Chapter 5: Chapter 5

I have to dedicate this chapter to run4life again, because their reviews make me smile.

***edits from 1/12/2018***
This chapter has remained mostly the same.

Yue

She stood in front of the High Priestess' door, shaking in barely concealed rage. Yet she paused before knocking, a last moment of self-preservation giving her pause. Could she do this? She'd be the first in nearly 200 years but—

No.

She wouldn't pretend anymore. She couldn't. For all her life, Yue spent her time giving to others. But now…now she needed to do something for herself. Something to prove her worth. Something selfish, something insane, crazy even.

She was running out of time.

Katara would be turning 16 at the end of the summer, and she'd be a prime candidate for marriage. She'd heard that the young girl already had boys wanting to marry her. That didn't sit well with Yue at all. The attention would be on Katara, again, after all Yue had done to ensure otherwise while they were growing up. She'd made sure that her hair looked the best, she got the nicest toys and wore the prettiest dresses. She was more beautiful than her cousin. She had to be. Or she'd never leave this stupid country.

But it wasn't fair. People just seemed to gravitate towards Katara and that's what she couldn't stand. It was always Katara this, and Katara that, it made her sick to her stomach.

When they were children, Kya and Hakoda would always say, 'Play with Katara...include Katara...don't let Katara slip and fall into the sea." Blah blah blah, always the same.

I should have just pushed her in the ocean and watched her drown.

It was Katara that she blamed for being stuck here in this accursed place. If Katara wasn't born, then she would be the only girl in the entire royal family. Yue herself wasn't royalty, but what noble from another land wouldn't be excited to marry the niece of the Chief of the Water Tribe?

But then, along came Katara, ruining everything.

When the priestess announced the baby of Princess Kya to be a girl, at first, she was excited. She'd have someone to play with, to talk to, to hide from 1-year-old Sokka's toy boomerang together. To share stories, secrets…hopes…dreams…And then it was all gone on Yue's twelfth birthday. Everything she'd done her entire life. Ruined.

No longer was she the only girl. At first it was fine nothing wrong at all. She shared a room with Katara all their youth, she didn't mind if the cries from the baby woke her up in the middle of the night.

She'd sing and talk to Katara as Yue rubbed her sleepy eyes. Sokka still followed her around, throwing his boomerang at her because Katara was still too small to play with. And even after Katara was born, she still lived like a princess, even if she actually wasn't one. Her father, mother, Aunt Kya and Uncle Hakoda loved her.

Until her 7th birthday. That's when everything changed. The entire family had been sailing in and out of ice flows, laughing with each other. She'd received dozens of presents, pretty things and shiny things, brand new dresses and gems for her hair. It was perfect. Katara had sat in her mother's lap, walking at this point but Kya worried about Katara falling over the side of the boat. Yue had been laughing at something Banu said when her father took 4-year-old Sokka to the front of the ship, hoisting him high on his shoulders, laughing about the territory the young prince would someday inherit.

But it was a lie, a trick.

Her father tried to drown Sokka on the open seas, tossing him over the side of the boat like a ragdoll.

With Sokka dead, she and Katara would be the only children with royal blood. Well, not really, because the royal line was passed down through Kya, not Hakoda. But Yue was still eldest, so it would be she that inherited. Arnook had risked everything for his daughter's future.

Well, daddy dearest, look what happened now. I'm stuck here! If anything, I'm the victim! I would have had everything, until Katara showed up.

She had been at the Temple for seven years, and not once had anyone come to visit her. Not even her father. He was exiled to the Northern Water Tribe, never to set foot here again. And she was cast aside, left to pay for the sins of her father. Yue was almost certain that the reason why she was trapped in this stupid place was because everyone was afraid of her. They were afraid that she'd follow in her father's footsteps. Everything revolved around those two little monsters, Katara and Sokka.

After her father's banishment, her mother drank herself into a stupor and ran off with the first visiting merchant she could get her hands on. And she was just left…with them.

Sokka wasn't so bad, if you forget the fact that he was constantly eating, and being a slob, or an idiot. But Katara was...infuriating. Everyone called her sweet, and mild tempered, never complaining and always taking care of others. It was a ruse, Yue believed, a deliberate set up meant to turn the people of the Water Tribe against her.

When she first arrived at the doorstep of the Temple, Yue had wondered how exactly she was supposed to spend the rest of her life here.

