Chapter Text
“Sit down, your worshipfulness. You’re gonna wear a hole in the floor that way,” Han told his wife who had been nervously beating the same path in the floor of the palace since they arrived in Sundari two weeks prior.
“You can be calm for the two of us, Han! Ben is late. He should have been here a week ago! Something must have gone wrong! And Luke is never late, but he isn’t here either,” Leia worried as she continued pacing around in the main hall.
“Ben is very capable. I am sure that he is fine. You will see. They will both be here soon,” Obi-Wan attempted to sooth the anxious queen.
Leia cast withering glares back at both kings. It was so unlike both Luke and Ben to be late. Anything could have happened. Her last communication with her son had been over a year ago. Why was she so stupid as to just let him out of her sight? Over the last week she had entertained every possible situation that might have delayed her boy. Did he find love and change his mind? Was he dead somewhere? Had he been captured and taken as a slave to some far land? These thoughts raged through her mind taking away any rest she might have wished for.
The loud blast of a trumpet cut through the noise of her thoughts. Hurrying feet could be heard in the corridor just before Tai one of Luke’s knights burst into the room.
“Excuse my interruption, your majesties!” he announced through heaving breaths. The man had clearly been in a hurry to get there. “I bring word from Lord Skywalker. He will be here within the day, and he comes with news that will make the delay worth it.”
A collective sigh of relief was exhaled by all in the room. Han came up behind his wife and planted a kiss on top of her head as he told her that she had worried for nothing. A swift elbow to his ribs let him know that his comment was not appreciated.
“And Ben? Is there any news on my son?” came the queen’s continued worried questions.
The smile that crossed Tai’s face left them all in wonder. “He is alive and well. Lord Skywalker crossed paths with him some two weeks ago. They should arrive together tomorrow morning.”
Another sigh of relief escaped Leia’s lips. “Thank you, Tai. You are dismissed.”
The knight bowed and took his leave of the anxious royals.
_
The next morning, both royal families gathered in the great hall for breakfast. Hardly a word was spoken or a bite eaten. They nervously awaited the arrival of Luke and Ben, and wondered what the news was that they brought with them.
“Only person missing from this is my precious Rey,” Obi-Wan mentioned sadly.
The poor old man had been broken by the disappearance of his granddaughter. No one knew what had happened. There were so many questions surrounding how and why she had gone missing that it had caused a complete change in many things in Mandalore. Some of the laws regarding princesses were overturned. Methods of guarding the palace were changed, replaced, or removed altogether. There had even been discussion of dissolving the engagement between Ben and Rey. A discussion which never came to any fruition.
Satine reached out and laid a withered old hand on her husband’s shoulder. They seemed to communicate with one another through their eyes alone. Leia was convinced that if Obi-Wan had not had Satine, he wouldn’t have survived Rey’s disappearance. As it was, he had aged considerably since then.
“Well, not to sound disrespectful or anything, but I am glad that Ben is coming so that he can look for the princess. She is pretty and all, but I don’t care to get married,” Poe declared much to the chagrin of his adoptive parents. The sound of a trumpet announcing the arrival of someone to the castle saved Poe from a sound tongue lashing.
At a speed that was inconsistent with her age, Leia shoved away from the breakfast table and hurried to the courtyard to meet her brother and son. The others followed but at a much slower pace. Her haste, however, was not necessary since Luke and Ben had been spotted at the outer edges of town. It would take them a little while longer yet to arrive.
When the small party slowly came into view on the other side of the drawbridge, Leia sighed in relief. Luke, his wife Mara, their three children, and Luke’s knights were at the front. Jaina was happily settled next to Mara on a cart that was being driven by Luke’s valet. Jaina’s twin brother Jacen was riding proudly next to his father who was busy keeping little Anakin from falling off the saddle in his excitement.
Behind the Skywalker family rode three of Ben’s knights. They all looked like the cat that got the canary. What the royal families saw behind these knights explained everything and left them in a state of shock. Ben sat astride his great black horse. His happiness could be felt even from the great distance. In front of him sitting side saddle on the horse and settled happily against Ben was a beautiful young woman with chestnut brown hair and tan freckled skin. She was wearing a beautiful blue dress that looked suspiciously like one of Mara’s.
The closer they got, the more visible it was that the whole party had been through an ordeal. All but a couple knights, Mara, and the children were covered in cuts and bruises.
Suddenly, Old Kenobi’s voice broke out over the sound of hoof and heart beats. “REY!” he sobbed as he attempted to sprint with his cane to where the lovely young woman sat in the saddle with Ben.
Castle guards were quick to step up to Grimtaash once Ben had pulled him to a halt and help Rey down. As soon as her feet were on solid ground, she broke into a run toward her grandfather who she quickly wrapped in a loving hug. Leia immediately noted how her son had swung off his horse and followed Rey like a lost puppy. The look on his face really made her wonder what had happened in the last year because her son was most assuredly head over heels in love.
