My Word Above All
Irulan Corrino x Feyd Rautha x Paul Atreides 538 words
Summary: Alternate universe. Polycule Throne. After the death of her father, Irulan rises to claim the title of Empress, declaring a truce in the midst of a deadly conflict between Atreides and Harkonnen.
Her father’s lifeless body lay in her arms. Irulan held him. Unable to pull her eyes away. Fresh tears streamed down her face. He’d taken Paul’s father away, and so he had to take hers. The logical side would tell her she’d have done the same thing in his position. That’s the thing, wasn’t it? Rationale didn’t always make it to the foreground?
Around her, the room’s silence was cut through with a grunt or a strained breath as the two men continued their fight. Blades clattered together sharply. The thudding of a body landing somewhere. Feyd wasn’t fighting to avenge her father. He was fighting for himself.
“Enough!” Irulan bellowed out until all eyes were suddenly on her. Her eyes wildly bounced between Atreides and Harkonnen. Still with blades at one another throats. It was either they both lived, or neither did. Two paths and she was choosing for them. Gently nudging her father’s body back to the floor, Irulan pushed herself up to her feet. Standing straight and tall. Her father’s blood covered one of her hands. A smear of where he'd slumped back against her, staining her metal dress.
“Shaddam Corrino IV is no longer the Emperor, I am.” She let that sink in, a look of unfettered resolution on her face she pushed on, “and as Empress of the new Imperium, I am declaring a truce and for a draw to be agreed upon. Enough blood has been shed on this day. I will agree to marry both should my wishes be respected. I will deny either if they aren’t.”
There, she thought, let them mull on that.
The noise of shock reverberated throughout the room. A sharp “No! You mustn’t!” came whispered from Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Irulan turned back to her. “I shall. If they agree to this, then I will follow through on my word.” She gave her one last apologetic look before steeling herself to turn to both men, “Well? Sheath your weapons.”
She didn’t wait for them to make a decision. It was already decided for them whether they knew it or not. Irulan turned to Gurney, “Report back to the Great Houses. I want representatives from each here now.” Then to another person she’d picked out, “Take my father and prepare him for transport back to Kaitain.” Eyes darting to more people, “Get them cleaned up and treated for injuries. Send them to me once that’s done.” Finally, she turned to the last person, “I want you to start preparing this room for the ceremony. Make sure all the blood is gone.”
Turning on her heel she left them all to deal with the aftermath. Finding herself a quiet room to reside. Rubbing at her temples, finding the need for action came to her over tears. Irulan undressed and washed the bloodstains from the metal. Cleaning herself in the process. By the time one of the boys stepped into her quarters, she was already redressed and looking a lot better for it.
“Take a seat, get comfortable. We’ll discuss this more with you once the other one is here.” She approached him. Hand extending out expectantly towards him, wanting something from him. “Your knives. Hand them over.”
Continued on our jcink rp!
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