CHAPITRE V:
DOUBLE ATTEMPT.

"Many have marked the speed with which Muad'Dib learned the necessities of Arrakis. The Bene Gesserit, of course, know the basis of this speed. For the others, we can say that Muad'Dib learned rapidly because his first training was in how to learn. And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he could learn. It is shocking to find how many people do not believe they can learn, and how many more believe learning to be difficult. Muad'Dib knew that every experience carries its lesson."

— from 'Muad'Dib, Family Commentaries' by the Princess Irulan

Dr. Yueh and Jessica's conversation indistinctly rose and fell in the other room as Paul laid in bed, feigning sleep. Words of Harkonnens, and spice, filled his ears as he watched the darkness outside. The breeze of a ventilator hovered above him, gently rippling slatted blinds beside the bed. Out of the window, the Holtzman shields covered the sky of their blurring. He thought of Caladan, how they used to live oblivious to any type of danger. It seemed like nobody had the luxury of anything on this planet—neither water, nor naivety.

In silence, the young Atreides sat up. The sound of a door closing behind, followed by his mother's footsteps retreating down the hall gave him the signal he needed to go exploring. He knew that, remaining in the other room, Dr. Yueh would find something to read.

Arrakis awaited.

Slipping out of the bed, Paul headed for the bookcase door that opened into a closet. He didn't take the time to look at what was inside the drawers, donning whatever he could get his hands on. Once his shoes on, the young Atreides looked briefly in the lock leading to the other room before retrieving the sketchpad and pencil lying on the nightstand. The doorknob, inspired by an ornithopter's push bar, gave in under his hand, as the door opened into the hall.

Exhilaration rushed through him as he skimmed the walls, avoiding at all costs coming face to face with the guards Thufir Hawat had deployed throughout the house.

The muffled sound of footsteps stopped him in his tracks as he pressed his back against the cold stone wall. Paul closed his eyes momentarily, the steady rhythm of his breathing disappearing into the shadows of the surrounding silence. Carefully, he peered down the corridor, the soft glow of the hanging glowglobes casting ethereal shadows across the walls. There, amidst the subdued light, he detected the presence of another. The shadow lingered, as if sensing something amiss, while Paul suppressed a gasp, his curiosity piqued.

A long moment passed in which no one tried to move before the dark figure made its way through the halls. Paul looked back briefly before following the mysterious shadow, intrigued.

The shadow seemed to have realized it was being followed, as it began to accelerate, darting between the walls at a frightening speed. The young Atreides also began to run, forgetting his former precautions of stealth, the soles of his boots thudding against the concrete floor.

And then nothing. The shadow disappeared.

A deafening silence surrounded Paul as he looked around, not recognizing the wing into which he had been brought. It was then that he realized how foolish he had been. Defenseless, and with no guards around—he was easy prey.

Clutching the pencil tightly in his hand, Paul scanned his surroundings, searching for any sign of his elusive pursuer. His breath caught in his throat as a sudden movement to his left drew his attention. Before he could react, a sharp blade pressed against his throat, the cold steel sending a shiver down his spine.

"Madhavi?" he whispered, disbelief coloring his tone, as warm breath ghosted over his neck, the scent familiar yet unexpected.

Madhavi's grip on the crysknife loosened as she recognized Paul's voice, the tension in the air dissipating like mist under the morning sun. With a swift movement, she withdrew the blade, the iridescent glint fading into the darkness.

"Paul," she breathed, her voice a mixture of relief and surprise. She stepped back, allowing him to turn and face her, their eyes meeting in the dim light.

"What are you doing here?" Paul asked, his voice laced with curiosity as he took in her figure, outlined in the faint glow from the corridor.

The young Idaho's gaze flickered away for a moment before meeting his once more. "I could ask you the same thing," she replied, her tone teasing yet tinged with an underlying seriousness.

"I was... following someone," Paul admitted, a hint of sheepishness coloring his tone. "I had a feeling it might be you."

She raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. "A feeling, huh?" Madhavi mused, her lips twitching with suppressed laughter. "A feeling that could've gotten you killed."

"You wouldn't do that."

The young girl looked at him enigmatically, leaving his question hanging in the air before turning on her heels.

Paul watched Madhavi disappear into the shadows, her figure melting seamlessly into the darkness of the corridor. He hesitated for a moment, torn between following her and staying behind, but the pull of curiosity proved too strong to resist.

With quickened steps, he trailed after her, his senses alert to every sound and movement around him. The dim glow of the glowglobes cast eerie shadows along the walls, adding to the sense of mystery that enveloped them.

The young Atreides' voice echoed down the hallway, filled with concern and urgency. "Where are you going?"

