It wasn't her handmaidens that woke her but Margot Fenring, her lovely face serene as she touched Irulan's cheek.

"I've brought you water," she said, turning to lift a porcelain pitcher from the nightstand.

"Where are my handmaidens?"

"I haven't seen them," replied Margot, and Irulan frowned. "Here. I always find a bit of water helps me wake up in the morning."

"Thank you," said the Princess, taking the glass. She hadn't had that much to drink, had she? Light poured in from the windows, and she squinted. Her head hurt.

"Did you sleep alright?"

"Very well," said Irulan, though in truth, she had woken at three and tossed and turned for several hours. Wine had a way of doing that.

"I'm glad." Margot smiled at her. How was her complexion so vibrant without any makeup?

"I should be the one asking you how you're doing," said Irulan. "How is the guest wing?"

"It's quite comfortable, my lady," murmured Margot.

"I'm glad to hear it." Irulan felt the urge to close her eyes but instead asked: "Where is our Reverend Mother?"

"I haven't seen her all morning. Your sisters left for the city center about an hour ago."

"Oh," said Irulan, wanting to change the subject. She was the odd one out, even in her own family, and she preferred it greatly if Margot could get through the entirety of her stint on Kaitain without noticing. "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat."

"Alright then," said Irulan. "I'll dress and we'll head downstairs. Perhaps we'll find her in the breakfast room."

"Do you need any assistance?"

"I assure you – even without my handmaidens, I can manage to dress myself. Do you know your way to the breakfast hall?

"I'm sure I'll find my way."

Irulan sighed. Her head hurt, but she knew she was being rude. She realized then she was embarrassed at the idea of Margot seeing her naked. Even while pregnant, Irulan had a feeling Margot's figure was still better than hers. Her silk robes draped perfectly over her swollen breasts. Irulan chided herself for being consumed with such vain thoughts. "I didn't mean to send you away. It would be an honor to have you assist me." Irulan rose from the bed and led the way to her closet. Her usual servants no longer slept in her chambers, now that the handmaidens traveled with her. Where had they wandered off to? They did enjoy morning walks, so she supposed they left before Margot woke. They'd become friendly enough that they felt comfortable taking such liberties. Besides, they must have assumed she needed to sleep from the way she assumed the Reverend Mother would have described her condition, the old bat. Irulan looked at her clothes and frowned. Oh, how she missed the gowns that Vesryn made for her. She was not allowed to dress like the other Sisters, not as the Emperor's daughter. Margot seemed to be looking for something within the racks of hanging clothes. "Any robe will do," said Irulan with a trace of annoyance.

"I'm sorry," said Margot. "It's just, I was hoping to – this is incredibly presumptuous of me but it's just I've heard so much about it. Your wedding dress."

"Oh," said Irulan, truly surprised.

"I would have loved to have seen it. It sounded…"

"Scandalous?"

"I was going to say beautiful," said Margot, lowering her eyes. But then she raised her gaze to Irulan's and smirked.

"I don't know what happened to it," said Irulan.

"What a shame." The last word came out like a purr.

"Where are my handmaidens?" Irulan demanded when she finally found the Reverend Mother in the second library, pouring over metal scrolls. She was growing tired of Margot's coy way of speaking, and once it became clear she had nothing of substance to say to Irulan before her meeting with their teacher, the Princess's patience ran out, and she left the woman at the breakfast table with her meal half-eaten. "Well? You seem to be their new keeper. Where are they?"

"On their way back to Geidi Prime?"

"How dare you?"

"I suggest you watch your tone."

"Do you mean to punish me for drinking?"

"You need to reassess your priorities."

"You don't know what he's capable of," cried Irulan, "He will kill them!"

"Perhaps," said the crone, "He would certainly kill them if they met Lady Fenring and he found out they kept it from him."

Irulan opened her mouth and then closed it. Her teacher was right.

"You'll rejoin them soon enough," said the crone with a look of familiar scrutiny.

"What is your purpose in bringing her here?" demanded Irulan.

"Lady Fenring?"

"You're usually fine with 'Margot.'"

"You're usually better at decorum."

"I'm usually not afraid for my life or the lives of my servants."

"Stop whining. This is what you trained for."

