#But irulan is plotting

[the-gom-jabbar]

Paul: Muad'dib, Usul, Kwisatz Haderach, Mahdi, Lisan al Gaib, destroyer of 10,000 worlds resulting in the death of 61 billion people

Also Paul:

[borealnyx]

dont know how to say this in a way that doesnt sound at least a bit weird. but the ending of dune part 2 and the beginning of jesuschrist superstar are the same

[darthpeezy]

Alice Krige's Phenomenal Jessica

So, I love Rebecca Ferguson as Jessica. She brings this ominous dread of a cult leader that neither the books or prior adaptations did. I also enjoyed Saskia Reeves in the 2000 miniseries for being this strong, motherly figure the adaptation needed.

But this lady right here is my favourite:

That is Alice Krige who you might recognise as the Borq Queen and she absolutely ruled in the 2003 Children of Dune adaptation. She threaded the role between Bene Gesserit and Reverend Mother and grandmother and mentor so perfectly that whenever I think of Lady Jessica, this is who I think of.

She has a warmth to her that no other Jessica has ever managed. This is a person you want to tell all your secerets because you know she has the right answer.

But she's also a Bene Gesserit that is always watching, always oberving you and everything you do. Determinig how much of a threat you are and that threat can be family. Whether it is her daughter Alia, her grandson Leto II (the second) (no, really, he's the 2nd Leto II), or her granddaughter Ghanima.

But beyond that, she also has incredibly complicated relations with the other women of the story.

With Princess Irulan (played by the magnificent Julie Cox), arguably her son's most loyal ally and adoptive mother of her grandchildren. Their relationship evolving from animosity as they both try to protect Paul's children in different ways: Jessica from the danger of abomination (which is her own daught, Alia) and Irulan from Jessica who she believes has returned to her Bene Gesserit loyalty. This animosity evolves to trust as they realise who the enemy is and then sincere companionship as they bid each other goodbye.

And then there's her relationship with Wensicia, Irulan's sister. The miniseries made the brilliant move to make her the elder (which I'm using for my own fic) and that puts Jessica and Wensicia on equal footing as matriachs of great Houses with sons vying for the role of Emperor. Jessica, of course, won in the last generation with Paul ascending as an Atreides Emperor, but with Paul gone the Golden Lion Throne is up for grabs, and Wensicia's son Darad'n Corrino is the key player in their rivalry. Jessica, wins the loyalty of Farad'n not by manipulating him with her Bene Gesserit training, but by recognising the lack of love she gave Alia as a mistake and offering true kindness to Farad'n. By the end, Farad'n assumes Jessica's role as an Atreides concubine who sires the heirs of the lineage, but there is potential for love to come, just as Duke Leto loved her.

In short, the 2003 CoD miniseries had my favourite portrayal of Jessica and inherited some of the best adpatation changes from the 2000 Dune miniseries. Everyone should watch it and just treat the first series as a stage play, laugh at the constumes, and just enjoy the nerdy sincerity in adapting this weird piece of literature.

[thelandswemadeofpaper]

I going to make a challenge:

Pick a Villain's story you like and write a Original Hero Character...

...or...

Pick a Hero's story you like and write a Original Villain Character...

I am not saying a villain you think its a hero or a hero you think its a villain (grey characters have often those arguments between fandom). Its more like 'this story could suit the opposite side just fine if changed a lil bit' or 'I fully believe this person is a villain, but their story would be better was a hero's one."

Example:

Mical from 'Rei Davi'

In my home country there a soap opera about King David, I love it very much and the actress is kinda my fav so...this is more about the soap opera.

She's the Evil King Saul's daughter, David's first wife. I wonder if she feel usurped, she's David's Queen! Her children should have been his heirs! Its was her family's throne, but she still choose David, just like her brother (Saul's heir) did, she did loved him in some way. In the end she ended up locked and mad (and cursed to be childless). I know she made some fucked up stuff, but if she didn't? That plot would make a interesting broken hero plot.

She kinda reminds me of Princess Irulan too.

Edit: The actress is Maria Ribeiro and she's is Awesome.

[theartbishop324]

I get the marriage to Irulan is a political thing and she might even be glad that Paul leaves her alone but I kinda feel bad for her. Irulan has be deprived of a lot of parental love and it even states clearly in the books that she's had to guard herself from her father's schemes and plots at times and avoid assassination from her own family members.

Now she expects to be Paul's wife in their political marriage and as such, the mother to his children only to be let down to understand that Chani is his true love and she'll be his exclusive partner. She might have even expected to finally find the love she's been deprived of all her life.

It just seems cruel to me that Irulan has been, in some ways, alone emotionally all her life and now is trapped in a marriage to a man who won't show her an ounce of love and perhaps hostile to her at times.

Now, since she's empress she'll have her own freedom and do whatever she wants within her power but I just feel bad for her for her loss of affection from the man she's bound to in marriage. I feel like Paul could at least be kind to her and idk, give her gifts and do something to make her a bit happy.

Who knows how Denis(the director of Dune) will write her in Dune: Messiah and I'm very curious to see how her story line goes along with Chani's change from the books as she isn't just another fanatical follower anymore but that's just what's been on my mind after three trips to the cinema.

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Said I was not gonna make Dune Messiah predictions but here I am making Dune Messiah predictions. Because I've been thinking about how smartly Part Two used all the characters around Paul to embody the different forces pulling on him, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see a similar thing in Dune Messiah.

I think Irulan's role will be more or less the same as in the book--she'll be plotting against him. She represents the interests of the Bene Gesserit and the other Great Houses--all the various other imperialist powers that Paul pissed off by upending their carefully laid plans.

Chani will definitely be there but she will not have spent the intervening years with Paul. It's much more of a punch in the feels for her to pop up as a plot twist partway through the story and for us to see their reunion happen in real time. I've seen some predictions that try to like...bend Paul and Chani's relationship back into a shape approximating what's in the book and I am saying now that that ain't gonna happen. Spending years hanging around the imperial palace trying to get pregnant and soothing your dictator bf's existential angst makes no fucking sense for movie Chani. She will be organizing against him. If she "forgives" him and spends any amount of time with him it'll be a ruse in order to spy on him or something like that. I think it would be a great source of internal conflict for her to discover along the way that she still harbors some compassion for Paul as a person, but there is no way she will compromise her political principles; that is the bedrock of her character. She will serve much the same role as she did in Part Two: she gives voice to Paul's conscience, his better instincts, and the interests of the Fremen independent of what various imperial powers want from them.

The twins will still be born, because that is central to why Paul does what he does at the end of the story, and that is part of "leaving the door open" for any fool who might take a crack at directing Children of Dune. (I think Children of Dune can work just fine as a movie but anyone who does it will be Not Denis and therefore setting themselves a formidable task.) But like...Paul and Chani only have to have sex once for that to happen.

The role that Chani plays for a large chunk of the book, of being Paul's loyal confidante and the person he allows himself to be most human around? That role is gonna be filled by Alia.

Alia...doesn't really have a lot to do, plot-wise, in the book of Dune Messiah, and this is the perfect place to put her. She is the only person in the Known Universe who maybe sort of a little bit understands what Paul's experience of reality is like now. She's the perfect conduit to voice all the philosophical stuff about prescience that's in the book but hard to work into casual dialogue. The book is full of people saying stuff about how Paul and Alia are so close they seem like two halves of the same person but we don't really see it that much on the page, and this is the perfect chance to add that stuff in. (I could very much see them borrowing not necessarily the actual plot points but some of the weird incesty vibes from the Children of Dune era.) I wouldn't be so surprised if some of the moments that happen between Paul and Chani in the book get handed off to Alia (blind ornithopter ride maybe??) and Chani gets a whole new storyline, independent of Paul, that's not in the book at all.

It kinda fits with the rhythm of the films, too. In Part One Paul's most important interpersonal relationship is with Jessica. In Part Two, he's in conflict with Jessica and his most important relationship is with Chani. In Messiah, I think he'll be in conflict with Chani and his most central relationship will be with Alia. (And ghola!Duncan probably, but I think that will be another surprise reveal that happens later in the story.) And at the end of Messiah, he won't end up in conflict with Alia exactly. But he will leave her behind.

[sansaorgana]

Could I maybe request a bit of a sequel fic to thrown to the wolves where we kind of see the outside galaxy's perspective on the couple and their son. Like a lady from caladan remembering playing with reader and reconciling it with who she is now or a low ranking guard on Giedi Prime and the few times he's caught glimpses of them reflecting on how great it is that his chances of being randomly killed by the baron have dropped significantly since the Baroness has arrived or a handmaid to Irulan whose heard whispers that even the emperor fears them. IDK I think it could be interesting to see them and see how rumor and truth shape their wider image in the galaxy.

