I wake up to the bright sun shining on my face, and large bags under my eyes from the short amount of sleep I got. As I get up my nightgown falls to me feet and I walk to my window, looking out to the quiet kingdom. Although I beat myself up a lot last night I know that I indeed helped my kingdom a lot, we've grown a lot in the past month, and while nothing will ever be the same, we are as close to normal as we will get.
I was weird being home after the time away, here I had to wear long elegant dresses and act a certain way that fit the persona of a princess, but at the Resistance I was seen as everyone else wearing the same thing as everyone and was able to act just like everyone else. But the one way I was able to escape the kingdom was when I would train, and it had been way too long since I did.
I ran down the stairs in my Jedi robes and with my lightsaber in my hand, I grabbed a training ball and my blinding helmet. It felt relaxing to be back in my private yard, I basically spent all of my time in here once we figured out I was force sensitive.
I dodge every shot from the floating droid with ease, skillfully putting my mind and body into the force. I put out my hand, force grabbing the ball and shutting off as I took off my helmet, out of breath. I set them down beside me and sit on the ground, focusing on the earth around me. I float in the air as I gather the force around me, meditating. I feel the life of the plants around me and the darkness of the deeps of the the planet, I'm surrounded with old memories of myself when I was younger.
I am taken out of my peaceful state of mind when I appear to be on some sort of snow planet, the force obviously playing with my mind. But this time it's different, usually if I was meditating it would only be my own experiences, yet here I am watching old rusty ships speed from a gigantic metal wall. When I look at what they were going at I saw large AT-M6's, and First Order ships, but behind them all, a cannon.
I watched the rusty ships split, beautiful red sand following each ship, and I realized that this was not a past memory of anyone. It was the present, and the Resistance was in great danger.
I take myself out of meditation, floating back to the ground, and sprint back into the castle whilst getting weird looks from our maids. I run up the stairs and find my mothers office, bursting threw the doors, startling my mother on the other side. "Elise, you should knock, what is wrong?"
"Mother, it's the Resistance, they're in big trouble. We have to help." I struggle to say because I am out of breath. I can't have them all die and I just sit around and do nothing, they are my new family. "Darling, I know. They're on Crait, they called out for help, but that is something we don't have the strength to give." I start to freak out, anxiousness fills me up. "We can't just leave them to die, I saw them, in a vision they are going to be destroyed!" At this point I am basically yelling at her, while pacing in front of her.
Suddenly pain fills me, and the force was disturbed heavily, my mother voice drones out as I hear nothing. It was Luke, I could tell. I look up from my chair and meet the worried glance of my mom. "It's Luke, he's gone." I say just above a whisper. Just as I say that a monitor next to my mother goes off and she glances, sighing in relief.
"They escaped, I got a message from the Falcon." She says and walks over so that she is standing next to me, and she rubs my back in a comforting way. "Why did you get the message so fast?" I ask and she gives me a slight smile.
"Well before you felt that Luke was gone I was trying to tell you that we are helping them. They are going to stay on Religne, that is until they can find a more suitable base. Leia mainly just wants to focus on the health of the Resistance before they go back to train." I am equally relieved as I am terrified.
"That's good, we have a lot of extra rooms here anyway, when will they be here exactly?" I ask, nervous for them to come to my home. "Based on my readings, probably around 2-3 hours. So go get dressed, I'll send a new dress to your room, I want to give them a royal hello." I roll my eyes and laugh, you can tell my mother was very excited.
---
I look at my long form fitting maroon dress, it's truly beautiful with golden embellishments, and don't recognize myself, I look so different. My long blonde hair is curled instead of put in a ponytail and instead of my usual brown boots I am in gold heels. Part of me hates this because I don't want to be seen different by the Resistance, but the part of me that is petty wants to show Poe who he gave an ultimatum to. I hear a knock on my door and a solider walks in, "Miss, they're here, your mother is waiting." I nod and walk out the door with him, seeing my mother at the bottom of the stairs.