"This is what I wanted to train for. More than anything. But you never let me study on Wallach IV. You – "

"You know very well your station forbids it. And you seem to have done just fine on your own."

"If being nearly drowned in my bathtub counts as fine"

"You seem to have strength, Irulan. When it counts," said her teacher. And smiled.

Irulan's lips parted. "How did you…"

"I did think you would say something."

"He told you?"

"He didn't have to. You're dripping in it. I can smell it on you."

"I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do it again. I wanted to be sure before – "

"Don't be modest. The power suits you." Then she narrowed her eyes. "Don't squander it."

"I won't. I – " Irulan paused. "I thought you said I wouldn't be seeing any more of Lady Fenring."

"Plans changed."

"Lady Jessica."

"Her child is an abomination."

"I see. What is your plan?"

"Control. It's time you have a son. I've suggested a match to Lady Jessica. It will be enough for now to keep her at bay."

"And what of Lady Fenring's daughter?"

"The true wife for your son. We've already run the genetic possibilities and developed a plan for any unsavory mutations. They'd make a fine match."

"How do you suggest I break the news to my husband?" asked Iruan. "I don't suspect he'll be thrilled to know he's already sired a child."

"I don't suggest you tell him anything."

"What do you mean? Surely, he'll figure it out when he sees Lady Fenring."

"Lady Fenring has a husband of her own. They will pass off the child as his."

Irulan shook her head. "He will kill her."

"We have years before they'll need to be in the same room. During which time, you'll be able to gain his trust. His loyalty. Or at least the ability to rein in the worst of his impulses."

"I see. And Margot's on board?"

"She wanted to meet with you in person to gauge your own feelings on the matter before agreeing to any arrangement."

"Then I suppose I'd better seek her out."

"Indeed."

Irulan turned to leave.

"Irulan"

The Princess turned. Not once but twice the Reverend Mother had used her given name.

"I know you and Margot have had… well. This could benefit both of you. I hope you are able to put aside any personal grievances and…"

"Don't worry, Your Reverence. I always do as I'm told."

"Lady Fenring," called Irulan. She found her sitting beside the fountain. She was twirling a small flower between her fingers. Such elegant hands, Irulan thought to herself.

"Please," said the woman, shielding her eyes. "Call me Margot"

"Margot"

"That's better," murmured the beauty. "I assume our teacher told you of her plans for us."

"She did."

"What did you think?"

"What did you think?"

Margot smiled at this. "I think. Hmmmm." She closed her eyes for a moment and chuckled. "I think you're marvelous." Her eyes had a glint of heat.

"In what sense?"

Margot scoffed. "In what sense? And here I thought we had finally moved past pretense."

"My husband often repeats my words back to me for dramatic effect. I find I'm not fond of it."

"Your husband," said Margot. "I almost forgot," and she drew her hands to her swollen belly as she said this.

Heat flooded Irulan's face, and she spoke with a flatness that would have made her younger self proud: "I always thought you'd be pretty if you weren't so smug."

"You still think I'm pretty," said Margot, with a lazy smile. A cat toying with its prey. "And though I never thought you a beauty, I will admit your time on Giedi Prime has suited you. You've come back changed."

"Facing a your death in the slave pit has a way of changing a person."

"All without mastery of the Voice. You must have been terrified. I was terrified hearing of it."

"I assume you have other things you wish to discuss. I had wondered if you'd changed, but you're still exactly the same. I mean surely – surely you have other things to say to me than to criticize my lack of – "

"I assure you, my lady, I do not mean to criticize you. I find you brave."

"What do you want, Margot." Irulan folded her arms.

Margot's smile faltered. "I'm trying to tell you I think you're brave. How little you must think of me.

Irulan sighed, disarmed and somewhat embarrassed. She had longed, after all, for months to speak to Margot. This wasn't how she'd imagined it going. "I seem to have forgotten my manners as of late. I'm hot blooded and – "

"It suits you."

Irulan shook her head. "I appreciate your gentleness."

"I mean it. My lady, I always admired your fire. I feel grateful to be able to see more of it at present."

"You're too kind, Lady Fenring."

"Please," said the woman with an earnestness Irulan found almost believable. "Call me Margot."

"Okay"

"Thank you."

Irulan uncrossed her arm but then found she didn't know what to do with her hands. "I apologize for my lack of manners. Today has been… disorienting."

