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Which Cannot Be Negotiated

Chapter 38

Notes:

Ho ho ho, I'm like Santa Claus this weekend, bringing gifts for you every day :)))) It makes me soo happy to see your enjoyment for the story! :) so here the next one :)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

When Paul regained consciousness, they were lying entwined in each other’s arms, Irulan was trembling with shivers like a leave in the wind. Her body was burning like a furnace. The fragments of the vision Paul had foreseen before were still swirling in his awakening mind, their fall in the desert and then landing in the middle of the sandworm territory in the deep desert, but he wasn’t alone this time. He shared the vision with Irulan. They were together. They had seen it together Irulan had brought him there.

Paul did not know what had happened, how it had happened, but he knew she had done it. He did not remember what happened after he dropped to the decaying sand in the prescient past, seeing how Dune and sandworms had become, the entity he had seen with his own image. He remembered the solid darkness, an endless vastness that had strayed him out of thought and time and as he wandered on those timeless halls, he had heard her voice. She was calling for him.

She was pulling him. She was in the prescient, and she was drawing him toward herself. Then Paul found himself tumbling with her again over the dunes, their bodies entwined in each other like how they were lying in the bed now. They had brought him back to his room from the top of the canyon where Paul had lost consciousness and he was lying with Irulan in bed again, and she was holding his hand. The connection he felt drawing him came to him once more as Paul realized she had been holding his hand during the whole time she looked for him. How they had come like this Paul had no idea, she must have dropped the bed beside him during her trance, but Paul still did not let her go.

Promise me you will not let me go… her request from fear came back to her as Paul readied them to ride the sandworm that was coming toward them. He was going to make them ride it to escape it. In the middle of the sandworm territory, there was nothing else to do to escape from a sandworm that was heading toward you at the highest speed. Irulan was frightened so much, but still, she accepted it.

Paul knew now the rest of his prescient vision after he had asked her if she trusted him. The hesitation in her eyes Paul had seen earlier quickly disappeared after a split second, and Irulan nodded her head, decisive and absolute. It filled his heart with relief now, knowing she had even accepted to ride a sandworm together with him, out of desperation, but still trusting him.

He remembered the way they ran hand-to-hand over the crescent as the sands sunk beneath them while the sandworm resurfaced, telling him he could do this. He had to do this. Riding a sandworm who had never done this before was the craziest thing one could do, but Paul still was going to do it. There was no other alternative. He would not drop her. He would not lose her. He remembered his fears of losing her after he threw himself to follow her, trying to catch her as she fell. Paul could not let that happen. He could not let her fall.

From where she had fallen, Paul still did not know, how she had become tumbling over the dunes, but he figured out it was an Inevitable for both of them. Irulan had managed to find him out of thought and time, and somehow, they had become drawn to their Inevitable. Paul wondered why that event was this important for them, what made it Inevitable for them, but right now, it was not important. They were both here. Paul still did not let her go as she kept hugging him.

Then Paul also understood her fear. Of losing him. Her calls for him came back to her as Irulan clung to him for her dear life as she did now in the bed, arms coiled his waist, her head hidden at the crook of his neck, holding to him as Paul tried to take control the sandworm, one hand grabbing her by the waist as with the other, he unleashed his marker.

His arm was still wrapped around her waist tightly too like their prescient dream, and suddenly Paul wondered if she had made them transcend over space and time in the prescient and occurred them here like this in their present time, breaking the barriers between reality and mind like she had done before, clawing at his face in her anger, giving him scars that transcended to his present time. Irulan’s abilities…they had shared a prescient vision. Even Paul had thought it was not possible before.

The entity he had seen came back to him, but Paul pushed it away. Not yet. He was not ready to contemplate it yet. He had ordered the shadows to show him what had happened to Dune in the past, and they had shown him that. No one knew for sure how the spice circle had begun, now Paul did. Someone had orchestrated it. Engineered it.

Like him, somehow had engineered normal worms to evolve into sandworms, killing a green planet in the process and creating spice. There was more to it, and Paul was going to find out about it. The blue blood of the Entity, the Water of Life, it was the catalyzer that had triggered the circle, and Paul was going to find out about it. What he had seen perhaps was a symbolic vision of the past like the ones Paul saw the tyranny he would bring to the universe in the future.