My stomach is churning with anticipation as I wait with my mother in front of the door, where soon the entire Resistance will be entering into my world. The door is pushed open by guards and right behind them is Leia and the Resistance, or what is left of them. My mother walks up to Leia and gives her the biggest hug, the two best friends reunited after too long. Leia sees me behind my mom and gives me a smile. "It's good to see you Elise, you look just like your mother." I nod, with only one thing on my mind. "Is this all that's left?" I ask sadly and Leia nods, looking at the ground.
"We appreciate you helping us, I know your kingdom is still trying to rebuild." Leia says kindly but before my mother could respond, Poe interrupts from behind Leia. "It looks good to me." Poe says sassily, looking around at the beautiful structure of our castle.
Although he said it to himself my mother still heard him and walked toward him, looking intimidating. "Most of the damage was internal, thanks to Elise a lot of work was done. You're Poe Dameron correct." he visibly gulped and nodded.
"I knew your parents very well, very nice people, you probably don't know me because I moved when you were like 6. If you would like I could show you pictures I have of them." my mother says kindly despite Poe's rude tone. "Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am" Poe stares back at the ground and I can't help but laugh, this causes him to look at me, but I quickly look away not wanting to have any contact with him.
"You are all welcome to roam the kingdom as you please, just don't do anything to my citizens, for now this is your home. The soldiers can escort you to your rooms." My mother said to the crowd and people started moving and I look for Jess.
Finally I am able to spot Jess and Connix, and as soon as they see me Jess comes running to me, picking me up and spinning me around. "Oh Elise! I'm so glad to see you I could cry. Also you look extra hot today." I roll my eyes at her comment and hug her back, as well as Connix. "Where are Paige and Tallie?" I ask, hoping that they aren't where I think they might be.
Jess and Connix grow quiet and look at the ground, "Tallie died when her transport was blown up and Paige died on the Dreadnought mission, she's responsible for the bombs that were able to make it down." Connix said with tears in her eyes. I pull them into a group hug, feeling devastated that some of my first friends are now gone. "How is Rose?" I ask quietly.
Jess gives a slight smile at that, "She's currently hurt but she's doing great things, she says it's what Paige would've wanted. She's getting pretty close to Finn." Jess winks at me and I laugh, only Jess could make someone smile when they are sad.
My mother interrupts us, smiling at Jess and Connix, "You must be the infamous friends that she won't stop talking about." they smile at her, "Mother, this is Jess and Connix, girls this is my mother." My mother puts her hand out for them to shake but Jess being who she is, she takes her into a big hug, startling my mom. "I would just like to thank you personally for giving birth to Elise, she looks just like you." her bluntness makes my mother laugh hard and nod, "Yes she is the best accident ever." my mother says, making Jess and Connix cry of laughter, "Mother!!" I say mortified.
"Oh calm down, you're 21, just because you don't have sex doesn't mean I didn't at your age." I turn bright red and my eyes widen, but the girls are still laughing like mad women. "Elise, your mother is my favorite women in the entire galaxy." Jess struggles to say through her laughter and I just roll my eyes.
"Anyways, I am going to show Dameron the pictures upstairs with Leia, would you like to come with. Leave the girls to wash up, they've had a long week." Jess and Connix give me wide eyes, "There is nothing that I would want to do less." I say, not wanting to talk with Poe at all, "Oh c'mon, maybe you guys could be friends?" My mom asked and my secret is out to the girls, I didn't tell her about Poe.
"No, you should go Elise, we're really tired." Connix said with an evil grin, dragging Jess away, "Byeeeeeee" she yells as her and Jess run away.
-----
Poe's pov
The castle is beautiful but somehow Elise looks even more beautiful. I am currently in the last place I thought I would be when I was told we were coming here, her mother's office looking at pictures of me as a child with my parents.
Elise is standing in the corner, obviously not wanting to be anywhere near me, but I don't blame her. She looks so different, but she looks so gorgeous in her long dress, she looks like a princess which I guess adds up. Leia is sitting in the chair next to me, laughing along with her old friend.
"So I know you left Yavin, so where did you go before going to the Resistance?" Elise's mother asks her, and it hits me like a speeder. Elise didn't tell her about me. I can see the shame in Elise as she looks at the ground, avoiding my looks.
