Chapter 51: Inaamiya Part 2
Yue's official coronation ceremony was set to take place in nine months. The time would have been set for later had it not been for the princess's achievements, which gave the Council enough confidence in her abilities of "straightening out the tribe." After all, the purpose of setting the date so far ahead was to provide a reasonable time in allowing the North's situation to improve to the point of the Leadership Council safely locating back to the capital and openly declaring the princess's ascent to the throne. What this actually meant was that the princess had nine months to somehow dispose of Khasiq and his influence. The princess understood this "disposal" as having him locked away permanently following the accumulation of all evidence and furthermore, imprisoning the extremist supporters and sleeper cells of the Nationalist Party along with taking substantial steps to warrant societal changes in the tribe. Sokka, however, understood the "disposal" as slaying Khasiq and his supporters if necessary in the event imprisonment proved to be futile.
"Nine months is just the default period we decided on; the quicker this happens, the quicker you will be coronated," Akluviq told the princess. "But you will need to be very careful regardless."
"Actually, even in the event that I manage to have Khasiq imprisoned for good, I'm still going to need the entirety of the time frame," Yue said. "I told myself that I will not go through with a public coronation if the public overwhelmingly rejects my ascent. I cannot reign as the chieftess if a decent majority of my people don't approve of me."
"Here we go," Arnook sighed, earning a glare from the Southern prince.
"This isn't just a result of my superfluous morals, Chief," Yue told her father, "We have experience with how the tribe treats an unwanted ruler considering my grandfather was assassinated."
By which she referred to the assassination of Arnook's nonreligious father, Chief Aklaq. Arnook's face fell significantly following the mention.
"There's no comparison at all between you and your grandfather, dronningi," Sokka told her. "You're not unwanted by any means. You won over a significant portion of the population in just a few days by disintegrating Khasiq's unethical businesses. So many sisters were able to finally go home, experience genuine acceptance, love, and support from their family members. Think of all those families that have been reunited. Think of the commoners who were able to save themselves from debt and starvation thanks to the stimulus portions you sent. And the Black Lotus Project."
"Granted, she also upset several higher-ups who were invested in Khasiq's businesses," Akluviq pointed out in concern, "And gathering adequate support would depend on her relations with those higher-ups…"
"Those who support injustice are detrimental to society," Yue glared. "It does not matter to me whether they are higher-ups or if they'd been supporting my father over the years or whatever. They stooped low enough to profit from the horrors my sisters faced in those brothels. I refuse to have those kinds of people in my regime."
"Besides, these higher-ups you speak of only account for three percent of the total population.
Ninety-seven percent of tribefolk are regular people," Sokka pointed out. "As long as we have their support, then the majority will be overwhelmingly in the princess's favor."
"That's why I plan to use this time to court the North," Yue explained. "I have several projects and campaigns lined up. Well, one of which isn't really a campaign since I now have the authority to make it happen—"
"What campaign?" Ahnah asked, harboring a bit of worry given the extent of the princess's reckless compassion.
"Initially the 'Break the Walls' campaign," Yue said. "As the princess, I don't not have access to advanced lawmaking, but as the chieftess-in-hiding, I can make it happen overnight. At the snap of my fingers."
To which everyone— save for the enraptured Southern isumataq, obviously— gawked at the princess, believing she was completely out of her mind at this point.
"What on earth…?" Arnook glared, "Are you crazy?!"
"Do you even know the amount of backlash you will face from the ritual purists in the North?" Ahnah demanded.
"By no means will I propagate classist divisions based on idiotic beliefs," Yue insisted. "The walls will be going down. There will be no more sectors—"
"You're making more insane changes than your grandfather did!" Arnook spasmed. "There will be unrest in the city! Do you know how many skirmishes this will create?"
"I can tear the walls down, but I can't force the people to interact, and I'm aware of that. That's why the most competent of guards will take patrolling duty. People are going to learn to live together in one neighborhood, and this is final. As the capital, we must set an example to the rest of the North."
"I don't think the public is ready for this, Princess," Akluviq said. "Even if we're lucky enough to have a somewhat peaceful transition into a sectorless capital, do you think people will support your reign that quickly? They may not protest, but they won't be happy with this, either."
"You're already making this too difficult by refusing advanced security," Arnook rasped. "Do you have any idea what—?"
"Will you please listen to what she has to say first?" Sokka snapped, managing to bring down the octaves of the chieftain's voice.
"This isn't primarily a focus on who supports me and who doesn't," Yue expressed. "I want to be liked enough, yes, but this is an emphasis on the tribe learning to exercise compassion and humanity. Once the physical walls come down, the walls we built in ourselves will come crumbling down. From now on, we can not entertain even the thought of emulating what Ba Sing Se once was."
"It will be difficult to turn your enemies into friends after something of this degree," Akluviq said. "Not that this won't work, Princess, but…"
"I honestly don't think this will come off as too much of a surprise," Yue said. "The tribefolk seem to understand that radical changes will be happening in my regime. I've already passed several laws that people still think are shocking, but over the course of just two days, several people have shifted over to my jurisdiction." Turning to Akluviq, "And rest assured, my efforts in courting the tribe will not stop there. I plan on pursuing the Northern Trail Project next."
"What could possibly top this prestigious wall-breaking campaign?" came Arnook's sarcasm, which earned a glare from Sokka.
"In two months or so, I will be traveling all over the North to personally visit all districts and their assigned villages. I plan to hold town meetings in those areas so I will have the opportunity to hear each community's grievances."
"Oh my Spirits," Ahnah dropped her jaw, "Yue, what in the world…?!"
"You plan to cover around nine million square miles to visit every village? Every district?" Arnook tried to digest what he just heard. "You are insane!"
"In the next two months, I will be passing several executive orders to prepare for my absence in the capital," the princess ignored the chief's reaction, "I have previously spoken to the White Lotus about this idea when I initially began brainstorming, and many of them expressed interest in staying behind for a few more months. And according to my knowledge, Avatar Aang had also made plans to stay for a while. We will further have the Loyalist and Revivalist groups oversee the capital."
"Katara's staying, too, by the way," Sokka said supportively. "I'm sure she'll be interested in helping out however she can."
"You won't be home to oversee the country, then?" Akluviq asked.
"I'm not leaving the country, am I? I'll just be traveling throughout it," Yue answered. "Home isn't limited to just the capital. One can't be a nunaatip anaana if she neglects all of her children."
"And here I thought you were just bold and reckless, but now I know you can be ridiculous, too," Arnook frowned. "You're seriously going to cover millions of miles talking to everyone you see about their problems without even considering the possibility of being attacked like you were yesterday?!"
"I'm not willing to place a burden on all those people to travel millions of miles to see me for problems—"
"There's something called correspondence, paniga!"
"And that worked out really well for us, didn't it? If I send a messenger hawk from anywhere in the North, my correspondence will be timely delivered because I'm the princess. But what's to say for communities farther away from us? What's to say their messages won't be 'accidentally' filtered out? Clearly our North is so talented as to have mastery over several different kinds of discrimination, including communal tensions and discrimination against certain tribes." With a defensive huff, "The Nationalist Party's handling of the correspondence system has crippled it entirely. We read Prince Sokka's letter five years after it was mailed to us. Something tells me that's not very efficient."