_
“And by they way, Obi-Wan, you should be proud of this girl right here! She showed me up in that fight. Took out two knights before I even had a chance to!” Luke boasted during the midday meal.
They had told the whole story starting with Ben leaving and become Kylo Ren and going all the way through to Snoke’s defeat. There were murmurs of surprise when Rey told them why she left (Poe didn’t care. He was too busy flirting with Lady Bliss). Laughter boomed around the hall when Ben explained how she very nearly killed him when they met. Overall, everyone was enthralled by their tale and happy with how it had brought them to where they were just then.
“I am just thrilled that we won’t have to deal with Snoke again!” Han announced.
“Not nearly as thrilled as the elders will be to not have to fight with these two over their marriage.” Obi-Wan exclaimed. “Speaking of which. I spoke with them earlier today,” he paused and pinned Rey and Ben with a heavy gaze.
“What did the old goats have to say about this?” Ben inquired at length.
“Well, they were happy that you wouldn’t be giving them grief over your marriage anymore,” explained Leia. “They were not, however, excited by the fact that you were traveling together for the last year. It didn’t matter to them that your knights were with you the whole time.”
Ben’s hand was suddenly wrapped around Rey’s under the table. She looked over at him and noticed that he had a funny look on his face. Ben had worked with both councils far more than Rey ever had so she trusted that he knew what was going on. He cast a quick glance her way before looking back at his mother. It was King Kenobi that filled in the missing information, though.
“They were not very happy to learn that their future monarchs had been in what they believed to be a compromising situation. Typically, we would announce the wedding and then have about a month to prepare. They have asked that this happen sooner rather than later due to the nature of the last year of your lives.”
Rey swallowed hard. “How soon?”
“Tonight. It was suggested that you marry quietly and have a public celebration in a month,” Leia answered.
The hand that was wrapped around Rey’s became slack for a moment before he readjusted their hands to thread their fingers together. She looked up at him to see a question in his eyes – like he was asking her if this was okay. In response, she smiled at him and held his hand a little tighter.
“Ok, kids. You wanna share that conversation with the rest of the class?” Han grumpily requested. “Can’t believe there are more of them that talk without talking,” he grumbled.
Leia swatted patiently at his arm. “Pay him no attention. He didn’t sleep well last night.” At which statement more mumblings could be heard about someone’s anxious pacing keeping him awake.
The young couple laughed before sharing one more look. “We knew something like this could happen before we ever got on the road to come to Sundari,” Ben explained. “In fact, this particular possibility was discussed a few nights ago. We are ready.”
“Very well. Leia and I will take Rey to her room and have Rose help us get her ready. Ben, I believe Obi-Wan wants to speak with you,” Satine announced.
After lunch was over, Rey was whisked away by her lady’s maid, her grandmother, and Ben’s mother. They went through every dress she owned and finally settled on a cream and gold one. Rose styled Rey’s long hair in curls and braids finishing it off with a few flowers.
“We can make you look glamorous for the public wedding. We will add your crown, a really fancy dress, that blue cape. You will be stunning. For now though, you look just beautiful,” Satine assured Rey as she watched Rose finish with her hair.
Rey turned and smiled at her grandmother. “What did grandfather need to talk to Ben about?” she asked curiously.
“I believe something was said about a threat. Something to the effect of, and I quote: ‘I may not be as young as I once was, but if he hurts my girl, he will find out where she got her ability with a sword from.’”
Both women found themselves giggling uncontrollably until Leia returned with some fresh picked flowers for Rey to use as a bouquet.
“The priest is here. I was told to let you know that he will perform the ceremony before dinner in the great hall. Tonight will be just our families and the knights,” Leia informed them before sniffing a little.
“Whatever are you crying about, Leia?” inquired Satine.
Leia sniffed again and swiped at a stray tear. “We have been waiting so long and now it is finally here. I may have just realized that my baby boy is all grown up.” She laughed at herself all the while crying a little more. Before anyone realized what had happened, they were all four laughing and crying – yes, even Rose joined in.
Finally free of the well-meaning attention, Rey all but ran out of her room. She only slowed a little once she reached the steps and began descending them. There at the bottom in the corridor outside the main hall, she found Ben. Gone were all the trappings of a knight and in its place were clothes that only a prince would wear. She smiled at the fact though that his clothing was still darkly colored, but she couldn’t remember a moment that he looked more handsome.
When he turned around and locked eyes with her, she felt her heart begin to race and her breath catch in her throat. In just a few quick steps, he was in front of her grinning like a love-struck idiot and holding his hand out for her to join him in walking into the great hall. Smiling shyly, she reached out and took his hand with no intention of ever letting go.