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bantha_foddertitle: pond full of regrets (can't stay)
author: bantha_fodder
fandom: Dune
character: Irulan
i do not own these characters, or the planet of Arrakis
22/01/2006
***
When Irulan is born, her father thinks about drowning her.
He thinks better of it, and gives her to the Bene Gesserit instead. Perhaps his second child will make up for it.
*
"Irulan," Wensicia tugs on Irulan's long purple sleeves, and Irulan watches the delicate material tear. "Shouldn't you be studying, instead of out at parties and on ships?"
Irulan bends down to her younger sister's height. "A Bene Gesserit is always learning," she says, and Wensicia frowns.
"That doesn't sound like fun."
"But it is," says Irulan, and thinks no more of it.
*
Irulan treads softly down the corridor, and enters her father's audience chambers. She watches as Wensicia walks carefully along the dais and up to their father. "Father," says Wensicia, each syllable pronounced with care. "I drew a picture of you." She smiles, and their father waves his hand and does not look at her.
"Dear," he says. "I do not have time for your careless hand. Our time is scheduled for later." He looks up, and notices Irulan. "Irulan!" he barks, "You are late again! Do those women teach you nothing?"
Wensicia brushes past her, her chin wobbling but her eyes dry. Irulan thinks her sister could benefit from the training of the Bene Gesserit.
She sits down behind her father, hands resting in her lap, and traces her father's form with her eyes as he accepts supplicants from the furthest planets.
When he talks about his plan for the House Atreides, she wonders at his wisdom.
But he is her father, and she does not speak so loudly in his presence.
*
Arrakis is dry and she hates it from the very first.
She wishes to leave as soon as possible, though she briefly thinks of staying when she meets Paul Atreides. He is far more attractive in person than in pictures, and that pleases her.
Her smile says, We shall meet again, and she knows he understands her.
*
She continues to study; her teachers tell her she is still learning, and she knows they speak the truth. She dances and reads, and learns about her father's prison planet and the conditions on Arrakis.
She learns the fate of House Atreides at her father's morning briefing, and hears rumours of House Harkonnen through the usual channels.
She cultivates her sources, and they bring her news of everything.
She learns.
She acts.
*
Feyd pants above her, a careless Harkonnen drone. He licks her neck and thrusts into her, and when he orgasms his eyes flutter closed and he emits the most horrid sounding moan.
Not unexpected, but what is unexpected is when he reaches between them and strokes her until she's writhing beneath him, and when she orgasms all she sees is Feyd's grinning face.
She considers it a failure of her training that he can still surprise her.
*
She sits to the side as her father meets with his advisors, and later, with his supplicants. Her hands in her lap and her back straight, she meets the Baron Harkonnen's eyes.
"My dear," he says afterwards. "Your father is being dreadfully stubborn. Perhaps you could talk to him?"
"I often talk to my father," Irulan replies.
"But about this matter, he's not being quite reasonable." The Baron's voice is soft and wheedling, and as he leans towards her Irulan leans slightly away.
"My father is the Emperor," Irulan says, "and in this matter, he will not be swayed."
The Baron bows and turns away, and Irulan makes no face at his back as he hovercrafts away.
Inside, she feels sick.
*
Wensicia knocks on Irulan's door. "You always get to go away," she says, voice high and petulant, back straight and proud. "When will I get to go away?"
Irulan does not say, When you are older, and she does not say, When you understand; Irulan says, "When our father decides it is time for you," and can taste the truth in her words.
"But I shall bring you back a present," Irulan finishes, and Wensicia is still untrained enough that the promise makes her smile.
Irulan loves her sister.
*
They circle the planet, and she places her hand upon the glass. Closes her eyes, and imagines breathing the dust in.
Muad'Dib, she thinks, and wonders for the thousandth time how he controls the hearts and the minds of an entire planet.
She wishes she was that loved by anyone, and pushes the thought aside.
A Bene Gesserit has not the time for such thoughts.
Hot breath at her shoulder and she turns. She meets Feyd's eyes with the unwelcoming air of a Bene Gesserit. Banters with him a moment and raises her glass in silence. She brushes him aside, and she senses his arousal; hears the words he shares with his uncle.
Perhaps she should not have said, "Sometime, remind me," but she likes to think she will see him again.
He has his uses.
*
After the party she wanders back to her chambers, and hears a rustle in the corridor ahead. She pauses, a hand on her door. "Feyd," she says over her shoulder, "don't be shy."
She steps into her room, and sends her servants away. She leans into the door; pushes it slowly closed, but before it swings home a hand slides through the gap.
"I'm never shy." Feyd grins at her, and she grins back.
She could have this gift from any man, but she chooses the heir of House Harkonnen.
That says something about her, she thinks, and slides the silk from her shoulders as he kisses the back of her neck.
His lips are soft.
*
It is early in the day when she meets the sister of Paul Atreides; the sister of the one they call Muad'Dib. In the chaos, as the worms snake towards the palace, she kneels to the little girl's level.
"Your brother," Irulan says.
"Oh," replies Alia, before Irulan can finish. "My brother remembers you."
That is probably not the question she was going to ask, but she takes the answer with pursed lips, and turns away.
*
Feyd falls to the ground, and for a moment she misses him.
*
The ceremony is long, bright and glaring. The sun streams through the windows, and Irulan wears the scarlet shades of her faith. She carries no knife: her hands are empty, and she abases herself to the man she will marry.
Paul moves and stops beside her, and when she raises her head she sees Chani out of the corner of her eye. The concubine is clad in black, and Irulan is new to Arrakis but she knows what that means.
She is new, but not stupid, and when she and Paul leave the chamber together it is as man and wife.
