"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧, the house Atreides will immediately take control of Arrakis, do you accept?" I focused my gaze on the man reading from a scroll, the Emporer had asked to replace House Harkonen with House Atreides on planet Arrakis. This meant so much power and so much wealth for us
"We are house Atreides," Duke Leto said clearly "there is no call we do not answer, there is no faith that we betray, the emperor asks that we bring peace to Arrakis, House Atreides accepts!" everyone around me started chanting Atreides as the duke walked down the steps of the podium. The duke turned to look at his son, Paul, my best friend. Paul nodded reassuringly to his father who then turned to a large wooden table placed in front of him, I watched as he dipped his ring with the house crest on it into a silvery wax that was on the scroll.
"Why do you think the Emporer changed his mind about the Harkonnens?" Zack whispered from beside me
"Perhaps they were too brutal" I answered as the duke turned away
"So it's done," Leto said
"It's done" I turned to look at Zack who had a concerned look etched upon his face, he gripped my hand tightly. Neither of us knew much about Arrakis other than the fact that the spice was there. A new planet was an adventure, but it could also be dangerous.
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"Everythings going to change now isn't it" I looked at Paul "nothings going to be the same"
"Of course it will" he assured me "you'll always have me, that will never change" I laughed and leaned against his shoulder, we were sitting on a small bench, Paul was waiting for Duncan to return
"Good, I don't know what I'd do without you" I always cherished the moments with just Paul, of course, I enjoyed spending time with Zack but the two of them didn't get along very well and it just wasn't super pleasant.
"I'm going to ask him to take me tomorrow" Paul announced, I sat up and turned to him
"What do you mean?"
"He's going to Arrakis tomorrow, I want to go as well"
"And you're just going to leave me here?" I asked raising an eyebrow as mischievously as possible, he gave me a look and shook his head
"Of course not, I would never dream of it"
"Good, I got a little scared for a moment"
My hair started to flow wildly as a space vessel came into the port. A ramp opened up from the bottom and out came Duncan "There he is" Paul smiled getting up and running to him and giving him a side hug. I got up and followed after Paul smiling as well "Duncan!"
"My boy" Duncan let out a low chuckle "ah, and Mila not far behind" I laughed as he started to take his gear off
"So you're going to Arrakis tomorrow with the advanced team" Paul stated
"Yes I'm going to Arrakis tomorrow with the advance team," Duncan said in a matter-of-a-fact way
"I'd like you to take me with you, Mila as well" Duncan paused and turned to look at him
"You would?" he frowned and seemed to be considering it "that's too bad because no" I sighed as he walked away, of course, he wasn't going to take us
"Please" I whined trailing behind him
"Duncan, come on," Paul said seriously
"Are you trying to give me a court-martial, what's going on?" he asked
"Can I trust you- both of you, with something?"
"Yes of course" I nodded as Paul's face got even more serious than it had before, I wondered what was wrong.
Paul paused for a moment, he seemed to be debating whether or not to tell us what was going on "I've been having dreams" he said finally "about Arrakis and the Fremen"
"Ok? so?" Duncan asked
"I saw you," Paul told him "with the Fremen"
"Ah, so I do find them, that's a good omen right there, right?" he grinned going to fix something else, he didn't seem to be taking what Paul was saying too seriously and I couldn't blame him. I wasn't sure where this was going, people have dreams all the time
"I saw you lying dead" Paul continued, I froze and widened my eyes at my best friend "fallen in battle, it felt like if I had been there, you'd be alive"
"First off, I'm not going to die," he told Paul
"That's what they all say" I mumbled
"Helpful Mila, thank you" he rolled his eyes "listen" he put his hand on Paul's shoulder "dreams make good stories, but everything important happens when we're awake" he then inspected Paul's arms "look at you, put on some muscle?"
