Arrakeen, Arrakis, Sunday Afternoon
Had the imaginary enemies actually existed they would have been dead by now. Leto grinned while spinning the knives around in his hands, considering his next move. An real fight would have been even better - he had actually envied Ghanima when she had told him about how the wedding she had been officiating had been attacked. Not that he didn’t agree with her that it was an unacceptable way to express displeasure about the union, and he did feel sorry for the couple as well.
The training fulfilled its purpose however, which was to instill a clarity of mind. He needed it to escape the misty uncertainty at the edge of his vision that had persisted for a few days, and which usually meant there was a shift in the paths leading into the future. A small one probably, and most likely without a result that required any action on his part, but it was irritating. Alice had noticed it almost immediately. She was used to that happening by now, and while it took a while until she addressed it, by now he expected that she would. They had spent this morning in bed coming up with several highly implausible causes, as well as a few reactions to them, and that always lightened his mind.
He changed weapons, picking up a staff and balancing in his hand before practicing a few moves with it. He knew he had a spectator who had been standing there for a while, but he would let her wait a little longer. This was another matter that had been on this mind, and for quite some time now. Only after another couple of moves he addressed his daughter.
”Hania.” The tone of his voice made clear what would come next, and the girl knew it very well too. She remained silent, and he continued: ”Irulan told me she had to go looking for you again yesterday. Which means you will soon have missed an entire week.” To go looking for Hania when she didn’t want to be found was a futile endeavor, as she knew more hiding places in the palace than anyone else, as well as any escape routes from them.
His daughter remained silent, her jaw set in the way that told of stubbornness and anger, both of which probably covered up for some guilt that she didn’t wish to acknowledge. Leto looked straight at her. She no longer played games of excuses and strange twists of reasoning, because he always refused to play when it came to serious matters. Her mother played and won, but she was a lot less concerned about Hania not attending her lessons. Having rebelled against a Victorian upbringing, Alice cared less about practical rules, and this had become a frequent cause of argument between her and Leto.
”There are reasons behind everything Irulan teaches you,” he continued, repeating a lecture that he had had to give frequently. His daughter could not reject a Bene Gesserit training - her survival might very well depend upon it. ”If you are not satisfied with her as a teacher, perhaps I should sent you to Lady Jessica on Caladan. But I warn you, she is a lot more difficult to escape.”
Hania was no Truthsayer and her eyes narrowed, trying to figure out if he was being serious or if this was just an empty threat. Leto didn’t actually know. His daughter couldn’t continue to disappear when she pleased, but her position as the Emperor’s only child, and the only young Atreides (although the latter might change), meant few in the palace dared question her actions. It was different in Sietch Tabr of course. There she was treated as just another child, and, perhaps surprisingly, it was the place she preferred. He couldn’t let her stay there permanently though. Hania was both Fremen and Atreides and the latter part demanded that she received a different kind of training than a Sietch girl would. What the Liddell part of her heritage demanded was up to Alice, and so far it had mostly included to be as little Victorian as possible and to win at riddle games, both of which Hania already was exceedingly good at.
”The next time I will look for you myself, and make sure you don’t leave the room until you have finished all the assignments,” Leto said, knowing well enough it was a threat she could avoid. He sighed. ”And stop stealing her clothes.”
The last comment made the corner of Hania’s mouth twitch. She decided that her father’s lecture had now come to an end, as he resorted to that kind of scolding, so she turned around and left the room.
The calm that the weapons practice had given him had almost gone, but Leto wanted to leave this matter for now, although he knew he would have to come up with a solution. He picked up the staff again and moved across the floor, into the bright light cast through the window facing the desert.
[NFB, can be open for Ghanima, or for phone calls]