Chapter 42: Persistent Pursuits

Angayok Arnook was too tired to address the elephant-seal in the room when Sokka went to see him; the older man was exhausted from arguing with the dronningi hours before, and accompanying his exhaustion was worry given the sheer ease at which Yue disposed of her assets in exchange for the funding she needed for a social mission. Not to mention the nuisance that Lord Ozai had caused, which led to the princess's decision in the first place. Hence, the Northern chief didn't have it in him to speak for a long time. Sokka did not say anything, either, having understood the situation, apology written all over his face, but Arnook reassured him with a hand to his shoulder, warm and fatherly in demeanor. He invited the isumataq to sit beside him, and both men basked in the silence for a long time, each casting contemplative looks at the tapestry of Tui in Arnook's study.

"I didn't know you took her to Jungannat and Gungham," Arnook eventually began the conversation, the comment sounding more like an afterthought than an accusation.

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck in slight sheepishness, "The day I took her away from the matchmaking session. Those suitors were crappy and rude, and I wanted to make her feel better."

"Did they see her closely? Your parents, I mean."

"No, it was...we were in a color parade, so we were kind of all colored and stuff. It was a bit difficult to recognize our faces."

"Mm." Sighing as he leaned back against the pelts in his chair, "Your father has been upset ever since he's seen my daughter with you. I think that's what really started this."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, "I'm sorry, Chief. I'm so sorry my dad's like this. I thought he was a chill guy, really, I...I mean, I never told him anything even when I thought that but...But he still found a way to…"

"Find out?"

"Y-Yeah…"

Arnook shrugged, "When you pull people's levers the right way, you can see sides of them you've never seen before, but the real underlying problem of all of this is the issue of foundations and belief systems being shaken and broken. You see, son, we were all raised in a mindset that is vastly different from the world you and Yue and the Revivalists envision. Conflict is expected." Looking at the Tui tapestry again, "I'm aware that that's happening in my own life as well."

"That's no excuse for my dad to be a dick about this."

"I'm not saying it's justified. It's just something that can explain a bit about where we're coming from. And based on that alone…" Guilt crossing over his own face, "I'm not in a position to call your father despicable when I have my own flaws."

That did not come as a surprise. Not to mention that Arnook did not know much about the world outside of the North. Not in personal experience, at least. He had never had a chance to travel and learn from his trips, and the only places he had actually stepped out of the North for were the Global Conferences, and that, too, before he and his wife found Yue. Leaving home after that did not seem safe. Not for his daughter, his wife (whom he eventually ended up sending out of the country for treatment), himself, and especially the North. And, of course, the obvious: he had no control over his drinking, first of all. He had no strength. He didn't have a choice.

"And yet, I know that I did the right thing by raising her," Arnook said with firm resolution. "I might not be the kind of person my daughter expects me to be, and I might go my entire life thinking it's essential that she has a man by her side to protect her, but even I know that abandoning a starving child is never justified under any law or code of any divine power."

Trying to fight off the burn in his eyes, the isumataq said, "I feel disappointed and disgusted in whatever frame of mind my dad's in right now. And I know Pakku's even worse. He's the one who tries to ingrain those purity laws in us on a regular basis. He was the chief, too, of the South at one point." With a dry scoff, "Sometimes I feel our family would be a lot more chill if Pakku was different. Just in his second year as chief, he passed that life sentence on that poor lady who was just trying to feed her kid, and she never got to see her kid ever since. She died a horrible death in prison. Seriously, how is a mom feeding her child supposed to be sexually tempting? Unless if you're fucked up in the head and you need to be put in an asylum!"

Arnook noted how the warrior was literally shaking with rage and helplessness.

"I understand Yue's anger. I just wish I could have a chance to apologize to her. The guilt is killing me, Chief, and I won't be able to sleep peacefully at night if I don't tell her I'm not like my dad."

"You did nothing wrong for you to apologize. And there's no reason for you to tell her something she already knows—"

"She didn't say a word to me," he croaked. "Do you even know how horrible I'm feeling right now? Imagine the woman of your dreams telling you she'd rather slice her throat than be with you or ask you for anything ever."

