ᵉⁿᵍˡⁱˢʰ Bloodsport [Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen]

02

Second small note: There will always be chapters that are set before Dune 2 or even 1 and these will not be marked separately. After all, a story is only an excerpt from the life/history of a person, at least in most cases. The character already "lived" before the start of a story and has therefore already experienced a lot and that is exactly what is important to understand a character.
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With little enthusiasm, Raitaila stroked the page of the open book that the Bene Gesserit had given her to work with a few hours ago. There was nothing in this world, in this universe, that she hated more than this wretched race of witches. The higher up one of these witches was in the hierarchy, the more obnoxious this 'woman' became. Witches who controlled everything.

Free will? Not at all. These vile creatures felt they controlled everything. What to do; who to marry; how many children someone had to have; who was allowed to live and die; how someone was allowed to die; murders were planned and so on. Some things were direct orders, others were cleverly spun around many corners and planned over a long period of time.

There might be an emperor and countless barons who ruled, but in truth, the universe was run by monsters.

"I've been wanting to ask you something for a while. A few days ago, Baron Kadjar passed away," began Raitaila's younger sister, who now also came into the library, placing a book on the table and looking for another one on the shelf, "Do you know what's going on with his son? The last time I saw him was at the dinner with father and you. It was a week after your return from the Harkonnen. That little trip Father sent you on, and you... you... something on your return.... you know where I'm going with this, and yes. Do you remember? There's been silence ever since."

"Things like that can happen," Raitaila replied disinterestedly, which puzzled and irritated Irulan at the same time, "and let's face it, it's not sad. It's a plot by witches in black robes. All the more reason not to mourn it."

"You don't understand," Irulan insisted, sitting down across from her sister, "He's gone. His parents haven't heard from Lezeur in years. No one from House Kadjar. You two were engaged. What happened at that dinner?"

"Nothing happened," Raitaila replied coolly without looking up from the book, causing her sister to open her mouth in bewilderment, "Ever thought that maybe he didn't want this marriage either? To disappear and be untraceable is to have a ticket to freedom. Free from everything. Not everyone is like you."

"He wanted to marry you. HE wanted to. You could see how much he wanted it," Irulan smiled at her sister, who gave her a quick, rather sober look in response, "In an age of arranged marriages and alliances, such things are rare. The Kadjars are a sight to behold."

All very well. An arranged marriage remains an arranged marriage. No matter what the house was like.

Something like doubt is like a disease. It infects the mind until you distrust other people's motives and your own perceptions. Doubt makes you question everything you have ever believed about another. And it reinforces the darkest suspicions of those closest to us.

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