Caladan was experiencing an uncommonly warm winter when Leto Atreides began at long last to look for a wife. Perhaps 'look for' was inaccurate though, for while he was content with his life and not actively searching, the thought occurred to him from time to time that it would be prudent to marry. Thus when making polite conversation with visiting dignitaries as he usually did, he found his ears perking up now and again when one visitor or another mentioned their young, accomplished daughter who was just reaching the age for prospective suitors.
In the mornings when he woke the wind that was typically so cold and biting was still soft and mild as in late summer. He would breakfast in his sitting room with the windows open, looking out over the wide expanse of ocean and thinking how he might enjoy having someone here to share these small moments with. Up until now most of his career had been focused on military exploits, expanding his power, and strengthening his house. Now to fully strengthen his house, he considered his need for an heir. An only child and an orphan at 32, he had no fallback choices. He needed to find a young woman, fertile, well-mannered, and kind, to manage his home during his long absences and bear his children if he was to secure the longstanding Atreides dynasty his predecessors had lived and died for.
Leto's options were multitudinous. It seemed once the first few fathers picked up on his interest in a wife, more followed, many making excuses to travel long distances for an audience with him as opposed to conversations via hyperlink. The excuses they offered for meeting in person varied, but inevitably they would arrive, sometimes staying several hours afterwards, and always shifting the conversation towards some eligible daughter or another. Once or twice, a fellow would bring her along, making her sit between them at mealtimes like some broodmare at an auction.
Astern Varrik was more discreet. A former Arrakian ambassador originally from Reenol, the Emperor had assigned him to sit on his Council in Kaitain, working in close proximity with the Great Houses such as the Atreides and the Chellys, the Aberfors and the Harkonnens amongst all the others. He was well versed in the spice trade and spoke several languages, including Chakobsa, the mother tongue of the Fremen of Arrakis.
He was also clever. As the second son born to a noble house, he had to be. His older brother had inherited the title and the land that came with it, so it was left to Astern to use his wits to secure his own place in society through service to the Emperor. He had married well for a man in his position and had 3 sons but only one daughter.
Genna was very young, barely 18, and thankfully of a sweet disposition, as well as the spitting image of her mother. His sons were each striving to make their own way up through ambassadorships for the Emperor and were not yet in a position to provide for a wife and family. Genna, however, had no such concerns. Now that she was of age she was able to entertain suitors until the family found one that would advance both her status and their own. Duke Leto Atreides was just such a man.
When Astern learned that the Duke was making inquiries about eligible young women throughout the Galactic Padishah Empire he knew this was the prime time to make his move. Word also reached Astern about the failed attempts of other men to put forth their daughters as candidates, each tale recounting more and more desperate measures taken. No, that wouldn't do. The Duke was a proud military man, stoic and reserved. To be so flagrant would immediately mark his daughter off the list. This would take diplomacy and no small degree of luck if he were to pull this off, and he sought the advice of his wife, Karolina, to do so.
"Duke Leto? Oh, but he would make a fine match for Genna. Is he looking for a wife? I thought he was quite content with bachelorhood interminably." She was busy stitching embroidery as she spoke the words, not even bothering to look up from her task as her husband poured himself a drink before sitting in the chair opposite hers.
"From the rumors I hear, it seems he's had a change of heart recently."
"Ah, Karolina tutted, "Well then Genna would be the perfect choice for him. She mustn't look too desperate though. We'll have to find a way for them to cross paths without it looking intentional. I'm sure he will be enamored with one sight of her."
Astern took a healthy swig of his drink, "Should I invite him here then? Invite other dignitaries and make up a diplomatic reason?"
His wife scoffed, "That would be far too transparent. He's never been invited here before. He would know instantly that something was amiss. What about the emperor's banquet next month? Genna is of age now, we could bring her with us and try to get a table close to him. I'm sure once he sees her he will do the rest."
Astern nodded. As he had known, his wife was the perfect person to plot this matchmaking scheme with.
With one final stitch Karolina set her embroidery down on her lap with a smile, "Done," she exclaimed, "Now, make sure you do not speak of this to anyone else lest word reaches the Duke beforehand. Genna must also be none the wiser, or else she might be too nervous around him.
Her husband raised his glass to her before he downed the last of it, "It will be as you've said," he promised.
