The small footprints of a young girl marked the dark hallway, making their way around the large palace. A cloak covered her small frame, it's hood and veil shadowing her pale youthful skin. She fiddled nervously with her fingers, feeling the blood pumping faster thru her veins.
There was not a single soul to be seen in this part of the palace, the ones being sent here had all reasons to be nervous. The little girl had only been there two times before, when she got there and when her abilities were tested. But that was years ago and something everyone had to go thru. The ones who was directed there was either sent away on their life mission, expelled or punished. The girls was to young to be sent away, meaning it had to be bad. Meeting the Mother Superior in her private quarters was no good for a girl her age.
Her steps stopped outside the tall dark doors. The cold atmosphere surrounding her touched her sweaty palms making her rub them dry down over her black dress. She took a deep breath before readying her hand to knock.
"I can't believe she birthed a son, selfish, and now we have to clean up her mess." A hushed voice hissed on the other side of the wooden door. "The universe is not ready yet, decades of work maybe spoiled." The voice added sending shivers running down the girls spine. She closed her eyes and focused on the unknown conversation.
"I've always said she's to risky to rely on." Another voice said.
"Huh, you have always said a lot of things." The first voice snapped back in annoyance. "A lot of them never true." She added sternly. The room went quiet for a second. "But we have her, she may be our last hope." She then said making the girls eyes open again.
"She is at the bottom of our lessons, stern and only makes trouble." The other voice said making the child frown.
"But her ancestors is ultimate." She answered her, making the girls heart drop. Ancestors? "She can create the ultimate object, the chosen one and put a end to our-"
The girl quickly knocked in panic making the conversation go silent cold.
"Enter!"
She quickly opened the door and stepped into the dark gloomy room. She kept her stare down on the ground walking further into the room. The room felt colder then any rooms in the large settlement.
"Eleonora."
"Mother Superior." Her small voice said, bowing her head in the voices direction. "You wanted to speak with me." She quietly added, her blood pumping even faster after hearing the new information. She slowly looked away from the floor and up to the frightening woman standing before her. Her cold stare met her innocent one.
"Yes." She said sitting down in the chair behind her. "Leave us!" She yelled at the other woman, quickly looking her way. Her glance followed the woman walking towards the door and returned to the girl once the door closed. She stared her down for a while before letting out a grunt. "Sit!" She ordered making Eleonora rush over to the seat in front of her superior mother. The small girls feet dangled off the chair, sitting quietly waiting for the frightening woman to speak. But she never spoke, she watched the powerful little girl carefully, exclaiming every single little detail of her on the inside and outside.
"We have decided on your life mission." The stern woman spoke after the long silence. Her stomach fell at her words. She didn't dear speak up. "One of our sisters has decided to birth a son. A dukes son." She continued making the hairs on her arms rise, a strange feeling growing inside her chest. A son? "It's not ready." She then said. The little girl understood were this was going but refused to believe it. She could feel the strange feeling building up stronger, wider, taller. "You will be his concubine, breed with him and save the bloodline."
"But I am only eight."
"We will wait until the time is right child." She reassured her, the steepness in her voice never leaving her tone. "This is an extremely risky and important mission." She added. "You will not fail."
"I will not fail you."
"Good." She said. "You will spend a week with his mother, Lady Jessica, and mark your spot in him, make him remember you in some way. You will not meet him before your mission is ready, understood?"
"Understood."
That same dark night she traveled across the galaxy. She had never left her origin planet, Wallach x, never entered space. It was cold and empty, something she already knew of. Her reverend mother accompanied her on the journey, but left her alone on the foreign planet.
In the dark of the night a woman approached her out of the fog. She approached her with slow, soft steps, not wanting to scare the child away. The girl watched her closely as the foreigner stepped in front of her. She took her hood off, reviling her face to the little girl.
Eleonora felt a feeling of safeness wash over her, the strange and strong feeling still floating inside her.
"Are you Lady Jessica." Her small voice cut the silence.
"Yes."
The little girl's nerves calmed hearing her soft voice. She reached up and took off her vail and hood, reviling her face to her. Jessica felt a pang of emotion hit her. She was strong. Jessica looked into her green eyes, searching for any weakness, but found nothing.
"And you are Eleonora?" She asked her back making the girl quickly nod. Jessica knew all about the new plan set up for her boy and the powerful girl standing before her. She felt uneasy and displeased after hearing the news, but looking into her eyes and feeling her presence calmed the tension around the doings.