"We do not have time for fun and games." The Head Priestess had told her decidedly, as though the very thought was repulsing. "We have rituals to perform, offerings to make, and voyages on the seas to bless. We do not have free time because there is simply not enough time."

How could Gran-Gran stick me in a place like this? She had thought, in what possible way could this be life be beneficial?

Already 7 years she'd been here, and not a day went by that she didn't wish she was somewhere else.

At 12, she thought she was being punished for accidentally killing Katara's turtle-seal when she was 7, so during her first 3 years, Yue completed every task to the best of her ability. Whether it be carrying supplies, doing laundry (without waterbending), or running errands for the High Priestess, she did it all without complaint.

When the priestesses would gather to sing to the spirits to pray for a good hunt, every day, she sang the loudest. For three years she had done this, and although she had risen in the ranks to the position of Senior Priestess, just one step below High Priestess, it wasn't what she truly wanted.

Yue wanted, action, danger, excitement and maybe…a little bit of romance.

Those around her had noticed the changes within her over the last few weeks. She was never enthusiastic during prayers and she barely even mouthed the words when it was time to sing. Her reputation had gotten so bad, she was called into the high priestess' office this morning to speak about her apparent lack of faith.

Taking a deep breath, Yue knocked twice on the door, bowing as she entered. She sat down on the fur across from Rana, eyeing the old woman warily.

"So, tell me, Yue." The high priestess peered at her with her beady eyes, clasping her bony hands together. "Why are you in my quarters today?"

The High Priestess, Rana was an old woman. She had been High Priestess when her father was a boy. She didn't show her age, walking faster than women 50 years her junior. She was a healer and instructed many waterbending classes for those who wished to learn simple techniques.

Yue shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? You're the one who called me in here, remember?"

Rana glared at Yue, the hard lines around her mouth made deeper as her lips pursed. "I have heard rumors, Yue. That you're not performing your duties as well as you should be."

"And your point is?" Yue snapped hotly, looking away, glaring daggers at the wall. "I wasn't born for this life. You know that."

"Your grandmother felt—,"

"My grandmother locked me away! She never saw me past my twelfth birthday!" Hot tears stung her eyes and threatened to escape. She blinked them away, but her throat was tight, fighting the urge to cry with every breath she took. Yue's mouth set into a grim line. "And now she's dead. She can't undo what she did to me."

Rana sighed and cleared her throat, preparing to give a speech that she'd delivered a hundred times before. Yue slowly started to shake her head like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Rana gave her a pointed look but continued. "Being a priestess is a life-long commitment Yue. You knew this—,"

"I was a child! I was a 12-year-old girl made to pay for her father's crimes. And now I'm 19" Yue spat with vehemence. "You call this a temple? A place for spiritual freedom? I call this a prison, and you'll lock me up until I die."

Rana's calm façade was starting to slip. "Yue—,"

"You say you want to help people, Head Priestess." She asked, tone rising. She rose on her knees and slammed her hands on the table, leaning towards her teacher. "I beg you—ease my pain."

Rana looked at her curiously. "That's what this whole fuss is about? You want to see your father? Well that can be arranged with extensive supervision-"

"I want out."

Rana's eyes widened. "Surely you can't mean-,"

"That's right." She added, feeling spiteful and mean, "I want to get out of here before I lose my mind! This whole life of poverty may work for you, but it's not really working for me. I was raised as a princess. Not a peasant like you were."

The head priestess looked at her once dedicated student and sighed, something akin to pity in her eyes. The teen scoffed and looked away. Yue didn't need pity. She didn't want pity.

"Very well, Yue. There is a way to release you from your vows. " At this, the woman looked up eagerly. "The Fire Nation is holding a Hana Matsuri, the first in 100 years. They are coming to find brides for the two Princes of the Fire Nation. As such, banquet will be held." She paused. "I've been informed that you're allowed to attend."

Yue waited with bated breath. "Yes? And? And? Go on!"

"If," The gray-haired woman told her, "From moon-rise the day they arrive, to moon-set the day they leave, you will submit to the purification rituals, show absolute restraint and modesty, and are mindful of both your temper and behavior…I'll release you from the Temple. You'll be free to get married, have children—,"

Yes, YES! Yue didn't think she could breathe. This is exactly what I needed!

"I'll do it!" Yue said, cutting her off.

"You realize that this means you can't cause trouble. You can't get into an argument, you can't be too loud, and you can't be involved with any man. Any man at all besides your family."

The only man she knew was Sokka. "No problem." She said, as stubborn as the ice on which she lived.

