Chapter 2
I dreamt of a better universe, one without the Bene Gesserit or the Great Houses in it. They have brought nothing but suffering to the empire, and continue to wreak havoc upon it in the name of justice and true rule. The Bene Gesserit with their scheming and stealing of young girls, and the Great Houses who give them up willingly for profit and prestige behind closed doors.
-from the letters of the Bene Gesserit Lady Carina Fenring
Carina could hardly sleep all night. Until the early morning hours, she tossed and turned in her bed, dreadfully disturbed by what had happened the day before.
She had spent so long cultivating that one plan. Narrowing her options down into one straight, narrow way.
Her plan had been flawless, perfect.
And he had to just go and mess it up. To lay waste to all she had worked on, to plans she had started to formulate even when she was still a participating part of the order.
The morning after was not a pleasant one either. Lady Carina was woken by the sounds of shouting and fighting outside of her dwelling.
Sighing, she could only assume who it was and moved closer to the door to hear more clearly.
Owain's voice boomed, "You traitor! Lady Carina showed you mercy in bringing you here after everything you have done! How could you?!"
What was he talking about?
"She did not forbid me from leaving." Feyd's voice sounded as disinterested and slightly playful as ever. "And you are not whom I have sworn my life to."
He left?
"I know this." The voices got quieter, "But we are both bound to the same person, through all blood and pain that might be inflicted. I must think of her in all things. And right now, I know you have not done what is in her best interests."
All one could hear was Feyd's chuckle, before Owain let out a strained sentence, "For nearly bringing the Bene Gesserit to our doorstep, I should kill you."
It was the Harkonnen's turn to let out a growl, "You have no right. My life is in her hands, not yours."
The silence was deafening.
He spoke again a few moments later, "Besides, you wouldn't want to kill our Mistress's favorite pet, now would you?"
Rolling her eyes, Carina decided that she should step in before it got more bloody than it needed to.
Slamming the door open, she was greeted by multiple pairs of surprised, rounded eyes, as well as a small crowd of her students who ran away back to their studies at her stern look.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Lady Carina." Owain greeted her with a bowed head while Feyd simply looked at her.
Raising an eyebrow at the pale man, she turned her attention back to the one who had spoken to her, "What is this commotion? Right outside my door, might I add."
Owain straightened and addressed her solemnly, "My apologies, Lady Carina. I did not mean to disturb you."
She repeated her question, "What happened?"
Even though he was so straightforward with Feyd before, he seemed reluctant to speak now, "Feyd…left, My Lady."
"Yes, I know that much. You weren't exactly speaking quietly before. But, why? And why are we shouting about it?"
"It is not the fact that he left, but with whom he met, My Lady."
She knew he was just stalling, but right now she just wanted answers, "Out with it already. Who did he meet with?"
Feyd interjected, "I spoke to Reverend Mother Mohaim."
All she could do was stare at him.
That just felt like a slap to the face.
Why would he do that? He knew she was the one who had educated her. The one who tortured her for years and forcibly molded her into this vengeful spirit she was now. Why did he go and meet her?
"You spoke to whom?" Her words were forced out through clenched teeth.
Feyd just eyed her curiously, stating what he had said before much more calmly than she had ever seen him, "Reverend Mother Mohaim."
She was feeling anything but calm at the moment though.
She hadn't even come to terms with the fact she couldn't use Feyd to her advantage as freely as she had before because he was now considered dead by the empire, but in not twenty-four hours he had revealed himself to her sworn enemy.
"Just whose side are you on, Harkonnen?" Carina could not even bring herself to speak his given name.
How could he do this to her?
His continued state of odd tranquility grated at her nerves and was setting her fingertips into a jittery twitching of anger.
"Yours of course, Master. As you have said before, I am sworn to you. Whatever I do now, I do for you."
"That's hard to believe when you have admitted to speaking to one of the people I have vowed to exact my revenge upon."
"I've done it for a reason, Master." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter, approaching her and holding it out for her to take.
Exhaling a sharp breath, she snatched the parchment from his pale fingers, ripping through the seal and holding it up so she could see it.
To the Esteemed Lady Carina Fenring,
Is this the asset you have spoken of in your letters past? I must say, I did not know we were looking after the same specimen. Naturally, I did not think him still alive either. As a show of good faith, I will not release information of his safety, but you will owe me a favor in return. I look forward to your hasty reply.
-Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
The all too familiar scrawl of the Reverend Mother's handwriting almost made her sick to look at.
