Chapter Text
“The Skywalkers are coming, I heard.”
Rey’s hands suddenly went limp, and she dropped the basket full of linen onto the ground in shock. She walked over to the chef, a kind woman named Mrs. Mothma who always made sure she had enough to eat.
“Pardon, did you just say that the Skywalkers are coming?” she asked her hurriedly, wiping her sweaty palms on her apron.
The cook looked over her shoulder from where she was elbow deep in the sink, chatting with one of her assistants.
“Yes, Kira. The guests that Lady Kanata are expecting, I heard from Mr. Storm that it will be Lady and Lord Organa-Solo.
Rey swallowed around the large lump in her throat. Panic began to build into a tight, dense ball in her chest.
“And, will they be alone, or will they bring a party?”
“I’m not sure,” Mrs. Mothma answered, wiping some sweat from her brow with a shirt sleeve. “When they were here a few years ago, their son Lord Benjamin Organa-Solo came as well, with some companions. Perhaps you could ask Mr. Storm if you are so interested.”
Rey pulled her hands apart, which had been subconsciously wringing in front of her. She bit back the emotions that threatened to shake her voice and stood tall.
“Oh, no,” she said with an air of indifference. “I was just wondering. It will be lovely to have guests.”
Mrs. Mothma examined her for a moment before turning back to the sink, seemingly none the wiser to the horror forming in the pit of Rey’s stomach.
“Well, I hope we can find out the number of guests by tomorrow, I still need to sort out the menu and the shopping for–”
Rey didn’t wait to hear the cook finish her thought. She grabbed the basket of linens from the ground and hurriedly scaled the staircase up to the main floor. She had been doing her normal chores assigned whenever guests were expected, but she had not anticipated that it would be Lord and Lady Organa-Solo. She had figured that Lady Kanata must at least know them, they must have been in similar circles, but she had no idea that they were close enough to visit her home. She went to each guest room, restocking the bathing towels and remaking the beds with fresh sheets, her mind racing with the possibilities if she was recognized by the Skywalkers. Thankfully, most of her duties had her in the kitchen, the laundry room, or the garden. She didn’t serve meals or do anything else that might force her to directly interact with guests. The main danger was running into them while she was gathering soiled linens, or walking down the hallways. But if she was careful, she could be discreet enough to avoid drawing attention to herself. She could be another faceless, anonymous staff member of Takodana Castle.
If she was lucky, it would only be the Lady and Lord. If Ben Organa-Solo came, however, the risk of being recognized was much, much higher. Ben had always been a curious, observant boy. And he had grown into an attentive, intelligent young man. She had a silly crush on him when they were children. They used to play with each other on his family’s estate in Naboo. She was the ward of a Mr. Plutt, one of the Organa-Solos’ tenants, and his property backed up to the eastern reach of Varkyino, the Skywalker estate. Plutt was a businessman with his hands in many pots, so it was not uncommon for them to mingle with the country’s high society. Even as a young girl, she knew that she was different from many of the children she played with. They were young lords and ladies, and she was a scrappy orphan under the care of a rather vile man who knew how to shake hands and cut deals, but treated his ward abysmally.
She never told Ben about how Plutt yelled at her, or withheld her meals. She knew that adults liked to gossip, and that her indiscretion would make its way back to her guardian somehow. So she held her tongue, and did her best to pretend like she belonged with the likes of Ben and Rose and Poe, her upper class friends in Naboo. She made sure to mind her manners, especially around Lady and Lord Organa-Solo. She didn’t want her lack of pedigree to dissuade them from trusting her around their only son, especially given that they frolicked about the estate so often. As they grew, Rey couldn’t help but fall in love with him. He was kind, and funny, and generous– not to mention beautiful. She once overheard another young lady call him awkward-looking and freakish at a ball, but she couldn’t disagree more. She often had to hide her blush or avert her gaze as they matured, stricken by how handsome he was. He looked every part of a future Lord. He was always dressed impeccably, his long hair well-kept. She looked like a street urchin in comparison. Plutt did not spare one of his few servants to teach her how to dress, or do her hair. She taught herself at the tender age of five, and she hadn’t improved much since then.