"Yes, that's a bit extreme," Arnook said, rubbing his head, "My daughter can be a handful sometimes."

"I didn't mean it like that," Sokka frowned, "I'm not here to complain about her."

"I didn't say it like that, either. I mean that Yue is very headstrong about what she wants if it's for someone's own good."

He told the young warrior about how these past few months, the chief had been talking with the princess more and more, taking more risks to go see her even if it was just for the purpose of securing a good alliance for her. Used to, he would make a lot of decisions on a whim about anything concerning her marriage, and she would rarely communicate, sabotaging the arrangements quietly one way or another instead.

"But now, she's using her voice a lot more," Arnook said. "She's arguing a lot. That's all we seem to be doing nowadays. Arguing, arguing, more arguing. Of course, she's usually right about her observations. She can be scary, too. You wouldn't think she's scary because she's more pleasant than not to be around, but I've seen a side of her that's dangerous."

And the entire time, Sokka couldn't stop himself from plunging into the small smile— why was he smiling? — that took over his lips. Perhaps it was the fact that she was beautiful when she's angry, compassionate in her rage, breathtaking in her power.

"And in those moments where she just loses it, I've learned a lot about her," the angayok noted. "She doesn't put up a fight if she doesn't get what she wants for herself, but if it's an issue of someone else's life being in danger or something, then she can get very stubborn. By very, I mean, it's impossible to argue with her. There are things she says which can be a bit extreme sometimes, but she doesn't mean them. She says them to expedite the process of whatever she wants to happen. She even does things that are above and beyond sometimes, and I have no idea where she gets it all from." The guilt returned, "She snuck off on her own and lived a life that I would never know of. I don't know where she learned her tricks. Her threats of starvation—"

"Did she do it again?" Sokka asked, wide-eyed, "I told her not to do it again!"

"Because even with such a vast treasury, she doesn't have control over my signature, which is needed for me to transfer her assets to her ownership permanently," the chief explained, crossing his arms. "She stood her ground and told me she needed the documents for the Black Lotus Project. I told her I was saving the amount for her marriage. She said she won't touch any food or drink. I couldn't risk it. After she fell that day and Yugoda scared us all, I wasn't going to risk anything, so I just gave it all to her." Throwing his hands up in the air with returning vexation, "And there went her last real belongings."

"The Black Lotus is one of her biggest dreams," Sokka said, "And I would've been more than happy to help with the funding from what she gave us. It's her money anyway!"

"She's not the type of person to like that. Taking back something she gave to someone," the chief explained, "But the point I'm trying to make here is that Yue does certain things for others' benefit. There's usually someone or some community on her mind. And the reason I'm saying this when we're actually talking about what happened at the Moon Temple is that she was trying to look out for you that entire time. That's why that argument seemed as explosive as it did."

A rare flutter in his chest, "She was looking out for me?"

"Yes. She cares about you. This is the truth."

He sat up quickly in his seat, his chest pounding.

"I'm not saying this in hopes of preserving your engagement," Arnook added. "I'm not saying this standing in my matchmaking moccasins, and I'm not telling you this as a father-in-law trying to hold onto his potential son-in-law. I'm telling you this as her father. As someone who's a witness to what his child likes and doesn't like." Gulping, "I can't claim to say I know all of her likes and dislikes. Unfortunately, I'm the kind of father who was told her name instead of giving her a name. But I do know she likes you."

A wave of warmth— despite the doubt— washed through the young isumataq.

"Your father's words may have been very insensitive, but those insensitive comments are not so new for her to get so offended on the spot. She's Lady, after all. She has been hearing all kinds of nonsense her entire life."

"You can't say she wasn't offended. My dad was spewing out a lot of yakshit—"

"I'm not saying she wasn't angry at all, but I do know that Yue isn't someone to lose her temper that easily. The cabinet members who walked out on her said a lot worse, and she didn't say a single word in retaliation. But at the Moon Temple, she was furious in a way I've never seen her before. Why would that be the case?" Looking at him, "It's because she took that moment as an opportunity to keep you away. She doesn't want you to be in danger. She's expecting you to not run after her after she was so harsh on your father. So don't take what she said personally. I know she doesn't mean it."