Yue stood to leave. As Yue was leaving, the old priestess said, "They arrive in 2 days, Yue. I expect you to be as enthusiastic during the prayers tonight. The purification will also begin tomorrow morning."

Yue looked at what soon would be her former teacher. She nodded, bowing deeply. She would do anything to leave this place. "Yes ma'am."

Finally.

"Your hair will be white forever, you know." The High Priestess called after her, but Yue didn't hear.

Lu Ten

"Damn the Water Tribe."

Lu Ten muttered this more to himself, than anyone else, but he'd been complaining for the entire hour it had taken for the helmsman to bring them into port. Navigating the jagged edge of the coastline required a skill and precision that took forever. The more he complained, the more his voice rose. And the more his voice rose, the more people turned to stare at him. Holding his chin high, he tried to project sophistication, but it was hard to do when he was shivering so hard his teeth chattered. No one, absolutely no one in the Fire Nation knew how to how to make winter clothing. He and the rest of the family stood on the deck of the Fire Nation's Royal Barge, waiting to disembark to the Water Tribe palace—house, really—because the Water Tribe didn't have palaces.

"Oh, Lu Ten," his Aunt Ursa said to him, though her voice was drowned out some by the crashing waves against the ship. Her back was to him, as she looked out at the ice and snow It seemed to endlessly stretch into the horizon. But she turned and offered him a motherly smile. "It's really not that bad."

Lu Ten looked at the older woman incredulously, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. Her smile grew, but didn't turn her gaze from the beautiful, albeit freezing landscape. "Then you and I must have a very different definition of a bad situation, Aunt. It's so cold my bones have frozen solid."

She just chuckled at him. "Even if we believe ourselves to be in a bad situation, we must always make the best of it." She told him sagely, raising an eyebrow. "A little cold won't harm you, my child. Speaking of which…"

"Yes, Aunt?"

"I apologize for your parents' absence, Nephew. Truthfully, your mother should be the one to evaluate these girls, not I." She reached forward and touched his cheek. He smiled at her concern.

"Don't worry, Aunt. My mother obviously trusts your judgement." At this she smiled. He liked it when she smiled. Ursa seemed sad, so, so sad. "Besides, I'm not the only one who needs to find a bride." At this he gestured towards Zuko, who stood apart from the rest, staring out across the ocean towards Kyoshi Island, visible from the Water Tribe's capital city on their Northern Shores. He took her hand and started to lead her over, but she stayed firm.

"My son isn't thrilled with me right now." She murmured, staring at Zuko as he walked back and forth across the deck. "He doesn't see the point in all this, and I fear he thinks I betrayed him."

"Zuko would never think that—," He started off.

"Father I want to go home," Azula complained, her voice washing over them both cutting off his sentence. They turned to see Azula, dressed in a dark red parka, looking at her father all doe-eyed and innocent, and Lu Ten fought the urge to roll his eyes.

He hadn't seen Azula since what happened a few nights ago. They'd all taken their meals in their rooms, never really interacting with one another. When she'd arrived on deck that afternoon, the sudden cold had shocked them both badly so there had been no talking between them. Maybe that was for the best. If they had spoken, he didn't know what might come out of his mouth.

He thought she was arrogant for her position, of course, but he didn't hate her. Quite the opposite. Although he and Azula had never been overly close, unlike he and Zuko, when the young girl had a problem, she could always come to him to talk about it. It's why he taught her how to form lighting. He'd wanted her to overcome the difficulties of her mother's concubine status, but he'd never imagined she'd get so haughty about it all.

Lu Ten and Ursa walked over to join the rest of the family, well, the family plus Tiang.

Azula was still complaining. "They'll probably all smell like rotting fish or something, do I have to stay in their palace? Can't I stay on the ship Father?"

Lu Ten groaned as Ozai then proceeded to educate his daughter on the finer points of international diplomacy. "Of course not, Azula. These are our hosts; you can't offend them." For a moment Lu Ten thought that his Uncle was going to show the Water Tribe some proper respect. But of course, he had to open his mouth again.

"We must be polite, no matter how badly they smell."

Lu Ten wondered if he could stay on the ship.

"I heard they don't actually have a palace." Azula said haughtily, sniffing at the air in a perfect imitation of her mother. "What kind of royal family are they if they don't have a palace? Not worth our time, clearly."

"Still polite as always, Uncle Ozai." Lu Ten said sardonically. "And look, you've passed such wonderful talents onto your beloved daughter."

