Chapter Text
Heeana
She feels like she’s in a cage.
She feels like she’s dying.
The first one is not the truth, the second however likely is.
Her lungs are filling with water gradually and her hands are held firmly with leather cords freezing her in a position of a cross.
It’s a vision, she realises. The walls of it are white-washed and blurred. But the tightening in her chest and the tint of panic is very real. Even through the dream-like state Heeana can feel her muscles spasming and the pain strike her chest.
It’s only a matter a of time when the vision-her will choke and die. How many seconds to go? 10? 20? Maybe a minute if her future version can focus enough on staying calm and will be able to recall her Bene Gesserit training.
The blades pierce through the water surface simultaneously and their sharp steel cuts through both leather cords holding Heeana’s hands.
Her body starts falling further into the water when a strong hand encircles her waist, pulling her up with such force, the kinetic energy throws not only her body out of the water but also splashes the contents of the container she was being held in in all the directions.
The cough is uncontrollable. The water goes back through the same pipe in her throat in went in previously. Heeana’s chest and throat burning as she keeps coughing.
When the agony subsides into a hollow pain she finally looks up with her half-lidded eyes at the person who…saved her life.
Feyd Rautha Harkonnen is staring back at her, nostrils flared and teeth marred black.
Heeana almost falls down from her bed so suddenly is she thrown back into her own body. Cold sweat is covering her forehead, hair sticking to the skin, and her chest is raising a falling rapidly.
She tries to calm down. Long breaths. One at a time. Panic is fear. Fear is a mind killer. There’s no fear…no fear…
Heeana doesn’t get visions. At least never did. Her training with the sisterhood wan’t very long: less than a year. Sisters usually train their whole lives and it’s still not guaranteed that they will ever receive the sight.
The first visions are…hard, Heeana has heard. Overwhelming. She should be glad she didn’t scream. Now that would cause a stir. On Ginaz you don’t scream unless it’s a battle cry.
Heeana doesn’t think she’s ever felt drowning before, especially being drowned this violently. And there’s nothing she can take away from this vision - the place is foreign to her, the method of torture or whatever it was as well…only the man who saved her.
The Harkonnen heir seems to follow her everywhere she steps. Metaphorically speaking. She remembers her birthday when she first saw him - even though she denies it to his face every chance she gets. Then one day he just showed up on Ginaz, in her father’s study, asking for training. It’s a storm brewing: she knows it, her bones feel it.
There’s a drop of colour on her silk white shift she uses as a night gown and Heeana’s head cocks slightly to see closer.
Blood.
Only then does she feel the metallic taste in her mouth, hand reaching slowly to prob at her lip. She probably bit it during the vision: the split is small.
Heeana takes one more deep breath and falls back on her bed. The dawn will come in an hour or so and she can’t say she’s had enough sleep and none of good quality.
She knows he’s mad at her.
After the first couple weeks of initial training - testing Feyd’s endurance mostly - the fighting skills are to be tested next.
Heeana calls on Aarin, one of most prominent warriors that reside in the castle. Feyd was not trained on Ginaz but by the planet’s standards he’s not a bad fighter. His style of course differs from the one Ginaz swardmasters prefer but you suppose Geidi Prime is a place of more ‘dirty’ fighting if you’re allowed to call it so.
In the duel with Aarin Feyd is at a clear disadvantage: he’s clouded by rage and he’s cocky. A dangerous combination. Aarin is a ‘machine’ by this point, he’s a soldier to the bone and he fights like a soldier: precise, accurate, by the book even. Feyd could actually take him, in Heeana’s opinion, but only once he overcomes himself.
She told him exactly what he needed to do the help that happened: he wasn’t happy about that. Heeana believes the Harkonnen heir was not exactly aware of what he was getting himself into when he was signing up for Ginaz training in the castle of the Duke.
Maybe that’s why she doesn’t find him in the dungeons the next day: the chamber with the arena they were usually using empty.
Mooder, the guard, greets at the door with a bow: “My Lady.”
“Where is Feyd Rautha?”
“Forgive me, My Lady Heeana, he did not show up.”
You sigh and pass him to go up the stairs swiftly, your sand-coloured tunica flowing after you.
Heeana knocks only once before sending the door flying open with a kick of her foot.
Empty.
She proceeds to enter. The room looks rather tidy to her surprise. But the occupant of it is absent.
It’s the maid who’s working in the kitchens lets slip that she’s seen the Harkonnen heir making his way out of the castle before the sun has risen, heading west.