Duke Leto received the invitation to the Emperor's annual banquet 6 weeks before the event. More of a summons than an invitation, he had groaned when Gurney relayed the message that came in through hologram. Of course, he was expected to attend, as were all the heads of the Great Houses, but he was growing exceedingly tired of all these would be matchmakers finding reasons to come visit him on Caladan, and the thought of traveling to Kaitain where he would certainly be inundated with callers and invitations for tea was enough to bring on a massive headache. He could feign illness at the last moment, but that might lead to more visitors coming with the excuse to inquire after his health and bring a gift in the form of some medicinal herb coincidentally carried in by another eligible daughter.
He must go. Even though the thought of it was tedious, he had brought this wave of prospective wives upon himself and now he must look them in the eye and nod and smile all the while questioning why he could not find himself interested in any that crossed his path. It all felt so forced, so desperate. Yes, he needed an heir, and a companion as well as a lady of his castle. But did it have to feel so compulsory? He was only 30, perhaps he had been too hasty in his queries to the few noblemen he'd made inquiries too which had spurred this tsunami of young women being thrust into his periphery.
With a sigh he motioned for Gurney to hand him the holograph, confirming his attendance at the banquet as well as the number of his retinue who would accompany him. He leaned back in his chair after it was sent, rubbing his temples and wishing he had kept his mouth shut.
The days before the banquet were every bit as tedious as Leto expected. Every noblewoman on Caladan it seemed was either trying to cross his path or place her daughter in it. Like sharks when they smell blood in the water, they trailed him everywhere he went, trying to look unassuming as they came up with new and more arbitrary reasons to catch his attention. The Bene Gesserit order had come sniffing as well, though he was more than familiar with their habit of partnering women of their order with powerful men for their own, unseen purposes. No, what he needed was a wife, not a witch in his home working with those who might at any moment be actively working against him.
Missives came every day through holograph and Gurney did a good job of sifting through which ones were from officials too high-ranking to refuse without causing offense. Gurney had proved invaluable to Leto ever since being rescued from the Harkonnen slave pits, and that family was a notable exception in the slew of invitations arriving daily. Leto hated the Harkonnens almost as much as they hated him. He saw their cruelty, their barbaric practices and the thought of them made him sick. Thankfully, the Baron rarely left Arrakis these days, his presence was a notable absence in the melee of preparations for the banquet.
His holograph pinged with another message and he groaned while Gurney flashed a grin, "How's it feel to be the most desirable man in the Padishah Empire?" he asked.
Leto rolled his eyes and flung a glass at Gurney which the man deflected with ease, chuckling at the sound of the crystal smashing on the marble floor before he launched into reading the latest com.
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Genna stared at herself in the mirror while her maid stood behind her, brushing her hair. Tonight was her first foray into high society events since she came of age, and she wanted to look the part. Her mother had ordered a new gown made for her, having been explicit with the dressmaker about the shade of green she wanted it to be. Genna would have chalked it up to the fact that her eyes were green and she often wore the color to bring out their vibrancy, but there was something more to it, she was sure.
Her parents had been deliberately obtuse when they relayed that she was to accompany them to the Emperor's banquet in a month's time while in the midst of breakfast one morning. Taken by surprise, Genna had dropped her fork into her eggs at their pronouncement. Even her brothers had not been allowed to go this young. Two of them were currently off-world and unable to attend this time, but her oldest brother had managed to secure his own invitation and was planning to attend separately.
The maid pulled out a set of hairpins and began carefully constructing Genna's hair for the evening while Genna glanced out the open window, looking off in the distance at the Emperor's palace and imagining all that might transpire tonight. The food was said to be exquisite, the entertainment lively, and the company diverse and engaging. She knew she should be on the lookout for potential suitors, but most women she knew still had several years before they began to seek in earnest. If someone truly worthwhile came along before then, she would surely be amenable, but for now, she felt content simply with the thought of being allowed to attend such an auspicious event under the chaperone of her parents.
Genna looked in the mirror again and smiled at her maid, waiting patiently until she was ready, still in the dark about all the things that tonight represented.