"Stop shouting, everyone will hear you." Madhavi halted in her tracks, turning to face him with a flicker of irritation in her eyes. "I'm going outside."

"Outside?" Paul's incredulity was evident, his voice laced with disbelief. "It's pitch dark!"

"Stop screaming!" the young Idaho's frustration was evident now, her tone sharper as she tried to keep her voice down.

Madhavi pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment before huffing.

"If I let you come with me, will you shut up?"

Paul motioned to lock his mouth and throw away the key as she rolled her eyes, starting back toward the exit.

The young Atreides sighed softly as he fell into step beside Madhavi once more. They moved swiftly and silently, their footsteps barely audible against the cold stone floor. With each passing moment, the tension in the air grew thicker, weighed down by the knowledge that they were trespassing where they shouldn't be.

As they rounded a corner, they encountered a pair of guards stationed at the entrance to the palace courtyard. Madhavi motioned for Paul to stay back as she approached them, her movements slow and deliberate. With a combination of charm and quick thinking, she managed to distract the guards long enough for them to slip past unnoticed.

Once outside, they were greeted by the night air, a welcome relief from the stifling heat of the palace despite the cooling fans. The moon cast a silvery glow over the landscape, illuminating the sand dunes that stretched out before them like undulating waves frozen in time.

Paul couldn't help but feel a twinge of apprehension as they ventured further into the darkness. They were heading into the unknown, with no clear destination in mind and no plan to guide them. But despite his misgivings, he couldn't deny the thrill of excitement that coursed through him.

"You seem scared." Madhavi's voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

The young Atreides hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "No, not scared," he replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Just... cautious."

She merely hummed, her expression unreadable in the dim moonlight. Without another word, they continued their journey, the soft crunch of sand beneath their feet the only sound in the stillness of the desert night.

As they walked, Paul couldn't shake the feeling that they were going too far, straying too deep into the unknown. He stole a glance at the young Idaho, who seemed lost in thought as she trudged onward, her footsteps steady and purposeful.

"Madhavi, are you sure we're going the right way?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

She paused, her brow furrowing slightly as she scanned the horizon. "We're almost there," she assured him, her tone more confident than he felt.

Reluctantly, he followed her lead, trusting in her judgment despite his lingering doubts. They walked in silence for what felt like hours, the vast expanse of the desert stretching out endlessly before them.

Finally, they reached the crest of a towering dune, the highest point in the landscape. They paused as they took in the breathtaking view spread out before them.

The night sky stretched out above them, a tapestry of stars twinkling overhead. The moon cast a silvery glow over the desert below, painting the sand dunes in shades of silver and gray. It was a sight unlike anything Paul had ever seen, a reminder of the beauty and vastness of the universe.

For a moment, they sat in silence, lost in the majesty of the desert night. Then, slowly, Paul turned to Madhavi, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Thank you," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "For bringing me here."

The young Idaho met his gaze, her eyes softening as she returned his smile. "I didn't have that much of a choice." she replied, her voice equally quiet.

He chuckled at her words.

"I guess not," he conceded, his laughter blending with the gentle rustle of the desert breeze. "But still, I'm glad you did."

Madhavi's lips curved into a genuine smile as she looked out over the dunes, her hair catching the moonlight in an ethereal glow. "It's beautiful," she murmured, her voice barely audible above the soft murmur of the wind.

"Yeah," Paul agreed, his gaze drifting back to the night sky. "It is."

The young Atreides couldn't help but feel a sense of calm wash over him as he reached into his pack and pulled out a worn sketchpad, flipping through the pages absentmindedly. The sound of rustling paper caught Madhavi's attention, and she glanced over, her curiosity piqued.

"What's that?" she asked, nodding towards the sketchpad in his hands.

Paul hesitated for a moment, surprised by her interest. "Oh, just some drawings," he replied, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks.

Madhavi's eyes sparkled with intrigue as she leaned in closer, watching as he flipped through the pages. There were sketches of landscapes, animals, and people, each one rendered with a surprising level of detail and skill.

"Do you want to see?" he asked tentatively, his heart pounding in his chest.

The young Idaho nodded.

As she looked through the drawings, Paul couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. Drawing had always been a passion of his, a way to escape the pressures of his responsibilities and lose himself in the world of his imagination.

And then she came across it: a sketch of her, her long dark curly hair cascading down her shoulders, her full lips curved in a gentle smile. Her eyes, shielded by long lashes, seemed to sparkle with life, even in the dim light of the desert night. But what caught her attention the most was the way he had captured her eyes, the color a deep amber that seemed to glow from within.