"...you see, Sokka, genuine care is messy...As the leader of a nation, your number one duty is to preserve your people even if it means throwing yourself in harm's way. True leadership isn't having millions of soldiers defending you. It's about you doing everything you can to stand at the very front of the line... And the need to protect lives sometimes overrides people's consent to voluntarily laying down their lives...As my ikkingut, you are most certainly one of my top priorities when it comes to protecting…"

A myriad of expressions were jumbled up in his look until he settled on an aggrieved huff, making his way over to the Tui tapestry, "Everything always has to go her way, doesn't it? She doesn't stop and think that maybe I want to look out for her, too? I told her not to calculate too much. I told her that I'm not leaving no matter what! It's not fair!"

"All I can say is that it's a battle with her. Be prepared to fight."

It was with great reluctance and internalized caution that Hakoda and Kya followed Ivaneq to the dining chambers of the palace. Accompanying the Southern chief and chieftess were Kohana and Katara. Well, mostly Kohana, for Katara stopped at the palace entrance, looking out with her gaze dancing back and forth. After a few minutes, she thought she could make out the movements of swift gusts in the distance; she rubbed her eyes, for the gusts had been so fast that she thought she was imagining things, but it was confirmed as soon as she caught sight of a pristine bald head— arrowed at its center, stormy eyes holding flashes of excitement, and a grin that only widened to the ends of the earth when he saw her.

"I'm here, Katara!" he waved, not paying much attention to the gasps and exclamations that surrounded his entry.

"Avatar Aang?"

"Avatar Aang?!"

"Avatar Aang!"

The airbender nearly floated his way up to the Southern princess, "Am I late?"

"With a speed like that?" she chuckled and took his hand in hers to lead him inside, thus spurring a blissful blush from the nomad and stirring a whole other topic for the walls to whisper about, "Come on in!"

In the meantime, Arnook was making his way over to the feasting hall, accompanied by Sokka.

"Did Her Highness eat, Chief?" Sokka asked.

"I don't know," Arnook admitted, "I did everything she wanted me to, so she better eat."

"I know she wouldn't want to eat here, but I can take her meal up to her study."

"No offense, Sokka, but if you don't eat here right now and run after my daughter instead, your father isn't going to be very happy. Besides, she's likely not there. She mentioned she's overseeing the feeding arrangements for the poor. She will be today, tomorrow, and the two days after that. Part of her new proposals."

Her Highness is literally the embodiment of compassion, Sokka sighed to himself in hopeless adoration before noting, "I'm guessing a lot of people will be crossing into the upper ring."

"Yes. She needs to make sure the guards under her jurisdiction are on sight by the upper ring's entrance canal so there won't be any issues. Khasiq's guards will throw a fit if otherwise; it could get chaotic if she's not there."

But it didn't feel right for Sokka to eat without her. He'd gotten so used to her company— the way her eyes lit up at the sight of sweets, the assurance that all was good in the world.

They stepped into the feasting chamber in time for Ivaneq to bring them inside. Sokka welcomed his little brother with a hug when Kohana launched himself at him, but the isumataq refused to communicate with his parents in that setting, fearing he'd set off a string of explosive conversations. Realizing his sister wasn't present, he looked around for her before noticing that she was a few feet away from the chamber, holding hands with the Avatar. They were seemingly talking about something, having stopped in the corridor leading to the chamber but remaining out of everyone's sight long enough to exchange some lighthearted conversation and a few admiring grins. The isumataq didn't point anything out, remaining quiet: his sister shouldn't be on the same boat as he was, and as long as she was happy, that was what mattered.

There was otherwise very little exchange between the Northern and Southern leaders as observed by everyone else, including Aang and Katara from their place in the corridor. Arnook gave an obligatory bow, smiled in cautious greeting, and issued the generic statement, "We are honored to have you join us." Hakoda and Kya were less enthusiastic, but the chieftess nevertheless smiled back. And that was all; the servants who rushed in with fresh, steaming delicacies took the hospitality reigns from there, guiding the leaders to their seats across from each other.

