When you woke up, you were shackled to the wall like every other prisoner in the block. You groaned at the burning sensation in your side as your head rolled. When the reality finally set in on top of the pain, your eyes opened, and you were awake in your horror.

"There she is," your father said. He was standing right in front of you, his arms crossed over his chest.

You croaked out, "Where is he?"

"In the next room," he said. "He's waiting for you."

Your head moved slowly. You glanced up and saw the wet blood on your hands from the metal shackles that held you in place. You were becoming more aware of the stinging of your skin and the ache of your arms. "How... how long have I been up here?"

"Hours," he said. "You could count yourself lucky that you've been out this long. You missed his screams for you."

Your heart hurt. "Father, please just let him go. It was my idea to run. Punish me all you want, it's okay so long as you don't hurt him."

"Funny," he said, "because your Mandalorian said the exact same thing when he first woke up." Your father stepped forward and then slapped you across the face. "Did you think I was blind!? I saw the way you looked at him, you pathetic fool. I knew you were sneaking into his room and I know what you told him. All of it. You think you're so safe in your little world with him, but you are wrong. There were greater things planned for him and for you."

"Father," you whispered.

"You say it's okay for me to punish you, so long as your Mandalorian goes untouched," he said. "Is that right?"

"Yes," you whispered.

He grabbed your face harshly and you whimpered. "Pitiful." He shoved your face away from him and turned around. He walked towards the door at the far end of your large cell. As he reached the door, Vinor Thriff walked in.

"No," you cried out, your shoulders shaking. "No, please. Don't let him in here. Father, please!" But you stopped yourself, because as this man approached you, the last thing you wanted was your father to be the one to save you. "Din! Din!"

And as Vinor stopped in front of you, you heard his shout across the prison. "___!"

Vinor undid your shackles and you fell flat on your front, your arms too numb to catch you. You shouted as your face smacked against the floor, your lip busting and your nose aching. His hand was on the back of your neck and he was dragging you back up, tilting your face towards him. He looked over you and touched your cheek, hushing you as you sobbed.

"You're always this scared, aren't you?" he asked. He pulled you up on your feet. "Come on, girl. Let's go talk to that Mandalorian of yours. He'll protect you."

He pushed you and dragged you the whole way there. You kicked and you screamed, you bit and you fought, you cried and you tried to run, but you were useless against him. He towered over you. He weighed twice what you weighed. He dragged you like you were nothing, and when he finally got to the cell, he tossed you in carelessly.

"Good morning, Mandalorian. Look what I've brought you!"

On shaky arms, you pulled yourself up off the floor. You slowly looked up and saw him shackled to the wall the same way you were, with his wrists pinned above his head and his feet barely touching the ground. He was still wearing some of his armor, and from what you could tell, he was unharmed.

"Come on, up," Vinor was saying, and he grabbed your hair and pulled it so you would stand up. He grabbed your shoulder and stopped you right in the middle of the room. "It took a while, Mando, but she finally woke up." He looked at you and smiled, his face right against your cheek. "Why don't you tell Mando how happy you are to see him?"

You didn't answer. You were shaking so hard and your throat was tight with fear. He shoved you back to the ground and you pathetically crumbled as he drove several kicks into your sides. You curled up on yourself and sobbed in pain until he stopped.

"Come on, Mandalorian!" Vinor yelled. "Aren't you going to beg me to stop?!"

"Because I know you won't stop," he said, and he sounded so pained.

"Smart man." Vinor nodded and delivered another kick, this one catching you right in the stomach.

Din flinched. "Listen to me, ____," he pleaded.

You didn't reply; your cries came out in wails.

"Listen to me. You are my heart, Princess." He must be saying goodbye to you. He had accepted that you were going to die here.

You tilted your face upward to look at him, although you couldn't see through the waterfall of tears. You had to accept it, too. "And you are mine, Mandalorian."

Vinor grabbed you and turned you around so that you were on your back. He pounded his fist against your face, right on your cheek, again and again and again. Five times in a row. He stopped just to punch your other cheek, and then he slapped you across the face. "Is it killing you yet, Mandalorian? She's crying, you know! She really needs you to save her and look at that! You. Just. Can't. You're helpless for once."

