ACT ONE ━━ CHAPTER FIVE
Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer

     THE FREMEN WERE NOT ALL THAT FOND OF NEWCOMERS. All throughout Lovisa's short tenure with Tuek, his sietch members didn't bother hiding their obvious disdain for her presence. After all, she hadn't proved herself to be worthy to live among them, the deciding factor of whether or not a person could be welcomed into the community. While Lovisa assured Tuek that she could hold her own without an issue, and would graciously put anyone who had opposing opinions in their place, Tuek disregarded her readiness to fight. Since she wasn't formally admitted into the tribe and was merely a temporary inhabitant, it was safe to say that his sietch's dislike for Lovisa was among the least of his concerns.

     When Atreides arrived on Arrakis, Duncan kept his end of the agreement with Tuek. Not only would he depart from the sietch, but he would be bringing Lovisa along with him to the city under the guise of a Fremen ally. She wouldn't be his only present Fremen contact since Duncan previously arranged for the naib of the first sietch he had stayed with — after they initially perceived him as a threat and attempted to kill him — to accompany him to meet Duke Leto. This naib's personality was nearly the complete opposite of Tuek's. Tuek was outwardly prideful and ensured to advertise the grandness of his sietch, meanwhile Stilgar, the other naib, was a man of very few words.

     Atreides sent an ornithopter to transport Duncan and his newly-acquired Fremen allies. Few words were exchanged throughout the duration of the flight, nothing too eventful aside from Duncan's introduction of Lovisa (or "Aminu," rather) to Stilgar and two Fremen he brought from his sietch, and vice versa. Even before they had been retrieved by the ornithopter, Lovisa barely spoke a word to Duncan since he was hardly her favorite person at the moment. During the time they spent together holed up in the small, stone yali in Tuek's sietch, Duncan was feeding Lovisa a list of anti-Harkonnen beliefs while she reluctantly listened, annoyed to no end.

     While Harkonnen was technically not her house, it was the closest thing she had at the moment. At least they appreciated her skills and didn't hang her out to dry like Ginaz did, not even allowing her the chance to explain her side of the story. Lovisa figured it was their loss, anyway. She was well aware of her worth and, that day, Ginaz had sacrificed the opportunity of claiming who would become one of the greatest Swordmasters in history as one of their own.

     Outside the elaborate government building that would house Atreides, called Arrakeen, Lovisa peered out the window of the ornithopter to see people waiting for their presumably long-anticipated arrival. Once the vehicle touched ground, Duncan didn't waste any time before opening the door and climbing out.

     Lovisa noticed Atreides' Mentat advancing towards them, soldiers in tow for his own protection.

     Lovisa, Stilgar, and his sietch members followed Duncan, who reassured them (primarily the latter three) in Fremen, "Go with them in peace." As the Mentat and the soldiers came closer, Duncan referenced his Fremen contacts, "Treat them well. They are my friends." As the soldiers came to escort Lovisa and the others, the former glanced back at Duncan with apprehensiveness, the fallacies fed to her by Harkonnen setting her on edge. Despite their friendship being on rocky waters, Duncan acknowledged her hesitancy and nodded encouragingly, gently patting her shoulder, "It's alright."

     Lovisa regretted acting like a petty child during their travel to the city, now wishing that she had at least spoken to Duncan. As valiant as she was, she would've much rather had a familiar face by her side upon entering enemy territory. Alas, she was chosen for this mission, and she, herself, would have to see it through.

     She turned and followed in the direction the others had begun, not bothering to pick up her speed in order to minimize the distance between them. Lovisa recognized a man walking towards her from the mansion. She subtly tried to identify the person, realizing upon closer inspection that it was the Duke's son. Lovisa's face remained stoic, but she made eye-contact with him as they neared one another.

     Paul couldn't explain the internal pull he felt towards this particular Fremen, but it certainly existed. She wasn't the Fremen girl he's seen in his most recent dreams, but for some odd reason, his conscience was telling him that she was familiar. He subconsciously slowed down his pace as they grew closer and Lovisa matched his tempo out of respect for Arrakis' new leaders.

     Paul's mouth was dry beyond belief, so instead, he bowed his head in greeting while muttering in — what he presumed to be — her native language, "Welcome." Lovisa found it ironic that Paul, essentially a colonizer of Arrakis, was welcoming her, an acting native Fremen, to her own land.