Thank you once again though for the masterpiece that is Thrown To The Wolves!

THROWN TO THE WOLVES MASTERLIST

AUTHOR’S NOTE — Hi, darling! 💝 Sorry that it took me so long but I was dealing with the end of semester at Uni. 🙄 Thank you for the request because it was interesting to write from other people's perspective. Perhaps the story is not very long but I have one more story about Feyd and our beloved (Na-)Baroness in my inbox to write, so it's not the end... yet! 😁

WORD COUNT — 1,370

ENGLISH IS MY SECOND LANGUAGE.

After her arrival, Princess Irulan was told by her servants that her father expected to see her. She nodded her head and freshened herself before taking a walk down the corridor to meet with her father. To her surprise, The Reverend Mother was not there and it was unusual since she often reminded of The Emperor's shadow.

“Welcome back home, child,” her father greeted her and pointed at the chair next to his. Irulan sat there and looked at him, waiting for his questions. “How was the ceremony on Giedi Prime?”

“Splendid,” Irulan answered genuinely. “They have outdone themselves, I have to admit. And The Baroness gave birth to the new na-baron on the same night. The excitement was unbelievable.”

“On the same night?” The Emperor smirked. “That woman plotted it very carefully.”

“Not everything is a result of plotting and scheming, dear father,” Irulan sighed. “Women cannot predict the exact time of birth.”

She was a bit irritated with her father for assuming such a thing – not because she was under The Baroness’ charm or influence but because it was so… typical for a man of him. They had no idea about childbirth but they loved to pretend they knew everything.

“Do not underestimate them, The Harkonnens,” The Emperor tilted his head as he squinted his eyes at his daughter as if he was able to hear her thoughts. “Their technology and medicine advanced us in ways we don't even know about. They know very well that their experiments would not be approved by the other Great Houses so they keep most of them a secret. And do not underestimate The Baroness either. What do people say about her?”

“That she can temper Feyd-Rautha, the new Baron,” Irulan answered. “They hope for that certainly.”

“Tame him? Have you seen her on Arrakis?” The Emperor sneered at that. “Women tend to be more ruthless leaders than men for they truly do believe that their cruelty is justified for the way the society is treating them,” he reminded his daughter. After all, she would inherit after him as well.

If they were lucky. And deep down he knew they would not be. He was old and weak now but not stupid. He knew what The Harkonnens wanted – his throne. Feyd-Rautha himself perhaps would not be a threat that big but the new Baroness was a dangerous new pawn in that game. She had her ruthless husband under control and he was nothing but a loyal dog – he would bite and attack when she asked. And The Emperor knew that she would ask. She was only waiting for the right moment.

“The Harkonnens have gained a new amount of power and influence. A dangerous one,” he thought out loud. “They're so powerful now that I can't take away their privileges because they'd attack and only prove their forces are stronger than the Imperial ones.”

“It's better to keep them as friends,” Irulan nodded as she played nervously with her fingers.

“Let's hope and pray that the new Baroness wants to make friends,” her father smiled sadly.

He was old already, he couldn't care less. But he was worried about his daughter’s future.

“The word soon will spread about their power. We have to make sure all the rumours about them wanting the Imperial Throne will be silenced,” he added.

The rumour was spreading indeed. But a maid from Caladan who had used to be the new Baroness' personal servant back in the day… She didn't believe the cruel rumours.

As her former Princess was leaving to Giedi Prime, she had promised her to keep visiting her mother's grave. And she was standing above it now as she admired the new stone next to it. The grave of Duke Leto and Lady Jessica was standing right next to his late wife's. Baroness Harkonnen had paid for the transport of their bodies and for the funeral and the stone. She had given all the instructions on what should be written on it. 

Duke Leto Atreides. Lady Jessica – mother of Prince Paul Atreides and the unnamed daughter.

And the maid knew – she had heard the stories – that it was Baroness Harkonnen herself who had murdered Lady Jessica and her child. But the maid also knew that her former Princess could not be as fearsome and cruel as the rumours were saying. She still cared about her father and even made her peace with Lady Jessica in a way, since she allowed her to rest next to her mother. Another rumour said that she had also allowed Prince Paul's Fremen lover to take care of his body and give him a funeral according to their customs.

But the maid was sad as she watched. So many things had changed and she wished they all were still here – Duke Leto, Jady Jessica, young Paul and young (Y/N). 

A cold shiver went down her body at the realisation that only Baroness Harkonnen had survived out of them all. Perhaps the rumours were true after all – she had to be cruel and fearsome if she had been the only survival of her House and family and if she had helped to murder them herself. And the stone she had bought did not mean anything, really. It was just a stone.

Usually, on other planets, becoming the personal guard of the noble family was a privilege. On Giedi Prime it meant a death sentence. 

The young Baron couldn't care less about human life and he was always first to take it. The lives of slaves, servants and guards meant nothing to him and in the past he had been even killing them just out of boredom.

The young guard assigned to keep an eye on the nursery was tense every time the Baron was nearby. But so far so good, he thought, when he realised that the young na-baron Maxim-Feyd Harkonnen was already six months old and he was still alive. To last half a year nearby the Baron was an achievement for sure.

As he was standing in front of the doors leading to the nursery most of his days, he had an opportunity of witnessing the scary Baron Harkonnen performing activities that would certainly spoil his ruthless image. He was visiting the nursery every day alongside his wife – in fact, The Baroness was visiting a few times a day. But at least once a day The Baron was by her side, looking the guard up and down with contempt but doing nothing more than that.

Apparently, it was his wife's influence – so the people said. She believed that her own servants should not fear them too much because it was influencing their loyalty in a bad way. Whatever she believed in – for all the servants, slaves and guards it was a big relief.

But only the guards working around the nursery and two maids named Astra and Cara could see The Baron Harkonnen being… soft. Soft around his son when he was carrying him around and telling him war stories. He was definitely a very proud father even though he was often scared of hurting his child accidentally. And he tended to forget that children – especially so small – couldn't understand him. He often addressed little Maxim as if he was an adult and then he was getting frustrated that his son didn't understand him.

The Baroness found it funny each time. But even though she was a woman and most likely a reason why the chances of getting randomly killed decreased, it would be foolish to think she was not to be feared.

Not only her one command would make The Baron attack but also all it would take to enrage him was to look at The Baroness the wrong way. She wouldn't have to ask then, The Baron was a guard dog. A rabid animal, barely tamed by a madwoman – you never knew when she'd loosen the leash.

And that was the Galaxy's greatest fear now – and it was not the question of if but a question of when the leash would be loosened and the war for the Imperial Throne starts. And people wondered who was truly more dangerous – the rabid dog or the mad owner?

MASTERLIST

[houserautha]

These Destined Ends

Part Fourteen

Summary: Jessica fulfilled the wishes of the Bene Gesserits to produce a daughter. You’re now burdened with the task of not only marrying the na-Baron, but also bearing his child — the Kwisatz Haderach. Will you take your fate into your own hands? Or will it always belong to those who control you?

Pairings: Feyd-Rautha x F!Reader

Word Count: 4.8k

Warnings: and they were cousins, poison, brief descriptions of violence and death

A/N: Thank you to everyone for being patient with me while I slowly update TDE🥺❤️‍🩹 Hopefully this chapter was worth it, I apologize beforehand for the lack of smut and the abundance of plot

You stare at the document in your hands, realization trickling in slowly, then with more force — a dam eroding before the subsequent flood. The longer you look at it the more the words and symbols swim before your eyes. How could this be? Had Jessica known about this?

She had to have, you puzzle, if it was in the study. Why didn’t she tell you? Could it be that she just never got the chance?

Or was she hiding it?

“You could at least look a little bit excited to see me.”

“Oh, Asha, I —” the content of the document promptly vanishes from your mind as it works instead to compute the image of Asha standing in the doorway of the study. “Asha!”

A shriek tears from you and you race across the room to your friend, embracing her tightly. She laughs against you. “There’s the welcome that I was expecting.”

“I’m sorry, I — actually, it doesn’t matter. What are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.” You hold her at arms length, examining her to make sure that she looks healthy and unharmed. “Are they treating you well?”

“The servants went sent ahead to prepare the rooms,” Asha says. “And I’m fine. How are you? Am I an aunt yet?”

There’s nothing you can do to suppress your eye roll, but you squeeze her hand assuringly. “You’ll be the first person to know.”

“Mm. The na-Baron needs to get on it.”

“Get on what?”

“Me,” you say. At the same time, Asha blurts, “Nothing!”

Feyd has replaced Asha in the doorway. He looks unfairly handsome, his skin retaining a little more color than usual from the Arrakis suns. Well, a red color, one that you’ve assurred him would fade.

Probably.