Thus, until substantial improvements on the correspondence system were made to the extent that Yue was willing to trust it again, she decided that in terms of hearing the troubles haunting her people, she will be traveling to personally inquire about the status and situation of each district and the villages it oversees. The current plan was to spend one day in each district, hold audiences and public town meetings, traverse the villages in each district and meet the people who want to meet her, learn from them how she could improve their situation. It will be her way of both exploring the North and interacting with her people, an overwhelming majority of whose faces she hadn't seen yet.
"I'll have it all planned out in the next few weeks so we can send notices to the villages in advance," Yue said. "They can prepare themselves for the town meetings and make a list of their grievances beforehand."
"Some villages, we haven't had contact with in a very long time, Princess," Akluviq pointed out.
"And that's exactly why we need to check on them."
"There are some tribes that are hostile—"
"If we approach them with the proper attitude, they are bound to welcome us."
"Are you even aware of how many villages are in the North total?" Ahnah asked her daughter.
"Fifty-eight districts, three hundred fourteen villages according to our fifty-year-old censuses—"
"Do you even know how long this project of yours will take?"
"We have nine months. I plan to have this accomplished in two months tops, provided we have an extremely tight schedule—"
"Two months?"
"It's not impossible. And in the event of possible delays for weather difficulties, crew members getting sick, ship repairs, etc., there will be additional time up to two weeks—"
"So you're going by vessel," Aklavuq asked.
"Of course"
"What about resources for the vessel—?"
"I have all major ports outlined and mapped out according to each possible route."
"I'm sure Monk Gyatso would be willing to arrange a sky bison for us if you want, Princess," Sokka suggested. "It'll be much faster traveling by sky bison than by vessel. We wouldn't have to spend as much on resources as long as we feed and take care of the bison. And because it'll be faster, we don't have to follow a strictly tight schedule."
"It would be faster, likely even cheaper and more convenient, but I'm not willing to put any sky bison through that—"
"Being overly conscious of beasts, too, aren't we?" Arnook huffed. "For Spirits' sake, Yue, what troubling burden does a sky bison face in carrying you and the isumataq?"
"I'm not taking advantage of animals that way when there's an alternative way to—"
"This is outrageous!" Arnook shot up again, this time ignoring the Southern prince's glower, "Why exert yourself to this extent, paniga? Have you thought about how this amount of stress is going to impact your health? You know what Yugoda said—!"
"My people have problems that are going unheard," Yue stood up as well, her fingers clutching the sides of her tunic, "I've been brainstorming a project like this in the back of my mind for quite a while now— ever since I learned about the situation in the South, actually— but I never thought it would actually be possible. And now, since the Revivalist group insists on staying, and since the White Lotus sentries are willing to support the North for a period of time, and since I have the power to pass any non-Heir-Policy-related law now, the idea seems very possible to me. How else do you show your people that you appreciate them than by literally going to where they are and asking what you can do for them?"
"I understand you have noble intentions, paniga," Ahnah began, "but this is something that needs to be meticulously thought out and—"
"I'll be working on the finer details of this plan very soon. I thought all of these things through, I did!"
"That's not what we—"
"I will be married in a few hours, won't I? I will have fulfilled your impeccable security criterion, right? So what's the problem?" Standing up, having had enough of this conversation as she eyed her parents, "You might as well lock me up in a room again for the rest of my life. I don't see the point in being free if I'm still forced to keep still."
She charged out of the room following that, trying to drive out her frustration. Sayen and Sanka, who were waiting outside and grew alarmed by the look on her face, followed her immediately.
Arnook let out a shaky breath, rubbing his aching forehead, "She's being ridiculous—"
"No, she's ambitious," Sokka nearly slammed his hands on the table as he stood up, "She's genuinely trying to look out for the tribefolk. What's wrong with that?"
"So you're just gonna let her exert that much time and energy into these risky plans? Is this the care and concern you'll give her? Have you forgotten what Yugoda said about her stress levels—?"
"I will do everything in my power to take care of her and make sure she's well-rested and well-fed. I will carry her across the entire North if I have to. But I promise you that I'll be with her all the way. So let her do what she wants instead of jumping at all of her ideas. Don't forget that much of her stress is coming from her feeling like she's not doing enough, so give her the freedom she needs, dammit!"
Upon Sokka storming out of the room, no doubt heading in the direction that the dronningi went, Akluviq turned to the Northern leaders, who were still trying to digest the conversation. "Well, you've correctly chosen her La alright."
Following a considerable amount of time acquiescing to the princess's plans, Ahnah managed to coax her into preparing for the rituals. In the meantime, Arnook pulled Sokka along, showing him a collection of headdresses and looking for one that suited the young warrior best.
"Ah, yes, this is the one." Arnook reached for a particular headdress: the same one he wore for his and Ahnah's coronation ceremony. It was basically the pelt of a wolf's head accompanied by white feathers, a symbol of the Water Tribe attached to the very top of the wolf's head. The chieftain held the headdress out to Sokka. "I know tradition says that your father should be the one to pass down his headdress, but given our situation, that will have to wait. Maybe if they accept Yue…and agree to a more grand ceremony in the South in the near future…"
His utter lack of hope for that possibility was clear from his tone alone, but he was still willing to entertain the thought at least for the time being. Shedding away the pressures of earlier conversations, he smiled, handing Sokka the headdress. "See if it fits or if any quick adjustments need to be made. After Yue ascends the throne, you will be ruling alongside her. You will need a fitting headdress."
The isumataq, though, didn't take it, much less put it on.
"Would you rather wear the pin instead?" Arnook reached for an elaborate, platinum-coated pin bearing the Water Tribe insignia. He held it up to the prince's robe, attempting to put it on him, but Sokka took it and set it aside. "It's wrong, Chief."
"What's wrong?"
Oh, nothing, just the fact that this marriage isn't real. "She has to wholeheartedly accept me as her husband first. If she doesn't think of me like that, then what's the point?"
"But she's marrying you, and you'll be the Chieftain-Consort. You'll be looking out for the North…unless if she has a trick up her sleeve…"
And upon seeing the chief's look of alarm, Sokka widened his eyes, clarifying quickly, "We are getting married, but I never got to properly court her, did I? I can't just assume that deep down, she's thinking of me as someone more than a friend. She'll need some time."
To which the chief calmed down somewhat in spite of his frown. "I know this is all sudden, and I'm glad you're understanding of the fact that it will take time for her…"
"Then you should also understand that I feel comfortable about something I don't feel like I deserve just yet."
Surprisingly, Arnook didn't argue back for once. He acquiesced, putting down the headdress he'd picked out. He did, however, reach for another, much more colorful one: another pelt of a wolf's head, only this time, the feathers that surrounded it were not the generic white but feathers belonging to an arctic peacock.
"This does not have to do with royalty. It was an original possession of our ancestors even before our bloodline ascended the throne. So you can say it's a family heirloom. Only given to a man of virtue." He placed it in Sokka's hands, and the colorful feathers drew Sokka's attention to it.
"You're a man of science, aren't you?" Arnook said. "You would know that there's a reason why the males in the species are so colorful."
His face slightly warming at the connotations the topic may bring, "Mating preference purposes. Peafowls are highly selective. They choose the peacock with the best plumage."
"And that's a pretty universal pattern. Females tend to be more selective in choosing their partners. We see it all throughout nature, even within the human species, don't we?"
"Y-Yeah…"
Placing a hand on his son-in-law's shoulder. "You're a man of virtue and morals, ningauk. Be sure to show these true colors of yours. My daughter will accept you."
Sokka softened his eyes and nodded, earning a smile from the older man. The chieftain then reached for the table beside him and handed to Sokka a set of stark black robes.
