Pack Planning
"We need to talk about something," he said onto his daughter, who had been living a carefree youth. Now that she had come of age, he had to talk with her about her future, and what was involved with it.
He told her that, she acted like she already knew.
"Father, I know about how the shagging thing works," she said. "Besides, I wouldn't want to talk with you about that in a million years."
"Lose the attitude," he retorted, "I wasn't talking about that, I am talking about marriage."
The word itself called back many memories for him. He remembered how he had met his wife and how he proposed to her by carving her a necklace. It took him two entire days to carve the necklace he wanted to make for the love of his life, because the love of his life she was.
He met her during his youth, when he still lived in the Western Water Tribe. It was on one of the many white beaches found in the Western Water Tribe. He was surfing, she was collecting shells.
When he saw her, he was ensnared by her beauty and so he fell into the water. He washed ashore at her feet, she knew what happened and why it had and it flattered her.
A long period of courtship followed, in keeping with Western Water Tribe tradition, a time he enjoyed, even though courtship followed strict social rules. Intimacy was out of the question, because if you were caught, you would both be expelled from the tribe. The Western Water Tribe didn't have the most strict rules, the Northern Water Tribe was still on top of that list.
The wedding ceremony was simple, but it held great significance. The father of the bride would turn his daughter over into the care of her husband-to-be, while the mother of the groom would turn her son over into the care of his wife-to-be.
Couples would be wed in the sea, at night, preferably at full moon, feeling its currents of energy. The water would seal the bond between the couple. Being wed in the sea, under the light of the moon was of great significance, because Tui and La would be the witnesses of the bond between bride and groom.
"Marriage?!" his daughter asked, shocked. "But… I'm not ready."
"I've made a deal with the chief," he replied, "you will marry his youngest son."
There was no discussion, he had made up his mind. His daughter tried to resist at first, but she had to give in eventually. After a while, she began to accept it, until she craved to marry the prince herself.
He would get what he wanted.