Seeing him makes your stomach flip. You’ve left the document out on the desk, and you glance at it quickly. But if he picks up on your panic, he doesn’t mention it.

“I suspected it was you when I heard all of the shrieking,” Feyd says. Then, this time to Asha, “I’m glad that you’re here.”

“Thank you, na-Baron,” Asha says with a dip of her chin.

“Do you need something?” You ask him. As casually as you can, you return to the desk and slip the document into your pocket.

Feyd’s lips twitch. “Can a husband not just visit his wife?”

“A husband can,” you retort, “but I have the sense that you are here as the na-Baron. Not my husband.”

“Is there a difference?”

You look to Asha. “I’ll be right back,” you promise her. Not daring to say anything in front of Feyd, she nods. You trail after Feyd into the hallway, who sets a swift pace, striding away from the study and out of ear shot.

“There’s a problem,” he tells you in a hushed tone.

“Other than the fact that you just stole me away as soon as my best friend arrived?”

Feyd ignores this. “My brother has generously invited Irulan and her family to the feast tomorrow night.”

“What?”

“The Emperor has declined the invitation but Irulan has elected to attend. Even though her father won’t be there, I suspect he’ll send an army of reinforcements for her.”

You mull over this new information. Both of you fall silent as a pair of soldiers pass by, then you whisper, “Could they suspect our plan?”

“No. Impossible.” Feyd shakes his head. “I’m sure the Baron just wants to remind House Corrino of their hand in…this.” He waves his hand to encompass the palace as you walk through it.

“Dethroning my family by having them killed?”

Feyd stops and pivots to you, grabbing your wrist. “I haven’t forgotten. But neither have they. We must keep our wits about us if we hope to be successful.”

“Right. I know.” You free yourself from his grip.

“You can’t let your emotions distract you.”

“They won’t.”

Feyd inspects your face, and he’s quiet for quite some time. “You’re hiding something from me.”

“No I’m not,” you reply reflexively. Feyd raises a brow. A scowl crosses your features and, reluctantly, you ask him, “What do you know of my…lineage?”

“I told you, you must not —”

“Just answer the question,” you snap. He’s acting as if you’re a petulant child, liable to pitch a fit.

Feyd recites what he knows, what you’ve told him — how your mother’s parents were never revealed to her. His mouth forms a severe line. “Why?”

There’s a fleeting moment in which you debate whether or not you’ll share the information with him. Ultimately, you know that you will never be able to keep it a secret. With hesitance you draw the document from your pocket and give it to him. Feyd’s eyes flash curiously to yours then back to the paper before reading it.

His expression remains unchanged. He hands the paper back to you. “I’m not surprised.”

“You’re not surprised?”

You were cousins. Cousins.

“I didn’t know, obviously,” he says, his voice nearing a growl. Then something in him softens slightly. “I’m referencing the inexplicable…connection that I have always felt. That you must’ve felt. Our hearts knew the same blood ran in our veins before our minds did.”

“You’re okay with this?” You ask.

Feyd lifts a shoulder, diplomatic as ever. “It is not unheard of. Besides, I am too entranced with you to let this affect me. If anything it just cements the bond that we have.”

He draws you close to him, his chin resting on the top of your head. You find comfort in the pulse of his heart under your ear, the familiar scent that you’ve associated with him. “You are me,” he says finally.

You smile softly. “And I am you.”

Late into the evening you help Asha with prepping for your esteemed guests, working alongside the other servants and sneaking sips of the spice wine. They’re unsure of you, at first, but Asha quickly puts them at ease with a few unflattering anecdotes. You laugh with them. It’s been too long of a time since you’ve really laughed, spent time with people who didn’t have any expectations of you except the ones that Asha dashed — you were not quite as scary as you looked, and you did not lash out at others at the slightest provocation.

“You’re confusing me for my husband,” you told them then, to weary laughter. You might not have been a threat to them, but they were all afraid of Feyd-Rautha. Understandably.

It’s a nice reprieve until you awake the next morning with a twinge of a spice headache and a spiraling sense of doom. What if your pain failed? What if something happened to you — or Feyd?

“Quit it.”

You’re sitting on the edge of the bed, draped in your finest dress. Feyd stands before the vanity and you watch him slip the Gom Jabbar into a hidden compartment in his sleeve. “Quit what?” You ask, fear tightening your chest.

“Worrying,” he says.

You meet his eyes in the mirror. A protest forms on your tongue but you know it would be futile to pretend that you aren’t worrying considering that he knows every subtle change in your expression. When you fail to reply, he turns to you, straightening out the cuffs of his smart jacket.

“Everything will be fine,” he tells you.

“You don’t know that.”

“I have never made a habit of being wrong.”

You fix him with an exasperated look. “We have no idea how this is going to play out.”

“We’re going to take back control from the hands of our oppressors,” Feyd says, his rasping voice like a lullaby. His long stride devours the space between you until he’s positioned himself practically between your legs. “We will finally take what we deserve.”

“I know. I know,” you say again with more conviction. You roll your shoulders back and try to emulate some of Feyd’s unwavering confidence, but he hardly looks convinced.

Gazing down at you, Feyd brushes his knuckles over the bannister of your cheek. “No harm will come to you. I won’t allow it.”

“And I won’t allow any harm to come to you.”

His hand pauses. Feyd’s thumb and forefinger captures your chin, lifts it up. “Promise me that you will not jeopardize your safety for mine.”

Not for the first time, you admire the angles of his face — the smooth brow, the dark eyes looking down at you over his straight nose; the plush lips that you cannot look at without picturing them over your most sensitive parts. Your heart pangs. You would do anything for him.

You tell him in an equally soft tone, “I can’t promise you that.”

“You must.” His grip on your chin tightens.

“We’ve already established that you are my blood. My past, my future,” you whisper fervently to him, brave in the face of his obvious disapproval, “if the moment comes to it I would lay down my life to protect yours.”

Feyd leans down. His mouth slants over yours, a phantom of a kiss. “Then you’re a fool,” he breathes, words chilling you.

“So be it.”

Feyd releases his grasp on you, stealing the air from your lungs. Even the faintest touch of his leaves you wanting more.

“Come,” he says, holding out his arm, “my foolish wife. We have guests to receive.”

Glowglobes dance over your heads as you venture, arm in arm, to the front of the palace. No one has been permitted to enter without the na-Baron and na-Baroness and at your arrival begin to trickle in slowly, each guest stopping to greet you and praise you for your hospitality.

A few stop to ponder at the lack of wash troughs but after a series of dead-end interactions with Feyd cease to ask. It wasn’t a popular choice among the Arrakis staff, you had learned from your previous stay that they liked to sell the towels from which cleaned up the mess from the troughs. Your Harkonnen guest frown on this as well. Even Feyd was skeptical about your insistence on removing the tradition, but he supported you regardless, and you couldn’t be more pleased by your decision.

Water was sacred here and you would not flaunt your access to it, not even to those who had never had to safe keep it.

It’s difficult to maintain the smile on your face as you welcome noblemen and bankers, wealthy businessmen, and even the occasional individual that you sense dabbled in the more seedy side of entrepreneurship. The duel suns have just started to set when you notice a familiar dark shape approaching you.

“Uncle,” Feyd greets the Baron.

“Feyd-Rautha, na-Baroness.” His voice slips over you like grease and his eyes are even more beady than you remember. Your grandfather. “It is good to see you again and to celebrate your victory.”

“Indeed,” you reply, not meaning it in the least.

From behind the Baron, his suspenders whirring with the effort of lifting him, emerge Rabban, clutching the wrist of one of the most beautiful women you have ever seen. Her dress gives the appearance of armor but still impressively elegant, blonde hair slicked back and green eyes latching onto you immediately.

“Princess Irulan,” Rabban says. “Though she hardly needs an introduction.”

“It’s a pleasure,” you say, curtsying.

Irulan smiles wistfully at you. “There is no need for that. We are destined to be family, after all.”

“My apologies,” Feyd retorts.

“Don’t mind him,” the Baron directs at the princess. One of his massive hands clamps down on Feyd’s shoulders, a gesture that you do not mistake for anything less than threatening. “He jests as all brothers do.”

“I understand,” Irulan says with a melodious laugh. Though as the five of you take to joining the rest of the party (along with Irulan's small army of guards), you can’t help but notice the way she glances at you. You have trouble deciphering the look but it slips from your mind after another session of small talk before the first course is served.

The table has just been set with plates of all sorts of delicacies when you feel a small hand grab you. Bodies press against you as guests hurry to claim the most coveted seats at the table. A chord of surprise is struck in you when you realize that the hand is not that of someone hoping to steady themselves amongst the sea of bodies but, rather, the intentional grip of Princess Irulan.