"Did you ever find your handmaidens?"

"No," said Irulan, "But you knew I wouldn't."

"Yes," said Margot through her lashes. "It wasn't my place to say anything."

"I thought we were done being coy," groaned Irulan. "You must want something. Out with it."

Margot smiled again. "I like this you better. You always seemed so repressed."

Irulan narrowed her eyes. This woman was impossible.

"Don't pretend you weren't curious to talk to me. We have some things in common, you know. Besides the obvious."

"Tell me."

"Do you trust our Reverend Mother?"

"of course"

"I don't."

Now it was Irulan's turn to scoff. "In what world do you think I'm going to agree with you and say, 'Margot – after all these years of being insufferable, I've suddenly decided to risk it all for the chance to be your friend.'"

"You need more friends, my lady."

"Who needs friends when you have planned family breeding," muttered the Princess under her breath.

"I'll tell you why, Irulan." Margot paused with a smile as if to savor the taste of the name on her tongue. "She is playing us against each other as she always has."

"Alright"

"Smug as you think I am, I am genuinely trying to help you. I assume she told you her plans are to breed our children. She told me something else entirely."

"I see."

"She told me what she told Jessica."

"And you assume she hasn't told me."

"She told me what she was going to tell you. That she promised your son to Jessica's growing abomination. And yet… she told Jessica she means to breed the abomination with Feyd to produce an heir."

"You mean with our son." Irulan's voice came out flat.

"You heard me," said Margot.

"I – none of that makes sense."

"The abomination is to marry your son but to produce an heir with his father. The intended pairing after all this time: Feyd-Rautha and Lady Jessica's daughter."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you have options. The original pairing between cousins would ensure an offspring with Harkonnen-dominant traits."

"Cousins?"

"You didn't know? I suppose you have been away."

"I'm sorry. No. Weird morning," muttered Irulan. She tried her best to imitate Margot's arrogant tone. "I assume mean Paul Atreides."

"Yes"

"Paul was Vladimir's grandson."

"Yes"

"I didn't know the Baron had children. Until the day of Paul's death."

"I didn't either," said Margot, as if she'd seen it herself. "The point is that a union between two half-siblings would create a comparable genetic match to the original pairing."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you have options. Her Reverence has always had a soft spot for you. Do you really think she'd favor a traitor like Jessica over you?"

"I – I don't know."

"Don't be modest, my lady. Really, this newfound confidence suits you. I am trying to forge a friendship with you. An honest one. I'll be clear with you: it would suit me far better to be the mother of an Empress than a castaway on some distant planet with my impotent husband, stored out of sight as a spare for if you and Feyd-Rautha die before managing to reproduce. As Bene Gesserit, we plan for all outcomes. It isn't personal. We both know it is our duty." A look of mischief flared in Margot's gaze. "But that doesn't mean we don't have the ability to push, within reason, for an outcome that is favorable to all."

"What does Her Reverence think?"

"Do you even need to ask? She detests Lady Jessica. You know this to be true."

"Did she tell you what to say to me?"

Margot smirked. "Would it change anything if she had?"

"I suppose not, said Irulan with a frown.

The woman took a step toward her, and Irulan could feel her heart begin to race. Margot clearly sensed it. Her eyes gleamed and a smile spread over her full lips. "I'll tell you something else. In the spirit of friendship," said Margot, taking another step toward her.

"Alright," said the Princess. She would not take a step back, no matter how much Margot taunted her.

"It's not anything she said, really. Call it… intuition."

"Okay," said Irulan.

"Why do you think she sent away your handmaidens?" prodded Margot. She took the flower she'd been holding and tucked it behind the Princess's ear.

"So that they wouldn't see you pregnant on Kaitain."

"And why did she not send you with them?" They were face to face now. Irulan felt her cheeks flush. That smell of incense and syrup.

"To make sure that I saw you."

"But why?" asked Margot. Her eyes were the color of the seas at storm.

"To send me back to Kaitain with a secret. To drive a wedge between me and whoever she fears I may be bonding with unsupervised."

"And to think I was going to say to make it clear that she trusts you," Margot whispered in her ear, making the Princess shiver, before she took a step back with a smirk. "But I have to admit, I admire the way you think these days. It may just keep you alive."