     Nonetheless, she bowed her head and spoke in an admirable tone, "Lisan al-Gaib." Aminu's backstory included how she was originally from southern Arrakis, amongst radically religious Fremen who believed that Paul Atreides was their salvation. Truthfully, Lovisa believed Paul to be nothing more than a spoiled, scrawny Na-Duke whose ego would likely become too inflated with all this talk of him being the Lisan al-Gaib.

     Lovisa was too preoccupied with displaying her supposed respect for her planet's new governing House to notice the slight frown on Paul's face at the religious title. She kept her head ducked as she walked off in her original direction, following the others inside.

     Behind her, Lovisa could hear Paul greet Duncan, "Duncan!" Upon hearing her friend's name, she glanced over her shoulder. She wasn't aware of how close he and Paul were; Paul called out to Duncan like a friend, like a brother.

     Duncan let out a hearty laugh that faded as Lovisa continued walking away, "I swear you were taller..."

     Lovisa, Stilgar, and his sietch members were brought into a vacant room where they were instructed to wait until the Duke was ready for them. The awkward tension in the room couldn't have been severed by the sharpest of knives. No one spoke, resorting to nonverbal glances to carry the conversation for them. Lovisa attempted to analyze her peers and gather a read on them, but as expected, their faces bore no emotion.

     Eventually, one of the Mentat's specialists opened the door and quietly relayed information to the two guards.

     The pair parted for the specialist to announce aloud, "The Duke is ready for you." As Stilgar moved forward, the specialist immediately pointed in alarm towards his waistline, "A weapon!" The guards each grabbed the hilt of their own swords, prepared to draw them. Stilgar's sietch members tensed up and prepared to fight at a moment's notice. Lovisa didn't have to glance over to know that they had seen Stilgar's crysknife, a sacred Fremen weapon made with the tooth of a dead sandworm.

     Stilgar coolly replied, "I do not intend to use it..." He referenced the sudden hostility in the room, "...unless, of course, I am to be attacked first." The specialist waited for a moment to react, devising the most effective course of action.

     A guard held his hand out, "Hand it over." Stilgar remained motionless. "We must inspect it before you stand before the Duke."

     "I do not see a need for that. As I said before..." Stilgar drew off, eyeing the guard's outstretched hand, "...I do not intend to use it." Both of the guards looked back at the specialist, waiting for further instruction.

     Impatiently, the specialist sighed, "Leave it. Keep a close eye on him." As he turned to lead the group out of the room, the specialist also nodded towards a suspiciously-quiet Lovisa, "And on her."

     As Lovisa, Stilgar, and his sietch members were guided through the extravagant hallways to their destination, she could hear the echoes of Duncan's voice bouncing from wall to wall, "The Fremen watched me search for them for days. I never saw them. Finally, they sent a warrior out to kill me. I'll tell you, I've never been so close to dying. There are no finer fighters in the Imperium." Lovisa scoffed to herself, unknowingly to the surrounding men. They rounded a corner and the Duke and his confidantes were in sight straight ahead. Duncan's voice was no longer muffled when he spoke again, "They fight like demons."

     Duke Leto proudly nodded and replied, "Well done."

     Duncan smiled in appreciation, "Thank you, milord."

     The specialist announced the Fremen's arrival, "Sire!" The men's attention shifted towards the newcomers to the room. "He has a knife he won't surrender, sire. He won't let us inspect it." Lovia watched as Duncan leaned towards Leto and whispered in his ear, undoubtedly about the significance of the crysknife.

     Leto ordered, "Let them pass!" Lovisa let Stilgar lead since he was a naib, and fell in line with the two members of his sietch. The man and woman both cast Lovisa uneasy looks but remained behind their naib as the group walked towards the Duke and his counsel. "Stilgar, welcome," Leto began. "I respect the personal dignity of any man who respects mine."

     Stilgar stopped before the table separating Atreides from the Fremen, gathered saliva in his mouth, and spat it on the table. Immediately, gasps rang throughout the room and the people closest to Leto drew their weapons.

     "Hold!" Duncan yelled out. Lovisa didn't listen to Duncan's explanation of this Fremen ritual. Instead, she focused on her targets: the Duke and his son. There was nothing particularly extraordinary about Leto, other than the level of protection he had from his officers. Lovisa especially eyed up the Atreides Warmaster, whose grip never wavered from the hilt of his sword.

     When Lovisa's eyes shifted towards Paul, she was surprised to already see his eyes locked onto her. The insecure part of her wondered if he already figured out her con. If he truly was the Lisan al-Gaib, there was a chance he could've seen a vision including Lovisa. She didn't want to give rise to those thoughts; instead, she examined him. Skinny, definitely, but thinness was often comorbid with agility. Additionally, with training from Duncan and this Warmaster, Lovisa made a presumption that Paul was a strong fighter.