“We must talk,” she says. “It’s not every day that you find yourself in a situation like the one we have both been put in.”

“Did you not think your father would arrange your marriage?” You ask stiffly.

Something reminds you that Irulan is studying to be a Bene Gesserit, a feat that you could never hope to accomplish. You have to admit that it’s admirable. But the less tolerant side of you resents her for it.

“I could never hope for that, much like you were unable,” Irulan says. “I meant in the nature of being engaged to Harkonnens.”

“Oh.”

Distractedly you let your eyes wander until they fall on Feyd, who is sitting in his place at the head of the table and entertaining a small audience. Rabban, on the other hand, glowers at the food heaped on his plate, fork gripped in his fist as if he wants to launch it at someone.

“Do you have any wisdom to impart?” Irulan asks.

“I’m still trying to learn myself,” you tell her. “The Harkonnens are a…unique people.”

Irulan leans closer to you. “Is Feyd-Rautha as psychotic as they say?”

“Even more,” you say in interest of feeding the rumors. They weren’t wrong, of course, but you could hardly consider him as such when it was Irulan’s own betrothed who worried you.

And they both had a hand in your family’s deaths.

Before you can say anything to this effect, however, Feyd beckons you to the table. You smile at Irulan placatingly — the expression of a wife under her husband’s control — then find your place beside him. Irulan sits down on the other side of Rabban. Is she still staring at you?

You can’t help but feel as you did when Jessica would scrutinize you, analyzing your every move and word. It unsettles you.

The dinner starts without a hitch. You do your best to move the food on your plate around convincingly and avoid Irulan’s gaze. Everyone seems content to listen to Feyd’s stories about dismantling the spice smugglers, though, which leaves you mostly adrift with your thoughts. In fact, you’re so surprised when someone speaks to you that it takes several moments for you to compose an answer.

“Pardon my niece,” the Baron interjects with a sickening smile. “She certainly has a lot on her mind. Arrakis is grueling for even the weakest of individuals, though she’s had experience with it before.”

The noblemen who spoke to you nods. “That’s right. You’re of House Atreides. My condolences about your parents. Duke Leto was a magnificent man.”

“If only other men were possessed of such magnificence,” you mutter in reply, angrily spearing a vegetable on your plate. You shoot a glare at the Baron. “My father inspired cowardice in those who could not even hope to compete with him.”

“True cowardice lies in refusing to admit when you’ve been beat,” the Baron says coolly. He licks sauce from his thumb.

You stare back evenly at him. “You would know about true cowardice.”

The nobleman stuck between you both clears his throat awkwardly and drains the rest of his glass. Conversation swells again and thankfully diverts the topic of your family, and as the dinner transpires you’re itching to enact your plan. Finally dessert is cleared and after-dinner drinks are set before all of the guests.

Feyd rises to his feet and draws the attention of the room, holding up his flute to indicate a toast.

You stand, too, and smile endearingly at him.

“Tonight we have gathered to celebrate the prosperity of the House Harkonnen,” he rasps. “In the face of adversity we have yet again come out the victors on the other side.” This is met by a small smattering of applause. Feyd continues, “Of course, where would we be without our patriarch? The Baron has…provided for us for many years. I can only hope to return the favor.”

Feyd and you both drink from your glasses, as do the rest of the party.

It takes only a few seconds for panic to arise.

While you and Feyd gaze out contentedly at your guest, they find themselves paralyzed and unable to move a muscle. It’s a temporary poison — it won’t last longer than a few minutes — but it’s one that you both have acclimated to. You are free to round the table to Rabban at the same time that Feyd strides to his uncle on the other side.

You pull the Gom Jabbar from your corset. Every Noble House is in possession of one, which is why Feyd also had to steal his own. In a movement that seems almost choreographed, you and your husband bring the needles up to the necks of your prisoners. Adrenaline soars through you.

“It was always going to end like this between us,” Feyd murmurs almost lovingly to the Baron. He brushes his finger down his uncle’s face.

You turn your attention to Rabban. Although he cannot move, the muscles in his eyes strain to glare at you. You hold the needle just centimeters from his skin. “I will give you the same mercy you gave my family,” you whisper. “None.”

“STOP!”

Time ceases to move as, from your peripheral, you watch Irulan shoot to her feet. You’re unable to refuse the call of The Voice, and you’re rendered as paralyzed as the guests who drank from their poisoned glasses.

Which, apparently, the princess had not.

“You two are both fools,” she hisses. Her fingers form claws at her sides. “Did you not think I would notice what you were doing? That I would let you unravel the hard work of my father?”

Using The Voice, she orders you to drop the needles. They clatter to the ground.

You manage a glance in Feyd’s direction. His expression is grim, jaw clenched and eyes burning with rage at having been thwarted. Out of all of the outcomes of this evening, you hadn’t expected this to be one of them. A leaden feeling fills your entire body.

Irulan holds you, frozen, until she can call her father’s guards into the room and command them to seize you for treason.

“Irulan, please,” you beg her once liberated of her hold over you.

She simply gazes at you with contempt.

Guards descend on the room without warning and, without any verbal agreement, you and Feyd do your best to fend off wave after wave of them. They drop like flies, but there’s too many of them for you both to dispatch. You step and whirl over fallen bodies as you fend off the guards with nothing but a butter knife, the Gom Jabbar having been the first thing the guards kicked out of your grasp.

“We have to get out,” Feyd snaps at you. He throws a punch over your shoulder, hitting a guard and giving you enough time to spin and kick the offender in the gut. “Now.”

You pant, “Where?”

Irulan was tending to Rabban, who had stirred and was glaring murderously at you as he waited for the rest of his body to cooperate. The Baron simply stared from his seat. You had no idea if he was fully awake or not, but you didn’t want to wait for the punishment he fettered out.

“Here.” Feyd pushes a torn up napkin into your hands and demonstrates his intention by forcing them deep into his ears.

You quickly do the same. If you can’t hear Irulan, then the Voice won’t work on you.

Right?

It seemed as good a plan as any. Like a conjoined beast, you and Feyd tear through the swarm of guards like cutting through tall wheat. Blood splattered his face and his knuckles had broken open — you were sure you looked just as deranged, hair loosened from its pins and dress ripped from where a guard had taken hold to try and stop you. You had promptly struck him in the head with your foot, knocking him out and releasing his grip on you.

A roar from behind alerts you to bigger troubles. Rabban staggers after you, face reddened.

“Y/N!” Asha cries. You’ve made it to one of the adjoining hallways, and she latches onto your arm, pulling you towards her.

“Asha, no —”

“Go! Take her!” Feyd yells.

You wrench yourself free from Asha but Feyd has already been swallowed up by a wall of guards. A keening sound escapes you. You try to push yourself back but Asha won’t let you. “No, Feyd! Feyd!”

“He made me promise that I would help you escape,” Asha tells you, panicked. “Come on.”

“I won’t leave him.”

Asha tugs your arm. “I doubt he will be able to tolerate being apart from you for very long. But he will not tolerate it if I let anything happen to you.”

A guard with a lasgun splits from the dining room towards you and Asha and, with one more prompt from her, you take off running in the opposite direction, tears of frustration streaming down your face. The lasgun fires off two rounds, narrowly missing you. You pump your legs as fast as they will go, completely disconnected from the task at hand as you remember the image of Feyd interlocking with Rabban before he was obscured from your view by the guards. Would even your husband be able to escape such force?

“Turn here,” Asha instructs, your feet thundering loudly on the polished floors. She turns and thrusts you into a segment of the wall that has fallen away, moving swiftly to replace it. Stupidly, you hover, ensuring that you’re not being followed. The sound of the guard’s heavy breathing passes by you, then disappears. Asha turns to you, her face in shadows. “Move.”

Once you’re safely away from the door, tunneling through a narrow passageway, you ask her, “Where are we?”

“Abandoned servants halls. They used to use them to travel through the palace without being detected.”

A rush of adrenaline keeps you moving. You trail after Asha as she guides you through the winding passage, relying only on touch to navigate. You can barely even lift your arms at your sides without touching the walls, and its pitch black, no glowglobes to light your way. There’s no saying how far you go until Asha is grunting and pushing her shoulder up against another segment of wall.

You blink rapidly as you encounter a burst of light and the grit of sand on your tongue. Somehow you’ve bypassed most of the palace for the hangar. It’s shaded by an awning but open on one side to the harsh elements.

“Come on, we don’t have much time. If they’re smart they’ll know where we’re going.”

Asha leads you to one of the idle thopters. “I have no idea how to pilot one of these,” you say, alarmed.

“It’s been preprogrammed to at least get you out of Arraneen,” Asha says. “The rest is up to you. It’s not hard. This is the throttle—” she points to a lever, then another, “and this is the clutch.”

