#arc 001 : lady jessica.

[mentatradio]

@petitsdieu 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞: the past seems close ahead.

she does not dwell on the things of the past, or at least, she tries not to, & yet the past holds the keys to the future. walking toward the younger girl, jessica stopped before allowing herself to get too close. she studied the girl, her youthful features, the promise in her eyes, & the unspoken words within her body language. folding her hands in front of her abdomen, jessica took in a slow, yet deep breath. “ if you were my son telling me all of this, i would ask that you tell me if these words related to a vision. however, since you are not, i can only assume that you speak these things based on feelings rather than visions. ”

she paused, collecting her thoughts. “ though you have my curiosity. what do these words mean to you? ”

she then does something out of the ordinary, as her hands unfold & reach forward to take hold of the hands of the young girl. a squeeze was given to each hand, not once, but twice before she kept them in her grasp. the reverend mother wished jessica had a daughter, & looking into hara’s eyes, she understood the importance of a daughter, but she also knew paul had a much larger role to play than being another pawn of the bene gesserit. somehow being on arrakis has taught her that & reinforced it in more ways than one.

“ speak as freely as you wish. i hold no judgment against you, my dear. ” another squeeze of the hands.

[mentatradio]

@cultfic 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞: our efforts for nothing?

jessica kept her reaction inward. she knew this planet wasn’t what either of them had envisioned for their future & in her mind, the future looked vastly different than what the duke may have pictured for himself. however, she can thank the sisterhood for their work behind the scenes as they began planting seeds amongst the fremen who were willing to listen. yet, these are things that she chooses not to share with the duke. rare are the secrets kept between them, but this is an exception because it involves her & their son.

leto’s question echoed in her ear. she bowed her head to him despite knowing she was as close to an equal with him as one could get, but he still held her respect.

“ i would not say for nothing, ” she began as hands folded in front of her abandoned. “ we must be patient. there is still much to learn about this place & assumptions will do no one any good. especially for you. ” her gaze raised to meet his.

slowly, her hands unfolded as she reached up to cup his face, to stroke where the soft skin met the coarse hairs of his beard—a simple touch. jessica knew the answer, & still, she asked.

“ do you trust me? ” she then paused as she waited for her words to sink in before she continued speaking. her lips twisted at the corners, pulling into a crooked grin. “ i believe in this place as much as you do. i also believe you need to be patient with what is not in your control. ”