Will You Love Me? (A Medieval Reylo AU)

ƇӇƛƤƬЄƦ 9

Ƭhat night, Rey sat with the royal family for the evening meal. As they ate, they were all silent. But it was not a pleasant, companionable silence, it was awkward, and heavy with tension.

Finally, Queen Leia broke the silence, seeming to be unable to bear it any longer. "It was a beautiful wedding."

Rey nodded, she couldn't deny that it had been a beautiful wedding. She had never seen the castle decorated so elaborately, nor had she tasted finer food.

"You were the most beautiful part of the day," Ben told her shyly in a soft voice. It was the first time he had ever told a woman that she was beautiful, but he felt that the words were not adequate. He couldn't seem to find the words to express what was in his heart. Nor could he find a word that could truly describe how he saw her. He only hoped that she wouldn't be offended by what he had intended to be a compliment.

Rey blushed fiercely, she wasn't used to receiving such compliments, especially from someone as important as a prince. But what made her blush even more, was how sincere and genuinely shy he was as he said it, as though he meant it and had never said it to anyone else. Even though she didn't like him in the slightest, it did make her feel good to know that he thought that she was beautiful.

Han looked at his queen and winked. Leia smiled, in return.

"It certainly was the wedding of the decade," said Han.

"I'm sorry that we didn't get to invite any of your family, Rey," said Ben, feeling a bit guilty. He had wanted to ask her about it, maybe they could invite some of her family to a special meal or something to make up for it.

"I don't have any family... not anymore," she answered sadly, he could hear the heartbreak in her voice. It made his own heart break, he wished that he could give her some form of comfort. That was probably the reason she seemed to struggle with her emotions, he'd seen the same thing in his knights who had all lost their parents at a young age as well.

"I'm so sorry Rey," he said, wishing that he hadn't mentioned it. She seemed so close to tears that a part of him wanted to go to her and give her a hug to comfort her, but he wasn't sure if she would welcome that.

She gave him a sad smile and nodded, trying to remember the words of her friends. She was trying to forgive him and put the hate that she felt towards him in the past. "Love your enemies," she repeated silently.

He felt his heart leap, it was a sad smile but it was the first she'd ever given him.

"It's okay, your majesty, you didn't know," she whispered.

Ben sighed in relief, he didn't want to do anything to hurt her. He opened his mouth to tell her that she didn't have to call him: "your majesty," but his mother spoke before he got the chance.

"What was your family like, Rey?" she asked.

Rey hesitated.

"I'm sorry, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it," Leia said.

Rey knew that she was only trying to get her to talk about it to make her feel better. She knew that Leia was only trying to listen, just as she had when the queen would talk about her son.

Rey took a deep breath, giving in. They were her family now, if she couldn't talk to them who could she talk to?

"My mother died when I was a baby," she said. "She died giving birth to me."

"I'm sorry Rey... my mother died when I was a baby too. She died giving me life," said Leia.

"I'm sorry your majesty," said Rey.