Paul felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment as Madhavi studied the drawing, her expression unreadable. He reached out to retrieve the sketchpad, ready to hide it away from her gaze, but before he could, she spoke.

"I like it," she said simply, her voice soft but sincere.

The young Atreides' eyes widened in surprise, his heart soaring at her words. "You do?" he asked, unable to hide the hint of disbelief in his voice.

Madhavi nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Yeah," she replied, her gaze never leaving the drawing. "It's... different."

He felt a wave of relief wash over him as he took the sketchpad back, his fingers trembling slightly. "Thanks," he said quietly.

"Why the gold though?" she eventually asked. "My eyes are hazel."

"It comes from one of... my visions."

The girl's eyebrows shot up at his answer before nodding again.

They fell into a comfortable silence, the only sound the soft rustle of the desert breeze. Paul watched as Madhavi stared off into the distance, lost in thought.

After a moment, he glanced down at his sketchpad, his fingers itching to draw. With a hesitant glance at the young Idaho, Paul began to sketch, his pencil moving across the paper with practiced ease. He stole quick glances at her every now and then, trying to capture her likeness without her noticing.

"You'd think your Bene Gesserit training would help you be subtle."

The young Atreides' cheeks flushed slightly at Madhavi's observation, realizing that she had indeed noticed his stolen glances. He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head as he tried to play it cool.

"Oh, uh, maybe I didn't listen that much," he replied lamely, his gaze flickering away from hers.

Madhavi raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "Sure," she said teasingly, amusement dancing in her eyes.

Clearing his throat, Paul quickly changed the subject, eager to move past his embarrassment. "So, uh, tell me about Ginaz School," he prompted, hoping to steer the conversation in a different direction.

The girl's eyes brightened as she recalled her experiences at the prestigious institution. "The training was rigorous, to say the least. We started early in the morning and trained until late in the evening," she began, her voice tinged with a mixture of reverence and nostalgia. "Every day was a test."

Paul listened intently. "Sounds intense," he remarked, a hint of awe in his voice.

"It was," she agreed. "But it was also incredibly rewarding. There's something exhilarating about pushing yourself to your limits and discovering what you're truly capable of. It was definitely something I needed."

"How come you got accepted?" he asked, curious. "Not that you don't have what it takes but-"

"I was a six-year-old girl?" Madhavi cut him as he stayed silent for a moment before agreeing. "My father's reputation certainly helped, and he was a former student. He thought that I should receive proper training like he did, a role he couldn't fully fulfill while doing his job."

He nodded, acknowledging her point. "Faire enough," Paul conceded. "But still, you must have shown some serious potential for them to accept you at such a young age."

The young Idaho shrugged modestly, her expression humble yet confident. "I suppose they saw something in me worth nurturing. My mom taught me some things before she died."

Mulling over her words, the young Atreides sensed there was more beneath the surface. "Were you the only child there?" he ventured, curious about her experience at the Ginaz School.

Madhavi fell silent for a moment, a wistful smile gracing her lips as she recalled the memories of her time there. "No," she finally replied, her voice tinged with nostalgia. "There were others, but not many."

Paul noticed the slight hesitation in her response, a flicker of something passing through her eyes before she composed herself. "Did you make any friends?" he asked gently, sensing there was more to the story.

"Yes."

Through his Bene Gesserit training, the boy picked up on the subtle shift in her demeanor, recognizing that there was more to her silence than met the eye. Tentatively, he probed further. "Do I know any of them?" he asked, his voice soft with curiosity.

The young Idaho's gaze flickered briefly, a guarded expression clouding her features before she replied, "There was a boy from House Isfahan. We used to tag along together."

His heart skipped a beat at her sentence. A pang of something unfamiliar stirred within him, a subtle twinge of unease mingled with curiosity.

Was it jealousy that flickered in the depths of his stomach?

He couldn't be sure, but he noted that her choice to specifically mention this boy meant their relationship had possibly been more than just friendship.

The young Atreides' mind buzzed with questions, each one vying for attention as he struggled to make sense of his emotions. He found himself grappling with a sense of insecurity, a nagging doubt that tugged at the corners of his consciousness. Was he overthinking things? Was Madhavi's past really something he should be concerned about?

Pushing aside his swirling thoughts, he forced himself to focus on the present moment. "It sounds like you had some memorable experiences," Paul commented, his tone carefully neutral. "Did you two get along well?"

"He was a good friend."

He noted the reluctance in her response, a sense of distance in her tone and his heart sank, a hollow ache settling in the pit of his stomach. Despite his efforts to maintain composure, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at him from within. Swallowing hard, he forced a smile onto his lips, hoping to mask the turmoil churning beneath the surface.

"Well, it's getting late," the young Atreides remarked, his voice betraying a hint of tension. "We should probably head back."

