Ghanima pushed the door open softly, boots treading lightly over the floor. "These are my quarters, and we can get you a room of your own later, if you wish. But there is someone here that you should meet first."
Alia stepped through the door, her eyes taking in Ghanima's Fremen redecoration of the rooms before coming to rest on Alice, one eyebrow raising in inquiry.
She had not seen Alia since that class of Ghanima's, long ago, but the blue-on-blue eyes were unmistakable. Alice got to her feet.
"A Queen in exile, who plays at being a consort," she said. "Self-imposed exile, which is preferable to the alternative. I've birthed an Atreides but I'm not of royal blood -- only a pawn who fought her way to the end of the chessboard. I suppose one appreciates a crown more, paying for it with blades. I'm Alice, and you're Alia, isn't that so?"
She executed a proper curtsy, to end that little bit of madness.
"She's not my spoil," Ghanima laughed, moving past her aunt. "If anything, the water rings are her ghanima, although it's no game she plays, no matter how contrary she's being today."
"I always play games," Alice insisted, smiling at Ghani. "That was how Leto and I began. He plays games better than anyone I know. He's especially good at abolishing the rules and turning the whole matter on its head."
She tilted her head at the newcomer. "Am I being contrary? I'm very pleased to meet you. But I'm not very good at saying things properly, that's all."
Leto stopped in the doorway. He wasn't surprised - the dreams had prepared him - but the scene in front of him sent a sensation of grief that was both his and his father's.
"If we weren't playing games, she wouldn't know to take us seriously," Ghanima quipped, keeping her own grief close to her chest for now. "I think this calls for proper coffee."
But with not nearly the amount of spice in it that would have, had it only been the three of them. Ghanima had no desire to poison Alice.
"I would expect no less from you two," Alia replied with the hint of a smile. "And any family reunion calls for proper cpffee."
Her attention turned again to the woman she didn't know. The blue-on-blue eyes identified her as a resident of Arrakis, the water rings were the signs of a Fremen woman.
"An exiled queen, and not of royal blood? Both a consort and a pawn? And the mother of an Atreides?"
"I come from a town called Oxford, and from a very, very long time ago," she said. "Only a couple of centuries where we are now, but thousands of years, as I understand it, for you. I am the rightful Queen of Wonderland, which I stumbled into entirely by accident. I defeated the Red Queen twice now, and have slain the Jabberwock at least that many times. Mostly these days I torment the various ambassadors by making them play games. I insist today is Everyone Hops On One Foot Day, or ask them to honor my religion by wearing outlandish hats
( ... )
"You are Atreides now, Alice, and we decide ourselves what is and is not proper," Ghanima called as she heated the coffee service. "As is our right."
"And no, beloved aunt, before you ask; I haven't killed nor wed the Corrino prince." She stuck her head out of the kitchenette impishly. "Alice remains the only mother to an Atreides for now. I have more than enough children here, and your nephew's daughter is more than enough Atreides for the place to handle for now."
Leto pressed Alice's hand, briefly giving her a thankful glance.
"As you hear, aunt, I have found a most talented consort to assist me." He spoke lightly, but well aware that they were touching the topic of rulership, one that he did not want to bring up explicitly right now.
At this point, as if understanding that she was being talked about, Hania made a noise. It sounded as if she was unsure whether to wake up or not, as well as whether this was a good thing or a bad.
"Forgive me," Alice said, releasing Leto's hand and dropping another curtsy. "The blessed one knows we speak of her, and demands her rightful audience."
She slipped into the backroom, making soothing noises to her fussy tiny adorable angel.
There was sadness in Alia's eyes. The twins had always had each other, had always been able to share their otherness, the condition of the Preborn that kept them apart from everyone else. Alia had been alone and abandoned, first by her mother and then by her brother. And now her niece and nephew had a family which included this girl from another time and a small child.
"You have been lucky."
Was there such a thing as luck, and did the Atreides deserve it?
Alice, too, had been lucky. Lucky to awaken at all; lucky to find a kindred spirit who understood her madness; lucky to be pulled out of Wonderland when her grief and fear and uncertainty had overwhelmed her, after Hania's birth.
As for Hania's part, she had stopped crying and was now chattering, a softly repeated bah bah bah sound.
"You'll be so tired tomorrow, tiny one," Alice said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
She re-emerged in the suite's main room, the sleepy toddler on one hip. "Juh juh juh juh juh," Hania announced. She stopped rubbing a fist over her eyes long enough to extend a hand out to everyone, opening and closing it in rapid succession.
"Say hello," Alice said softly. "Say hello to your Aunt Alia."
Ghanima pushed the door open softly, boots treading lightly over the floor. "These are my quarters, and we can get you a room of your own later, if you wish. But there is someone here that you should meet first."
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"A spoil of war, Ghanima?"
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"A Queen in exile, who plays at being a consort," she said. "Self-imposed exile, which is preferable to the alternative. I've birthed an Atreides but I'm not of royal blood -- only a pawn who fought her way to the end of the chessboard. I suppose one appreciates a crown more, paying for it with blades. I'm Alice, and you're Alia, isn't that so?"
She executed a proper curtsy, to end that little bit of madness.
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She tilted her head at the newcomer. "Am I being contrary? I'm very pleased to meet you. But I'm not very good at saying things properly, that's all."
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"So you see we still play games, Alia."
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But with not nearly the amount of spice in it that would have, had it only been the three of them. Ghanima had no desire to poison Alice.
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Her attention turned again to the woman she didn't know. The blue-on-blue eyes identified her as a resident of Arrakis, the water rings were the signs of a Fremen woman.
"An exiled queen, and not of royal blood? Both a consort and a pawn? And the mother of an Atreides?"
Reply
Reply
"And no, beloved aunt, before you ask; I haven't killed nor wed the Corrino prince." She stuck her head out of the kitchenette impishly. "Alice remains the only mother to an Atreides for now. I have more than enough children here, and your nephew's daughter is more than enough Atreides for the place to handle for now."
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"As you hear, aunt, I have found a most talented consort to assist me." He spoke lightly, but well aware that they were touching the topic of rulership, one that he did not want to bring up explicitly right now.
At this point, as if understanding that she was being talked about, Hania made a noise. It sounded as if she was unsure whether to wake up or not, as well as whether this was a good thing or a bad.
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She slipped into the backroom, making soothing noises to her fussy tiny adorable angel.
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"You have been lucky."
Was there such a thing as luck, and did the Atreides deserve it?
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"We have." Leto acknowledged, including both himself and Ghanima in this.
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As for Hania's part, she had stopped crying and was now chattering, a softly repeated bah bah bah sound.
"You'll be so tired tomorrow, tiny one," Alice said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
She re-emerged in the suite's main room, the sleepy toddler on one hip. "Juh juh juh juh juh," Hania announced. She stopped rubbing a fist over her eyes long enough to extend a hand out to everyone, opening and closing it in rapid succession.
"Say hello," Alice said softly. "Say hello to your Aunt Alia."
Reply
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