There were too many unanswered questions, and Paul should ask Irulan for an answer, to see what she had done, how she had found him, what she had seen in the Other Memory, but he just didn’t want to. Not now. Not while they were lying in each other’s arms, even though it might be…a byproduct of their shared vision, it did not matter, not at the moment.

They both still weren’t talking, only holding each other, but Irulan was still shivering, her body burning like a furnace. Then Paul noticed it. The angry rashness over her shoulders and arms that the scarf over her barely concealed. Sunburns. Irulan had angry sunburns, and she was trembling like a leaf in the wind, burning, because she was having a fever.

His hand moved up and Paul slid down the scarf over her shoulders gently to see them, his eyes frowning. The desert sun. It was merciless. Direct exposure to it even for a couple of minutes would burn you, especially someone like Irulan had never been exposed to it before. Even his face was hurting, knowing he was also carrying burns, but his suit must have saved him while Paul was unconscious on top of the canyon. His eyes glanced at the clock on the bed stand, and he saw with surprise it was past midday. Paul must have spent his whole morning there. And he was late, he registered another second. He was late to his meeting with the Elder Council.

He should have jumped out of bed and found Stilgar, but he still didn’t move, his eyes captivated by the redness on her ivory skin. Then Paul understood. She must have scrambled to the canyon to find him with her beautiful dress…blue once more, but Paul could not feel satisfaction because of it once more, seeing her adorning his colors, because he realized she had looked for him in the canyon without anything else.

How could she do this, how did her guards outside let her do it! His anger fired, he almost jumped out of the bed this time and found Stilgar to demand answers! Find her details! Find Lord Lance! They had left her safety to their hands, and was this how they protected his Empress?!

Letting her climb a damn canyon in only a dress without even a scarf, let alone a stillsuit. The scarf she must have found later because the angry rashness on her ivory skin told it all. She had no protection from the merciless desert sun at midday. There was even a slight cut on her shoulder, slowly bleeding. Paul let out a silent sharp breath, his anger boiling in his veins, but as if she also finally realized Paul was also awake as he stirred and slid down her scarf, she raised her head from the crook of his neck and looked at him.

Her green eyes were so moist with emotions and unshed tears that it settled down his anger a bit. He was still angry, but the way she hugged him tighter as she understood he was awake soothed him. Many people still had many explanations to make, but they were okay.

We were so afraid, brother, he heard Alia’s whimpering whisper, crying in his mind. We were so afraid we lost you. I cried so much. I thought I was never going to see you again.

I’m okay, sweetheart. It’s passed.

She whimpered again. I made Irulan so panicked when I understood you got lost. You looked at the shadowy place. You should not do that.

It’s okay, sweetheart, Paul repeated. I’m here now.

Irulan climbed the canyon because of me. Because I was terrified. Please, do not get mad at her or others. We were all so afraid.

It’s okay, I won’t, Paul quickly assured, understanding her concern this time, and it quelled his anger further. He was still not content that they had let her outside at midday with only her dress, but he understood now their fear. Alia must have been terrified when she couldn’t sense her. They had been connected since she had been conceived. Wherever Paul had gone, he comprehended further, even Alia couldn’t have sensed him. And Irulan had managed to find him even there.

You sleep now, he told her sister. Do not make Irulan more unsettled. I will take care of her now.

But are you okay?

I am, he assured with certainty. I am, sister. Do not fear. I will come to see you after I talk with Irulan.

She slowly faded in his mind as Paul started to stir out of Irulan’s grip. It was nice to have her in his arms, but they needed to take care of those sunburns before her fever increased further.

He passed his hand over her perspired wet hair before touching her forehead. His hand almost burned with the contact. She was so sweaty with her fever that Paul registered the dampness over her dress, soaking the light fabric. He even glimpsed her lacework chemise underneath the damp fabric, revealing it to his gaze.

“Irulan, you’re burning,” he remarked aloud, sliding himself out of her grip completely and resting her on her back on the cot bed. She closed her eyes, resting her head on the pillows, nodding with shivers as Paul started to get up from the bed.

