Ʀey walked through the castle gardens alone, they were beautiful this time of year, not as beautiful as in spring, but some of the flowers still bloomed. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Ben walking towards her. She felt her heart leap in her chest at the sight of him, she smiled warmly at him. A smile that told him how happy she was to have his company, when her words could not.

He smiled back at her as he reached down to take her hand in his. His smile filled her with joy and she leaned closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

They walked along the path until they came to stop under a tree. Ben moved to stand in front of her, he looked deep into her hazel eyes, his onyx orbs piercing her heart. He leaned closer to her until their foreheads were pressed together. The gentle contact ignited a spark within her... the caring feelings that she felt towards him was quickly growing into something deeper. Love...not a simple, casual love...a deep love that bound her heart to his for eternity, that knit their hearts together as one. She felt a deep compassion for him...an unconditional love that could never be broken.

"I love you, Rey," he whispered as he gently brushed his fingers across her cheek.

Rey looked into his dark brown eyes, and reached up to run her fingers through his soft black hair. "I love you too," she breathed, though the words couldn't fully express what she felt in her heart.

Ben smiled and leaned closer to her, gently pressing his lips against hers.

Rey gasped softly at the wonderful feeling of his soft lips as they brushed across hers, she pulled him closer and kissed him passionately. Her fingers tangled in his thick locks, and she pulled him closer to her.

꧁❀꧂

Rey opened her eyes and gasped, taking in several sharp breaths. She was beginning to feel things towards Ben that she had never felt before. She didn't understand it...it frightened her. Had she really just dreamt of him kissing her? She wouldn't really let him kiss her...would she?

But in her dream he had kissed her so gently, and his lips had felt so wonderful... so soft and warm. His kiss had filled her heart with a warm, beautiful feeling that she couldn't even begin to describe.

How could she long for something, yet fear it at the same time? Perhaps it was because she had never been kissed before...she had never fallen in love before. Was this what love felt like? She wasn't really in love with Ben... was she?

"Rey, are you okay?" Ben asked, interrupting her thoughts.

She looked over at him to find him waking in the chair beside her. He peered at her with tired eyes. He looked exhausted and she felt guilty for waking him. How long had he stayed up watching over her? He really did care about her if he was willing to sleep so uncomfortably just to take care of her. She had thought that he would have gone to bed by now, she hadn't expected him to stay there all night.

"I'm fine Ben... it was just a dream," she whispered. She looked down and her heart raced as she realized that she'd never let go of his hand. She'd fallen asleep with his hand clasped in hers. She was about to let his hand go, but stopped. She shouldn't push him away, he was being so kind and gentle. He'd stayed up most of the night to take care of her, the least she could do was hold his hand a little longer. Besides holding his hand always comforted her.

Ben nodded sleepily. "Was it a good dream?"

"I... I think so."

She wasn't sure, it had been far too wonderful to be a nightmare, though nightmares were about fear and she was afraid. But it was beautiful and in her dream she'd felt no fear, it was only now when she'd returned to reality that she felt fear. If she said that it was a good dream...a wonderful dream she would have to admit something to herself. Something that she wasn't ready to admit, that she loved him. Or at least that she was no longer disgusted by the thought of his kiss... that she had come to long for it, to want it, to desire it.

Ben stood sleepily and came over to her. He sat down on the bed beside her, looking at her with concern. After the events of last night she was sure he must be thinking that she'd had a nightmare because of Snoke's spies roaming the castle.

He lifted his hand towards her, as if he intended to caress her cheek, but he stopped and instead took her free hand in his. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She thought for a moment. She couldn't tell him what she'd just dreamt, of him kissing her...she was too scared to say it out loud. She could forget a dream, but if she said it out loud she couldn't undo it or take it back. She could lie and make something up, but she didn't want to lie to him.

"No," she said in a low voice.

His face fell, disappointed and she knew why, he probably felt that she didn't trust him that she didn't want to share her pain with him as he had with her. Suddenly the look of disappointment was replaced by a look of fear and pain, and she felt his hand squeeze hers. Somehow she instinctively knew what he was thinking, that she'd had a nightmare about her father's death and didn't want to make him feel guilty by telling him.

She couldn't let him think that. She reached up timidly and touched his face. "It wasn't a nightmare, it was a good dream... a wonderful dream. But if I tell you, it might not come true."

She smiled shyly at him and he heaved silent sigh of relief.

"I hope that it does come true," he whispered.

She didn't know what to say, she wasn't sure if she wanted it to come true or not, so she only smiled at him. "Thank you for taking care of me last night."

He smiled. "Of course, you're my wife. I love you and I will always take care of you, I promise."

She smiled slightly at him, and her eyes searched his face. "You look exhausted," she whispered.

"I'm fine." He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her.

She tried not to think about the feeling of his lips, she tried not to imagine the way they would feel against hers, but the thought wouldn't leave her. She almost hoped that her dream would come true and would place a gentle kiss on her lips.

She looked at him for a long moment. She felt guilty, he hadn't gotten much sleep and it was her fault. She looked over at the empty space beside her. There was enough room that he could sleep in the bed and she could still keep a comfortable distance between them. She trusted him enough now to let him sleep beside her, she decided.

She looked at him again, his head nodded as he struggled to stay awake. She patted the empty space beside her. "Lay down and try to get some rest," she whispered.

He looked at her a little surprised. He seemed a little reluctant, but came around the bed and laid down beside her sleepily. He kept a courteous distance between them.

"Goodnight," she whispered, turning her back towards him.

"Goodnight," he answered.

꧁❀꧂

Rey opened her eyes as sunlight poured into the room. Her heart raced as she realized that she was holding him in her arms. He hadn't moved from the place he'd laid down, she'd been the one who had snuggled up to him in her sleep. She had her arms wrapped tightly around him and her left leg was draped over him. Embarrassed she quickly slid away from him. She heaved a sigh of relief as she saw that he was still asleep.