"Take these with you as well. Try them on. Get back to me if they need alterations."
"Yeah, okay…"
"You and Katara can meet us directly at the Spirit Oasis," the chief instructed. "The ceremony begins exactly at one hour past midnight, but try to be there at least thirty minutes before. The ceremony should take two hours. One and a half hours at the fastest."
"We'll be there."
"Be very careful. Your parents might find out if you're not careful…"
"I'll handle it," Sokka promised. "Don't worry."
He looked at himself in the mirror, straightening the robes that the chief gave him just before he left the Moon Temple. Contrary to the traditional Water Tribe wedding robes— blue for men and purple for women— the colors set aside for the incarnate Spirits were, of course, black and white. Hence the reason behind the lavish black robes that Sokka was trying on at the moment, the material glistening from the moonlight that swooned over its slick texture. An ebony pair of pants accompanied by a soft black tunic, which in turn was complemented by a smooth robe of a darker shade of black with an additional suit-robe of midnight hue splayed over all of these silks. All articles of clothing were joined and secured at the waist with a charcoal-hued sash, the ends of which hung at his sides.
His hair was different, too; unlike his usual wolf-tail, the one he was sporting now was smaller given the rest of his hair was let down, reaching the top of his shoulders. His wolf-tail was held together by yet another black accessory; a satin ribbon bearing a weighty onyx stone upon which the Water Tribe insignia was engraved. Overall, the isumataq looked like an overwhelming piece of starless space removed entirely from the cosmos and shaped into a human. Or perhaps there was only one star in this mini-universe of a man: the white conch that he proudly wore atop his robes, the sheer white of the necklace a stark contrast to the utter darkness he exhibited.
"You look so different with your hair like that."
He turned to see Katara stepping in, a wide smile on her face. "But you look great, Big Brother."
Sokka smiled back hopefully, "You think so?"
"Yeah."
Imbued with a greater degree of confidence, he preened in front of the mirror. Katara reached for the peacock headdress he had set aside, "You know, you could use that peacock robe you have. The one with those sequins? You wore it when we first came here."
"Oh yeah, I could."
The waterbender helped him rummage through his wardrobe and eventually found the said outer robe. The colors of the sequins, resembling a colorful aurora streaking across a dark sky, perfectly complemented the headdress. As Sokka sported the robe atop his black attire, Katara helped put the headdress on him. She stepped back, beaming at her brother, who in both appearance and demeanor resembled an eager, lovestruck groom.
"I gotta say, black really is a sexy color," Sokka kept checking himself in the ice mirror, issuing a grin to himself, "Damn, I never thought I'd look this fine."
"She's gotta be the one to say that," Katara pointed out.
His lips curled into a frown of annoyance before hope lined his eyes, "You think she'll like it like this?"
"I don't see why she wouldn't. You look professional."
"I do, don't I!"
A wistful look crossed Katara's face from observing the giddy look that took hold of him next. She could only imagine how their parents, their entire family would feel when they saw Sokka like this. What they would give to see him like this at least once in their lives. By no means did Katara feel like they shouldn't be doing this given the immediate rejection their parents expressed at Sokka's genuine feelings, but that wasn't to say that had her parents been more liberal, they would have no doubt been able to witness the majesty that was the Ocean Spirit, incarnate in the physical world as her brother.
"I never thought you'd be getting married like this. Chunta was right after all."
"It's not supposed to be real," Sokka clarified.
"But this all feels real for you, doesn't it?" she asked, noting how the casual nature of his tone didn't quite reach his eyes at the comment.
"It doesn't matter what I think, Katara. She doesn't want it to be real, so it won't be. Simple as that."
Simple as that. "You've turned into quite the diplomat, I'll say that. Reassuring everyone different things. Telling her parents you'll take good care of her—"
"Which I genuinely intend to do."
"Telling her you're up for that big travel project she has—"
"I've been at sea for nearly half of my entire life. That's not gonna be an issue at all."
"You also told her you'll leave as soon as she's coronated." Frowning, "That's gonna be difficult, won't it?"
"I'll be leaving the arrangement, not her." He then took a seat on the bed, his voice dropping to a soft low, "It's so weird, Katara. It's been only one week…but now I can't even imagine how things are gonna be if I'm not next to her. I don't get it. Is it this easy to get attached to someone so quickly?"
"Hey, don't ask me. I'm seeing it happen with you for the first time, too."
He frowned, turning away, his gaze taking a longing turn as he saw the painting of Yue.
"And I know you don't like this argument, but I also think your identity as La and hers as Tui has something to do with it."
Shrugging, "I don't know if I'm La. I'm probably not meant to be yakshit. But let me tell you, Katara, she's definitely a goddess."
Unable to help an amused smile at the enraptured gleam in his eyes, "Well hang in there. I think she'll come to like you. Maybe she'll see this as being real, too, one day."
"Relationships aren't sitting well with her," his dreaminess drooped. "I know she's anxious about 'experimentation' as she calls it. She just doesn't want to dive into feelings of any sort. Maybe she was willing to try before, but after breaking into those brothels, seeing what all those poor sisters went through… It was an overload of terror. Even I felt disgusted for being a guy for a hot minute…"
"That's not all guys, though. You're not at all like that."
"And she acknowledges that, but she still doesn't want to deal with relationships or anything. She probably doesn't want to try anything with me. Maybe that's why she's…" he trailed off, chewing on his bottom lip, "'Cause doesn't it seem obvious? With the way I'm always around her? Don't you think it would be obvious to a genius like her? But she thinks it's an act or a joke…I mean, I don't blame her. The circumstances are like that, and…well, I do joke around a lot. But there are times when…when I feel like I can't hold in so much…and it seems like my feelings become so obvious to a third person looking in…"
"Yeah, you really are sticking out like a sore thumb with all your feelings," she said to which he gave a flustered frown, "But in all seriousness, I think I understand. They say if you really, really like someone, it's hard to hide that."
"I know, right?"
"But maybe it's not that she's choosing to ignore you. Maybe she genuinely can't tell. Maybe she has no choice but to see it as a joke since she's not experienced, either. Or maybe she's just concentrating on other things. But it's clear that she does respect you and see you as her ikkingut. Maybe if you directly expressed it…"
"Dear universe, I can't propose now. She'll think it's ridiculous! Ughhh, what do I do?"
"Well then you're just gonna have to be patient. You do have that tour of the Northern Water Tribe that you're both going on together. Use that time to properly court her. Remind her that you're not like the other guys out there." Taking a seat beside her brother, "And think about it this way. If she was okay with you kissing her in spite of all the reservations she has about relationships and men, then it's safe to assume she's comfortable enough with you. You have a chance. A strong chance."
"You think so?"
"Yeah. I really think it'll work out for you, Sokka. You deserve someone nice."
He smiled and gave her a hug, "You're the bestest little sister eevveeerrrr—"
"Okay okay," she laughed.
"I just wish your boyfriend was a bit more considerate."
"He's not my—!"
"Whatever!" Throwing his hands up in the air, reminded of the issue that loomed over him at the moment, "I told Mr. Avatar an hour ago, and he's not back yet—!"
And at that exact moment, Aang quickly opened the door and tumbled inside, panting.
"The things an Avatar's gotta do to get around these parts," Aang caught his breath, answering Sokka's expectant look with the scroll canisters that he'd shoved into the large pockets of his robes. He placed the scrolls on the bed, his face flushed, "These might be useful."