The table, vast and seemingly unending, was quickly being filled with several dishes. Sokka's stomach began to chew itself at the various aromas, but his brain had no intention to act on the problem, for he was repeatedly picturing the dronningi and her teasing smile, the thrill of eating out unnoticed, the banter they'd currently be having with regard to who would pay for the meal.

"Before you all leave," Arnook began just before the servants left to bring in more food, "Confirm under oath that you were the ones who prepared this meal."

The command seemed unusual at first, but the senior made was quick to answer. "Yes, Your Majesty. We are in charge of all the cooking and serving."

"And are you Revivalists?"

"No, sir."

"No, Your Highness."

"I'm afraid not, Your Majesty."

"That is all. Thank you." And the Northern chief cast a look at Hakoda and Kya. Hakoda, especially, was a bit flustered as the Northern leader told them, "As you've witnessed, all dishes were prepared by Loyalists. My daughter personally made sure that all other cooks and servants were directed to the feeding arrangements for your comfort and convenience. So there is no question of impurity, I'm assuming."

The room went silent. Hakoda and Kya said nothing, conflicted expressions on their faces as they stared at the food. Ideally, this was not supposed to be the way they should be acting in the presence of the father of someone who saved their tribe, but they were tied up by the stark reminder of the origins of the girl who was raised by the Northern chief and fooled into thinking she was the princess.

"And if you think I am scheming against you, I have no reason for doing so," Arnook added. "I wouldn't benefit from such a scheme. I wasn't the one who arranged this anyway. But if you are still suspicious, you are free to leave at any time. Holy water will be sent to your estate by a non-Revivalist, and I assure you, the holy water was not provided by the Moon Temple."

It turned out the chief and chieftess were still willing to sit through this arrangement as evidenced by them not moving from their seats. Kya, even if not sincere, managed to say, "It's alright, Brother Arnook, we are happy to be here."

Sokka gulped, guilt overtaking him again as he looked at Arnook, but Arnook broke the discomfort with a terse, "I'm glad" and issued other commands to the servants.

Katara and Aang, who had observed the exchange from afar, decided to make their presence known at that time and stepped into the chamber. Katara smiled at the airbender, "Make yourself comfortable, Aang."

"Avatar Aang?" Ivaneq, who just then had the opportunity to release the breath he'd been holding, blinked at the duo, causing all eyes to turn to the entrance.

"Hi, Aang!" Kohana raced over to him and jumped up and down, "Can we go on a glider ride again today?"

"We sure can, Kohana," Aang grinned, ruffling the boy's hair before taking a moment to bow at Chief Arnook, Chief Hakoda, and Chieftess Kya, "Good to see you all."

"It's an honor to see you, Avatar Aang," Chief Hakoda bowed.

"And we would be more than honored if you joined us for lunch," Chief Arnook invited with a bow of his own, "You're just in time."

"I'd love to," came the response, the Avatar clearly feeling the shift to formality in the room as his presence was made known to the other servants with each passing minute. The monk noticed, however, that Sokka didn't seem as surprised as the others to see him.

"Katara said she didn't tell anyone that she invited me," Aang whispered to the isumataq, "Aren't you surprised to see me, Sokka?"

"Not really," came the murmur. "You've been stuck to my sister's hip ever since you met her."

"Sokka!" Katara nearly screeched in reprimand, keeping her voice barely quiet in the presence of family. She turned to the flushed monk, "Don't mind him, he's a thickhead sometimes."

"It's fine," turning back to the warrior and whispering, "I came to make sure everything stays okay." Which indicated that he was aware of what had happened.

"Lighten up, Airhead, I was just kidding." Placing his hand on Aang's shoulder, "You're part of the family. You don't need to be invited to show up."

To which the airbender's heart was warmed in reassurance. Kohana, insisting that the monk sit next to him, led him to a seat right beside him. Katara took her place next to Aang, and the trio lost themselves in a conversation about their plans for the day. While the seats beside Hakoda and Arnook were empty, Sokka deliberately chose to sit beside the Northern chief, which spurred Hakoda's frown.

