The Atreides Twins

Chapter 1

I sighed heavily as I looked down at the planet I had called home my entire life. We were leaving Caladan at the request of the Emperor to take of the Arrakis fief. I sighed as a terrible feeling filled the pit of my stomach as I remembered the dreams I had been having as the time to leave had grown closer and closer. Somehow I knew in the pit of my stomach that we would never see Caladan again. "What's wrong," my brother Paul asked as he joined me in watching our home draw farther and farther from us. "We're never going to see it again are we," I asked watching as the planet faded from sight as we joined  up with the giant guild ship that would take us to Arrakis. He placed and arm around me, but stayed silent feeling the same foreboding I did. The door opened to the room we were in and our mother walked in spotting us next to the window. She hated the reverend mother had chosen today to come, her and our father had spent years keeping my birth a secret after my mother betrayed the bene gesserit and told father what they had plans for in regards to a daughter we were expected to have. It was part of why she had given my father a son to begin with. She refused to allow me to be used to broker peace between the houses. She especially refused to allow it to be a Harkonnen that I would marry. She had heard enough stories. I turned and saw her watching Paul worriedly, not knowing he would now face the same test my mother gave me. She told me it was precautionary in case they ever found out about me, this way she could say I had been tested and wouldn't need it again. She had tried to swear me to secrecy about it but with my brother and I there were no secrets. He knew exactly who was on board the guild ship and exactly what was going to happen today. "My old teacher from the Bene Gesserit school is here and she would like to meet you Paul," she said with a guarded tone. He nodded and walked over to her to see what she had laid out for him. I walked back to the window, turning my back to them and tried not to give away that we already knew. Part of why I had told him was because I knew the Reverend Mother may ask him questions about the possibility of my mother hiding anything, namely me. I tuned out what they were saying and began to get lost in thought over everything I had learned about Arrakis. I started to hear chanting just as Paul laid his hand on my shoulder. Instantly the chanting had stopped as I turned to face my brother with a smile. I hugged him and whispered something making him laugh. Our mother looked to us questioningly but said nothing as Paul released me and followed her from the room. I hugged myself tightly as I started thinking about being on Arrakis, reunited with my father and some of my other favorite people. I ignored the sound of the door opening and smirked as I recognized the footsteps that entered. "Hello Gurney man," I said with a small smile already picturing the stern look he would have on his face because of me with my back to my door. I turned around and sure enough he had his arms crossed looking at me sternly. "How many times do I have to tell you girl, never have your back to the door," he said as he stepped over the table laying out the tools I used for my training. "Gurney I would recognize your foot steps anywhere," I said moving over to the table to start grabbing what I would need. I looked down at the weapons and recognized the Karambit I usually used as well as the small discs that would simulate different attacks. "Those can be mimicked girl, you know that," he said still giving me a stern look. "You and I both know no one could fool me," I said with a smirk as I removed the wrap I wore around my clothes. I picked up the dual Karambits I loved to use and moved to the center of the floor. Gurney simply chuckled and nodded his head as he picked up the control that would activate the discs. "Aye that much is true," he nodded before looking to make sure I was ready as he activated the discs. 

