Leto prepares for his first private meeting with Siona by traveling to the Little Citadel, a remote vantage tower he built in the central Sareer using an ancient Ixian machine. Before her arrival, he spends hours relishing the physical sensations of his worm-self on the open sand, reflecting on his long life and the heavy burdens of the Golden Path. He discusses Siona with Moneo, recognizing her deep-seated adrenaline addiction and concluding that she must undergo a severe withdrawal and necessity shock to mature. Leto sees this encounter as a critical examination of his young adversary, preparing her psychic muscles for an impending test that will reveal her true strengths and weaknesses while ensuring she has no physical weapons.
When Siona arrives by ornithopter at nightfall, she approaches him with cautious suspicion and immediate wariness. Leto guides her to an outdoor balcony overlooking the landscape where they can speak privately away from prying ears and the damp insects of the night. Their conversation quickly cuts to the core of her rebellion as she questions his right to govern and whether he is truly a god. Leto calmly engages her sharp Atreides intellect, explaining his metamorphosis, the loss of his traditional human hungers, and the profound, inescapable loneliness that separates him from all humanity. Siona displays a mixture of lingering revulsion and reluctant sympathy as she learns about his agonizing sacrifices, his memories of past lives, and the deliberate nature of his solitary reign.
As the dialogue deepens, Siona presses him on the origins of his power and his resistance to opposition, mentioning her theft of his journals and her reliance on the Oral History over the approved histories. Leto asserts that his rule is justified by his unique position and his total responsibility for the future of humankind, noting that her rebellion actually helps him sharpen his leadership and resolve against any external threats. He challenges her assumptions about his physical and emotional vulnerabilities, warning her that those he loves are susceptible to danger just like her friends were at the embassy. The meeting concludes with Leto revealing that he brought her here not to convince her of his righteousness, but to determine whether she is finally ready to face her ultimate trial and test.