Sokka reached for a canister and pulled out the parchments within it, unfurling one to skim over it only to flush beet red and drop them, gaping at the airbender with wide eyes, "Porn?! You're a monk!"
"That was all they had!" Aang threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. "At least I got you something! You try smuggling out racy scrolls from the darkest corners of the royal library!"
Katara burst out laughing, earning a bashful look from the Avatar and a flustered squeak from her brother, "It's not funny!"
"Oh hush up. Don't blame Aang for getting the only relevant material they had—"
"You're having way too much fun with this!" And he turned back to the monk, "You could've asked someone!"
"For what? A whole treatise on how to kiss—?"
"No! I meant…" and after making sure no one was listening to their conversation from the other end of the door, "You could've asked someone how it's done!"
"So it'll be in the news? 'Avatar Aang Asking Random Tribesman How To Kiss'? Forget it, Sokka, I'm too young to have a scandal ruin my image. Just look in those scrolls and see if there's a guide to how to kiss or something."
Sokka facepalmed.
"Okay, fine, where's that other book you were reading anyway?" the airbender questioned. "The one where the men and women lived in different districts?"
"I gave it back to Yue."
"But you read the scenes, didn't you?" he said to which Sokka reddened further, prompting Aang to flush deeper, too, "I'm just saying, when in doubt, think about those scenes—"
"Those are sex scenes—!"
"All of them? Aren't there just parts where the lead pair kiss—?"
"The lead pair makes out extensively in certain parts," Katara pointed out.
"It's just supposed to be a simple kiss, not a makeout session!"
"Alright alright, settle down," the Southern princess tried calming her brother, "You brought this on yourself, you know. Seriously, you two didn't consider that ritual beforehand when you came to the decision?"
"Well I told you we were going through with a wedding much earlier! You should've said something about this ritual then!"
"I thought you two thought it over! I thought you wouldn't mind a kiss!"
"Okay, let's all stay calm," Aang said to the siblings, turning to Sokka in particular, "There's no reason to panic. If it's a necessary kiss, I'm sure she won't judge you for being a bad kisser—"
"Hey—!"
"I'm not saying you'll be a bad kisser. I'm saying it's technically not possible for her to judge since she's not experienced at all, either."
"I want to leave a good impression, though," Sokka mumbled, fiddling with his thumbs, "In case… in case one day, she might like me back…"
"Sokka, even if you don't kiss perfectly enough to give her a good time, even if she dreads it later on—"
To which he gave his sister a flustered glare.
"She'll still know you're a good, sophisticated tribesman who doesn't philander around. A girl can appreciate a loyal guy who's saving all his moves until marriage. But in all seriousness, you need to make up your mind. If the porn doesn't help—"
"You don't need to go as far as porn to learn how to give a simple kiss!"
"Then ask someone! Who are you gonna ask? Ivaneq?"
"No!"
"He actually knows what's happening, though," Aang reasoned.
"That man can't keep a secret to save his life sometimes—"
A knock at the door knocked their breaths out of them. Sokka scrambled to hide his headdress while Katara shoved the scrolls under the pillows. Both siblings tried to appear as casual as they could, giving Aang the signal to open the door. The airbender took a deep breath before opening the door, smiling at Kiguk and Chen, "Oh, hey! Did you need something?"
"It seemed like Sokka needed something," Kiguk answered, peeking inside the room, grinning at Sokka's wide-eyed expression, "Looking good, cousin! Black really suits you."
"Oh…hehe…thanks…?"
"The adults are out sightseeing," Chen explained, "And they took Kohana with them. They told us to be in charge until they're back."
"So I figured we should take some time and see what our favorite disbeliever is up to," Kiguk shared a smirk with his fiancée before the duo stepped in, taking a seat on the pelt-cushioned chairs beside the bed, specifically next to where Sokka was sitting.
"So," Chen asked the isumataq, "Who are you trying to kiss, Brother Sokka? The princess of the North?"
Nearly choking on his spit, "Kiss? Me? Pssh, that's silly, I'd never—!"
"Pass up the porn, Sokka," Kiguk reached for the pillows only to have Sokka yelp and tumble on top of them, completely red-faced.
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
Aang and Katara facepalmed.
"Don't worry, cousin, I'm not going to tattletale. I just so happen to have kissing experience with my lovely fiancée," the young tribesman smiled, earning a grin from the Earth Kingdom maiden, "And I figured you could use a bit of my input."
"We know you're all doing something super secretive," Chen said, "And we want in."
"Why can't your friend come and ask me directly?"
Yue tried not to give away her panic, maintaining a cool tone, "She doesn't really know you, Sister Akeqah. She asked me to ask someone who's knowledgeable about this, and I came to ask you."
Akeqah set aside a dish she'd just cleaned and reached for another, "You could've brought her here."
"Well…she can't leave the house today. She said she has some chores."
The angakkuq raised her eyebrows.
"You know how it is for women of marrying age," Yue added, "She's constantly watched by her parents. That's why she sent me."
"I guess this is a secret relationship she's in, then—"
"Yes, exactly."
"Hopefully she found a decent boy," Akeqah said, mumbling, "And not a cheating dumbass."
"Oh, no, he's a true gentleman, very loyal…" Yue trailed off, composing herself quickly with, "A-According to what she told me."
"He's got her under his spell, probably. That's why she's so naive."
"No, I know the boy. He's very polite. He loves her very much, too, and has plans to marry her."
Sighing, "You know, if she knows you so well and if you know her and the guy she's seeing, why couldn't she just ask you for advice?"
"You know I've never kissed anyone," Yue pointed out. "That's the whole purpose of why I'm trying to find someone who knows…"
"Oh, right." Akeqah then looked both ways as if checking to see if anyone else was hearing their conversation. She then leaned forward and whispered, "Well tell her you touch lips. Slowly for a first time."
Yue blinked at her, "Well yeah, I can conceive of that, but is it really that easy?"
"It's that easy and that difficult. Let me explain."
The Spirit Oasis was not decorated in any way; the sacredness of the place reigned superior to the enthusiasm of decoration even for the purposes of the incarnate Spirits' wedding. Nevertheless, that wasn't to say that the oasis lacked beauty or grandeur, for it was, to this day, the crown jewel of the North's beauty and exhibited exemplary splendor even in its simplicity. The Northern sky seemed to rejoice in its own way, too, for it burst with the colors of the incoming aurora.
There was only one thing that was different in terms of the physical appearance of the Spirit Oasis: settled atop an icy pedestal that was bent in the middle of the crescent-shaped Spirit Pond was the Aninnialuk idol— the androgynous deity of the Moon Temple. Its Tui and La portions were ever radiant, still basking in their reunion. The angayok and ataniq of the North, though keeping their distance confined to the edge of the pond, folded their hands in prayer. It was in front of this very idol— albeit just the broken Tui portion that remained following the Nationalists' tearing away of the La portion— that they found the beautiful child they took for their daughter and swore to protect at all costs. Today, that child is a beautiful woman— a propagator of justice, a perfect resemblance of Tui true to her nature— who was all set to marry. It was a moment of utter joy and boundless nervousness, for until the ceremony was over, they wouldn't be able to relax.
"It is all a part of Your grand design, Great Goddess. Granting yourself to us as our daughter," Ahnah prayed, "And it is our responsibility to return You to Yourself. Your other Half. Please, give us the strength."
