It was amazing to see what existed deep underneath the surface of the desert. It was right in front of me, the civilization that the Fremen had created and managed to hide for centuries.

I would have described it as a bunker but it was evident that to the Fremen it was just their home. They used used a natural underground cave system and turned it into their own, with a few manmade caverns, but to my surprise the majority of it was clearly natural.

The architecture was well thought out, beautifully done as well. There was a narrow opening at the top of the ceiling that was big enough to let in natural light, but small enough to remain hidden from sight. Old calligraphy and carvings filled the empty spaces of certain walls, while others took on accent colours that made put everything together as if they were puzzle pieces. It felt magical standing before such a design.

"This is beautiful." I breathed as I stared ahead of me. Dozens of other Fremen went about their day completely unfazed by our presence, unaware of the war going on so many kilometres away. 

"It is." A voice agreed from beside me. I looked over to see the same girl, Zeina. "So tell me, why were you lost in the desert?"

I stared at her. "Um, well..." I began with a sigh. "My home and my family were attacked. In Arakeen."

She didn't answer right away. "Like, the Duke's palace? You lived there?"

I nodded. "Yes, I lived there. Our parents are close friends."

"You know the young boy? The son of the Duke?" She asked, her eyes wide.

I nodded again. "Yes, Paul and I are close."

"Wow..." She trailed off, staring at me in awe. "What is he like?"

I pursed my lips as I tried to stop myself from grinning. How funny it was that they seemed to be so interested in Paul. "Well he's... he's kind. Very selfless, and brave too."

She nodded. "I'm sure he would be."

I thought back to the prophecy of the Lisan al Gaib we had learned about upon our arrival. Did they truly think Paul was going to save them somehow? I wouldn't put it past him for trying, that seemed like something Paul would do.

My eyes looked down at my wrist to see the familiar glow coming from my bracelet. I smiled at the sight, holding it between my fingers.

"That's our Naib." Zeina said.

I looked up and followed her gaze to the side of the room where an old lady sat peacefully, her a thin blanket draped over her shoulders.

"Wow," It was Yuma's turn to be surprised. "I don't think I've ever heard of a sietch leader being any older than fourty years old."

This lady was clearly much older than that, but she radiated power. I could understand why the other Fremen would respect her, if she demanded something of me I was sure it would be hard to resist as well.

"Shipo." Ramoe gave a small nod in respect. "This Fremen and her friend surrendered to us

"We didn't surrender." Yuma corrected her with frightening confidence. "They agreed to bring us to their Naib to decide our fate. I believe we are more valuable than the water of our bodies."

She stared at Yuma, her expression unchanging. "Your name?"

"Yuma." My friend with a blank stare.

The old woman's eyes moved to me. "And you?"

"Ophelia." I answered quickly.

"Hm," Shipo paused as she considered this and turned to Yum again. "What reason would I have for sparing your life."

"I'm Fremen." She answered simply.

"But what about you, girl?" She turned to me. I froze. I don't have a good reason, I considered saying. I just want to live.

"She knows the Lisan al Gaib." Zeina spoke up from behind me.

I was taken off guard by this statement, almost offended that this was my only redeemable quality. My friendship to Paul. Was that the only thing I was good for? 

"Ophelia lived in the palace with that Duke and his son," Zeina continued. "They were close."

I realized it was true, my relationship with Paul was all that mattered to the Fremen whether I liked it or not. Right now Zeina may have just saved my life. I owed her.

Shipo's eyes narrowed at me, but not in a way that threatened me. I could see the curiosity behind her eyes. Hope, maybe. "You know the Lisan al Gaib? How?"

"She means Paul." Yuma whispered to me.

I nodded, my thoughts moving to Paul. "Yes. He's my closest friend."

She raised her eyebrows in interest, her chest rising as she inhaled deeply. She quickly muttered under her breath in a language I didn't know. Chakobsa.

Ramoe's expression changed to one of confusion and hesitancy in response to her leader's words. "No, Shipo. You know the story. The Lisan al Gaib will find his purpose in the desert and lead us to a green world."

"No." Shipo shook her head, her tired eyes settling on the floor before her. "A prophecy is not meant to be taken literally."

Ramoe didn't speak, exchanging looks with both us and the other Fremen. "But, that is the prophecy, no?"

Shipo waved away her claims. "Yes but the prophecy is always being misinterpreted. The elders have never bothered to correct it." The old woman smiled warmly at me. "They never listened to their wives. Now look at where I sit."

I smiled. Something about Shipo made me feel comfortable, safe. I felt like I could trust her. I got the idea that she had spent her life proving her wisdom and knowledge to the rest of her sietch, but becoming Naib meant she no longer had to prove anything. 

"The Lisan al Gaib will find his purpose in the desert." Shipo said. "But his purpose may very well be standing right in front of us."

All the eyes in the room turned to me and I felt the heat rush to my cheeks. Was what she was saying true? Could I be his purpose? Paul's purpose? I instinctively reached for my bracelet and touched the small rock as if it would give me an answer.

"Leave us." Shipo spoke again, keeping her gaze on me. "I would like for the two of us to speak alone."

It took a moment for the others in the room to move towards the exit. I exchanged a look with Yuma, nodding my head to let her know I would be alright. Once everyone had exited the room, that left just the two of us. I squirmed under her blank stare. I felt bare, naked. Like she was trying to read through me.

"What are you thinking, Ophelia?" She asked me.

I bit my lip nervously, my eyes unable to focus. "How have the other Fremen not killed you yet to become Naib?"

She tilted her head thoughtfully. I feared I had offended her by bringing attention to her age, but she didn't appear angry with me. "I will always be safe when the people around me will fight for my guidance."

My eyes widened. "The other Fremen fight for you?"

"They protect me." She corrected. "I"m an old lady, Ophelia. If someone wanted me dead, then I would be. My people let me live because I am someone they want to see in control. There is one thing our sietch values more than power; strength."

Her eyes looked me up and down. "I can already see the strength you carry. You do not want to be strong, but you remain strong for yourself, your Lisan al Gaib, and the child you carry."

I tensed. How could she know anything about that? If I was pregnant - a big if - then how would she know? To claim such a thing required knowledge beyond humans, it called for inhuman senses and advanced thinking.

A wave of realization passed over me. I stared at Shipo in awe as I put the pieces together. "... You're a Bene Gesserit."

"Not to the Imperium I'm not." She smiled playfully. 

I hesitated, trying to find the right question to ask. "Can I ask why not?"

"I didn't agree with the Missionaria Protectiva." She shrugged. "Instead, I fell in love with how the Fremen lived. I was fascinated by their practices and prophecies. The Bene Gesserit would have killed me otherwise had I not found refuge. They believe it dangerous to practice in the Way outside of their sisterhood. They thought I knew too much."

Interesting. "What do you know that's too much?" I asked her curiously.

 Her eyes darkened and she paused before speaking. "I know that you, young one, were bred to correct the mistake of the Lady Jessica and lead the Atreides line to the Kwisatz Haderach."

***

soooo tired! falling alseep at the keyboard lol

i think based on comments last chapter i'll probably stick to my own direction but i will try to still stay true to the plot, just minus complicated stuff and a time skip. let me know your thoughts on this and the chapter!

also... how you guys feel about the baby? what do we think and hope will develop with this story?

with love,
via <3