Walking On Quicksand

Dreams Make Good Stories

I OWN NOTHING!!!! The original characters are mine but that's it. I got inspired by this movie and I just wanted to write something fun.
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He was lounging on one of the comfortable garden settees enjoying Caladan's summer season. He heard the crashing waves of Caladan's vast oceans off in the distance and tasted the salty air with a smile. To his right, sat his concubines chatting happily over tea and cakes. As they chatted and laughed together he kept an eye on his children playing in the garden. Paul was all arms and legs while Selene was short and chubby. He was so relieved how close they were as siblings always laughing, always together.

"Come play, Daddy!" Selene waved at him.

He smiled and stood up. "Coming, sweetheart." He took one step before he felt a pinch behind his neck. Before he discovered what caused his discomfort, his legs gave out from under him. Chaos erupted once he hit the ground. From the corner of his eye he saw Minerva being struck down by an assassin as his children cried. He couldn't see Gurney or any of his guards. Where were they? He saw Jessica run and grab Paul and left poor Selene behind as she carried her son away from danger.

Run, Selene! He tried to shout but no noise came out. His daughter continued to wail, too scared to move. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a man walk toward Selene and grab her by the arm. He wanted to scream and tear the man apart but his body still refused to obey. As the man dragged his daughter away, he could see the Atreides emblem on the intruder's chest.

TRAITOR!
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Leto opened his eyes and recognized the bedroom he shared with Jessica. Unfortunately, his body refused to move as if still paralyzed from the nightmare. He tried to control his breathing as he thought, What is it that Jessica always says? Fear is the mind killer? I'm alive. The children are safe. Jessica is safe. He continued to repeat in his mind until his limbs finally obeyed his command to move. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath hoping his children's screams would leave his mind.

He finally stretched and sat up in bed. He turned to Jessica's side of the bed and found her sleeping soundly. It was customary for concubines and The Duchess of the Castle to have their own suites in a wing of the castles dedicated to the harem so The Duke may choose who to spend the night with. But after Minerva's murder, he couldn't bare to be apart from Jessica and insisted she remain in his rooms. It was unheard of by The Lanstraad but at that point he didn't care. He failed to protect his family. That guilt became a heavy burden on his heart the years that followed.

He quietly left Jessica to her peaceful dreams and dressed. He instructed the servants to let his family sleep in. They celebrated Selene's 20th birthday with a grand ball open to Caladan's minor Lords and local merchants. He knew his family would be exhausted so he felt they deserved extra sleep. The day after Selene's birthday was always the hardest being the anniversary of Minerva's death. He informed Thufir and Gurney that he was going to walk the grounds and he wasn't to be disturbed unless there was an emergency.

He walked down the halls with his boots echoing throughout the halls. He passed by the guards in the hall and each one gave a salute to their lord. As his mind wandered, his feet led him to a part of the castle that very few visited. Minerva's rooms were locked with the Household forbidden from entering. The only ones with permission were maids with instructions to tidy the place once a month. He paused in front of the intricate designs of the doors and sighed at the memories that came. He remembered the first night they shared a bed and the pleasure they took from each other. He remembered conversations and advice shared in matters of State and parenting. He remembered comfortable silence when all he wanted was rest and she would hum a tune while running her fingers through his hair. He even remembered pacing outside these very doors while Minerva labored to bring Selene into the world. A small part of him hoped that by locking her chambers, he could lock away the pain of her loss. He especially did it for Selene in the hopes that she wouldn't succumb to grief by frequenting her mother's chambers.