"Really?" he asked brightly getting excited
"No" Duncan walked away, I sniggered and Paul gave me a very dirty look "hey, see you two around" Paul looked after him sadly
"Hey, are you ok," I asked touching his arm gently
"Yeah, just confused" he mumbled, I nodded deciding to let it go for now "how about a walk?" he suggested
"Sure" I gave him a small smile before we set off to find out coats, it was cold out and we didn't want to freeze. When we got to our jackets Zack found us
"Where are you going?" he asked and I heard a small sigh from Paul
"We're just going for a walk" I informed him "you're welcome to join us"
"Ok!" his blue eyes lit up as he grabbed his jacket and he planted himself by my side. We began to walk out on the grounds. It was very pretty there was still some snow on the hills and beautiful tall pines littering the fields
"It's so pretty" I commented as I scanned the grounds, I could see my breath in the air as it was so cold
"Look" Paul tapped my shoulder and pointed to his father who was waving at us, I waved back with a grin, his dad was like family to me, he had been there for me my whole life. We walked over to the duke, I could tell Zack was a little nervous seeing as Paul's father didn't favor him much
"Father I'd like to join Duncan Idaho on his scout mission to Arrakis tomorrow," Paul said as soon as we stood in line with his father "Mila too" I shoved his side quickly "and uh, Zack as well, we've studies the Freman language, we'd be assets"
"It's out of the question," his father said sternly "you three will travel in a few weeks to Arrakis just like the rest of us"
"We've been training our whole lives" I added
"I don't see why-" Paul began to say but his father cut him off
"You are the future of House Atreides," the duke said to his son
"And grandfather fought bulls for sport!" Paul yelled
"Yes, and look where that got him" Leto scoffed, Zack and I exchanged a small glance "I need you by my side, Paul, when we get to Arrakis we'll face enormous danger
"What danger?" Zack asked
"The Freyman?" Paul suggested "the desert"
"Political danger" the duke sighed "the great houses look to us for leadership and this threatens the emperor, by taking Arrakis from the Harkonnens and making it ours, it sets the stage for a war"
"But that won't actually happen right?" I asked, butterfly grew in my stomach and not the good kind
"I hope not, but if it does, it will weaken both houses," Leto told me "but if we hold firm, tap the true power of Arrakis, we can be stronger than ever"
"What does that mean?" Paul snapped "mining spice, keeping the Freyman in their place, we'll be no better than Harkonnen"
"No" we all stopped walking "by making an alliance with the Freyman," the duke said "that's what I've sent Duncan Idaho to arrange "on Arrakis we need to cultivate desert power, why don't you sit in on my council, you'll see what I do"
"What if I'm not dad," Paul said softly
"Not what?"
"The future of house Atreides" he mumbled, Zack and I stayed back letting Paul have a moment with his dad
The duke held his hand up to show the crest ring "I told my dad I didn't want this either, I wanted to be a pilot"
"Did you know that?" Zack whispered
"No did you" I whispered back
"No"
"You never told me that," Paul said with a small smile
The duke nodded "but your grandfather said, a great man doesn't seek to lead, he's called to it. If your answer is no, you'll still be the only thing I ever needed you to be, my son"
"Aww, how touching" Zack sniggered quietly
"Shut up you dumbass" I elbowed him the ribs causing him to let out a groan
"I found my own way to it" the duke continued "and you'll find yours, in their memory" he gestured at the gravestones of all the people in House Atreides that came before us "you'll try"
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"You can't pause for a breath Paul" I grumbled as we were training to fight the next day "your opponent will take that as an opportunity and kill you"
"Thanks so much" he rolled his eyes
"Don't stand with your back to the door" a voice boomed "how many times do we have to tell you two, Paul did another few hits on the dummy
"I could tell it was you buy your footsteps Gurney" I sighed shaking my head
"Someone might imitate my stride" he responded
"I know the difference, are you the new weapons master?" Paul asked Gurney
"With Duncan Idaho gone I must do as best I can"
"I'm capable of training him" I announced
"I'm sure you are but you're still only fifteen," Gurney told me "you don't know everything yet" Paul went over for a drink of water "both of you, choose your blade" I went over and immediately chose a sharp and balanced blade, Gurney chucked his at the table and it landed just to the right of Paul's body
"That's rude" Paul scoffed pulling the blade just as Gurney went to hit him, Paul turned his shield on and a light blue glow started to surround him, I did the same. As soon as we both tested it Gurney swung at both of us
"Come on" he growled
"Old man" I smirked, he let out an ooh and lunged at me, I blocked him with my blade. We continued to fight until I was able to get the blade to his neck. The shield glowed red signaling that in real combat, Gurney would be a lost cause "I won" I laughed
"Who saw that coming?" Paul asked sarcastically
"Get up" Gurney commanded Paul who was sitting down
"I guess I'm not in the mood" Paul sighed
"mood? what's the mood to do with it? you fight when the necessity arises no matter the mood, now fight!" Paul did it, he fought hard and was able to pin Gurney to the ground, the shield turned red as Paul held the blade to his neck
"Look down, would you like to join me in death" Paul looked and sure enough his stomach glowed red where the blade would have penetrated "I see you've found the mood" they got up and Paul turned his shield off
"Will it be that bad?" I asked Gurney
"You don't know the grave nature of what's going to happen to us," Gurney said "80 years Arrakis belonged to House Harkonnen 80 years of mining the spice from them, can you imagine the wealth. In your eyes, I need to see it in your eyes, the two of you have never seen Harkonnens before, I have, they're not humans they're brutal, you won't be ready"
"Yes we will," I said confidently
"If you truly believe that, you're a fool," Gurney said before leaving the room. Paul and I sat down in our chairs. I didn't want to believe it but he was probably right, there was no way I could take on a full-grown Harkonnen, even if I was one of the best in House Atreides.
I'm so excited to be writing this!!!! I love Timmy so much! Also, I had to switch the order of the chapters.