"Oh, Avatar Aang," the senior maid noted upon noticing the unexpected guest, bowing repeatedly, "We weren't aware that you were joining us. I'm afraid we only have Water Tribe specialties prepared."

"Sorry, it was a last-minute decision," Aang said. "Don't worry, I'll be happy to have whatever—"

"Just a few minutes, sir. We'll have separate dishes prepared for you."

"Oh, no, it's fine, I'll have whichever vegetarian special is on the Water Tribe menu—"

"We have five flavor soup if you want to try some, Aang," Katara offered. "It doesn't have any meat in it. We also have stewed sea prunes. You said you really liked them yesterday."

Though the extremely conflicted expression on Aang's face suggested otherwise with regard to the stench of the sea prunes, "Oh...uh, sure, Katara," a nervous laugh as the airbender tried to hide his gag and simultaneously uphold the bright spark in the master waterbender's eyes, "I'd love some! After I have a bit of the soup. I'm really looking forward to trying it!"

"Don't worry," another maid stepped out, adding in reassurance, "we have a servant bringing in specials from the Air Nomad feast, sir."

"We do?" the senior maid asked.

"Yes, ma'am, Number Eight is on it."

To which Sokka's ears perked up and his entire being shot up from his seat, his chest jolting in the direction of the announcement. The action earned strange looks from Kya, Hakoda, and Arnook, and Sokka was compelled to slump back down in his chair, his ears remaining glued to the conversation.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Aang told the maids, "I didn't mean to make you do more than you—"

"It's alright, it's just a matter of bringing it from one kitchen to another," the senior maid said, obviously relieved by the news, "Our vegetarian cook is likely handling it all, I assure you. There's no inconvenience!"

"Then we will commence eating after Avatar Aang is duly served his meal," Arnook said.

"It's fine, it's not a problem, Chief."

"Water Tribe custom teaches that we must respect our guests and take the first bite only after they have commenced eating."

"I was looking forward to trying the five flavor soup anyhow," Aang assured, "Please, there's no need to wait because of me. I know I can't wait another second!"

The comment stirred a few laughs, some genuine and some forced. Sokka, though, didn't seem to be of this world as he fixated his gaze at the entrance to the kitchen, looking forward to seeing the number eight plastered onto one of the uniforms. He didn't touch the food, an observation noted by Arnook.

"Naggujutit niKinnik, irniga?" You don't like the food, son?

"It's not that, Chief, I just…I'm not really hungry—" an excuse immediately refuted by his irrevocably loud growls.

"You don't need to wait on anyone of importance," Hakoda said, barely slipping anything into his mouth. "We need to leave as soon as possible."

"You think I'm shameless like you to eat without Her Highness—?"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, settle down, please," Ivaneq interjected, "Please, let's have a pleasant afternoon, shall we?"

The tension, despite lingering in the air, was fizzled out by the entry of another veiled servant, namely "Number Eight." Again, Sokka rose from his seat, affection pouring out of his gaze, and again, the act appeared unusual to the adult trio, who wondered if he'd been expecting the princess to step in and was thus rising from his seat continuously, thinking it was her every time. After all, they had no idea that the princess herself was one of their servers this afternoon.

"Number Eight, please identify your classification," Arnook said, not recognizing that the servant was his daughter, "Revivalist or non-Revivalist?"

"Human, Your Majesty," came the unexpectedly sharp tone, "But if you must know, I'm not a Revivalist. Nonpartisan, actually."

"Thank you, that is all."

Yue noticed the isumataq was looking at her. In fact, it seemed he was glued to her. But she didn't look at him, her smile beneath her mask reserved for Katara and Aang. The Avatar expressed his thanks as she placed the tray of Air Nomad dishes in front of the monk and made her way over to the chieftess afterwards, placing down the other tray she'd been holding.

"I thought you'd like to try some kale stew, Your Majesty," she smiled, "It's really good for expecting women. Keeps the baby strong and healthy."

