Chapter Text
“Are you a real Princess?” Amy gasped in wonder and excitement, her eyes widened in her delighted amazement, and once more on the same day, Irulan felt the rug under her feet pulled. She stared at the small girl covered now with cold ash from the hearth, not knowing what to say.
On the same very day, Irulan had seen her former teacher, had been confronted with an offer that had completely pulled the rug under her feet, offering her what her heart had desired so many years in the most animalistic way, then she had been also confronted with the source of the humiliating offer that somehow had stalked her to the Pit, quickly assuming Irulan was escaping from his home to meet her lover. Assuming Irulan wanted to cheat on him for true. She had no idea how Paul had come to believe that, or how he had found her—but here they were now.
Facing a little girl who had literally dropped into their argument, falling from the roof, learning the truth about her. The naked unfiltered truth about her. A scare caught her heart even heavier than when she had seen Tim punching Paul.
Amy heard Paul calling her the Princess Consort of the Atreides Empire. Her amazed mind couldn’t understand what that meant in detail, had only focused on Irulan being a real Princess. Her breath shuddered, her hands started to tremble, and tears prickled inside her eyes.
Everything was falling apart…everything she had built here—trying to build, it was falling apart. The Gang was going to learn who Irulan was truly now, and they would refuse to see her again. She was going to be cast out again. Unwanted.
Anger hit her as she glanced sideways at the source of her all misfortunes. He had come and ruined everything again! What she held dear…Whatever she held dear, he always came and ruined it! He had first taken away her permission to have a lover, assigning her a new task, and now this!
The bane of her existence was staring at Amy too, the moment also caught him surprised, and it angered Irulan further. I have no wish to be cruel to you.
Liar!
Everything he did brought her nothing but pain and humiliation!
“Do you have a real tiara, too?” Amy gasped, holding her skirts, her amazed expression alight with her delight, and Irulan stared down at her, nodding her head.
“Y-yes.”
“Can I see it?” she cried out, pulling her skirts now energetically, almost bouncing with her excitement, “Can I have it, Ru? Will you bring it to me?”
The lips and hands trembled more with tremors, her eyes hurting. “I-I can’t.” Amy’s giddy excitement damped at the moment her refusal came, Irulan denying her wish for the first time they met. Paul’s gaze became heavier as he watched them and Irulan ignored it as she knelt in front of her little friend and took her hands.
“Amy, sweetheart,” she started softly. “You can’t tell anyone I’m a real Princess, okay?” She paused, remembering their little...secret. “It has to be our secret again,” she whispered. “The others cannot know it yet.”
Her disappointment fading, Amy gasped giddy again despite Irulan’s attempts to keep their conversation between them. “We’ll have another secret!”
Sighing inwardly, noticing the way Paul’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, Irulan nodded. “Yes. I’ll tell Tim and Rogue…soon,” she went on. “But I need you to hide it for me until I do. Is it okay?”
Amy nodded with the energy, not bothered at all, enjoying their secrets. “Okay,” she bubbled out and glanced at Paul. “Is he a Prince, too?”
Behind her, Irulan heard a low chuckle.
With a snare, Irulan glanced at her husband who was still sitting poised against the wooden with his hands and legs tied despite there must have been ways for him to get out of his bonds, only watching her with Amy, amused. What he witnessed amused him again, his lips holding that smirk she wanted to tear off his face.
Irulan returned to her little friend, shaking her head. “No. He’s not a Prince,” she said, trying to find an explanation other than telling her he was an Emperor. “But he used to be a Duke.”
And it was really good that Paul’s new religion banned all the portraits and ego-likenesses that no one from the Gang would recognize him despite his distinctive eyes and other tells. The possibility that the Emperor of the Universe ending up in the Pit was so far-fetched that even Tim and Rogue couldn’t link the hints, despite her being a Bene Gesserit and Irulan had called him already called with his name.
Paul.
She wondered how long it would have taken them to figure it out, but her first priority was taking away Paul here…peacefully. And she wasn’t talking about the Gang letting him go.
“Why isn’t he a Prince now?” Amy asked, intrigued, and Irulan cut her off, revealing her gift to distract her.
“I brought you figs,” she said. “They’re very ripe.”
