Farad'n Corrino/DE

Prince Farad'n Corrino, also known by his pen name Harq al-Ada, was the son of Wensicia Corrino, and the grandson of the deposed Emperor Shaddam IV Corrino. He was best remembered as being the official scribe of the Atreides Empire, and the exclusive concubine to Padishah Empress Ghanima Atreides.

Upbringing
Born to Count Dalak Kenola and Wencicia, one of Shaddam's daughters. When his father died in a ornithopter accident, his mother changed his name to Corrino.

By the time Farad'n had reached childhood House Corrino's rule over the Imperium had ended. He was raised on Salusa Secundus, the home of the dethroned House. His domineering and ambitious mother, intent on using her talented son to reclaim the Golden Lion Throne, pushed him hard in his education. By the time he had reached adolescence, Farad'n's relationship with Wensicia was strained and difficult.

Farad'n's upbringing involved training in Sardaukar ways. His principal instructor was Tyekanik, a Sardaukar Bashar. The Sardaukar hoped that Farad'n would be the one to restore them to glory, despite his tendency for bookishness and philosophical introspection. Indeed for most of his adolescence and young adulthood, Farad'n had preferred to spend most of his time on his own hobbies and personal pursuits. He studied law and government, as well as philosophy. He studied Atreides law closely, in the hopes of learning how they managed to defeat the Corrinos.

Farad'n was also trained briefly in the Bene Gesserit ways by the Lady Jessica. It appeared that Jessica managed to reach the young man and develop his potential in ways his own mother had not. Jessica's mode of teaching helped to draw contrasts with his mother, whom Farad'n increasingly saw as a hindrance to his ascendancy to statesmanship, and not an advantage. Jessica's teachings allowed Farad'n to conclude that his mother's schemes to ascend him to the imperial throne were ham-fisted, clumsy, short-sighted and distasteful. This is evidenced by his expression of anger and disgust when learning of his mother's plot to kill the Atreides twins Leto II Atreides and Ghanima using Laza tigers.

Role in the Atreides Empire
Despite his mother's best efforts, Farad'n possessed none of the ambition, vindictiveness or desire for vengeance inherent in his mother. As a result, he refused to cooperate with her plans, and had her banished to an isolated area of Salusa Secundus. Consequently, through the Lady Jessica's teachings in the Bene Gesserit ways Farad'n found himself an integral part of Leto II's Golden Path. He was designated the exclusive concubine of Ghanima, so that both noble bloodlines could be merged to seed future generations, and so that the obedience of the Sardaukar, who remained loyal to House Corrino, could be assured.

Farad'n became the official scribe of the Atreides Empire, writing under the pen name given to him by Leto, Harq al-Ada, meaning 'the one who changes customs' in Arabic.

In 10278 AG, Farad'n and Ghanima discovered Harq al-Harba on Arrakis and remained his patrons for 30 years.

Authorship
Admirers of the Royal Scribe have attributed various other Atreidean works to him, and the most liberal adherents of the theory credit him with (besides al-Harba's plays) Pander Oulson's St. Alia: Huntress of a Billion Worlds, Duncan Idaho's The Ghola Speaks and The Hayt Chronicle, and all the works of Princess Irulan; to this considerable total, Cybele Harik (The Prince/The Playwright) adds the authorized translation in Fremen of the O.C.B. and even Stilgar's Chronicle.

Kurt Zhuurazh asserted, in his Al-Ada and al-Harba (10635 AG) that Farad'n Corrino was the true author of the plays of Harq al-Harba. Supporters of this theory say that writing openly for the theater, they claim, was beneath the dignity of a nobleman and statesman, and knowledge of his authorship would have lowered his prestige at Court. However this seems like selective thinking since Duke Mintor Atreides, performed publicly many times in the bullring and, in fact, died there; Feyd-Rautha killed over a hundred slaves in public gladiatorial contests, many of them while he was na-Baron, and often with members of the Royal House in attendance.

The most original evidence was produced in Izhnaikas Bauf's The Great Cryptogram (10647 AG). Bauf discovered what he named the Plowing Cipher in the play Carthage which spelled the name "Farad'n Corrino".

Behind the Scenes
Farad'n Corrino was portrayed by actor Jonathan Bruun in the 2003 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries Children of Dune.