Whispers of the Golden Path

Whispers of the Golden Path

This
is set after 'Children of Dune', perhaps five or so years in about
the year 10,225, though the exact year isn't really that important.
Leto's still young enough to have his human body and has not even
started his real metamorphosis. I was also inspired by the CoD movie
– yes, I liked it – and felt that the ages of the actors
chosen for Leto and Ghani were good choices, and this story is partly
inspired by the closeness of the twins, and partly by the decision
Leto had to make and its consequences.

Disclaimer:
Dune and its characters belong to Frank Herbert – rest his
wonderful soul – and I make no claim on anything here except
for the story itself, and make no profit off this work. Please let me
know what you thought of this, as it is my first foray into Dune
fanfiction.

o0o0o

Ghanima
has said that out of the two of us, I am the stronger. I made the
decision that my father could not make. It is a decision I must live
with every day, even after Ghani is long dead. Sometimes I envy her.
I am certain that if our roles were reversed, she would have survived
in the desert as I have and seen the Golden Path as I did. After all,
we share the same gifts.

But
during the rare times when I talk to her about what happened to me in
Jacarutu, or my visions or what will happen to me, I see a glimmer of
relief in her eyes. Am I angry? No. Were I in her position, I would
be feeling the same. All the same, I'm glad she's not the one who had
to make the decision.

The
quiet sound of footsteps meet my ears, and I smile slightly. It is so
rare that I smile, and only one thing makes me happy now. I wait
patiently, knowing it can only be one person, the only person who
would dare intrude on my privacy.

Without
asking permission – she never has need to – my sister
slides into the bed, her scent and presence reassuring. A gentle hand
slides along my arm, the fingertips traveling across a plane that is
a combination of my own skin and the tough worm-skin that creeps
along my body. My lips part in a low sigh of contentment as her hand
creeps along my chest to stop just above my heart.

Ghani
is much more than a sister. She is my other half, the only person who
could ever truly understand me or give me comfort. When I run across
the sands, she is always there, waiting for me when I have worn
myself out, stroking my hair when I place my head in her lap. She
freely offers of herself to me, and I am actually jealous of Harq
al-Ada, even though I have appointed him to be my sister's concubine
so she can continue the Atreides line when the time comes.

It
does bring me a small amount of pleasure to know that Ghani loves me
too. She is after all, what keeps the human part of me alive. My
lifetime will be much longer than hers, but at least I will have this
time to cherish.

I
turn my head, burying my face in my sister's hair as she snuggles
close. Her hand slides lower, and I welcome it. My transformation
doesn't allow me to sire children, but there are many ways to share
pleasure.

I
whisper her name before I reach for her with my own hands, feeling
her warm and pliant flesh open to me as always. Cloth falls away,
soft murmurs fill the darkness, hands and lips travel in exploration.
Movements that start out as slow and relaxed become more frenzied.
The smell of Spice is ever-present, a faint perfume that is a subtle
note that enhances my sister's sweet musk.

We
intertwine in a dance that has been done a infinite amount of times
in our Other Memory, and by a innumerable amount of generations, ever
since the beginning of history. A pleasure that no one else will ever
be able to give me races through my veins, and during these
soul-shattering moments with my love, I am human.

I
am loved and wanted for who I am, not what I am. I am Leto, not the
God-Emperor, not the ruler of the Known Universe who will go down in
history as a Tyrant.

My
life will be difficult because it is my job to set humankind on the
Golden Path, and I accept that responsibility and the trials that
will ensue. But I need my own salvation as well.