In the meantime, the invited guests trickled into the Spirit Oasis a few at a time, crowding the spiritual location but nevertheless marveling at it. It was so different from the snowy blanket and lapping bodies of water that constituted the remaining ninety-nine percent of the North. The soft grass and overlapping bridges reminded the non-tribal residents of their respective homes whereas the tribefolk lost themselves to the heavenly appearance, seeking refuge in the warmth and casting aside their overbearing coats. Needless to say that Kiguk and Chen drew a considerable amount of attention given the young tribesman's reunion with his childhood friends-come-Southern Revivalists.
"You were just a kid when we last saw you, Kiggy!"
"Now you're all set to tie the knot! Dang, how time flies."
While the visitors basked in the cozy spiritual energy, seated comfortably on the soft grass and using time to catch up, they proved to be impatient, too, after one point, for everyone but Osha and the princess were currently present.
"When is she gonna be here?"
"Hopefully soon. My cousin looks like he's gonna pass out."
Chen and Kiguk cast their glances at Sokka, who resembled the perfect Water Tribe groom: adorned in all the paraphernalia necessary and yet a nervous wreck. He kept repeatedly glancing at the door to the Oasis, anticipating the dronningi to walk in any moment now. Even in the presence of his childhood friends among the Revivalist group who repeatedly teased and congratulated him, he found it hard to really relax.
"Look who's all dolled up!"
"Ah, Socks. It was only last week you were going around preaching, 'Marriage is for saps, oh universe!'"
Giggles and snickers followed, only increasing the flustered look on his face instead of bringing him out of his nervousness. Taking pity on his condition, the White Lotus sentries themselves decided to calm his jitteriness down, but that didn't mean they, too, disregarded the great entertainment that came with the process.
"I knew you had a thing for her ever since you literally told the White Lotus Council to hurry the fuck up at the last meeting. So we wouldn't waste the princess's time."
Daring to swallow, his wide eyes glued to Jeong Jeong's intense stare, "I-I-I didn't say it like t-that, J-Jeong Jeong sir—"
"Well that was the gist of what you were saying, wasn't it, Prince?" Monk Gyatso pointed out, adding fuel to the fire.
"No, I didn't mean…!"
Jeong Jeong turned even more serious, still unamused, his eyes narrowed like slits. "Gyatso is right. You told us to hurry up and get to the point, didn't you?"
"Because she hadn't had anything to eat, and I…I was worried…"
Letting out a huff, "And then there was that time before this when you were vouching for Kuunnguaq. Your very first meeting with us. Remember that?"
"You knew the princess was Kuunnguaq and tried to convince us she wasn't a terrorist," Gyatso said coolly. "You deliberately hid that information from us, didn't you?"
"She wasn't a terrorist, though. That's why I never said anything…"
"Well your inaction was a grave insult to the Order of the White Lotus," Gyatso pointed out. "I really expected better of you, young prince."
Another few moments of intensity followed by Jeong Jeong nearly burning a hole through the young tribesman's eyes with his blazing stare, Gyatso accompanying the sentry with a disapproving look of his own…all anxiety which finally culminated with Jeong Jeong and Gyatso bursting into good-natured laughs, especially one that Sokka never believed he'd see on Jeong Jeong's face.
"Oh you poor thing," Gyatso couldn't help wrapping his arm around the young prince, "No need to panic, we're just messing with you."
Jeong Jeong clapped Sokka on the back, "Congratulations, young man. Treat the princess well."
"Alright, enough messing with my student, you two," Piandao raised his eyebrows at Gyatso and Jeong Jeong, who merely smiled and left to converse elsewhere at the master swordsman's command. Piandao then took his seat next to the prince.
"Don't worry, you're not in trouble," the man smiled at his student. "You must be excited. It seems like just a few days ago you were trying to be her bodyguard. Oh, wait, it was a few days ago, wasn't it?"
Sokka let out a nervous attempt at a laugh, his eyes wandering back to the door of the oasis.
"Oh goodness, you have it bad, don't you?" came the knowing remark. "Hang in there, Sokka, she'll be here soon."
The isumataq's anxiety increased for a reason he couldn't name once Arnook approached him with the instruction to take off his necklace.
"She'll put it back on you for the formal engagement ceremony, don't worry."
And in spite of his repulsion for talismans and things of the like, despite his utter lack of care for superstition, the look on Sokka's face indicated not apathy but a disapproving frown, his fingers firmly holding onto the conch, "I don't mind wearing it until then. Why take it off now?"
"Why not take it off now?"
"Because!"
"Leave the boy alone, Arnook. Can't you see he has certain sentiments?"
To which Arnook smiled and dropped the cause, exchanging a knowing look with Piandao.
Aang and Katara, who had been observing Sokka from afar, approached him once the men moved elsewhere for a conversation. The Avatar and the Southern dronningi were concerned with the way he paced back and forth, the way he persistently held the conch up to his ear, hoping that the wave-like vibrations would still the jumps in his chest.
"She'll be here soon, Sokka, calm down," Aang told him.
"I'm trying, I am. I just…"
"Are you worried about Mom and Dad finding out?" Katara asked. "They were exhausted when they came back. They won't be getting up in the middle of the night."
"Also, Kiguk and Chen convinced them pretty well that we're just exploring the tribe, and your family has no way of knowing they support the princess, too, to this extent," Aang added. "I'm sure no one's going to be suspicious if they're with us."
"That's not what I'm worried about."
"Sokka, I'm sure the kiss isn't going to be a big deal—"
"I'm not too worried about that, either," he bit his lip, "I just…I don't know why, but I…I-I can't explain it, okay?" Looking around at his surroundings, at the number of people gathered in this place… "I know it's not real, but it feels like it's very real."
"And it doesn't help that you want it to be real," the Southern princess sighed, folding her arms as she demanded, "Then why did you do this to yourself? If you can't make it the first day, then you should just quit—"
"I'll be okay, really! Once this is over. Once she's here…Unless if she decided she didn't want to go through with this—"
"It's just in," Kiguk interrupted, hurrying over to them, "Osha's just running late. Imona and Junguk are coming with them, too. They're all probably waiting on her, but as soon as she's ready, they'll be here."
"See?" Katara told her brother, "I'm sure she'll be here if you just take a breath and have a seat—"
"The princess!" came Chen's excited shriek. "She's here!"
The one second his gaze detached from the oasis door. He held his breath, eyes glued to the door that was now open, around which people were crowding in clusters, thus blocking his vision. Through the bits and pieces of negative space formed by the scattering visitors, Sokka could see Junguk and Imona stepping in first, followed closely by Osha.
"We're here, don't worry," the shamaness assured good-naturedly, and as she stepped inside, she pulled along the North's dronningi, who was covered in a veil and a swooping cloak. It took but a few milliseconds— the second Yue soaked in the warmth of the oasis and cast aside her cloak and veil, the very moment her appearance filled the isumataq's gaze.
And he wasn't sure why, exactly, but he felt a bit of moisture churn in his eyes in response. Spirits…
"She looks so beautiful!" Chen exclaimed, "Just like the Moon Goddess in all of those paintings and tapestries!"
"No wonder you're so smitten, Cousin…" And upon noticing the prince wasn't responding but merely staring at the bride with lidded eyes and having broken into a sweat, Kiguk tried again, "Sokka? Socks?" His hand flew to Sokka's shoulder as he shook him, "Earth to Sokka?"
Katara turned around to give some snarky remark about her brother likely drooling too much to pay attention only to see that the isumataq fell backward, losing contact with reality for a brief moment as he splashed into the Spirit Pond.
