Moments later, Finn, Rose, Poe and Luke returned.

"They've surrendered," Poe announced.

"Most of them didn't want to be a part of this to begin with," Finn pointed out, speaking from experience.

Ben nodded, knowing all too well how Snoke used fear to control his men.

Luke patted Ben on the shoulder. "Don't worry kid, it's all over now," he went over to hug his sister. "The war is over."

Leia smiled at him. "After so many years, we finally have peace."

"And on that note," the doctor interrupted. "I hate to pull you from the celebration, but I need to get Lady Rey somewhere so that I can stitch her wound. You too, your highness," he gestured to Ben. "Since you've ripped the last ones that I gave you."

Rey and Ben both sighed, in defeat. They had almost hoped that he would forget, but it had to be done.

"Come with me your majesties," the doctor ordered.

Rey nodded and wrapped her arm around Ben's waist to help him walk. She decided that she needed to ask the doctor to look at his legs, it was the only thing he hadn't checked when he healed Ben and she was beginning to worry that something was broken. Of course she knew that it could just be because he was badly bruised, he had been badly beaten by Snoke and his knights. His whole body was covered in bruises.

"Finn, and Poe search Snoke's men and put them in the dungeons until they can be tried and prove their loyalty," said King Han.

"Yes, your majesty," they replied, leaving to see it done.

"Rose, please get all of the staff back to their stations. You're in charge," Han said with a smile.

"Thank you, your highness," she answered, curtsying. Then she turned to do as she had been told.

"Kid," Han said gesturing to Christopher. "Take your fellow knights and search the castle grounds, make sure none of Snoke's army have slipped through."

Christopher bowed. "Yes, your highness." He turned to look for the rest of Ben's knights.

"Luke, we need you to get Alderaan's army back into the castle walls and get everyone to their posts as soon as possible. We're still vulnerable for another attack," Han said.

Luke nodded and turned to leave skipping all formalities, as the rightful heir to the throne they didn't apply to him.

King Han and Queen Leia then turned to follow Rey and Ben.

꧁❀꧂

The doctor led Rey and Ben to their own room so that they could rest comfortably when he was done treating them.

The doctor opened the door. "You should be a lot more comfortable this time," he said, stepping inside.

"Can we speak to Rey alone for a moment?" Han asked.

"Of course, your majesty," the doctor gestured for Ben to follow him. "Prince Ben, help me get everything ready please."

Reluctantly Rey released her hold on him. "Be careful," she whispered, kissing his cheek. She didn't want him to fall.

"I will," he answered, following the doctor slowly so that she would see that he was doing what she said.

Once he went into their room, the doctor closed the door so that the king and queen could speak to Rey privately.

"Rey, we're sorry about your father," Leia said gently. "We didn't know that Ben..." she trailed off, shaking her head.

"If we had known we wouldn't have arranged your marriage. We were selfish Rey, Ben was lost and we loved you so much we hoped that you could bring back the boy that we had once known. We knew that our son would love you, but we didn't think about rather or not you would be happy. We thought that you would be, becoming a member of our family, getting to marry a prince; but we should have asked you how you felt about it," said Han.

"He didn't murder him as my grandfather said. My father had once been a member so Snoke's army. He never talked about it, but I suppose that was how he met my mother. Anyway...he knew how Snoke mistreated his men, especially the young boys who he forced into his army; so he tried to help Ben. He had almost convinced him to stay with him so that he could help him get out, when Ben was attacked from behind. Somehow my father got mixed up in the fight and Ben killed him by mistake.

"I admit that I was angry with him, that I hated him in the beginning. That was why I wouldn't speak to him. But with time I realized that I was wrong, God wanted me to forgive him, my father wanted me to forgive him, with his dying breath he made me promise that I would. I prayed for the strength to forgive him and God gave it to me," she paused briefly. "I thought that he didn't remember my father, that he didn't care. But he carries the weight of everything he's ever done."

"He was only following Snoke's orders to protect his family. Snoke said that he would spare you if he did as he said," Rey smiled. "But he didn't follow every order, Snoke sent him to my village to kill me and my father. He didn't tell him that, he only told him to leave none alive, not even the women and children, but he couldn't do it. He spared me and the other women and children, but he paid for it dearly."

"What do you mean?" Leia asked, concerned.

"I can't tell you, I promised him that I wouldn't tell you," Rey answered.

"Rey, we're his parents. We need to know," Han said.

Rey nodded, she understood why they wanted to know; but she knew that they would feel guilty for sending their son to a man who had physically and emotionally abused him for years. More than that, she couldn't betray Ben's trust that way. He was her husband, she wanted him to feel comfortable telling her anything without worrying that she would tell the very people he was trying to keep it from. "I can't break my promise to my husband. But maybe you should ask him, I'll try to get him to tell you."

