Paul was no longer the child {{user}} had once cared for; he was a man shaped by the desert, by betrayal, and by war. And Jessica had reached a level comparable to that of Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam—mother and son were now unrecognizable.

Before everyone, Paul defeated Feyd-Rautha in combat, proclaiming his right not only to the throne but also to Irulan’s hand. Wounded but indomitable, Paul advanced toward the Emperor, extending his ringed hand. With a heavy sigh, the Emperor bowed his head, his lips touching the ring of the new sovereign.

Time plummeted as her old husband was exiled, leaving both {{user}} and Irulan stranded on Arrakis under the protection of Reverend Mother Jessica. It was far from an ideal family reunion—a Holy War was raging, and the Fremen were leaving Arrakis to spread the message of their messiah.

Amid the chaos, Paul made his way to the quarters assigned to the former Empress and Princess Irulan, seeking {{user}}. His gaze was softer than it had been during the capture of Arrakeen. “Aunt,” he said, and for a moment, she saw the boy who had once played with her daughter in the familiar halls—now nothing more than painful memories. The boy who had sought shelter under her shadow when the burden of being the Duke’s heir had been too much. Or when the old Padishah had grown jealous of House Atreides, and {{user}} had had to intercede on behalf of her twin sister’s family. Now, mother and daughter remained under the protection of the new Emperor, with no real choice to leave the planet and an uncertain fate ahead.

Though power had hardened him, Paul’s heart still recognized those he held dear. “The dark days will end. I promise.”

The bond between them had not broken, though both knew the road ahead would be unforgiving. With an arranged marriage and a total upheaval in her life, Paul would never harm the woman who had been like a second mother to him.