*
Her books bring her comfort.
END
author: bantha_fodder
fandom: Dune
character: Irulan
i do not own these characters, or the planet of Arrakis
22/01/2006
***
When Irulan is born, her father thinks about drowning her.
He thinks better of it, and gives her to the Bene Gesserit instead. Perhaps his second child will make up for it.
*
"Irulan," Wensicia tugs on Irulan's long purple sleeves, and Irulan watches the delicate material tear. "Shouldn't you be studying, instead of out at parties and on ships?"
Irulan bends down to her younger sister's height. "A Bene Gesserit is always learning," she says, and Wensicia frowns.
"That doesn't sound like fun."
"But it is," says Irulan, and thinks no more of it.
*
Irulan treads softly down the corridor, and enters her father's audience chambers. She watches as Wensicia walks carefully along the dais and up to their father. "Father," says Wensicia, each syllable pronounced with care. "I drew a picture of you." She smiles, and their father waves his hand and does not look at her.
"Dear," he says. "I do not have time for your careless hand. Our time is scheduled for later." He looks up, and notices Irulan. "Irulan!" he barks, "You are late again! Do those women teach you nothing?"
Wensicia brushes past her, her chin wobbling but her eyes dry. Irulan thinks her sister could benefit from the training of the Bene Gesserit.
She sits down behind her father, hands resting in her lap, and traces her father's form with her eyes as he accepts supplicants from the furthest planets.
When he talks about his plan for the House Atreides, she wonders at his wisdom.
But he is her father, and she does not speak so loudly in his presence.
*
Arrakis is dry and she hates it from the very first.
She wishes to leave as soon as possible, though she briefly thinks of staying when she meets Paul Atreides. He is far more attractive in person than in pictures, and that pleases her.
Her smile says, We shall meet again, and she knows he understands her.
*
She continues to study; her teachers tell her she is still learning, and she knows they speak the truth. She dances and reads, and learns about her father's prison planet and the conditions on Arrakis.
She learns the fate of House Atreides at her father's morning briefing, and hears rumours of House Harkonnen through the usual channels.
She cultivates her sources, and they bring her news of everything.
She learns.
She acts.
*
Feyd pants above her, a careless Harkonnen drone. He licks her neck and thrusts into her, and when he orgasms his eyes flutter closed and he emits the most horrid sounding moan.
Not unexpected, but what is unexpected is when he reaches between them and strokes her until she's writhing beneath him, and when she orgasms all she sees is Feyd's grinning face.
She considers it a failure of her training that he can still surprise her.
*
She sits to the side as her father meets with his advisors, and later, with his supplicants. Her hands in her lap and her back straight, she meets the Baron Harkonnen's eyes.
"My dear," he says afterwards. "Your father is being dreadfully stubborn. Perhaps you could talk to him?"
"I often talk to my father," Irulan replies.
"But about this matter, he's not being quite reasonable." The Baron's voice is soft and wheedling, and as he leans towards her Irulan leans slightly away.
"My father is the Emperor," Irulan says, "and in this matter, he will not be swayed."
The Baron bows and turns away, and Irulan makes no face at his back as he hovercrafts away.
Inside, she feels sick.
*
Wensicia knocks on Irulan's door. "You always get to go away," she says, voice high and petulant, back straight and proud. "When will I get to go away?"
Irulan does not say, When you are older, and she does not say, When you understand; Irulan says, "When our father decides it is time for you," and can taste the truth in her words.
"But I shall bring you back a present," Irulan finishes, and Wensicia is still untrained enough that the promise makes her smile.
Irulan loves her sister.
*
They circle the planet, and she places her hand upon the glass. Closes her eyes, and imagines breathing the dust in.
Muad'Dib, she thinks, and wonders for the thousandth time how he controls the hearts and the minds of an entire planet.
She wishes she was that loved by anyone, and pushes the thought aside.
A Bene Gesserit has not the time for such thoughts.
Hot breath at her shoulder and she turns. She meets Feyd's eyes with the unwelcoming air of a Bene Gesserit. Banters with him a moment and raises her glass in silence. She brushes him aside, and she senses his arousal; hears the words he shares with his uncle.
Perhaps she should not have said, "Sometime, remind me," but she likes to think she will see him again.
He has his uses.
*
After the party she wanders back to her chambers, and hears a rustle in the corridor ahead. She pauses, a hand on her door. "Feyd," she says over her shoulder, "don't be shy."
She steps into her room, and sends her servants away. She leans into the door; pushes it slowly closed, but before it swings home a hand slides through the gap.
"I'm never shy." Feyd grins at her, and she grins back.
She could have this gift from any man, but she chooses the heir of House Harkonnen.
That says something about her, she thinks, and slides the silk from her shoulders as he kisses the back of her neck.
His lips are soft.
*
It is early in the day when she meets the sister of Paul Atreides; the sister of the one they call Muad'Dib. In the chaos, as the worms snake towards the palace, she kneels to the little girl's level.
"Your brother," Irulan says.
"Oh," replies Alia, before Irulan can finish. "My brother remembers you."
That is probably not the question she was going to ask, but she takes the answer with pursed lips, and turns away.
*
Feyd falls to the ground, and for a moment she misses him.
*
The ceremony is long, bright and glaring. The sun streams through the windows, and Irulan wears the scarlet shades of her faith. She carries no knife: her hands are empty, and she abases herself to the man she will marry.
Paul moves and stops beside her, and when she raises her head she sees Chani out of the corner of her eye. The concubine is clad in black, and Irulan is new to Arrakis but she knows what that means.
She is new, but not stupid, and when she and Paul leave the chamber together it is as man and wife.
*
Her books bring her comfort.
END
