Life! If only we could revisit our pasts and make wiser choices.

—anonymous lament

On the rare occasions when Raquella Berto-Anirul had visited Salusa Secundus, the weather was always exceptional—clear, warm days with gentle breezes fluttering the colorful flags of the Landsraad League and the golden Corrino lion crest. From the crowded historical lives in her mind, she could recall this planet over the centuries, a gem among all the settled worlds of humanity.

As Raquella and her delegation of Sisters arrived this afternoon, however, the sky was leaden and the air as still as a bated breath, so that the colorful banners hung slack on their poles. Zimia had grown somber, as if it knew that Raquella had come to take Anna Corrino away.

She had wanted to impress Emperor Salvador with the Sisterhood’s professionalism, to prove that his decision to send his sister to Rossak was correct. According to the established schedule, Raquella and her companions should have landed the evening before, but a last-minute delay in the VenHold spacefolder had prevented their timely arrival. Now the group of women were hours overdue for their meeting at the Imperial Palace. Not an auspicious beginning, she thought.

The chartered groundcar pulled to a halt in the bustling drop-off loop in front of the multi-spire Corrino Palace, as if Reverend Mother Raquella, Sister Valya, and the two other Sisters were guests at a glamorous reception. A pair of liveried footmen opened the groundcar door and helped Raquella out, treating her like a fragile old woman. She let them feel useful, though she was still nimble and did not require any assistance.

When Valya Harkonnen emerged from the vehicle, the young woman looked around, clearly impressed by the glory of the capital, before remembering herself and marshaling her emotions. The footmen hurriedly moved on to another ambassadorial car to welcome more representatives, not giving a second glance to the women from Rossak. No one paid much attention to their arrival.

As they made their way to the palace, Raquella and her party became lost in the flow of dignitaries, bureaucrats, and representatives that streamed in and out of the gigantic Palace. Exuding confidence, she presented herself to a uniformed escort who waited at the base of the long waterfall of stairs leading up to the grand arched entrance. “I am Reverend Mother Raquella Berto-Anirul, from the Sisterhood’s school on Rossak. My companions and I have come at the Emperor’s request to see Princess Anna Corrino.”

Not at all surprised, as if she had merely announced the delivery of a parcel of groceries, the man led them up a seemingly endless succession of white marble steps.

At the Palace entrance, the lanky Sister Dorotea hurried to intercept them, looking breathless. Five other Sister graduates who served in the Imperial Court had joined her. All of them bowed with respect before the Reverend Mother; even Sister Perianna, assigned as personal secretary to Roderick Corrino’s wife, had broken away from her duties to greet the visitors.

Dorotea dismissed the palace escort and guided Raquella and her companions through the echoing, arched hallways. “I apologize for not arranging a more organized reception, Reverend Mother. We were uncertain when you would arrive.”

“The vagaries of space travel,” Raquella said, acting as if it didn’t matter. “VenHold Spacing Fleet is quite reliable, but this delay was out of our control. I hope Emperor Salvador is not terribly upset.”

“I rearranged the appointments on his calendar,” Dorotea said. She had been raised among the Sisterhood, and had no idea that she was actually Raquella’s granddaughter. “He won’t notice the difference, and Anna is certainly in no hurry to leave.”

Raquella allowed warm pride to creep into her voice. “You have always been one of my most competent Sisters. I am impressed with what you’ve done here in the Palace.” She paused. “I expect you were instrumental in the choice of our school for Anna Corrino?”

“I may have suggested it.” Dorotea gave a slight bow. “Thank you for coming in person to receive the Princess as a new acolyte. The gesture means a great deal to her family.”

“It’s a tremendous honor that the Emperor has entrusted her to us. With so many new schools springing up around the Imperium, he had other options.”

Dorotea led the visitors deeper into the sprawling palace. “My Sisters and I have proved our worth and set a good example. Given Anna’s predilection for immature choices, the Emperor wants to have Anna trained along the same lines as we were.” She looked directly at Valya, assessing. “I’ve read the reports. You are the one who took over my duties assisting Sister Karee Marques in the pharmaceutical research?”

“Yes. We still have much work to do.” She bowed, but could hardly contain her excitement. “Right now, though, I am grateful for this opportunity to see the Imperial capital.”

Dorotea gave her a faint smile. “Then we have much in common.”

Raquella interrupted. “I have confidence in Sister Valya. She has proven herself in many ways. For now, I have added befriending Anna Corrino to her list of duties.”