She looked at him and timidly moved his long hair out of his face. As she looked at him she saw him as she never had before. He was so peaceful now, and to her he was beautiful both inside and out. Since she'd married him she'd never seen him sleep peacefully. Every night when she would sit up to look at him, she would see him tossing and turning, many nights she would even hear him screaming. She longed to help him but didn't know how.

Last night, however he had seemed to sleep peacefully. In truth, she had felt more safe and secure in his arms. She had felt comfortable and loved...

She turned away from him, feeling confused. Why was she thinking about him like that?

She stood up and looked at the the necklace he'd given her. She remembered how tenderly he'd taken it off the night before. She looked down at her wedding ring, she was starting to fall in love with him, but she was scared. What if he left her like all of friends and neighbors?

She grabbed the necklace that he had given her and pulled it over her head. She didn't think that he would leave her, or at least she hoped he wouldn't.

Before she could think about it any longer there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," she called quietly.

Rose opened the door and came in to help Rey get ready like she did every morning. Rey had asked King Han and Queen Leia to let Rose be her handmaiden, so that they could talk. Rey didn't like having others wait on her, but when Rose helped her get ready in the morning it was like having a sister.

Rose looked at the bed where Ben was laying and smiled at Rey. She had found Ben sleeping on the couch every other morning.

"Did you have a good night's sleep?" she asked as she did each morning, but now there was a glint in her eyes.

"Yes... but Ben didn't. He was exhausted so I let him have the bed, " Rey stumbled over her words. She was careful not to mention that she'd slept next to him or that she'd awakened in his arms.

Rose nodded, then tried a little too hard to act normal as she went over to Rey's wardrobe. She pulled out a green dress and held it up for Rey to see. "Do you want to wear this today?"

Rey never cared which dress she wore, so she had made a habit of letting Rose choose.

Rey took the dress and held it up to herself. She looked in the mirror then shook her head. "I want to wear something nice, maybe something blue." Ben had said that she looked nice in blue, and it was her favorite color. Normally she didn't care how she looked, but for some reason she wanted to look beautiful for Ben today.

Rose pulled out a beautiful dark blue velvet gown.

Rey held it up and looked in the mirror, then nodded.

Then she and Rose went to the bathroom so that Rose could help her put it on.

Once Rey was dressed, Rose started doing her hair. She looked at the cut on Rey's neck. "What happened?"

"Some of Snoke's spies snuck into the castle last night. They held a knife to my throat and threatened Ben that if he didn't do what they asked, they would kill me. Ben stayed up late last night taking care of me."

"Aww. I told you he had a good heart."

Rey nodded. "He does," she put her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do Rose. I'm starting to care about him, but I'm scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Of falling in love," Rey whispered.

Rose smiled. "It is scary at first. But believe me it's wonderful."

"I'm just scared that I'll lose him. I don't think my heart could handle losing someone else."

"Rey I never told you this, but I had an older sister before I came here. She was killed by Snoke's men, she died hiding me in a well. That's the only reason I survived. I blamed myself for her death, but I know now that there was nothing I could have done. I was only eight years old."

Rey nodded.

"Trust me, when you lose someone you care about you don't regret saying 'I love you' you regret not saying it."

Rey nodded again, thoughtfully. Rose was right, she already loved him rather she would admit it or not. If she did lose him she would be heartbroken either way, and she would regret never showing him any kind of affection.

She looked at Rose. "I'm sorry about your sister."

"Me too," Rose answered.

"I'm surprised that you were able to forgive Finn and Ben so quickly."

"Hate only hurts you and the ones you care about. I just don't want to say or do anything that I'll regret. Someone who is an enemy at first could become your best friend."

Rey nodded. "I regret a lot of things that I said to Ben. I said that I hated him, that he was a monster. But now I regret saying that more than anything."

"Did you say that you were sorry?"

Rey nodded.

"Then I'm sure that he knows that you didn't mean it," Rose said.

"I hope so," Rey answered.

They were both silent for a moment.

"You know, doing your hair every morning reminds me of when me and my sister were little. We used to do each other's hair everyday," Rose said.

"I'm sure you must miss her," Rey answered. "You're the only sister I've ever had."

Rose smiled at her. "You're like a sister to me too. And Ben is like a brother to me."

Rey looked at her. "Was he there when your sister died?" she asked finally piecing the story together.

Rose nodded. "He... He tried to save her, but he couldn't stop them from killing her. I wanted to tell you, I wanted you to know that there was good in him. But you were so angry. I was afraid that you would be upset that he had tried to save my sister, since he..." she broke off, but Rey knew what she had been about to say.

"That was an accident, I just needed someone to blame. And I was too young to understand at the time that he was scared and only trying to defend himself. My father had been trying to help him, when he was attacked from behind. My father just got mixed up in the fight."

Rose nodded. "Your father would want you to be happy. He wouldn't want his death to stop you from knowing love."

Rey nodded thoughtfully. If her father was alive now, he would have loved Ben. He would have been so happy that she had married him. Ben was exactly the kind of man her father had always told her that she should marry. He was kind and he loved her selflessly, he did everything he could to take care of her and his family.

Rose opened her locket. "This is my sister." She showed Rey a sketching of a little girl. "Ben gave me this to remember her by. I just didn't want him to know because he already feels guilty enough without having the weight of my sister's death on him."

"Why would he blame himself if he tried to save your sister?" Rey asked.

"Because he couldn't save her. I know that it's not his fault, but he still blamed himself," she replied.

Rey nodded.

(Art by RoyalRoyale ❤️)