"Snoke hurt him, didn't he?" Leia asked.

Rey nodded, grimly.

"Snoke better be glad that he's not here, because if he was I would do to him what he did to my son..." Han stopped himself. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. He was your grandfather."

"It's okay, I can't blame you for being angry with him for what he has done to Ben. He's your son...my husband, it's only natural to be angry when someone hurts the ones you love. It was hard for me to forgive my grandfather after everything that he did to Ben, but Ben was the one who reminded me that I should forgive everyone who hurt me and the ones I love, including Snoke."

Han nodded, seeming proud of how his son had changed. "When Snoke said that Ben killed your father, I was going to offer to find a way to break your marriage. But then you risked your life to save him and I could tell that you love him... do you? Don't lie to make us feel better, we love you just as much as we love Ben and we want you to be happy."

"Yes... I do love him, with all of my heart," Rey answered, sincerely.

Han smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. I am so overjoyed to see you and Ben happy and in love after all that you have both been through. Ben is lucky to have you."

"I'm lucky to have him," she answered. When she and Ben first got married she would have been happy for the opportunity to break their marriage, but now that she had fallen in love with him she didn't want that. If Han and Leia did break their marriage, she would just remarry him again. In fact she really wanted to say her vows to him again, but from her heart this time.

Leia smiled.

"Your son is one of the most wonderful people I know. Thank you so much for choosing me to be his wife," she said.

"We're glad that your happy," Leia answered.

Han opened the door for her and gestured for her to go inside. "We'll be waiting out here."

Rey nodded, then turned and went into the room.

"I need to go get some of my equipment and some clean bandages, Rey I need you to change into something else so that I can get to the cut in order to stitch it," the doctor said. "Ben do you mind helping her with her bandages?" He gestured to the bandages tightly wrapped around her waist.

Ben nodded. "Of course not."

The doctor nodded and turned to leave the room.

Ben sat down on the bed and carefully removed the bandages. "What did my parents say?" he asked as he unwrapped the long strip of cloth around her waist. "You don't have to tell if it's something personal."

Rey didn't want to tell him exactly what they had said, because it would break his heart. Worse he might actually agree to Han's offer to find a way to break their marriage because he wanted her to be happy. But that wouldn't make her happy...he made her happy; she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. But she also didn't want to lie to the man she loved. "They wanted to know if we were happy together," she answered truthfully.

"Because they know that I..."

Rey placed her finger over his lips to silence him, she could already see the tears in his eyes. Everyday she prayed that he would be able to forgive himself for everything he had done, God had already forgiven him and she had already forgiven him. There was no reason for him to continue beating himself up. "But they know that we love each other very much. They're happy to see us finally together as husband and wife."

Ben nodded, sitting the bloodied bandages aside.

Rey turned her back towards him. "Can you help me?" The gown she was wearing was tightly laced up the back and she'd needed Rose's help to get it on. She could have managed with some difficulty, but not with the cut on her side. It hurt to move too much, and she knew that Ben didn't mind helping her.

Ben swallowed nervously. "Yes," he whispered, gently moving her hair aside. Then he began to carefully undo the laces.

"They're worried about you," Rey continued, trying to distract herself from the slight embarrassment she felt. "They know that Snoke tried to kill you twice."

Ben was silent.

"They're afraid that he had mistreated you all those years," she continued.

"You didn't tell them what he did to me, did you?"

"Of course not, Ben. I made a promise, I intend to keep it. But I think that you should tell them the truth," she replied.

"I can't Rey."

"Why not?" she asked, gently.

"They sent me to him to be trained. If they knew what he did to me they would blame themselves, especially my mother. I can't put that on her."

"I understand Ben, but I'm sure that she already blames herself. He tried to kill you more than once. Before you returned she told me that she blamed herself for sending you to Snoke. But I think that she wants a chance to make up for it by listening and giving you kiss to make everything better like she did when you were a boy. She and your father love you very much."

"I'll be with you if you decide that you want to tell them, but I don't want to make do anything that you're not comfortable with. No matter what you decide, I will be there for you."

"Thank you, Rey," he whispered.

He finished unlacing her dress, he couldn't help but look at her bare back and the three scars that streaked across it. He gently traced them with his fingers. "I'm sorry for these, I wish I could have done something to spare you from them."

She turned to face him, placing her hand on his cheek. "It doesn't hurt anymore, and I was happy to take them for you... my beloved star."

He tried to hide his smile at her last words remembering what she had said on the night they shared their first kiss, that the good things in life were like the stars, making the darkness beautiful.

Rey smiled at him, placing a soft kiss on his lips before she went to the bathroom to change.

While he waited for her, he couldn't stop thinking about what she had said. It was strange how she could make him forget all of the pain and sorrow with three simple words. All he could think about was her and the future they could build together.