Note: I wanted to post this chapter earlier, but I had to spend some time re-editing it after some thinking over of things. Anyway, I named this chapter after a Sade song because I unapologetically love Sade. Also, sorry if you are reading this fic and are like "where's my smut?". I promise it in the future, but I wanted the relationship between Korra and Noatak to feel a bit more organic than being like "Now kiss!".
Korra sat at one end of the dining table poking at a delicately poached salmon filet covered in a fragrant cream sauce too pretty to consume. She speared pieces of crisp greens imported from the Earth Kingdom and consciously chewed in front of her company. For the past few weeks, Korra never attended dinner without plenty of guests visiting. Usually someone from the tribal council was in attendance, and sometimes it was someone from the Northern Water Tribe's navy. Tonight both were there- a tribal council member and his son, a rising star in the navy. Korra felt bad for the son, as she knew the deal about this dinner. This dinner was not the usual political song and dance but a thinly veiled power play by the council member via courtship between his son and Korra's cousin Iluq. Despite how much Unalaq downplayed his role as tribal chief of the Northern Water Tribe, he was still incredibly influential, not just in the Northern Water Tribe but the international political scene with the United Republic, and a marriage to the tribal princess, second in line or not, would be a great opportunity for anyone. The problem wouldn't be the power grab; no, Korra understood that. The problem was her cousin Iluq.
The palace servants tried their hardest to make Iluq look fetching in order to impress a handsome young man in the navy. However, no amount of work done would hide the constant dour look on her face. Her dull black hair had been massaged with pretty smelling oils to revive any sort of shine in her locks and woven into complicated braids decorated in ornate hairpins. The dress they selected was a gorgeous bright blue piece that wrapped around Iluq's body and reached to the floor. A wide silver ribbon that was embroidered delicately was tied above what was supposed to be above Iluq's hips. Unfortunately Iluq's body could not be manipulated in any sort of way to give her any womanly illusion the servants intended. Iluq probably didn't mind. She liked looking unappealing to everyone.
Korra happened to be the servants' dream to dress up even if she felt other wise. They brought out silk dresses in every shade of blue and purple before selecting one a shade so dark blue that it was almost black. The dress was a feat of master tailoring and draping with intricate folds of fabric that accentuated Korra's silhouette. Korra didn't care much for dresses, but she admitted that this one was beautiful and could easily rival Asami's best gowns. The only thing about the dress that bothered Korra was how the v-shaped neckline dipped too close to her chest for comfort and how the maids refused to cover Korra's bare neck. Instead, they had to improvise and put Korra's hair in a loose wolf tail that swept around her neck.
The reason the maids refused to put on a necklace was simply because Korra did not have a betrothal necklace. They said it was in bad taste to wear a necklace if it was not a betrothal necklace. The maids didn't let the subject go even after they came up with a solution for Korra's problem. They wanted to know if Korra knew any men that she was interested in marrying. Several suggestions came up- forbidden love between one of her guards, any of the radio stars from Republic City, some of the high-ranking members of the Northern Water Tribe navy, and for some reason, General Iroh. Korra's mind wandered to the image of Noatak's lightly scarred face with his striking blue eyes and strong jaw line. Her chi blocking lessons by the pier with Noatak seemed to encourage Korra's growing fascination with the man. She wanted to feel more like an adult about him, but she just felt silly and childish for harboring a crush on someone she barely knew. She could never say anything to the maids about Noatak.
The discomfort Korra felt wearing her dress seemed like the least uncomfortable thing about this evening. The air was empty with no conversation to be had outside of polite requests for sugared sea prunes. Korra wanted to break free and run to the piers to begin her chi blocking lessons for the night. She already read all of Fundamentals of Chi and Healing and spent her lessons with Noatak reviewing pressure points. Now she was ready to actually start practicing.
"Korra, I was wondering if you had opinion about what Desna said," Unalaq said.
Korra's head shot up from staring at the fish and right to her uncle who looked rather desperate in his attempts to make people speak.
"What was that?" Korra said.
"There's someone who has been sneaking around into the palace," Desna said.
Desna's eyes slowly came in contact with Korra's. His eyes barely opened, instead appearing as slits in his face. He looked like the fox spirits of the Fire Nation.
"I haven't heard anything. Or seen anything for that matter. I doubt there's something out there," Korra said.
"I would normally be in agreement with you Korra, but last night I heard something going on in the east wing where you are staying. I'm rather inclined to have more guards down that wing," Unalaq said.
"You can never be too guarded when it comes to the Avatar," the tribal councilman said.
The councilman's son nodded and looked at Iluq.
"I hope there's enough guards for the princess," the councilman's son said.
Korra's eyes mentally rolled at the statement. She snickered a bit to herself when she saw Iluq's blank face. Her uncle smiled and nodded.
"You have no need to worry Chu. There haven't been any disturbances in the west wing of the palace," Unalaq said.
Chu blushed and returned to the mango sorbet in front of him. Chu's father looked up towards Korra. He stroked his goatee a bit and returned to his sorbet.
