Family Conference

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

 

Dune III - Ulricke - Wednesday, March 13, 2002, 2:16 AM
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Silver Suite -- Harkonnen Embassy (Kaitain)
This chamber is broad and roomy, made more so by the expanses of silver metal that comprise its walls. Tall vases of fresh-cut bitterblooms stand sentinel about the walls of the room. A vast and intricate mural has been painted on the ceiling. The south wall is devoted to the display of an impressive weapons collection. Classically spartan white furniture--a plain four-poster bed, some elegant sofas and tables, is arrayed about the room. Sounds ring hollow echoes off the bare white parquet floors.
Obvious exits:
Green Doors <SW> leads to Gallery of Portraits -- Harkonnen Embassy (Kaitain). 

 

Boris bellows at the door, "Uli! Open up this door this instant! It's me!" Just then, the door clicks, and opens by a timid servant, who scurries out of Boris' reach just as fast as she can. Boris storms through the opened portal.

 

Boris walks in from Gallery of Portraits through the Green Doors.
Boris has arrived. 

 

Fahahd walks in from Gallery of Portraits through the Green Doors.
Fahahd has arrived. 

 

Ulricke is lying on the bed, pale as a ghost of course, and looks at the door only long enough to see her father burst through. Then she looks away.

 

Andrei walks in from Gallery of Portraits through the Green Doors.
Andrei has arrived. 

 

Boris blusters loudly, "Uli! Uli, what's all this, eh? Are you quite all right?" Then he gets a look at his daughter and goes silent, rushing to her bedside.

 

Fahahd is hot on bo's heels, though he ohly crouches silently at the sdie of the bed, out of the way.

 

Andrei only follows behind a few seconds later, walking in very casually with his hands in his pockets and taking his surroundings in for clues.

 

Ulricke continues to look away, though she does say, "What do you want, Father?" in a weary sort of tone.

 

Boris orders, "Fahahd, summon the Suk." He studies Ulricke. "Uli, you're ill. This is probably that damned scaly fever, like the one you had when you were 12, remember? A few pills and it'll go quite away, eh?"

 

Fahahd obediently murmurs into his com, to summong whatever Suk is currently available.

 

Ulricke looks over at him. "Did you actually read Sen's report, or did you just toss it to one side, eh?" she asks wearily.

 

Boris blinks. "I read enough of it. The fever's enough to make anyone irritable, eh?" He reaches for her hand. "It -is- the fever, isn't it?"

 

Ulricke looks at him incredulously. "I gutted a good portion of the staff and tried to kill myself. Does that sound like the fever to you, old man?"

 

Ulricke looks away again. "Just go away."

 

Andrei is careful to remain out of Uli's range or line of sight and has decided to let father handle this one. Trying to maintain a pokerface there's something gleaming in his eyes...could it be pride?

 

The Baron Harkonnen stands there, his shoulders slumping. Like the fight has quite gone out of him. He looks quite old indeed, old and tired. His extended hand drops to his side limply. He says hoarsely, "Kill yourself? Uli...Why...Why would you want to do that?"

 

"Don't bother, Andrei. I know you're here." Ulricke says listlessly, and then looks up at her father, "Why don't you sit right here and tell me what I've got to live for? Go on. Tell me about the husband that doesn't exist, or the reward for my duty to the house, of the joy of endless disappointment and the only satisfaction coming from knowing you could kill someone in under thirty seconds in one hundred different ways with a blade."

 

"I'm not hiding...", andrei replies in an unusually soft voice. "but I know your anger only too well sister-dearest...I also found out what you're capable of...sides, I don't want to get into father's way..."

 

Boris swallows, then blinks moistening eyes as he regards her. "Uli," he mutters, "We're Harkonnens. We're...going to live forever."

 

Ulricke notes in a murmur, "If that were true, we wouldn't have a Hall of Portraits."