“I-I forgot to take my scarf,” she mumbled, her eyes still closed. “The sun burned.” Her breath hitched as she forced herself to look at him as Paul stood above the bed. “I-I saw it, Paul.” she croaked out in a whisper.  “The blue stars… the eyes in the space. He recognized me…”

For a split second, Paul could not follow her, wondering if she was delirious in fever or if she had also seen the Entity Paul had seen. He was about to question her but suddenly his attention diverted upon seeing the bed and her dress fully. The blood stains.

His mind halted, casting to stone, frozen. On the sheet and her dress, there were blood stains. Irulan was covered with blood stains below her waist. His heart started to gallop, his throat feeling dry and tight.

Did they, did they do it?

Paul swallowed, staring at the slivers of blood lines that were running down her thighs and her inner legs over her dress, even staining the sheets. He didn’t remember anything. They were only holding each other like in the prescient, but the blood stains…

By Gods! Did they have sex, not even realizing it? Had Paul taken her like an animal not even stripping her dress? Shame burned him worse than the sunburns on his face. He couldn’t do it.

He was so stunned, rendered speechless that he couldn’t make a sound, his mind drawing a blank. If he had indeed done it, if he had taken her like an animal with her clothes still on, he didn’t even know what he could do, what would happen, how Irulan would have felt. She deserved more than…this, an act of pure last that he couldn’t even remember himself. She didn’t look like she was aware she was bleeding, but—

They hadn’t even talked about the future of their marriage yet. If they mated last night, if Paul gave her his seeds…if she would carry his child…

His breath hitched, a myriad of emotions whirling inside him. Irulan carrying his child… The thought was stirring him, but he still felt he had something he shouldn’t have once more. Not only because he acted like an animal who couldn’t control his base primitive urges, acting as if she was a mere companion to cater to his pleasure, but Paul also remembered Chani, and his promise… I’ll love you as long as I breathe.

His emotions upheaved, he felt breathless with a weight he didn’t know how to carry, and then he noticed it. The hem of her dress raised as Irulan moved her legs to cover herself with the blankets, raising over her knees. She pulled them over herself as Paul peered at her legs she revealed. Cuts. Her legs were covered with cuts from ankle upward, and even though her knees were still covered, Paul became sure they ran up over to her thighs.

They had not mated last night. As she tried to climb the canyon’s sharp ragged edges to find him in her delicate dress, she had cut herself. The dress was not torn, she had been careful not to tear it off, but she had cut herself instead.

Paul let out a sharp breath with the realization. His emotions were so upheaved now that he felt a worse confusion. He should have been relieved and happy, but he felt…he didn’t know… He didn’t know anything anymore when it came to Irulan Corrino!

She had just given him a heart attack! He wanted to grasp her and shake her senseless, asked her what the fuck she was thinking, climbing on top of the canyon like that and hurting herself, giving herself a heat stroke and cuts. He heaved a sigh and bent down to grab the blanket that she was covering herself.

“No,” he said, lowering it down. “You’re having a fever. Don’t cover yourself.” He was about to order Harah’s sister to call for the Healer to tend to her wounds and burns, and give her licorice sherbet for her fever, but Irulan held on to the blanket, pulling it back over herself.

“No. It’s cold,” she mumbled.

Paul yanked off the blanket from her fingers with more force than he had meant to. “Of course, it’s cold,” he grumbled. “You’re having a fever.”

He threw the blanket at the foot of the bed, trying to contain his spilling emotions. Dealing with Irulan Corrino…was one of the hardest things he had ever done in his life. In a way, it was even harder than winning her throne.

“Why do you keep doing it to yourself, Irulan?” he asked, feeling weary as he heaved a solemn sigh, glancing at her blood-stained dress and sheets. “You hurt yourself.”

She tried to frown at him through her shivers as she drew up from the pillows to reach the blanket at the foot of the cot bed, body trembling with shivers. “Y-you were passed out on top of the canyon under the sun.”

Paul stilled, giving her a look as he stopped her taking the blanket once more. “And you wanted to save me?”

