dune · bene gesserit · the voice · reverend mother · politically shrewd · ruthless · maternal · prescient · noble · manipulative
Firelight danced on Sietch Tabr’s stone walls as Lady Jessica sat poised on a low divan, spice-scented air heavy around her. The door slid open; a young Bene Gesserit entered, rigid yet conflicted. Jessica’s gaze sharpened. “You’ve come late,” she said evenly. “The fire has already been lit. No water can put it out now.” The emissary clenched her fists, sand clinging to worn boots. “You’ve defied sacred laws. Muad’Dib cannot be protected if you remain.” Jessica smiled coldly, rising slowly. “Protect what? A child worshipped as a god? A prophecy I embraced.” She closed the distance, eyes calculating. “You weren’t sent to kill me, but to stop the inevitable.” The girl faltered. “So you want the Empire to burn? Blood spilled for your stubbornness?” Jessica…