"Ben!" you cried. "Where is he?"
"Silence," your uncle hissed, holding his fingers so close to your head that they almost touched your skin.
You tipped your head back and screamed. Tears streamed from your eyes as the agony of the torment you were enduring took over your sentence.
"It'll only get worse everytime you say his name," he threatened. He had been threatening the same thing for hours - and stars, was he telling the truth.
But how would you go without speaking of him? Without thinking of him? Without thinking of the peaceful islands or the calming presence of the Jedi?
"I'm sorry," you sobbed. "I am so sorry. I didn't know I was doing anything wrong."
"Don't lie to me, sweet princess..." he taunted.
"I'm - I'm not!"
He laughed and stopped the torture. Your head hung. You breathed in and out heavily.
"He is never coming back for you, princess. You know that, don't you? It's over. Forget his name. Learn to be appreciative of what is here." He stroked your hair. "Tell me you know that he isn't coming back for you. Tell me now, or it'll hurt bad again."
"I-I know that he is never coming back," you whispered.
"Good girl. But I know you aren't telling me the truth. You are only saying what you want to hear." He lifted his hand again.
"No, no, please. I am being truthful! I promise, Alastor I-" Your sentence broke off with a blinding flash of white. You screamed and, as your eyes remained open, you felt the steady stream of crimson dripping down your head.
/ / /
The current happenings had caused your mind to completely clear. You could remember everything now. Your step uncle had placed a veil over your mind to blind you from what he was doing, what he was causing. But now you were free.
You had long since stopped trying to reach Kylo. It was clear that he couldn't save you. No one could.
"Today is the big day," Alastor said, walking into the room for the first time that night. You looked at him. "It's a shame it has come to this, but the Supreme Leader insists that you will be executed by his hand. I promised him you were being trained back to your original glory, but he thinks that you'll just go right back to breaking all the rules and going against me again. I can't help but believe that he is right. Your sister will wait for the command from the general and Commander himself to retrieve you, then come and get us. Then you will be killed, and the Commander will wed your sister."
Before settling into his chair, he propped Kylo's lightsaber up on the table. You looked at it, then at him. Your eyebrows furrowed.
"I made you everything that you are. I taught you everything that you know. And you threw it away for the sake of what? The Commander?"
You didn't say what you were thinking, because he was waiting for you to say something that he could torment you with. So you remained silent - but you thought to yourself,
What I did, I did for the sake of myself.
It just so happened that the Commander was the one that showed you how to do things for yourself.
He settled down in front of you.
"I gave you everything. And what did you to in return?" He tilted his head. "You threw it all away. Repeat that for me."
Through gritted teeth you said, "I threw it all... away."
"You did. You really did." He touched your hair and leaned back. "Okay. I'm gonna make it easy for you today, because this is your last day."
You were fuming. You hated him. You hated this. You hated being punished for being a person.
You were not a weapon. You were not an object. And you did not learn everything you know from your disgusting, vile step uncle.
Ben taught you so many things.
He taught you what it was like to know humor, or how it felt to be happy, or what it was like to be loved by someone. He gave you a best friend. He gave you a family.
Ben taught you beyond how to kill and how to lie and how to control people.
And even now, as Kylo Ren, Commander of the First Order, he taught you what it was like to feel.
You felt your mind being ripped open.
No.
NO.
All at once, you brought your walls down. It blocked out your step uncle.
Physically, he stood up from his seat. "What the-"
I SAID NO.
Without speaking with your mouth, you spoke to him.
Gritting your teeth so hard you were sure they would crack, you pushed all of the Force you could muster on him. He flew against the wall and froze, his head tilting backwards and his mouth slacking open. He let out a gutted scream as you tilted your head downwards, eyes focused on him.
YOU TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING THAT I KNOW? DID YOU TEACH ME THIS? I DON'T THINK SO. IF YOU DID, YOU WOULD BE FIGHTING AGAINST ME RIGHT NOW.
"Guards..." he gasped out. "G-Guards!"
THEY WON'T HEAR YOU. THEY WON'T HEAR THIS.
You smirked.
I AM GOING TO ENJOY THIS. YOU ARE A WEAK COWARD. A PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A MAN AND FOR A PRINCE.
"You... can't... d-do this..."
WATCH ME.
With all of your remaining strength, you finished him off. He twisted and turned until he fell limp on the floor with a loud thud. You collapsed against the restraints, hanging forward, gasping for air.
He was dead.
He was dead.
Footsteps in the hall. Your breath hitched in your throat.
One of his guards came in the room, armed. He looked at the body, then at you.
"You will not call for more guards!" you persuaded fast and loudly. The guard didn't do anything. Surprised, you said (more calm this time), "You will take the body, and you will put him on the king's throne for them to find later."
"Yes, princess," the guard said obediently.
He stooped down and picked up the disgustingly broken body.
"Before you go, you will give me Kylo Ren's lightsaber."
The guard picked it up.
"And you will slip it into the side of my boot."
He did so. On your left leg, the lightsaber was placed out of sight, but in reach for you.
The guard left, dragging the body with him.
You leaned against the table, swallowing thickly. A layer of sweat covered the entirety of your skin. You were so exhausted, but you felt strong and powerful. More powerful than you ever had.
/ / /
Fifteen minutes later, Lucielle walked in, four guards directly behind her.
She was dressed in a floor length gown similar to Kylo Ren's. You knew she was just eating up this whole betrothal thing. It disgusted you to imagine her with your fiance.
She looked around. "What - where is he? Where is Uncle Alastor?"
You did not answer her.
Frustrated, she turned to the guards, hands open and eyes wide. "Hello?"
"We are not sure, your majesty," they replied.
"Ugh. Okay, whatever. We will take her to the Supreme Leader. Unlock her and put the cuffs on."
The guards obeyed. You did not fight.
"Are you scared?" she asked, smirking.
You raised your eyebrows. "Oh... I am terrified."
For the first time in days, you were lifted off of the table. It felt wonderful to move, except for how exhausted you were from using the Force.
But you were so pleased to imagine that, no matter what happened to you today, if Kylo did end up marrying your sister, they would walk into the throne room and know that you murdered your uncle.
But deep down inside, you knew that you would win this.
You boarded onto the First Order ship. They flew you out to the base. The trip took a handful of minutes.
You were taken onto the base. A short elevator ride and several long hallways later, you ended up in a throne room. Your sister and the guards dropped you off and then you were left alone.
It was just you, stepping into a room.
Where you saw him on the throne.
Now, it was just you and the Supreme Leader.
He stood up from his throne.