WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Dune: Prophecy episode 4.
Valya Harkonnen has a mysterious plan for her family home and the High Council in Landsraad in Dune: Prophecy episode 4 “Twice Born” as she works diligently to avoid The Reckoning. Dune: Prophecy is a six-part series based on the 2012 novel Dune Brotherhoodwhich was written by the original Dune son of author Frank Herbert, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The story takes place more than 10,000 years before the rise of Paul Atreidies, narrated in the book by Denis Villenueve. Dune (2020) and Dune: Part Two (2024). Dune: Prophecy reveals the origins of the powerful shadow brotherhood known as the Bene Gesserit and how they manipulated the destiny of humanity.
Dune: Prophecy Episode 1 “The Hidden Hand” introduced Emily Watson's Valya Harkonnen, a fierce and calculated leader, and her biological sister, Tula Harkonnen. Dune: Prophecy Episode 2 reveals what happened to Lila and her grandmother, Reverend Mother Dorotea, after Tula and Valya Harkoennen encouraged her to prematurely endure a life-threatening ritual known as The Agony. In Dune: Prophecy episode 3, Tula takes Lila's life into her own hands after she apparently died during the Agony ritual and attempts to resurrect her through the use of forbidden technology. Episode 4 reveals that Lila was resurrected through the Thinking Machine, Anirul, while Tula operates behind Valya's back.
Why Valya wants to be House Harkonnen's truth-teller
Valya is politically powerless, with no high-ranking ears to whisper
At the end of Dune: Prophecy episode 3, Valya pays a surprise visit to her estranged uncle, Evengy, and his power-hungry nephew, Harrow. Before Valya enters her home for the first time in years, Valya tells her promising acolyte Theo that “Sacrifices must be made.” It is well established that Valya has strong feelings toward her family name Harkonnen, driven by a fierce desire for redemption. while also carrying the collective shame that was brought to House Harkonnen by Vorian Atredies.
Valya was respected and welcomed on the Imperial homeworld of Salusa Secundus before Desmond Hart's arrival. After Valya discovers that she cannot defeat Desmond Hart alone, she is forced to switch to plan B, which brings her back to Evengy and Harrow. Although Valya is the Reverend Mother Superior of the Brotherhood in Dune: Prophecyshe is willing to become House Harkonnen's exclusive Truth Teller, the first of its kind, as a bargaining chip to secure Harrow's rise to power as a member of the High Council. Valya is politically powerless, with no ears to whisperwhich is why she intends to empower Harrow and House Harkonnen by being their Truth Teller.
How Valya Used the Brotherhood to Manipulate Harrow Harkonnen
Valya used Harrow to get Desmond Hart to reveal that he “executed” Pruwet Richese
Valya feels the desperate need for respect and authority in Harrow's character and plans to use it against him to establish his own position in a Great House other than the Corrino. Because of the authority she wields within the Brotherhood, which requires an almost blind faith in Valya's orders and vision for the Empire, Valya is able to use other True Ones throughout the Brotherhood to raise suspicions about Pruwet Richese's death. The True Ones successfully convinced the heads of several other noble houses that Pruwet Richese's death was not an accident caused by a malfunction of her illicit Thinking Machine toy seen in episode 1.
Based on Valya's quick manipulations that brought representatives of other noble houses to House Hartkonnen's doorstep, she successfully inspired Harrow will publicly raise suspicions against the death of the Emperor and Pruwet Richese. As seen in Dune: Prophecy episode 4, Harrow speaks before the High Council in Landsraad and uses his new platform to record a “complaint in violation of Kanly” against House Corrino. Valya managed to rally several representatives from different houses in their suspicions about the emperor and Pruwet Richese's death, which led Desmond Hart to reveal that he “executed” the young prince Richese.
What was Valya's plan during the Emperor's High Council meeting?
Valya wanted to expose Desmond Hart, but instead walked away with his blood
Harrow Harkonnen spoke out against the Emperor and formally filed a complaint against him, just as Vlaya had planned, standing frighteningly behind his nephew as he called for an official inquiry. In the same breath, Valya takes a pocket knife and hides it in her hand while the Emperor thinks of a response to Harrow's request. Surprisingly, Princess Ynez Corrino speaks out against her own royal parents and endorses Harrow's suspicions, which is a complete surprise even to Valya, the Truth-Revealer.
Realizing that the situation demands a drastic response, Desmond Hart makes a public demonstration of his power – and that of the Emperor – by burning alive several rebels and noble leaders. Valya intended for Desmond Hart to reveal himself through Harrow's eager investigation of complaints but did not expect Hart to make such a public display, which ended up backfiring on her and Harrow in Dune: Prophecy episode 4. Valya, at least, left with a sample of Desmond's blood, which she plans to enter into her reproductive genetic index to determine where he came from.