The Cruel

20

Mara had learned that Paul and their mother were there for her mother to stay there. She looked at her mother with eyebrows furrowed.

"What about Alia? The Fremen? She's your daughter. And you're the Fremen's Reverend Mother."

She spoke harshly yet softly as she noticed that there were some Fremen in the room still. Jessica was silent before she spoke.

"Mara, I must stay here to keep this world ours."

"My world."

Mara muttered with a dark tone. Jessica looked confused.

"I brought this world back in my palm. I earned it. It's mine."

She barked to her mother. Jessica was silent. Had her daughter lost her mind? To speak to her like that?

"How dare you-"

"QUIET."

Mara had used the Voice on her mother. Jessixa shut her mouth. Unable to speak. Some Fremen looked at the two. The tension in the room was high. Jessica didn't know that Mara could even use the Voice. She had suspicions but never thought her daughter would use it on her.

"I've earned this planet. It's mine."

Mara's tone was dark and hateful. Jessica realized what the Bene Gesserit had created while Mara was in their hands.

A monster.

"I will never let you take something from me. You'll spend the rest of your pathetic life in that desert."

Mara muttered as she walked past her. Jessica gasped for air once Mara had left. She looked towards the door that Mara had just left from.

Jessica saw how some Fremen looked at her uneasy. They saw the facade of her tricks.

———

Paul stood where his father would handle his meetings. He could remember how he would ask his father why he listened to the people on Caladan when he could just ignore their demands. Yet his father only told him that he could, but he should listen to his people.

Paul felt sorrow in that moment. He knew that his father would be so disappointed in him. He knew this was his mother's doing. To an extent. The rest was all on him. He had no one to blame because he was at fault. He just didn't want to admit it yet.

Paul looked at his father's chair more carefully. His fingers brushing over the back of the chair. He knew that his father was never coming back. He felt more anger than sadness when he thought of his father's corpse.

He hated how the Emperor made Mara see their father's dead body. He understood her now. Why she acted the ways she did. She saw things that would scar thousands of men. To watch all of that horror in a short amount of time.

He looked up to see his mother standing there. She looked frightened and angry.

He wondered to himself, why was his family always so angry? Had they been doing something wrong for the Gods to be messing with them like this? Was his family cursed to only feel anger. Would his anger leave him or just rot in him like how his sister's anger has.

"What is it-"

"Mara is out of control. She needs to be stopped."

His mother spoke over him. He sighed as he looked at her. He knew this was going to happen sooner or later. Mara had a temper and knew it would lead him down a rabbit hole if he let her live.

Perhaps he didn't want to say it. But he knew it was true. Now that his mother fully saw it herself, it made him feel angry. He knew that was his answer from his question. He would rot with his anger.

———

Paul went back on Arrakis with Mara. Their mother stayed on Caladan. It took must persuasion from Paul and Gurney. Yet Mara only did this as Paul told her that Caladan would be under Mara's control. She felt a bit better.

She was in her room. It had been a few days since she left Arrakis. She wondered where Irulan was. Or where her younger sister was. She had grown to having Alia around.

She didn't mind having her around anymore when her and Irulan went on walks. She let the younger girl tag along.

Mara felt something when she was near Alia. Was it....safe? No that can't be right. A feared soldier can't feel anything but anger. She knew that it was a lie but she would rather feed herself lies than admit that she cared for another being besides Irulan.

"You were gone for so long. I thought you would've never came back."

A voice spoke through the shadows. She knew that voice. Irulan.

"I always come back to you. I swore it, even if i was blinded to."

Mara stated back as her voice softened. She felt her anger fade away by the second. Every second that Irulan was talking to Mara was a second of her anger being dismissed by faithfulness.

Mara smiled as she walked closer to Irulan but stopped when she saw her bruised eye. Her eyes showed anger built up. How quick tempered she was.

"Who did this."

She demanded to know. Who did this to the princess. Her brother's wife. Her older sister.

"I was in the wrong-"

"Tell me."

Her voice dripped with venom. She had to know.

"A Fremen soldier was walking in the hallways that I was leaving. I didn't see him and he didn't see me. We ran into each other."

Irulan stated simply as i saw Mara gently touch it. She winced before looking back at her.

"I'm fine. Truly I am."

"Who was this soldier? Give me a name."

"Mara."

"I'm just asking for a name. It's not like they'll go missing or anything."

Irulan chuckled at the younger girls words. She missed these little moments.

"I won't say a name for I fear you will actually make them disappear."

"Fear is the mind killer."

Mara spoke back as if she was programmed to. Which she was when she was in the hands of the Bene Gesserit to make her an obedient servant.

Irulan looked at her but it's as if Mara didn't noticed those words came out her mouth. Irulan knew how much the Bene Gesserit abused Mara.

Mara looked up at her confused. Still not taking in what she had just said.

"What?"

Her voice was soft as she looked up to her.

"Nothing. I just thought of something."

She lied through her teeth and Mara knew it. Mara finally processed what she had said. She cleared her throat.

"Where Alia?"

Mara changed the subject as always. Always chasing the fight yet can't have an adult conversation, but perhaps that was because she wasn't an adult. She was just a 14 year old girl.

"She was being taken care of by Chani. Your brother didn't want me to take care of Alia."

Mara huffed. How could Paul treat Irulan like this? Mara forgave Irulan so why couldn't Paul?!

"I'll have a word with him later. Let me tell you everything that happened while I was back on Caladan."

Mara said as she sat on her bed and put her mask to the side as she smirked at Irulan. A smile that only few people saw.

Irulan smiled back as she sat on her bed. She had forgotten about her bruised eye. But Mara hadn't. She hadn't forgotten and she had a few people in mind of who could have done this.

The entire conversation Mara had a thought in the back of her head.

I'll murder anyone who touches you.