"It scares me." Lady Jessica answered, referring to her pregnant belly. "But at least I know my daughter will be safe here, away from Harkonnen hands."

I nodded. The two of us were seated side-by-side in one of the tents. Curtains were draped from the ceiling and formed the walls around us, giving us privacy. Paul and the other Fremen were searching the sietch for Duke Leto's soldiers.

"When did you tell Paul?"

She shook her head. "I didn't have to. He just knew..."

I narrowed my eyes. How was it that he just knew? My thoughts wandered to myself... If somehow he just knew his mother was pregnant, it must be possible he knows about me too, right? That would explain his odd behaviour earlier.

That thought made me queasy. I wanted to tell Paul about being... pregnant, on my own terms. The idea of pregnancy still scared me and I had yet to say it out loud. I haven't even really used that word in my thoughts, either. To do so would mean it's real. I wasn't ready for this to be real.

"Paul's abilities have progressed far beyond what I would have expected from him," His mother muttered, her eyes trained on the ground. "It concerns me. This power he has acquired means the Fremen look to him. They see their prophet in my son, and I think I do too." Her eyebrows pressed together, almost in shame. "I don't know if I'm meant to be scared for him, or of him."

I didn't know how to answer her. I knew Paul's training had progressed significantly since I had left Arrakis, but I had no idea to what degree. I trusted Paul to moderate his skills, but to hear the concerns of his Bene Gesserit mother brought on a sense of unease.

What would she think if she knew I was pregnant with her son's child? Would she be angry? Sad? I knew she would be supportive regardless of her feelings if I was carrying an Atreides heir. 

"I spoke with Shipo." She said, breaking the silence. "She told me about your mother."

My eyes widened in surprised. I knew this was a conversation I'd have with her at some point, though I never expected it to come so soon. "Yeah, I was surprised. I had no idea."

She nodded in agreement. "I'm not going to lie Ophelia, so was I." She stared off as her thoughts wandered. "Gurney very seldom mentioned your mother unless he had to, and he especially never revealed any of these details. I'm not even sure if he knew..."

"Neither do I." I agreed. "I wonder if she ever shared that with him, but It's in the past." I met her eyes and searched for any sign of distress or anxiety. "What did... what do you think?"

She made a face of confusion. "About your mother or the fact you posses hereditary Bene Gesserit aptitudes?" She shook her head at me. "Dear, I'm not sure what your concerns are about, but whoever birthed you makes no difference to who you are, and neither do your skills in the Weirding way."

I let this sit with me for a moment. "I'm not sure why I was concerned," I told her sheepishly. "I think I respect you so much that I feared your judgement, especially since you're a Bene Gesserit. I felt as thought there was something I had to live up to."

She smiled at my warmly. "I could always see the skill in you, remember? I just didn't know where it was from. I was a fool to think it was my own doing if, but now I understand. What you have is a blessing, not a curse. The only difference is that now we know how to explain it."

We fell back into silence as I recalled my conversation with the Naib. For a long time I felt as though a part of my identity had yet to be unlocked. It was the missing puzzle piece to understanding who I was and where I came from, but finally I found the closure I needed.

"You'll follow us, won't you?" Lady Jessica asked me with pleading eyes. "I'm not sure where Stilgar plans to lead us, but I hope you'll come with us." 

I thought about this. Paul's behaviour made me want to curl up in my bed and hide, but the problem was I didn't have a bed anymore, and I definitely couldn't hide. I had no security, I needed to find some.

"Of course." I told her. It made the most sense to go with her and Paul, my family. I'd make sure Yuma came with me too. I wouldn't want to be left alone without her. "I don't want to lose you guys again."

Her expression seemed to relax at my words. The voices outside the tent signified the return of a few of the Fremen. I stiffened as Paul pushed passed one of the curtains and entered the room to face his mother. 

"You're back," She met his eyes. "Did you find anyone?"

Paul shook his head at her, not addressing my presence. "No. Stilgar said we will move to the next sietch at dusk. For now we will remain here."

I let my eyes fall to the ground. If I wasn't looking at him then he wouldn't have the chance to ignore my gaze.

I sensed Lady Jessica's eyes move between the two of us, acknowledging the tension. "Would you two like some time to catch up alone?"

My head snapped up to meet her questioning gaze. I didn't speak, not wanting to give an answer different from him.

"Stilgar needs me." Is all Paul said to his mother before leaving the tent.

Lady Jessica frowned and made a face as if asking me what had happened. I was quick to dismiss myself, leaving the tent shortly after Paul.

I was unsure of what to do, so I decided I would go look for Yuma. Walking in the direction of the common space, I was surprised to hear my name being called.

"Wait- Ophelia!"

I stopped in place and turned to see Chani jogging over to where I stood. Her expression held very little emotion, making it hard for me to read her. Regardless, I offered a small smile in greeting.

"I had been looking for you," She told me. "I was hoping I'd get the chance to meet with you properly."

I raised my brows, surprised by this. "Really? What for?"

The corners of her lips pulled slightly, showing a small smile. "I've heard many things about you, it has made me eager to learn more about you. Paul speaks of you often."

My smile dropped ever so slightly at the mention of Paul. The thought of him wasn't comforting like it used to be. If anything, the topic of my friend brought me more anxiety than calm.

"All good things, of course." She added with a shy smile. I had to admit, she was a very beautiful person. The blue eyes made the Fremen appear foreign and outlandish, but the blue suited Chani. The colour was the perfect contrast against her brown skin.

"Good to know," I nodded at this, unsure of how to respond. 

She looked over her shoulder at something in the distance before facing me again. "Would you like to join me in tending to some of the Fremen robes?" She held her hands together, twisting her fingers as she asked. "Stilgar asked me to do so, but it would be nice to have some company."

Although she did well to conceal it, I could tell she was nervous. This surprised me because why would she be nervous? And of all people, why was she asking me for company?

Despite my confusion, I answered her, not wanting to be rude. "Sure, I can help." 

She was subtle to convey her gratitude as her smile widened. "Thank you. I'm hoping to get to know you better, Ophelia."

I nodded in agreement and followed after her. Her request was odd to me, but so far she made the effort to treat me with kindness. She had not presented with me any reason to doubt her motives. Despite this, a part of me silently hoped her impulses were not driven by her desire to learn more about Paul.

***

hi lovelies :) sorry for the late update, i'm still trying to get the last of my exams done! soon this story will have a lot more of my attention. during my christmas break i also hope to start that timmy fic, so if you guys have any more ideas or thoughts you'd like to share about that i'd love to hear them!

thank you always for the lovely comments <3 they make my day. the story will begin to pick up shortly, don't worry! i hope this isn't boring you so far - i swear it is going to pick up ;) i know where i'm going with this!!

as always, let me know your thoughts!

with love,
via <3