ASCENDANCY (Feyd-Rautha)

CHAPTER SIX

The Baron had given me a servant girl as a welcoming gift. It did not surprise me that his idea of a gift was giving me a human who was surely not serving this family out of her own will. Servant girls on Giedi Prime rarely lived long. She was likely my age, though she looked younger. She lacked hair, just like all other residents on Giedi Prime. Her eyes were completely blackened, it looked as they had been replaced with large black marbles. She was thin, and she walked with a practiced silence.

"Lord Baron Vladimir has requested I help you ready for the gathering this evening" She said, her voice frail.

"I can manage, thank you" I responded. She remained standing, she looked afraid to leave. If the Baron found out she had not done what he asked, he would not be pleased.

"You can draw be a bath" I say, putting her to work in order to avoid trouble. I stayed in a room in the guest wing of the palace, as I had the last time I was here. The servant girl hurried to the washroom, bringing her large purse of supplies with her. 

Although this was just a guestroom, it was still rather large and lavish. All the surfaces were black, and the room was completely windowless, though it did not feel like a prison cell. The bed was wide with a silk duvet. There was no decor, unless you count in the peculiar walls. They were made out of what looked like massive glass beads. They were cold to the touch, and dark, so you could not see anything clearly through them. There was also a desk, and a leather desk-chair to go with it.

"Your bath is ready my Lady" Said the servant, with her nose pointed to the floor and her hands clasped before her waist. 

I entered the washroom, where a tub made of black marble stood in the middle. I removed my clothing and stepped into the warm bath. The servant was still in the room, hunched over her black leather purse. It almost looked like the kind of purse doctors and dentists carried with them. 

I closed my eyes and let my head sink into the water. I had expected the servant to leave and give me some privacy, but when I opened my eyes again she was headed towards me with a washcloth. She grabbed my arm and started scrubbing my hand vigorously with soap. I was taken aback, I had not been bathed by another person since childhood. I suppose this was one of the entailments of gaining position in the universe. 

I was surprised by the strength of her frail body. She moved upwards my arm, she made my skin feel sore. She lifted my arm to scrub away at my armpit but froze when she noticed the hair. She quickly got up and retrieved a device from her purse. It looked like a wide pistol. She placed it on the hair growing under my arm, before pulling the trigger. I felt a sharp burn.

"What is that?" I asked.

"To rid of your hair, my Lady" She responded. I had never given any thought to my body hair, though it made sense for Harkonnens to be repelled by it, considering their hairless nature. She moved to my other side before burning away the hair under that arm as well.

"What is your name?" I asked. She hesitated.

"I am not supposed to say" She eventually whispered.

"Do not make me ask twice" I whispered back. I liked that she feared me. Feeling powerful made all my lousy traits shine.

"Amma" She responded quietly. She continued to scrub the rest of my body, leaving every part of me completely clean.

Amma helped me pick out a dress. We decided on one of my black silk dresses. It went straight across my chest and my arms, revealing my collarbones and my shoulders. I did not cover my hair, though I did use a slim sheer veil to cover my eyes. I did not want Feyd-Rautha to recognize me immediately. I wanted to linger in his mind and make him wonder from where he knew me. I met with Mother Gaius in the hall so that we could arrive at the gathering together.