Figs were very tasty, but Amy pursed her lips. “Why don’t you bring chocolate cake anymore?” she asked even when she took the figs. Paul’s eyes were on them again, attentively watching. “Don’t you bake it in the castle’s kitchens?”
Gods! She was digging her grave herself! “We do,” she replied as Amy started to peel off a fig. “But I had to leave in a hurry. So I couldn’t prepare it. I’ll bring it the next time, all right?”
She bobbed her bird nest but Irulan took the fig in her dirty hands, shaking her head. With a gentle smile, she smoothed her hair and dusted off ash from her skin, clothes, and strands. “Go and wash your hands and face first. You’ve made a mess of yourself again.”
With another bob of her head, she wheezed out of the bungalow, rushing out to clean herself. Irulan stood up, peeled fig in her hand, Paul’s eyes trained on her. Without knowing what to do, she looked down at the fig and started to eat it.
Paul looked at her. Irulan swallowed over the last ripe bit and held his look. “Will you not hurt them, will you?” she asked in a whisper.
“If I wanted to hurt them, I would've already done it,” came the stiff but honest reply. “You know a couple of kids cannot take me captive unless I let it.”
“I know.”
“Untie me.”
It wasn’t a command with the Voice, but it was a command nevertheless.
With a long rasping sigh, Irulan headed toward him. She knelt beside him, flicked open the butterfly knife, and cut off the bounds over his legs first. Paul was still watching her silently, his intense blue gaze fixated on her. When she leaned forward to free his hands, their chests touched each other, for the first time in years. It was the first time they were this close after years. The ridiculousness of the situation filled tears in her eyes again, making her wish for her fury.
It was so much easier when she was angry with him.
She drew back when she cut off his hands’ ties and handed him her handkerchief to clean the small line of blood on his lips and throat.
“How did you meet with these kids?” he finally broke their tense silence when they both stayed where they were, but didn’t talk. Irulan settled on the floor in front of him, knowing she could not run away from him anymore and had to answer his inquiries. There was a part of her that still felt angry at him for what he had caused but anger wasn’t the solution. It had never been. Especially with Paul. Twelve years had also taught that to Irulan.
The Reverend Mother’s statement whirled in her mind although Irulan refused to listen to it. Your silent love wore off his defenses.
How angrily Paul had accused her of cheating on him a few moments ago also skated over her mind but she refused those foolish thoughts too. He was just trying to keep the gossip about her and the Professor because of his offer, nothing more. It would be silly of her to believe otherwise under their circumstances, too.
The timing of his arrival was still speculative, he could not come here because Irulan had asked the Reverend Mother for his presence, the timelines were not concurrent but Irulan did not entertain herself with foolish notions. Paul wasn’t here because he was jealous.
Soon, she was going to figure out the real reason too she was sure so she started as Paul cleaned the blood from his skin. “I met with Amy in the marketplace while I was touring. She was looking at the candies at a stall from afar and I noticed it.” She paused for a second and carefully chose her wording as his gaze fell on her heavily. “I gave her one. We became friends and then she brought me to the Pit.”
His eyebrow rose. “The Pit?”
She made a sound between her lips and tilted her head around. “They found this beach resort deserted and took it. They call it the Pit, and themselves the Gang of the Pit. Tim is their leader. He takes care of them. Street children. Orphans of our war.” She paused again, averting her eyes. “There are many on the streets.”
Paul was silent, then he asked slowly, “Why didn’t you tell them who you are?”
She gave him a look. “In case you've missed it, they’re not very friendly toward strangers.”
He let out a low snickering chuckle. “I haven’t missed.” He held her gaze, his spice-colored eyes intense and intrusive. “They call you Princess,” he stated. “What did you tell them about yourself?”
“I didn’t lie,” she confessed. “Although they’re not trained, they’re very smart, attentive and perceptive. They even understood I’m no commoner by the state of my hands. They could have realized if I lied, and I didn’t want to, either. So I told them the truth…without details.”
“Which is?” he inquired.
“That I’m a high born with her family fallen from grace, her father imprisoned by the Emperor himself, trying to make out in this world on her own.” His intense stare bore through her. “They know I live in the Keep. I told them I’m helping in the kitchens.”
