"Hey! Come back here!"
The little girl giggled uncontrollably as she ran as fast as she could away from Nayuh, who was pretending to chase her. The girl's laughter was infectious and Nayuh couldn't help but giggle as well. She let the girl run around the courtyard a bit, before finally catching up to her.
"Got you!" Nayuh exclaimed as she snatched the girl up in her arms. The girl squealed with glee and as soon as Nayuh set her down again, she was off, toddling away as fast as her little legs would carry her.
They'd been playing this game for the better part of a half-hour now and the little girl was showing no signs of slowing down. When Nayuh had shown up this morning and Pema had asked for her help babysitting the children while their airbender or air acolyte parents were in training, she hadn't hesitated to say yes.
And as it turned out, it was the perfect thing to take her mind off of everything that was going on. The children had successfully held her attention all morning and she'd barely even had time to think about where Tenzin and Korra were and what the outcome of that might be.
But as lunchtime drew near, Nayuh knew she wouldn't be able to avoid reality forever. Tenzin would inevitably return from the meeting, bringing with him either good or bad news. She was fully prepared for the news to be bad, but a not-so-small part of her held out hope that Vira would be with him.
After a few more iterations of the catch-and-release game, Nayuh saw her cousin Kya emerge from the main building. She caught Nayuh's eye and gave her a smile, before walking over to Pema and speaking to her for a few moments.
"Lunchtime!" Pema called, her voice echoing around the courtyard. All activity stopped and the older children took off at a run towards the main building. Kya helped Nayuh and Pema usher the smaller children inside and joined Nayuh as she trailed behind Pema, heading towards the dining hall.
"So, how was it?" Kya asked as they walked.
"Exactly what I needed," Nayuh answered. "I'm glad I came over here today."
"The children can be a handful, but I know Pema appreciates the help," Kya said. She gave Nayuh a sly smile. "Don't be surprised if she asks you to come back tomorrow, too."
"And I would absolutely say yes again," Nayuh replied. "It's not like I have anything better to do right now."
Rather than giving her empty words of encouragement, Kya simply put an arm around Nayuh's shoulders and gave her a small squeeze. It meant more to Nayuh than anything she could've said. Everyone kept wanting to reassure her that everything was going to be fine, but not Kya. No, her cousin was simply allowing her to be, and to feel whatever she wanted to feel. It was one of the many reasons why Nayuh looked up to her and enjoyed spending time with her.
Growing up, Nayuh had always seemed to gravitate towards her much older cousin whenever she was around. It wasn't until Nayuh was a teenager that she figured out why. Although, she had a feeling Kya had always known about her, which would explain why she gave Nayuh more attention during her healer training than she did the other students. Nayuh had always chalked it up to them being family—and it probably was—but there was more to it than that.
Kya had found Nayuh alone and crying one day after her lessons when she was fifteen. Looking back now, Nayuh could admit that she'd always known she was different, but back then, coming to terms with that had seemed like the end of the world. Or, her world as she knew it. Kya had patiently sat with her until Nayuh finally worked up enough courage to admit out loud that she was gay.
And as soon as the words were out of her mouth, it felt as though a giant weight had lifted off her shoulders. And despite the fact that she was absolutely certain the world would implode if she ever admitted it out loud, it didn't. Quite the opposite actually. Nayuh hadn't known what Kya's reaction was going to be to her seemingly massive revelation, but it certainly wasn't Kya telling her that she wasn't the only one who was gay.
They'd sat there for a long time and Kya had let her ask as many questions as she needed to, answering all of them as best she could. She even offered to be there whenever Nayuh decided she was ready to tell her parents. Knowing she wasn't completely alone made Nayuh feel infinitely better and she and Kya had been extremely close ever since.
They helped Pema get the children settled in to eat and were getting ready to take their own seats when Nayuh saw Tenzin walk in. He gestured to Nayuh that she should follow him out into the hall. She and Kya exchanged a nervous glance; then Nayuh wound her way towards Tenzin and followed him out of the room.