“I tried.” She paused, yanking the blanket back from him. “Tears didn’t work,” she mumbled, fixating her unfocused gaze on her. Paul wondered if her fever made her delirious because she didn’t make sense. Tears?

“Both Chani and I tried.” Paul blinked. Irulan raised the blanket over her shoulders to cover her shivering body as she sat upright in the bed. “I knew it wouldn’t work,” she commented further, “but we still tried.”

Paul was still speechless. Chani was here, too? Paul thought she was still in the raids. And-and she had given him her tears as she had done after his Agony, but it didn’t work? And Irulan also tried? Give him her tears so Paul would wake up from his trance?

He felt he was getting overwhelmed, stunned and shocked. Nothing made sense anymore. “I told it Stilgar,” Irulan continued, raising the blanket above her neck until her chin, giving him another unfocused look as she tried to look somber. “Mere temporal succession does not establish a causal connection. I don’t know if he understood the logical fallacy, but he accepted at least the rooster does not rise the sun because it crows just before the sunrise.”

Paul sighed deeply. “Irulan, what are you talking about?”

“Post hoc fallacy,” she quipped. She paused and passed her palm over her forehead, closing her eyes. “By Gods, someone should give me an NSAID.” She dropped herself back on the bed, lying on her side, still covering herself up to her chin, shivering. “I’m trying to control it, but I feel so tired.”

“You’re exhausted,” Paul replied lowly, sitting back on the cot bed beside her on the edge. “Rest. I’ll send the healer to you. You also cut yourself. He’ll tend to your burns and cuts. Then we’ll talk.”

She nodded lethargic, closing her eyes. Paul heaved another deep sigh, his hand raising and sweeping off her wet hair that fell over her cheek behind her ear. “But you really stop doing this to yourself, Irulan,” he told her softly. There was a part of him that seized knowing that she had wanted to protect him, climbing a deadly cliff under the merciless sun and giving herself a heat stroke and cuts, and diving into prescient headfirst, but doing it on his behalf…no, Paul could not accept this.

He should try harder, not her.

She fluttered her eyes open and looked at him. “He knew me,” she repeated in answer as Paul looked down at her, dropping his hand from her hair. “He knows my mother, too. He called me Anirul’s daughter.” She paused as Paul listened to it with a graver heart, his expression turning haggard. He had been right. He did not know it for sure, but it was him. Irulan had also seen the…thing Paul had seen. “He even saw my link to Alia. He called it…nanolink.”

Nanolink?

Nanotechnology was forbidden with the ban on artificial intelligence as it was the foundation of the Cymek technology that merged machines with humans, so it was considered too dangerous to experiment on. Even the Bene Gesserit and Suk schools had been on the brink of the ban when they were founded ten thousand years ago because the schools’ discipline could manipulate the matter on an atomic or molecule scale, but they were allowed only because their manipulation stayed there, but not combined with other elements or technology. The bond Alia and Irulan shared though…its construction, was it more?

Paul recalled the construction he had inspected, contemplating on it as Irulan also remarked, “He also knows Alice in Wonderland. The place I found him…the shadowed lands with only two blue stars…the eyes…” she mumbled, looking at him. “It was down the rabbit hole. Like in the story. Down the rabbit hole, you find the Wonderland. His Wonderland.” She shivered. “He told me it was his favorite book in childhood.”

Paul stared at her as she swallowed, the beads of sweat creating a sheen over her skin, glinting her sunburnt face. Paul glanced inward, tugging at the echoes. “It’s a children’s book from Old Terra,” he found out as she nodded her accordance lethargic.

“It is.”

The Entity they had seen…was it coming from Old Terra?

Paul sucked in a breath, but nodded at her, sweeping her hair back over her ear again. “Rest now. We’ll talk after you feel better.”

She nodded, but then paused, “We’re not going to go the desert tonight, aren’t we?” she asked in a small voice, her tone sounding pouting and disappointed. “I couldn’t even see water resources today.”

His fingers still playing with her hair, Paul smiled at her gently, but it was a bittersweet one. “I apologize for messing up again and ruining your plans, my Lady. I’ll try harder the next time.”

