For the Emperor

Chapter 30

That night, your sleep was troubled by vivid dreams. 

Unable to wake up, you felt something gripping onto your unconscious mind; it pulled you deeper into your slumber until your mind awoke in a dream-like state. 

Everything was dark, cold. You felt alone, looking for any sign of life around but seeing nothing. You began to scream for your husband, panic setting in as your body craved his protective touch. Suddenly, you saw a hooded man approach in the distance. You didn't know him, but his face was familiar. 

He took long, powerful strides towards you, calling your name as he came close. Stepping back, you looked for somewhere to run to but saw only darkness. He called your name once more, standing a mere ten foot from your position. "Don't be scared, little one. I promise, I'm not here to harm you." The man removed his hood, grey eyes staring into your very soul. He lifted his hand, offering it to you as he smiled. 

"Who are you, w... where am I?" Your body shook, fear swallowing you as the man stepped closer. 

"Easy now, it's quite alright. This is just your mind, my dear. I can't hurt you, even if I wanted to." Watching as you became visibly more scared, the man shook his head and dropped his hand. "I find your lack of faith disturbing, young one. With your empathic ability, you should be able to tell you are in no danger." Your arms crossed over your chest, eyes meeting the man before you. 

"You didn't answer me. Who are you..." He smiled and stepped forward once more. Tilting his head, your eyes followed the blonde curls that cascaded from his scalp and dropped to his shoulder. It was then that your heart began beating quickly, your mind racing as you looked into his eyes. "Y... you're..." the man simply nodded, extending his hand once again. This time, you took it, holding on as he began to lead you out of the darkness. Your eyes fell to the floor, watching as those soothing red flowers began to surround you. 

"You know who I am, my dear. You should know why I'm here." Eyes travelling up to meet his, you bit your lip. 

"I... I don't know what to say, I... can't believe it's you. W...why come to me? He loves you, idolises you. Why not go to him?" His thumb rubbed over the back of your hand, eyes watching as yours darted across his entire being. 

"He listens to you, trusts you. And, he's not the one in need of my guidance... you are. I can't go to him because he doesn't know me as I stand before you. He knows only who I once was; he wouldn't want to know me truly. Kylo idolises a version of me that does not exist anymore. Someone I once was, but no longer." Tilting your head, you watched as he signalled for you to sit down, by the large trees you knew so well. Sitting by your side, the man rested a hand on your thigh; it was supportive, reassuring. "I am with him, always. I see what he does, what he feels. And, I see you above everything else in his mind. Even though, I do not believe the path he walks is the right one, I know his destiny holds so much more. There's so much pain and confusion within him, little one. Years of being used and tormented in ways no one will ever understand. It wasn't me guiding him; he thought it was, but I would never have led him down this destructive path. It has hurt me watching my family fall apart. I resent who I was, who I am to him. That was never the man I should've been... I can't change that now; I can't change who he wants me to be in his mind. But, nothing has ever been stronger in his mind than the images of you. It reminds me of myself actually... I too found the love of my life. But I was careless. I let the hate consume me too much and I lost her." He sighed and looked down, a pained look forming on his face. 

You placed your hand on top of his, smiling slightly as you silently encouraged him to continue.

"I'm here to warn you, that he needs you... if he loses you, he will end up meeting the same fate I did. Too consumed with rage, too hungry for power and vengeance against those he has always blamed for his mistakes." You bit your lip, nodding and looking down to the flowers around you. "He's so much like his father; passionate. Bordering on arrogant. That man really did think highly of himself. But, by the grace of the gods, he loved his son." Your brow furrowed, looking to the man beside you. "And his mother... my daughter..." he sighed. "So compassionate and bright, I can imagine how she felt losing him." You turned to face him.