Paul still stayed silent, his silence as heavy as his look, filled with the destiny he and her father had woven together. “They also know you’re a Bene Gesserit,” he remarked, firm.
It wasn’t a question yet Irulan still nodded her confirmation. “Yes. It was about Tupile. They also were trying to find Tupile. Rogue found a lead but Tim was having doubts about his legitimacy. Not about Tupile itself,” she quickly corrected as Paul continued to listen. “But about the man. They fought. The tension was heavy so I stepped in and told them I was a Bene Gesserit and could question the man.”
“Why?”
She paused and then answered truthfully, “I wanted to help. And I didn’t want them to walk into a trap or get robbed if it was indeed a scam.” She heaved out a sigh, shaking her head with bitterness. “Never once we thought the whole thing itself was the scam.”
Her words hung in the air, their eyes locking on each other again. “You were right. I should have seen it,” he murmured. “I should’ve listened to you when you tried to warn me.”
Irulan did not avert her eyes from nor she felt any pang in her chest for his admission of failure or any victory. “You should have.”
His eyes became sharper blue. “What happened to that man?” he asked. “Is he still alive?”
“No. He died,” she admitted and confessed. “I did it. I killed him.”
Clear open surprise colored his face and Irulan understood he didn’t expect that. “He was like an animal so I didn’t let him live like a human.” Her shoulders drew, her back straightening rigid. “Will you tell them the truth about me?”
“No. Not as long as you don't feel ready to face it.”
She held his look. “Do you require anything in return for your silence?”
His eyebrows immediately knitted into a frown. “Meaning?”
“You know what I mean,” she answered. “I wish to know how much this…boon will cost me. Whenever you bestow any kindness on me, you soon come to collect.”
“I’ve never been that cruel to you,” he clipped and she let out a low scoff in disdain.
“You bestowed your compassionate license on me,” she reminded him curtly, “but it expired as soon as you discovered a new way to use me. So don’t expect me to take your word on it, my lord husband.”
“That’s different.”
“No. It’s not.”
“Do you truly want to continue to see him?” he questioned, his voice growing thin and sharp.
“What I want has never concerned you before,” she clipped and shot back at him his own words. “So let us not play these silly games. You’ve never considered me as your wife. You just want me to whelp for you now to keep your beloved and her child safe.”
His clenched jaw moved as he nailed her on a look. “I would never blackmail you for it.”
“You blackmailed the Reverend Mother,” she pointed out curtly. “You told her you’d take her life if I didn’t accept your offer.”
He smirked. He actually had the atrocity to smirk at her. “She’s not my wife.”
“Neither I am,” she seethed out and shot his words back at his face once more. “We both know who your wife is. I just play a part.”
“Irulan—” he said, a warning edging his voice. “This’s not the place for this talk.” She gave him a seething look. He held it unaffected and got up from the floor. “Either way, you can’t continue this farce indefinitely. The word about you is out. The Reapers are looking for you. The rogue Bene Gesserit on the streets. Each day, they ship more men to look for you. You can’t stay here like this. I cannot allow that. It’s not safe.”
Another fright catching up on her, Irulan also jumped to her feet. “But if they know about me, that would lead them here to the Pit.”
Paul nodded, grave but affirmative. “I told Gurney to double the guards and check everyone who looks suspicious on the streets. I’ll initiate a defense circle around here too as soon as we get back. They’ll keep any assault away.”
She swallowed, glancing at him and wondering if he was doing this now because she had called him useless before. Either way, she wanted to thank him for…caring about his subjects this time at least, but her tongue felt too heavy to speak them aloud. She couldn’t even remember the last time she thanked him for anything.
“So that’s why you came?” she asked instead, wanting to learn more and he nodded his confirmation again. “You heard about the Reapers?”
“I’ve been trying to reach you for days, but you refused to answer my calls,” he replied, his irritation with her refusal evident now. “Gurney and my mother were telling you to stay in the Keep but you weren’t listening to them, either. When I realized you were foolishly slipping away, I had no alternative but to come. So that’s why I was following you.”
“You thought I was escaping from the Keep to see Professor Jackson?”
