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

Part 45

Chapter 45

ALIA ATREIDES

Life had changed much for Alia Atredies, and she had gone from being a second daughter to the heir of House Atredies. From being afraid and little to full grown girl, one who now sat in the seat of the Duke of Caladan ruling over the ancient seat of House Atredies, governing over these lands as her father and his forefathers did so before her.

To her, though, it felt as if she was not doing anything different, for she had ruled over these lands for centuries in her memories. In the last decade and a half, she had gotten used to all the memories inside her head and realized how to separate emotions from them and see them all as experiences so as not to let them overwhelm her too much.

And though she would never be a regular child, through Inzal's and her own efforts, she had been able to have the semblance of a normal life, something for which she was very thankful to their Emperor. And it was because of that, though she did not find the task of ruling and governing over Caladan hard, she found it boring and tedious, and Alia Atreides hated being bored.

And yet she had a role to play, a duty to perform, and she would do it, for her family. For Inzal.

She felt the doors to the solar open as her aide walked in, Gurney Halleck the war master of House Atreides walked in stoic as ever, his gaze piercing and steadfast as he saluted to her and passed her along a messenger scroll.

"This came from Summerhall," he informed her. That was the name of their vacation home—a castle deep into the alleys, one where members of their house would retire.

She unfurled it and began to skim over the message, and she raised a brow.

"So, she finally decided to visit her," she added as she closed the scroll and then, in an abhorrent display of strength, crushed it in her hands, scrunching the metal into a crap ball.

"Yes, Lady Margot Fenring has just departed from the castle after meeting with your mother, the Duc—"and he halted in his sentence as she narrowed her eyes.

"...The Lady Jessica," he corrected himself, not to break the cover they had built.

"They are finally growing desperate," she added, as she thought about the war raging in the galaxy around her as Inzal's forces tried to overwhelm the Ixians and the Bene Tleilaxu.

"Shall we inform the Emperor?" Gurney asked her, and she scoffed.

"We do not need to. Inzal would have learned of it even before you and I," and that was his power, the power to see beyond space.

"What are your instructions then, Duchess?" he asked, and she raised a brow, her mind racing as she jumped up from her chair.

"Arrange a ship for me. I want to go and meet Mother," she said gravely, and Gurney nodded.

"I will have it prepared, but there are reports from Duncan Idaho from the war front that you..." and she slapped it away.

"Tell Duncan to present them herself. His reports are too complicated for me to understand without his presence," she added curtly, and Gurney raised a brow. Her face with all the years and centuries of Bene Gesserit training did not betray any emotion as he continued.

"I could help you wit..."

"No," she cut in sharply.

"I wish for Duncan to present them herself," she added. She saw his lips turn up slightly, and the expression made her face flush as Gurney finally relented.

"I will have the message sent," he said, and she nodded, a smile erupting on her lips.

"There are other tasks still left for yo..."