Chapter 31
IRULAN CORRINO
The sense of betrayal and loss she had felt learning of her father's actions had sent her into a trance that had taken her weeks to come out of. All her life, Irulan had known of her father's desire for a son, had felt overshadowed by that desire and had pushed herself beyond the norm to fill the gap, to make it so that she could one day if asked, fill the shows of the heir her father so sorely desired.
Yet now she had learned that all her efforts had been for naught, that her father had no desire to hand over the throne to her. And not just that, the order, the sisterhood she had thought her calling had betrayed her in many ways and had thought of her as little more than a political tool and a womb to be brewed in their massive scheme of birthing their so-called savior.
And while she had lost much in this time, she had gained much as well. She had gained family, a brother who cared for her. Her twin's presence, something which she had always felt yet had never truly understood, had filled the gaping hole left by all these betrayals.
She had found a friend in Shishakli, a woman much like her who had given her life to a cause, Inzal's cause, and was a great help to her in these tough times. Her affection and devotion to Inzal were so pure and apparent that she could not help but root for the girl, and if Inzal's current request was anything to go by, he felt the same way about her.
"You are offering me Kaitain," she asked again, finding herself in his solar as the congregation's date inched closer.
"I am," Inzal reiterated as he sat there in the solar, clad in his usual Still-suit, his blue eyes focused on her, yet seeing much more than just her. Much more.
Kaitain was officially the Royal Fief, the place where the Royal Castle was situated, and Inzal was offering her the land.
"But why?" she asked, after all it was to be his fief after he had stripped their father of his crown and his position as Head of House Corrino.
"Because the truth is that the true key to the power in the Imperium is the Spice, and Arrakis being the source of that makes it the more ideal location for a Royal fief than Kaitain," and that was understandable.
"But you are the ruler of Arrakis. You could appoint a governor as father did, perhaps even from the Fremen, and still rule from Kaitain as is tradition," and he shook his head.
"That will not work. Leaving Arrakis would be stupidity, and I already have three planets under my direct reign, which is too much. You have spent your life learning the art of ruling and governing, to prepare yourself to rule after that man," and her nostrils flared up at the mention of that man, a man she refused to call father.
And yet it was true, with the presence of Inzal, she had no more chance of inheriting the throne, making all the efforts and years she had spent on honing her craft useless.
"And now you will rule over Kaitain. It is not what you thought you would rule over, but it is still a purpose, and I have been told that you have been rather disturbed about this," she said, raising her eyebrows.
"Well, it seems Shishakli is quite a snitch," she teased, and Inzal shrugged.
"It is what it is? She wishes the best for you, as do I. That is why I brought this up," and she thought about the proposal, and it was indeed something much greater than she had thought. Ruling over Kaitain would give her both purpose and power, something which she strived for.
Yet she had also come to learn of the cruel reality of the world, and so as she looked up into his eyes, she spoke once more.
"And what would you ask of me in return?" and Inzal seemed taken aback by the question.
"Nothing. You are my family. And I try not to make deals with family," he assured her, and her eyes narrowed.
"You will not ask me to marry Feyd Rautha?" and he seemed taken aback by that name.
Feyd Rautha Harkonen and House Harkonnen remained the biggest thorns in Inzal's side at the moment. And marriage was one way of doing that.
"Or even ask me to marry Paul Atreides to solidify your alliance with the Atreides?" she added, and he shook his head.
"No, I have no need of such a thing from you. This is not a trade Irulan. This is a gift, and I want nothing from you in return," he added, much to her surprise.
"And as far as the Atreides and the Harkonnen are concerned. I can handle them all on my own just fine," he said cockily, and after going over the events of the last few years, she had begun to understand just how dangerous of a plotter her brother was, and even she could not tell how far his plans went.
"Then why did you allow Paul Atreides and Lady Jessica to see the Reverend Mother? Were you even aware of the meeting and what implications it could have?" she asked and saw him lean back as his lips slightly turned up.
"I was aware of the meetings between the Bene Tleilaxu assassin, Count Fenring, and that man all the way on Kaitain while sitting here," he began, bringing together his hands and chuckling.
"Do you really think I would be blind to such a meeting right under my nose?"
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LADY MARGOT FENRING-A Bene Gesserit Sister
When Duke Leto's message of calling for a congregation had aired, the sisterhood and the Reverend Mother had realized that their plans had been foiled. The culprit remained unknown, and there were many suspicions about just who may be behind this.