"I actually was stuck on Kijimi, but a friend helped me escape." When I say this the Queen's movements stop and she slowly looks at Elise who is glaring at me. "You're the spice runner..." She says in disbelief, and turns to her daughter, "So when I asked you the other day if you remembered the name of the Spice Runner, you lied?" She says angrily to Elise, "You were a spice runner?!" Leia says to me, and I just put my head in my hands.
"Listen mother, I just didn't want to talk about him a single bit." She says defensively, "Ouch" I say in response to her hurtful words and I get the meanest look from her, "Oh did what I say hurt your feelings, flyboy? I am truly so sorry." she says sarcastically, and I'll admit she got me on that one.
"Listen, Poe and I will just leave you guys" Leia tries to say, getting up from her seat, "No, stay, we should hear what Poe and Elise have to say." Leia sighs and sits back down. "Mother, I don't know why you are upset, I didn't realize the name Dameron was such a big deal back when I was 17." I don't know why her mother is so upset either, but then again I don't even know this woman.
"That is not the problem, you said that you never talked to him at the base, you only knew him from Jess." Her saying this made my heart hurt, she was trying to forget everything. "Maybe I wish that was the case." she said painfully but it still hurt me like hell, I knew I said shitty things to her, but she still said that she loved me at the end. Maybe she said that to make me feel guilty.
"Fuck you Elise" I say getting out of my chair, "Excuse me, you are seriously getting mad at me for not being the biggest fan of yours? You told me if I left that I left with our relationship, so that's what I fucking did." she stormed out of the room and I followed right behind her.
"I know you're behind me, leave me alone." She says while furiously walking down the long hallway. "Can we please just talk." She stopped in front of me and pointed her finger in my face, "I tried to talk to you, like adults would do, the day I left. You acted like a child so I think what I am doing is perfectly fine." She continued to walk down the hallway and I followed her, I couldn't let her go this time.
She walked into what I assume is her room, and tried to slam her door in my face but I stopped it with my hands and followed her into her room. He flopped onto her bed and gave me an angry look as I stand in front of her. "Why are you trying hard now? Do you realize how hard it was for me to tell you I was leaving, the only man I've ever loved?" She says emotionally
"I was in a moment of anger, I had everyone I had ever loved leave me, I felt like I just got you and you were already leaving me." She looks down at her hands and fiddles with her thumbs, something I notice that she does when she's nervous.
"But you explicitly told me you didn't love me that day." she said while looking me in the eyes.
"Elise I was so insanely stupid, but I thought you could see how madly in love with you I was. I told you everything, you are the person I love talking to the most, just seeing you makes me 10 times happier. I love how you twiddle your thumbs like you're some nervous teenager but you're actually a bad ass Jedi, I love how you can handle yourself, I love the way worry about everyone else but yourself. That day you left I only focused on what I needed not what you needed. I don't deserve your love at all, but damnit darling do I appreciate how much you love no matter what the rules tell you. I love you with every inch of me body." by the time I am done with my rant I am out of breath and Elise is crying.
"I love your stupid cocky behavior, I love the way curls will fall in your face and you try to blow them out of your face but it never works, I love the way you put your hand on my face when we kiss, I love the way butterflies erupt all throughout my body when you touch me, and damnit Poe Dameron I love you so damn much. I always have and I don't think you understand how much it broke me when you said you didn't love me, whether it was true or not." the way her voice cracks at the end hurts me even more, and I hate myself for causing her so much pain.
"I am so sorry Elise, I don't think that me admitting my feelings will change any resentment you feel for me but I have been wanting to tell you all of that since I watched you board your ship home on Kijimi." She gets up from her bed and walks in front of me, her beautiful eyes looking at mine and tears on her cheeks. I place my hand on her cheek and wipe her tears away she leans up and presses a soft kiss on my lips.
I missed her so much, all of the battles I fought in the past few weeks almost didn't seem worth it when I had to come back to a Resistance that didn't have her, but I had to keep my promise for her no matter where we stood.
I had to save the galaxy for her.