few times but never face to face. Now she could see how deep and truly painful the scar on his face was. As her eyes trailed down the scar, she could almost feel the pain that it had caused. Pain that he deserved.

Ben began to feel embarrassed as he realized that she was looking at his scar. It was bad enough that she had to marry a man she didn't know...didn't love. But on top of that, he was broken and he was sure that she must be disappointed by what she saw when she looked at him. He didn't want to disappoint her, he knew that she deserved someone better than him. But he hoped that he would at least be able to take of her and make her happy one day.

Her eyes moved from his scar to meet his dark eyes. Han released her arm and slowly she reached her hand out to Ben. His eyes fell from her's down to her outstretched hand, he reached over and he took it gently.

They both gasped slightly at the contact, as a strange feeling passed between them. It was a feeling that they were both unfamiliar with. It felt like a jolt of energy, followed by a tingling feeling that traveled up their arms until it stopped in their hearts, lingering there.

Rey's heart began to beat so loudly that she was sure that he could hear it. She didn't understand what this strange feeling was. She had never felt anything like it before. She was sure that the strange feeling was caused by the deep hate she felt for him, she wanted to pull her hand away from him. She didn't want to touch the hands that were stained with her father's blood. That thought made hate burn even stronger within her.

But Ben knew what it was even though he had never felt it before. Perhaps that was because he felt something different than what Rey had. He felt sudden waves of affection and compassion for the girl who stood in front of him. And at that moment he knew that he would choose her, if he could marry any girl in the entire world he would choose Rey of his own free will. There was something about her, something in her heart that was worth far more than all of the riches in the land. Something that made her far more beautiful than any other girl he had ever laid eyes on, and something that made him the richest man in the world just by being near her.

Yet there was something about her that almost frightened him. But there was more to her than that. She hid it so well, but he could see the brokenness that she had buried deep down. She was like the sea. Fierce, but also gentle and beautiful. She would be the end of him, rather she drowned him in a sea of sorrows or a sea of affection. He felt as though his fate was now in her hands.

He wanted to be around her, to get to know her. He was sure that he could grow to love her, already he felt compassion for her and a desire to make her happy.

Perhaps he was drawn to her because he saw so much of himself in her eyes. Deep loneliness that few could comprehend. Indescribable pain that few could fathom; and the burden of a past that was difficult to talk about. He recognized it because he felt it too.

Now that the couple's hands were locked together, the priest began their union ceremony.

"Rey, do you promise to love this man as long as you both shall live? To have and to hold, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for rich or for poor? Forsaking all others and remaining faithful to your husband?"

She took a deep shuttering breath. "I do," she whispered, but she didn't mean it. She felt so terrible for making a promise before God that she knew she couldn't keep. She had already broken it, she still hated him now after she had spoken the words and there was no room for both love and hate in her heart. There were parts that she intended to keep, she wouldn't abandon anyone just because they were sick or poor. And she would be faithful. She would never cheat on her husband even if she didn't love him. But loving him as long as lived? No. She would never love him.

Though she did feel conflicted... convicted was a better word. She knew that what she was doing wasn't right...hatred, she'd even longed for his death. And now she was breaking one of the most sacred promises a person could make. She did feel guilty, but it was hard not to hate him after what he had done.

"Prince Ben, do you promise to love this woman as long as you both shall live? For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for rich or for poor? Forsaking all others and remaining faithful to your wife?"

Ben thought through everything the priest had said, he didn't want to make a promise that he couldn't keep. He knew that he wasn't a good person, but the marriage was one thing that he was deeply convicted of. He believed that once he made this promise he should never go back on it no matter the reason. He should mean it with all of his heart.

"I do," he answered sincerely.

"Do you Rey take Ben, the Prince of Alderaan to be your lawfully wedded husband before God and these witnesses?" the priest asked, as he came to the end of the ceremony.

"I do," Rey replied solemnly. "It's my duty," she added in a whisper, but he could hear her.

