The day had been busy, with audiences all morning that had dragged on until now. Leto felt prepared to strangle the Tleilaxu representative, of only to get rid of that awful smirk on his face, but that would have interfered with his plans. As soon as he had been able too, he had left the throne room and headed towards his - their now - private quarters.
He heard his daughter wailing from down the hallway. As he entered the bedroom, one look on Alice's face was enough to tell him what state of mind she was in.
"She won't stop," Alice insisted, still listlessly bouncing her daughter in a futile attempt to cure whatever ailment this was. "Nothing works. She's displeased with me and displeased with the world and I'm inclined to agree. What a horrid place it is."
There were frustrated tears threatening the corners of her eyes.
"If she's only going to cry, why don't we set her down and let her?" she asked. "I'm no help. I thought mothers had some magical touch but I'm defective. She ought to return me at the store for a better one."
It would seem Alice had lost her ability to be rational about this. Several hours of high decibels had contributed heavily to the loss.
"All babies cry, Alice," he said gently, raising his voice enough to make himself heard across the wailing. "It's not your fault, or hers." He walked over to the two of them and ran his fingers up along Alice's arm.
"Do you want me to hold her for a while?"
He was tired, and the crying was hard to listen to, but at least it was better than enduring the high, monotone voice of the Tleilaxu representative.
"All babies stop crying," she insisted, though she did not pull away from his touch. It was soothing, and she could use some balm for her frayed nerves. "Perhaps she will never stop. Perhaps she will cry until she cries a river and drowns in her own tears. I nearly did. Who's to say she can't? Perhaps she will scream until her face freezes that way and --"
Suddenly, she was so very, very tired.
"Would you?" she asked. "You may have success where I have only failure."
She had warned him. He might have listened, when she had.
Comments 15
He heard his daughter wailing from down the hallway. As he entered the bedroom, one look on Alice's face was enough to tell him what state of mind she was in.
He tossed the ceremonial cloak on to a chair.
"Alice?"
Reply
There were frustrated tears threatening the corners of her eyes.
"If she's only going to cry, why don't we set her down and let her?" she asked. "I'm no help. I thought mothers had some magical touch but I'm defective. She ought to return me at the store for a better one."
It would seem Alice had lost her ability to be rational about this. Several hours of high decibels had contributed heavily to the loss.
Reply
"Do you want me to hold her for a while?"
He was tired, and the crying was hard to listen to, but at least it was better than enduring the high, monotone voice of the Tleilaxu representative.
Reply
Suddenly, she was so very, very tired.
"Would you?" she asked. "You may have success where I have only failure."
She had warned him. He might have listened, when she had.
Reply
Leave a comment