Chương 17: Chapter 9b-I Am Here!
Chapter 9b
~Start of movie DUNE 1~
IRULAN CORRINO
Irulan Corrino knew much of jealousy. She knew of living under a shadow much like her own father, the Padishah Emperor, who feared the looming shadow of the Duke Leto of House Atreides as the royal doctors declared him unable to have any more heirs.
With five daughters, and no male heirs to inherit his throne, the Emperor saw enemies and vultures everywhere, even the Duke whom he had once called a brother had not been spared from that gaze, and now had prompted him to take a drastic step under the advisement of the Great Reverend mother.
The very Reverend Mother, who was her teacher since birth, teaching her the ways of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood as they raised her to be an astute and adequate successor to her father's throne.
Her initial education had been seen by her mother, Anirul Corrino, another sister of the Bene Gesserit of hidden rank until she had fallen to a plot aimed at the concubine of the Duke Leto Atreides when she had come to the Kaitain to give birth. The Queen had been killed in place of the woman she had called a sister in senses more than one, and the Emperor had rejoiced as he was rid of his failure of a wife, a wife who had failed to give him his desired heir.
Her rites had been performed according to ceremony, yet her father would turn his attention towards finding a new woman rather quickly, as he was finally rid of his Bene Gesserit wife. This showed that there was little love in their marriage, one that was but a union born out of pacts and necessities known to few, not even herself.
Yet the fates would be cruel, denying the most powerful man in the Imperium his long-lost desire as the Royal physician would declare him impotent, a very well-guarded secret to this day, one that would shatter the Emperor's ambition of a male heir.
"Was it really necessary?" she questioned the Reverend Mother, who had just returned from a small pilgrimage across the galaxy, her intents and purpose known only to her, for that was how the order worked.
"All our actions are necessary," the Reverend Mother chided her as Irulan lowered her gaze, showing nothing of how she felt on the inside at those words.
"House Atreides grows too powerful, and if the trend were to continue, they would soon pose a threat to the Emperor himself," she elaborated, and it was true. She was well versed in the politics of the Landsraad and knew how the Duke grew powerful by the day, threatening his father's position.
"The Duke and my father share blood. They called each other brothers in their youth. Perhaps there could have been another way," she asked, and the Reverend Mother shook her head.
"We cannot leave the fate of the Imperium of youthful friendships. A ruler must make hard decisions for the betterment of the greater good. Your father's decision is for the betterment of the Imperium," she suggested softly, and how much of that was the truth, she wondered.
"And what of the Harkonens? After this, the Harkonens will have too much power; how do we deal with them," she questioned, and Gaius Helen Mohaim looked at her with a narrowed gaze as if evaluating her.
"They shall be handled, and mayhaps they could be incorporated through a union. I have heard that the Baron favors his younger nephew Feyd-Rautha Harkonen and desires a Royal match for him," she said, and her head snapped towards the Reverend Mother at that.
"Feyd-Rautha Harkonen, he is a psychopath," she spoke appalled by the consideration of a match between the Royal family and that man.
"He is more animal than man, and animals are easier to train than men. If it comes to it, there are ways to handle such men and their tendencies," she said as she busied herself once more, leaving Irulan to her thoughts.
"You are dismissed," she added and Irulan stood up and made for her room, it was a simple room filled with books and literature from all parts of the Imperium, a desk fit snugly in one corner of the room, filled with books and a small picture of a woman holding a small babe in her arms.
The woman was none other than Anirul Corrino, the late Queen, and her mother.
Irulan plopped down on the desk and tried to divert her mind by trying to read on the histories of the Butlerian Jihad, the conflict that had shaped the Imperium into what it was today, yet her mind refused to move away from the thoughts of House Atreides and the fate they walked into.
Irulan was much like her father. She had lived all her life in the shadow of a brother who was never born. Sometimes, when she slept, she would feel him alive, feel his voice, as if the brother his father so desired was real and there beside her.
Yet sensation it would all remain, for the Emperor had only daughters and no sons. Yet, despite understanding his motivations, she could not bring herself to agree with his decision. Eradicating a whole line, one so rich with potential and so closely related to the Royal family, did not sit right with her.
She had only heard praise for the Duke, and even his heir was rumored to be a youth of vigor and honor, yet it would all be gone. Ended because of the fear and jealousy of a future that may never come.
And then there was the lady Jessica, a woman her own mother had called a sister and loved enough to take a blade meant for her. That sacrifice would be rendered moot as well. With this, a sacrifice turned to waste, yet she could do nothing.
Nothing.
0000
LADY JESSICA
Jessica found herself in the solar once more along with her Duke, their son and his Fremen guest as Gurney Halleck led the smuggler into the solar.
She had been asked to observe both their Fremen guest and the smuggler to sift through the lies so that they may gain more information about this Kazab and his motivations.
THUNK!
And so, the doors opened, as Gurney entered the solar with a strange man behind him. He was dressed in a fashion similar to Stilgar, though he was leaner, much leaner, though he was nearly as tall as Gurney.
