It doused an entire thrilling moment in ice cold nothing. My body shuttered inside itself.
The Baron.
The demon of a past life, in a place so different from Arrakis, that it was a bad dream.
Feyd rose. He helped me to my feet, too. There was awkward tension within the Great Hall. The heat we'd generated with our desires turned frigid.
"I'll take it in my office," was all Feyd said with a solemn stern tone.
"Can I assist you, na-Baron? Escort the lady to her chambers?"
Feyd held onto me tighter. "No. I will handle it."
The servant dashed over their own feet to get out of the way fastest.
I swallowed. The throbbing pulse in my ears filled the silence. Our hands stayed joined together as we marched through the corridors toward the meeting room with Feyd's office attached in the back. Ice bubbled over my hot flesh. It cracked with each pump of my heart.
It battled with the hot passion for Feyd with the sudden striking fear I felt for the Baron.
The Baron was a haunted being of pure monstrosity. His sick delights long outreached his own planet.
Feyd had changed since leaving. I did not want it to go back to what it was before. So cold and savage. After every meeting with his uncle, Feyd was so angry and laid with his harem for days after. I hated the monster.
Both of them.
I fought against the heavy weight of frowning.
Flipping back to indifference was a harder chore after the less I needed to use it.
The advisor room was devoid of black cloaked kiss-asses. Holograms hovered over the main central table. They lacked blinking urgency as they did during the main hours of the castle's day.
Feyd approached the table. He tapped buttons until a large hologram screen appeared.
With his attention turned away from me, I used it to hide the quaking breath that needed to be released from my lungs. It left my lips without a sound.
My stomach dropped to my knees when I heard the Baron's voice rumble through the room.
"Feyd, my darling."
The violent twist of my stomach refused to allow me witness to the conversation.
Darling. What demented games he played with Feyd. What perverted misuse of power had changed Feyd-Rautha into a being of rage and cunning.
My mind blanked. A piece of myself dropped away, dying quietly at my feet. Others blockaded my ears to refuse the voice for entering.
All at once I was brought back to that dank dirty castle with blood long soaked into the grout of the tiles.
The ice did not struggle to lock hold of me now. I was a glacier piece, the only one for miles on this dry planet.
Feyd relayed information. I watched his mouth move as he spoke, low and filled with a gravely undertone, without the words sinking into understanding. He kept his eyes even with the dark mass on the other screen.
My presence stayed out of view. The Baron was ignorant to me, and Feyd refused to spare a glance in my direction.
The thought occurred to me that Feyd had told his uncle about the appointment of royal consort to the house.
The worry he had for my safety at first though convinced me as much. The longer I thought about it, the more I became uncertain if he'd followed his uncle's orders or gone against them. He said a lady and a witch were needed for his plans. Was it possible his uncle had convinced him so? Was I a pawn being used for two instead of one?
My stomach was in turmoil: souring and knotting.
The hologram screen dissipated.
Feyd leaned forward with both palms pressed against the table. "I need to train. I've neglected my duties today."
Thanks to my sleeping habits, I supposed
I managed to feign an ounce of humanity despite the distance of every emotion.
"I'm certain the captain is happy for that. His shoulder still torn."
"He's lucky he's got the damn thing left," Feyd grumbled.
That was an interesting attitude toward his main man beneath him being injured.
I ventured a query into the subject that I'd not cared to give energy to. "He's under the impression I did something to encourage his injury."
Feyd did not shy away from what he said next:
"Insulting you does have its consequences."
I blinked. "You ripped it out because of me?"
"Yes."
Captain Rurik was a soldier that Feyd had known for a long time. They trained together. The captain was loyal to Feyd. That was evident. He behaved as a friend, more than just a subordinate.
How could Feyd injury someone so dedicated to him?
"But why?" I scoffed. "He's the captain to your men. Your right hand."
"I have hundreds that can take his place. One word from my lips and thousands would tear his limbs apart for a shred of my favor," Feyd relayed casually. "There is only one of you."
His blunt statements were difficult to ignore, being as he told them all night long.
Feyd was stressed. It was not the happy fun Feyd I had moments before in the Great Hall.
It irked me to see him that way. Not angry, at least it was the least of his emotions compared to the restlessness, anxiety in him now.