"Oh...that's very thoughtful of you…" though Kya wasn't keen on touching it, and the subtle look that Hakoda gave her told her it was probably safe if the dish was left untouched. Nevertheless, she smiled in appreciation. "Thank you."

Yue went back to serving the rest of the delicacies brought in by another servant, doing her best not to make eye contact with anyone else, especially Arnook, Hakoda, and Sokka, but by now, the isumataq was drowning in waves of guilt and the overwhelming instinct to help, having noticed she was tired and dispirited.

"I'll help you," Sokka offered without thinking, taking one of the trays for himself and surprising everyone there, including the disguised dronningi.

"Aren't you ashamed?" Hakoda snapped at his son, "Going to someone else's home and offering to serve? Has your princess turned you into her slave—?"

"This has nothing to do with Her Highness!" Sokka yelled at the mortified Southern chief, making the other servants pause in their step. Yue frowned and looked away, reminded of the Moon Temple chaos again.

Aang slowly stood up and held his friend by his shoulders, "Sokka, calm down. It's okay, calm down."

"Don't even think about bringing my daughter into this, Chief," Arnook told Hakoda.

"And why not?" Standing up from his seat, "It's because of her that we're forced to be here in the first place!"

"Hakoda!" Kya said in reprimand before Sokka had a chance to fume, "Calm down!"

"Please be seated, Your Highness," Ivaneq nearly begged Hakoda, "we want this to be smooth sailing. Please. And you, too, isumataq," he turned to Sokka, "There are more than twenty servants walking around. They'll handle this, don't worry. Eat. You haven't touched anything."

Sokka kept turning worriedly to the princess, who took the tray in his hands and went on to serve without a word. Katara grabbed his arm and pulled him down to where he was seated, and he plopped down, ashamed and flustered, unwilling to enjoy any of these luxuries with the princess toiling like an actual servant. He melted further when the princess placed a big bowl of seal jerky in front of him; she still didn't look at him, but he could tell the move was deliberate.

"I want an egg tart, too!" Kohana announced, having seen the tart on Aang's plate.

"There's plenty for our little prince," Yue managed a smile, reaching for a supplementing tray of extra tarts. "Here you go, sweetie—"

"No, that's fine," Kya stopped her.

"It's alright, Your Majesty, there are many—"

"No, really," and turning to her younger son, "Kohana, you're eating too many sweets. Finish what you have."

"But I want an egg tart!" the boy slapped his hands on the table, soup and pieces of kelp cake sticking to his face.

"Kohana, behave," Hakoda frowned.

"But I want a—!"

"Kohana!" Hakoda lost his patience again, "Kanigasannik nigikattanak!" Don't eat impure food!

Yue, taken aback, took a few steps back as Ivaneq, Sokka, Aang, and Katara glanced at the scene in horror.

"You were working for the princess once, weren't you?" Hakoda questioned Yue, "You might be nonpartisan, but you still worked for her at one point, didn't you?"

Yue, her look turning cold, simply handed the tray in her hands to a nearby servant and left the chamber. It wasn't until she left that Hakoda relaxed. Sokka, tearing at his bottom lip, facepalmed, unable to make eye contact with Arnook, whose gaze had hardened. By now, Kohana had started crying, the child's innocence still untainted by the meaning behind Hakoda's outburst.

"What, you want food prepared by the Akna, too? You want to turn out like your older brother? Disbelieving and careless?" Hakoda scolded his younger son to which Kohana began wailing louder and left his seat, running out of the chamber.

"Kohana! Get back here—!"

"ENOUGH!" Sokka slammed his fists against the ice table, cracking it a little bit. He kicked his chair back, glaring daggers at his father, "Don't turn my brother into the monster you and Pakku are." And with that, he stormed out of the chamber, running after his crying brother.

"I don't feel like eating anymore," Arnook also stood up, dropping his chopsticks on his plate, "I feel nauseated by today's performance."