His eyes darted across the room, first towards their Fremen guest, who stiffened for a second. His own blue eyes widened before the smuggler's gaze landed on herself, and they were blue.
A brighter blue than she had yet to see, and there was familiarity in them, as well as warmth and the observation of a Bene Gesserit, which perplexed her, for how had this smuggler learned of the secret ways of her own order.
He wore a scarf that covered his head and face, leaving only his eyes visible as they darted across the room at everyone before he stood infront of Leto, his scarf still wrapped around his face.
"Greetings to the Duke and the Lady Jessica," he said as his eyes landed on her once more, and she was somewhat surprised that he had greeted herself as he took off the scarf.
"I welcome you in these Halls, Wallad Anirul," and she perked up at that name, reminded so much of a similar name.
"Your hospitality is welcomed, Duke Atreides," began the guest as he reached for his thin scarf and began to remove it. Jessica observed his movements even as her mind raced as their guest removed the scarf to reveal his face.
Young.
He was young, younger than she had expected, than anyone had expected, as they found themselves staring at the face of a boy a few years older than Paul. Their faces were different, yet his hair was what caught her eye.
They were not the common Black of Fremen. No. They had a silvery sheen to them and were white. For some reason, as she stared at them, she felt her heart race for they reminded her much of another House in their cahracteristics. A House that had condemned to their current situation.
The Royal House. The House of the Emperor himself, house Corrrino.
"It is rare to see a man ride towards certain death as you have, my Duke," and the words were said in such overture that it took a moment to register, and when they did. Two blades were at the young man's neck, halted only by Leto's raised hand as the young man stood there unbothered by the blades inches from his neck.
"Halt!" Leto spoke as she found herself so lost in that face, in that name, in those eyes, her mind screaming at her to remember to recall, to make the connection that seemed impossible to grasp as their Fremen guest rose to his feet.
"You!" and he sounded surprised as he stared at the intruder with wide eyes. Everyone in the room was now looking at him.
"You recognise this man, Stilgar?" Leto questioned as her own mind raced to filter the truths.
'Walad Anirul, ' he had called himself. Walad was a word from another ancient tongue meanin....
And her thoughts cut off as she recalled the meaning of that word, and her head snapped towards their guest once more.
"I was of the opinion that you wished to meet the infamous 'Kazab'?" their guest asked, still unbothered by the knife pressing onto his neck as Leto turned towards him once more, frowning.
"I do, and I was told that you were the man to arrange such a meeting," he elaborated.
"I am," he answered as Jessica gasped, her own mind racing into avenues long forgotten and neigh impossible.
'It couldn't be,' she assured herself, as the young man smirked.
"And I have," he said, and the whole room stilled as Stilgar's reaction began to make sense.
This was Kazab. The Harkonen butcher.
"I am the one you seek. I am Kazab, Inzal Kazab," he replied before his eyes shifted towards her as he continued.
"The destroyer of False Prophets," he elaborated as Leto turned towards their Fremen guest.
The words were said to her, meant for her. Why? And a cold shiver passed through her spine as she tried to make sense of those words. A breaker of false prophets. False Prophets, and suddenly she stilled as she realized just whom he was calling 'False Prophet.'
The Path. The path laid out by her Missionaria Protectiva, he talked about that, the Lisan-al-Gaib. He knew of their orders' actions, but how?
'You know how?' a thought raced.
'But that is impossible!'
'Is it? Look at him.'
"Does he speak the truth?" he questioned as Gurney and the guards surrounded the young man.
She herself signed her own assessment. 'He does not lie' as her own mind whirled in turmoil and questions.
The young man turned towards their Fremen guest and gave him a small nod.
"He does. He is, indeed, Inzal Kazab. The one you sought," Stilgar replied tensely, as Leto turned towards the young man with a frown, quiet as he made sense of what had just happened.
"You criticize me as a man riding to his own death. What do you say about your own actions? You have walked into my own castle and now stand surrounded by my own guards," Leto taunted, insulted by the insult he flexed his power.
A mistake, she thought as she saw the smile on his face widen, Leto realised that as well.
The young man smiled as Gurney brought the blade closer to his neck.
Duncan was also ready behind them in case of an attack as the young man glanced around unbothered by the blades that surrounded him.
"I doubt you are the kind of man to mistreat a guest, especially one whom you wish to make an ally out of. I have heard tales of your valor and honor, it is one reason I deigned to show you my face and talk to you, something I never did for your predecessors," he answered as he looked into Leto's eyes smiling as he continued.
"And more importantly even if you decide to give your men the order to confront me right here, right now," he said and suddenly Jessica felt the air shift as his smile vanished and his eyes glinted and he spoke.
"I would win!"
And she reeled back at the voice, surprised yet all her suspicions lay but confirmed now.
That name. That face, and now this. It all pointed towards one thing, and a shudder passed through her just to think of it.
'This person in front of her was none other than the child of Anirul Corrino, the abomination they had sent into space. The male born child and heir of the Padishah Emperor.'
'Inzal Corrino!'
"What have we walked into?"
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