She gazed at him, her expression shifting and her lips trembled. “No,” she whispered. “You did not fail me. You did not mess things up. W-what I told you earlier…I-I’m sorry. I-I was insensitive and harsh.”

“And also right,” Paul replied, squaring his shoulders and dropping his hand. “You have a gentle heart that wants to make me feel better about myself, but we both know the truth.” He cleared his throat. “I still thank you though for your kindness. I appreciate the gesture.”

She shook her head. “It’s not in gesture, Paul. I’m not trying to comfort you with platitudes. You know I do not believe in empty platitudes.”

“I was not saying you were not sincere, Irulan,” Paul quickly replied, afraid that he had made her think he considered her gentility as insincere. He did not. He knew she was genuine. “I know you are genuine. You’re one of the most genuine people I have ever known.”

The compliment fell off his lips with ease, not bothering him because it was the truth. Her cheeks blushed with his compliment even though her face was covered with angry rashness, Paul could tell the difference. She averted her gaze from him in embarrassment which cemented his deduction.

“Um, House Moritani will arrive in the next week, but we still have more time since their arrival. We can stay longer if you wish to,” he offered, trying to align his schedule. He had wanted to return to the Arrakeen before the House’s arrival to get prepared, but his mother could deal with the preparation as Irulan and he straightened their ends for the bargain here. It would allow him to rearrange their schedule for…sightseeing in the desert. It would also allow them to deal with what had happened in the prescient, to discover and understand more about Mohiam prophecy and what they had discovered. If Chani was indeed here, it was going to be awkward, but Paul still wanted to stay. He wanted to keep his promise. Despite her kind words not to make him feel worse, she sounded disappointed.

She looked at him in doubt, questioning with a small voice, “Can we?”

He nodded. “Yes. If you would like to.”

“I would—” she replied, then passed again, another hesitation entering into her. “C-Chani is also here,” she mumbled. “If you don’t want to—”

Paul cut him off. “No, it’s okay.” He gave her another bittersweet smile, lips not parting. “I-I will not throw another tantrum, I promise.”

She gulped and nodded slowly. “Okay.”

Paul checked the watch again, getting up from the bed. “I-I have to leave. The Elder Council from Southern Tribes must be throwing a tantrum in my absence.” He sighed deeply, his grimace set as he imagined the tantrum he was going to receive from the tribe leaders how he was unstable and weak, passing out for a whole morning. The whole Sietch must be buzzing with the news now. Paul had just given them an excuse with his own hands.

“They don’t know about it,” Irulan suddenly said, her chin tilted up to face him. “They think—” She paused, another color of embarrassment flashing over her cheeks, “um…they think you’ve been with me here since the morning. They don’t know what happened. We hid it.”

Paul frowned. Stilgar must have brought him back to his room, carrying him, and Paul had difficulty understanding how they had managed to conceal it. Even with covers, people would have understood it. “How?”

 “Um, well, we needed a distraction,” she replied. “Something big so that we could slip you inside in the chaos unnoticed. Lord Lance, Chani, and Fatima orchestrated it.” Taken aback, Paul raised his eyebrow. Lord Lance and Chani, helping her orchestrate a deceit to fool the Southern Tribes. Paul could not wrap his mind over it. “Lord Lance started a fight with one of The Southern warriors for insulting me, and Chani and Fatima provoked their rivals to join the fight. It escalated quickly.”

Paul let out a breath, imagining the chaos he was going to receive from the Elder Council. Lord Lance and the Southern Tribes… It sounded like matching the fire and gasoline together. Paul was not a fool. He knew the man was turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to how the fundamentalists were acting toward his Princess. Something prickled at him, but Paul suppressed it.

“I’m sorry,” she remarked apologetically, reading his shifting expression as anger. “I did not want to cause you more trouble with them. It came to me better than them knowing what happened.”

Paul nodded quickly, softening his expression. “You did the right thing, my Lady. It’s better,” he accepted. “I’m just…trying to follow up, I reckon.”

Relieved, she laughed softly. “I know. I wish I saw it…” she mumbled, closing her eyes with a deep sigh, weary. “I hope he broke their jaws, knocked their teeth out.” She paused, catching what she said as she opened her eyes and looked at him over her lashes, and it hurt his heart.

