DUNE-A False Haderach-(SI into brother of Irulan)

Chapter 2b

LADY JESSICA

~About twenty years since the birth of Princess Irulan~

Jessica sifted through the Halls of the castle she had called home for the past two decades and watched in trepidation, fear, and pain as the Halls were stripped of their possessions. All the memories made to resurface, trying to drown her in sorrow, yet she pushed them down the decades of her Bene Gesserit training, allowing her to do so with ease as she stepped into the dining Hall.

It had been stripped of much, much like the rest of the castle. The Great painting of her love's grand sire and that damnable head of the bull that had made it difficult for her to keep even her food down were gone. And all that was left was the table, a giant table of polished ivory with the finest cutlery atop it. Right now, the table was occupied only by one person, the man who had made her defy the order for the first time in her life.

The man who had made her feel an emotion she had thought lost to her.

Leto sat in his chair, talking in a hushed tone to a commander as their eyes met. He was clad in full military garb, his face long and broad, his chin hidden by the beard he had grown, and he dismissed the colonel as he saw her enter.

"I hope I have not disturbed you," she said as she settled down in the seat by his left, and he smiled at her as he always had and shook his head.

"Never," and then she saw his eyes glance towards the or once more, looking for another.

"Paul ate early, he was too tired after his lessons," she told him, they often ate together yet the days were hectic, and oft Leto would eat too late as today.

"A shame I wished to see him," he remarked, a hint of sadness in his tone as she motioned for the food to be served, and it was brought at her command and tested for poison as a Duke's food should be, especially in these trying times.

"Did you wish to tell him anything important?" she questioned, and he nodded slowly as they ate away at their late dinner.

"Yes, the royal herald is set to arrive tomorrow, and everyone shall be dressed in appropriate clothing for the occasion," he said with a hint of tightness, and she stilled momentarily as the reality of those words dawned on him. Yet this stillness was not out of surprise for this was not.

They knew of this. She knew of it. Even the reality of it.

"So, it is happening," she uttered in a half-whisper as Leto nodded.

"It is, House Atreides of Caladan shall soon become the House Atreides of Arrakis," he uttered and she did not miss how his grip over his spoon tightened in apprehension.

"The Harkonens have already begun evacuating, and soon, we shall have to leave Caladan for Arrakis," he finished and the Duke saw this gift for what it was.

House Atreides was being given Arrakis as a fief, unlike the Harkonens, who ruled the desert planet through a Royal Decree and a CHOAM company contract. And by extension, it appeared as though House Atreides was being blessed, yet it was a poisoned pill.

A trap to end House Atreides, and she could not help but think that it was she who had brought this on.

She.

"We could petit...."

And he shook his head, denying the possibility, though even she knew that this venture of petitioning the Emperor would end in failure.

"It would be futile. Ee cannot change the circumstances," he added, his grasp of politics of the Landsraad sharp as the Eagle, his House's sigil.

"So, we must change with them," he finished as he turned to face them.

"I have already sent a premier group under Hwatt and Duncan to explore the planet. Hopefully, they will return with the solution to our problem," he added, and she was aware of what he sought, or more precisely, who he sought.

"And what of the increased attacks on Harkonen ships?" she questioned recalling an earlier conversation. With the Harkonen veil lifting from teh desert planet they were discovering many interesting things abut teh planet and how the Harkonens had ruled over it.

And the most interesting were the increase in attacks. The Fremen had always been hostile to the Harkonens, and she would argue that the Harkonens deserved that hate for how they treated those under them. Yet their attacks had little bite to them and did little damage. That was until a decade ago, from when the shift had begun.

The attacks had gotten only worse for the Harkonen, dolling them much pain, robbing their compounds, and pillaging their supplies. The Harkonens had tried to suppress word about the attacks, yet with their rule ending, and the veil lifting, many things were coming to light.

She saw Leto's lips turn up at her words, and it was one reason she had mentioned it, for she knew seeing the Harkonens lose should bring a little joy to him as their bitter rival.

"It was the attacks that gave us more time to prepare. They have been relentless, according to rumors. The Baron is furious with them, yet to this day, they remain helpless against this group of Fremen. All they have to this day is one name, 'Kazab.'" Leto spoke with a gnarly mouth, the tongue foreign to him but not her.

Languages were a Bene Gesserit's first calling.

"I think that would be 'Kazaab.' It means liar or false. It's from the ancient tongue," and the whole notion of that name felt ominous to her.

"A liar," he confirmed with a frown, and she nodded.

"Indeed, though it is often used to describe a figure who lies," she began delving into her memories, stilling as she recalled.

"A False Prophet, to be more precise," she answered and saw Leto frown as her whole being chilled.

"A false prophet, that is an interesting name," Leto added, and she gulped down, pushing down that ominous feeling as she added.

"You wish to turn them into an ally," she questioned, and Leto shrugged.

"If things progress in the direction, I fear we will need all the allies we can get," he added.

It was wise of him.

Yet would it be enough? She thought not, and as she was lost in thought, he suddenly looked towards her and added.

"Speaking of that, besides the Emperor's herald, another ship sought permission to dock at our shores..." he began, and the tone of his voice told her just who it was.

"It was from your order, Jessica. They say the Revered Mother wishes to see you," and she closed her eyes as she heard those words.

She had hoped that this day would never come, yet a part of her knew that it would. And as fear gripped her heart, not for herself, but for a son who lay in bed sleeping, she recited in her mind the words she had been taught as a little girl.

'I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain.'

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Have a superb day!