His expression was stern, but he didn’t deny it, either. “Yes. I didn’t like the cause, but I was more worried about the consequences.” Another steel entered into his words. “But mark my words, Princess Consort. I still have no wish to be cruel to you, but I can’t allow that anymore, either. I told you I would’ve been silly to feel otherwise under our circumstances but those circumstances have changed now. You also know it. We have new realities now.”
Her lips flattened. “So that means you would not allow me to see him again even if I don’t accept your offer.”
“I would not,” he confirmed, his tone as unapologetic as ever.
Her anger flared. “That’s blackmail!”
“Call it whatever you want,” he replied. Regardless of her anger, he was calm and poised. “You’re not giving me horns again, Princess-wife. And this’s the last time we’re having this discourse. That man is no longer allowed in your presence.”
“Paul?!” she cried out. “I’m helping him with his studies!”
“Then he should’ve known better than sleeping with his informant.”
“You can’t—”
“This conversation is over,” he cut her off as Irulan stared at him wildly. “What will you tell them about me?” he asked, tilting his head outside calmly as the abrupt change of topic threw her off, but she could tell Paul meant it. Irulan wondered if he was ever going to mention Professor Jackson ever again, and he had also forbidden her to see him ever again.
She glowered at him, her anger making her hands curl into fists. “I’ll them the truth! That you’re an insufferable hypocrite and I wanted to stay away as far as possible from you!”
She spun on her heel after that not wanting for his comeback and marched to the door all in her fury, his eyes boring through her back but he didn’t stop her, either. In fact, when she left, he also followed her.
Rogue and Tim gazed at her when they saw Paul freed and stalking behind her. They started to head toward her. “Rogue,” she addressed the teenage girl. “Can you give him his blades? He promised me he’s not going to cause you any trouble.”
“Hmm…” the teenage girl hummed, her eyes sweeping over Paul as he stood rigid and placid. “Why would I take a creep’s word?”
Irulan closed her eyes momentarily. “Because I vouch for him,” she said, opening them and fixating her gaze on them. “Will you take my word for it?”
Rogue shared a glance with Tim who gave his okay. Only after that, Rogue finally gave them back. Paul pushed his unsheathed crysknife at his back again, his eyes still fixated on the teenagers. “How come you attained the Fremen’s devil eyes?”
“How come you attained an old Atreides propriety?” Paul challenged back as Irulan’s head also snapped at him. “This beach resort used to belong to the House Atreides.”
“Which is no more,” Rogue replied with a sharp smirk as Tim stayed silent. “Finder keepers.”
Paul’s glance cut over to him, but he still stayed silent. At that moment, Irulan also realized Paul had also noticed what she had, and why he couldn’t. How he couldn’t. Tim shared such a close resemblance to him that he must have picked it at first glance.
And the Pit…belonging to the House Atreides. Irulan had no idea.
“My husband is in the Imperial Army,” Irulan cut in, to ease off the tension and explain Paul’s devil-eyes. “He’s been in Arrakis for over a decade.”
“And you weren’t with him?”
“I was,” she admitted. “But I wasn’t exposed to spice as much as him. After my father’s fall from grace, we wed, but it’s a political matter, a marriage of convenience,” she spoke truthfully and his eyes were on her too, listening to her explanation, how she was going to explain their marriage. “We don’t stay together all the time.”
“Hmm,” Rogue hummed again, still not convinced, tilting her head at Paul. “That still doesn’t explain why he was following you like a creep.”
Irulan still let out a sharp breath and admitted, “I didn’t tell him I was helping you and he thought I was having an affair. He followed me because of it.”
Rogue laughed and turned to Paul. “If your marriage isn’t real, why would you care if she took a lover or not?”
“My marital status is not a public discourse, Rogue,” Paul said, voice serenely calm. “But you might be advised. I did not only follow her because of an affair. The Reapers are looking for her for what she did with the Tupile scheme and they also know you’re involved.”
“Paul has contacts in the Imperial Army,” Irulan quickly cut in, fear growing in her chest stronger and wider. “And they’ll protect the Pit. But you also need to be more careful, Tim. This’s no longer a simple street tug of war.”
“We don’t need protection from those Fremen-devils!” Rogue barked out, anger flaring in her voice. “We can take care of ourselves.”
