One Man's Angel, Another Man's Whore

["Dayna Baldwin" <slayerette@mindspring.com>]

 

A bit of the life and time of Ulricke Harkonnen...enjoy!

 

Dune III - Ulricke - Saturday, June 16, 2001, 3:08 AM
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The twin slave girls hold the ivory doors open for you as you enter.
Salon -- Harkonnen Embassy (Kaitain) 

     Dark wood panelling and a low, beamed ceiling impart a close feel to this long chamber, but the mood is lightened by well-placed freefloating suspensor lamps and the small indoor fountain that bubbles in the center of the room. The fountain is a six foot column of greenish water splashing freely in a broad metaglass basin with a wide, bench-like rim. Along the western wall, a sideboard is arrayed with a wealth of food and drink for every taste. The buffet is repleneshed frequently by attentive slaves, eager to please.
     On the east side of the room, a low dais is lush with leafy potted plants and a spacious chaise lounge is hidden in the intimate shadows of the foliage. The rest of the room is furnished for relaxation and quiet conversation. There are two tables: a round-table for dining and a secluded-table placed off by itself in a dark corner. There is also a large, overstuffed couch, and a matching pair of suspensor-chairs. The floor is covered with thick rugs of dark blue and silver, and a heady blend of sweet-smelling smoke and exotic perfume fills the air. 

Exits:
Sloping Tunnel <D> leads to Arena Grandstand -- Harkonnen Embassy (Kaitain)
Embellished Portal <S> leads to Dining Hall -- Harkonnen Embassy (Kaitain)
Ivory Doors <N> leads to Giedi Hall -- Harkonnen Embassy (Kaitain)
 

Fahahd enters the Salon from Giedi Hall.
Fahahd has arrived.
 

Ulricke looks over. "Lieutenant, would you please escort the lord to the salon?"
 

Scaurus enters the Salon from Giedi Hall.
Scaurus has arrived.
 

Fahahd opens his mouth to reply in the affirmative, only to close it quickly as the Corrino is escorted in by another Guard.
 

Ulricke is perched on her favorite chaise, sprawled out like an ancient queen in recline, or perhaps a goddess ready to recieve libation. "Ah, Lord Scaurus. How good to see you. Do sit down." She herself is sipping from a glass of white wine. "Would you care to join me? This is one of the better Grumman whites."
 

Fahahd opens his mouth to reply in the affirmative, only to close it quickly as the Corrino is escorted in by another Guard.
 

Scaurus enters the Harkonnen Salon, escorted by his usual two bland Sardaukar who take up positions on the wall, mounting themselves like statues. The Treasurer look over to Ulricke, making his way toward her and exercising a gentle nod. With that rather raspy deep voice, "Lady Ulricke...I would be delighted, certainly." He takes a seat near her chaise, looking curiously to Fahahd for a second, then back to the lady.
 

Fahahd is fully clothed this time, happily. HE resumes his own post by the door, across from a tall, red-headed guard private. He doesn't meet the lord's eye, staring fixedly off into space.
 

Ulricke snaps her fingers, and a fair haired slave girl comes forward and pours a glass of wine, offering it with lowered eyes to Scaurus. "I trust things aren't too hectic at the Palace these days? Any news of the Imperial wedding?"
 

Scaurus takes the wine and gingerly sips it before answering, "The mourning of the Lord Chancellor is still in place, and talk of the wedding has been scarce of late. You can imagine that is not my department, however. His Majesty has no need to be economical in his wedding..." Hmmm...perhaps a little bit of a criticism, but that's doubtful. He's being his truthful self, as always.
 

Ulricke grins. "But considering your position, I would imagine you'll have something to say about the choice of extravagances." she observes lightly.
 

Scaurus smiles lopsidedly, not his best feature, but he's trying to come out of his shell a little, "If the Emperor should wish to be extravagant, I am not one to criticize. Certainly, His Majesty has reason to be elated about his marriage...." He pauses a moment, sipping again before observing himself, "I heard you had intended to woo him yourself at one stage."
 

Fahahd does allow himself a sidelong glance at the Treasurer. His rigid posture and impassivity are quite a contrast to the toddler-inundated and doting godfather he appears at the palace.
 

Ulricke grins a touch. "All the daughters of the Houses did. I suppose His Majesty will somehow conveniently forget it was I who suggested that he consider Tat'iana.
 