"Well?" she asked, taking a deep breath and steeling herself. "How bad is it?"
Tenzin let out a heavy sigh, which told Nayuh all she needed to know. "Kuvira is going to remain in jail and a tribunal will be called to decide her fate."
Even though it was exactly what she'd expected to hear, the words hit Nayuh like a ton of bricks. For a long moment, she just stared at Tenzin. Then fury welled inside her. "And when is this tribunal going to happen?" she bit out through clenched teeth.
"No, wait, let me guess," she went on, not giving Tenzin a chance to answer, "no one knows. Because the President has no intention of ever letting her out."
She pushed past Tenzin who called after her, "Nayuh wait! We don't know that. The President seemed very adamant that a tribunal would happen."
Nayuh stopped walking and angrily rounded on him. "Wake up, Tenzin. She's just going to keep saying that, pushing it down the road again and again, until everyone forgets about it. There won't be a tribunal. And Vira is going to be stuck here, in prison, for the rest of her life."
Her voice cracked on the last few words and she struggled to regain her composure. Tenzin gazed at her, seemingly at a loss for what to say. But the look of pity on his face only angered Nayuh even more. Her eyes stung with tears and she turned on her heel and marched down the hall. She needed to be alone and she needed some water to take her frustration out on.
Fortunately, she was on an island. As soon as she was outside she headed straight for the shoreline, wanting to put as much distance between her and anyone else as possible. The tears were flowing by the time her feet hit the sand and she immediately dropped into a bending stance.
It was rare that she allowed herself to indulge in the raw power she possessed, but with no one around and a fiery rage tearing through her, she didn't hold back. In a few swift motions, the gentle waves crashing onto the shore rose up and turned the opposite direction as Nayuh sent them careening back towards Republic City in the distance.
Over and over again, wave after wave was turned away and aimed at Republic City. She poured every ounce of her anger into her movements, taking her fury out on the water in front of her. It was cathartic and satisfying, being able to control something so fully when everything else in her life was so far out of her control.
But using that much strength was extremely taxing and it didn't take very long for her to tire. The size of the waves she was creating grew smaller and smaller until finally, she had nothing left to give. She fell to her knees in the sand, exhausted. Then, staring at the city across the water, she broke down completely.
The day had faded into late afternoon by the time she heard someone coming down the path behind her. "Mind if I join you?"
Kya's voice was gentle and Nayuh gave a half-hearted shrug in response. Kya sat down next to her and for a while, neither spoke as they gazed at the city. The setting sun was painting the mountains behind it in a beautiful swath of colors, and Nayuh's heart clenched at the thought that Vira wasn't here with her to see it.
"You know," Kya finally said, "out of all the nations, Earth Kingdom women are the worst to fall in love with."
The statement was so out of the blue that Nayuh couldn't stop the amused snort that forced its way out. "What makes you say that?"
"Because," Kya answered, "they're stubborn and unyielding, just like the rocks and dirt they can bend." She flashed Nayuh a small smile and Nayuh chuckled. So far, Kya's statement was completely accurate.
"But, if you do manage to get past that rough exterior," Kya went on, "then they will love you with everything they have. Makes it hard not to fall head over heels for them."
Nayuh nodded. It had taken a while for her to break down Vira's walls, but once she did, she'd fallen hard and fast. Vira hadn't really given her a choice. And Nayuh knew that Vira loved and cared about her as deeply as Nayuh did with her. Which is precisely why the current situation they were in hurt so badly.
"Sounds like you're speaking from experience," Nayuh remarked, her tone only slightly teasing.
"I absolutely am," Kya replied with a chuckle. Then her tone turned serious and she turned to Nayuh.
"I'm not going to pretend I know what you're going through right now because I don't. And I'm not going to try and make you feel better by telling you what I think you want to hear. You're allowed to be angry and upset—no amount of feel-good words are going to change that.