“Rogue, these people are not mere street thugs, either,” she tried to negotiate with the fierce girl as Paul’s chin clenched. “If the Reapers are looking for revenge, they’ll not stop until they have it.”
“We’ll be okay,” Tim cut in and questioned, “Are you leaving? Or will you stay for the supper? Leo prepared his special stew.”
Irulan glanced at Paul, who shook his head. He leaned toward her ear and did something he had never done before. He lightly put his hand on the small of her back as he leaned toward her. It was barely there, barely touching her, and it seemed so casual in the spur of the moment that Irulan couldn’t even be sure if he was aware he did it.
The Reverend Mother’s words swirled in her mind as her heartbeat hastened, the gesture panicking and fearing her at the same time although his hand quickly dropped after the lightest contact.
“I need to talk with Gurney,” he spoke to her ear, voice placid and even, not affected at all. “We must return at once.”
Irulan steadied herself and tilted her head aside toward him. She knew it was the most logical course of action but she also felt an incredible guilt to leave the kids alone, especially knowing that Leo had prepared his special stew for her because she liked it.
“You go ahead and talk to him, I’ll stay for the supper,” she told him.
His heated eyes found her. “Have we not fought too many times in a single day, Irulan?” he hissed to her ear, his hand this time catching her wrist, touching her at full contact. “I’m too tired for another round. Can we go at it another time?”
“I’m not trying to pick a fight with you,” she replied, sincere. “Leo prepared that stew for me. It’s not good manners.”
“Fine,” He blew out a long dragged-out breath, closing his eyes as he let her wrist go. “Fine, Princess. Let’s eat your stew.”
She contained the smile that wanted to break over her lips but her tongue loosened as the others started to fan out away from them for the preparation. “Thank you.”
Alone with him, Irulan suddenly found herself holding her breath as his eyes found hers and his gaze lingered. He nodded after a second which felt like eons and slowly muttered, “I told you I have no wish to be cruel to you.”
A shiver trembled her, their eyes still lingering on each other. Then a whirling ball hit from her side with ribbons. “Ruuuuu!!! Can you plaid my hair?” Amy jumped on her, wrapping her arms around her thighs where she could only reach. “Rogue says it looks stupid again!”
The impromptu moment shook off the sudden tension between them as Paul lowly chuckled, his hand raising and stroking the bird nest of blonde hair caked with mud and twigs, and dusted with ash as Irulan flushed red. “This one is a spitfire,” he commented with his low chuckle.
“What’s a spitfire?” Amy asked, looking up at him from her thighs.
“It’s an old bombardment plane from House Atreides,” Paul answered as Irulan also laughed. “They won many battles with it.”
“I’m a plane?!” Amy gasped.
“No, sweetheart, don’t listen to him,” she cut in, her arm wrapping around her shoulders and sending Paul a warning look. “You’re a sweet little lady.”
Paul chuckled again, and it was the strangest moment that had ever occurred between them. They both stopped at the same time and Irulan averted her eyes as he looked at her, his eyes having another intensity now looking at her and Amy. She quickly excused herself, dragging Amy along her hip, and settled in front of Rogue with her little girl to plaid her hair like they had done many times, but for the first time with her husband watching her. His eyes stayed glued on them as Irulan ignored his intense presence and untangled the bird nest hair and plaided it again with ribbons, Paul silently watching them from the other side as the others prepared the supper.
When the sun settled, they surrounded the open fire for supper, settling with plates in their hands. Paul took her right side as Amy almost settled herself over her lap while they ate, his eyes always on her as Irulan tried to ignore his not-so-covert glances. The thoughts that might occupy his mind as he watched her with the small girl shortened her breath and Irulan did not want to speculate on it although his offer kept whirling in her mind despite her best efforts.
“My lady—” the unexpected call cut through her hectic thoughts like a blade and Irulan stared at the young girl who sat across her at the fire, holding her plate and looking at Irulan with reverence mixed with fear and awe. Irulan recognized her as one of the Madame girls, coming to visit them.
Then the girl continued to speak, “Madame was asking for your services tonight,” she spoke timidly and all her speculative thoughts left her as her back straightened. Paul’s head snapped at her too, open and inquisitive. “Will you come tonight?”
