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."
He released her from his grasp and she turned to face him. She squared her shoulders back and he knew she was warmed up enough. Now, the fun would begin. She would show how much she really knew. She attacked with speed and agility, but she never once allowed herself to get ahead of her thoughts. She remained calm just as she had been instructed too.
It was a rare occasion when someone actually beat Gurney. Sometimes he would let them win just so they could get a sense of victory. It irritated Paul more than her. He was still young though. He didn't understand the point of not being able to win every time. An opponent would never go easy on him just because he was noble-born. If anything they would fight him harder.
Both of them moved quickly around the room. Their eyes never left one another not because they loved each other, but because of how focused they were on the fight. The door opened to the training room and her eyes shifted slightly. That was a mistake. Gurney used the opportunity to disarm her. Her sword went flying through the air and her shield beeped rapidly indicating she had been hit. She glanced down towards her stomach and found Gurney's sword piercing into it.
"Curiosity killed the cat." Gurney quoted to her.
"What if it was someone breaking in here to kill us?" She asked.
He chuckled. "There would be alarms going off."
Mildred shook her head with a smile before flipping her shield off. She looked up to see that Paul had entered the room. Normally, he trained with Duncan, but sometimes they would change things up. Duncan had also been drug into working security for all the guests arriving on Caladan.
"Sorry," Paul spoke. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
"You didn't. Besides, I was only allowed a few minutes for training today." She assured her brother and turned to Gurney. "I will see you later?"
"You will." He promised her.
She reached up and gently kissed his cheek before excusing herself from the room. Paul watched the encounter from afar. He still had not gotten used to the idea that Mildred would be marrying Gurney. He was happy for the both of them, of course. He just didn't want things to change. He wanted to be able to tease Gurney. He wanted to be able to confide in his sister about anything.
They were both working hard to remain as professional as two almost married people could be. He still addressed her as 'my Lady' during the meetings. He would still dip his head respectfully at her.
"I think both Mildred and you share a staring problem." Gurney spoke from across the room.
"Sorry." Paul mumbled as he ambled across the room to select his weapon.
Gurney took one look at the boy and wondered if he should pry. He looked distracted. He supposed it was a large change for Paul as well. He was younger too. He decided to just fight. Paul's moves were slower, sluggish. His head wasn't in the right space to train. Gurney tried to dial back his ferocity and it helped only a small amount.
"Gurney?" Paul asked as they took a small break.
The older man looked at him. "Yes?"
"I know this isn't exactly my place, but...Mildred is my sister. I just need to know if you love her?" He asked.
Gurney drew in a deep breath. He glanced down out the window in the room and then back at Paul. He cleared his throat, "I do love her. With every fragment of being, I love her."
"And will you protect her? I know you're not suppose to be partial, but if ever the circumstances arise, will you protect her no matter what?" Paul asked.
"I would." He promised Paul.
"It's an odd thing, the two of you. I know she loves you. I know how happy she is around you. She tried her best to put her feelings aside, but you can just tell." Paul thought aloud.
Gurney smiled to himself. "I know this may complicate things, but I'm still your teacher Paul. That won't change ever. Mildred and I have discussed this numerous times. She will still be Mildred. I will still be Gurney."
Paul nodded understandingly and stood up straight from where he was leaning on the table. "Good. Now let's fight some more."
****
It was evening by the time Gurney and Mildred saw each other again. She had changed back into a simple dress. He remained in his clothes from before. They met in the hallway of her room. She stopped for a moment when she saw him admiring the architecture as if he had never seen it before. One more sleep, she thought to herself, one more sleep until he's mine. A servant walked past the two of them just as their eyes connected. Neither of them moved closer to each other until the servant was gone.
"Everyone is busy." She pointed out as she drew close to him.
"Hmmm," he hummed. "I wonder why?"
She giggled. "I don't have the faintest idea."
Her bent down slightly and kissed her softly. She brought her hand to rest on his chest while he did. The closer the wedding grew near, the harder the wanting became. She wanted him, so badly. There were times where she thought about begging him to meet her in their little hiding spot. She would be undressed for him. What man could resist that? She knew that would make her seem desperate.
They would take a small honeymoon, only a few days to her families vacation home a quick transport ride away. They didn't use it much anymore, but she loved it there. The house sat right on the beach. It had a beautiful view of the water from the house and it was quite secluded. Mildred requested no servants come with them. They were quite capable of making themselves food. She wanted...privacy. The last thing she needed was servants murmuring to one another about the Duchess's wedding night.
