The Stars of ‘Dune: Prophecy’ Delve into Princess Ynez and Keiran Atreides’s Thrilling Last Battle Reflecting Their Love Story Beyond Emotions

The series Dune: Prophecy on HBO first introduced viewers to Princess Ynez Corrino (played by Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) and her sword master Keiran Atreides (played by Chris Mason). The Season 1 finale showcased the lovers using their training in a heart-pounding climax.

**Spoilers for the Dune: Prophecy Season 1 finale, now streaming on Max**

After a daring rescue by Valya Harkonnen (played by Emily Watson), Ynez and Keiran are aided in their escape from jail. With Desmond Hart (played by Travis Fimmell) distracted, the couple fights their way to a waiting ship bound for Arrakis. Their chemistry, evident in their sparring and intimate moments, takes on a new level of intensity during this escape. Their synchronized combat reflects the deep bond they have developed. According to stars Sarah-Sofie Boussnina and Chris Mason, this intricate fight scene held significant meaning for them.

“It was an intense experience because it was one of the final fight scenes we shot,” said Sarah-Sofie Boussnina in an interview with Decider. “We had improved so much from the beginning of filming to that point.”

“We had like a month or two before we shot anything stunt-wise,” Chris Mason said. “We started from scratch and the stunt team were very patient with us.”

“Me and Sarah-Sofie got a real bond. We really enjoyed working together, we felt safe together. We were looking out for each other in those moments.”

Both actors appreciated how while the fight sequence marked a huge step forward for them technically, it also illustrated how Ynez and Keiran’s romance has evolved over the course of the first season.

“We start off with the training sequences where it’s kind of easy for Kieran. You know, he does this every day, like this is his domain. She’s never going to be able to best him in combat,” Mason said. “By the end of the season, we’re out there and it’s not training anymore. It’s not about, you know, getting the moves right. It’s about life.”

“So there’s a nice little look at the end of that sequence…he’s almost proud of how she’s trained. She’s ready and she’s there and there’s trust.”

Boussnina also felt that the trust between the characters was palpable in the fight. “I thought it was really cool development for the characters as well,” she said. “They’re at a point now where they trust each other, so they fight side by side and I felt that was really cool.”

Of course, Ynez and Keiran have gone through a lot over the course of the season to build this trust. When the couple first hooks up back in Episode 1, Ynez has no idea that Keiran is secretly a rebel planning on killing her family to make a better, fairer Imperium. Sarah-Sofie Boussnina explained to Decider that as Nez begins to learn more and more about the universe outside of her sheltered palace life, she’s forced to question “everything she thought she knew about her family.”

“It pushes her closer and closer to Keiran because she learns that they share some values and some views,” Boussnina said.

Chris Mason said that Keiran never intended to fall in love with the princess, noting that their connection is sparked “at the wrong time” for the young revolutionary.

“I don’t think they expected it to be the kind of connection that it was,” Mason said. “It could have just have ended on the first night. She could have gone to the Sisterhood and they might not have seen each other again”

“For Kieran, when he sees in her, maybe her heart is aligned with his in terms of the morals and seeing what the Imperium for what it is, the connection becomes deeper…I think that connection definitely goes beyond an attraction.”

Boussnina said she sees Ynez as “one of the only characters in the show that is not manipulating anyone.”

“I think throughout the season Nez is doing what is right in her mind,” Boussnina said. “Any decision that she makes, I think comes from her heart and comes from a genuine place.”

Ynez’s decisions lead us all the way back to her decision to first attempt to free Keiran from jail and then opting to fight alongside him with the ultimate goal of freedom. To work together to battle for what’s right, even if that means cutting down Imperial guards.

“We talked about their connection,” Mason said of Ynez and Keiran’s battle chemistry. “It’s not just the connection of the heart, but like physically and mentally, like knowing each other’s limits and being able to do something like that, do that together.”