 

Andrei considers the situation and decides to accept the risks, stepping out of Boris' shadow and taking a seat on the edge of Uli's bed. "Uli..remember what you told me last time we had a heart-to-heart? Remember how you told me how I, like you should bear the responsibilities of my rank and status, like you would?" he looks at her quietly. "What has happened that has turned you into...well...me?"

 

Boris stares numbly at Uli as he waits for her answer.

 

Ulricke looks at her brother. "You do nothing, and get everything. I do everything, and get nothing." Her tone is quiet, resigned.

 

Fahahd returns, with the Suk in tow.

 

Andrei chuckles. "Oh? what do I get? trips to the frontline everyone expects me not to survive...a house that doesn't take me serious when I am trying hard...a father who thinks we don't see eye to eye on anything and only dotes on his darling daughter he cannot say no to and lets indulge in any whim she wishes..." he looks at her again. "Is that what you want? Is that everything?" He quietly lets his gaze go from Ulricke to Boris and back again. "If that is what you desire Uli, I'll gladly give it to you....Do you want to be the future Baroness? It can be arranged without the traditional bloodshed you know..."

 

Boris hisses at the Suk, "Not now! Wait outside, damn your eyes!"

The diamond tattoo wrinkles, as the Suk frowns in consternation, but obediently scuttles back out into the hall. Fahd hesitates a moment, then slips after. 

 

Boris warns Andrei, his voice ragged, "Your inheritance is not a thing to be given away lightly, lad."

Andrei looks at boris, giving him his 'trust me for once' look before focusing back on Ulricke.

 

Ulricke laughs weakly, "Don't be foolish Andrei. Whatever you say now, even if you mean it in this moment, will be something you'll regret at some point, and then one of us will have to kill the other."

 

Andrei grins. "Oh, I know very well what I'm doing sis.." he says quietly, almost fondly as he crawls a little further onto the bed. "All of Kaitain already thinks I'm a psychopath and you're the only sensible one of the lot and you know I offered to share the power with you before...I was serious then and I'm serious now." Andrei continues moving a little closer in a non-threatening way.

 

Boris snaps, "Power can't be -shared-, Andrei! Power must be wielded by the strong over the weak."

 

Fahahd has peeked back in, silent as a cat.

 

Ulricke says quietly, "Father's right. It wouldn't work."

 

Andrei retorts Boris in a quiet and rational voice that radiates confidence. "It has been done before father and then it created a dynasty that lasted millennia." Turning to Uli he smiles. "but it would work...Actually it is very simple Uli..." his fond smile only grown fonder. "Who understands a Harkonnen better than a Harkonnen sister-dearest? Why mope and hope for a good match when you can rule Harkonnen.....at my side..."

 

Boris shakes his head. "No, no, no. No!"

 

Fahahd is the mute witness, half in and half out of the doorway. He's standing like one frozen.

 

Ulricke actually looks amused at the two men. Pale and wan, but amused.

 

Andrei looks over his shoulder at Fahahd and Boris before turning back to Ulricke. "Well...wether I was serious or not..you got to admit, the look on father's face is priceless, no?"

 

Boris frowns at them both, gruffly. "Not the Bajazets, not the Atreides, not even the bloody Sardaukar. -You two- will be the death of me, I swear!"

 

Fahahd has withdrawn a few steps.

 

Ulricke's smile grows less amused, in fact, it dies completely. "Sen insisted on remedying me. Fahahd got to me first and was trying to get me to a Suk."

 

Boris glances towards the soon-to-be-Earl. "Don't lurk in the doorway like a damned servant, Fahahd! Is this so?"

 

Fahahd nods once, as he slips into the chamber and lets the door slip shut behind him. "Yes, my lord."

 

Boris claps Fahahd on the shoulder. "You have your Baron's gratitude, Fahahd. Once again, it seems."

 

Andrei's smile fades at well and cursing himself inwardly for trying to break the tension. Giving Uli a look andrei only has when he is dead serious about something. He remains quiet and just stares at her, keeping his distance and then he carefully retreats

 

Ulricke just looks away. "They both should have left me alone."