My heart yearned to rid him of that feeling. It was not all thoughts of his duties in his head either. Those things did not belong in Feyd's head, especially with the balance of Arrakis being so delicate.
"And there is only one you, na-Baron. Let them men have their rest. You deserve some, too. I'll give you a good massage like Vishti does me when I'm stressed."
I reached for his hand. He blinked very quickly.
"Unless you want to leave," I said.
He grimaced with a definite look of disagreement before he allowed my fingers to slip inside his hand. I pulled him along through twisting winding halls that I'd taken notice of. The paths were not well worn in my mind, but I managed to find my way back to the lavish corridor of the main chambers of the castle.
I led him through to his bed. "You have to undress," I told him.
He smirked with delight. "Is that right?"
"Haven't you ever had a massage before?" I blushed, feeling stupid for being so flustered. "They need access to your skin."
"You are naked when your slaves do this?"
"They drape towels over me." I huffed as I walked into his bathing room and grabbed two towels. I held them in display as I broached his already half naked form. "To cover your dignity."
"If they cared about my dignity, they wouldn't cover it with a towel."
My lips sputtered a startled laugh.
Feyd was rather pleased with himself. It convinced him to listen to my instructions. He laid down on the bed. A towel draped over his backside - wow that thing was impressive.
I fetched some oil. "Now I just use my hands to push on your back."
"Does it hurt?"
"Um, not usually."
"Fine," he huffed.
He laid still, just as I told him to, while I massaged the big muscles of his back. Up close, I realized how developed every ounce of tissue was. The tendons were dense. Muscles were not squishy and soft like mine were. I had to use pressure to reach a point that actually moved the massive things.
At one point, I straddled his hips to run my fingers down his spine.
It would be a lie to say I did not admire him. Both my hands caressed him in an intimate way. It would be impossible to ignore.
"Do you like it?" I leaned forward so both my palms flattened against his back. "I can massage your legs if you want."
"I won't stop you," he said.
His body was so massive. It took me a full minute to readjust to the bottom half of the bed to massage the long legs.
I ran fingers up and down his legs. Vertical red marks striped his legs.
My thumbs ached as they dug into the pale flesh of his ankles, calves, heels.
"Alright. Flip over."
He did as I told him to.
Only. He hadn't taken the towel with him when he did.
An erect cock bounced in the open air.
I bit my lip to keep from startling him. The second towel was off to the side. I flicked it over his crotch.
Of course, then, it was all I thought about as I worked.
My eyes drifted back to it more than once.
The sight of his excitement only excited me. I had to force myself to keep my hands only on the thigh until it neared the towel. Then I pulled my hands right away.
"Okay." I finally forced myself away from his beautiful, beautiful body.
"Aren't you going to massage my chest?" He asked.
"Oh. Right."
Weirdly, Feyd watched me as I spread the oil over his abdomen. His eyes barely blinked.
My fingers surged up the deep cuts between his defined muscles.
"Can I ask a question?" I murmured.
He nodded his head. The brightness of his dark eyes followed the movement of my hands. I worshipped his body as I knew he worshipped it. Fairly so, seeing as it was a work of art.
"Why did it frighten you, back then, to know you might favor me? I mean. You had to know you would have to like someone in your life."
Feyd did not need a moment to answer. "I thought it made me a weak man.
"Weak?" I repeated.
He laid his head back. His eyes turned up to the ceiling. "To have attachments is weakness. Everyone knows this."
I agreed but differed with his terminology.
Attachment was a liability. It was a risk. Attachment would not kill me if he died, therefore it was not weakness. It was liable to hurt. It was a risk to my soul beyond the moment.
"Of course, na-Baron."
"A man is only weak when his power is taken away. I am more powerful when I give it. My choice. I give away what I want to whom," he said. "And, no. I do not like people. I despise most everyone I meet." He lowered his attention back to me, spread against his chest. "Except you."
Feyd did not use me that night. Instead, he held me close for the longest time. He did not sleep. His eyes stayed wide open, breath slow and content.
My cheek was hot against his large pec. The smooth pale skin was a comfort while my mind was overrun with thoughts of the Baron, Feyd, spice and the path set before my feet. The motion of his breath anchored me to the present.
