Ghosts In The Snow | Vampire!Kylo Ren x Reader

VI.

(CW: thoughts of death, violence, kylo ren is Not Nice)

Nothing could help you sleep that night. Not reading, nor wine. At one point, you had even resorted to counting the tiny, silver quatrefoils embroidered on the canopy of your bed. But all your efforts were in vain. Nothing could make you forget Commander Ren's visit, much less the inexplicable desire for his presence that lingered.

He was manipulating you, you told yourself, admonishing your foolish body for bending to his will. This is exactly what he wants.

As the first signs of daylight bled through the small window in your chambers, your eyelids grew heavier, each blink slower than the last. This was what you needed. Sleep would bring clarity, relief.

But fate wouldn't allow it.

Perched on the stone ledge of your window was a jet-black crow, one that had evidently lost interest in preening its feathers and instead taken to jabbing its beak into the glass. It screeched as it chipped away the layer of frost that had formed on the window panes.

You buried your face in your pillow, tempted to let out a scream of your own. Had you done something to upset the gods? Was this their way of punishing you for your perverse desire? If it was, you would never so much as look in Commander Ren's direction if it meant you could be absolved.

The crow continued, and just when you thought your head would explode, you shot up from the bed and hurled your pillow at the window with all your might.

The sack of feathers fell mere inches in front of it. In retaliation, the crow swiveled its head around, watching you with a beady eye as it let out a harrowing cry.

Irritating as it was, you couldn't help but appreciate the irony. A creature so cold, so desperate, that it would try to find a way inside the castle by any means possible—even if it meant injuring itself in the process.

Feeling as if you were well on your way to madness, you stomped over to the discarded pillow and snatched it up, glaring at the wretched bird as you did.

Beyond the creature was a flurry of snow, heavy enough to block your view of the foliage that surrounded the fortress. In the rare instances when the sky was clear, it was difficult to make out the terrain below—let alone identify which province of Hosnian Prime it belonged to. Based on the unrelenting weather, you presumed somewhere in the Highlands to the west.

Not like the Resistance base. Nestled away in the lush valley of the southern coast, the base was a paradise—and the closest thing you had to a home. Winters never lasted more than a few months there, a luxury you took for granted. Even in the snow, its vibrant landscape always shone through.

You wondered how far General Organa was from you at this moment. Was she in the strategy chambers, working tirelessly to devise a plan to free you? Or perhaps she was already en route with a team of operatives, set to infiltrate the wedding. The warmth of your breath clung to the window as you pressed your forehead against it, praying to the gods that it was the latter.

Less than ten days from now, you would be forced to marry Commander Ren, and with no escape plan of your own, you couldn't help but feel defeated. Would Leia arrive in time? Given the harsh winter, you had to consider the possibility that she wouldn't. In fact, you weren't sure how any of the guests could attend in such weather. It would take weeks—months, even—for even the most durable carriages to reach the castle. If they could even navigate the snowy terrain, that is. At this rate, the ceremony would be attended solely by First Order personnel, and perhaps whatever wildlife resided in these woods.

With a final, ear-piercing screech, the crow flew away, and as it did, unease settled over you. Your vision tunneled as you stared through the window, mind racing as you tried to make sense of everything.