“Madame Mary caught two other creeps,” Rogue informed as Paul’s stare bore through her. Tim stayed silent as if he didn’t want to get into this this time.
“What’s happening?” Paul asked, voice demanding and developing an edge. “What services do they speak of?”
“There’s a serial killer on the streets targeting the prostitutes,” Rogue answered unaffected as Irulan dipped her head to her plate. “Madame Mary hired Ru’s services to question the men she suspected.” His hands stilled, Paul stared—and from his profile, Irulan saw how he had taken the news. “She couldn’t catch the bastard but she caught a rapist.”
The plate in his hands settled down on the ground with a loud, firm thud. Before he raised to his feet, his hand caught her wrist again, pulling her up, and he started to drag her back to Rogue’s bungalow without a word. Out of the corner of her eye, Irulan saw Rogue quickly jumping to her feet to follow them, but Tim pulled her down with a headshake, letting Paul carry her away.
He only dropped her wrist when they were both inside the cabin, and his face looked thunderous as if anger possessed him, blue eyes firing with a dark intensity.
“Irulan, tell me you didn’t do it!” he barked out, advancing on her as she took steps backward. “Tell me you didn’t go to a damned brothel to question potential serial killers and rapists!”
Irulan stopped her retreat, steeled herself, straightened her back, and stayed adamant. She hadn’t done anything wrong, and she was not going to cave in this time. She was not like his Chani. She didn’t play at his whims and didn’t dance at his strings. She didn’t play by his rules but made her own decisions.
“I did,” she admitted serenely, collecting all her Bene Gesserit composure and training. “They required my services as you heard and I decided to put my abilities to use again for those who needed it. Like you also heard I caught a rapist.”
He looked surprised for a fraction, the emotion slipping from him, and then his look darkened again. “You decided.”
“Yes, Paul. I decided. I’m a trained Bene Gesserit if you’ve forgotten. I’m not a warrior like you or your beloved, but I’m quite capable of using my training. And I’m quite capable of making my own decisions.” She paused, bobbing her head as she made up her mind again. “In fact, I’ve decided to accept Madame's request again and go to question those men she caught.”
“Those scoundrels are beneath a Bene Gesserit’s attention,” he mocked her.
She glowered at him. “I decide what’s beneath my attention and what’s not, not you.”
“Irulan—”
She started to head to the door. “I’m going, Paul. And you’re not allowed to have a say in this.”
He caught her wrist again and stopped her despite her statement. “I beg to differ,” he clipped. “You’re my wife. That gives me all the allowance I need.”
“I’m not your wife, remember?” she repeated with a cutting derisive smile. “I just play a part. Now, let me go.”
He let out a sharp breath. “Irulan, I know you’re angry with me, but if you act like this, we will never find any common ground between us.”
She let out a croaked laugh, almost amused as she narrowed her eyes at him. “And what makes you think that I want to find any common ground with you? If you forget, allow me to remind you, too. I was conspiring for your demise three months ago. Do you still remember it, don’t you?”
She tried to break free from his grip but he still didn’t let her go. She gave him another look. “Do not fear, my lord husband. If something happens to me, there are still two of us for you to take as a convenient accessory. They will make do too.”
His blue-spirited gaze flared. “And you claimed you weren’t trying to pick a fight with me,” he murmured darkly. He nodded at her and tugged at her hand, dragging her back to the door. “All right then, let’s go.”
Her feet halted. “What?”
“We’re going to see your scoundrels, Princess-wife. Isn’t it what you wanted?”
“Will you come?”
“Aren’t you mad at me because I’m useless?”
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him in suspicion. “What games are you planning now, Paul?”
“I play no games, Irulan,” he replied, voice even and simple. “You should’ve already understood it by now. Open your wrist,” he ordered as he raised his own and started to unroll the cuff of his own tunic to reveal his shield.
He unlatched it from himself quickly and grabbed her arm when Irulan didn’t offer it to him. The band of the shield wrapped around her wrist as he let go of his own protection for her because Irulan couldn’t come to the Pit with it, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I’m your husband and you’re my wife,” he remarked as his fingers encircled the shield he had wrapped around her and tightened, his gaze still holding hers, “Whether we like it or not.”