Sorrow | Dune | Gurney Halleck

Chapter Thirty One

The building, their new home was much different from the palace on Caladan. It was a plain, cold building. Every wall, corner, ceiling seemed to all be made into the same shapes; squares or rectangles. There was hardly any natural light. That was an effort to keep the palace cool on the inside. They were told that most of the day would be spent inside due to the blistering sun. You should only venture out at night or in the morning.

There would be much to do in the following days. Mildred's father and Gurney had already been separated from the rest of the family. Paul was free to roam as much as he wanted too. Her mother would meet the head of the handmaidens and Mildred would be meeting her own servant as soon as she found her room. Only a small amount of the palace was actually used for business unlike on Caladan.

Therefore, Mildred was able to chose whichever room she wanted. She kept it close to the entrance and exit of the palace so Gurney could access the soldiers easier. The hallway their room was located in was quiet and cold just like the rest of the building. The door to her room was slightly ajar and she walked inside. Bent over the bed, in the process of smoothing out the blanket, was a young girl. Maybe sixteen at the most.

Her dark hair was wrapped in a covering just as Mildred's was. She wore plain colored clothing. The room was very large. Larger than the one on a Caladan. Like the hallway, there were small windows allowing minimal light in. A carpet laid in the front of the windows and she assumed it was to bring a sense of warmth into the room. Finally, the girl looked at her. Mildred knew that the natives of Arrakis had blue eyes from the spice, but it still shocked her when she saw the girl's eyes.

"Oh," her voice was small. "You must be Lady Mildred. My apologies. I didn't hear you. Welcome to Arrakis."

"I am. It's alright. I should have made my presence known." Mildred spoke.

How different the two seemed. Mildred dressed in a nice dress, the girl in plain clothes. The girl was skinny, almost malnourished in a way. On Caladan the servants were treated quite well. That was not apparent on Arrakis. The girl made her way to stand in front of Mildred and dipped her head respectively.

"I am Namo." She introduced herself.

Mildred cocked her head curiously. "You're Fremen?"

"I am of Fremen descent." There was hesitation in her voice that made Mildred nervous. "How did you know?"

"I have good observation skills. My mother is a Bene Gesserit. While I was not trained in their ways, I did pick up a few things here and there. I also did some research before coming here." She explained.

The girl's blue eyes seemed to darken. "No amount of research can prepare you for this place. Is everything to your liking so far?"

Mildred looked around the room. "So far, yes. They'll be bringing in a few boxes soon. You may unpack if you wish. I'm not very particular about most things. My family you'll find is not like the House before us. We are not cruel, Namo. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I wish to explore my new home further."

"Of course, my lady." The girl spoke and dipped her head once again.

Boxes were piled up everywhere as Mildred walked the hallways, trying to get a feel for the layout. She tried her best to smile at every unfamiliar face that passed her, but the smile was never returned. It all felt odd. However, her spirits were lifted when she saw Gurney approaching her. He was still wearing his armor, not that she minded. It made him look even more powerful.

"Lost?" Gurney asked her as he stopped in front of his wife.

"No. I'm just exploring. I may go and find Paul soon. Are you busy?"