Ben felt his heart drop slightly, he was nothing but a duty to her. He realized that while he had a sudden change of heart towards their union, she still felt only hate for him. If she had the choice to marry any man in the world, he feared that she would never choose him. Though he knew that he didn't deserve her. She deserved the very best, and that wasn't him.

He couldn't help but wonder why she had agreed to this if she disliked him so. Was it guilt? Obligation? Had his parents not given her a choice as they promised? Whatever the reason, he could tell that she didn't want to marry him. He should have known better than to hope that she would. Snoke was right, no one would ever love him.

"Do you, Prince Ben take Rey of The Wastelands as your lawfully wedded wife before God and these witnesses?" the priest asked.

There was a murmur of surprise from the crowd, everyone had heard of The Wastelands... a group of villages that had been destroyed by Snoke's army years ago. It was burnt to ashes and nothing remained but ruins. Now only scavengers, thieves, and street dwellers lived there. Now they knew the truth...not only was she a servant, but she had come from the lowest place in the kingdom.

Rey's face fell slightly in embarrassment. She didn't care what Ben thought of her, yet at the same time, she found that deep down she didn't want to disappoint him. Even if she hated him, she didn't want to be nothing but a disappointment as so many had treated her.

"Yes," he answered without hesitation. Now he knew who she truly was, yet he didn't feel disappointed as he thought he would. Instead, knowing the truth about her only seemed to deepen his growing compassion for her.

A pang of guilt struck him, he'd helped his master destroy the villages that were now known as The Wastelands. True, she had come from desolation, but he was the destroyer that had created it. Was that why she hated him because he'd had a hand in destroying her village?

Rey gasped slightly at his reaction to her deepest secret. He didn't look down on her as she knew he would. Instead, the look of adoration on his face only grew, and she felt his thumb gently stroking the top of her hand. He was looking at her now in a way that no one else ever had, and she didn't understand it.

"Pass the rings," said the priest.

The ring bearer passed Rey's ring to Prince Ben. He took the ring and gently placed it on her finger, looking deep into her eyes. "With this ring, I thee wed," he said.

The ring bearer passed Ben's ring to Rey. Her hands shook slightly as she placed the ring on his finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," she said, her voice remained emotionless. She knew that it was official now, she was the wife of this monster and there was no taking back the vows she'd taken, though she feared that she would regret it for the rest of her life.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," said the priest. "You may kiss the bride."

Rey's heart pounded, this was the part of the wedding ceremony that she feared most. She had never been kissed before, and it frightened her. Especially because she knew that she would have to give her first kiss to a man she didn't love, who she didn't even know. And worst of all, who she hated him with a passion.

Ben looked down at her lips. They looked so soft and he wondered how they might feel against his own. He wanted to kiss her so badly, but he could feel her hands trembling and he knew that she was afraid. This was not how he wanted to give his first kiss away. He wanted his first kiss to be a sign of true affectionate love between both of them, he wanted to wait until they had gotten to know each other until they had grown to truly love one another. And he didn't want to kiss her until he knew that she wanted it too. But by tradition, he had to kiss her, and being a prince of Alderaan; he had to follow tradition. He took a deep breath and leaned forward.

Rey closed her eyes. She forced herself to stand steady and not pull away from him. She had to be strong and show him that she wasn't afraid of him, even if the thought of his kiss disgusted her. But then she felt him gently lift her hand to his mouth. He gently pressed his lips against the top of her hand. He closed his eyes as he gently covered the top of her hand with soft kisses, causing a strange tingling feeling to climb up her arm. She'd almost forgotten how a kiss felt, she hadn't felt one since her father had kissed her goodbye for the last time.

She was secretly grateful to him for offering her the mercy of kissing her hand instead of her lips. She knew that he had done it for her, but she didn't understand why.

(Art by LadyArwenEvenStar)

(Edit by LadyArwenEvenStar)