It didn't take long for Hakoda to storm out of his seat, too, but not before he nearly dumped his head into the bucket of holy water by the door. Kya, sprinkling some of the water over herself, followed him in an attempt to calm him down. Those who remained were Katara, Aang, Ivaneq, and the servants, who stared at the disaster before them.

"And here I was thinking the prince and princess would get hitched one day," the senior maid shook her head, her loud comments heard by the lingering guests all the way from the kitchen, "Obviously that's off the table. Our dronningi wouldn't last a second in their household."

Yue ignored the way her stomach twisted and churned with pangs of hunger as she ran back and forth through the kitchens and out into the courtyard, where several tables and pelts were set up. The people who had shown up for the arrangements were numerous, warranting all of her effort and attention. She simply didn't have time to dwell on the earlier incidents, didn't have the need to poison the small bit of peace she was holding onto in her efforts to offer food to the unfortunate.

And yet, she couldn't help but be thankful to the Spirits that she wasn't forced to be a part of that luncheon for very long. If all hell broke loose without her official presence, she wasn't sure what would've happened had she been officially present.

It was with this kind of mindset that she trudged into the kitchen for the hundredth time with limited strength, refilling the empty tray in her hand with various dishes. She didn't have a chance to leave so quickly with the replenished materials, though, for she was greeted by the Southern prince, who was standing by the doorway with his expectant gaze settled on her, his arms crossed, his physique leaning against the door.

"Can I not have a peaceful day?" she sighed, turning to a servant woman beside her, "Do you mind seeing what the prince needs?"

"The prince? Of the South?!" the woman left the stew she was working on and whirled around, taking note of the Southern isumataq who was standing by the door, a look of displeasure on his face at being ignored.

"Oh my," chimed in another maid in the corner. "The prince!"

"Oh Spirits, it's the La of the North!"

"Isn't he handsome?"

Sokka ignored the rest of the maids and swiftly stepped in Yue's way, "I'm here to see you, Baby Blue."

"Oh, go on, Yue," a maid beside her took the tray in her hands and nudged her, "It's not every day a man as handsome as the prince comes looking for you. Besides, you were asking about him all day, weren't you?"

"What? No, I wasn't!" she sputtered defensively.

"Really? Then I must've been hallucinating that you've been telling us what to prepare for the isumataq of the South. Seal jerky, creamed prunes, seal jerky, seven flavor soup. Oh, let's not forget seal jerky—"

"Alright, that's enough," she frowned, tightening her mask, but her attempt at ferocity faltered when the prince gave her a knowing grin, mischief dancing in his sharp blue eyes.

"So you've been thinking about me, Baby Blue?"

"I was casually asking around," she defended herself.

"So you missed me, yes?" he raised his eyebrows, "If you miss me so much, why do you need to keep your distance?"

Biting her lip beneath her mask and ignoring the giggles from the maids behind her, "Just tell me how I may be of help you, Your Highness."

"You're not gonna ask why I'm here?" he asked gently, "Or for how long I've been wanting to see you?"

Which earned raised eyebrows from those around them. Yue crossed her arms defensively over her chest, answering with, "That's not my concern."

He frowned, "Can I at least get a chance to apologize?"

"I don't have time for this," she said with an impatient huff, "There are hundreds of people out there, and I need to go see what they need."

"Well you can't tend to them if they're out there complaining about the food."

"Who?" a passing maid paused at the comment and jumped in, "Who on earth would say that? Hundreds of people have raved on about how immaculate our Yue's cooking is."

"Well a lot of people were apparently saying the food is flavorless," Sokka said to a glaring Yue, "I've checked in with 'em."

"Our Yue is the best cook in the world, isumataq. You must be mistaken."

"I'm not saying she's not a good cook," he said, keeping his eyes on the princess, "Your Yue must not have been in a good mood when she made them. Her Highness worked really hard to organize such an event of this extreme. So the poor would be properly fed. But that won't be possible if there's too much spice and salt in all the dishes. Not nearly enough sweetness."

"It seems to me that you have a problem with my cooking, Your Highness."

"That's not what I meant," he said, the look in his eyes as soft as his voice, "I just think the flavor is lacking a bit in the sweets...and everything else that's supposedly vegetarian. You'd know if you tasted the food for yourself."

