After the bride and groom shared pomegranate seeds, sealing the union between Princess Ynez Corrino and Pruwet Richese to forge an alliance between their houses, the wedding gave way to a reception—though it was more of a formal gathering of court members than a celebration.

A formal and rather dull affair, especially given that her new husband, barely nine years old, was not much of a conversationalist. Constantine played music for the ladies and young nobles in attendance, while her father, Javvico, chatted with Harrow Harkonnen about some trivial matter.

The princess's grand crimson gown blended seamlessly with the scattered rose petals that adorned the dais where the couple sat. She greeted her guests with polite smiles, while the young blond lord beside her fiddled absentmindedly with something in his pocket. Familiar faces and strangers alike surrounded her, yet Ynez's thoughts wandered far beyond the hall. She was already thinking about her journey to Wallach IX, too far from Salusa Secundus, where she would begin her training with the Bene Gesserit.