We were together, happy as either of us knew to be.
I drifted away to the slow motions of his chest. It was an eerie feeling. The monster of all nightmares was the human of my dreams. The laughable irony that he was guaranteed death despite being the best thing I knew.
For once, when I awoke early in the morning, Feyd did not stir. His mouth remained parted, almost snoring.
I slipped into the bathing room on tip toe.
The muscles of my belly clenched in anger. The cramps ascended my lower body in a rising temper that reminded me of the feminine fury our bodies seemed to house.
I managed to run myself the hottest bath water possible before I dipped myself into its surface. The burn battled the burn below my skin.
Pain.
Its emergence was an unwelcome feeling. I disliked the way I was consumed with fire. My legs wanted to flail.
Curled in the bath, I remained for a long while. The heat grew less. Air was cold against my neck. The only spot it could reach.
"Mintha?" Feyd called out, not in a soft early-morning kind of way.
The water of the tub lapped in response from the volume of his voice. "I'm here."
He emerged in the doorway a moment later.
"Are you well?"
"Yes, na-Baron."
His eyes narrowed. "You lie."
"It is only a cramp."
"A cramp." He shifted. "Where?"
"My stomach," I said.
His fingers went to the lace of his dark pants. He undid them quickly.
"Fucking will not make it better," I sputtered.
Being splintered by his cock when my insides were suffocating themselves was a horror I did not wish to endure. It was taut enough with just his shaft.
Feyd freed himself of clothing. The water shifted against his large body as it slipped within its depths.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
His fingers ran along my spine.
"Positive, na-Baron. With how large you are, it would make things worse."
A spark toyed with his face. "It would make you scream, wouldn't it?" I slowly nodded. He groaned. "I want that very much."
No, no, noooooo. "It will only make it worse. I'll have to rest longer. Tended to my servants in my chambers. Alone."
The swollen pair of lips frowned. Their red curly corners hid within his skin as the disappointment sank further.
"Fine," he snarled. "I will not." His touch was not gentle as he pulled me loose of my position into his own. "What will you make you better quicker?"
Feyd was not the least bit happy.
"The hot water helped," I revealed. "It helps to have something tight against it. I used my hands for a while to push it back."
Begrudgingly, he wrapped his arms around my midsection.
He said nothing, but it was a great chore for him to control his urges. I recognized the struggle inside of him.
My heart said it was done out of concern for my wellbeing - an effort that was foreign and difficult.
Feyd liked to be praised. He'd been in raptures when I praised him for being merciful to a child prisoner.
Maybe…he adored pain because it was the only thing that made the Baron happy with him. If he was praised for his prowess as a killer, it explained his dedication to being the worst/best killer there was.
I petted the arms wrapped around me. "You take great care of me, na-Baron. Thank you."
"I only do this because it is imperative you are not ill so soon in my conquest."
"Of course, na-Baron."
"The state of my lady is the state of my house."
"I am weaker than you. Does that reflect poorly on your house?"
Feyd's arms cinched me tighter against his chest. Our bodies were encompassed by lukewarm water. He held my head above water so that there was no effort to be made on my part.
"The weaker you are, the stronger I look. Think of it. What is the need of a strong woman if her man is worth a fuck? I can face any in the Imperium and still have you safe. My sweetness." He growled the nickname with a sharp upset.
The cramps lessened enough for me to come out of the bath. Feyd readied for his early morning Witan - a meeting with his trusted advisors and high-ranking men - while I bundled inside of a towel. He watched me shiver a few moments before he turned back to his wardrobe.
"A doctor. Do you know it?"
I snorted. "I am not stupid. I know what a doctor is."
"So, you've seen one."
My jaw snapped shut. No. I had never.
He slipped his long arms into a fitted sleek shirt that rivaled the pale of his flesh. It buttons resisted closure at the center of his muscled chest. I devoured the sight of him. Every inch of him turned me hot. The muscles, his arms, the size of is thighs in trousers. My mouth watered.
The cramps intensified. Still, I enjoyed the entertainment of watching him dress.
Feyd caught my eye. A coy smirk stole half of his face.
"Do I please you, my lady?" He asked.
