Star Wars - FarFromSummer

On the day of the Imperial wedding, Kylo thinks of the compromise that has brought him here. Angst November Day 15- Unrequited

Airy. From the former military men adjusting to their new roles of New Imperial nobility, to the breezy conversation that bubbles like their drinks, everything about the affair leaves Kylo lightheaded in its lack of substance. Their minds flit from one inane thought to the next, the presence of their Emperor bearing down on them even in the perceived safety of their consciousness. Images of their brilliant leader and his dark-haired beauty. A white-gloved hand pressed to the small of his back. Blue eyes gazing ardently into brown. Kylo forces down the bile in his throat and reminds himself that greater empires than theirs had been built on greater sacrifices.

Hux had come to him after Starkiller with the offer of something that went beyond the usual convergence of parallel goals. A peace as fragile as their futures to tide them over until judgement came. Defeated and afraid, he had found solace in Kylo’s stability (of all things). As Snoke surprised him in sparing their lives, Hux too surprised him by continuing their alliance. Shared command was no longer the burden it once was and sharing Hux’s ear meant hushed whispers that dripped with the poison of betrayal. Kylo hadn’t relented, but, more importantly, he hadn’t disapproved. Soon the whispers roared, demanding action almost as intensely as they promised greatness. Most deafening of all was the promise of a place by his side.

Kylo did his best to hide his unease when Hux announced the wedding. Smiling tightly at the congratulations bestowed upon the Emperor, he realised that compromise wasn’t restricted to the balance of Light and Dark. For someone who had lived as the embodiment of both, he surprised even himself in how easily he accepted the power that resides in the middle ground. In the end he supposes he’s as insubstantial as the rest. Playing at being a dutiful Hound just as men raised in the harsh academies of the Rim now play at being aristocrats. In the end they all dance to the Emperor’s tune.

The guests’ minds hum in unison at the commencement of the ceremony. Now at the Emperor’s side as he was promised, Kylo swears he hears his heart break in every note of the organ’s song. Lieutenant Mitaka (he can’t bear to call the man ‘Imperial Consort’) walks down an aisle flanked with fawning courtiers with little care for anything other than the man that awaits him at the end. As he takes his place at Hux’s right hand, the Emperor gazes at Mitaka like he has conquered worlds just for this moment alone. Hux turns to Kylo with the shadow of that smile still ghosting his face. The Knight places the wedding bands into his outstretched palm, finding little comfort in the numbness that has replaced the longing.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Kudos/comments are much appreciated if you enjoyed it :) > > Alternatively you can come chat to me on tumblr: [@farfromsummer](http://farfromsummer.tumblr.com/)

End file.