And then Vinor was on top of you, his hands wrapping around your throat. He was squeezing tightly and Din was yelling as you gasped for air, and you were turning red and then purple and then blue.

"And now she's going to die! What can you do about it, Mando?" Vinor yelled, and then his hands were gone. "Unless..."

You sucked in the air hard, your chest heaving and your blood pounding in your ears. You turned onto your side and choked as Vinor slowly got off of you and stood in front of the Mandalorian. You pressed your face into the stone floor that was slick with your blood.

"Unless what?" Din asked tiredly, his shoulders drooped as he stared at your shattered form.

"Unless you consider the ultimatum," he said. "Remember? The one we discussed?"

"No, Din," you said, your voice broken and hoarse. "Don't do it."

"Come on, Din," Vinor said mockingly. He turned and grabbed you off of the floor, forcing your exhausted body back on its feet and turning you towards the Mandalorian. You partially fell against Vinor, relying on him to support you as your body swayed. Your face ached, your blood was still loud in your ears, and your heartbeat was going too fast. "Look at her. She needs you to save her. The only way I can guarantee it is if that helmet comes off."

"Din, no," you whimpered. "He'll kill me anyway."

"Now that isn't true," he said. "I'm a man of my word, if anything."

"I'm not worth it," you whispered.

"Aw, do you hear that, Mandalorian? She says she isn't worth it. What do you say?"

Din's voice shook. "If the helmet comes off, what happens?"

"Nothing," he said, smiling. "The story is over. I'll let the two of you live out the rest of your prison time here together. Just so you know, it's a life sentence, but you'd be together. Doesn't that sound nice, Din?" A beat of silence passed, and Vinor grabbed your face again, making you cry out. "I'm not a patient man, Mando. Is it coming off or am I going to snap her neck right in front of you?"

"No!" you cried. "Just kill me, you coward."

Din shook his head as it hung low on his shoulders. He was shaking. It was the first time you'd ever seen him fearful.

"I will do it, Mando. Don't try me!"

"Just let it happen, okay?" you were saying. "Just let him kill me. It's okay, I can do this, Din. I can. It's okay to let it happen. Please just let him kill me."

Din looked up slowly. "Just... just take it off of my head! And release her. Now."

"And there. It. Is." Vinor let go of you and you fell to your knees, exhausted in every way possible. A sob broke out of your chest. "You heard the man, Princess. Get up and take the helmet off of him."

"What?" you mumbled, salty blood in your mouth.

"I said get up." Vinor pulled you to your feet and shoved you forward. You fell against Din, holding onto his shoulders for support as you nearly toppled over. "And take his helmet off."

"No," you said.

"What'd you say?" Vinor asked.

"I said no," you said again. "I'm not going to do that."

"Do it, ___," Din said suddenly.

You looked up in shock. "What?"

"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you to. Take it off, Princess. It's okay."

"It's not okay, Din. I can't do that to you. Just let them kill me and it'll be okay."

He shook his head. "____, please listen to me."

Vinor brought in all of the guards and the king and the prisoners he could and they all gathered around to watch. You sobbed and shook your head. The thought of it was too painful. But Din was saying your name gently, and you swore he was smiling by the sound of it.

"I'm so sorry," you breathed, placing your hands on either side of his helmet.

"I'm going to protect you," he said, "no matter what."

You inhaled deeply, tears streaming down your cheeks. "I love you, Din Djarin."

"And I love you," he said, and as he spoke, his voice changed. You raised the helmet off of his head, uncovering his face. His lips, his nose, his brown eyes, his messy brown hair.

And then you could see him. And everyone else could see him. They all laughed, throwing objects in their hands. Weapons, bottles, pebbles from the floor. They threw them at him, and you stood in front of him and blocked him best you could, your hand on the base of his neck as you stared up at him.

Vinor approached slowly. His hand grabbed a fistful of your hair and he tilted your head back. With a low growl, he whispered close to your ear, "And now you will live the rest of your life knowing that you broke the Mandalorian's Creed."

When he let you go, you fell to a slump on the floor. The crowd gathered their weapons from the floor before they dispersed. Vinor left with them. The door, like all the other doors in the palace, locked with a click, leaving you trapped inside.