Several hours later I was drenched in sweat as my brother had now rejoined us. Through our bond and despite my warning to him, I could feel the resentment and betrayal he was feeling towards our mother. My mother now walked in and I could see the disapproving look as I finished this round with ease yet again. Gurney had been pushing me harder and harder because of how well I was doing with all the training he had been giving me. My chest heaved as I walked over and set my weapons down and I turned to smile at Paul. I noticed his mood had definitely soured with my mother's presence but he stayed silent before moving to grab his shield belt so he could begin his training with Gurney. I moved back to stand next to Hawat as I cleaned the sweat off of me with a towel. "Well done m'lady," he said approvingly to me, knowing I would receive no such praise from my mother. Despite her and father hiding me from the bene gesserit she still intending on me marrying one day and wives did not train for battle like I did. My father had put his foot down though, not wanting me to miss out on what could potentially save my life should the need arise. I took the glass of water he handed me and chugged it down, now feeling my thirst catch up to me. I looked to my mother and I could see her watching Paul. You could see in her eyes she simply wanted him to understand, but he was refusing to listen at this point. I could understand to a point, there was some loyalty she still had to the Reverend Mother, but at the same time she had hidden me from them my entire life why was it too much for her to tell him about the test. She moved to stand beside me as Hawat moved down to watch Paul and Gurney. "You told him," she simply stated and due to the obviousness of it I remained silent. "I told you..." she started but the look in my eyes as she met them stopped her. "It shouldn't be any surprise that I told him, everyone knows there is nothing we keep from each other, we couldn't if we tried," I stated just as plainly. Our bond was different than most even from other twins. At times it infuriated me, but at other times like when I was tested I was grateful. "But I asked," she started again but I slammed my hand down on the table. "Enough its done, nothing to do about it now," I said as I stormed from the room to my private quarters. I know my anger was more sourced from Paul's emotions, but I still felt the frustration the same with her. Some days I wondered if she truly would protect us from the Bene Gesserit or if her clear ambition for wanting to produce the Kwitzach Hederach was overwhelming all other reasoning. What seemed like an eternity passed when a knock finally came at my door. I could tell it was Paul by the sound of his knock and waited for him to enter. He would always pause to make sure if I wasn't decent I could call out to him, but if I didn't respond he knew it was safe to enter. He watched me as I stared out the window that now looked down on Arrakis below us. "Its time sister," he said as he stood next to me. I nodded and stood to join him as we walked from the room and made our way to the transport that would take us down to Arrakis.

I refused to look at our mother as we boarded the transport and took our seats. It was a blur as we flew down to the planet and disembarked to a second transport that would take us to the Palace in Arakeen. As we went through the streets I tuned out the conversation around me and watched the people as we passed. I could see them saying something but I couldn't make out exactly what they were saying. I could see their mouths form the word Mahdi, but the second word I couldn't figure out. Paul watched as I concentrated feeling me straining to figure it out. "Amina," he said and I turned almost as if I responded to some one calling my name. I saw the confusion only for a moment before he spoke, "Amina its what they're saying." I nodded and went back to looking out the window, not seeing the concerned look on Paul's face. Hawat and our mother watched us as they spoke, but not drawing attention to our behavior. Soon the transport came to a stop in front of the palace and we began to make our way out to meet our father. He embraced mother first before turning and greeting Paul. I rushed over to him and squeezed him tightly once he had spoken to the others, feeling him hold me tightly in return. "Hello my flower," he whispered in my ear. For appearances to protect me, the story was told that there had been another concubine before my mother that no one knew of but she died in childbirth when I was born. No one had ever questioned it and treated me equally to Paul. Only a select few were aware that Paul and I were full siblings. We followed the others inside as Hawat spoke to my father. As we entered the palace I began looking around, searching for a familiar face. Paul smirked as he watched me straining to find Duncan. "Not yet sister," he said trying to hide a chuckle. I looked down with a sigh, not seeing how my mother and father looked at me. Mother was confused, but because of his conversations with Paul, father knew what Paul was talking about. I tuned out the conversation again, getting lost in my thoughts. I was snapped out of the spiraling I was doing in my head by our father. "Come you two its time you both started participating," he said ignoring my mother's protest, no doubt to my attendance of the council. We followed father and Hawat to the council room where father had decided to hold his meetings. As we entered the room we all took our seats with me in next to my brother and my father at the head of the table. The meeting began and I quickly began to only half listen as I felt a pressure begin in my head. I tried to focus on what was being discussed as my father went over what they had discovered once arriving to the planet. The state of the machinery was questionable and there was reason to believe the workers may still feel loyal to the Harkonnens. Not to mention the other issues that have come up because of how the Harkonnens treated the locals on Arrakis. The pressure in my head got stronger and I began to hear a quiet chanting in the distance. The same two words over and over again. Mahdi and Amina. I heard a couple drips and looked to where the noise was coming from, unable to hear anyone's voices now other than the chanting. I turned to look and saw what looked like a wall of water. I reached my hand out to touch it but just before my fingers could graze it, I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Y/N," Paul said snapping me from the vision. I turned to see everyone watching me and somehow in the stores of my brain I had save the conversation. "The first step in evading a trap is knowing it is there," I said with Paul's last words in my head. My father nodded at me proudly and they continued talking. I looked back and saw the wall of water gone, not seeing the concerned look from everyone in the room at my unusual behavior.  Father was right of course with that sentiment on evading a trap, but something deep in my gut told me there may be no way to avoid this one laid by the emperor.