"I just want you to know that no matter what, I'm here for you. A shoulder to cry on, someone to fling ice at…whatever you need, just say the word." She reached over and squeezed Nayuh's hand. "You don't have to go through this alone."
Nayuh smiled at her. "Thanks…I really appreciate that. You're the only person so far who hasn't tried to tip-toe their way around my feelings. You have no idea how annoying that is. I think my anger is justified, so just let me be angry, you know?"
Kya nodded. "Absolutely. You don't have to pretend around me…you know that."
"I do," Nayuh replied, "and I really, really appreciate it."
It was quiet for another few moments. "So, this Earth Kingdom woman…" Nayuh said, with a smirk. "Whatever happened to her?"
Kya laughed. "Now that is a long story."
"Well, I've got nowhere else to be," Nayuh replied with a shrug.
"Tell you what," Kya said, "let's head into the city and grab some dinner, and I'll tell you the whole story." She eyed Nayuh closely. "Have Korra and Asami even taken you into the city yet?"
Nayuh shook her head. "Not unless you count going to and from the hospital for my healing appointments."
"Nope, that doesn't count," Kya said, getting to her feet. "Come on…the city can actually be a lot of fun at night. And it might help take your mind off of everything."
"At this point, I'm willing to try anything," Nayuh remarked as she stood up. She followed Kya back up the path, and after letting Tenzin know where they were going, they boarded the ferry that would take them over to the city.
Their first stop was the Little Water Tribe neighborhood. It wasn't quite what Nayuh had expected when Kya first mentioned the name, but she did appreciate the attempt to make it look somewhat like home. The restaurant Kya took her to claimed to have the best seaweed noodles in the city and by the time they arrived, there was a line out the door.
It took about thirty minutes for them to finally be seated, but the wait turned out to be well worth it. Nayuh hadn't realized how much she missed home until she caught a whiff of the food that was being prepared. And it tasted even better than it smelled.
While they ate, Kya regaled Nayuh with the story of the Earth Kingdom woman she alluded to earlier. It had apparently been a fast and furious romance when Kya was around Nayuh's age that only abruptly ended when the other woman's parents found out about it. According to Kya, they had planned to go to the Southern Water Tribe together, but when the day came that they were supposed to leave, the woman never showed up.
"Broke my heart into a million pieces," Kya mused. "But, I eventually got over it. Took a long time though. She was my first real, true, love." She sighed wistfully. "I still think about her occasionally. What she's up to, how she's doing."
"You ever think about trying to find her again?" Nayuh asked around a mouthful of noodles. She had to admit, they were pretty damn good. Although her mother's were better.
"Sometimes," Kya admitted, "but never seriously enough to actually do it." She flashed Nayuh a mischievous look. "Besides…she stood me up. I'd rather her live with that regret for the rest of her life."
Nayuh laughed. "That's cold. But, fair enough. I'd do the exact same thing, I think."
That was the only talk of relationships during the entire meal, for which Nayuh was extremely grateful. She didn't want to start thinking about what might happen if she and Vira didn't make it as a couple. The only thing she did know for certain was that neither one of them would willingly walk away without a fight.
After dinner, they stopped for ice cream and strolled through Avatar Korra Park while eating it. Nayuh couldn't help but chuckle at the massive statue of Korra that had been erected in the center of the park. The entire thing struck her as odd, considering those kinds of things were usually done when a prominent figure died. And Korra was still very much alive.
"She's saved this city from total destruction a few times," Kya said after Nayuh mentioned it. "I guess the citizens figured they owed it to her to honor her for that."
Nayuh amusedly shook her head. She made a mental note to ask Korra the next time she saw her if she ever strolled through her own park to look at a giant statue of herself. Probably not, but the thought was amusing anyway.
"She's the Avatar," Nayuh replied, "that's kind of her job, isn't it?"