Leto dressed himself in his black military wear, having cut his beard short tonight, his loose curls like a crown atop his head. It had been another long day of mind-numbing repetitive conversations with 4 different families who had invited him for tea. The thought of seeing another teapot anywhere in his vicinity made him want to smash another crystal glass as Gurney had days ago. The daughters set before him for his perusal were all lovely, well-rehearsed, and ready to offer whatever platitudes their family had coaxed them to say in their efforts to wed their daughter to a wealthy Duke. It was all so draining and he found himself in a foul mood before the evening was even underway. He had been seated at one of the tables closest to the wide balcony that flanked the site of the ballroom they were to dine and celebrate in. Speeches would be made, old men would reminisce about victories long ago, food and drink would be consumed in excess and everyone would be whispering about his prospects for a wife. Once again, he considered feigning illness, but then Gurney was knocking on his door, waiting for him in the hallway with three other Atreides soldiers to escort him to tonight's revelry.
Leto's rooms were closer to the center of the palace, and his men consequently slept in bunks in an adjoining room, taking turns in pairs every night to stand guard at the door. There were always dangers on Caladan, but the potential for more was even higher here in the Emperor's presence, especially as Shaddam had become less and less welcoming to House Atreides of late. Leto came as much to avoid more unwelcome visitors as he did to save face with the Emperor and hopefully return to his good graces.
Together, he and Gurney walked side by side in the direction of the ballroom, the soldiers only a step behind them. When they arrived the party was already beginning to ramp up. Hundreds of guests were milling around, finding their seats, and making conversation as they partook of the wine being brought around by servants on trays. Leto gave a surly look to Gurney as the eyes of several women seemed to alight upon him at once and Gurney stifled a low chuckle.
Quickly Leto and Gurney made for the table to which Leto had been assigned, the 3 soldiers dispersing for refreshment and a waiting area for others here on protective duty. Every face Leto passed seemed to be looking at him, and every table seemed to have 1-2 young women seated already, many staring at him in earnest. Staring straight ahead, Leto approached his table and saw with relief that it was still empty, although there was no telling who else would be seated here or nearby.
Gurney grabbed a goblet of wine from one of the passing trays and handed it to Leto. "You look like you need this already," he joked.
Once seated, the throngs of people continued to arrive, and soon they were joined by the other occupants of Leto's table, the patriarch of house Novebrun and his wife along with their twin daughters who could not have been older than 16.
"I need some air," he grunted to Gurney, giving a quick greeting to the Novebruns before he pushed back his chair and made for the balcony.
Corrinth City sprawled out below the Imperial Opal Palace, its vast expanse glittered in the darkness as he leaned over the railing, Gurney waiting patiently by the entry, and counting the minutes until the mamas trailed him out here too.
Leto looked from side to side, expecting to see them flocking here immediately, but all he saw was an older couple to his left, 4 military generals speaking in a group together to his right, and just past their crew was a lone girl also leaning over the balcony, transfixed by the scenery below. He paused. She looked young, maybe 20 at the most, and she had a sweet look about her, staring out at the city without even glancing around, simply taking in her surroundings. Her brown hair was piled on top of her head in an elaborate braided design, her pale neck and arms glowed in the moonlight as she leaned forward and the shadows passed over her face, not allowing him to get a good look at her. He could not tell the color of her dress from this distance, but he felt the sudden urge to step closer to her.
He shook his head, if he took special notice of one girl here tonight it would incite an even greater fervor among the mothers to seize their chance to yoke a daughter to him. Leto gave her one last look, then turned and headed back for the banquet, downing his goblet of wine before Gurney handed him another one.
Inside again, both men returned to their seats, Leto purposefully ignoring the flurry of whispers that seemed to break out all around him at his approach. At the table with the Novebruns, he made polite conversation, smiling and nodding at the introductions which followed, trying to show just the right amount of interest to not be rude. Others from nearby tables crowded in to take their seats, finding cause to weave past him as they went no matter how far out of their way it was. Leto stared straight ahead unless spoken to, wishing he was back on Caladan.
Astern and his wife were miffed. They had it on good authority that their seats were to be at one of the tables next to the Duke, only to find after their arrival that it was quite the opposite. They were seated on the opposite side of the room.
"Next to no chance of crossing paths with him now," Astern grumbled in a low voice as a servant took his coat at the doors.
Karolina shook her head and held a finger to her lips, "The night is only starting," she reminded him, "There are several hours yet for our luck to change."
