ASCENDANCY (Feyd-Rautha)

CHAPTER EIGHT

In the absence of water, there will be absence of life.

"Candidates for housekeeper, my Lady." A Harkonnen guard told me, as he presented me ten women who stood in a line by the main entrance.

"Am I to choose one?" I asked. I was uneducated on the tasks of high standing wives, as I had been away from my mother for the bulk of my adolescence.

"Of course, my Lady." The guard responded.

"And what will her tasks be?" I asked quietly, so the candidates would not hear.

"She will take on the wifely tasks, so that you can be focused on more serious matters." He replied, quietly as I had.

"Such as?" I asked, still lost on what he meant by "wifely tasks".

"Maintaining a clean environment in your living quarters, sending word to people for you, caring for your children when necessary." He responded. I nodded at his words before turning to the women. Most were Harkonnen, though some looked to be indigenous. I walked closer to them, studying each woman before walking over to the next. Most were riddled with fear, though the last woman had no trace of it. I could tell she was Fremen from her tan skin, staggering blue eyes and black hair. I could feel her entire soul was filled to the brim with rage.

"What is your name?" I asked her. She hid her emotions with ease.

"Zehish, my Lady." She replied with a broad accent. I was impressed by her masking abilities.

"And what are you doing here, Zehish?" I asked.

"I wish to serve you, my Lady." She replied. You needn't be a Bene Gesserit to see her untruthfulness. Her aversion intrigued me.

"I choose you, the rest may leave." I spoke. The guard led the other candidates out of the palace. "Walk with me." I told the housekeeper. We strode together down the main hallway. It was tall and wide, with depictions of sandworms on the walls. Zehish kept her eyes on the artwork as we walked. "Shai-Hulud. That is what you call them in your language, is it not?" I asked, gesturing to the sandworms on the walls.

"Yes. They are the agents of God." She replied. She wore typical Fremen clothing, beige cloths draped upon each other, and a scarf to cover her hair.

"Have you always lived in Arrakeen?" I asked her, digging for the root of her rage.

"No. I lived in a smaller sietch for the better part of my life, I only moved into the city after I had my son." She choked slightly at the mention of her child.

"Why are you not with him?" I asked, looking curiously at her.

"He is old enough to manage on his own." She replied. Though her hands were hidden in her dress, I knew she held fits so tight that her nails had pierced her skin. We walked in silence for a minute.

"I will ask you again Zehish, why are you here?" I spoke. I looked at her intently as we walked, though she refused to meet my gaze.

"I already told you, my Lady. I wish to serve." She replied. All the muscles in her face were taught.

"There is no use in lying to me, I can see right through it" I told her. Even though I am not a complete Truthsayer yet, it does not hurt to make others think I am. I looked at her for an answer, but she refused to respond. "Send word to my lady in waiting that she is to come to my chambers some time before the gathering this evening. Her name is Amma, you can find her in the workers wing of the palace" I told her, deciding to put her to work instead of being interrogated. She nodded, before walking off.

My room on Arrakis felt far more comforting than the one I had on Giedi Prime. As the wife of the planetary governor, I lived in one of the finer chambers. As the rest of the palace was, all the surfaces were made of sandstone. There were beautiful tapestries on the walls, depicting planets, dunes, sandworms and prayers I could not understand. I sat at my desk, attempting once more to write a letter for my mother.