Then it dawned on her. Gurney knew she had never been with a man before. It was a given. However, she didn't know about him. She figured he had. He was older. He had more freedoms than her.
"What are you thinking?" Gurney asked as they walked to review the decorations for tomorrow.
Her cheeks turned pink. She couldn't ask him. It would be far too embarrassing. Gurney must of caught onto her embarrassment because he raised an eyebrow at her. "Mildred?"
"Forgive me for asking, but have you...laid with a woman before?" She asked, not directly looking at him.
Gurney wanted to laugh at the naive question, but he didn't. Mildred was sheltered on purpose. He had not been. "You worry if I have experience."
"I-I didn't mean...that's not what I was...I..." she couldn't form a sentence.
He stopped her from walking. He glanced around the hallway for a alcove to sneak away in. This was not a conversation he wanted anyone hearing. When he found a small cut out in the hall, he pressed her against the wall, one of his legs was between her thighs. Her dark eyes widened. His lips pressed against the skin of her neck and he heard her gasp. He had never kissed her in such a way.
"I think you'll find yourself not disappointed." He whispered into her ear.
"Please," she was begging with desperation. She remembered the way he touched her in her dreams and she wanted to feel it again. She wanted it to be real. "Please, Gurney."
There was things he could do to her. Things that would not require a bed. It may not be as romantic as she envisioned, but he doubted she wanted romance currently. He reached down, under the hem of her dress and drug his hand along the skin of her thighs. She shuttered beneath him. Her chest rose and fell quickly with anticipation. He stopped between her legs, feeling the heat already.
He would touch her and it would all be over. She would be his. He found her lips again while his finger moved the underwear she wore to the side. He began to rub her gently and she cried out softly against his mouth. His hands were rough usually, but somehow they didn't feel that way in the moment. He stopped his motion suddenly and pushed a finger inside of her.
Her body arched against him and she bit her lip hard to stifle another gasp. The last thing she needed was the two of them to be caught. His thumb began to rub circles against her while his finger pumped in and out of her. She held onto him tightly. If she didn't, she felt as if her knees would give out any second. He wanted to remove his hand and go further, but he didn't. Just another day.
He could feel moving her hips towards his hand, craving more of the contact. A sensation that couldn't be described started forming in her lower stomach. It was as if she was on edge and was close to exploding. Gurney's thumb pressed down harder and she buried her head into his shoulder. Then the explosion happened. It was...indescribable. She couldn't control the way her body reacted as it jerked involuntarily against his hand. She couldn't hold back the cries of pleasure that escaped her throat.
For a minute, Gurney just held her. He wanted her calm before they resumed their walk. Her cheeks were flushed as she smiled up at him. "That was...nice."
He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Nice? I'll have to do better."
He offered his arm to her as they walked back into the hallway. In the back of her mind, she prayed no one had heard them. Even if they did they would most likely not speak of it. The moment they shared, while quick, left her craving more. She would have to wait though, but at least she had something to look forward too.
"Are you alright?" He asked quietly.
"Yes. It was just not what I was expecting. Of course, I don't know what I was expecting. I'm not disappointed. I'm...elated?"
"Elated?" He asked with a chuckle. "That's something no one has told me before."
"You must think I'm childish."
He shook his head, his tone turning serious. "No, never, Mildred. I'm happy to share this with you."
She knew the age difference could make things more difficult than they would already be. Even if he assured her that she wasn't naive. She still did at times. He had experienced life. She had been shelled up in the castle her entire life. She hoped that one day that would all change. She looked around the hall where the reception would be held, eager to change the subject.
"It's beautiful." She remarked. "Tomorrow, you'll be standing up there waiting for me."
"I will." He told her.
"You know, our wedding has drawn much attention."
"I saw the Imperium ships arriving. I suppose a marriage between a royal and a former slave would cause curiosity."
She shook her head. "I don't think it's solely that. I'm probably not even suppose to talk about this, but since I will be married to you tomorrow, I will. The Harokonnen's have held control over Spice production on Arrakis for years. Suddenly, it's not going well for them. Spice brings in a lot of profit and I doubt the Emperor is happy about losing money. Our House would be next in line to take the Harkonnens place on Arrakis. The Imperium could be using this as an opportunity to watch us. See our strength, our military."
"That's a possibly, but don't dwell on it, Millie. Not tomorrow of all days. It's suppose to be the happiest day of your life." Gurney tried to reason with her. "I think you're tired. Let me walk you back to your room."
"Yes, you're probably right." Her voice quiet.