 

Fahahd murmurs his usual demurral, though his gaze is fixed on Uli, as if he were afraid she might vanish if he took his eyes away.

 

Boris shakes his head. "Uli, don't talk nonsense. This is most unlike you. I would give you anything to make you happy." He glances sidelong towards Fahahd, making a little moue of distaste. "Anything you asked," he tells her.

 

Ulricke looks at him. "There isn't anything left." she says. "The barony is Andrei's, for better or for worse. Have you seen the men of the Imperium father? They're either my age and idiots, or engaged, or too old, or prefer men anyway and don't want to be married, or inelligible. So I have little left to do other then become a bitter old maid who's good with a sword, and make sure that Vladimir and Ursula manage to become competent adults."

 

Andrei remains seated on the end of the bed in a state halfway between moping and self-critisism, hoping somwehre deep inside Uli would've said yes. In the fury directed mostly at himself he blurts out. "yeah..might as well marry you off to the earl of skaya and get it over with..."

 

Ulricke shakes her head. "It's exactly what Father doesn't want, and I won't make Fahahd Alaurans into some sort of 'second best' because my future is bleak."

 

Fahahd notes, in a colorless voice, "I'm hardly suitable marriage material for a Siridar's daughter, even with the recent events."

 

Ulricke adds dryly, "If you make me Warmaster, Andrei will try to kill me."

 

Boris says Baronially, "What do you know about what I want? Everything I've done in this life has been for you and your brothers. I'm entitled to try and make you happy if I want to, eh? Even if I've failed so far."

 

Andrei turns around pointing at Boris. "didn't you hear what he said? /ANYTHING/ you want you can get! Does that sound like someone who has nothing ?!? I bet if you asked for the siridarship he'd give it to you without blinking. And you're damned right I won't let a sibling command the army when half the house is trying to plot my downfall."

 

Ulricke snorts at Andrei. "And have you kill me for the Siridarship in a month's time? No thank you."

 

Boris tells Andrei, "That's your own fault, lad. If you'd have listened to me..." he says, restarting an old family argument.

 

Fahahd clamps down on whatever comments he'd like to interject...eyes half-lidded, as he stands near the door.

 

Andrei rolls his eyes. "would I offer you to share my power with you if that's what I planned on doing Uli? I'm serious here and I have been serious for a long time. I do /not/ benefit of your death and I am /not/ planning on having you killed or doing it in person..." he sighs. "Don't you get it? Don't you get it that I love you?"

Andrei continues after a deep intake of air. "If you want the warmaster position fine...I won't object if you give me the promise the army remains loyal to me when it is my time..."

 

Ulricke just looks at all three of them dully. To Andrei, "I can't maintain an army's loyalty -if- you do something stupid." she turns on her side, away from the three men. "All of you, get out."

 

Boris tells Andrei and Fahahd, "You heard her. Get out."

 

Fahahd doesn't look like he's in any terrible hurry to move, despite hte order.

 

You say, "/All/ of you."

 

Andrei snorts. "As if you're to talk about making sane rational decisions right now sister dearest. I was right..you /are/ turning into me..." Getting to his feet he stomps out shouting in the hallway. "WHERE ARE MY SERVANTS!!!" followed by the slick rasping sound of a blade that is being drawn.

 

Andrei's departure is followed by stomping boots, the sound of a double door that's kicked open and shut loudly and the muffled terror of half a dozen women.

 

Boris blinks. "Fahahd, I'll be taking my recreation in the chamber of blades now." he says, softly.

 

Fahahd just nods, and makes way for his lord, before gliding back out.

 

Andrei walks to the southwest and passes through the Green Doors.
Andrei has left. 

 

Boris walks to the southwest and passes through the Green Doors.
Boris has left. 

 

Fahahd walks to the southwest and passes through the Green Doors.
Fahahd has left.