Madhavi nodded in agreement, rising to her feet with a graceful fluidity that left him momentarily breathless. As they stealthily made their way back to the palace, she kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, ensuring they remained undetected. Her movements were fluid and silent. Paul trailed behind her, his footsteps light and cautious as he followed her lead.

The night air was cool against their skin, a welcome relief from the stifling heat of the day. Shadows danced along the walls of the palace, casting an eerie glow over the deserted corridors. As they approached the entrance to the palace, the young Idaho motioned for him to stay behind as she peered around the corner, scanning for any signs of danger. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she beckoned for him to follow, darting across the courtyard with the agility of a desert fox.

They slipped through the palace gates undetected, their hearts racing as they crept through the moonlit corridors. Madhavi cast a wary glance over her shoulder, her senses on high alert as they made their way towards Paul's room. With each passing moment, the risk of being caught grew greater, the consequences of their nighttime escapade looming ominously in the back of their minds.

Finally, they reached his room, the door looming before them like a silent sentinel. The young Idaho gave him a simple smile, her eyes reflecting the moonlight as she gestured for him to enter.

"This room seems almost tailored for you," Madhavi remarked, her voice tinged with curiosity as her eyes swept over the surroundings, taking in the intricate details of the space.

Paul chuckled in response, a playful glint in his eyes. "You think so? Maybe the previous owners had good taste."

But the girl's expression remained guarded, suspicion flickering in her eyes. "Or maybe it's a trap," she suggested with concern.

Before Paul could respond, a sudden sound behind him made him freeze in place. A thin wisp of smoke on the wall emerged from the carved headboard of the bed. Then emerged a tiny hunter-seeker, no larger than five centimeters. Madhavi's blood ran cold as she recognized the deadly assassin, a weapon designed to seek out and kill its target with ruthless efficiency.

With a swift and precise movement, she activated her shield before reaching out to grab the deadly device, her fingers closing around its sleek, metallic body. The young girl walked over to the table by the window and immediately plunged her hand into the bowl of water lying there, drowning the hunter-seeker.

"Well, seemed like I was right."

—

Madhavi saw herself barely older than she was now, trudging through the unforgiving sea of sand with great difficulty. A sharp pain gripped her stomach, evident from the muffled screams she struggled to suppress, her hand clenching tightly against the ache.

"He built his peace on a bloodbath. He put the interests of one people ahead of the others. You have failed, child of the desert. Remember, blood answers only to blood," a haunting voice echoed in her mind, accusing and relentless.

Her past self came to an abrupt halt, sinking to her knees as exhaustion consumed every fiber of her being. The once pristine suit she wore now stained crimson between her legs.

"You failed us, Madhavi—you have succumbed. You did not free him from the madness that led to the sterilization of our sacred lands," the voice continued, its words cutting through the desolate silence of the desert.

Bloodcurdling scream mixed to the swirling wind of the desert—such a bewitching melody to the ears of the gods.

From the depths of the desert, voices began to sing, their eerie chorus echoing across the vast expanse.

"Saint, Saint,
Why are you running Saint?

Saint, Saint,
Where are you running Saint?

The enemy hand is everywhere
And nowhere at the same time.

Your womb will be the nest and the grave,
The prosperity and the downfall.

Saint, Saint,
You will never escape your fate.

The bond the gods gave you
Is inalienable."

In the sorrows of childbirth, the sand cried too at the sight of the future of the Imperium. Two children destined to forever alter the fate of Arrakis—a beacon of light unable to prevent the encroaching darkness.

"Why did you abandon us, Madhavi?

Why did you not save us from our deadly fate?

Saint,
The boy made you change your path."

Madhavi's eyes snapped open, her chest heaving with panicked breaths. The remnants of her nightmare lingered, the echoes of her screams still reverberating in her mind. Her throat felt raw, as though she had indeed cried out in terror.

Turning her gaze towards the door of her room, she noticed a shadowy figure lurking in the darkness. Without hesitation, she reached for the crysknife concealed beneath her pillow, her fingers wrapping around its hilt with practiced urgency. Before she could fully react, the intruder lunged towards her with deadly intent.

Out of instinct, Madhavi sidestepped the assailant's attack, narrowly avoiding a direct collision. However, in the chaos of the moment, she failed to evade the blade entirely. A searing pain sliced across her temple to her cheek as the assassin's weapon found its mark, eliciting a sharp cry of agony from her lips.

As the room spun around her, the young Idaho struggled to regain her composure. The words uttered by her attacker echoed in her ears, mingling with the throbbing ache of her wounds.

"You're a danger to the order of the Imperium."

IZIA'S NOTE

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