Sorrow | Dune | Gurney Halleck

Chapter Four

It was an honor. A huge honor. However, he wasn't one for formalities. He would have preferred the Duke just signed the proclamation. Leto had other ideas. He had request a large banquet in Gurney's honor following a ceremony promoting him.

"Ecstatic." Gurney answered as he put away weapons.

"Perhaps my father will let me pin your lapels on?" She suggested as she watched him.

"You can't reach." He pointed out. "I thought children weren't allowed to attend."

"I'm hardly a child anymore, Gurney. Besides, my father thinks it'll be a good for me to learn the process of promotion."

He almost laughed out loud when she refer to herself as not a child anymore. She had so much more to learn about the world.

"Will you be playing your baliset tonight?" Mildred asked. While the baliset was a strange looking instrumental, she had learned to fall in love with it's sound. Gurney would often play during social events and she enjoyed every second of it.

Before he could even open his mouth, her mother bursted into the room with an annoyed expression. Mildred remained in her spot while Gurney stopped what he was doing and stood still. "Lady Jessica."

"What are you doing here? You need to be getting ready, not socializing." Her mother scolded her, completely ignoring Gurney.

"We still have hours before the ceremony starts, mom." The girl whined.

"Mildred...." Her mother warned.

Gurney pretended not to pay attention to Mildred and Lady Jessica. In fact, he was trying to sneak out of the room without being noticed. The relationship between the mother and daughter had yet to improve in nearly five years he had been with the House of Atreides. Many of those worked for the family did their best to ignore the tension, but what was said behind closed doors was a different story.

Rumors flew left and right about why Jessica did not love her daughter the way a mother should, but no one did anything to investigate those rumors. Gurney tried his best to keep away from the rumors. There was no sense in trying to add fuel to the fire. But he knew. He knew the sad look on Mildred's face every time her mother entered the room. He heard the way Lady Jessica dismissed her daughter.

He watched as Lady Jessica put a hand on her daughter's shoulder and led her out of the training room. While Gurney was honored to be receiving such an esteemed title, he couldn't help but be nervous. He wanted to do a good job. He want to prove to Leto that he made the right choice for Warmaster. Sometimes, he had to stop himself and wonder how a former slave like him was now the right hand man of one of the best Dukes.

Mildred sat motionless as her hair was braided in an intricate, yet youthful hairstyle. She has been placed in a simple black dress. It was incredibly understated. It was floor length with long sleeves and a high neckline. Her mother insisted that she always wore modest clothing. The most skin she ever wanted to see from her daughter was her face and hands.

At her youthful age, she understood. However, sometimes she found the high collars suffocating. One day, she thought to herself, my mother will no longer control me. Mildred watched from a balcony as some of the servants set up for the ceremony below her. Chairs had been set up on either side of a red, velvet carpet. Not many people would be attending. Just the family and higher up officers.

In another room servants set up for the banquet that would occur after the ceremony. Endless rows of tables filled with mouthwatering food and drinks sat upon the tables. Paul stood beside her pulling at the collar of his uniform. It was the same one their father worn and many of those in the military, but it had no awards yet. Mildred wouldn't say it aloud, but she always enjoyed seeing the men in their formal military uniforms. They looked most handsome.

Finally, it was time for Paul and Mildred to join their parents. They would of course be the first ones to walk into the room. Her parents in front, Paul and her behind. Once they reached the end of the aisle her mother and Paul would sit down while her father and her would remain standing. While she wasn't allowed to pin the new rank onto his uniform, she would be allowed to hold the small pillow that they sat upon.

The sound of bagpipes filled Mildred's ears as her family walked along the carpet. Everyone watched her family with careful eyes. She had found that the older she got, the more people began to notice her. She couldn't help, but wonder if they were imagining what kind of leader she would be one day. Whom she would become. How she would be different. House Atreides never had a woman leader beside.

Once they reached the end of the carpet, Mildred and Leto walks about two stairs and turned to face the people. The bagpipes began to play again, this time a different song and Gurney came into view. He looked the most serious she had ever seen him. Part of her wanted to make a silly face to see if he would crack, but she chose not to. Today was a significant day and she didn't want to be the one to ruin it.

When Gurney reached the two of them, he dipped his head respectively and Mildred gathered the pillow into her hands.

"Gurney Halleck," Leto began with an almost prideful look on his face. "We've gathered today to witness your promotion to Warmaster that has been bestowed onto you by me, Duke Leto of House of Atreides. Gurney Halleck, do you swear to uphold the laws and constitution followed by the House of Atreides?"

"I swear." Gurney's voice echoed through the quiet hall.

"Do you swear to faithfully, courageously, fearlessly lead the army as Warmaster no matter what you face?" Leto asked.

"I swear."

"Do you swear to pledge your allegiance to not only me, Duke Leto, but to all other future Duke and Duchesses of House of Atreides?"

Gurney glanced at Mildred who shot him an almost mischievous smile. "I swear."

Her father turned to her and picked up the new lapels and pins that laid on the pillow on her hands. He shot her a quick wink to ease any nervousness she might had before turning back to Gurney. Gurney remained motionless as her father pinned the new additions to his formal uniform. Leto motioned for Gurney to turn around and face the crowd of people.

"I present to all of you, Warmaster Gurney Halleck!" Her father's voice boomed.

Bagpipes began to play once again and everyone erupted into cheers.