Genna was too spellbound by her surroundings to pay much heed to whatever her parents were engaged in hushed conversation about. She was staring around at everything in sight, watching the throngs of people hurrying in. She noticed an unusually high number of young women her own age were in attendance tonight but said nothing about it to her parents. When she left her coat at the entrance she rubbed her arms to ward off the chill of the cold winter evening in the drafty marble hallways, following her parents as they ascended the grand staircase in the direction the banquet was being held.
More young women passed her on the stairs, and all dressed as though they had made every effort to appear as desirable as possible. Genna looked down at her own dress once they reached the landing, her mind whirring with questions as she considered why this time she had been allowed to come with her parents along with seemingly every other eligible girl in Corrinth City. There must be some wealthy bachelor in attendance tonight, she decided and looked around as they entered the banquet, trying to deduce who it was. Most were in attendance with their wives or far too old to be considered a catch for masses of young women. He would have to be younger, and handsome as well as wealthy for this many to make such an effort. Genna stayed close to her parents as she looked around, entertaining herself by pinpointing 3-4 men she thought might be the culprit.
"Genna," her mother's voice interrupted her sleuthing, "This way to our table."
She followed wordlessly, eyes still scanning as she went but the room was so huge she knew there were likely several more, just too far for her to make out from this vantage point. After they found their seats Genna sat restlessly, wanting to walk around and see more of the spectacle.
"Mama? May I step out to the balcony and get some air?" she asked.
Karolina was distracted searching for something through her handbag, "Yes dear, but come back soon before the food begins to arrive."
Genna hurried to cross the banquet hall, sidling through large patches of people as she went, taking care not to bump into anyone.
The cold air was a welcome reprieve from the stuffy room and Genna breathed in deeply as she approached the railing, leaning over it as she took in the scenery. Two of the planet's four moons hung overhead, illuminating the cityscape sprawled out below. From here she could see the distant peaks of the Kaitainian mountain range that encircled Corrinth City. The spires of elaborate buildings gleamed in the moonlight, the tinkling of chime kites attached to the buildings broke the chilly quiet out here. There were low voices carrying on conversation further down from her, and she saw a group of old men and an elderly couple to her left before she turned her attention back to the spectacle before her.
It was not many minutes later when suddenly, she shivered, drawing her shawl around her instinctively. It felt like she was being watched. When she whipped around to see who it was, there was no one on the balcony with her but the few she had seen before, and all were still engrossed in their own conversations.
Her eyes scanned everywhere including the upward levels of the palace above them for what had caused her to feel so studied all of a sudden.
"There you are," her mother's voice interrupted Genna, drawing her attention back to the party simmering inside, "It's time to head back to the table, your father is waiting."
Genna gave one last look down the length of the balcony, then told herself she must have the jitters and imagined it. Dutifully, she followed her mother inside.
The banquet got underway. Food was brought round in several courses, carried on platters by dozens of servants, and continuing to be provided long past the point of satiation for any person.
Leto sat through speech after speech, stifling yawns as he tried to feign interest and taking polite bites from whatever new course was served even though he had ceased to be hungry more than an hour before.
Genna, too, was stuffed from all the food. She found herself trying desperately to stay awake as the night waned on and her pleasant fullness combined with the free-flowing wine begged her to find a quiet place to lie down and rest or at least something more stimulating than sitting and eating.
When at last the speeches and toasts were done the celebration turned towards Leto's most dreaded part of the evening, dancing.
He had no intention of asking anyone to dance, and no sooner had the first couples begun to make their way to the dance floor than he sprang to his feet and absconded back to the balcony before the Novebruns foisted one of their daughters on him for a first dance. Gurney followed languidly, still obviously amused at how flustered the situation made Leto, and nursing his goblet slowly as he followed his duke at a distance.
Leto walked the entire length of the balcony twice before he slipped back into the ballroom, keeping to the wall and taking the first entry he found into a wide hallway also teeming with guests.
Three different sets of parents standing with their daughters caught sight of him, "My Lord Duke!" one father cried, "How happy to see you!" before beginning to step closer.
Thinking quickly, Leto did what he'd been tempted to do several times leading up to tonight. He gave a cringe and put a hand to his stomach, "Where are the nearest facilities?" he asked in mock pain.
The family approaching him stopped in their tracks, and the father looked disappointed but gave him directions all the same, "My Lord if you turn round and follow that hallway to the right the third door you come to will be it."