Valya’s eyes were bright with excitement at being on Salusa Secundus, giving Raquella pause about the young woman’s priorities. She did not find Valya’s humble tone convincing as she said, “I’ll try to make her feel welcome during her difficult transition to the Sisterhood.”

“You two are the same age, so she may warm to you.” Dorotea seemed skeptical, too, perhaps because she viewed Valya as a personal rival. “However, the Emperor asked me to accompany his sister, so that she might have a familiar face on a strange world. My work on Salusa Secundus is concluded by Imperial command, so I’ll be returning to Rossak myself.”

Though she would have preferred to leave Dorotea where she was, Raquella could not countermand Emperor Salvador’s wishes. “Very well, you can return to your work with Sister Karee, and I will reassign Sister Valya. I’ll be sad to lose you as our representative at the Imperial Court, but we still have four Sisters here.” Inside Raquella, voices whispered with excitement, pointing out that few other Sisters were as advanced in their training as Dorotea, or as ready to attempt the transformation. Maybe she would be next.… My own granddaughter! But all Sisters must be equal, and family ties hidden.

Shortly after giving birth to Dorotea, Raquella’s daughter Arlett had refused to be separated from her baby, insisting that she would take the child, leave the Sisterhood, and find the father. Seeing such weakness in her own daughter, Raquella had reached an important decision, encouraged by all those other insistent and objective voices from history.

The Reverend Mother had gone into the crèche chamber where the newborns rested in their cribs. Without hesitation, Raquella removed all the labels from the babies, then moved the children around, and dispatched every mother elsewhere, including Arlett, with instructions to spread the word about the Rossak School across the Imperium.

From that day on, Raquella maintained the policy that baby daughters born to loyal Sisters and raised on Rossak would have no knowledge of their parentage. Each child would start out with a clean slate and no preferential treatment.

When Dorotea was old enough, Raquella had sent her as a missionary to Lampadas so she could work quietly among the Butlerians, to observe and analyze them. The Reverend Mother intended it to be a unique training experience, immersion in an extremist organization to show her granddaughter how people could be driven to illogical lengths by a perceived cause. From that stepping stone, Dorotea had gone to Salusa Secundus and worked her way into the Imperial Court. Now, after years of successful assignments, she would be coming home. Raquella couldn’t admit it aloud, but she would be glad to have Dorotea back.

Valya spoke quickly, “Reverend Mother, if Sister Dorotea is leaving the Imperial Court, might I be allowed to remain on Salusa? I would like the opportunity—”

“No.” Raquella didn’t have to ponder her decision. Not only did she need Valya’s help with the breeding-record computers, but she was also well aware of the young woman’s ambitions to restore her family’s name. “If you are ever assigned to Salusa, it will be to fulfill our goals, not your own. Do not forget, you are in the order now, with responsibilities to the rest of us. The Sisterhood is your only family now.”

Valya bowed in contrition. “Yes, Reverend Mother. The Sisterhood is a family unlike any other. Perhaps a missionary assignment someday then, if you find me worthy? I appreciate the promotion you gave me, but I would prefer not to stay on Rossak for the rest of my life.”

“Patience is a human virtue, Sister.”

Dorotea gestured for them to follow her. “Come, I’ll arrange for you to meet Anna Corrino.”

The five other Sisters who served at court exchanged brief farewells, then went back to their business in the Palace. With whispering footsteps, Dorotea guided the Reverend Mother and her entourage through a labyrinth of vaulted halls and into a less crowded wing with numerous offices, meeting rooms, and library chambers.

Dorotea paused outside the door to a large room, then escorted the four Sisters inside to a small reception chamber, where the petite Anna Corrino waited for them wearing a petulant scowl on her face. A stern-looking female palace guard stood at the doorway just inside the room, to prevent her from leaving. Though Raquella had never met the Emperor’s sister before, her Corrino features were instantly recognizable.

Anna sounded aloof, putting obvious contempt into her voice. “When you didn’t arrive last night, I was hoping my brother had changed his mind, but you’re here anyway.”

But Raquella also detected anxiety in her tone. Trying to be sympathetic, she said, “We didn’t mean to cause you any undue stress. The spacefolder was delayed.” She took one of the girl’s hands in her own. “It may take some adjustment from your life here in the Imperial Palace, but you’ll like the Sisterhood.”

“I doubt that,” she said.

Valya came forward smiling, her demeanor much different than it had been a few moments ago. “I don’t doubt it. I’ll be your friend, Anna. Sister Anna. We’ll become great friends.”

Seeing someone her own age, the other girl brightened and her emotions shifted slightly. “Maybe it’s for the best. Without Hirondo, I don’t want to be around this place anymore.”