It was as if entire oceans were woven together and colored in the moon's milky sheen to form the billowing silk dress currently enveloping her frame. The dress was accompanied by sashes, one at her waist and another skinnier, seemingly infinite one embracing her exposed shoulders. The flowing sash kissed the platinum feathers of her earrings, circling her like a trail of early-morning fog traversing a winding tributary. The overlay stemming from the waist of the dress had curved near the bottom from both sides of the dress, held together in the front's center by what appeared to be a circular clip, which in turn was attached to strings of beads that reached the end seams. Her long, wide sleeves were sweeping as were the loops of her hair. These loops were held together by a snow-hued ribbon, adorned by a white-topaz centerpiece that bore the Water Tribe insignia. The rest of her absurdly-long hair swirled behind her almost like a white cloak that nearly reached her feet. Despite the sheer luminosity of her appearance that made her shimmer like a blazing star, her attire still somehow retained a reputation of simplicity. Not to mention his La pendant dangling at her chest, its sheer darkness balancing the stark white.
He stared at her, his lips as dry as a desert yet caught in a dreamy grin. He didn't even blink, lost in an innocent appreciation of the subtle sashay of her hips as she made her way towards him. A helpless attraction to the swivel of the sashes swirling around her girdle. Moments later, he realized that somehow, defying all logic, she had suddenly come so close to him. It took another moment for him to realize that space and time altered significantly to where he was lying in her lap a second later, surrounded by the wavy silks of her robes that mimicked a bed of clouds. The fragrance of ipomoeas filled his being, resulting in a fierce crimsoning of his body. He felt like he was on fire such that he might as well have been Agni rather than La in that moment.
He held his breath, the universe blooming into being where her palm softly tapped against his cheek. The bangles that he crafted for her grazed his chin from their place around her wrist. Her smile was luminous. Loving.
"Wake up, Sokka."
"Sokka? Isumataq Sokka? Wake up…!"
He stirred, his smile intact, its wide stretch ready to rip apart his face. He opened his eyes, taking her in all over again, finding that his head really was in her lap right now as she sat at the edge of the water, feeling his pulse at his wrist. She breathed a sigh of relief, turning to those surrounding them, "He's awake."
"Thank the Spirits!"
"Ningauk!"
"Sokka, are you okay, buddy?!"
There were other voices, other people, several figures rushing to his side and looming over him, several bombarding him with questions. Aang and Katara were most definitely there, their presence more notable than the others. They were all still blurs to him, though; all Sokka could focus on was her; all he could feel was the water that lapped against him and her, the way it left them both drenched. He continued to beam at her with dumbfounded fascination, his expression eventually wiping out the worries of most people who read properly into the situation.
And at that point, particularly for those who felt genuine secondhand embarrassment from the isumataq's public swooning— namely his family members and childhood friends— it became a matter of covering it up on the surface regardless of the fact that most, if not all people in the room, recognized the obvious awe on the man's face as he fell.
"Poor guy fainted just before the actual wedding," Sanka smirked, earning quiet giggles from the women beside her, "Who knows if he'll make it to the consummation bed."
"Oh boy," Katara whispered to herself, taking the brunt of all the secondhand embarrassment.
The princess, though, didn't seem to entertain the swooning possibility at all. "Prince Sokka?" her eyebrows furrowed in concern, "Isumataq?"
And then, following a blip in his brain, a moment of epiphany, reality slapped him across the face, making him answer with a startled hiccup. A surge of energy took over as he shot up from her lap, wide-eyed as he gawked at her, better judgment seizing hold of him as he turned away, severely flushed to the point of nearly passing out again. Lips bobbing, tearing his gaze away from all things near the dronningi's very vicinity because dear universe, he couldn't take it— "Uhhhh...I..." HIC!
"He's dehydrated. He needs water," her command prompted Arnook to race and fetch the water. Her announcement wiped out all traces of tease from the surrounding visitors, who felt that her testimony conflicted with the obvious look of bliss that overtook the prince's face seconds before. The Southern dronningi, too, was taken aback. That's how she understood it?
"Dehydrated?" Kiguk frowned.
"Yes," Yue said, "His heart rate's a bit on the upside. I can literally feel his palpitations through all these robes."
Junguk, who was a healer himself, stepped forward and observed the isumataq's pulse, "His heart rate is jumpy…" But then again, how was it possible? Junguk noted that just two hours ago, the isumataq had consumed barrels upon barrels of water after having a particularly spicy dish, and the princess herself was there to witness it given the fact that she had eaten with them.
"It doesn't help that he's been exerting himself all day," Yue told the others. "He must've been feeling lightheaded, too. Didn't any of you notice the signs?"
"We thought it was just wedding day jitters," Kanguq admitted, "We didn't think…"
She frowned in disapproval, shifting her attention from the visitors back to the isumataq. Sokka bit his lip, hiccuping again, completely helpless as she eventually held him by his shoulders, tilting his face to where she could see him. She held a cup of water to his lips, and he wolfed it down with gratitude, caught in a difficult position of both melting from her kindness and wanting to be buried alive from his embarrassment because he did think, in all honesty, he experienced a state of strong emotion, a state of ecstatic rapture.
"How do you feel?" she asked.
"I'm…I'm okay, dronningi…" He licked his lips, overcome by another flush, "Y-Yeah…"
Aang, Piandao, and Jeong Jeong reached forward and helped him up. They helped him sit over to the side, and the Revivalist members gathered around him, now expressing genuine concern.
"He's really okay with this, right?" Yue approached Katara, her voice dropping to a whisper, "If he's uncomfortable with this arrangement, it's not too late. We'll put an end to this before we go too far ahead—"
"It's not that, Yue," Katara assured her. "I'm sure he just needs a minute. This has nothing to do with the arrangement, really. He just…I mean, he did see y—"
"I'll have a cool beverage sent in to help with the dehydration; in the meantime, please make sure he drinks a lot of water and is as relaxed as possible." And a moment later, the princess asked again, "He really is okay with this, right?"
"Of course! Sokka's not someone who lets people and circumstances run over him. He never undertakes something if he's against it. Trust me, he's not upset by this arrangement at all."
The princess nodded in acknowledgment, but Katara remained confused. Did the princess really not just see the isumataq sport that obvious head-over-heels look seconds after seeing her? Even Osha, who was not wholly invested in romantic endeavors (apart from her matchmaking of Tui and La, that is), could recognize what really happened, for the shamaness said nothing of it and only continued on with the wedding preparations with a smile. How was it that the princess couldn't notice it?
Then again, Arnook and Ahnah didn't seem to have noticed, either, for they were panicking more than usual, repeatedly relaying their restlessness to the amused shamaness.
"This is a bad omen," Ahnah obsessed, "Why would he collapse like that? On his wedding day!"
"Tell us, Priestess, is this a sign from the Spirits?" Arnook demanded. "Did we make a mistake? Did we do something horribly wrong with the preparations?"
"You have read the Book of Union, haven't you?" Osha asked them, her smile never wavering. "Do you know why the ocean is horizontal? And why the moon is upright in the cosmos?"
The Northern leaders shared a look of frustration despite not openly voicing it; what was their concern and what was this woman talking about? It seemed she never gave a straight answer to anything.
"Alright, let me ask a different question," the shamaness said, reading into their annoyance. "Do you know what happened in the first seconds after the Aninnialuk split itself into Tui and La?"
"Tui and La were smitten with each other, obviously," Arnook said. "It was the purest love imaginable. A paradigm for all lovers in the world."
