"Your waiting chamber?" I asked as we stepped foot in the familiar room.
He nodded in approached one of the many bookshelves that filled the room. If I hadn't known any better I would have thought this to be a library considering how many books there were.
"Are they all yours?" I asked him, slowly making my way around the room.
He nodded. "I've read all of them."
My eyes widned. "All of them? That's a lot of books."
"I know." Was his reply. "I don't usually find free time for myself, but when I do its spent reading in here."
I took another look around the room. Strangely enough, knowing the significance of the books in this room somehow made it feel a little more homely. It was interesting to think that Feyd was such a big reader, I had never considered that to be a possible hobby of his.
"Do you read?" He asked me, taking a seat in one of the chair.
I hesitated before sitting in the chair across from him. "I don't actually. I usually only ever read for my studies."
"That's too bad." He shrugged and held out a book to me. "I was going to recommend something to you, but if you don't like to read-"
"I don't," I interrupted quickly. "I mean, I do- well, I mean that I'm not against reading but I'd... If you have a recommendation I'd love to read it."
I could see the smile tugging at his lips as he handed me the book, almost as if he found our interaction entertaining. I wasn't sure if I was meant to be offended by his expression, but I wasn't.
"How are you feeling?" He asked me and broke the silence between us.
The way he was watching me felt a bit strange. He was tilted his head, his eyes narrowed and eyebrows pressed together as if he were trying to read my body language.
"Out of place." I mumbled and my eyes searched the room, not wanting to meet his eyes. "I also feel quite... lost on where we go from here."
Feyd sighed, not taking his eyes off me. I wasn't sure what to think of his staring, he was looking at me so intently it made me feel way too observed to be comfortable.
"It doesn't mean anything, exactly." He said finally. "I think foremost I'd like to get to know you, and even befriend you if you'd let me. I think it would be a lot easier to coexist with someone who doesn't mind my company."
I nodded in agreement. He made a fair point, I'd much rather be married to a many whose company I can tolerate. So far, Feyd didn't seem all that bad.
"Tell me about yourself." He spoke again.
I paused to consider this. "Like what?"
He shrugged. "Anything that comes to mind."
My mind instantly went back to Paul... My youth wasn't really anything without him. He was in every memory I could remember, but I couldn't mention Paul to Feyd, right? Would that be weird?
Feyd continued to stare at me. His gaze was starting to make me queasy even though there was nothing queasy about his staring. "I, um, I guess I like.... Um..."
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"
"Erm," I stuttered. "Sorry you're just- you keep staring at me and I'm not quite sure what it means."
He shook his head and his expression changed into one almost of concern and confusion. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was doing anything odd. Does it bother you when I look at you?"
I blushed. "Of course not." I couldn't argue that I felt uncomfortable with him looking at me, that was completely unreasonable. Clearly he was not staring at me maliciously. "I just didn't know if it meant anything."
"To stare at you?" He asked me. "Ophelia, you are a very beautiful person and I feel very blind for only realizing this tonight. Forgive me if I've made you uncomfortable."
My eyes widened and I could feel the heat reach my face. How was I supposed to respond to that? Although it didn't seem sarcastic, his comment honestly seemed to be quite genuine. Obviously his compliment should have just passed over my head but for some reason it brought a smile to my face.
"Uh, thank you." I told him as I stared down at my feet.
The both of us were quiet for a moment. Neither of us knowing how to move on from here.
"I'm still waiting to learn about you." He teased me with a smile.
I smiled back nervously. "Okay, well, do you want to ask me something?"
He sighed and thought about it for a moment. "What's your favourite colour?" He decided to ask.
Starting small, I thought to myself. "I love gold." I answered.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Interesting choice. Funny enough, that happens to be my favourite as well."
I nodded and couldn't help the smile that reached my face. "I guess we've both got good taste."
He let out a small laugh. "I suppose we do..." He trailed off, thinking of another question. "What do you do for fun?"
I sat back and my seat and thought about it. I don't really happen to do anything for fun, do I? I've only even been invested in my studies and making sure that Paul had everything he needed as the heir.
Growing up we played for several hours at a time each day. I never got bored in his company, but once we reached our teenage years his responsibilities became more and more. All I really ever did was do my studies and spend time with Paul. It was almost a job.
"I don't actually know..." I said out loud, realizing it was true. I had absolutely no idea what I enjoyed doing for myself. "I never really had time to figure out what I liked, or if I had any hobbies."
Feyd considered this. "Why not? Did nothing interest you?"
I shook my head. "No, Paul usually took up most of my time. Being his friend was my full time job." I laughed.
Feyd didn't laugh with me though. My words almost seemed displeasing to him.
"While you're here I hope you find something you enjoy." He told me in a serious tone. "You're allowed to enjoy things here, Ophelia. I'm sorry that Paul Atreides forced you to take time away from yourself."
I made a face and shook my head. "No no, you've got it wrong. Paul was... is my best friend. I would do anything for him. I loved helping him to prepare for his position, its just that I never really had the time to discover what I liked..."
His expression switched and he nodded in understanding. "I see."
"Paul is a great person." I tried to tell him. "He would have never wanted me to be without a hobby. It's not his fault I never found the time to find one."
Feyd nodded. "You seem quite fond of the Paul Atreides." He commented. "Would you like to tell me about him?"
I wondered if he truly wanted me to talk about Paul or if he was looking to be polite. Regardless, the thought of the familiar boy brought a warm feeling to my chest.
"Well," I began as I considered where to start. "Paul always knew how to get on my last nerve..."
***
i bet my butt theres a lot of typos rn and i think i lost my direction with this chapter bc im so tired. so sorry guys im hella tired right now lol so ill try to correct it in the morning
anyway book cover comp is closed!! ill prolly make a post for you guys to vote in the next few days! i also loved reading your responses to the idea of smut in the future. i'm taking all of your concerns into serious consideration!
my favourite part is checking my notifications to see you guys commenting and interacting. i love you all so much! thanks loves
with love,
vie <3