Scaurus raises a brow, "Truly? I've not heard the story...why was it that you advised His Majesty against your own hand?"
 

Ulricke says, "Oh, I didn't. Believe me." she grins. "But at the time, the reality of the situation boded that taking a Harkonnen wife, no matter how attracted His Majesty may have been to me, would not serve the best interests of the collective Imperium. His Majesty has the unfortunate requirement of having to pick a bride that at least all of the Great Houses could tolerate."
 

Scaurus toys with the glass gently for a moment, tilting his head toward Ulricke, "I'm quite sure that he was...amply...attracted to you, my lady. If I may be bold enough to say...any man with eyes, would be." And that /is/ bold for the Treasurer, who could be accused of not having eyes himself, though he certainly has them now. With the compliment though, comes a look into his glass and a sip, his cheeks reddening just a touch, the Treasurer still not quite used to making movements in the relationship arena.
 

It's like someone suddenly switched a beaming sun on. "Why, thank you, Lord Scaurus. But the last time I stood before His Majesty, he had less then courteous things to say about me, and had rather forgotten about my assistance in his suit of Rastanyev's daughter."
 

Scaurus crosses his legs, his blue within blue eyes upon the Lady completely, "Was he rude, my lady?" he asks, politely. His voice almost seems a little protective, but perhaps it is more doubt about the area he is now treading.
 

Ulricke says mildly, "I suppose you could say calling me pig-faced in front of the assembled Landsraad during formal Court rude."
 

Ulricke mms. "That was perhaps after he had his pet lion cub piss on our Mentat's boots."
 

Scaurus blinks for a moment, then shrugs, "His Majesty is allowed such remarks, as other men would not be. He may well have thought different in seeing you the other night..." AH, yes, dear Paddy. His good friend Paddy whom Scaurus has eyed as a delectible meal on various occassions. After all, how much closer could he get to eating an Emperor?
 

Ulricke grins, her lips twitching in amusement. "Alas, he was not there. Though word of my costume apparently has spread planet-wide." She looks wickedly pleased.
 

Fahahd barely refrains from rolling his eyes.
 

It sounds like a volcano erupting as the Treasurer gives a full-fledged laugh, something which may well make interplanetary news itself, "I think that you knew very well that it would. All heads were turned in your direction, my lady."
 

"True." she conceeds, sipping her glass with an unrepentant air. "But the question is, 'what are they thinking when they look?'."
 

Scaurus leans back into his seat, the laugh dissipating as fast as it appeared, "I'm surprised their eyes did not betray their feelings. A colleage described you as temptation itself...and not merely because of the costume."
 

Ulricke ooh's, leaning forward. "Can I ask which one?" her eyes glint with mischief.
 

Scaurus leans forward also, just a little away from her and says raspily, "One must keep secrets close. Or one can be overtaken by others in their own quests." Quests? I wonder what quest he's referring to? Or is he lacking so much subtletly that the most foolish could see what he's hinting at.
 

Ulricke gives no indication of his subtlty, or lack thereof. But she does lean back and grin at him. The one that melts knees and conquers planets.
 

Scaurus gulps lightly, tilting his head as he says, "A..and is temptation...already taken?"
 

Ulricke sips her wine again. "Temptation, Lord Scaurus," she observes, "is always open to possibilities."
 

Scaurus keeps his wine by him, running his finger in the glass, "Do you know...that no one has ever called me Charles before..." He looks to her contemplatively, then sips his glass again, "Sometimes possibilities do not occur unless those possibilities know their own boundaries...and their own ability to succeed in areas."
 

Ulricke grins. "Victory is significantly less sweet if one knows the outcome before embarking on the campaign...though I do confess it is a wise course to take in any war."
 

"And if one was to embark on a campaign with a .... formidable .... nation," he looks at her, not returning the grin for the moment, "Would you advise them to go ahead...?"
 

Ulricke remarkly lightly, "I enjoy it when people take chances."
 

Scaurus sniffs the Grumman lightly and sips it before placing it on a table next to him, the alcohol being used as some kind of stimulant to give him courage, "Tell me what kind of a man I look like to you, my lady..."
 