     "Thank you, Stilgar, for the gift of your body's moisture," Duncan said aloud, reigning Lovisa back into the conversation at hand. "We accept it in the spirit in which it is given." Duncan spat onto the table, followed by an apprehensive Leto.

     An amused expression came across Leto's face as he looked to his officers, "Diplomacy!" They chuckled while the Fremen remained emotionless. Leto addressed Stilgar, "I'm glad you've come. I think your people and mine have much to offer one another."

     Stilgar's face hardened, "You are outworlders, come for the spice. You take it, giving nothing in return." Leto and his officers appeared to be slightly taken aback.

     "It's true." Lovisa's eyes shot towards Paul, who spoke from beside Duncan.

     "I know you've suffered under the Harkonnens," Leto continued. Lovisa kept her eyes trained on Paul out of curiosity. "Name what you want. If it is in my power to grant, I will give it and ask for nothing." Now, Lovisa's attention shifted towards the Duke. Was there truth behind his words, or was he only saying what Stilgar wanted to hear?

     "I ask this," Stilgar began, "do not seek our sietches or trespass in our lands. The desert was ours long before you came. Come and dig your spice, but when you have it, go back to this side of the Shield Wall. Leave the desert to the Fremen."

     The Atreides Warmaster stepped forward, "You will address the Duke as 'sire' or 'milord.'"

     Leto waved him off, "Gurney..." The Warmaster returned to his original position, a foot behind the duke. Leto refocused his attention towards Stilgar, "The Emperor has given me Arrakis as my fief, to rule and protect. I cannot promise not to travel in the desert, if duty compels me, but your sietches will be yours forever — and you will never be hunted while I govern here."

     Lovisa slightly narrowed her eyes at Leto. Although he could very well be making empty promises, Lovisa could detect sincerity in his eyes. The Leto standing before her was nothing like who she expected from the Emperor's and Baron's descriptions. Lovisa was reluctant to completely believe the Duke's niceties, but perhaps she was the one being given misinformation.

     At the thought, Lovisa quickly bowed her head and closed her eyes. No, she reminded herself, the Duke is simply saying what he believes we want to hear. He is manipulative. He is exploitative. If left unchecked, he will overrule the Emperor.

     "That is honorable," Stilgar replied to Leto, although his tone revealed his skepticism. He bowed his head, "That is all I have to say to you."

     "Won't you stay?" Paul quickly asked before Stilgar had the chance to turn away. "We would honor you."

     "Honor requires that I be elsewhere." In Fremen, Stilgar spoke, "I recognize you." Paul's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Stilgar didn't wait to be dismissed before turning around on his own accord and exiting the room with his two Fremen comrades in tow. Lovisa remained still, prepared to recite her rehearsed request for refuge.

     Before she had the chance to ask, Duncan spoke first, "Milord..." He cast Lovisa a quick sideways glance. "...I have a favor to ask of you."

     Leto was unsure of what Duncan was going to ask, but nodded nonetheless, "Go on."

     Duncan held a hand out towards Lovisa, "This is Aminu. Only days prior, her sietch collapsed and she came to Tuek seeking refuge. He allowed her to stay temporarily, but the Fremen have strict rules about admitting outsiders into their sietches.

     "Since I was the one to bring her in from wandering around the desert, soon to be eaten by a sandworm..." Lovisa noticed Duncan's Atreides peers' ears perken at the mention of the legendary sandworm. "...she was deemed to be my responsibility. With my departure from the sietch, came hers as well."

     Duncan walked around the table to stand beside Lovisa, resting a hand on her shoulder, "So, milord, what I ask of you is to extend your generosity towards her as you have towards many others, and allow her refuge in Arrakeen."

     Without hesitating, Leto nodded, addressing Lovisa, "Of course. Any friend of Duncan Idaho is a friend of mine." Leto extended his hand, before hesitantly retracting it, "Forgive me, I am still getting accustomed to the Fremen culture."

     Lovisa noticed Leto begin to gather saliva in his mouth but respectfully interrupted, "There's no need for that." She extended her hand, demonstrating a compromise of their cultures to show her appreciation for House Atreides. Leto accepted her hand and gave a firm shake.

     "I assure you, Aminu, your value will not go ignored here." Lovisa politely smiled in response. Leto released her hand and, instead, placed it on his son's shoulder, "My son, Paul, will show you to your quarters." Under his breath, Leto relayed directions to Paul which he accepted with a wordless nod.

