Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters; they were created by Frank Herbert...Eiric is mine, however.
Cold winds wrapped icy fingers around the cliffs of Caladan, overcast skies greying the heavens in bleak simplicity. Amidst the ancient ramparts of the castle, a tall black haired man gazed out on turbulent seas, troubled. Bright and intense green eyes stared down upon seabirds and rocks, studying the foreign environment with feigned interest. Shielding his olive-skin against the cold, Eiric turned back towards the castle, seeking the warmth of the halls within. Another black haired man, slightly shorter and with grey eyes, less handsome but remarkably similar, stepped outside of the castle to join him in his solitude before he could reach the doors. Eiric nodded to the Duke, but had no intent of remaining outside to converse with him.
Eiric liked Leto, enough that he considered him good company, but tended to avoid him, especially when the Duke was in such obviously bad mood. With his eyebrows furrowed, and an angry expression on his face, Leto practically pulled Eiric as he led him back to the cliff face.
"That Kailea," Leto's voice seemed to shake in frustration.
Eiric sighed, "I know."
Leto shook his head and breathed deeply of the ocean air, "I suppose I should calm down. No one likes an angry Duke."
Eiric laughed, patted Leto on the shoulder, and headed inside, "I'll grab Lady Jessica for you."
He heard the Duke laugh behind him, but continued inside. The warmth of the hall washed over him, and Eiric happily found Jessica, a bronze-haired green-eyed beauty, telling her to join Leto outside.
"Thank you, Archduke Ecaz," Jessica smiled, mocking Eiric with the title.
"Jessica, I'm not the Archduke yet…" Eiric smiled back, but as thoughts danced across his mind, he face adorned a more sombre expression, "I do hope everyone is all right."
"I do as well, Master Ecaz."
Eiric nodded goodbye to Jessica and sat in a large red chair at the far end of the hall. It had been scarcely a month since House Moritani had first laid waste to Ecaz and Eiric had been sent to Caladan to marshal Atreides support. With the now ongoing conflict, Eiric had not returned home, and he longed to see the fog and elacca forests of Ecaz again with passion.
Hawat, the famed mentat, interrupted his reflection, waving in greeting and requesting the Ecazi heir's presence.
Agreeing to accompany the mentat, Eiric watched as Kailea joined them, another beautiful woman, with a fiery heart and an iron will. For whatever odd reason, Kailea seemed to like him, and though he could not explain why, there was something about her he distinctly disliked. He dealt with her as a courtesy to the House Atreides that was so generously hosting him on this cold, water-covered world.
As Kailea talked in an endless torrent to him, Eiric had but one thought. 'I'm so sick of this planet, its oceans, its dated castles, its people. I need to go home. Home.'