Please me. All he did was please me. Over every surface, every place, every moment he could.
"Not many in the Imperium could go displeased by you."
"I do not care about the many. I asked if my lady, royal consort to House Harkonnen, soon to be the Imperium, was pleased by me."
"You know I am," I said.
"Do I?"
I swallowed. No, I had not said so aloud. But it was so obvious!
Feyd made me into a silly woman with desire and adoration. I was a part of a fan club, just as all the other Harkonnen ladies were. He paraded me around this planet like a lady - and I let him!
He shook his head but did not probe the question further. "I'll send for your things. We have a meeting."
"You want me in attendance?" I blurted in equal question and surprise.
"Remind me of what I've told you, Mintha. We will not part if you do not smell or taste of me." His voice raised, like a fuse was sparked alive. "And since you are not dripping my cum down your legs, you are not going out of my sight."
The overreaction was not at all surprising. Still, it startled me back to my seat.
The two doors of the bedroom were slammed closed yet I knew that he would not stray outside his chambers. He'd pace along the wall in wait for me to be presented as a proper lady witch for his advisor board.
His orders barked out into the castle corridor. It was a short time for Vishti to be ushered into the room with a woman of the staff carrying my belongings in her arms.
"What have you done to upset na-Baron this time?" Vishti asked in a large exhale. I supposed running through the hall at their age was not a pastime they enjoyed.
"Probably something I deserve to be punished for."
"Lady should learn to stop her talking before she gets into trouble."
I shook my head. My towel dropped to the floor as Vishti instructed the assistant to dust me with powder.
"This time being silent was my destruction. well, that, and a stupid question."
A black leather jumpsuit was presented as my outfit of the day.
Leather.
A Harkonnen favorite. My most hated.
What I wanted did not matter. Feyd needed a lady who looked the part as loyal to their regime. It was not my place to question the styling since it was their native preference.
I'd thought the jumpsuit would be the easiest part.
No, there was an industrial corset with dark flowers and black lace and silver metal loops. They wrapped it around my chest, laced the many dark strings through their corresponding maze of fastenings and then began to push my insides more inside.
"Ah. Fuck!" I shouted.
My hands held my chest to ensure that I was actually breathing with my lungs. Everything was numb.
"Wallah! Lady. You know how to be kind. Why is it so hard with na-Baron?" Vishti asked.
I was kind to him. My acceptance of his advances has been done with vigor. There was no thought of denial to his needs. Nor when he wished for company did I deny the request and not enjoy it.
They tightened the laces of the corset again. "Because." I spoke through gritted teeth. The difficulty of breathing only rose as they folded my heart inside my lungs. "I do not know what he wants from me."
Vishti threw their hands up in the air. "He wants what all men want. Love of a woman. Love of you, my lady. The na-Baron is a man in love. Can you not see?"
Love?! A monster like Feyd did not know love.
But, he'd told me things about why he plucked me from the dungeons that convinced me to distrust my assumptions of him. He claimed he'd bow to me. Could that mean love? I assumed it was lust and desire and loyalty, possibly.
I did not know the first thing about love either. The more I thought of it, the more I was convinced I'd never even seen it.
"H-how? How do you see? Love is a feeling. It is not a thing seen with eyes."
"Nasira. Tighter. Pull tighter." Vishti instructed the girl behind my back to knot the laces even tighter together. At least my entire body cramped now, not just my stomach. "Love is a thing you can see. It leaves marks. Na-Baron. He is covered!"
I leaned forward. "His flesh is unblemished. I saw it just this morning. There are no spots."
"Trust Vishti, yes? Na-Baron loves you," they said. Their hand tapped my cheek. "My lady must tell him you love him, too. Only way to solve this mess."
My eyes bulged. "I can't just say that!"
"Why not?" They shrugged.
"Because I don't, Vishti! I can't feel things like that anymore. Those emotions long died."
They jerked their chin back. "You say you feel nothing for him?"
"No. I did not say that." My voice lowered, suddenly aware of how thick the doors were but still not trusting their seal. "I do not want him to die. His safety is very important to me. And, he appeals to me. Personally. We speak on many things." My mind was rolling with the admissions now. "He shows concern for me. I like that. He even suggested I see a doctor this morning. Why do you think that is?"