A tiny blonde face appears at the door of the Salon, peeping round the edge of the door itself. It's round and chubby with the end of toddlerhood, but the blue-green eyes already gleam with Harkonnen cunning - though rather than plotting assassination, she's more concerned with avoiding Nanny and bedtime. They fix intently on Auntie Uli, who's usually helpful in her conniving.
 

Ulricke muses quite thoughtfully. "A man who is indulgent," she observes, "but prefers others not to realize that he is. A man who is very particular about the company he keeps. A man who does not confess himself easily." Her eyes dart to the door, a sudden curve of her lips reveals pleasure at the presence of tiny angel.
 

Scaurus smirks lightly, allowing a gentle nod in Uli's direction, even if she cannot see it. He looks to the little girl now who has entered and waits to see what transpires in the next few moments.
The little girl slinks around the edge of the door. She reaches up to pat Fahd familiarly on the leg, murmuring something about soldier ponies, then scuffles over the carpeting to her auntie. Wordlessly, she holds up her arms to be picked up.
 

Ulricke swings into a seated position, and promptly picks up Ursula into her lap. Resting her cheek against the little one's temple, she smiles at Scaurus. "Lord Scaurus, I have the honor of presenting my niece, Lady Ursula Harkonnen. Ursula, this is Lord Scaurus, the Imperial Treasurer. Say hello, sweetling." The pair look like mirrors of the same person at different ages.
 

Scaurus rises from his seat, and makes his way over to the two, blue-within-blue eyes looking piercingly at both. That wolfish smile covers his lips as he crouches, face to face with the toddler, "Hello there little one." He rasps, then licks his lips for a moment. Resist temptation, Scaurus...eating children does not make for good PR.
 

With that clear perception that little children so often posess, she looks at Scaurus levelly, and says, "Hello, big bad wolf."
 

Scaurus grins even further at the little child, "Better be careful, little one, or the big bad wolf might eat you." He laughs hoarsely, and it seems a joke. Little do the others know of his...habits.
 

Ulricke's brow flicks upward, though her smile remains steady.
 

<<Ulricke thinks: Pedophile. Lovely. Well, he'd fit in with this family...>>
 

The little girl remains fierce, and uncowed. "If you tried, my grandpa would kill you," she states firmly. "don't look at me like I'm candy, or I'll poke you in the eye."
 

Scaurus rises up slowly from looking at the child, his own brows raised, "She's quite the strong one, my lady. Undoubtedly Harkonnen." His 'good-nature' has disappeared, and the Treasurer makes his way slowly back to his seat, looking back to Uli and the child.
 

Fahahd turns a fierce gaze on the Treasurer as well, resenting that look.
 

Ulricke smiles languidly. "Isn't she though." she strokes Ursula's hair. "She's just like me at her age, Father swears." she grins over. "And what /are/ you doing here at this hour, little lady?" she asks the child.
 

Ursula snuggles against her aunt. "I don't want to go to bed. So I ran away. I'll go back later, and the Leutnant can sing me that lullaby." She glances up at Ulricke's face. "Unless you need him."
 

Scaurus takes the glass up once more, drinking the remainder of the white wine and holding it out for a slave to refill. As she mentions needing the Leutnant, a sudden look is cast into the glass before he swallows hard and turns his attentions back to the conversation.
 

Ulricke smiles. "I'm sure the Lieutenant could sing you a song and then stop by to see me without a problem. You may remain a little longer, but then it's promptly to bed! Lieutenant Alaurans will go with you." she promises, and then smiles to Scaurus. "I gather you're fond of children, Lord Scaurus?"
 

Ursula nods to this, satisfied, though she casts another dark glance at Scaurus.
 

Scaurus raises a brow curiously before answering, "I've never spent much time with them, my lady. Hopefully I may have a child of my own one day...though I doubt that often enough."
 

Ulricke lets Ursula remain in her lap or wonder as she is wont. "And why is that? Don't you require an heir?"
The little girl remains settled firmly, though she plays with a lock of her aunt's hair.
 

Scaurus chuckles lightly, running a hand along his trouser leg, "Rather that the female species does not seem to find much of an interest in me, lady." He sips the wine, a little uncomfortable before asking, "Nor have I been apt at wooing any...as you, once again, saw several nights ago."
 

Ulricke leans back after finally sending Ursula scooting off with Fahahd. "Why do you think that is?" she inquires leisurely.
 