Kya chuckled. "Yes, it is. Fortunately, she hasn't had to deal with anything like that in a while…not since Kuv—" She abruptly stopped herself and looked at Nayuh, stricken. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—"
"It's okay," Nayuh interrupted her. "I know you didn't mean anything by it."
She veered off the path they were on, to an overlook. The massive spirit portal shone in the distance and Nayuh gazed at it, not quite sure what to feel. On one hand, it was beautiful. She'd never seen the Southern one up close—only the light it spilled that danced in the sky. The one here seemed so close that she felt as though she could reach out and touch it, even though it was a couple of miles away.
On the other hand, Vira had told her the story of how it had come to be. How it wasn't supposed to exist in the first place and the only reason it did, was because Korra had pulled off the equivalent of an Avatar miracle. And if she hadn't, both she and Vira wouldn't be alive right now.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Kya said, coming up next to her.
Nayuh nodded. "It is. Proof that something beautiful can come out of something ugly." She sighed. "Vira told me about what happened that day. I'm not ignorant of her past or what she did. But she's tried very hard to change for the better since then."
Kya laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know she has. So does everyone else that knows her."
They gazed at the portal for a few more minutes before Kya said, "Would you like to go see it?"
Nayuh looked at her, surprised. "Is that even possible?"
Kya shrugged. "Maybe not for the everyday citizens of Republic City, but you're with me. My brother is in charge of the entire area surrounding it. We won't have any issues gaining access." She smirked. "And being the daughter of the Avatar has its perks sometimes."
Nayuh thought it over for a moment. "Sure, why not. Vira and Korra both talk about it with a reverence I've never understood. Maybe now I will."
It was a shorter walk than Nayuh expected to get to the edge of the Spirit Wilds that surrounded the glowing portal. The entire area was cordoned off and patrolled by both Republic City police officers and members of the Air Nation, and handfuls of tourists were gathered at the few access points, trying to get a closer look.
Very few groups were let inside and it seemed to Nayuh that the ones who were, had already been pre-approved to do so. She hung back while Kya walked up to talk to the Air Nation woman manning one of the entrances. Her cousin pulled a small piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to the woman; a few moments later Kya turned and waved Nayuh over.
"See," she said after the Air Nation woman stepped aside to let them through, "no problem."
A thin forest of trees initially blocked their view, but they soon emerged on the other side and Nayuh couldn't help but gasp at the sight. The portal was right there, jutting up into the sky, seemingly going on forever. She couldn't help but stare at it in wonder.
She wasn't much of a spiritual person but staring at the portal, watching spirits float in and out of it, felt like a religious experience. No wonder Korra and Vira regarded this place the way they did. Not only had it been the sight of their near-death, but what Korra had managed to produce through her incredible power was truly something special.
"We can go closer, if you want," Kya said. "Or I can take you inside, to the Spirit World."
Nayuh gawked at her. "We can actually go inside?" It didn't seem real or possible. She'd always wanted to see the Spirit World.
"We can," Kya replied with a smile. "I don't recommend straying too far from the portal, though. The Spirit World is a wonderfully interesting place, but it can also be dangerous. Fortunately, if you enter through the portal itself, you'll have your bending, so you're not completely defenseless like you would be if you meditated in."
Nayuh was just about to tell her that she'd absolutely love it if they could go in but stopped herself at the last second. She and Vira had already talked at length about taking a trip to the portal in the South one day. The guides who led groups inside weren't cheap and they'd already begun saving their money. It didn't seem right or fair to do it without her.
If and when she ever entered the Spirit World, she wanted it to be just as wonderous for her as it was for Vira. If she went in now, she would never be able to experience it again for the first time. And she very much wanted that first time to be with Vira.
"That's okay," Nayuh finally said. "We don't have to go in. Just seeing it this close is awesome."
Kya frowned. "Are you sure? We'll be perfectly safe, if that's what you're worried about."
