Kailea Vernius

Kailea Vernius (? - 10174 AG), member of the House Vernius. Born in planet Ix. Daughter of Earl Dominic Vernius, and Lady Shando Balut. Sister of Rhombur Vernius.

First concubine of Leto Atreides. Mother of Leto's first child, Victor Atreides.

She had copper-dark hair, thin arched eyebrows, striking emerald eyes, and a generous, catlike mouth above a narrow chin.

History


As member of the Great House Vernius, Kailea lived with her family in the underground of the planet Ix.

Years later, the family welcomed the young Duke Leto Atreides, the only firstborn son of the Duke Paulus Atreides to their home planet Ix to study politics with their son, Prince Rhombur. They also hoped for a perfect match between him and their daughter, Princess Kailea.

Shortly after, the planet was overthrown by the Imperial Sardaukar and Bene Tleilax. Kailea, along with her brother Rhombur and Leto, narrowly escaped to the planet Caladan, living as refugees.

Over time, she and Leto eventually fell in love and bore their son, Victor Atreides. It was a time in which both were very happy. Some time after, an old woman named Chiara joined to the House Atreides, in order to serve to the Ducal concubine as Lady-in waiting.

However, Kailea became less pleased with her marriage. When House Vernius became a renegade House of the Landsraad, she wanted her son Victor be appointed heir of the House Atreides, but Leto refused continuously to do that.

When the Bene Gesserit Jessica joined House Atreides as a second concubine of Leto, Chiara quickly prodded to Kailea, telling her that she and her son may be displaced. Kailea was also aware of an offer of marriage to Leto, extended by Archduke Armand Ecaz for his surviving daughter, Ilesa Ecaz.

These facts weighed heavily on Kailea's mind. Chiara guided Kailea into beliving that the only way to her future happiness was the death of Duke Leto. Both orchestrated a plot to assassinate Leto in a staged ship crash, having Chiara place a large bomb aboard Leto's skyclipper planetary cruising ship.

Plot to Kill Leto
Kailea began an affair with Swain Goire, ammunition keeper of the House Atreides. Unbeknownst to him, she took his key of the Atreides' armnaments depot and gave it to Chiara. She took from the Armory and rigged a time bomb, and placed it into Leto's skyclipper. All of Cala City had been abuzz, as Leto had planned for weeks to visit Caladan's Western Continent in the engine-powered dirigible. Chiara notified Kailea that the bomb had been placed on the blimp-like craft before it had departed skyward.

However, Kailea was later notified by Goire that her brother Rhombur Vernius and her beloved son Victor had accompanied Leto. The explosion and subsequent crash resulted in the maiming of her brother and the death of her 6-year old son, Victor. Leto had survived.

Deeply depressed, and knowing the her judgment soon awaited her, Kailea summoned Chiara to her bedroom. Confronting Rash-Olin, she quickly realized that she was manipulated by her assistant Chiara, who was actually a spy for House Harkonnen. Before Chiara could defend herself, Kailea drew a blade she had snatched from Goire minutes earlier, and plunged it deeply into Chiara's heart. Then she stabbed her again and pierced Rash-Olin's heart.

When Thufir Hawat and other Atredies' officials came to arrest Kailea, she committed suicide by jumping from a balcony in Castle Caladan.

Behind the Scenes
One of the continuity issues regarding House Vernius (q.v.), is that there is no mention of Kailea or of Victor Atreides in any of Frank Herbert's Dune novels. His works indicate that Paul was Leto's first and only child, and that Jessica was Leto's first and only concubine. This is further supported by the fact that there is no mention of Victor, when Atreides family members are revered by others, in the original novels.

This plot point of the Prelude to Dune series, that Leto had concubines while being married, is inconsistent with the honorable characteristics bestowed upon him by Frank Herbert.

Appearances

 * Dune: House Atreides
 * Dune: House Harkonnen