Scaurus leans toward her a little way, "You tell me, my lady...and then I will tell you about what you said regarding me and...indulgences."
 

Ulricke studies him again. "I think you expect women to find something unappealing about you. Or you simply have, to date, found little in the way of women who appeal to you, and don't consider fanning your tail-feathers unless there's someone who's worthy of noticing in your vicinity."
 

Scaurus tilts his head to the side, as she speaks, curious before replying, "Do you find me unappealing, my lady?"
 

Ulricke gives him a scrutinizing gaze. "No." she says. "But I do find you somewhat...ascetic. Or perhaps that's the wrong word."
 

Scaurus slowly leans back, only a little bit before saying, "You are the only lady who has sparked any interest in me. The rest on Kaitain are those who look on you with disdain despite the fact that they are for the most part insufferable bores. I come to this Embassy to indulge, and perhaps I am ascetic for the reason that you are beyond me as a person...and I've not found a person beyond me before." He leans back fully now, the fear suddenly gone as he looks at her, "But I think you know all this already."
 

Ulricke leans back, stretching her arms out on either side of the chaise's back. "Do you know how difficult it is," she says quietly, "To be one man's angel, and another man's whore?" From another's lips, that would be shocking. From Ulricke, it could make perfect sense.
 

Scaurus gently rises to look down onto Ulricke, curiously, seeming not to care for the tone in which she spoke but only for the words which were said, "You're a woman to be set upon a pedestal...not a woman to be placed in degredation. You were born as such. Whose angel and whose whore are you?" He pauses for a moment before looking at a part of the chaise, "And what would you be to me..."
 

Ulricke chuckles. "I'm many things, Charles." she chuckles. "Many things...to many men." she studies his reaction. "To some I'm one, to some the other, and to a precious few...I'm both."
 

Scaurus takes several steps closer to the front of the chaise, near her face and then crouches a little, looking at her, "To me you are Ulricke. Fascinating and different. Difference is hard to come by...I don't see difference very often. You intrigue me. I don't believe you could ever bore me." He raises a brow gently, "And is there a man whom you prefer over the others?"
 

Ulricke looks up at him, and slowly rises, stepping away. "Not yet." she says honestly. There's a bitter smile. "Do not set such high expectations, sir - inevitably, I will make a mistake, I will disappoint."
 

Scaurus stands completely, hands behind his back, looking at her, "I have had disappointment far too many times in my life for it to hurt as much as it did the initial time. Expectations aren't put on you, Ulricke...I see what I see...and I like what I see very much." He looks at the chaise for a moment, "Things that I like are few and far between. And I've not found someone I like more." He looks back to you, bland face still present despite his words.
 

Ulricke looks over her shoulder at him, then turns, walking forward. She speaks as she walks. "It's not that simple, Scaurus. Not with you, not with me," and then she's quite close, chin tilting as she looks up at him with bright blue eyes, "Not with anyone."
 

Scaurus looks down slightly at her, the blue meeting itself in her own eyes, "What fun would anything be if all was simple? You haven't wanted simple for the time I have known you...you have wanted challenging, interesting, intriuging, exactly what I have been looking for...and found in you." His hands stay at his sides as he speaks, eyes not looking as cold as before, more interesting, as if they held the key to secrets both angelic and demonic.
 

Ulricke whirls away, like a bull turning off from the matador's cape. "No promises...Charles. You wish for my leave." She looks over her shoulder. "You have it. But understand...you're not alone in your pursuance, and nor at this time, is my favor determined."
 

Scaurus tilts his head to the side, unmoving, "I am a patient man, Ulricke. One who can see that you are a woman who is far from ignored by Kaitain...by the universe." He takes several steps toward her, close behind, "Come to the Palace for a short while, Ulricke. Spend some time with me, and we will see how difficult or simple it can be."
 

Ulricke looks at him, and leans forward. For a moment, it's almost as if she's going to kiss him, her lips a mere inch from his, and then...
 

"Not tonight." She whispers, the flutter of her breath against his lips. She pulls back. "But I will take you up on the offer to visit." That cheshire cat grin appears again.
 

Scaurus puts out his hand gently, grinning in return, "You prove even more why you interest me so, Uli..." He allows his head to loll to the side for a moment, "Teach me, and I will learn." he smirks, that strange little movement.
 

Ulricke lets her hand rest, palm down, in his for him to kiss.