Affinity

Chapter One

You're running, lungs aching as your boots pound the forest floor, pushing you closer and closer to what you don't know. All you know is you have to keep going, you have to reach what is calling you. In the distance, you hear electric sounds hissing and crashing together. Heart pounding, you realize what exactly you are running to. That's the sound of lightsabers; you are running straight into a fight.

For a brief moment, you wonder if you should stop running in the direction of the battle. Still, something you can't quite name other than a calling has you running faster and harder than ever before. Wind and tree branches leaving small scratches across your face, cloak whipping behind you, and seeing a clearing just ahead, you feel yourself getting closer to whatever and whoever is fighting.

As you come to the edge of the clearing, you slow down, careful to not make any noise and draw attention to yourself. Back against the base of a large tree trunk, you slowly pull up the headpiece of your black cloak, hoping that it will help keep you camouflaged in the darkness, and peek your head around. You inhale sharply as you take in what is happening before you. Two figures are fighting, moving so quickly the lightsabers are just a blur of blue and red. You can just make out the outlines of the wielders of the ancient weapons, a smallish figure fighting with every ounce of strength they have. Still, even to your untrained eyes, they do not have the same skills as the owner of the red lightsaber. As you take in the impossibly large figure dressed head to toe in black with a red glow illuminating a silhouette and inferior skills, all the breath leaves you at once. Before you can even think, you bust into the clearing, hand automatically going to the side of your thigh where you feel long, cylindrical, metal...

You wake abruptly, chest heaving, and searching frantically around your room. Taking in your surroundings, realizing you were alone and the morning light has not yet peaked through your windows, you sigh and slowly lower yourself back into the bed. You raise your hand to your chest, feeling your heart race in your chest, trying to calm yourself down, breathe Y/N, breathe. It was only a dream.

As you caught your breath and slowed your heart, you couldn't help but replay the dream in your head. Something calling you, lightsabers, fighting, and the ridiculous thought of you actually stepping into the battle ready to join. Absolutely ridiculous. You were royalty, a princess, and certainly had no training on how to fight or even defend yourself. That was not something that would ever be allowed on your home planet. But even knowing that, you couldn't help your mind drifting towards the towering figure wearing all black and glowing red. Your heart started to race again, blood rushing to your cheeks and, to your dismay, other places as well. Sighing, you rolled over, staring at the wall across your room.

Today was the day you were to meet with your father and discuss your "future." You huffed a laugh "future." Women of royalty had one purpose and one purpose only, produce a male heir, and then they were discarded. You rarely saw your father, let alone spoke to him. That desire was beaten out of you long ago. There was nothing to ever discuss; what your father said was law, and there was never any room to question him. Secretly you hated him. You hated everything that he stood for and wanted nothing more than to run away and keep running, taking control of your life, and seeing the galaxy. After today, there would be no hope for that; your fate would be sealed.

Throwing your bedding off of yourself, you got up and put on a silk robe and went out to your balcony. The cold air pricking your skin and a light breeze blowing your long hair back, you lifted your gaze to the sky, seeing the stars of the neighboring galaxies twinkling back down at you. You thought of your meeting with your father, already knowing what was to be discussed, and bile rose to your mouth. You were to be wed to some king on some planet that your father wanted to build an alliance with. From what you have heard, the man that was to be your husband was vile, he already had 3 wives, and you had absolutely no desire to be his 4th.