Snoke came into the throne room early the next morning, to find Rey standing there.

"You escaped," he said surprised. He smiled. "I shouldn't be surprised, you're just like your mother."

She didn't answer, she only glared at him. She didn't know how he knew her mother, but he had no right to speak about her.

"I take it that your beloved husband has died and you are here to fight me as you promised you would," Snoke said. "This should be fun, I must admit that I will enjoy killing you."

"He's not dead," she replied. "I have come to bargain for his life. He is showing signs of recovery, but I want your word that you will not kill him if he wakes up."

"If he is strong enough to survive this, then he would prove his strength to me... strength that I can use."

"No. I won't let you force him to serve you any longer. I've come to bargain with you for his freedom...even if you don't let him go, you wont't use him to do your dirty work any longer."

"And what will you give me in return?" Snoke asked.

Rey removed her wedding ring and handed it to Snoke. He examined it, it was very expensive. It was made of pure silver and adorned with a sapphire. "The Queen's ring?" Snoke asked, surprised. "Is this all he is worth to you?"

"That is all I have, you've taken everything else. It is my most prized possession, a gift from the only mother I've ever known and a symbol of my love for Ben...so in answer to your question: yes, that is what he is worth to me, everything that I have, all that I can give. And if it is not sufficient, I will give you my life in exchange for his. I will become your servant, your slave if that is enough to exchange for Ben's freedom from you."

Snoke smiled, looking at the ring. "I will accept your offer, only because you have proven me wrong. I have told Ren many times that no girl would ever love him, that he would never know the feeling of sharing a love with someone because he was nothing but a monster."

"You were wrong about him, he's not a monster, you are! Only a monster would beat a child with a whip."

"Ah he told you about his tragic past, trying to turn you against me and make himself seem like a victim," Snoke replied.

"He didn't have to tell me, I saw for myself. I saw the scars on his back, worse I saw you whip him."

"And you tried to take his place, that was very courageous of you," Snoke replied. "I must admit that I admire your love for him, but that doesn't change my despise of you. I chose Ben to replace the son that betrayed me, but he proved to be twice as weak."

He stood, looking at her. "He was meant to kill you long ago, but he failed and now you have returned as a thorn in my flesh, swaying the heart of my greatest warrior."

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

"The attack on Jakku had nothing to do with the war, it was organized to kill both you and your father. I told Ren to leave no survivors, to kill everyone including the women and children. I see that you were a weakness to him even then."

"But why? I was just a child, why would you send Ben to destroy an entire village, just to kill me and my father?"

"My daughter ran away to marry a man against my will. I warned her that he would bring her nothing but death, but she claimed that she loved him. And so she snuck out and married him, moving to Jakku in hopes that I would never find out. Then she died giving birth to his child. My daughter was the only person I had left, so I wanted revenge on the man who had taken her from me and the child that had taken her life. It took me years to find where you and your father were living. When I did, I sent Ben to lead an attack on the village... I didn't tell him my reason behind the attack."

Rey looked at him, confused. What was he saying? That her mother was his daughter, that he was her grandfather?

"But he failed to kill you... and years later he marries you," Snoke continued, and she could tell that he was angry with Ben. Instinctively, she spoke up to defend him.

"He didn't choose to marry me."

"Perhaps not, but he chose to love you."

"You can't choose who you love," she answered. "Some people are destined to be together, I believe that God created us to be together."

"No matter. I would kill you here and now, but you've grown to look just like your mother... perhaps you can replace her. I won't live forever and I will need an heir to rule my new kingdom after I die. I will give you chance to prove yourself as a worthy heir. When I look at you I see my daughter, Kira, and I am glad that Ben disobeyed my orders."

Rey nodded. "I won't fail you," she answered.

"We shall see... I forbid you to ever see Ben again."

"But he is my husband," she said.

"No buts, you are my granddaughter and you will do what I say. That boy is not fit to marry my granddaughter, he is not worthy to rule at your side after I am gone," he said in a commanding voice. "If you go to see him, I will kill him. If you love him, you will stay away from him, is that clear?"

Rey nodded. "Yes."

"I am your grandfather and I expect you to address me as such."

"Yes, grandfather," she replied with a heavy heart.