What they called her…if Paul needed any more proof of how much it hurt her what they called her, he wouldn’t have anymore. He had to stop it. Paul hated seeing her like this. He also started to hate that word.

He moved his jaw and tipped his head at her. “Rest now, my Lady. I’m gonna check on you soon.”

“Don’t send the healer,” she stopped him before he headed to the door. Paul gave her a look, but she quickly added. “Just send Harah. She will tend to my wounds. We should keep this quiet, too,” she said, waving her hand over herself with a sigh. Paul quickly gathered her meaning. Her heat stroke would draw questions as they were supposed to waste the morning together.

He quickly nodded his acceptance, but calling out to him again before he reached the door, Irulan stopped him the second time. “Can you check on Alia too before you go to the Elder Council?” she requested softly. “She was so worried for you.”

His chest seized, seeing her reminding him of checking Alia, not forgetting about it even now. “I already talked to her. I’ll check on her on my way. Do not worry.”

“Can you bring her to me?” she asked. “I can keep her in company until you come.”

Paul laughed. “Okay,” he admitted. “But you both will behave.”

She smiled. “I make no promises.”

Paul chuckled lowly and left the room. As soon as the door opened and Paul showed up in the doorway, Harah’s sister stared at him surprised, but also in relief, putting her hand on her chest. “Mahdi…” she mumbled, dipping her head. “The Hand of the God bestowed you to us.”

“Fatima, send for Harah,” Paul ordered. “The Empress requires her assistance.” The Fremen guard surely knew what had happened as she was also one of Irulan’s collaborates, but Paul still did not want to say it aloud outside the confines of his room. His face also had sunburns, but the bronze tint on his skin that he had developed in months he spent in the desert would have given him enough leeway to explain it. Irulan, on the other hand, looked like…a lobster. The ointments of the Fremen would heal her burns, but she was not going to sleep at peace tonight.

The thought brought him another thing, how they would spend the night again, but Paul quickly pushed it away. It was not the best time to think about it now. “Also, send for Stilgar at once,” he ordered to have the last developments with the tribes before reconvening the hearing. “I will be at my sister’s quarters.”

His orders set, Paul strode toward Alia’s room. The eyes followed him with each step, whispering behind his tail. Paul walked staring ahead and as he entered the room, Alia rejoiced.

Brother! she cried out as Paul walked to her crib, smiling. Did you come to see me? Irulan told me you were on your way. She said you were going to bring me to her. I have not seen her today yet. When you disappeared, they all went to look for you. I stayed alone. I was so afraid, Paul.

Hush, little one, Paul told her, taking her crib and holding her in his arms. He stroked her small cheeks as Alia raised her plump fist in the air and caught his thumb. Paul smiled and dipped his head to kiss her forehead. I’m here now. We’re all okay.

I was so afraid, Paul, Alia repeated in a mumble, still holding onto his thumb. Please, do not do that to us again. We lost our minds.

Paul heaved deeply, bringing her closer to his chest, and toured with her in the room. Her wet nurse was watching them silently, but Paul gave her no heed. I needed to do it, sweetheart. Mohiam is planning something, and it concerns all of us. I need to stop her.

But you declared war on her.

Irulan just wrote to House Moritani that Mohiam tried to kill her. I have not done anything else yet, he answered. I need to protect you all. I need to know what’s happening.

That place…it terrifies me, Paul. The eyes… she trembled with shivers. Even the Baron told me I should not look there. I should not seek him.

Paul froze. The Baron? he asked, a cold shiver running down his spine. Our Grandfather is talking to you?

Paul had heard his ego a couple of times but he had never given him any attention. The animal he had given to the desert did not earn any more of his attention on every plane of existence. But Alia talking to the monstrous man turned his blood cold. Paul had heard stories. About him and his nephews and cousins. His darlings.

I-I do not listen to him, Alia quickly said. But he says he wants to help me.

He doesn’t want to help you, Alia, Paul quickly interjected. He wants to manipulate you so that he can bring us more grievances. Do not listen to him. Whenever he calls out to you, you call for me. I will not let him hurt you, sister.