"No, it's not that," Nayuh said with a sigh. "Vira and I were already planning on going through the Southern one someday. I…I don't want to go without her."
Kya gave her a sympathetic look before pulling her into a hug. "I hope she knows how lucky she is to have you."
Nayuh chuckled as she pulled away. "I make sure to remind her from time to time." She turned back to the portal and gazed at it for another few moments. "I'm the lucky one though. I never thought it was possible to love someone so much. To feel incomplete when they're not around.
"And it's not like I need her, not in a possessive way or anything like that…it's just…" She trailed off and sighed. "I don't know how to describe it. I feel whole when I'm with her. Complete. Like we're two equal halves of something. Ugh, I don't know…" She looked over at Kya. "Am I making any sense?"
Kya chuckled. "Perfect sense. I'm no expert or anything, but I'm pretty sure that means you've found 'the one.' The only question now is, what are you going to do about it?"
Nayuh glanced at her, catching on to what she was hinting at a few moments later. She sighed. "I'm pretty sure she's not the marrying type. Her last engagement didn't end so well."
"Well, have you talked to her about it? How do you feel about the subject?"
"We haven't really discussed it much," Nayuh admitted. "She gets all weird whenever the topic of marriage gets brought up. I tried to reassure her that we don't have to, but…"
"But, secretly, you want to," Kya finished for her.
Nayuh gave her a guilty half-shrug. "It's never something I ever imagined for myself…at least, not until I met her. Marriage or not, I have no doubt that we'll be together for a very long time, but I guess it would be nice to make it official. I'd love to be able to call her my wife instead of my girlfriend." She wrinkled her nose. "That sounds so juvenile to me now."
Kya laughed. "So why don't you take the initiative and ask her?"
"No way!" Nayuh exclaimed. "What if she says no? I'd be mortified. And what if it ruins our relationship?"
Kya rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous. You two have been through way too much for something as stupid as a marriage proposal to break you apart. That's just your own insecurities talking. I highly doubt she would say no. But…you'll never know until you ask."
Nayuh sighed heavily and turned her gaze back to the portal, thinking. She knew Kya was right, but she also knew how Vira felt about getting engaged again. Not to mention the sheer uncertainty of the situation right now.
But the more Nayuh thought about it, the more she realized that the sheer uncertainty gave her all the more reason to. This, above everything else, had proven that their lives could change in an instant. If she wanted to do something, then she should do it, because she may never get another chance.
"You know what," she finally said, turning to look at Kya, "you're right. I won't know until I ask. So, I'm going to. As soon as Vira gets released, I'm going to ask her. Even though I know there's a chance that might not happen, I'm choosing to believe it will."
Kya beamed at her. "There's that fighting spirit I've been waiting to see."
Nayuh returned her smile with one of her own. "Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to do it. Do you think I should stick to the Tribe's traditions? Or make it a little modern?"
Then something occurred to her and she frowned. "Or…wait. How is it done in the Earth Republic? I've never even thought to ask her about that. And I don't know if she'd even want to stick to those traditions since she's more Water Tribe than Earth Kingdom now—"
"Woah, woah, slow down," Kya cut in, chuckling. "Take a breath." She paused, waiting for Nayuh to do so. "Of all the things for you to get bent out of shape about, this is not one of them. You know Vira the best out of anyone…so take a moment and think it through."
Nayuh wanted to be annoyed at Kya, but she also knew her cousin was right. "I think," she said slowly, after giving it some thought, "that tailoring it to her native traditions would be best."
"Okay," Kya said, "then that means you'll need to get a ring. In the Earth Republic, they exchange rings during a marriage proposal. Whoever is proposing gives their intended a ring. Just like in our Tribe, except with rings, not necklaces."
Nayuh nodded. "Makes sense." She flashed Kya a sly smile. "Wanna help me pick one out? Since you seem to be an expert on where to go in this city and on Earth Republic traditions."
Kya laughed. "I'm far from an expert, but yes, I'd love to help you. Just let me know when you want to go and we will."
