The Atreides Twins

Chapter 7

**Time Skip**

I stood at the balcony of our room and laid a hand on my now swollen stomach. I sighed as I watched the final preparations being made for us to leave. I was finally time, we were finally going to the deep  desert. A council was being called and because I was a Reverend Mother I would be there to witness but because I was not a Naib I would not be allowed to speak until after the council was concluded. I knew what Paul was about to do and it would cause a small delay but for the future to come to be we had no choice. Now with Chani and I both pregnant, Paul needed to do what must be done to keep us both safe. Arms wrapped around me and hands rested on my belly with mine. "Its almost time love," Duncan said as he placed a kiss on my head. I sighed in content as I just let him hold me. "I know, everything is about to change and there is still so much uncertainty," I said thinking about the visions I had been having since that night. "I feel like there is something Paul isn't telling me, my visions..." I started but Duncan shushed me. "All will be well my love, the visions will be complete when you're ready remember. For now, lets just be for a moment, enjoy the peace for as long as we can," he told me reassuringly. I knew he was right. He and Paul had been telling me the same thing since I told them both about the visions. Paul promised everything would come together when the time is right. I trusted in them both and did as Duncan wished. We stood there for a moment longer before hearing Stil call to us, telling us it was time. We made our way down to the others and began the trek out into the desert to get worms that would take us deep into the desert. Duncan kept me close as Paul kept Chani by his side. Stil helped our mother and once we were all on our respective worms I was placed in the center within a carrier that would keep me safe on the ride. I didn't notice that Paul was no longer with us until we began to ride near a storm. "Where is he going," I heard Stil yell. Duncan was near me so I tapped his arm to get his attention. He leaned down to me and moved a curtain so he would hear me better. "Tell Stil to let him go, there is something he must do first before joining us," I told him firmly. He nodded and replaced the curtain over the window of the carrier. I could hear him move up and speak to Stil, who waved to someone on another worm to stop following Paul. We continued into the storm that would hide us for the duration of our ride until we got closer to the sietch we would now call home. 

I fell asleep at some point and was woken by Duncan picking me up out of the carrier. He helped me stand and steady myself before we disembarked from the worm into the sand. Once on the ground we moved quickly to get out of the way of the worm while Stil steered it away to release it. Once regrouped we began our walk to the sietch that was now ahead of us. Unusual to normal custom we had gotten as close as we could as we had two with us that were pregnant. Some days passed and everyone settled in and created the routines that would help run the day to day things that needed to be done. I moved through the sietch and it was then I began to notice the looks and stares I was getting. It was unnerving the way I was treated by the deep desert fremen almost as if I was being worshipped. I couldn't understand as the fremen I had encountered thus far had been that of a brotherhood, with a tad of reverence because I was a reverend mother. The stares became too much and I decided to go back to my quarters. I didn't notice Chani following with my mother behind watching her with a hard stare. Chani and I had become close like sisters, something else my mother was not happy about. I was only inside my quarters for a second when I heard a knock at the doorway. I turned to see Chani standing there with a sympathetic look. I gave a small smile and waved her in. I was glad I had her to go through this with being pregnant. Ever since I became the reverend mother, my mother and I hadn't spoken. I knew she had made several trips herself to the deep desert, but after everything we had been through and with what I knew was coming I wanted to avoid coming here for as long as possible. "I have spoken with some of the people that have already been here," she started as we both took a seat on the balcony. I hummed in acknowledgement and for her to continue as we both rested watching the people move about below us. "Your mother has been doing some preaching of her own while she has visited, telling them of the wonders you and your brother achieve," She told me confirming my fears. I knew what she was doing and deep down there may be good intentions meant, but she had now idea the fire she was enflaming. "I will speak with her about it, for now I need you to help me feel out the people. I need to know where we stand with them so to speak and help me tell those that you can, we are not the gods we are being made out to be please Chani," I said looking to her with a tear in my eye. She got to her feet and hugged me before giving me a nod. She left and I asked a fremen near below to send my mother to me quickly. The ran to do so and I made my way back inside, making tea and waiting for her to come. As I began to make my tea I could hear her quick steps approaching and then entering with an irritated sigh. 

"Again with your back to the door daughter, are you alright, is it the baby," she asked quickly as she removed her cloak she wore. "My child is fine mother, it is you I wish to speak about," I said sternly as I finished stirring my tea. I heard her huff as she sat down before she spoke. "What have I done to displease you now daughter," she asked letting her annoyance at me be heard. She had grown tired of me fighting against her. I slammed the spoon I was using down and spun to her with nothing but anger showing on my face. I hid the hurt I felt, knowing in some way she knew what she was doing would kill her children in the end. I could hear the footsteps outside the door that I knew belonged to Duncan, but when he heard me speak I heard him stop just outside of the door. "You know exactly what you have done. It stops now mother, the flame you are fanning will be catastrophic if left unchecked. Now my brother and I have to do work to try and undo what you have done and even then I still don't believe it will be enough," I said fighting back the tears I knew were trying to fall. "There is always a way out," she said brushing off what I had said. "Not this time mother, you need to stop and now," I told her sternly. She tried to brush me off again but I took her face in my hand made her look up at me. "You will stop and you will stop now," I said using the voice perfectly. She shuddered as the power of my voice went through her. When I let her go and moved back to my tea, she stood and I could feel her move towards the door and leave without a word. After a few moments, Duncan entered and wrapped his arms around me tightly. "I swear to you, nothing will happen to you, I'll keep you safe," he said as I finally started to let the tears free. He just held me letting me get the hurt I felt out,  but it angered him that my own mother could do something like this and that she was breaking her promise to our father. After some more time passed I began hear the yelling coming from outside. Chani soon burst through the doors looking frantic. "We've received a message from a nearby sietch, Mua' Dib has taken the water of life," she said and I looked to Duncan worriedly. He wasn't supposed to do that without me, I was supposed to travel in secret to be with him when he did. "Take me to him," I said plainly and followed the others out to where we could travel to the sietch. Based on word from other fremen, my mother was already on the way so I had to hurry before she could do or say something that would make things worse.