     "Sire," the Warmaster interrupted, sparing Lovisa a mistrustful glance, "allow me to accompany Paul."

     "No need, Gurney," Leto insisted. "It is a large compound, but not so large that Paul cannot navigate the grounds himself." Leto patted Paul's shoulder, "Go on, then, son."

     Lovisa watched Paul as he apprehensively met her eyes, before just as quickly returning his gaze towards his feet. He removed his hands from his pockets and gently smoothed down his jacket before walking around the long table, to Lovisa's side. They exchanged glances in which they wordlessly agreed to leave, eventually walking out of the room in sync without exchanging a word.

     "I don't like them," Lovisa heard the Warmaster — Gurney — say as she and Paul neared the door.

     "Our plan bears fruit," the Mentat reasoned.

     "But it will take time," Leto added.

     The Mentat agreed, "Yes, it will take time."

     In the corridor, Paul and Lovisa walked silently as they passed through the first wing of the compound. Lovisa was content with their current arrangement, since it gave her enough of a clear mind to take in her surroundings. She hypothesized hiding spots, weakly-secured entrances, and the locations of the rooms of the important Atreides members.

     Paul, conversely, despised the silence between them and was desperately attempting to find a topic of conversation. He was aware of their cultural differences, and was conscious of her recent upheaval from the only home she had ever known — at least, which is what Paul believed to be true.

     When the silence became unbearable for him, he asked the first generic question that came to mind, "Where on Arrakis are you from?" His question momentarily took Lovisa aback since she was in the middle of counting the number of windows in their current corridor.

     "The South," she answered shortly.

     "And does that differ much from the North?" Paul asked, glancing her way in curiosity.

     "Well, all Fremen are Fremen, I suppose..." Lovisa began, "...but both factions have their differences. The climate is more unforgiving in the South, so they tend to cling onto their religious beliefs more than those in the North."

     "'Religious beliefs?'" Paul questioned. An incredulous look formed onto Lovisa's face, but upon noticing Paul's genuine expression, she let it melt away.

     She dryly laughed, "Have you not heard them outside? They believe in you." Paul slowed to a stop, eyebrows furrowing in confusion at Lovisa's words. She, too, stopped walking and was amused at Paul's apparent ignorance. Lovisa cupped her hands around her mouth and recited in a faux chant, "Lisan al-Gaib! Lisan al-Gaib!"

     Paul's cheeks reddened, prompting him to move his gaze from Lovisa to the floor. Lovisa dropped her hands, unsure if she had overstepped.

     "Do you..." Paul began, hesitant. "...do you believe?"

     Lovisa raised a brow, "In Lisan al-Gaib? Yes. That you are him?" She lowly sighed in thought. "...I am unsure." She began to walk again, and Paul continued with her. "While my tribe clings onto any potential sign of the Lisan al-Gaib's existence and believes that he walks among us...I find myself needing proof in order to truly believe." She faced Paul, "To see it with my own eyes."

     Paul thought inwardly about himself and what the Reverend Mother told him, and then told his mother. Jessica believed that Paul was the Lisan al-Gaib, but he was not convinced.

     "I agree," he told Lovisa. He agreed with her reasoning of needing proof to believe in something rather than exhibiting blind faith. Lovisa subtly nodded, welcoming the comfortable silence that fell between them once more.

     Paul didn't seem to take the same comfort in it, continuing their conversation, "Duncan said that, when he found you, you were about to be...eaten by a sandworm?"

     Lovisa scoffed, "Duncan has a tendency to exaggerate stories in his favor..." Lovisa stopped herself short, worried that her persona as Aminu bled too closely into her true identity. She cast a quick glance towards Paul, but he didn't seem to have noticed. Instead, he wore a grin of amusement.

     "...but yes, a sandworm was near." Lovisa began reciting what she had memorized from her research of Arrakis, "They can reach up to 400 meters in length. In order to avoid them, you must avoid making rhythmic noises." Deciding to try to build further rapport, Lovisa continued, "Fremen use the sandwalk, like this." Mimicking the holographic video she had viewed previously, Lovisa performed the sandwalk down the corridor. Paul watched as she walked delicately on the balls of her feet, performing purposefully unrhythmic movements.

     Once she reached the end of the hallway, Lovisa stopped and turned back to face Paul, still observing her.

     He shook his head in awe, "Incredible." Lovisa felt her face begin to warm up on its own accord.

     She nodded in agreement before turning away from him, "The desert is unforgiving, even to those who have inhabited it for centuries." Lovisa recalled the holographic articles she studied. "What I find to be even more incredible is this creature — rodent, really. Muad'Dib, the desert mouse."