"Perfect." Nayuh beamed at her. Her mood had improved dramatically over the course of the evening. And she finally had something positive to look forward to again.
They hung around the portal for a little while longer before leaving. Kya had mentioned that Nayuh was more than welcome to stay at the Air Temple for the night if she wanted, but Nayuh declined.
"There is one of our Tribe's traditions that I want to include I think," she told Kya, as they waited for an available taxi to take Nayuh back to the Sato residence.
"Oh yeah?" Kya said. "And what is that?"
"I want to ask Suyin for her permission first. I know she and her husband aren't technically Vira's parents, but it feels wrong not to ask. They're the closest thing to a mother and father she has."
Kya smiled. "I think that's a great idea. I'm sure Su would appreciate it."
"I think so, too. So, once I get that out of the way, then we can go ring shopping."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Kya said. "Just say the word and I'm there. When are you planning on asking Su?"
"Tomorrow," Nayuh answered, "if I can. I don't know what's going to happen with Vira yet and I want to be prepared, just in case this tribunal actually happens."
"I think that's smart," Kya replied. She nodded behind Nayuh, indicating an approaching taxi, then raised her arm to hail it.
"Thank you for getting me out of my head tonight," Nayuh said, reaching for a hug as the taxi pulled up. "And I'll call you about the ring shopping."
"You're very welcome," Kya replied.
She released Nayuh and Nayuh gave her a small wave goodbye as she entered the taxi. After giving the driver her destination, she sat back, letting thoughts and plans form in her mind of how she might ask Vira to marry her.
By the time she arrived back at Korra and Asami's house, she had a rough idea of how she was going to do it. Now all she needed to know was if Vira's tribunal would actually happen. And if so, what would the outcome of it be?
"Your attorney is here."
The guard's tone was bored, as usual, but Kuvira felt a small amount of relief flush through her. Finally. It had been a week since Lee had visited, the last time being when he'd brought news of the outcome of the world leader's meeting.
It had been exactly what she'd expected but it still stung to hear it. Especially when he'd told her that there'd been no date set for her tribunal. Hopefully, that would be the update he was bringing today. Although, she wasn't holding out any hope that President Moon would actually follow through with that. Kuvira could easily see her leaving her in here to rot for the rest of her life.
She got off her bed and walked over to the wall, gingerly putting her arms over her head. Lusa had done a tremendous job over the last week and a half and Kuvira's injuries were nearly healed. Her collarbone was the only thing that still gave her trouble, but it wasn't broken anymore and she could at least get it partially above her head now. Lusa was confident that after another week of healing sessions it would be completely healed.
The cell door opened, then closed, and she turned around. There was a faint smile on Lee's face as he regarded her. "Don't need the sling anymore, I see."
Kuvira smiled. "Nope. Lusa's done a great job with my healing. Thank you, again, for fighting to get her cleared to treat me."
"Well, on one hand, I'm glad," Lee replied. "On the other, now that we actually have a date for your tribunal, it may have been in your favor to remain injured. Garner more sympathy from the judges."
"The President actually set a date?" Kuvira asked, somewhat stunned.
Lee nodded. "She did. I'm just as surprised as you, honestly. It's two weeks from today."
Two weeks from today. It felt so far away until she reminded herself that she'd been locked up in this cell for two weeks already. It felt like a lifetime, yet it didn't. Strange, how time behaved when you had no control over it.
"Do you need me to do anything to prepare?" Kuvira asked him. She'd had no attorney, no representation the last time, so she wasn't entirely sure what was expected of her this time around.
"Not at the moment, no," Lee answered. "Just keep your head down and don't cause any trouble."
Kuvira scoffed. "Not a problem. They only let me out to shower or 'exercise' for an hour a day. And by 'exercise' I mean putting me in a platinum cell outside for an hour. Good thing I'm already used to the cold."