Jessica led the girl thru the halls of her palace. The girl held onto the woman's arm, feeling safe around her presence. The sleep that covered her that night was like nothing she had experienced before. The soft sheets hugging her, the comfortable surface her body laid on and the peaceful silence lingering in her ear made her feel rested the next day when she woke up.
The windows lit up the big room making the girl walk up to one of them. She had to drag a chairs over for her to reach it. She instantly shielded her face from the bright light. The girl had seen the sun before, but it had always been hidden behind dark clouds. Once her eyes began adjusting to the brightness she let her hand fall from her eyes. The green landscape before her was something she had never seen before. The picture books had shown images of it before but would never cover its beauty. Deep blue oceans surrounded by tall cliffs, waves crashing against shore, birds chirping their morning songs, flying from tree to tree. It was beautiful.
The girl rested herself against the window frame, her eyes never wanting to leave the sight before her. Her mind began to wonder, the thoughts of this planet being hers one day. Would she be happy? Would her partner be nice to her? There was a thousand questions running thru her mind, none of them she knew the answer of.
She spent her days in a big library with Jessica. She taught her all there was to know about Caladan and the House of Atreides. It was as powerful and important House. She talked about her role in the future mission, taught her sea and earth power and talked about their people. She never talked about her son, not even mentioning his unknown name.
The duke, his name Leto, visited them everyday. He was kind and gentle. Everyone here was nice to her, something she wasn't used to. They would give her good food and put her in nice soft clothing. He talked to the little girl, the smile resting on his lips never fading. She felt special when he laughed at her and asked her questions. A smile would even something creep onto her face.
The day before her departing a maid walked her to the library. They strode thru the never ending hallways, the little girl looking around at her surroundings. She suddenly heard distant footsteps making her look forward.
She caught the eyes of a young boy. His green orbs looked back at her as they walked towards each other. The time almost seemed to slow down as they strode in each other's direction. She felt the same strange feeling inside her chest, the hairs at the back of her neck rising. She felt the same force she sensed in Jessica, only his was stronger. As they came closer to each other his force grew stronger and stronger, she focused on him as they passed each other, their shoulders almost brushing. She looked over her shoulder at him. He stopped in his tracks, turning to watch her. She kept his stare before facing forward again. She felt his presence grow further away, with a quick look over her shoulder again she saw him still standing there, the guard beside him waiting for him patiently. His eyes were filled with flames, flaring with the breeze. Her heart was pounding heavily. She kept their stare but it was quickly broken again as she rounded the corner. She looked forward again, not understanding what had just happened.
She let out a breath she didn't notice she was holding and kept following the maid. Her thoughts were occupied by the boy that day. His eyes and force appearing every time she closed her eyes. The words slipping off Jessica's tongue never reached the young girls ears as she kept her stare out the windows overlooking a beautiful gardens.
"Eleonora."
Her head snapped in Jessica's direction. The older woman had noticed the difference in the girl ever since she stepped foot into the room. She couldn't figure out what it was, her mind too strong to break thru.
"I met Paul."
"What?!" She stressed. "He is not suppose to know who you are." She whispered leaning over the table so the little girl could hear her. She felt guilt build up inside her.
"Don't worry, we didn't talk, I just walked passed him on my way here." She told her fiddling with her fingers in her lap.
"Then how do you know his name?" She said making the girl go quiet. She looked up from her hands in her lap and up to the woman in front of her. How did she know his name? Her brows furrowed a frown forming on her face. How could she know his name?
"I just knew." She said looking down at her lap again.
Jessica watched her in amazement. The small tiny frame holding so much power. Were did she get it from? She decided to drop the subject and continued with her lesson. The little girl tried to focus but her mind was taking over. She couldn't block him out, even how hard she tried the green, fiery eyes was pierced inside her head.
Her stay soon came to an end. She dreaded the thought of going back to the Bene Gesserit. Leto stopped by her room to bid her goodbye. He told her how excited he was about their next meet and how it wasn't long before she would roam the halls of the palace again.
Jessica followed her to the ship. Her hand laying behind her neck, leading her the way. Eleonora could see her reverend mother waiting for her at the top of the ramp of the ship, her cold presence sending shivers down her spine. She looked over at Jessica again who was squatting down at the little girls height. She put a hand on the girls cheek, looking deeply into her eyes.
She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to wait. She wanted to stay. But knew her place, the time wasn't right.
"Until we meet again."