“I —” the words die in your throat.

I, what? Can’t land this thing? Can’t believe this is happening? Can’t leave without Feyd?

“Come with us. They’ll kill you if they find out you helped us,” you say instead.

Asha shakes her head. “There’s no room.”

“Asha —”

Your friend, her own tears in her eyes, pushes away your reaching hand. She ducks her head to check a watch-apparatus from her pocket. “The na-Baron should be here soon. If he’s not, he instructed me to force you to leave without him.”

You growl, “Nothing you can say will keep me from him.”

As if the universe felt personally challenged by this, the sounds of lasguns going off reverberate through the hangar. Asha and you both look towards the entrance, where Feyd can be seen sprinting from a group of guards. A scream climbs in your chest, bubbling with fear, as you watch him swerve and dodge to avoid the blasts.

“Feyd!” You cry.

His eyes lock on you and, seemingly emboldened, cycles his legs faster, outrunning the guards in their clumsy uniforms.

“Y/N, start the thopter!” Asha yells. She indicates a button on the mantle of the ship and you hastily press it, the bug-like wings snapping to life and kicking up sand in the hangar.

Feyd skids to a stop beside the thopter. A blast fires off, singing the mechanical flank of the ship. He uses his body as a shield for Asha. “Come with us,” he tells her, echoing you. Sweat and blood mingle on his face and his clothes.

“No. It’s too late. Go!” Asha all but shoves him into the thopter, crying out as another blast lands at her feet. With Feyd’s broad form next to yours, there’s truly no room for Asha unless she wanted to be smashed against the windshield. Feyd takes over the controls from you.

The thopter door closes right as the guards reach it, already jerking Asha into their grip.

You howl and scream in disbelief, pounding at the doors of the thopter from the inside as it launches into the air. Feyd hovers slightly before yanking on the throttle and piloting the thopter out of the hangar. “No, no, no!” Asha’s tiny frame is dwarfed by the guards, then by distance.

“Y/N, there’s nothing we can do now. She sacrificed herself for us. Let’s not put it to waste,” Feyd snarls at you.

You swipe tears and makeup from your face. Something inside you hardens, and you push down your anguish in order to focus on your escape. Feyd is a talented flyer, but it’s nothing compared to the league of thopters and ships encroaching in the distance. Worry clamps down on you like the jaws of a sandworm.

Arrakeen blurs beneath you as Feyd soars over it, the body of the thopter casting shadows over the buildings. You’ve nearly reached the shield wall when a shot collides with the thopter and sends it staggering to one side. Feyd curses. The Emperor’s ships have caught up with you. You grip your armrests, eyes widening as you watch the ships grow larger and larger in the rearview mirror. Feyd eases your ship through a small opening in the shimmering shield wall, effectively preventing any of the large ships from following.

More shots ring out, pinging off your thopter.

“What are we going to do?” Feyd’s dark gaze flickers behind you, then back to the desert unfolding before you. It’s then that you see it — a storm. “Feyd, did you get hit in the head? We can’t go into a sandstorm.”

“It’s our only option,” he grits out.

You want to protest, to persist that there’s another way, but you have no answer. Feyd forces the throttle of the ship down as far as it will go, the wings fluttering almost imperceptibly as he urges them to go as fast as possible. Pain explodes in your head when a blast hits the side of the thopter and you’re thrown against the inner wall; much like the pain, a fiery explosion erupts outside your window.

“Fuck! They shot off one of the engines,” Feyd yells over the clamor of the thopter stalling. Teeth gritting, he swoops it out of its downward spiral and back into the air. “We just have to make it to the storm. They won’t follow us.”

Giant columns of smoke billow from the decimated engine, the right wing also engulfed in flames. The thopters chugs along awkwardly, dipping and faltering as Feyd does his best to keep it in the air, relying on the gusts of wind from the oncoming storm. Your stomach churns.

And, quite literally jumping from one problem to the next, the storm seizes upon your thopter with furious force. From all sides you’re battered by wind and currents of sand and rocks, sounding like you were being pelted with boulders on all sides. You realize too late that the screaming you hear is from you. Feyd battles against the storm but at this point he’s at its terrible mercy, both of you being tossed around with no sense of control.

There’s a split second when you catch a glimpse of fear on Feyd’s face — the first time you’ve ever seen it — before another blast rockets into the thopter. One of the ships had followed you.

Flames converge with the whipping sand and an alarm starts wailing as the thopter plummets to the ground. Well, logical leads you to believe that it’s the ground, there’s no way of telling which direction you’re going.

Feyd releases himself from his seat’s harness and crosses over the console, throwing his body over yours right as the ship collides with something solid and everything goes black.

Part Fifteen

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[melintowriting]

The first Empress- Chapter 1

Hello everyone! I finally finished writing the first chapter. Again, English is not my first language so I'm sorry if there are some mistakes. For the ones who don’t know the plot I'll create a master list so that everyone can read it. Hope you guys will like it!

Warnings: arranged marriage, mentions of blood and death

Word count: 2.319

ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE

Kaitain, 10191

It was a wonderful day on Kaitain: the sun was high in the sky, the gardens smelled of spring and the water that gushed from the fountains seemed almost to shine, as if it was full of many small diamonds.

Her eyes observed the surroundings in the shadow of a large secular tree, attentive and sharp. Nothing could escape her gaze.

She observed a dragonfly just resting on the arm of a statue, then a small insect intent on creeping between the stones that made up the outside wall of the garden, and only finally on the figure that was approaching her in the distance.

Her stomach was gripped by the deep hatred that had been poisoning her for a long time. It was Irulan.

"I thought I made it pretty clear this morning that I wanted to be left alone."

Her voice sounded calm and stoic, in contrast with the burning anger that was eating up her stomach. She had learned that imperturbable impassibility from her mother: it was fundamental to survive in that world. She had understood it at her expense.

Irulan remained silent until she was close enough to see her step sister sitting under the big tree.

She was ready, everyone was at the palace. Soon the Harkonnen would have arrived and the alliance would be created.

"You chose a beautiful dress, sister." commented the eldest, sitting next to Megan.

Megan gave her a brief glance sideways before returning to observe the garden: "Is it a compliment or a pretext to mock me? And do I need to remind you that we’re not sisters?"

Despite the hatred that had been running between them for months, something broke in the heart of Irulan when she heard the words of her half-sister. She was right, they weren’t sisters, but Irulan had grown up believing that her and Jeremy were actually her siblings.

"Don’t pretend my words hurt you. After the pain you have caused to me, to my brother and to my mother, I don’t care about your emotions anymore."

A stab was that phrase, for the heart of the older sister; a stab that awakened in her an old, but not too old, guilt.

She was grateful to the guards who appeared in front of them for not giving Megan time to rage further: she knew she would have done so with immense pleasure.

"Princess Megan, the Harkonnen spacecraft has entered the atmosphere, it’s time to go," they announced.

Irulan was immensely surprised by her half-sister’s lack of hesitation in getting up and walking towards the palace, escorted by soldiers. Was she really not afraid? 

Was she really not afraid of being betrothed to Feyd Rautha?

******

The Emperor was sitting on the throne, impatiently waiting.

The room was filled with an icy silence. 

"Why is it taking so long?" he complained to Irulan, his beloved and only real daughter, standing by his side.

"I have no idea, Father." she admitted, "Maybe..."

She did not have time to finish: the huge door of the hall was opening and the Harkonnen guards were entering the palace.

The Baron floated towards the throne, kneeling before it.

Irulan paid little attention to the pleasantries between the Baron and her father, intrigued as she was by her sister’s betrothed.

Feyd Rautha towered behind his uncle, his face almost deformed by a small grin on his lips. Like a shark hunting for its prey, he watched with icy eyes the imperial family, in search of his future wife. There was no emotion in his eyes.

Everyone knew he was crazy.

For a moment she felt great sorrow for Megan. 

"Baron, Na-Baron, this is my second daughter, Megan."

As soon as the bride-to-be of the Na-Baron entered the room, everyone’s eyes fell on her, like iron attracted by a magnet. She walked in with her head held high and a posture that emanated confidence.

Actually, Megan’s confidence was a distraction from her emotions. She could feel something moving in her stomach.

Fear, perhaps? No, it was not fear, it was impatience. 

Everything was already written.

According to the Bene Gesserit plan she had been promised to Feyd since she was born, and Monique, her mother and member of the sisterhood, had made it happen.

Monique was the Emperor’s second wife. Upon the death of Irulan’s mother, Shaddam Corrino IV and Duke Leto Atreides' sister got married.

The Emperor, to ensure the continuity of the throne, wanted a son, a son that Monique, as Bene Gesserit, should have been obliged to give him. But she had met Silgasq, a Fremen imperial planetologist who was visiting the Emperor’s court to update him on new discoveries related to the Spice. 