     Lovisa smiled fondly, "It is perhaps my favorite thing of the desert. How such a small being can withstand such harsh conditions..." Lovisa shook her head in a mix of disbelief and awe, before she found herself becoming too vulnerable before Paul. She wiped the smile from her own face and recomposed herself, returning to Aminu's mindset, "Forgive me. The Muad'Dib is harmless — strong and persevering, but harmless. There are surely more dangerous obstacles in the desert that I should warn you about, as a Fremen ally."

     Paul hadn't seemed to have been paying attention to Lovisa's sudden self-consciousness, instead slowing down once they reached a set of doors. Paul cleared his throat and stepped towards the doors, slowly opening one to reveal a fairly grand bedroom.

     "These are your quarters."

     "Thank you." Lovisa took a step into the room and glanced back towards Paul, "And thank you for escorting me..." she trailed off, unsure of how she was supposed to refer to him given his nobility.

     "Paul," Paul finished. Lovisa was slightly surprised by his casual nature. "You can call me 'Paul.'"

     Lovisa slowly nodded, "Very well...Paul." She nodded towards the inside of her room, "I should get settled, then."

     "Of course." Paul softly smiled at Lovisa, which created a tight sensation in her chest. She didn't anticipate for them to become so friendly with one another, yet she replied with a soft smile of her own. Paul turned on his heel and began retracing his steps to the room where his father and the other Atreides officers remained, leaving Lovisa alone.

     As she closed the door shut behind her, she didn't waste a second before inspecting the room. She ran her fingers along the natural stone walls, curious of any surveillance devices monitoring her every move. After investigating all four walls and every nook and cranny, Lovisa came up empty handed.

     Now, she had a chance to truly take in her surroundings. The room alone was certainly as big as her home in Ginaz, if not larger. The largest bed that she's ever seen, likely double the size of her bed in Ginaz and triple the size of hers in Salusa Secundus. It took everything in her to stop herself from crumbling onto the mattress and drifting to sleep.

     She did, however, allow herself to sit in one of the armchairs of the small living area on the opposite wall from the entrance. Lovisa exhaled in relief as she finally had an opportunity to relax. As she closed her eyes, she remembered just where she was and who granted her refuge there.

     If Leto was truly as manipulative as the Emperor and Harkonnens relayed to her, was this all a scheme of his to somehow gain her trust and then betray her? Use her?

     ...but why would he go through so much trouble to have his son escort her to her quarters, to have a seemingly genuine conversation with her? To gather intel that he will use against her later? Does Leto already know that she's a spy? Is he simply luring her into comfort before her execution for treason?

     Lovisa couldn't help but shake her head at her own running thoughts. She's been trained to read people's true intentions even if they appear to believe otherwise. She replayed her interaction with Leto in her head, reanalyzing his body language, tone of voice...and she couldn't distinguish any indicator of ingenuity.

     Lovisa found herself beginning to second guess the Emperor and the Harkonnens, but quickly stopped her train of thought before she began to believe in the hypocrisies. She was here on behalf of the Emperor — she is loyal to the Emperor. Why would he lead her astray? Why would he send her to assassinate the Duke if he truly was good and just? He wouldn't.

     Lovisa opened her eyes and whispered to herself, "Focus." She stood up and began analyzing the walls again, hoping to find some kind of imperfection that she could look for in other walls, assuming that all of Arrakeen had similar architecture. As she did so, she mentally created a plan of how she would kill both men but remain undetected. Lovisa knew that she would need to kill Paul first, since he has less security than Leto, but the place would surely go up in a frenzy as soon as the Duke's son is found dead.

     All of Atreides' forces would be focused on Paul, allowing for a small bit of leeway for Lovisa to strike at Leto. Perhaps she could lure him into an abandoned corridor, or room, claiming that she is so distraught over the recent deaths she's witnessed — first, at her sietch, and now, here in Arrakeen.

     Lovisa could no longer dwell on her one friendly encounter with Leto and her conversation with Paul. She was assigned a task, and she would carry it out, one nobleman at a time.

     First, kill Paul Atreides.

heyy friends 🫣 long time no see! but it's ok because i've prewritten the rest of act one so there should be regular updates until the end of A1! hopefully that makes up for lost time??

here we have paul + lovisa's first interaction hehe 🤭 this is just scraping the bare, bare surface i promise. i can't wait to delve further into their relationship and the evolution of lovisa's own thought/belief system!! yess girl don't let no old men tell u what to think