"Thank you," Leto grimaced and turned on his heel to follow the instructions before the man also offered to follow him in and wipe his ass for him. Gurney stood in the entryway still, lips suppressing a smile as he watched his leader make a pretense of suffering from explosive diarrhea rather than face the legions of families wanting to secure his proposal to their daughter by the end of the evening.
He followed the hallway and turned right, hurrying as he did to support the impression he was rushing to find a toilet lest anyone be tempted to trail behind him and suffer being in the same room. Leto counted the doors as he passed, 1, 2, 3, and then he came face to face with the end of this particular hallway, and a final 4th door that stood next to an open window, offering him the same view as the balcony had.
Leto looked behind him to see no one but Gurney waiting at the corner of the hallway, nodding to let him know he was keeping watch and prepared to warn others away who might try to follow. A jiggle of the handle and the door opened for Leto to gratefully slip inside.
It was a library. Not the emperor's personal library, but the public one meant for palace guests and visiting dignitaries. He remembered coming in here before and looked past the dozen or so shelves stacked full to the brim with books to see the other door which led out. His exit point if necessary. Gurney could fight off half a dozen Sardaukar single-handedly but even he might struggle to keep the claws of Kaitainian mothers at bay.
"Hello?" a soft voice called, and between the shelves, he saw the outline of a young woman, though he could make out no solid form aside from her eyes peeking through an opening in the books. She sounded nervous rather than like someone here to seduce him so he turned around and pretended to be interested in the first book he saw, "Yes, hello," he called back, "Just in here to browse. I won't be a minute. Don't let me bother you."
The woman's voice answered back, "Alright," but warily, as though she did not trust this man not to try something untoward. Leto, therefore, kept his back turned to her and stayed where he was by the door, unwilling to make her feel threatened by his choosing her sanctuary from the melee as his own.
Even though he intentionally stayed on the opposite side of the room from her, Leto could sense the girl's hesitancy. She stood still for a while, watching him for any danger for several minutes before he heard the shuffle of her skirts on the floor and the scrape of books being pulled from their place amongst the shelves. He heard the spine creak as she opened one and the fluttering of the pages as she began to look through. She seemed content for the moment to stay where she was, and she had not made to come closer and throw herself at him, which led Leto to believe she was preferable company to the majority of those waiting for him outside the door.
"What book are you searching for?" he asked, then heard the sound of a large book snapping shut before she wedged it back in place. "Just browsing," she answered, moving further down the shelf where he would have a harder time seeing her through the volumes.
Leto cleared his throat, "You don't seem to be enjoying the banquet much to have already sought refuge in here," he mused.
The girl didn't miss a beat, "You don't seem to be enjoying the revelry much yourself, my lord."
He chuckled, back still turned to her, but he glanced over his shoulder to see if he could catch a glimpse. "Is the Emperor's celebration really so tedious that a young lady cannot find her entertainment there?"
For a moment she did not answer, he heard another book being pulled from the shelf, then her soft voice finally responded, "I thought I would enjoy it more when my parents said I could come. It was fun for a while, but the food and speeches made me sleepy, and I knew the dancing would start soon."
"You do not like to dance?" he asked, staring at the wall of books while he resisted the urge to walk behind the shelf and speak to this mystery woman face-to-face.
"I do," her skirts were shuffling again as she stepped closer, "But mostly with people I know. I don't trust my skills in front of the entire nobility of the Padishah Empire."
Leto's lip curled up in a smile, still focused on the shelf in front of him as he listened to this young woman.
She offered no further conversation for several minutes. Leto could only listen to her unshelve and reshelve books until her eventual exclamation of "Aha!" followed by a heavy-sounding book being pulled made his curiosity impossible to resist.
He turned to face her direction, stepping closer to see her better. At first, he tried to peer through the gaps in the shelves but he could not find her. Cautiously, he stepped around the corner, seeing her there, a few feet away with her back to him, currently engrossed in flipping through an enormous book barely supported by her skinny arms. The lighting was dim here and she hadn't heard him approach yet. Her shape looked familiar, and he recognized her almost instantly as the girl from the balcony.
Leto stepped closer, admiring the drape of the fabric of her dark green dress, Atreides green, he noted, and the slope of her neck and shoulders as she hunched over the book, concentrating intently. He knew he should warn her that he was so near, but he couldn't help but creep closer, wanting to see what she was reading.
"You seem preoccupied with something," he mused over her shoulder, unable to resist.