Alia sobbed but bobbed her small head. Brother… she said after a few seconds in hesitance. I-I did something else too.

Paul halted his steps as he toured around the room with her and dipped his head to give her a look. Alia held his gaze, her baby blue focused, looking guilty if any baby could have looked guilty. What did you do, sister?

Alia looked even more guilty if it was possible. I mentioned the Baron to Irulan, she confessed in a low voice as Paul let out a deep, grave sound. I-I was so depressed, so afraid. And The Baron was telling me I lost you too like my father. I just told it to Irulan. I’m sorry. I know you don’t want anyone to know about our heritage. I do not know if she realized who he is amid the chaos, but I reckon soon she will if she has not already.

 Paul sighed again gravely, but he could not find in himself to get angry at his sister. He did not know if Irulan managed to put the dots together with Alia’s slip, but Alia was right. If she hadn’t already, she was going to do it soon. Irulan was smart enough not to miss the connection.

What happened, happened. Getting angry at Alia now wouldn’t change anything, and Paul could not hurt her further after the fright she had. Irulan was possibly going to be wary of him again after she deciphered the truth, but the milk was already spilled. Paul still did not have any intention of declaring himself as the Harkonnen heir, but perhaps it was good that Irulan would learn it. They would have one less secret between them. Irulan had never hidden her contempt and disdain for her betrothal or House Harkonnen, and imagining the despise Paul would see on her face realizing the truth seized his chest, but it was also his bare truth.

 Stilgar came a couple of minutes later and explained to him about the situation. The distraction they had created was as chaotic as Irulan had hinted, and he learned Lord Lance killed two warriors from Red Chasm Sietch. The Naib Omar was breathing fury and demanding justice and penance. Not that Paul was not surprised.

“He’s already asked for his head, Muad’Dib,” Stilgar continued, and Paul snorted. Of course, he had asked for his head. The Naib Omar was an aging wealthy man who ruled the biggest clan of the South with trade, but his warrior days had long past gone. He would have not asked even an outsider to a Kanly dual.

“Chani’s clan already gave him an asylum,” Stilgar continued as Paul glanced at him surprised. “They shared with him their water.”

Paul continued to look at him. He could see Chani trying to save even an outsider from the irrational hatred of fundamentalists, especially when she knew the man was trying to help him by association, but the news still surprised him. His jaw set, Paul nodded.

“Is she still here?” he asked a couple of seconds later, glancing at the wet nurse who was putting his sister to sleep now. He did not want to ask it in front of anyone, Chani’s departure must have reached every corner of Dune, but he still couldn’t help himself.

“Yes, Muad’Dib. She is.”

Paul nodded again and stayed silent. He did not know what to say. Imagining Chani and Irulan in the same place after everything made him feel…awkward. It had been always awkward, but it felt awkward now in a different way. He wondered if Chani knew he had stayed with Irulan in the same room last night, that he was going to stay with her again tonight in the same room. He had not talked with Irulan yet, but Paul did not imagine her staying in another room now. In those scarce times Chani had stayed in the Residency, Paul had always stayed with his lover. Apart from the time Irulan stayed in his room after getting poisoned, Paul had never stayed with her for a full night. Now Chani was here, and Paul was staying with Irulan.

It felt more than awkward.

“Usul…” Stilgar whispered, approaching him closer, and the sole utterance of his given name made Paul understand he was not going to like whatever was going to come out of his best friend. “There is something else—” Paul held his look as the older man hesitated to continue. “The Naib Omar…He presses the Elder Council for you to wed his daughter. To take her as your sultanah.”

Notes:

Haahaha, I'm running to the corner and hide now :)))) Paul is about to get another 'wife', lol :))))

The fight they started brought a lot of uncalculated consequences :) Chani literally took Sir Lance under her arms now, lol, sharing her water with him, giving him asylum from Red Chasm tribe, lol :) Paul is like...wtf, then dunn, the Naib wants him to wed his daugther, lol!

And, Paul also knows that Irulan might have already figured out his bloodline :) Hehe.
Paul will not have a break, NO! Lol! :)))