There had been numerous rumors about Megan and her twin brother Jeremy, about their hair and eyes being too dark, about their suspicious features and especially about the absolute lack of resemblance to the Emperor.

Silgasq stayed at the Corrino’s court for some years, officially to continue his studies, secretly to stay with the woman he had fallen in love with and with the children he had conceived with her. The twins had never been unaware of the truth, they had grown up knowing they were not Corrino, with the absolute prohibition of their mother to reveal the truth to a living soul. It was Irulan who ruined everything. She had loved the twins with her whole being, as if they had really been her siblings, but as soon as she learned the truth thanks to her Bene Gesserit training, hurt by acknowledging that she had always believed a lie, she did not hesitate to report everything to her father. 

She had betrayed them. They had to watch as the Sardaukars killed their real father before their eyes. Only one thing was certain: they would have avenged him. With blood and fire they would have made justice for their father. They had sworn it to their mother.

The reason Megan was only waiting to get away from the Emperor was simple: she wanted to plot her revenge, away from prying eyes. She did not fear the idea of marrying Feyd Rautha; she had the necessary tools to deal with him, tools that her mother had provided her. She had taught her how to seduce, manipulate, attract. And then, the main and most powerful power, of which she was born already endowed: the Voice.

She stopped as soon as she came before the young Na-Baron Harkonnen, bowing slightly as per protocol. Feyd did the same, impatiently waiting for her to look up. The grin was still printed on his lips but no longer with the same intensity as before. It was just a distraction to keep the impatience that was eating him from getting out.

"It’s an honor to meet you, my betrothed."

The girl’s voice delighted Feyd’s ears.

"The pleasure is mine, princess."

Nothing genuine, spontaneous or natural: it was the protocol to which both had been meticulously trained. Yet there was something more.

Even Irulan, from the top of his father’s throne, was able to see him.

The way they looked at each other for the first time was definitely not protocol.

"Baron Vladimir Harkonnen." said the Emperor, standing up, "I offer to your nephew my daughter’s hand, thus sealing an alliance between our Houses."

The Baron tried not to grin with joy: now he really had the power in hand.

"My Emperor, I accept the great honor you are bestowing upon my House." answered the Baron promptly, bowing, "May the one between your daughter and my nephew be a strong and lasting union."

While all the attention of the room had shifted to the two powerful men intent on establishing the details of the wedding, only Irulan’s attentive eyes were still fixed on her step sister and Feyd.

She was the only one who noticed how they smiled slightly before looking down.

******

A few hours later

That night the celebrations were extraordinary.

The halls of the royal palace were filled with nobles from all over the empire, the fireworks had shone in the sky, the banquet had been sumptuous.

The Emperor was happy.

Happy to finally get rid of his illegitimate daughter, condemning her to marry a cruel man. She would have spent the rest of her life on Giedi Prime, away from the imperial court and from him, under the tyranny of Baron Harkonnen.

Megan’s wish was only one: to be able to take her twin Jeremy with her. The Emperor had agreed. It meant getting rid of both. Those twins were the result of adultery and brought only disgrace on House Corrino. He was delighted at the idea of snatching them away from Monique. She had dared to deceive him, betray him, and she was finally going to receive her punishment.

As soon as dinner was over Megan turned to her twin, sitting next to her, and whispered that she needed some fresh air. Jeremy knew right away why. He understood his sister better than anyone else: she felt overwhelmed by emotions and celebrations, she needed a moment to herself. He telepathically understood and nodded.

Megan snuck away, sure that no one had seen her. She was wrong.

Feyd’s sharp eyes had immediately intercepted her.

After their first meeting a few hours earlier they had not had a chance to speak again and properly.

Feyd seized the opportunity: he got up from the table and left the room without much explanation.

In front of him stood a long corridor that ended in a large balcony overlooking the countryside. Kaitain was a green, prosperous planet, completely different from Giedi Prime which was polluted, harsh and dark.

Feyd could see her even from so far away: Megan was facing the balcony, her long dark hair was falling down her back and her pretty dress was making her pleasant figure justice.

He followed the trail of perfume that the girl’s passage had left in the corridor and reached her.

His stride was almost impossible to hear, to the point that Megan only noticed his presence when he spoke to her.

"I saw you leaving the room, princess. Aren’t the celebrations for our union to your liking?"

His was not only a question but also a veiled provocation. How would she react? Was she going to apologize, mortified and embarrassed? Or she was going to avoid the question? He wanted to test her. Testing people was his favorite hobby of all time.

Megan almost winced. It was the voice of her betrothed, hoarse and deep. The girl reassembled herself before turning around.

"I’m not a party person. It has nothing to do with you or our union, my lord."

The princess’s tone seemed almost apologetic but also firm, as if she was apologizing without being really sorry.

Feyd slightly grinned. Her answer pleased him.

"Neither am I. I find parties stupid and useless. I prefer to spend my time differently." 

Megan took the opportunity to observe him closely. His charm was undeniable. -If I must marry him, I am glad that he is at least aesthetically to my liking- the princess thought. She wondered if she would also have liked him as a person. She knew very well what people said about him: that he was psychotic, crazy, violent and cruel. But honestly, was he so different from others? The Emperor, for example, was reputed to be a righteous man, but instead he was a murderer and a coward. Her betrothed, at least, was himself without hiding. 

"And how do you like to spend your time, Na-Baron?"

Feyd was just waiting for that question.

"Fighting in the arena. I really feel myself only when I’m holding a blade." 

The young Na-Baron carefully studied the reaction of his future wife, looking for signs of fear, dismay. He was aware of what people said about him and he liked it. He loved when people feared him.

It wasn’t Megan’s case, though. To his great surprise the princess was not at all upset by his answer and even replied, "I’ve heard a lot about your great fighting skills. I look forward to see one of your fights in the arena."

Feyd tilted his head, not letting his astonishment leak out.

"People die in that arena." he reminded her with a smug grin. Talking about death excited him. A woman could have never borne the sight of the fights, he was sure. 

The princess’s tone remained unabashed: "I know. I am not afraid of death."

-No longer after I saw my father being killed before my eyes- she would have liked to add, but she did not. She couldn’t jeopardize her position like that.

-She’s smart- Feyd thought without stopping smiling provocatively -and if she’s lying she’s doing it well. -

"My twin brother also loves to fight. I’m used to blood and wounds." she added, seeing him slightly amazed.

Feyd smiled even more as a strange light shone in his blue eyes.

Not only was he used to blood but he also loved it. The idea of a wife not easily impressionable generated in him dark and dirty desires. Having to wait irritated him: after that brief talk he wanted to make her his without hesitation.

"My uncle told me that your brother will come with you to Giedi Prime. I will gladly fight with him. Amicably, of course."

The grin on his lips was not very reassuring but Megan decided not to pay too much attention to it.

"I think we should go back, my lord." said the girl, looking at the hall door in the distance "They’ll all be wondering where we are."

Feyd nodded without taking his eyes off her. 

"Let’s go, princess."

He held out his hand to escort her and finally added, "And call me Feyd."

Megan took the hand of her betrothed without hesitation, quietly considering his request.

"As you wish, Feyd."

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[sihayadunee]

🌘 THE ECLIPSE a UNION of OPPOSITES 🌒

an analysis of the mythic motifs in dune part two through the lens of mythologist joseph campbell, and some predictions for dune messiah

• Divine Couple

• Death and Rebirth

• Redemption Through Divine Union

• House of Atreus

• Lunar-Masculine / Solar-Feminine

• Goddesses

THE ECLIPSE

This motif has been connected to Dune since the first film’s promo, especially with the concluding track of Dark Side of the Moon accompanying the initial trailer. Some fans believed this theme had been dropped as it wasn’t very present in the first film. However the eclipse continued throughout the promo of the second film. This was because Part Two is where the real pay off is, already in the first 10 minutes.

This concept is intrinsic to Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation. Since the first film I have been saying that Dune embraces the Lunar-Masculine (Paul) and Solar-Feminine (Chani). However beyond just that, Dune: Part Two showcases multiple pairings of the lunar-solar dynamic.

But before we jump into that, let’s establish the meaning of an eclipses in general mythology. Typically they are a symbol of death and renewal. Common interpretations have a beast devouring the sun, or a celestial couple evading or pursuing one another. These interpretations are consistent over and again in Dune.

What we will see, is that the greater Imperium holds a Solar-Masculine identity, but when it comes to Arrakis there is a distinct shift to the Solar-Feminine archetype.

