Arrakeen, Saturday afternoon, 10,224 AG
Light fell through the tinted glass, softly lighting the centre of the room. Glowglobes lined the walls, and the movement of the thin curtains dividing the hall in sections betrayed an otherwise unnoticeable flow of air. At the front of the room stood three familiar figures. Instead of the elaborate fashions of the Houses of the Imperium, they all wore the colour of the desert, marking this as a Fremen ceremony.
Ghanima was standing at the center, as was her place as Sayyadina. Her eyes glowed a bit brighter than usual, perhaps, but whether that was from the Spice or the joy of the day, well, she would not say. It was not often that she was called upon to serve in her role as priestess when she was home; usually she was the Princess Royal, or worse yet, the Empress. For this, however, her three roles were one. She was Ghani of Tabr, Leto's twin. She was the Sayyadina, following the ancient line. And she acted as a representative of her House, acknowledging the Emperor's child where politics could not.
"Ibn qirtaiba," she began, raising her hands, and some of the Fremen women in the audience echoed her words. "Sallamaka al-lahu wa-nasaraka. Thus go the holy words, may the Maker protect you, and grant you victory." Normally the entire ceremony would have been conducted in Fremen, but since the new mother was only newly adopted to Tabr - and there were outworlders in attendance - all had agreed, including the sietch elders, that an exception could easily be made.
"The Spice rises and falls, and in the wake of Shai-Hulud walk the tribes. They say in the sietch that God made Dune to train the faithful, but that simply means that each of us is more precious than words. Our strength is in the members of the Ichwan Bedwine, from youngest newborn to revered elder. All persons are contained within a single individual, just as all time is in a moment, and the entire universe is in a grain of sand."
"And today, we welcome another little sister into our brotherhood, to care for and help her grow strong, and teach her the way of the tribes."
Ghanima couldn't help smiling at her twin. "Who brings this child here to be named?"
“Her mother and I do,” Leto replied, smiling back. They had both brought their daughter, but she would be given her names by her mother.
As was right and proper! Ghanima turned her attention to Alice, lips quirking slightly in very un-Sayyadina amusement. "What is the name which has been chosen?"
Alice felt the strange perverse impulse she always had in formal situations; to create chaos in the situation, to spout gibberish and nonsense and make everyone stare. If she were to blubber her lips together and then sneeze, wouldthat be her child’s formal name, from this moment forward? It would be intriguing to see the officiants try their best to spell it.
What little good sense she had, prevailed. “Hania Matilda Sihaya Liddell Atreides,” she said, carefully. She felt certain that she had mispronounced something, or forgotten a bit in the middle, but as no one nudged her or gasped, she supposed she had done acceptably. And with nary a sneeze to be heard.
"Then what is the significance of this name?" Ghanima asked, continuing the ritual.
Alice had a longer speaking role this time, but she was less worried. This was more talking than proper recitation. The only parts which might trip her up were the bits of Fremen strewn throughout, and if she mispronounced them, then so be it. She had carried a Fremen child in her womb; that lent her more legitimacy than proper diction, in her mind.
"Hania is the Fremen word for resting-place. Love is a sanctuary for the weary, where one might take refuge from the storms outside, or inside, and where one can remove one’s boots and be comfortable and safe. May Hania always have such solace.
“Matilda means powerful battler, as Hania will also be a warrior. My younger sister was Edith when she was displeased Mother, Mary at the dinner table, and Edith Mary Liddell as she sleeps in the ground, but she was Matilda in the nursery, Matilda when she laughed, and Matilda when she danced. Fire claimed Edith Mary, but not the spirit of Matilda.
“Sihaya means desert's spring. ‘Giudichar mantene: it is written in the Shah-Nama that water was the first of all things created.’ Paul Muad'Dib called his wife, Chani, his Sihaya. They live on through their granddaughter, who carries their water in her veins.
“Liddell rhymes with fiddle, and it's placed just after the middle.
“Atreides is the House that hung all of these lovely banners.
“We thought we should stop at five."
Thank goodness they had stopped at five. The poor child might tip over under the weight of so many names. "Then may she always be 'Hania' to those around her, 'Matilda' to her enemies, and 'Sihaya' to those of her yali," Ghanima proclaimed, quirking an eyebrow at her brother and new sister-in-law. In Fremen, she added, "//And now we all hope you have no more children, least you double it to twelve names next time for luck.//"
Harah, off to Ghanima's side, gave a sharp bark of laughter, and others hid discreet grins against the folds of their robes.
"Then it is my privilege and my honor to bestow upon you this, the first water ring of your daughter," she said, drawing one out of the folds of her robe and offering it to Alice. "Hold it in care for when she has passed out of childhood, and has proven herself worthy to carry it herself."
So, when Hania was three or so and had slain her first enemy. They weren't going to mention that part in front of outsiders.
"In doing so, I recognize you, Hania Matilda Sihaya Liddell Atriedes, as Fremen and as a citizen of the Imperium. A daughter of Tabr and of the House of Atreus. May you never be in the company of anyone with whom you would not want to die."
Ghanima looked up from the trio to address those assembled. "I give to you the newest member of the tribes, the child of my brother and my student, their own karama. Bless the Maker and His Water. Bless his comings and his goings, May His passing cleanse the world, and may He keep the world for his people."
