Our Secret

Ben

Disclaimer: I don't own Dune

Mary's POV:

I walked over to Ben and Mia congratulating them both as I slipped the fortune cookie out of my pocket and into Mia's hand. She then grasped Ben's hand and the plan was ready.

Ben made a slightly elaborate excuse as to where he was meant to be before. Dashing up the corridor once again. As soon as he was out of sight Matron walked up to Mia and smiled slightly.

"Congratulations" she said "Was it an accident?"

"No" replied Mia clearly offended "We started trying about four months ago and I got a Positive test about a month ago, I was going to tell everyone but you locked one of my best friends in a cellar for having a boyfriend, so, funny enough. I didn't want to tell you that I was having a baby in case you completely fucked over my life too." She ranted

"Y/n lied about that boyfriend..." explained Matron sweetly but I interjected.

"No she didn't"

Matron ignored me and plowed on "... you are not faking this child and we are all aware of your relationship with Benjamin..."

"Ben" Chimed in Camilla

Matrons face soured but she continued "... Ben, and you will be granted a month off of work before the due date" She smiled at us before walking off primly.

"Congratulations!" I squealed an Camilla and I both dashed in to hug Mia who smiled broadly. I pulled away still grinning and exclaimed "And, I won't be the youngest anymore!" 

Both Mia and Camilla laughed harder at this but it didn't matter for just a moment the pressing weight of the situation we were in had lifted. 

"So, do we get aunt status?" Asked Camilla 

"Yep, all three of you." Silence hung in the air for a second before any of us spoke, guilt rushed through me at forgetting Y/n's predicament even for a second.

Camilla spoke first "She will be out soon, this plan is going to work. I'm sure of it."

"I hope your right, something about how Beth is acting doesn't fill me with confidence" I murmured indicating the girl herself who seemed to be bragging about something and was contorting her face in what conceivably could have been a gross reenactment of pain. As she caught me looking she laughed and pulled a face at me causing the gaggle of girls around her to laugh harder. Ever since she turned in Y/n she has been Matrons favorite and at least half of the girls in the dorm are clustered around her.

"Beth is gonna have the shock of her life when Paul gets that note, I for one would like to see her loose that stupid grin" Hissed Mia but we were unable to speak any further due to Matron ushering us to different parts of the kitchen to work.

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Ben's POV:

It was two days before I could slip away as anyone connected to the girls was being watched closely. 

I was determent but despite that as I walked towards Paul's room shaking slightly and paying very little attention to where I was walking with the consequence that I all but ran into Lady Jessica. 

"I'm so sorry" I gasped

"Don't be, I presume your rush has something to do with the serving girl that my son is especially fond of" she said raising her eyebrows "I haven't seen her in the last few days and Paul has been moping. Would you mind if I accompany you to his quarters?"

"Of course not. Can I ask how much you know?"

"More then I would like to, my son's room is adjacent to mine and despite their best efforts the sound they make does travel." she said in such a way that she could have merely been commenting on how well the flowers had done this year. I tried not to turn red as we continued down the hall now at a slightly more sedately pace. 

"I have two more questions if you don't mind" I said cautiously

"Ask away" she said with a smile 

"Okay, um, what do you think of Y/n, are you going to let Paul stay with her, and what did you mean when you said he was moping?"

"To answer the first of those three questions, I think that Y/n is a kind and gentle girl who is a capable fighter and makes my son happier than I have ever seen him. To answer the second, Of course for all of the reasons I have just named but also because a blind man could see how in love the two of then are. Lastly, by moping I meant crying, and not sleeping, contrary to what most would think given the cocktail of hormones swilling around in their bodies most nights they just lay down together, as far as I can gather he can no longer sleep well or even at all for long periods of time with out her. He's in a bad way."

As she finished speaking we reached the door leading to Paul's room I went to knock but Jessica shook her head and opened the door whispering "best not to get his hopes up"

The room was in a strange state of disorder not anything that you could really count as mess but certainly not clean. There was a monopoly bored on the floor the pieces still on start as if the game had been set up and then discarded as he had found something better to do. The bed was neatly made the pillows pushed up against the head bored and clearly un-slept in, a sketch book was open on the floor, the pages I could see had a garden that I had never seen before and Y/n's grinning face illustrated onto them. In the corner Paul sat holding a book which I recognized as one Y/n had been reading about a month ago.

He looked broken but when he saw me he seemed slightly hopeful. "Where is she?" He asked 

"I don't know the whole story but It's here if you want it" I said giving him the fortune cookie.

His hand shook ever so slightly as he extended it to grasp the cookie snapping it open and pulling out the note as her read his face flashed through emotions, worry, sadness, the tiniest sliver of happiness but mostly anger. 

Wordlessly he handed the note to his mother before getting up slowly and changing his shirt. Jessica's face was pure horror as she read. When she finished she looked up "Paul, I'm so sorry, we will sort this out..." 

"I'm going to get her. She is my world, there is no fucking way that they are having her down there a second longer than she has to be. I don't give a shit who know about us, the woman that I want to marry if locked in my fucking basement"

"Language" Said Jessica at the same moment I asked "Marry?"

Paul walked over to the his bed side draw and pulled out a tiny box. "Not a word to any of the girls" he muttered. I nodded and Jessica smiled widely as Paul left the room Presumably to give Beth the biggest scare of her life, I couldn't help but smile. This was going to be one hell of a day.