"Yes," Osha looked up at them, "La looked to his compassionate counterpart for the first time, and like her, he, too, was overcome by a wave of infinite love, recognizing himself in her the way she recognized herself in him. It became overwhelming for him to take in her beauty all at once, so much so that he became unconscious for a cosmic second. He fell backward and into the physical world, and Tui followed him to catch him. The moment he made contact with our wasted planet, he instantly become the ocean, but he remained still. Tui became the moon to wake and sustain him, make him active in the world. Their push and pull caused all forms of life to burst into being. That is why to this day, the ocean is active and restless, drawn to the moon's push and pull, and the moon sustains life forms in directing the ocean's rhythm and tides.
"So… this is actually a good omen, then…?" Ahnah blinked.
"Trust me, it is all part of the Spirits' grand design," Osha assured. "There is nothing for you to worry about."
The Northern leaders turned and saw Sokka, who was currently in the process of reassuring his friends, a smile on his face that manifested into a flustered look again when the princess approached him with a beverage in hand.
The awe in his gleam was unmistakable.
Sokka eventually managed to swallow down his embarrassment, and for a reason he couldn't name, he no longer felt the crippling anxiety, either; the dronningi's presence seemed to cure something he couldn't exactly point to. He was actually able to make eye contact without feeling the need to hide under a rock. That being said, he was still uncharacteristically bashful, caught in an enamored daze that replicated how he had been after swooning over her the first time. When he wasn't repeatedly smiling to himself, he was smiling at her, his lips stretched to impossible lengths. She would tilt her head in curiosity, "Any reason you're all smiley?"
And he would shake his head and only widen his smile, thus spurring his friends' teasing.
The ceremony eventually commenced albeit a half-hour later than intended, but it started off with the formal engagement as planned. The visitors took their seats by the bridges, offering the couple plenty of room as they positioned themselves in front of each other. The tying of their necklaces was accompanied by Osha's chants this time, solidifying the betrothal. Despite reminding himself that this wasn't real, Sokka couldn't help succumbing to the sentiment anyway, reliving the jolt of connection that had coursed through him when she first tied her necklace around him, even when his arms wound around her to tie his pendant next.
It was a strange kind of feeling. An unusual sense of pride to see his pendant around her, to feel her conch brush at his chest. As if they shared something exclusive only to them. He couldn't stop himself from daring to hope.
From there, the dronningi and isumataq were given torches, which they lit ablaze from the flame of a candle that had been offered to the Aninnialuk idol. Their torches were then dropped onto a designated area of firelog, lighting it aflame and thus starting the sacred fire that would seal their bond in another two hours.
"We'll be here for a while, so get comfortable," Yue whispered as she and the isumataq were directed to a spot across from the fire. The duo took their seats cross-legged on the soft grass, leaving a bit of room between them to lessen the awkwardness.
Yue kept her gaze on the ground; the prince, however, peered into the reflection of the water beside him, catching a glimpse of her face. He wondered if his lips would be permanently stuck in a smile from today onwards.
"Sit closer together. And hold hands," Osha told them. "Don't let go at any point throughout the ritual."
Sokka turned to Yue, looking for a confirmation. She gave a subtle nod and scooted closer to him, to which he answered with a soft graze of her hand. Dark fingers intertwined with bright ones, the duo's joined palms locked in a kiss, generated sweat from positive nervousness and the blazing heat of the flames. Osha then took her seat on the other side of the fire and began a series of chants, fueling the flames with more firelog with every mantra.
"You're okay, right?" he whispered.
She nodded, "You?"
"Yeah, yeah."
The heat of the fire nearly set the simmering tension within Yue ablaze. In the vaporizing heat, she could feel her own heart rate going up. From the corner of her eyes, she could see several of the visitors, feel the weight of the quill and ink set right beside the documents that Akluviq was yet to sign following the ceremony. Somewhere to the side, she could also notice her parents, who were also holding hands, this time in anticipation as they stared at the sacred flames, whispering prayers and drying the tears of joy in their eyes.
And in that moment when all of these observations culminated, despite the acknowledgment between the individuals to be wedded that this wasn't a sealed promise of actual companionship, the air gave off a vibe that was adequate to send her into a state of apprehension, of introspection. And as her surroundings became hotter, she was reminded of several things, several instances she had seen throughout her life. This was essentially where hell really began for the tribe's unfortunate sisters, wasn't it? Not in this very oasis or in this very circumstance, per se, but this process that sent the snowball rolling on a marriage— a circumstance for which separation other than through annulment didn't exist, where even annulment itself proved impossible when abuse and marital rape hadn't been considered valid. That is, up until the dronningi threw out those hideous laws a few days ago.
And the number of annulment petitions that had followed, issued by women who were brave enough to break away from the paralyzing cycle of tradition…Yue hadn't counted the number of filed petitions, but these were only the beginning. In the days to come, surely more would find their way into her jurisdiction. The Northern princess gulped, staring at the fire not in fear but vehemence, not in agony but muted rage. What other hell was there for a woman, Yue imagined, than being essentially an appeasement, a sacrifice to a man, the selfish parents of such a man? Everything was false, every promise a mockery. Respect, loyalty, protection, of all things— what were they? Did they have meaning anymore in a culture imbued with the recent horrors of daughters slaughtered by their own families, of husbands setting their wives on fire for trivial matters.
And then that one time, Yue heaved, dwelling on a case where a man threw his bride, who was sitting beside him, into the actual fire as their marriage ceremony was taking place—
"YUE!" Sokka abruptly pulled her by her hand to the side. He held her against his chest, using his black-robed free arm to cover her head, face, and back, his elbow jutting out to block a puff of flame that would have no doubt incinerated her face if not for the abrupt move.
"Isumataq!" she gasped but was relieved to see his sleeve hadn't caught fire. He didn't let go of her given the continued rage of the flames.
"Princess!"
"Dronningi—!"
"Paniga—!"
"She's okay, everybody, sit down," he said, scooting backward and pulling the princess along. He refused to let go until Imona and a couple of Revivalists charged ahead, directing tendrils of water towards the fire to bring it down somewhat. Yue peeked from behind his arms, from the security of his robes before he drew his arm away. His palm still grasped hers with stubborn loyalty.
"You're okay, right?"
"Yeah…yes…" She squeezed his hand more tightly— an expression of thanks and trust.
"The ink is permanent, more or less," Osha smiled, "No pressure."
The visitors all gathered around, boring their gazes into his soul in a silent command to not mess up. He swallowed, looking at the perfect, milken wrist waiting to be graced by the brush in his hand. Warm baby blue eyes blinked patiently at him.
"Does anybody have a sheet of parchment? So I can practice?"
"No, no practicing, we don't have the time for that."
"You should've practiced beforehand instead of experimenting on our dronningi's wrist," Imona retorted. "I heard you're not very good with a brush. Don't even think about ruining her hand—"
"Calm down, Imona," Sayen told her, turning to the prince, "Just do your best, isumataq. It will be fine."
Noting his nervousness, the princess grasped his hand instead and picked up the brush beside her that bore the white plant dye. She held the brush confidently at his wrist, earning his attention.
"It's just like drawing a boomerang," she explained, "Only curvier, more fluid." And with that, the brush graced his hand, riding smoothly on the surface of his skin, leaving behind a perfect image of the white portion of the Yin-Yang symbol, complete with a black dot additionally dabbed in its middle. Sokka blinked at the symbol, watching the dye instantly seep into his skin and dry out.
