Chandrilan Nights // A Reylo AU

Chapter 4

Queen Leia sighed heavily as the massive palace doors shut behind yet another enraged princess leaving the kingdom whom she deemed perfect for her son.

"What exactly was wrong with Princess Phasma, Ben?" his mother asked with her forehead resting against her palm. She was sitting on the throne in a blue gown with her legs crossed and her hair in a giant bun with a braid holding her crown in place. Ben's mother looked just like the queen she was – stern, calm and collected. But she also had the motherly glint in her eyes when she looked at him. The glint that told him that she worried about his future and what would become of him when she was gone.

Ben straightened his spine as he stood in front of his mother and held her gaze with his. He had to prove to her that he could do this, that he could be a strong and sure ruler without someone by his side.

Strong and sure just like her.

"I'm sorry mother, but," the prince began, "did you even listen to her?"

"Yes, I did," Leia answered sternly, "She talked about how she would rule as queen."

"Exactly. She talked about herself and basically about the power she would have if she were to become queen. She didn't once mention what she would do for our people, mother," Ben explained a little agitated. He could tell he was starting to lose his temper again just thinking about the princess who had introduced herself as "the strongest ruler Chandrila would ever see." No doubt she wouldn't be strong. She was tall and slightly intimidating.

But not as intimidating as the crown prince.

Ben knew he had acted purely out of spite, and possibly also to boost his ego after having been insulted by the princess that way when he had immediately retorted to her introduction with, "Then how come you won't rule your own kingdom when you are so strong?" He knew he could knock her off her pedestal and throw her off guard.

And after she had talked about herself and her future reign as queen, Leia had invited her to stay for dinner and was about to send Hux off to show the Princess of Parnassos to her room. But Ben Solo wasn't going to let it get that far.

So he had told her he wouldn't let a power-hungry princess who was full of herself stay longer than needed.

Or something along the lines of that.

Ben couldn't quite remember that part. All he remembered was that he had succeeded in making her leave and that was all that mattered.

For him at least. His mother wasn't so fond of his outburst and colorful language.

"Ben, you can't keep on sending princesses away like this," the queen said as calmly as she could. But Ben could tell that she was on the verge of an outburst.

He definitely knew that he got his temper from his mother.

"I can if I feel like she doesn't know what's best for the kingdom, for the people," he stressed agitated.

"Oh, and you know what's best for our people? Of course you do, after having snuck out of the palace this afternoon. After you disobeyed the rules and left the palace grounds after I clearly forbid it," Queen Leia snapped at her son and stood up to give herself a height advantage on her pedestal. "You want to be a ruler, the king of Chandrila but you act like a child, Ben. You do not do what is asked of you and you never consider the consequences of your actions."

"What consequences?" Ben scoffed sourly. "Any of these women who walked through those doors would've made a terrible queen and you know it! And how else am I supposed to act when you treat me like a child who can't take care of himself?"

"Enough!" Leia announced and glared down at Ben with furious brown eyes. "Armitage, please escort the prince to his chambers. And don't let him out of your sight," she added bitterly without breaking eye contact with Ben.

The prince could feel his left eye twitch with anger and disappointment before he turned around to head to his room like the child he was being treated as.

Leia slumped against her throne shortly after Ben left the throne room and rubbed her temples. She could feel another migraine coming to her. It wouldn't be the first one she would get from her son's stubbornness. Or her own stubbornness. It didn't really matter.

She heard footsteps against the marble floor and she knew immediately who they belonged to.

"He really got the worst of my genes," she chuckled as her royal adviser Snoke approached her.

Snoke had been at her side ever since her husband Han Solo died at the hands of Palpatine and he had been her trusted adviser ever since. She never made a decision without talking it over with Snoke, and her brother Luke of course.

In fact, it had been one of Snoke's ideas for Ben to continue his Jedi training with Luke and for him to stay behind the palace walls because of the dangers looming behind the barrier. Even the idea of Ben finding a suitor to rule Chandrila by his side had been positively received by Snoke, even if Luke thought it might not be as necessary as training Ben.

"That is nonsense, your Highness," Snoke spoke as he bowed. "The prince just doesn't realize that you want what's best for him just yet. But trust me, he will someday."

Snoke straightened his posture underneath his gold robes and smiled a crooked smile that highlighted his cold blue eyes.

Leia sighed. "I really hope he will, Snoke. I'm just afraid he won't see that when the time comes."

"My Queen, with your guidance he will see that he has to follow the path you have laid out for him if he wants to become a fit ruler for your kingdom. I do not believe he wants to fail and disappoint you, or your fallen husband," Snoke lamented, striking a painful nerve in Leia.

"You are probably right," she stated as her hand reached her husband's medal underneath her royal garments. "He wouldn't want to disappoint Han. He has so much of his father's heart in him," Leia added with a soft chuckle.

Han may have been a little bit of a rebel as well, but he had been a natural born hero, and she could see some of that spirit in their son every day. Even when Ben defended himself and his decisions, he did it with the spirit of his father.

But Han had also known his duties as king. And Ben... well, Leia didn't seem so sure if Ben really accepted his.

"Just give him some more time. Sooner or later he will come around. I can feel it," Snoke told her with a grin which Leia could not quite interpret, but decided it meant that he had faith in her decisions.

He was her trusted royal adviser after all. He would only want what's best for the kingdom.

And she trusted him.