PAUL as the MOON

There are an innumerable amount of connections. Bull motifs are reoccurring throughout the first film, where he grew up on a water world. After all, the moon is associated with the tides. He takes the name Muad’Dib, and one of the moons of Arrakis has the icon of a Muad’Dib aka Desert Mouse visible on its surface. And ultimately, Paul experiences rebirth in Part Two.

The bull is a figure of sacrifice which aligns very well with the lineage of House Atreides which can be traced back to the House of Atreus and it’s curse of familial murder, betrayal and symbolic consumption. Sacrifice of the children in each new generation.

IRULAN and the GOLDEN LION THRONE

Starting here is a good place, because it shows the transition of the Solar-Masculine of the wider Imperium toward the Solar-Feminine of Arrakis. Irulan Corrino of House Corrino is the daughter of Emperor Shaddam who sits on the Golden Lion Throne. His reign is coming to a close as Paul rises on Arrakis, and with no male heirs Irulan his eldest is the successor destined for marriage. In this way Irulan becomes the embodiment of the Lion Throne, and her determination in Dune Messiah to produce Paul’s heir becomes clear. That function of the Queen Mother and how that feeds back into the Solar-Masculine as the King becomes tied to the lion and the throne once more.

In particular I would say her story is best reflected in the myth of the goddess Cybele who falls for Attis and when he falls for a mortal girl Cybele plots betrayal. Something for which she later feels guilt and tries to make amends for (Children of Dune).

PAUL and JESSICA

Their dynamic is incredibly complicated, but I think the opening of the film during the eclipse sums it up very well. You follow the path of the moon as it covers the sun, and as it meets its full coverage Paul is the one taking action in the fight against the Harkonnen. However as the moon passes by and the sun takes over again, Jessica emerges to save Paul’s life.

This was intentional by the filmmakers, as is revealed in the Art and Soul of Dune Part Two, DP Greig Fraser identified the exact time, date and location in order to shoot the sun as it appears directly behind Rebecca Ferguson.

Jessica represents the sun on Arrakis, and in this scene we see how the moon dies into the sun to be reborn in their dynamic. It also lines up with motifs of the sun goddess giving birth to the sacrificial bull. Sacrifice toward this death and rebirth.

What we see is the separation of mother and son that brings them back together in the same place. Paul takes the lead and rejects his mother’s influence, but she leads him toward the death and rebirth he must experience, and this brings them back to a common understanding.

This is also why having Jessica sit the Atreides “throne” in the finale instead of Paul (who did so in the book) makes mythic sense. Because again we return to the Solar-Feminine mother as the throne, and her son as king. But in a different context here then what Irulan aspires toward.

A SYMBOLIC UNION aka THE BULL SACRIFICE

The House Harkonnen family seal in the books is the griffin, which makes his introduction in a gladiator arena killing Atreides even more appropriate. Feyd’s birthday is also associated with a solar event. Because ultimately Feyd is the matador and Paul is the bull.

What works so fantastically about the dual, is how it is bathed in the sunlight. After all, the sun figure (day) is facing off against the moon (night) figure in this sequence. Plus the bull was the eventual demise of Paul’s grandfather who was a matador. This takes place at sunrise, and it’s a dual for the throne, where whoever is victorious inherits the Golden Lion Throne. The

Denis specially describes the dual as a symbolic union, and it works on multiple layers. This bull sacrifice, is in essence the quote from part one of “when you take a life you take your own” so Paul killing Feyd is penetration, intimacy, it is rebirth.

It is also reminiscent of how Campbell describes the sun-moon twins of Navajo myth:

The two, Sun-child and Water-child, antagonistic yet cooperative, represent a single cosmic force, polarized, split, and turned against itself in mutual portions. The life-supporting sap-power, mysterious in the lunar rhythm of its tides, growing and decaying at a time, counters and tempers the solar file of the zenith, life- desiccating it its brilliance, yet by whose heat all lives.

— Joseph Campbell's Commentary from "Where the Two Came to Their Father: A Navaho War Ceremonial" by Jeff King and Maud Oakes

DESERT SPRING TEARS and DIVINE UNION

There is a section in the Dune Encyclopedia that talks about the foundation of the Bene Gesserit beliefs. In particular the teachings of a certain ancestral memory personality, called Inanna (yes that is the name of the Sumerian goddess who was also in a divine union caught between life and death glad you asked) about the Kwisatz Haderach. It basically establishes that the entire premise of the Bene Gesserit and the Kwisatz Haderach is in essence the Divine Couple.

It specifies two mirrored dynamics the son saved/resurrected by the mother and the husband saved/resurrected by the wife. Inanna called them Au Set and Au Sar. The Kemet names for Isis and Osiris. The idea of the Bene Gesserit would have this as the mother of the KH, and the Corrino princess he would have married. But with things thrown off course, it represents outside their control.

In Dune, we see it between Paul and Chani. Like Isis who has the solar disc and Osiris who is tied to water and death, her lover has died and she is the one to revive him.

Furthermore the concept of mythical tears can be found in the goddess Freya (who arguably is compatible with sun-goddess motifs) who weeps when her husband Odin is lost to her.

But perhaps most compatible—the healing tears of a phoenix. A bird archetype similar to Isis as bird. This is where the yin-yang dynamic of Chani and Paul becomes most apparent, since the serpent is synonymous with the bull and therefore Paul who “makes peace with Shai-Hulud” encompasses the dragon (yang) as a complement to Chani’s phoenix (yin).

In the behind the scenes of Dune Part Two, the Maker Temple is said to be designed like the infinity symbol with the two circles (one of sand and one of water). Sand being death and water being life, but also the reverse. As the sandworm thrives in the sand but is drowned in the water. And Paul is stuck between life and death, literally laying between both pools, when Chani comes to resurrect him.

This film literally has three kisses. Their first kiss when Chani says she will show him the way of the Fremen, their second kiss on screen when she says he will never lose her before going South, and the third symbolic kiss of life.

This marriage/death is also foreshadowed in Paul’s visions in Part One when Chani kisses him and then stabs him. Which is where we return to Isis and Osiris because Paul’s death state (dying again as we established, after killing Feyd, similar in a way to Set and Osiris) is where we will eventually get the twins Leto II and Ghanima with Leto II being the Horus in this equation.

As the Pink Floyd lyrics say, the sun is eclipsed by the moon and this is captured in the heartbreak Chani feels over losing Paul and losing her people to the Lisan al Gaib. The Fremen way of life has been eclipsed and over taken by the Atreides and the Bene Gesserit. Here we see more of the concept of that beast devouring the sun from the beginning, verses the celestial couple dynamic.

Chani leaving the residency chamber is also reminiscent of certain myths like Amaterasu going into hiding, or the Inuit folktale about the sun goddess fleeing her moon god brother/lover who pursues her.

However the Dune Encyclopedia also talks about the concept of redemption (which is why in the film Mohiam asks Margot if Feyd is capable of redemption) of the “mate savior”. The Kwisatz Haderach. They would bring about a release from bondage through redemption and rebirth.

Which is relevant to the dynamic of Paul and Chani in Dune Messiah for Denis, because he has said Paul is going to be looking to save his soul in part three, and how Paul and Chani come back together won’t just be explained away off screen between films. It will be that continued cycle of rebirth, through redemptive love. Rebirth as a whole in Dune is worth its own discussion, since all the different Jungian descriptions of it can be found within this universe.

CONCLUSION

The eclipse, a lunar-solar dynamic representing the union of opposites, is very significant in Dune Part Two and sheds a lot of light onto what we can anticipate next in Dune Messiah, particularly in regards to the central romance between Paul and Chani and the changes Denis has made from book to screen.

[kasagia]

In the last chapter of Right Hand, Feyd said he could just leave her behind and take other women without any problems if that's what she wanted; forced her into a confession; never confessed his own feelings; wants to kill people she was intimate with in the past, when he still has his harpies; his bullshit with Irulan; injected her with truth serum.... He basically treated her like a glorified concubine (the woman he supposedly loves) and her reaction is to act like a retarded school girl??? But my main question is: how does she not react about him saying that he could just leave her behind and have other women without any problems? He acts like he does not give a shit about her, only that he's mad that her attention is on others.

Dear Anonymous, thank you very much for your thoughts!

I'm going to play a bit of devil's advocate here and explain the actions of our boy and reader, so let's get started.

First of all, it is worth pointing out that the relationship between the reader and Feyd is not normal. They both have attraction towards each other, sexual desire, and so on. Of course, that's not all, because they feel something for each other: attachment (to some extent), admiration, respect, possessiveness (on both sides), and they like being close to each other. Nevertheless everything that happens between them is not healthy, sugary, or an example of how a relationship should be.

