For the Emperor

Chapter 21

The euphoria of the wedding lasted for a few days; neither of you wanted to leave the embrace of the other. You still couldn't believe the commitment the two of you had made to one another, forever bonded. Allowing yourselves time to enjoy the feeling of marriage, neither of you returned to work until necessary. 

The wedding had been so monumental to the Order itself; peace had reigned in the time you took away. Returning to your duties was a welcomed event as it meant you could work with the man you loved once more on the future of your people. The relationship between you and Kylo made your work stronger and more impactful.

One day, you decided it was time to ask for more responsibility. You remembered the promise he had made you before the wedding; once you were married, he would trust you to do more.

Walking into the command centre, you found your husband in a meeting with a collection of senior officers. As you entered, all eyes turned to you as the men watched you confidently walk into the middle of the room. 

Kylo, sat on the throne in the centre, smiled and held his hand out for you to take. "My darling, what can I do for you?" You took his hand and grinned, standing beside him as your eyes scanned the room. 

"My emperor, I was hoping to speak with you about the possibility of me taking on more duties. I think there's more that I can do around here." He nodded, looking around the room and then back to you. 

"I think you've come at a perfect time pet, because these gentlemen here were just asking for leadership in a new venture and I was conflicted on whether I have the time to leave for such a mission." Each man bowed as you turned towards them, nodding in agreement. You bit your lip, looking back down to your husband as he rubbed soothing shapes onto the back of your hand. "There's been reports of a disturbance on one of the moon bases and I was considering venturing out there myself but..." he smiled and stood, free hand resting on your waist as he pulled you closer to him, "if my wife wants more work, then she can go in my place. Shouldn't be much trouble, just a little re-arranging of the internal affairs. Even though the thought of you leaving doesn't sit well with me, I think it'd be something you would excel at." His lips left a soft kiss to your forehead after you nodded in agreement, before turning back to the men stood before you. "There is your answer men, you will escort the empress to the barracks in five days and follow any command she gives. You will treat her with the same respect and obedience you would me, even more so. Your lives depend on it. It'd be on your heads if anything were to happen." Each man nodded before turning to leave the room. 

Your eyes met Kylo's after they left, smile beaming up at him. "Are you sure you want to do this pet? I can accompany you if you need me..." your hand raised up, a single finger resting on his lips. 

"I'll be fine Kylo, seriously. Let me show you what I can do. If I need you, you'll hear from me. We both know you like to listen in whenever you get the chance." Kylo smiled and kissed your finger, nodding as your hand moved away from his face. A soft sigh left his lips before he spoke, 

"I'm trusting you my love. The idea of you leaving scares me... but, I want you to be happy and to feel like you have purpose. It shouldn't be hard; the worst part will be that we are apart."

The next few days were spent preparing you for your journey; Kylo made sure you were fully prepped and ready for anything you could face. No one was anticipating any major difficulties, hence Kylo allowing you to go alone, but he wanted to be cautious all the same. Meetings took place in order to brief you on what you were expected to do during your time away; each talk filling you with confidence but you husband with concern. 

The day before you were due to leave, Kylo wouldn't let go of your hand. Every final preparation was overseen by him; he would not allow any error to put you at risk. Arms wrapped tightly around your waist, Kylo clung to you as you packed your bags. "My love, I promise I will be fine. It's just a routine operation. I should only be gone a week or so" you turned in his arms to face him, hands cupping his cheeks and bringing his lips to yours. "You don't need to worry about me ok? You've trained me well enough to handle myself. I'm not helpless. I am your wife, remember? You know how much hell I give you; can you imagine what I'll do to anyone that disobeys me?" He smiled and nodded, looking down at you as his hands rubbed over your hips while a small chuckle fell from his lips. 

"I just don't like us being apart. That's all... The thought of you out there, when I'm so far away, I don't like it." Your lips connected once more, hands tangling in his hair to keep him close. You didn't want him to know that you were feeling nervous. If he sensed even an ounce of doubt within you, he'd stop you from going. This was your chance and you couldn't let it pass you by. The kiss was slow and tender, both of you savouring the taste of the other in case you wouldn't be able to taste it again for some time. You wanted him to feel safe while you were away; he couldn't be distracted by worrying. As you pulled away, you held his face close to yours. 

"Focus on what's here, ok? You can't spend your days worrying about me; the people need you to be present. If I need you, I will find a way to get to you. I promise I won't do anything stupid." Once again, he simply nodded. This was going to be a test for both of you, but you knew everything would work out fine.