She waited until she was sure he was gone. When the voices on the other side of the door had faded along with the footsteps, she opened her eyes. Part of her was still relishing in the lingering effects of his presence, the cool feel of his satin robe against her skin, the comfort of his bed and the forbidden fantasies it provoked. But her willful side felt more empowered in that moment. She knew she must get out of his bed and out of his robe, and never touch either again. Then, she had to escape his room. It was her only hope.

Reluctantly, Dela peeled her lethargic body from the soft bed and all of the promises it held. Images flashed into her mind, visions of what he would do to her in that bed whenever he returned. The idea made her lightheaded, but she took a deep breath and vowed that she would not be overcome so easily. This effect he had over her, this unimaginable power, was something she knew she had to find a way to fight and defeat.

She headed to the wardrobe, divesting herself of the robe as she went, and missing it's slippery embrace instantly. She let it drop to the floor in a pool of ebony folds and opened the wardrobe to peruse her options. A thought came to her then, that these clothes were intended for her, or whatever woman was destined to be imprisoned in this place. Could it be that they had the same effect as the robe, the bed, and the rest of the room itself? She thought of the hot bath, the delicious cake and refreshing ice water. Was all of it part of the seduction? Part of the spell she was struggling to break? She thought of her plain, dirty garments that lay in a heap on the floor of the bath. Shades of brown with dried mud and threadbare spots in need of patching. She looked back at the beautiful velvet gowns in the wardrobe. Rich emerald green and deep midnight blue. She'd dreamt of such gowns since she was a child, but had only ever seen them in those far away dreams.

Dela closed the wardrobe, swallowing back the silly tears of a little girl's shattered dreams. But was it also her dream to be the possession of a murderous fiend? For that's what Kylo Ren was, no two ways about it. Feeling stronger by the second, she sought out her own clothing and quickly dressed. She could do this. she felt that now. Hope was revived. But the task of escaping the room undetected was more daunting. And what then? She had no concept of where she was in relation to her home nor how to go about getting back there. The realization was frustrating, but all Dela cared about at that moment was ceasing Kylo Ren's seductions. Once she'd proven that she could no longer fall victim to his power, she would figure out the rest.

On a whim, she walked up to the door of the quarters to see if, by some bizarre chance, it might open. She was not at all surprised when it did not. That meant that she must wait for someone to enter from the other side and take her chance then of running out. She didn't expect to get far, just past the threshold was far enough to gain full control of her wits once again. What happened after that she didn't know, but one thing kept reassuring her. The woman, Phasma, had seemed disappointed that the Stormtroopers had injured Dela in an effort to restrain her. Not only that, but it was understood that they'd answer to Kylo Ren for the mistake. He wanted her here, and he wanted her unharmed. The more she thought about it, the better Dela felt. She replayed everything from the moment she'd defied her grandmother and looked across the crowd of people at Kylo Ren. "He was looking at me," she said aloud to the empty room. From that distance, through all of those other people, he had been stopped in his tracks at the sight of her. One of the lessons her grandmother had taught her growing up was that the most important thing to know about your enemy was his weakness. Discover that, her grandmother said, and you are well on your way to victory. "I'm his weakness." Dela's mind raced with the idea, and adrenaline began to crackle throughout her body. "He will not hurt me." This last she said more to boost her own spirits. Part of her was still quite wary of Kylo Ren, the part that recognized the terrible things of which he was capable. But it was a start. It was a start.

The element of surprise, Dela figured, would be her best course of action. She bided her time, sitting in a plain chair, ignoring the allure of the food and bed, and waiting for the door to open. She made herself as still as a hunted creature, and put all of her effort into keeping her breathing calm and her mind clear. She listened intently to every sound beyond the door, waiting for footsteps, waiting for that distinctive voice. Waiting. Waiting.

A long time later, she heard what she'd been listening for. Someone approached, and when he spoke she knew it was him. She could not make out the precise words, but she got the gist that he was speaking to one other individual. The reply was short and devoid of emotion. A Stormtrooper, most likely the one that had been guarding the door all along. Retreating footsteps signaled the departure of the trooper, and then the telltale sound of the pressure releasing the door lock, and the rush of air as it swished open.

Dela had positioned herself to the right of the door, out of the field of vision of anyone entering the room. The moment Kylo Ren had cleared the threshold, she slipped behind him, into the corridor, and flattened herself against the wall beside the door just as it zipped shut. Her heart hammered in her chest. She couldn't believe she'd done it.

Distant voices echoed from the other end of the corridor, accompanied by rhythmic footsteps. At the same time, the door to Kylo Ren's quarters hissed open once more, and in a panic, Dela turned and ran, the soles of her sandals clanging against the metal walkway. She made it perhaps fifty feet before she felt an enormous amount of pressure surrounding her on all sides, and her limbs ground slowly to a halt in mid-stride. No! she thought, though she was unable to speak. She could hear nothing but the roar of her own blood pounding through her veins.

Kylo Ren reached her and with a lazy flick of his hand, she was released from the immobilizing pressure. His steel grip on her elbow, however, kept her firmly in place. He said nothing as he turned and began guiding her back towards his quarters.

"No!" Dela protested, snatching hard against his grasp. "No! I want to go home! Let me go!"

He remained silent, but reached over and wrapped his free hand around the back of her neck. She felt his thumb and forefinger apply pressure, and a wave of heat washed over her before her knees wobbled and she felt his arms catching her as everything went dark.