He grinned, pleased, and took hold of his brush next, "Like a boomerang. Got it." With utmost concentration, he attempted a fluid motion against her skin, earning giggles from her instead given her ticklishness. He managed to draw the corresponding black piece of the symbol, finishing it with a careful white dot in the center, then going back and smoothing the jagged edges of the symbol to make it neater.
"Is that okay?" he blinked at the princess.
"Wow. I honestly think this is your best work yet, Cousin," Kiguk interjected.
"Yeah, Sokka, I didn't think you had it in you to not mess this up," Kanguq teased, "'Cause this isn't the most special, most important moment in your entire life or anything."
And in spite of the laughs that followed, the princess graced him with a smile. "It's perfect."
"And the Goddess said in the Book of Union, verse two-hundred nineteen, 'For who am I without La, and who is He without Me? We are fulfilled in each other. We are one and the same; He is an extension of Me as I am an extension of Him.' It is with the mission of proving this statement, with the purpose of restoring virtue and peace in the Water Tribe, that the Great Spirits descend time and time again and seek one another in Holy Union. May the Spirits joined here today be united as one and attain fulfillment. May the sacred fire bless their union and pave the pathway for the future of the Water Tribe." Facing the prince and princess, who were both staring at the ground, perhaps even trying to stay awake given how late it was, still told to hold the palms of their marked wrists together, "You may now state your purpose."
Neither the dronningi nor the isumataq spoke for a few seconds, rousing nervousness in Arnook and Ahnah, but Yue broke the silence, finally making eye contact with the expectant prince, "I take you, Sokka of the Taqqiq lineage of the Southern Water Tribe, as my lover and husband."
And he couldn't stop the glaze in his eyes, couldn't keep the warmth from spreading all over his chest. "I take you, Yue of the Kharsaq lineage of the Northern Water Tribe, as my lover and wife."
"State your loyalties," Osha followed.
"Through thick and thin, adversity and bliss, I remain loyal to you, Yue."
"Through thick and thin, adversity and bliss, I remain loyal to you, Sokka."
"No longer are you Yue of the Kharsaq family or Sokka of the Taqqiq family," Osha announced. "Given the event that you are both children of the Wolf Moon, you are to take each other's names as your middle names and accept Aninnialuk as your family name." Taking a step back, raising her sapphire scepter, "In the presence of those gathered here today, you will both be crossing a sacred threshold. State your consent in the language of the Spirits."
The isumataq, tender in tone, "Inaamiya." I give myself to you.
With a pounding chest, "Iya inaami." And to you, I give myself.
"Seal your union," Osha commanded, "To accept this sanctified matrimony."
And now came the point at which Sokka would appropriately summon his intense flush. The kiss. He looked around at everyone; they were all gawking back at him and the princess, some cheering on, "Kiss her! Kiss her!" while some clapped in encouragement. "Don't fail us now, Sokka!"
Arnook and Ahnah simultaneously looked over to their daughter, their eyes flicking wildly from her to the prince.
"Uh…" he stared at the princess, all the color in the world seeming to concentrate on his face alone. Yue pressed her lips together, looking everywhere except at him, fiddling with her fingers.
"Okay, I…" He then reached for her hand and quickly held it up to his lips, softly kissing a knuckle, letting out a huge breath afterwards, "There we go! We're married!"
She blinked at him, surprised, and everyone around him laughed at his "antics."
"Playing hard to get, huh, Socks?"
"Come on, now, you've waited twenty-three years for this moment!"
"Don't back out of kissing a lovely lady!"
"It didn't specify anywhere that it had to be on the lips!" he sputtered.
"You still can't break certain traditions, Great Master of Loopholes," came Kiguk's tease.
Breaking out into a sweat, the isumataq stared back at the princess, who again didn't specify anything but didn't actively protest, either. While she was uncertain, she was also, however, pleased to a degree with how meticulous and conscious he was being about this.
At least she's not terrified. Nevertheless, he tried to get around the provision, and after more thought, he very slowly leaned forward, the musk of his cologne filling her nose. At this point, she eased into amusement yet still startled when his lips pressed against her forehead, leaving behind a gentle kiss. He pulled back, trying to contain his ardor, "Okay, we're married, everybody, can we go home now?"
"Nice try, Socks, but that's not what we're expecting!"
"He's just being silly, he knows the deal!"
"Kiss her on the lips!"
Another moment more, and his heart rate climbed further. Yue crossed her arms over her chest, eyes lidded, slightly drunk on his cologne and moral consciousness. He swallowed; again he wrestled for a way, eventually stepping forward, nearly tripping in his spastic haste before she caught him. The close proximity was just enough; he angled his face to where they weren't seen clearly by the others, his lips stopping at her cheek—and by the Spirits, if her cheek wasn't softer than any flower he'd ever touched, any silk robe he ever donned— but it was for the sake of some kiss, a hope that it would appease Osha.
It didn't, and it drew collective sighs of impatience.
"We don't have all night," Osha whispered to them, her unusual sternness balanced by her amused gaze, "Either kiss or walk out now. You are still not bound yet."
"Uhhhh…dronningi…I can…" his gaze trailing subtly to the door as he whispered, "I-if you want me to, I can leave now—"
She cut him off with a soft hand to his face, cupping his cheek, drawing a shudder of anticipation from his lips before pulling him to her. At a centimeter apart, they stopped, gazed at each other, a quiet exchange of hot breaths accompanied by a series of Are you sure, Are you sure? before Yue did the honors of closing the gap. Slow, suave, innocent.
Another moment, another blink, and the world— no longer subject to Sokka's comprehension— seemed to explode all of a sudden. There may have been applause, but he didn't register it. All he could sense was the warmth of her lips, the taste sweetened from the mango pastry she had earlier. He let his eyes fall to a close, letting his pulse go as crazy as it wanted. Both of them were aware they should probably pull away at some point, and it would be proper to keep it brief, but neither exercised the possibility immediately, lost in uncertainty, an innate instinct for curiosity. Their lips were awkwardly still but eventually relaxed, involuntarily trying to seek an angle, a rhythm, something without breaking. He hummed into the contact; in the back of his mind flared up some blurb that Kiguk told him about the general positioning of a man's hands at the woman's waist during a kiss, but that blurb was overruled as the prince's instincts led his palms to her cheeks, cupping her face, inadvertently pulling her closer to him and deepening the contact. His thumb ventured to lightly trace her jaw, and her sigh escaped into his mouth, her free hand tangling in his wolf-tail.
It could've been seconds or eternities, minutes or millennia, but at some point, she was the first to pull away, refusing to look at anyone and anything after that. She did see, however, that he was still stuck in a forward lean, his lips still puckered for another few seconds. The cold air brought him out of whatever trance he was in, and he straightened up with wide eyes, a shaky exhale. Both young leaders flushed and turned away, staring at the ground.
"You are now married," Osha said, her announcement drawing greater cheers. Akluviq smiled and reached for his inked quill, signing his name on a document seconds afterward.
"Thank the Spirits," Ahnah and Arnook let their tears flow freely, their hands folded in prayer before the smiling Aninnialuk idol in the water.
Katara hugged her brother, beaming at him before hugging the dazed princess next. Aang wrapped his hand around Sokka in an outward manifestation of congrats. Sokka didn't seem like he was on this planet anymore, staggering like he was inebriated, delirious even with the Avatar's firm grip.
"Hold me…Aang…"
"I know, buddy, way ahead of you."