Sorrow | Dune | Gurney Halleck

Chapter Twenty

Three months had passed since the battle on Ocury and Gurney and Mildred were finally set to marry tomorrow. It had been more challenging than either of them expected to plan a wedding. They had to have permission from the Emperor himself to marry and they were both surprised that he granted permission. She supposed her father had some influence over the Emperor's decision. Things had to be ordered; her dress, food, linens.

Invitations had to be sent out. They both would have rather had something small and intimate, but that was not an option for someone in Mildred's position. The marriage between a future Duchess and Warmaster caused quite the conversation. The amount of people who attended surprised both of them. Mildred supposed that they were simply curious to see how the marriage went.

Mildred and Paul both had birthday's in the three months. She turned twenty and Paul turned fifteen. This created a challenge of choosing the perfect date to marry. It was finally happening though and Mildred couldn't have been more excited or nervous. Everything was ready. The servants had already started transforming the dining hall into the reception area. The main hall would be used for the ceremony.

Soft, sheer linens in white had been hung from the ceiling. Fresh flowers that would be turned into beautiful arrangements had been brought in from the other side of Caladan. Hundreds of bottles of wine lined tables in the dining hall. While they had light, Mildred insisted that candles would be far more romantic. Her dress hung in her room waiting to be worn tomorrow.

She had spent much of her morning going through paperwork and reports that her father trusted her with. The older she had become, the more her father trusted her with more duties. She probably could have preformed every task her father did, but she would wait until it was her turn to lead. There was no sense in rushing it. She had remained in her nightgown throughout the morning. Breakfast had been brought to her room per her request so she wouldn't have to distract herself from work.

She only changed into her usually training clothes when it was time for her to meet Gurney. Despite that she was about to marry him, it was still important that she kept training. They had decided to remain Duchess to be and Warmaster when in public, but behind closed doors was when they would act like a married couple. Of course they would cast loving glances at one another from across the room, but there had to be balance.

Mildred paused for a second to watch Gurney in the training room. His hands grazed over the array of swords laid out on the table. He picked one up and flipped it around, getting a feel for it. She watched the way his strong arms flexed when he moved a certain way. His eyes were focused. She was going to marry that man tomorrow. A smile pricked on her face.

"Are you going to stare at me or fight?" Gurney asked, breaking her out of her trance.

She walked further into the room, trying to hide her blush. "Can't I do both?"

"I'm afraid gawking will do you no good in battle." He told her while she picked out a weapon should would fight with. "Hastily now."

She threw him an annoyed look before wrapping her hand tightly around a sword she was familiar with. She flipped it in her hand, the blade pointing downward. She turned her body slightly to angle towards Gurney and went to strike him. He brought his arm up, stopping her. She took a step back, an amused smile on her face.

"I suppose you won't be going easy on me even if I am your wife?" Mildred asked as she switched her shield on.

Gurney moved forward a step and tried to 'stab' her in her side. She moved quickly away from him but felt his boot connect with her back. Thankfully for the shield she barely felt a thing. She felt his arm wrap around her neck, the blade pressed against her skin. "Definitely not. I've told you not to turn your back on anyone. Always be aware of your surroundings."