But back to the answer to the main question (how does she not react about him saying that he could just leave her behind and have other women without any problems? He acts like he does not give a shit about her, only that he's mad that her attention is on others.):

"(...) Is this what you want? For me to take another woman? For me to treat her the way I treat you? For me to leave you on this damn desert? Because I can, Y/N. I can fuck the other women, become emperor the easy way, and give you damn Arrakis, but you have to look me in the eyes and tell me that's what you really want."

Feyd doesn't say he wants to do that. He says he can if the reader wants to reject him or if she is sure she doesn't want him. (So technically, it is: I love you; you are important to me; I won't force you to do anything if you don't want to; but I won't be alone forever waiting for you to decide whether you want me or not.) And he asks such questions when she is under the influence of truth serum, because he knows that she will never admit to him what she really feels by herself and willingly.

Feyd has never loved anyone before; he has never had a normal relationship. That's why he resorts to what he knows: plotting, planning, and extracting the truth by force (poor Fevas). These are his ways. The boy here is just desperate. He must know the truth; he must find out whether the reader loves him or is just taking advantage of him, because temporarily it is convenient for her to be close to him.

And the reader understands that Feyd sees no other way, that he resorts to something like this to get the truth from her. Which doesn't change the fact that she's mad at him for it, but... the reader resists him for so long; everyone must have their moments of weakness, right? And Feyd proved in this chapter that he cares about this reader (not with words, but with actions; I will give examples later).

I think he is too harmed and guarded/self-protective to hover around the reader and shout that he loves her, to allow himself to be completely vulnerable with her, and to express his love and devotion in words. Therefore, Feyd's love language (here) is actions.

"You almost died." "You're exaggerating this. I thought you of all people won't be afraid of the sight of a little blood." You respond dismissively, which only makes his mood worse. (...) "I simply don't enjoy holding your almost lifeless body in my arms. I much prefer it when your heart beats strongly against your chest... like now."

Feyd, as we know him, does not hesitate to take someone's life; he likes to hurt people. But seeing the reader's blood? Having her bloos on his hands? Hold her as she fights death? It doesn't make him happy; hurting her isn't pleasant for him if... it's not intended to increase pleasure and sensations. (I think I wrote somewhere that the boy ordered to burn his clothes and hers from that day so that he wouldn't be reminded of it.)

"Don't kill him." You ask him, knowing full well that he will refuse. But despite everything, you cling to this stupid hope, not knowing why you care so much about keeping Fevas alive. "Why?" "Because I ask you. Please." For the first time, you look at him desperately, knowing full well that all you can do is beg him to change his mind. Because if Feyd Rautha Harkonnen decides that someone is going to die, then even the Grim Reaper won't be able to save the poor man from him.

Here. Fevas was… quite tortured by Feyd, but he kept him alive. He wouldn't listen to just anyone once he had decided something, but he made an exception for the reader.

"I am a Bene Gesserit. I don't love anyone." You answer coldly and without emotion. He stares at you for a moment before pushing you away from him. He no longer looks you in the eyes, though his eyes are still glued to your half-naked form. He stays in silent reverie for a moment, then breaks it with a bitter, hoarse laugh, shaking his head. "And I am a Harkonnen. We don't obey anyone." He growls impassively and pushes you away to get to the door. He returns to the party, closing the metal door behind him with a loud bang.

Our boy's black, rotten heart was slightly hurt here. Because how can his little witch say that? So, in an act of rebellion, he went to Irulan, knowing full well that it would hurt the reader as much as she hurt him. Yes, it's not healthy, but that's Feyd: If you hurt me and show me that you don't want me, I will go and show you that I am not a pathetic guy who is head over heels in love and that you have no control over me. (He failed miserably because, immediately after her leaving, he caught up with Fevas to find out the truth about his relationship with the reader.)

"The little witch shouldn't listen to this old man. The master likes the little witch very much. He threatened to kill us if we did anything to her." You frown at her sudden confession, but you don't question why she's doing it. You decide to brush it off. "I think we both know that he... likes to break his favourite toys only by himself." "But not a little witch. When the little witch was bleeding, the master became furious. The master almost killed his uncle when he ordered him to kill the little witch. The master watched over the little witch until the doctors said that the little witch would survive. And he told us to guard her door while he went away to kill the people who hurt her."

And the last one (because it's very late and I should go to sleep xD).

Would Feyd go against his uncle for anyone? NO. He wouldn't give a damn if his uncle told him to kill one of his harpies. He would just do it. But the reader? Fuck no.

Feyd still keeps the harpies close; it's true, but it's more out of sentiment. Because they were a little close to him, but now he spends nights and days with the reader, and since... he became a little close to her (*cough* trying to fuck her *cough*), he doesn't go to them and doesn't spend time with them. He treats them rather as... useful pets. Guard dogs.

To sum up, it may seem that Feyd doesn't give a damn about her, but to me, he must be so... conservative in showing his emotions. He will do it through small actions rather than words (which the reader notices; after all, she knows him best; they communicate without words).

He is extremely jealous of the reader, possessive and paranoid, because he is afraid that she will eventually run away from him, that she will get scared and leave him when he falls in love with her. He is afraid that he will give her everything he has; he will give her his heart on a platter only for her to trample on it, chew it up, and throw it away. So, he won't do it until he's 10000% sure that the reader really loves him and isn't going anywhere.

I hope you understand what I mean and what I wanted to show. 😅🙈

Thank you very much, anonymous, for your question and I'm sorry I wrote so much! Have a nice day/night! 😊🩵🖤🩵🖤🩵🖤🖤🩵🖤🖤🩵🖤🖤🩵🖤🖤🩵🖤🖤🩵🖤

[dunefandomhub]

Fic Rec Friday!

Each week I rec 3-4 fics from across the Duneverse featuring a different ship or theme each time!

I am open to taking suggestions/reccomendations at any time! Feel free to send an ask!

Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen X Reader Fics

Turn the Inner Eye by @barbiedragon

Feyd-Rautha x Concubine!Reader

The Bene Gesserit trust in you to fulfill the prophecy

one-shot 1.8k words

Rated E

Thrown to the Wolves Series by @sansaorgana

Feyd-Rautha x fem!reader/Atreides!OC

After receiving the news from the Emperor about moving to Arrakis, Duke Leto suspects the upcoming war with the Harkonnens. His daughter's marriage with the Baron's heir is supposed to create an alliance and ensure his family's safety. Previously sheltered and protected Princess Atreides must now face the harsh reality on her own.

9 Parts

Diplomatic Relations by @lady-phasma

Feyd-Rautha x GN!Reader

No physical description of reader. Feyd is on a diplomatic tour of an unnamed planet (not Caladan) under Harkonnen rule. You catch his eye, smuttiness ensues. Plot if you squint.

one-shot 4k words

Princess by @valeskafics

Feyd x Corrino!Reader

Feyd Rautha makes it his mission to seduce you, the innocent younger sister of Princess Irulan.

one-shot 3.5k

DUBCON Dark Fic

[mylittlepond]

Outfits I think book Irulan would wear:

When she goes to Ix while plotting. Lots of furs, with pearls as embellishments, beautiful, asture yet good enough to conceal a tiny hidden weapon maybe?

A few headpieces for when the occasion demands:

Something like this at court to appear more imposing

And something like this for a state function

She'd stick to layering like we saw her in the movie, in order to project her importance as Empress and also because the layers act as her own armour against the world.

I think she'd also go with a lot of monochrome fits, white and silver in particular not only because they enhance her features but also give the feeling of innocence, a mask of sorts but also a power move combined with the head piece, something very dichotomous.

She would include jackets and coats in her wardrobe with intricate detailing, a bene gesserit hidden pattern to send a message

Or something subtly showing allegiance to her father and parent house while also establishing her own role.

For something more relaxed she'd combine the colours of corrino and atreides, an orangeish blue, her own take perhaps and borrow some symbolism from arrakis, a looser style with yellow for the desert.

Lastly, I think her robes and casual attire though, would reflect her inner feelings the most. Gold for royalty along with symbolising the lions of her house, flowy silhouettes for comfort with some structure to show the routine and duty she holds dear.

[thetricktofalling]

my ideal plot for dune 3 is where paul, irulan, chani, and a magically resurrected feyd-rautha join their local debate team and duke it out over which brand of imperialism is the best

[liscorrino]

Irulan is such an interesting character like.. how can you not like her?! so stay mad hoes bc she's coming back 🤣 looking forward to seeing my girl plotting in dune messiah

[glowingtiara21]

Writing my Paul x ofc x Feyd fan fiction instead of doing my assignments >> 😉

Original female character being the younger sister of Irulan.

Tropes: arranged marriageS (yes ‘s’ 😉), tragic unrequited love, betrayal, angst, “the things we do for love,” morally grey main character who likes rabbits 🐇 and flowers 🌸 ?! manipulation, “The North Remembers” similar plot🥺