"Bi-La Kaifa!"
[For the guests! NFB due to distance. Written mostly by the awesome notyourpawn and atreideslioness. Wait for OCD, please. OCD is up!]
Ghanima was standing at the center, as was her place as Sayyadina. Her eyes glowed a bit brighter than usual, perhaps, but whether that was from the Spice or the joy of the day, well, she would not say. It was not often that she was called upon to serve in her role as priestess when she was home; usually she was the Princess Royal, or worse yet, the Empress. For this, however, her three roles were one. She was Ghani of Tabr, Leto's twin. She was the Sayyadina, following the ancient line. And she acted as a representative of her House, acknowledging the Emperor's child where politics could not.
"Ibn qirtaiba," she began, raising her hands, and some of the Fremen women in the audience echoed her words. "Sallamaka al-lahu wa-nasaraka. Thus go the holy words, may the Maker protect you, and grant you victory." Normally the entire ceremony would have been conducted in Fremen, but since the new mother was only newly adopted to Tabr - and there were outworlders in attendance - all had agreed, including the sietch elders, that an exception could easily be made.
"The Spice rises and falls, and in the wake of Shai-Hulud walk the tribes. They say in the sietch that God made Dune to train the faithful, but that simply means that each of us is more precious than words. Our strength is in the members of the Ichwan Bedwine, from youngest newborn to revered elder. All persons are contained within a single individual, just as all time is in a moment, and the entire universe is in a grain of sand."
"And today, we welcome another little sister into our brotherhood, to care for and help her grow strong, and teach her the way of the tribes."
Ghanima couldn't help smiling at her twin. "Who brings this child here to be named?"
“Her mother and I do,” Leto replied, smiling back. They had both brought their daughter, but she would be given her names by her mother.
As was right and proper! Ghanima turned her attention to Alice, lips quirking slightly in very un-Sayyadina amusement. "What is the name which has been chosen?"
Alice felt the strange perverse impulse she always had in formal situations; to create chaos in the situation, to spout gibberish and nonsense and make everyone stare. If she were to blubber her lips together and then sneeze, wouldthat be her child’s formal name, from this moment forward? It would be intriguing to see the officiants try their best to spell it.
What little good sense she had, prevailed. “Hania Matilda Sihaya Liddell Atreides,” she said, carefully. She felt certain that she had mispronounced something, or forgotten a bit in the middle, but as no one nudged her or gasped, she supposed she had done acceptably. And with nary a sneeze to be heard.
"Then what is the significance of this name?" Ghanima asked, continuing the ritual.
Alice had a longer speaking role this time, but she was less worried. This was more talking than proper recitation. The only parts which might trip her up were the bits of Fremen strewn throughout, and if she mispronounced them, then so be it. She had carried a Fremen child in her womb; that lent her more legitimacy than proper diction, in her mind.
"Hania is the Fremen word for resting-place. Love is a sanctuary for the weary, where one might take refuge from the storms outside, or inside, and where one can remove one’s boots and be comfortable and safe. May Hania always have such solace.
“Matilda means powerful battler, as Hania will also be a warrior. My younger sister was Edith when she was displeased Mother, Mary at the dinner table, and Edith Mary Liddell as she sleeps in the ground, but she was Matilda in the nursery, Matilda when she laughed, and Matilda when she danced. Fire claimed Edith Mary, but not the spirit of Matilda.
“Sihaya means desert's spring. ‘Giudichar mantene: it is written in the Shah-Nama that water was the first of all things created.’ Paul Muad'Dib called his wife, Chani, his Sihaya. They live on through their granddaughter, who carries their water in her veins.
“Liddell rhymes with fiddle, and it's placed just after the middle.
“Atreides is the House that hung all of these lovely banners.
“We thought we should stop at five."
Thank goodness they had stopped at five. The poor child might tip over under the weight of so many names. "Then may she always be 'Hania' to those around her, 'Matilda' to her enemies, and 'Sihaya' to those of her yali," Ghanima proclaimed, quirking an eyebrow at her brother and new sister-in-law. In Fremen, she added, "//And now we all hope you have no more children, least you double it to twelve names next time for luck.//"
Harah, off to Ghanima's side, gave a sharp bark of laughter, and others hid discreet grins against the folds of their robes.
"Then it is my privilege and my honor to bestow upon you this, the first water ring of your daughter," she said, drawing one out of the folds of her robe and offering it to Alice. "Hold it in care for when she has passed out of childhood, and has proven herself worthy to carry it herself."
So, when Hania was three or so and had slain her first enemy. They weren't going to mention that part in front of outsiders.
"In doing so, I recognize you, Hania Matilda Sihaya Liddell Atriedes, as Fremen and as a citizen of the Imperium. A daughter of Tabr and of the House of Atreus. May you never be in the company of anyone with whom you would not want to die."
Ghanima looked up from the trio to address those assembled. "I give to you the newest member of the tribes, the child of my brother and my student, their own karama. Bless the Maker and His Water. Bless his comings and his goings, May His passing cleanse the world, and may He keep the world for his people."
"Bi-La Kaifa!"
[For the guests! NFB due to distance. Written mostly by the awesome notyourpawn and atreideslioness. Wait for OCD, please. OCD is up!]