"I wonder."
I scowled. Their attitude was not aiding my emotions to calmer shores.
Vishti and her assistant, Nasira, tortured me further with combing my length of hair and pinning jewels into my ears - both things I could do for myself. They knew how I despised being taken care of like an invalid.
I did not need them.
I did not need anyone.
"Ooh. My lady." Vishti fawned over my appearance with satisfaction. "Is perfect."
Their assistant was mute. She tucked the rest of the supplies they bought into their arms. The long sleeves of her abaya swallowed them whole.
Vishti moved their arms to beckon me toward the chamber doors.
Feyd rested just on the other side. He waited as a caged animal, ready to be freed and wild once more.
My defenses to his anger clicked into place. The ascending icy numbness knew the path to my heart. It's thickest protection.
The doors opened. Feyd was calmed. He flicked down a goblet to the table.
"Finally," he breathed.
It was mere minutes to my usual preparations.
The venom of his anger pierced through me with ease.
My icy exterior dropped at my feet. I stared at him in disbelief how his discomfort hurt me.
"What?" He said, softer now.
He must have noticed the change in my expression.
I blinked away the startling information. "Nothing."
"I can have them give you something," he supplied. "For pain."
A strangled laugh escaped me. "You'd have to pry me out of this corset for it to make a difference."
Hunger rose through his throat. His iris' turned to narrow, predator eyes as they scoured down my face to my bust down my leather-clad body to the thigh high black boots. The corners of his lips lifted, deepening that smirk.
"I'd like to."
Love. Is that what Vishti meant?
"Na-Baron will be late for his Witan."
"Fuck it. Rabban hardly had any."
He stepped closer. The heat of his breath touched my face. Intensity poured through him, desperate and aching.
My own body felt - at least I think that's what it was - the same.
We were both animals to our desires. Hungry for the other, with similar appetite.
"That is why you must," I said. "You are better than Glossu. You are better than everyone. That is why you will attend every single one, every morning." My arm raised in an offering for him to take. "With your lady by your side."
The distinct black teeth emerged in his smile. Red and swollen, his lips were amused. He had to pinch them closed to keep from saying something naughty.
It made me smile, too.
"Perhaps there is a spare moment to…" I bit my bottom lip.
Feyd gripped my face. He pulled me into his kiss without a spare moment to breathe. We started slow and gentle with tongues politely kept at bay, but the moment pulled away from us. Hands ran through my hair. My own hands gripped his chest, his shoulders, the large - massive - biceps.
The curves of his swollen muscles were intoxicating. My tongue battled with his, though it really wanted to lick its way across his body that I now knew by touch.
"Witan," he said through our kiss.
I nodded, although my care for attending had waned.
The kiss continued.
"We'll be late," I said.
Feyd stole the breath from my lungs as he held me deeper against him.
We managed to peel away from each other before we completely forgot the world around. He held me close. The advisor's board was not the least bit surprised when he arrived with me on his arm. I'd learned to long block out their faces. They were monsters in cloaks. I wondered how many knew what demented thoughts lurked inside those men. I'd thought Feyd was despicable, but the advisors said things that haunted me.
The Witan took place around a standing table. The floating planet of Arrakis shined especially bright.
"Search of the coordinates is coming up empty," Feyd relayed. "We need to expand our grid."
"There are few places to look, na-Baron. It is open desert."
"It could take years to locate," an advisor stated.
"Then I say we blast any piece of rock there is," Feyd countered. "Bury them in the desert sand. Just as they'd want."
"We have a limited supply of ammunitions. There are rocks aplenty here. A shot in the desert will be a waste of money."
"There is a truth in a lie," Feyd said loudly. "These coordinates we were given. They are all along the same bedrock plate." His fingers moved the hologram to the three blinking spots. He traced it. "These all follow a line through the desert. All in bedrock, I'd wager. Muab'dib is somewhere here."
"That is miles long, na-Baron."
"It is a start," he replied.
Feyd revealed himself a smarter person than I expected. His thoughts ranged outside murder and sex. I was impressed. He controlled every aspect of his household like it was an important matter. No shred of information was too little.
The Beast entered the advisor's room a short while later. His massive body filled a space in the room that once felt spacious. Now it was claustrophobic. His presence was too much for a contained space.