"So when will the Avatar find herself engaged? You and your romantic life are quite the subject amongst my wife's friends and my secretaries. Am I to understand that you have a beau in Republic City? I'd like to put my wife's chatter to peace," the councilman said.
"Councilman…" Korra said
"Councilman Hahn."
"Yes… I'm sorry to say that I have no actual romantic prospects," Korra said.
Councilman Hahn lifted his eyebrow. He reached for his light blue cravat and tightened it. Korra disliked the way his spidery fingers reached for his neck. Even more bothersome about Councilman Hahn was his crooked nose and braided wolf tails that reminded Korra too much of Tarrlok.
"Well, there are certainly lots of eligible men here in this capital alone that would be very interested in getting to know you," Councilman Hahn said.
"I'm sure Korra appreciates the gesture, but Korra is probably a little more used to the customs of Republic City. I believe the women there get married much later than here in the north," Unalaq said.
"Ahh. Well it would just seem unfortunate that the Avatar's younger cousin would be engaged before she was. Especially when the Avatar is as beautiful as she is. Any man would love that kind of woman as his wife," Councilman Hahn said.
Korra hated how Councilman Hahn was speaking to her. Everything about him reminded her of Tarrlok and how he used her. Councilman Hahn was no different in how he courted Korra out like an object to be used his political game. She didn't want to be in the grips of a man like him- a man who used his own son for his little games.
"I would hope that any man interested in Korra would also appreciate the fact that she's quite intelligent. Though, Korra, I hope it's not ill of me to assume you are already interested in someone. I can see it in your eyes," Unalaq said.
"What?" Korra said.
"Nothing Korra. I was just teasing," Unalaq said.
"Uncle, I hope this isn't rude, but may I be excused? I'm fairly tired from my afternoon still," Korra said.
"Not at all. Though please be cautious entering the east wing," Unalaq said.
Korra nodded and left the table. She couldn't walk out fast enough, but the tiny slippers and the fabric pooling at the bottom of her dress made this difficult. Korra grabbed the fabric by her knees and hiked it to her knees as she ran to her room. In the spacious bathroom connect to her bedroom, she attempted to remove the dress. She contorted herself to look for the tiny latches in the back of her dress. She only managed to get the bottom hooks removed. Korra, frustrated, wanted to rip the dress off. She was missing valuable time to learn chi blocking every second she tried to remove the silk dress off.
"This can't be happening to me. They must have sewn this dress onto my body!" Korra said.
Korra, running out of options that didn't involve the maids or starving herself out of the dress, blanked and decided to just leave anyway- dress and all. She grabbed her black suit and mask before running through the halls of the palace. Confused guards tried stopping her as she yelled about missing out on something and to not worry about her. The maids said she looked like the princess from the old tales who ran to her pauper lover at midnight. Every part of Korra's rushed exit fed into their rich fantasies about her life.
Korra grabbed the last rail car that ran close to the docks. She looked ridiculous in the blue silk gown as she held on tight to the poles of the car. People stared at her the entire ride. Korra didn't blame them. It would be hard not to stare at someone who looks like they're headed to a soirée instead of a self-defense class in one of the poorest sections of town.
The rail car stopped right before the docks. Most of the boats were docked with men exiting left and right to buy things before they got home. A few men went to the liquor tents to eat and drink fire ice while others preferred some of the local bars to reward their hard work. Korra passed them by with a barrage of catcalls thrown at her. She pressed on to the end of pier where Noatak's ship was always docked.
Noatak was standing by man who held out a wad of Yuans in his hand. Korra could see the faint glow of red at the man's mouth and the smoke rising from there. He gave Noatak a few bills from the wad. Noatak placed the bills in his pockets and when he looked up, saw Korra. She could see Noatak saying something to the man. The man turned over towards her and said something back. Noatak nodded, and Korra heard the man laugh and slap Noatak on the back. Noatak then walked to Korra smelling absolutely foul.
"Spirits! You smell like shit," Korra said
"The reekfish are mating right now, and they got caught in our nets unfortunately," Noatak said.
"Well you can't teach me how to chi block smelling like that," Korra said
"Good thing you aren't even dressed to chi block," Noatak said.
"Well it wasn't my fault. I couldn't get out of this dress."
"And this means what to me?"
Korra grinned and clutched her clothes and mask tightly to her chest.
"I wonder what your home looks like…" Korra said.
Korra skipped away strangely in the direction of Noatak's apartment.
"Do you know which way you're going?" Noatak said.
"I don't know. You always walk this way."
Noatak smirked and grabbed a hold of Korra's wrist. Korra stopped skipping and looked back at Noatak.
"Slow down. Not all of us are young," Noatak said.
Korra nodded and tried to match her pace with Noatak's.
"Who was that guy from earlier?" Korra asked.
"He's my boss," Noatak said.
"Aha. Makes sense. What was he laughing about?" Korra said.
"He says I am a lucky man."
"And?"
"You tell me."