Roiling with a mixture of hunger, stress, anger, and past feelings and memories making themselves known, her stomach set itself to a constant cramping.
Placing a shaking hand over her mouth, she shoved the letter at Owain, who caught it midair, quickly skimming it over.
"What have you done?" She kept her hand where it was, afraid that if she moved it, she would be sick in front of all these people she was supposed to appear commanding to, "Was it really so hard for you to just stay here? Was it so difficult for you to do what I say, even just this once?"
His continued calm was pushing her past the breaking point.
"Master, you did not forbid me from leaving."
"I didn't think-!" She cut herself off, lowering her tone before her consciousness whirled out of control, "I didn't think you would go and speak to my enemy, let alone let her know that you were alive."
His head merely tilted to the side, his sharp gaze locked onto her, "The Reverend Mother already had her suspicions it was me you had your eyes on, Master. It is difficult to hide an alliance like ours, since I had sworn myself to you nearly ten years ago, especially from someone who is so adept at reading body language and discerning true intentions."
His actions were so foolish compared to his words that the juxtaposition was making her dizzy, "Even so, what was so important that you need to go see her? Why didn't you tell me anything before you left?"
When the Harkonnen didn't answer her, she slapped him across the face, leaving a bright red handprint on his otherwise pale skin.
"Leave me, you imbecile. Before I decide to actually kill you this time."
Owain finally interjected, making a small bow with his head before stepping forward and grabbing Feyd by the collar, dragging him away from her door.
Stiffly turning around, she mechanically made her way back into her abode, closing the wooden slab behind her.
Fighting not to just drop to her knees right there on the floor, she shuffled over to the chair and let herself fall into it.
In almost a repeat of what happened last night, a soft knock rapped against the doorframe, pulling her from her swirling thoughts.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Lady Carina."
Trying to compose herself, she smoothed out her skirts and straightened her veil, folding her hands in her lap.
"Come in, Owain."
Her second-in-command gently opened the door, shutting it closed behind him.
"What is it, Owain?"
He seemed to have a conversation with himself in his head, his eyes darting back and forth, before he sighed and fixed his gaze on her.
"There is something I think you need to know, Lady Carina."
Assuming there was nothing more that could surprise her, given the whole debacle that had just occurred, she waved her hand at the always calm and composed man.
"Out with it already."
Nodding in acquiescence, he let out a small breath before informing her, "I…know the reason why Feyd visited the Reverend Mother."
Hoping to finally get answers, she spurred him on with a tilt of her head.
His words came out in a rush, "Reverend Mother Mohaim summoned Feyd-Rautha to inform him that a Bene Gesserit lady who seduced him not too long ago is pregnant."
It felt like someone had just poured cold water over her head, a sensation of freezing shock washing over her.
"Who is this woman?" She spoke softly, not trusting her voice to remain steady if she spoke any louder, "Is it his child?"
"The Bene Gesserit's name is Lady Fenring, and she is pregnant with Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen's child."
Clasping her head between her hands, she grit her teeth together to try to hold back the heaving screech of pain that threatened to leak out.
Her brain felt like it was trying to escape the pain, through any crevice it could find. The pressure on the back of her eyes forced her to clamp her eyelids shut, and the ringing in her ears caused her to try and plug them with her confused fingers.
She couldn't decide if she wanted to curl up into a ball or reach out with all limbs and beg for help. Her body made the decision for her and wrenched her head up to look at the ceiling, her neck muscles bulging with the effort to just keep it together.
Only the thought of not wanting to fail kept her from uttering a single sound.
Don't do it. Don't do it. Don't do it.
She couldn't even bring herself to recite the mantras, her mind and self was only focused on one thing: survival.
While she groveled on the floor, an elder Sister sat primly on a chair in front of her, watching on as she went through the ordeal with narrowed, judging eyes.
Even through the overwhelming sensations cascading across her senses, she could feel an emotion. One that she was not allowed to feel towards the Sisters: Rage.
What had she done to deserve being treated like this?
No one else she knew was subjected to such trials.
Why was she the only one?
Pursing her lips together in a last desperate attempt to gain control over her own body, the pain subsided as quickly as it had come.
Opening her eyes, she blinked bleakly at the all-too-familiar form of the Reverend Mother.
She knew better than to hope for assistance from the aging woman.
She had not come to help, no. She had come to merely observe as she always did.
When the Reverend Mother confirmed Carina was still alive and her soul still attached to her body, she merely nodded and walked away, the image of her sweeping black skirts the last thing Carina saw before she fell to the floor in a pile of cloth and flesh.