Feyd stopped and stared.
"What are you doing here?" Glossu had the nerve to ask, all angry as if we'd arrived just the night before.
"It is early morning. What are you doing here?" Feyd snarked. "This meeting is closed."
"I led these operations for years before you," The beast yelled. His hands flexed to fists. The one fist shook so hard, he had to hold it in his other hand. A white bandage wrapped around the bulging wrist. "Uncle has not removed me from my post."
"No, but you are under me. Your post is what I make it."
"You? You tell me what to do," the man bayed incredulously. "I know this planet. These people. I have battled rats longer than you have known of them. And you expect me to take your orders."
"I am the na-Baron here," Feyd said, louder and gruff. "You do as I command."
The Beast riled at this direct challenge.
Attitude of the room turned hostile and violent at the flash of a moment. There were heightened shoulders, shouts in the deepest tones and clear seething hatred.
An advisor stepped forward. "Any disregard of na-Barons orders are considered treason."
The Beast gripped the man's neck. He squeezed it as the man's arms scratched at him, leeching blood and ooze from his white flesh. The man's face turned a grayish color. Eyes - already dark- filled darker black with blood. They swelled in their sockets.
My stomach soured and surged at the back of my throat. I had to choke down the vomit as the advisor's eyes popped out of his skull.
The last trembling shivers of his nervous system coursed the body before the Beast threw it down to the floor.
Crunching bones brought another wave of vomit to the back of my mouth. The thick surge of salvia had me battling to hold it in. I braced myself against the table for a bit of strength.
As that was my struggle, the many snarls were lost to me. All I remember being shouted was a challenge.
"You wish to duel me? Ha! I accept." The Beast yelled. "The best swordsman in the Imperium challenges me to fight to the death." He stepped forward. "You will be slain."
Feyd did not back down. "Prepare the arena out in the barracks," he ordered. "Bring my swords."
The Beast pointed his finger as he retreated through the door. "You will regret this."
My eyes stared at the lump of a man on the floor. Eyes hanged from the head, blood seeped from the holes as well as the nose. It was no longer a man, but a black bleeding mass of flesh.
Feyd would never be that easy to defeat.
The advisors turned to Feyd once Glossu Rabban was out of the room to chitter their own excitements, but he quickly shooed them away. Rage consumed him. He marched forward set on a mission.
The path to the barracks was not one I knew. I had to keep a swift haste to remain in the same walking party. Servants carried his many prized blades, all sheathed. They practically ran. The sand fought their entire step as they tried to avoid his wrath.
Feyd led the way to the barracks. My pace was behind his, with his stumbling servants just behind me. His pace was leagues ahead of us. I was all but forgotten behind his back as if the idea of killing something mattered more. He was met by some soldiers of his guard before he fully crossed the castle grounds to the barracks that were situated at the back of the property.
It was a large eyesore. Black and metal and desolate. It threatened the atmosphere around it with a warning to not disturb the dark, shaded, secluded building, several stories tall.
As we walked, Nasira ran from the castle with a long piece of dark fabric. She swooped it around my head, covering my hair and lower portion of my face. Her hands adjusted bits of my corset that had fallen out of place. I did not care what she did. My mind was not attached to my body.
My eyes stayed on Feyd's silhouette at the front. He would not fall easy for no man.
But his emotions were not where they were supposed to be. The anger, the rage. What if it blinded him from his true prowess? His brother could use that to his advantage. Embarrass him in front of the men. Or worse, kill him.
I'd have to dispatch myself quickly then. The Beast disliked me more than any person I'd met. Meeting his grudge without Feyd seemed a fate worse than death.
"Nasira," I whispered. She leaned in close to hear. "I need a blade. Something small to hide in my dress. It has to be sharp enough to cut flesh. It has to be found now. Do you understand?"
The young woman rushed off on her mission without a word.
This duel was not only a fight over honor. It was a fight – life and death. I would die if Feyd was slain rather than succumb to the Beast's haunted desires to make me suffer. Suddenly, the monster inside Feyd was my only hope. My soul settled when I considered how well fed and exercised that monster was.
Who would win: the Beast or the monster Feyd-Rautha?