West is the Deep Sea.
Heeana follows the only way west and it leads to where the sandy land is exchanged for the rocky cliffs, although not very high, that are splitting the sea.
This time of year rain takes turns with the blinding sun so she has to cover her eyes with her hand that’s littered with golden bracelets and rings. It’s only when she goes over the cliffs with her eyes the second time she can finally spy a piece of black clothing.
It’s Feyd’s tunic, she discovers stepping closer, but the man himself is still absent.
“Didn’t know we’ll meet like this, My Lady Ginaz.” His raspy voice comes from the sea.
“Get out of there.” Heeana says before her eyes find his.
He smirks instead of taking action, only his broad shoulders and bald head floating above the water.
“Maybe you should join instead.” He offers with narrowed eyes.
“If you don’t get out now, the Baron will be looking for someone else to call his heir very soon.”
At this his smirk fades slightly though he still does not make any particular move to be out of the dark waters.
“I’m serious, Feyd! You have no idea what creatures hide inside these waters.” Heeana looks straight at him and for a second she thinks she’ll have to use the voice. But the next moment he starts moving to the shore. Not as fast as Heeana would prefer but at least he’s moving.
“Won’t My Lady help?” The smirk on Feyd’s face is back when he reaches the cliffs and holds one of his hands out to her.
She’s tempt to turn around and leave but unfortunately for her she’s more worried that a kazman or a rinitha or whatever else Deep sea creature there is will any minute grab his ankle and Ginaz will face the charges of letting the heir of a Great House die.
Heeana steps closer instead and grabs his hand tightly. She doesn’t recognise that it’s the first time they ever touch. His skin is wet but warm even though she’s sure the water of the Deep Sea is on the colder side.
She tugs but is met with resistance. She feels stupid not realising it’s him who’s dragging her back so Heeana uses all her strength and Feyd lets go of the mirroring pressure he was applying, sending both them flying to the ground.
“Ah..” She breathes out as his weight comes crushing on top of her.
She hears Feyd groan. Feels his body, muscles and skin, cover her almost completely. It’s a foreign sensation, being this close to someone. Being this close with someone of opposite sex.
When she finally opens her eyes Feyd’s head is right above hers as he holds his weight up with his elbows.
“You could have just said you desired me on top of you.” He purrs, it’s absolutely sinful how the sounds come out of his mouth.
But as she blinks, suddenly Heeana is not on the cliffs of the Ginaz beach. For a split second she’s in the dark chamber with no windows or light and the man who’s just fallen on top of her is dragging her out of the container full of water where she was meant to die. Išta. He calls her. Or says something to her, the word is unfamiliar.
“Išta.” She mumbles when the fog of the vision she’s experienced at night evaporates.
“What did you say?” This time the Harkonnen heir’s eyes are staring her down like the ones of a hawk.
“I…”
“How do you know this word?” He questions but doesn’t move from the position the two of them share.
The water from his soaked trousers is sliding to her clothes and the droplets from his face are falling to her neck but his eyes are still digging into hers.
“I don’t know.” She admits.
He gives her one more look before pushing himself off of the ground and to his knees. “So it’s true then. You are a witch.”
Heeana wants to laugh. It’s so ridiculous how people call the sisterhood.
“No.” She replies also taking a sitting position right in front of him, their legs and knees still touching. “But if you’re talking about the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, I have been trained in some of their ways. Though I suppose not good enough. Otherwise they would have never let me go.”
She spots something change in Feyd’s face. Sisters who do not reside in the Sisterhood quoters usually keep quiet of any affiliation to the Bene Gesserit.
“I don’t know where I’ve heard that word before.” She lies. But the truth would be too vulnerable to admit.
The man in front of her cocks his head obviously trying to read her. Then hums and without another word proceeds to stand up.
“But you obviously know.” Heeana notes looking up at him, eyes squinting in the sun. “What does it mean?”
Feyd offers his hand instead. It’s a moment before Heeana accepts and is being tugged effortlessly into a standing positions but when she’s up he doesn’t let her hand go. Not yet. “If you don’t know, means you don’t need to know it.”
She does not say anything in return.
“Your stunt today will not go unpunished.” She finally says though voice a little softer than before. She hopes it’s not easy to hear.
“You said we would not proceed until I answer your questions.” He fires back, voice levelled. “It was clear we will not proceed today. I’m not letting you in my head.”
With this he turns on his heels and walks to where the rest of his clothes is resting on the ground leaving Heeana with strange taste of defeat in her mouth.