Genna jumped with a little squeak, clutching her hands over her heart, "My Lord! You scared me!"
Leto chuckled and gave her a smile, "I'm sorry for that, you seemed very engrossed. I should leave you to your book."
Genna's heart was still pounding, but not just from being interrupted. The man who had made her jump was not who she expected to turn around and see. It had been hard to see him very well from between the shelves, especially since his back was turned and the room was dim but now here he was; tall, olive-skinned, and unbearably handsome with a wave of dark curly hair swept back from his forehead. His beard was clipped short, speckled with a few gray hairs here and there, his black military uniform impeccable. Genna's mouth hung agape as she took him in, and he smiled broader as she did.
She was so flustered by his appearance she didn't know what to say, and Leto was pleased to find she didn't immediately launch into fawning over him. She looked merely surprised, and he reached forward to lift the edge of her book and read the title.
"The History of the Padishah Empire," he recited, "A good book, if I recall, though his descriptions of Caladan and the Atreides family were not quite so flattering."
Genna felt like she could finally breathe as this man broke the silence, "I haven't gotten to that part yet. My father lent his copy to a friend ages ago and I'm only able to read bits and pieces when I'm at someone else's residence."
Leto quirked his eyebrows, "So you decide to spend your evening at the Emperor's banquet ensconced in his library instead of the festivities?"
Her cheeks reddened, "Well, when you put it like that, I guess I should go." She closed the book softly, careful not to be rough in its handling.
Genna turned to replace it on the shelf and felt his eyes boring into the back of her head. Whoever this man was, she felt such nervousness in his presence. When she turned back he was still there, looking at her expectantly.
"I suppose we should return," she offered lamely, "My parents will be wondering where I am."
Leto surmised her for sincerity, either she was a very well-trained actress or she actually had no idea who he was, a thought he found much more appealing.
As she made for the door he held it open for her, "Thank you, my lord," she said, looking down the hall to see Gurney still waiting for the Duke, then looked back at him.
"I didn't get your name, sir," she shocked herself with the boldness to ask, nervously meeting his eyes to see him watching her unnervingly.
He didn't answer at first, but when he finally opened his mouth to speak, they were interrupted.
"My Lord Duke," Gurney spoke from the end of the hallway, coming closer to keep from letting others hear, "Your presence is requested by the Emperor."
Leto huffed a small sigh and Genna's eyes widened, "Duke, my Lord? Have I caused offense by not using your title?"
Without thinking, Leto laughed at her, the first relief from the stress of this evening he had had. He noted her stunned face and reassured her, "I was more than happy to have someone to talk to who was ignorant of my position. I enjoyed our chat immensely."
Genna still didn't look reassured, but Leto took her hand and gave a small bow, kissing the back of it, "Perhaps you'll favor me with a dance later?" he asked, and upon seeing her embarrassment melt slightly he pulled away, looking back at her over his shoulder as he moved toward Gurney. She nodded dumbly, wishing she had something more eloquent to say but the conversation had flowed so much easier when she couldn't see how handsome he was... And even that flowed better than her flustered state after learning it was a duke she had been so flippant in her conversation with.
Once he turned the corner and was out of sight Genna leaned against the open window, gulping in the cold night air as she replayed every part of their conversation. After a few minutes, her heart finally resumed its normal pace only to hear footsteps coming around the corner and look up with hope to see the Duke return, but it was only a pair of women heading for the toilets.
She listened as they talked before heading in, "Duke Leto Atreides is looking remarkably less worse for wear this half of the ball than the first," one said.
"Yes, I heard it from the Novebruns he left the table once the dancing started and didn't even ask either of their daughters for the first dance."
The first lady looked aghast and Genna tried to look over at them inconspicuously as she eavesdropped.
"Why even let it be known that you're in the market for a wife if he's too proud to look twice at any of these young ladies here?" the second one continued, oblivious to Genna at the end of the hall.
"Honestly," said the first, "He acts as though the rest of us are beneath him."
Their voices became muffled as the ladies entered the bathroom together then trailed off completely. Genna only remembered two things from their conversation.
His name is Leto. He is looking for a wife.
Genna shook her head at the bubble of hope that sprang in her chest. He had been so kind, and so handsome. Even though she hadn't recognized him and probably made a fool of herself hiding in the library during one of the most illustrious evenings of the year on Kaitain. Then again, she reasoned, he had fled to the same place.