Up until a few days ago, her injuries hadn't allowed her to do anything other than hold basic bending stances inside the outdoor cell for exercise. Now that her collarbone was somewhat healed, she was spending that hour slowly going through the forms, working on her technique.
She'd caught a few of the guards intently watching her, but she wasn't sure if it was because they were afraid she'd suddenly start bending platinum, or if they were looking for ways to improve their own bending. Either way, they'd let her be. And Kuvira had no intention of ever testing their patience or limits, as she'd done with the Metal Clan guards in Zaofu.
Lee shrugged as if to say that wasn't his problem. "Is there anything you need from me before I go? I'll be back more frequently as it gets closer to the tribunal, so we can go over your defense."
Kuvira almost felt bad for bringing it up, but it'd been two weeks and she'd had zero communication with anyone but Lee and Lusa. She knew Korra had received her note because she'd figured out a way to retrieve the necklace from Kuvira's bag and then get it to her. So either Lee hadn't given her note to Nayuh…or he had, and Nayuh had decided it wasn't worth writing her back. And if that was the case…
It wasn't an idea she wanted to entertain, but the longer she went without hearing from Nayuh, the more it crept in. Kuvira knew there was a very good chance she'd remain in prison for the rest of her life. Maybe Nayuh had decided that being with her wasn't worth it anymore.
Her heart clenched at the thought, but she couldn't dismiss it outright. And if that was the case—if Nayuh decided to end things because of this, then Kuvira wasn't going to fight her on it. If the roles had been reversed, she had no idea how she'd feel or what she'd do. She couldn't and wouldn't blame Nayuh for doing what was best for herself if a life sentence was handed down in two weeks.
Still, the words forced their way out without her permission. "Did…did Nayuh happen to give you anything for me?"
Lee cocked his head, slightly confused. Then his eyes widened a bit. "Actually yes. I completely forgot." He reached into his briefcase and Kuvira breathed a small sigh of relief. He fished out a folded-up piece of paper and held it out to her. "Here. She gave this to me a while ago and I forgot I had it. Sorry."
"It's okay," Kuvira replied, taking the note from him. She was torn between wanting to open it right now to see what it said and waiting until Lee was gone, in case it wasn't what she was hoping for. She stared at it, conflicted, which Lee took as a hint that their meeting was over.
"I'll be back in a few days, so we can start prepping your defense."
Kuvira looked up and nodded, then walked back over to the far wall as Lee knocked on the cell door. Once she was in the correct position, the guard opened the door, then slid it shut again. She turned and walked over to the bed, sinking down onto it and staring at the note.
What if she hates me now? What if she wants to end things? I can't blame her, I wouldn't want to be with a criminal either. The barely-noticeable lump in her pocket that was the betrothal necklace seemed to burn with that thought, as did her eyes. She blinked away the tears, then took a deep breath, readying herself.
Seeing Nayuh's handwriting almost brought the tears back, but as soon as she read what Nayuh had written to her, there was no stopping them. They were happy tears, however, and she couldn't help but laugh as she read the words again:
You bend the rocks
And I bend the snow
I love and believe in you
More than you'll ever know
It was just as corny and stupid as the one she'd written Nayuh and it made Kuvira's heart sing that she'd responded in kind. The note Nayuh had scrawled underneath was far more serious, however:
I'm not sure when you'll get this, but happy anniversary babe. I hate that we're not together to celebrate it, but just know that I love you and miss you. And as soon this is all over, we'll celebrate properly, I promise.
Kuvira stared at the note until the words were too blurry to read through the tears. She let them fall freely; it was the first time she'd really allowed herself to break down in the two weeks she'd been here. Once the tears finally stopped, she folded the note back up and put it in her pocket, next to the betrothal necklace.
It was imperative that she get out of here. There were too many things she wanted to do and see and experience with Nayuh. She just hoped that Lee was up to the task. Getting her released wasn't going to be easy and he was going to need all the help he could get.