"I tasted everything before the distribution—"

"Well taste it again and see!" his voice cracked, making his suggestion more comical than of weighty command as he turned to the other maids, "You mind bringing the lady one of everything she made?"

"I can't believe this," her frown deepened, "I check everything before I approve it!"

"What if your intuition is wrong? You never know until you taste it again." A small grin on his lips, "You might as well go ahead and take a seat. There's a lot you need to taste."

She didn't budge, a million thoughts running through her mind.

"Come on, Baby Blue," he said, pulling all the right levers, "It's for the poor and helpless."

Which resulted in her finally taking her seat in an isolated space. The prince brought her plenty of generous servings along with a tray of food for himself. Yue widened her eyes. "You don't need this much for a taste."

"Oh...well too late." He set her food in front of her, "I'll confirm your findings as we go along," and he sat down with his own tray. "Well?"

After a tired sigh, she picked up the cup of prune pudding first and tasted a small helping. Frowning at his smug look, "I don't think there's a problem with this dish."

"There's not?" he took a generous bite of the pudding himself, his eyebrows contorted before settling into a content state, "Hm...mmm! You're right. Saying anything's wrong with this should be a crime. Those darn tribefolk must be mistaken." Shrugging, "But it's only one dish. We need to try all the others, too. For Her Highness's reputation. Go on, now, don't stop."

She reached for another item but was stopped with, "Woah woah, you can't tell me you're wasting all that pudding."

"You're the one who gave me too much for a taste test—"

"I didn't know, okay?" he held his hands up, "All I know is that food is La, La is food. You can't possibly waste La, can you?"

And at that, she finished the rest of the pudding and moved onto the next item.

"How is it?"

"It's good."

"Really?" And he took a bite out of the same dish on his plate, "Mmm! This is amazing. Man, those tribefolk did it again."

The princess was compelled to try another item, then another and another. The process was identical for everything: she would find no flaws, and he would reaffirm. It was silly in many ways even though the princess wasn't exactly in the mood to address it.

"Oh Universe, those tribefolk," the generic statement followed by a shake of his head, a belch leaving his lips, "I don't know what they were talking about, this is some quality cake—"

"Alright, that's enough," she set down her chopsticks. "I can't eat another bite, Your Highness. I know you're likely doing this on purpose for another motive, but if you're still so concerned about the princess's reputation, then you may keep trying these over and over again." Standing up, "Though I'm not sure why you'd care at this point."

He gave her a look, stepping out of his lighthearted zone for a moment, "You think I don't care about Her Highness?"

She didn't answer, her frown speaking for her.

He sighed, rising to his feet, "I told you not to calculate too much. I told you I'm not leaving," before he reached into the sling of his sheath and pulled out a fresh collection of moonflowers. "I should've known. The way you sounded like you were saying goodbye." And he placed them on the table before her, stirring her attention.

"If you think I don't care about you anymore because of what happened, you'd be the wrongest person on the planet. If you think I'm gonna support my dad just 'cause I share his blood, then you're wrong about that, too. And if you thought you could get away with skipping meals, you're definitely wrong about that as well."

It was then that everything came together; she had figured he was doing this on purpose, but she hadn't expected his intentions to go to the extent of making her eat. The last of her attempts at strictness failed, and her frown dissipated and melted into a soft gaze. For a moment, she thought she could see a bit of pain in his eyes.

"Save me a seat next to you at the conferences, dronningi, 'cause I am going to be there with you." Taking her now-empty dishes, "And bring me my sword, too, if you can. It's a priceless gift."

She found that she couldn't say anything, watching him as he stepped out with the goal of helping with the serving in his own way. She cast a look at the flowers that were awaiting her touch, their fragrance teasing her, and when she felt sure she wasn't being watched, she reached for them, thumbing the petals.

"I told you I'm not leaving."

She knew she probably shouldn't sink into any temptations, but at that moment when her lips slipped into a rare upward curl, her resolve became infinitely harder and the isumataq infinitely sweeter.