She finally returned to the ballroom, expecting to see her panicked parents searching everywhere for her, but the room was abuzz with lively conversation and laughing, the dance floor full of twirling couples in their finest formalwear.
In spite of herself, Genna looked for the face of Duke Leto in the crowds, then the dancing partners, wondering if he had at last been worn down into gracing some young lady with his time.
When she did not see him, she scanned again looking for her parents. No sooner had her eyes alighted upon her mother engaged in conversation with several other ambassador's wives than she felt a tap on her shoulder.
Genna's knees almost collapsed from under her when she turned to see Duke Leto face to face with her, his bodyguard almost right behind him.
"My lady," he greeted her, "May I have this next dance?"
"Y-y-yes," she stammered, aware of how the eyes of every woman and half the men in the room were undoubtedly staring at her right now, seething with jealousy.
The Duke smiled, not looking at anyone but her and she heard the sound of the current song ending as his hands slid into hers and pulled her towards the dance floor.
If her partner had been anyone else, Genna probably would have refused because she had not lied to him when she said she did not want to dance in public. But here was this mysterious man from earlier and all she wanted right now was to learn more about him and feel his arms holding her tighter as they spun round the dance floor.
Leto had been reluctant to leave the young woman from the library. If anyone other than the Emperor had been behind the summons he would have delayed. It had been a brief meeting with the Emperor, in which Leto was questioned on if it was true he was ready to marry at last and who might peak his interests.
"I have some prospects, my Lord, but nothing definitive yet."
Shaddam huffed in frustration, "Would that my daughters were old enough to give you heirs," he grumbled, "Still, if you marry soon we may yet make a match between one of them and your son."
Leto stiffened, the thought of being a husband was one he had always known he would entertain in time, but the thought of fatherhood was part of what drove him to pursue it now. He felt broody for some inexplicable reason, and the thought of small, dark-haired boys roaming the castle and grounds of Caladan made him immediately think back to the girl from the library.
"Once I decide on a lady and she accepts, you will be the first to know."
The Emperor grumbled again and dismissed Leto with a wave of his hand.
Back amongst the crowds, he moved quickly, hoping to avoid being cornered long enough to find the girl again, to learn her name as he had neglected to do before. He searched faces just briefly enough to rule out which were not hers as he split the crowd to reach the entryway back to the library. Gurney walked with a brisk stride to keep up with him, and after several minutes Leto had almost given up hope of finding her again in the midst of so many people. He noticed many were beginning to pass around spice, inhaling it, snorting it, and breaking into fits of laughter as they did. Sapho juice too was starting to make the rounds and he thought with disdain of how many innocent young women were in here who had never seen what these banquets devolved into hours after the food and speeches were done all because their parents wanted to wed them to a duke.
Suddenly, a flash of Atreides green caught his attention, and there she was, standing close to the edge of the dance floor, looking around for someone. His chest constricted with the thought, the hope, that she might be looking for him. He barrelled straight towards her, ignoring calls from those he passed as they tried to engage him, determined not to let her leave his sight again until he had his fill of conversation from her.
He stretched out his arm as soon as she was within reach and tapped her shoulder. When she turned and he could finally see her under bright lights for the first time she took his breath away. The green of the dress, his green offset her eyes in spectacular fashion. Her skin glowed under these lights and her shoulders seemed to relax the moment she saw him.
"My lady, may I have this next dance?"
The timing could not have been more perfect. Her 'yes' accompanied the last bars of the song before giving way to the next. His hands took hers gently, leading her out into the fray and smiling when he remembered her words in the library about not wanting to embarrass herself in front of the entire nobility of the Padishah empire.
The new song began, and his hands held fast to her waist as they moved with and against each other in time with the music. Her slender arms felt so soft when the dance called for him to hold them, her tiny waist so wonderfully solid against his own. He knew nothing about her except that she preferred books to ballrooms and he wanted to spend the rest of the evening learning everything else.
"You dance better than you claimed," he started the conversation with his lips very close to her ear.
Genna's arms broke out in goosebumps as she felt his breath on her neck, "I'm sorry if you feel deceived Your Grace."
Leto chuckled, "I am glad to find you again, I was remiss not to get your name during our earlier conversation."