But that never stopped Ben from running around with her at Varykino, catching butterflies together and dipping their toes in the stream. Eventually, they were no longer allowed to meet up outside alone, thanks to the expectations of young people in their society. They could only visit each other at their homes, or in public where they could be easily seen. But that didn’t stop their friendship. They continued to spend time together– even if they just sat in the library, reading separate books. He was her best friend.
Until… he wasn’t. When she was sixteen, Plutt moved them out to Jakku, as far away from Naboo as you could get while remaining in the country. She didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to her friends. Plutt claimed that their hasty departure was due to time-sensitive business dealings that their livelihood relied on, but it soon became obvious that they had left in an attempt to avoid exposure of his debts and fraud. It didn’t work. A few months later, his business fell through, and Rey was left to make her own way in the world. Plutt hadn’t let her develop any useful skills, but she had always excelled in her education. So she tried to be hired as a governess, but no one in Jakku would hire her, knowing she was the ward of the double-dealer. She traveled to Tatooine afterwards, and began using a fake name– Kira Ren. But without any known history or references, no one sought to hire her there either.
She eventually made her way out to Chandrila, on her very last penny. She was offering to clean or run errands in exchange for a loaf of bread at the bakery when a friendly young woman in the shop named Jannah interrupted her. She had told her that they were looking for staff at Lady Kanata’s estate, if she was interested. Rey cried in relief when she was hired by the butler, Mr. Wexley, after vaguely describing her circumstances. She was quick to assure the kind butler that she was a hard worker, and would quickly learn the tasks that were expected of her. She’d had to attend to much of her own cleaning and household chores growing up, since the servants only served Plutt, so it wasn’t as if she was completely a novice. She was given room and board immediately, and had been working ever since. It was tiring labor, and her hands were now hardened with calluses, but Lady Kanata was a gracious employer, providing support for all of her staff members and meeting all of their needs. She even had a full day off nearly every week, when she could spend her time reading or walking outside enjoying the lovely grounds. Rey knew that she had gotten very lucky. She at least had kept her autonomy.
But now, it appeared that her luck was running out. She had avoided the attention of various court members visiting the Kanata estate thus far. It wasn’t too hard when she was disguised in a maid’s outfit and knee deep in the garden. But the Skywalkers… they knew her… intimately. Especially Ben. She would have to be extra diligent in avoiding crossing paths with the guests and keep her head down. Mortification rose in her throat at the thought of being discovered in a station so below that of which she had previously held. It wasn’t her fault that Plutt was a conman, but it reflected on her poorly anyway.
Rey tried to cheer herself up with the fact that the Skywalkers had likely completely forgotten about her. It had been three years since she last wrote to Ben from Jakku, just before Plutt was driven out of town, leaving her behind. Being cut off from him had been a painful process. She had grown accustomed to looking forward to his words as they continued their friendship from a distance. But with Plutt’s downfall came her own, as did her correspondence with the young Lord Organa-Solo. Surely he had forgotten about her by now. She was no one special, after all. Even more so now.
The next few days were busy with activity as the staff prepared for their guests. Rey was able to ascertain that there would be three others accompanying the Lady and Lord, a total party of five. She couldn’t help but wonder if their son would be among them. Perhaps he stayed in Coruscant now, Rey knew that he had always planned on attending university. There was lots to do for a young bachelor in the city. She shook her head as she imagined him attending fancy dinners and balls with sophisticated, beautiful women. It did her no good to ruminate on what a gentleman might be doing with his time when he was so wholly unconnected to her.
“I wonder if it will be His Grace Luke Skywalker that accompanies them,” she heard Jyn say to Jannah as she passed them in the scullery. She slowed her steps, eager for any news of the Skywalker party.
“I hope so,” Jannah responded. “He always tells the funniest jokes at dinner. I struggle to hold back my laughter when I serve them.”
“True,” Jyn agreed with a chuckle. “Although, between you and me, I hope that Lord Benjamin is among their party. If he was handsome a few years ago, I can only imagine what he looks like now.”
Rey swallowed around a lump in her throat as the girls giggled. She fought back an ugly, jealous emotion that made her feel protective of Ben. He wasn’t hers, he never had been. She would be a fool to let passive chat upset her. She walked out toward the hall determined to leave her distress behind her. Surely in a few weeks the whole ordeal would be over, and her life would be the same as if they had never visited.