DUNE-A False Haderach (OC X Shishakli) (OC x Alia)

Untitled Part 39

Chapter 39

CHANI KYNES

The kanji challenge by Paul—or whomever he truly was—caused a major ruckus everywhere. The Fremen were wroth at the Atreides men and women, deeming Paul's actions a great betrayal, and already rifts had begun to appear within the Fremen-Atreides alliance that had toppled the Emperor and Harkonnens.

All this was exaggerated by the fact that despite a day passing, neither Paul nor Inzal had addressed their respective people. Both of them secluded themselves in their room and solar, respectively, with Paul taking no guest at all.

Things were tough for her as well. Chani's relationship with the Atreides heir was known to all in the Fremen, and the actions of Paul had cast a shadow on her as well, with many calling her a traitor and a turncoat, believing her to be Paul's co-conspirator in all this.

Those accusations clawed at her, and many of her acquaintances and friends turned on her as the Fremen saw their hard-fought freedom hijacked once more by an outsider—an outsider they had provided shelter for in their time of need, saving them from mass extinction.

And all this had brought her here, to the outside of Paul's room. A place where none were allowed. None except her. Not that she would let a simple no stop her. She had spent hours thinking about the words that had come out of Paul's mouth when he had first woken up, the title he had used for her, the way he had described her, described her familiarity with a 'Ghanima,' a name rather close to her.

She remembered barely a whisper of his name, which had severe implications about just who was it that inhabited Paul's body. Today, she would have her answers. And so, she entered the room, one that was often reserved for the heir, and it was just as Paul had left it.

And there in the center of the room sat Paul—no, he. Leto, as he had called himself. Cross-legged with his eyes closed, deep in meditation.

And as she stepped forward, the door closed behind her.

"I knew you would come," he said, his tone similar to Paul's but different. He opened his eyes and looked at her. There was curiosity and affection in that gaze, as he motioned for her to sit down as well.

"I suppose you are here for answers," he asked, and she nodded and sat down on the floor opposite him. Her eyes were still focused on him, and her gaze picked up the subtle differences between this newcomer and her lover with every passing second.

"I am," she replied, and he nodded and became quiet as if waiting for her to voice them out. There were a thousand questions whirling in her mind about his motive, about what he had done with Paul, and yet they all mattered little, at least until she knew just who she was talking to.

"Who are you? You are not Paul. You have his face, his voice, his body, but you are not my Paul, are you?" she asked and saw him smile.

"I am not," he did not deny her words.

"My real name is Leto Atreides the Second, and I am the son of the Padishah Emperor Paul-Muadib Atreides and you," he replied, confirming her suspicion that the whisper she remembered was not false. That he had indeed called her mother.

"You lie," she retorted even though in her heart she knew it to be true.

"I have no reason to lie to you. You can have a truth sayer come and scrutinize my words, but on my honor, I promise you this that I will not lie to you," he said, and her fists balled up as she tried to make sense of what he was saying.

"You are my son. Mine and Paul's, a Paul who was Emperor? But Paul is not the Emperor, and we have no son!" she asked, and he nodded.

"You are right. But I was not born today or even in the tomorrows that are set to come. In a way, I was born nearly a decade from today to you and Emperor Paul Atreides in a different timeline," he answered.