Was it the Duke himself? Was it his concubine the Lady Jessica? Was it their son, Paul Atreides? So, many questions, and yet they needed to act. They needed to prepare a contingency for the dire times that lay ahead.
And she was entrusted with that task, sent to Geidi Prime on a mission to secure the Harkonnen lineage and to ally them to the cause in case the order needed to place them on the throne.
With the defeat of the Baron and the 'Beast' Rabban, the Harkonnen power lay with one person. The Baron's nephew.
Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. A symbol of cruelty and barely hinged madness, and their last hope for the completion of their century long plans.
And the very nephew, bald and white of skin like the other Harkonnen, stood there in the center of a training area with three guards huffing and bleeding around him.
"As we suspected, a kanly has been issues against House Atreides," she informed him of the transmission she had just received.
"You have been nominated to represent House Harkonnen," she added and saw him turn towards her, his black gaze unnerving and unsettling, settled onto herself looking her up and down with barely hidden desire and lust.
"Will the boy accept?" he asked, and she nodded.
"He can refuse, of course. House Atreides has the allegiance of many famed warriors who would wield the blade for him, but the House is also enamored with the concepts of honor and pride. The boy will wish to step into the ring himself against you," and since this task had been taken up by Lady Gaius Helen Mohaim herself, that if a kanly were to be issued, she would ensure that Paul Atreides, the most probable culprit for what was transpiring will step into the ring.
In a blur, Feyd-Rautha swung his blades, and immediately, he was showered in the blood of all three men around him. it took much control to flinch back as she saw the black, tarry blood shower him as he smiled cruelly.
"And to get the throne, I must defeat the boy," he asked, and that was what they had offered him. Throne, through their own and Spice Guild's backing, they would make Feyd Rautha Harkonnen the Emperor, replacing Shaddan Corrino IV and joining the Corrino bloodline to him through a marriage to one of Shaddam's daughters.
"Or anyone else who may stand in his stead in the kanly, Though I would not underestimate Paul Atreides if I were you," she began as she stepped into the ring and watched him tilt his head.
"He was trained by the very best fighters in the Imperium, and his own mother has trained him in the arts of Prana Bindu, the Bene Gesserit fighting ways," she added, and he smirked.
"You doubt me and my victory," he challenged as he inched closer as the servants cleared up the ruing, dragging away the dead bodies of the men he had killed earlier, as both of them circled one another.
"You can fight the guards rather well," she added as she slipped off her robes to reveal the fighting suit she wore underneath. She saw his eyes widen as she untangled her hair.
"But I have yet to see how long you may last against someone of a little more substance," she said as she reached for the two daggers tied to her back, took them out, and spun them in her hand.
And she could see his desire, in his eyes, in his lips as he smirked and wet his lips with his tongue as he spun his own daggers.
"I promise I will be gentle," he said as he raised. He stuck out his tongue maniacally and placed the edge of his knife along it.
"May thy knife chip and shatter," he issued the challenge and tipped the dagger to his forehead.
"I promise to be gentle as well," she replied. She saw his lips turn up as she raised her own dagger and reciprocated.
"May thy knife chip and shatter."
0000
PAUL ATREIDES
Back on Arrakis, Paul Atreides found himself resting as he prepared to face Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. All those around him tried to make him name Duncan the fighter, yet that would be nothing but cowardice, and Atreides were anything but cowards, and he would not shame the name of his father and forefathers.
House Harkonnen's crimes were against him and his family. They had tried to take his life, and though he considered Duncan family, this was more than that. This was about pride, honor, and revenge.
And so, with no one to turn to, he had sought help from an unlikely person. She had heard of the fighting prowess of the Fremen, male or female, and throughout the months, he had become close to one Chani Kynes, their attraction to one another as if fuelled by destiny.
And so, he asked for her help to prepare him, and she agreed. And it was because of one of these very spars that he found himself huffing on the sand of the Sietch Tabr, defeated as the words of the Reverend Mother continued to ring in his head.
Fighting with Chani had shown him just how dangerous the world was, for as he lay there huffing, the girl sat beside him eating a meal, full of energy despite them having been going at it for hours now.
And in this tiredness, the word slipped out of his mouth.
"Lisan al Gaib." And immediately, he felt her turn towards him.
"Where did you hear that word?"
And he turned to her, surprised that he had missed such an important source of information.
"You know what that means?" he asked. And to his surprise, she nodded with narrowed eyes.
"I do."
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My favorite character is here! Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen makes an appearance!