Genna's eyes deliberately avoided his, afraid she might do something foolish if she allowed herself to stare into his face too long, so instead she watched the crowds as they spun in and out of her view, trying to ignore how much she enjoyed feeling this close to a man who had been a stranger an hour ago.
"It's Genna," she finally told him, and his arm tightened around her, "Genna Varrik."
"Genna Varrik," he repeated, "A lovely name."
"And you're Duke Leto," she answered for him, "The man every mother in Corrinth City has paraded her daughters out to see tonight."
Leto actually laughed at that, drawing more furious glances from the onlookers, "And how would you know that?"
"Well," Genna continued, "There are an interminably lengthy number of eligible young women here tonight dressed as though ready to catch a husband. My parents never explained why I was permitted to come tonight for the first time, but I expect they also planned to throw me in the running." She scoffed, "It's so transparent, I'm mortified it took me this long to see it."
He looked down at her seriously, watching her face for any dishonesty, "And how did you learn my name was Leto Atreides?"
Genna's eyes finally looked away from the crowds to meet his at this question, "I overheard two women talking about you a few minutes after we left the library."
"What did they say?"
Genna gave an awkward smile, regretting that she had not just played dumb about the whole thing, "They were frustrated that you refused to dance with any of the young ladies present tonight, but thought that you were looking much better for this half of the ball than the first."
The Duke chuckled in her ear, tightening his grip on her hand as the dance called for another spin, "Did they speculate on why I seemed in a better mood?" he teased, but Genna looked up at him with curious eyes, waiting for him to tell her just as the song was ending.
He leaned in to whisper in her ear when the final note played, "It was because of you."
Then he did something extraordinary, which set tongues wagging for months about it. He kissed her forehead with the same tender softness he might reserve for a baby, then he bowed to her, and she, still in shock, gave a shaky bow in return.
The dancing continued but Leto led her away from the crowd, judging by the doleful faces of many they passed, it was obvious he was not entertaining the thought of any other young ladies this evening. Genna's parents soon found them as Leto pulled her towards the balcony, and introductions were made, although Leto recognized Astern Varrik from various functions. A minor house to marry into, unless you were a duke. He had more than enough money and reputation for both of them, as they all well knew.
The talk with her parents was brief before they returned to their own grouping of friends also looking upon Genna on the arms of a duke with shock. Leto indicated to Genna that their conversation might be more private outside. Always in the background at a healthy distance was Gurney, watching the entire event unfold without betraying a hint of his reaction to it.
Out on the balcony, they were completely alone. All guests had been driven inside by the music and dancing, the sapho and the spice. Here they could talk freely, but Genna was at a loss for what to say. She wanted to seem cultured and mature, not because she wanted to marry a duke, but because this man seemed to fill every inch of space in her thoughts right now and she wanted to be of interest to him instead of sounding childish.
"Have you lived here all your life?" he asked quietly, looking for anything to start the conversation with. His hand still had a loose grip on hers and he stroked the back of it with his thumb.
"Yes," she answered, "My father is originally from Reenol, but I was born and raised here, on Kaitain."
Leto nodded, wanting to know more details that might help him decide how best to pursue this after tonight, "Have you ever traveled outside of Kaitain?" he asked.
Genna shook her head, worried that every question she answered would be likely to drive him away from her when all she wanted was to have him closer...
He leaned in further, she could almost feel his forehead against her as he closed the space between them, pulled by some unseen magnetic force between the two of them.
"Do you have any questions you'd like to ask me?" he teased, sensing her tension at his close proximity.
Genna's mind was blank, all she could think about was the kiss he had given in the ballroom, the feel of his hand in hers, and the closeness of his face to her right now while she swallowed her nerves, wanting to feel him kiss her again.
Finally, Leto did. Another chaste kiss on her forehead, then, when he saw her eyes close and her mouth part in response, her lips. He wasn't forceful, there was plenty of time for that later, but he cradled her face in his hands and kissed her out here where anyone could see and felt her arms curl around his waist as she leaned into the kiss, letting his lips form over hers as a delicious feeling took over her whole body, urging her along; more, more, more.
Leto knew he needed to end this before someone saw. He was much older, and she was young and vulnerable, but the way she clung to him made him imagine taking things much further than he could in good conscience right now, and so at last he pulled his lips away, pressing his forehead to hers as he tried to temper his racing heart.
"Would you like to see Caladan?" he asked breathlessly.