Irulan didn't wake until half past noon. She was still in her wedding dress. After her encounter with Feyd, she hadn't wanted to take it off, even to sleep. The constraint of the corset held her in, and she'd started to associate it with battle armor. She also knew that if she felt her servants' delicate hands on her bare skin as they undressed her, she was bound to burst into tears. She didn't want to face them until she'd had a few hours of rest to put the night behind her.

She hadn't expected to sleep this late, and she jumped out of bed and nearly flew to the double doors across from her. Right, she thought, as she tried to turn the handle: she'd locked them after Feyd had left her bedchamber to keep the servants from coming in to check on her.

They were waiting in the adjacent room when she entered and leapt up from their seats to assist her.

"Why did no one wake me?" asked the Princess. "We were supposed to leave at first light."

"The Baron wanted to let you recover," said the eldest. "He left for Giedi Prime this morning and made arrangements for you to follow him in two days' time."

"In two days' time," repeated the Princess, more to herself than to anyone else, and felt the now familiar stirring of anxiety in her solar plexus. She'd imagined traveling with Feyd aboard the Heighliner and having the chance to sit opposite him during mealtimes. And she desperately hoped he would once again take on the sense of the ordinary. It seemed she would have no such luck. She felt a tingling in her palms. As unsettling as Feyd-Rautha was in close proximity, he was even more frightening out of sight. Perhaps she had bored him and he hoped to minimize their time together; perhaps he'd mostly steer clear of her when she arrived on Giedi Prime. Still… she had the uneasy feeling he'd done this specifically to catch her off balance – and the feeling that he was plotting something.

"Shall we help you undress?" asked the servant. "You must be wanting a bath."

In comparison to the whirlwind of the wedding, the next two days seemed to drag into eternity. Irulan would have thought she'd be grateful for the additional time on Kaitain – for the opportunity to spend more time with her father, to lie in the grass, to be amongst the sunlight and trees – but more than anything, the princess wished to be aboard the Heighliner. Wished to be on Giedi Prime. The Reverend Mother had left Kaitain shorly before Feyd's departure in order to help supervise the transition of power on Arrakis, and Irulan therefore had no one to discuss her worries with. She indulged in sedatives frequently now, as she was too anxious to sleep without them, and she had no desire to be awake while the future stretched beyond her reach. One effect of these drugs was a dreamless slumber. Thank the heavens.

On the morning of her departure, Irulan awoke to a knock at the door.

"Come in," she said sleepily. The room was still dark, though the beginnings of a sunrise showed through the bedside window. She shivered and wrapped the blanket more tightly around her shoulders as she sat up against the upholstered headboard.

"My lady," said a servant, "the Imperial doctor is here to see you."

"Send him in."

She was still in her nightclothes, but the physician had cared for her since she was born, so she felt no real need for formality. He was serious man – about the age of her father – with thinning hair and excellent posture. He walked briskly into the room.

"You wanted to see me?" asked Irulan.

"I'm giving you five more doses of Somnolara, but that's all I'm allowed to send you with. If you need more on Giedi Prime, they should be familiar with the drug. You'll need to set up an appointment with the Baron's doctor."

"I only need one more dose," said the Princess, "for the trip."

"You may need to taper off of it."

"You didn't mention a withdrawal period."

"There isn't one. But you've been exceeding the recommended dosage these past few days. You'll have a hard time sleeping without it."

"I'll manage," said Irulan. "Just send me with one."

"I'd recommend taking a half-dose for at least a day or two."

"I don't want to be compromised while I'm gathering my bearings. A few difficult nights won't bother me."

"Alright," said the doctor, "if you're sure."

"I'm sure," said Irulan. She knew she'd have a hard time ignoring the impulse to take it if she had it in her possession, and she needed to be fully awake to confront whatever it was that was waiting for her on Giedi Prime. "Anything else?"

"Your body is going to need some time to adjust to the new climate." said her physician, "That's not my area of specialty. They'll have a doctor meet you when you land to start you on the required medications."

"What kind of medications?" asked Irulan.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," he said, "a few inoculations, vitamin D, antihistamines, and some adaptogens. I just wanted to make you aware of it so that you wouldn't be caught off-guard."

"You can't prescribe them here?"

"Like I said, that's not my area of specialty. You'd be better served by a local doctor more familiar with the climate. Besides," he continued, "I'm only permitted to prescribe on Kaitain."

"Do you…" Irulan's voice trailed off. She had almost asked him if he trusted the doctors on Giedi Prime. She had faith in the man but not enough to confide in him. "Never mind. Anything else?"

"That's it, Your Highness."

"Thank you, doctor. That will be all."

He bowed his head and exited the room. Her maids entered shortly after to help her dress.

The flight to Giedi Prime was only fourteen hours, so Irulan didn't need a full party to accompany her. Feyd-Rautha had apparently made clear his intention to gift her with handmaidens, who were supposedly meeting her ship upon its arrival. She was to have no one of her own. Of course, that wasn't how he'd phrased it, but Irulan understood his intention: he meant to isolate her completely. The Reverend Mother will visit in three weeks' time, she reminded herself, and anyway, there was nothing to be done: refusing her husband's wedding gift went against etiquette, and she had to appear as if she was going into this marriage without suspicion. It wouldn't do any good to let him know she was aware of any strategy.

She'd arranged for Thalassa to join her aboard the Heighliner – that was the name of the kind-eyed assistant whose company she so enjoyed. Irulan was glad she had one last opportunity for connection before stepping into the unknown. She'd never had an extended period to talk with Thalassa one-on-one, but she was looking forward to it. Maybe they'd share a meal and a glass of wine together before it was time to take her final dose of Somnolara. Irulan took one last walk around the grounds, hoping to feel something other than restless anticipation, but in her mind, she was already stepping out of the Heighliner and into the light of the black sun.