Azula looked away from him then, glaring sharply at the snow that had fallen onto their ship. Ursa stepped forward in front of the young princess, forcing the girl to meet the older woman's gaze. When she did look up, it was with eyes full of malice and derision, as though speaking to Ozai's legitimate wife was the most repulsive thing in the world.

"The Chieftains of the Water Tribe are the guardians of their people, and that reason alone makes them worthy of our respect." Ursa offered wisely, looking on her stepdaughter with kind eyes. Azula looked like she was ready to respond before a bejeweled hand gripped Azula's arm, pulling her roughly to one side.

Lady Tiang glared at her decade-long rival with malevolent eyes, their gold so dark it reached almost black. Her blood red lips curled in a sneer, pulling back over pearl white teeth. "Don't speak to my daughter." She spat, glaring at the older woman.

Ursa's eyes widened, alarmed. "Tiang, I—,"

The concubine's dress was long, and it covered her most sensual parts, but as far as Lu Ten was concerned, there was no difference as practically everyone in the Fire Nation has seen what lay beneath her robes far too often. Lu Ten looked the two women over. Shaking his head, he stepped forward to his Aunt's defense. Tiang was nothing like his Aunt Ursa. Ursa was dressed more practically for the weather. Her robes were thick, and her hair was brought down in front of her face to shield her ears from the cold wind. Even still, she wrapped a blanket around herself with the symbol of the Fie Nation on it.

"Ozai, if you could tell your plaything not to talk to my Aunt in such a way, I'd really appreciate it." He eyed the Fire Prince closely, who'd remained silent up until now.

"Ozai darling, you can't let him talk to me that way." Tiang said, pressing closer to Ozai, practically rubbing herself all over him with her sickly-sweet voice. If Lu Ten had a concubine like that he'd probably strangle her. "The boy can't treat me like this."

"I can do whatever I want." Lu Ten scoffed and turned his back on the offending couple. He walked next to Zuko. "After all, I'm the Crown Prince."

"Yes, we all know that Lu Ten." Ursa told him as she moved closer, "But it would be prudent for you to act your age, instead of your station." She looked over at Ozai and Tiang, who was now pretending to cry, leaving Ozai to console her. Azula glumly stood off to the sidelines. Ursa whispered, "It would be better if you didn't insult those who might wish you harm."

He glared at his Uncle and his toy, who were now attempting to suck each other's faces off. He wanted to say something, but if that's what it took to calm Tiang down, then so be it. He turned back to the relatives he liked. "I understand" He said, looking at them both. "But I'm fine. Trust me."

A Fire Nation soldier interrupted them. "Your Highness', an envoy from the Water Tribe is here to receive you." A whirring noise caught everyone's attention. The gangplank began to lower, the machinery creaking painfully in protest, before finally hitting the ground with a thud muffled by the snowy ground below.

"It's about time they came to get us." Azula said loudly, struggling to make herself heard over the wind.

"Forgive me Princess Azula." the soldier said, bowing to her, "But the Water Tribe has requested that you do not use palanquins. They say that it is summer now, and the ice doesn't need much pressure to crack. It is because of this that they also request that you leave your staff on board the ship. For there is not enough room to house them all."

"We have to walk?" Tiang screeched. "My hair is going to get snow in it! If you think some little Water Tribe peasant is going to order me around, they'll have to face the wrath of Prince Ozai! I don't take orders from just anyone, I—, "

"Be quiet!" Princess Ursa snapped at the concubine. "Your complaining will help no one, least of all yourself." She said, and headed down the walkway, nodding to the soldier as she passed.

The others followed suit, and one by one they left the vessel, but Lu Ten hung back. Zuko gave him a quizzical look. Lu Ten waved him off, wanting to explain later. Azula just glared at him as she walked by, but Lu Ten wasn't threatened by the anger of a little girl. When it came time for Tiang and Ozai to leave, Lu Ten held up a gloved hand, letting Ozai pass him, but stopping the woman in her tracks.

"Ah-ah-ah." He said musically, looking directly at Tiang, the smug grin making its way across Lu Ten's face as he relished in how much he was going to enjoy this. Her surprised face almost made him laugh aloud. "Not you."

Tiang's face went from flabbergasted to indignant in seconds as her hands perched on her hips and she tried to stare him down. "What? Why?"

Lu Ten shrugged, relishing in the woman's vexation. "Because I said so."

"What are you talking about?" Tiang hissed, looking between he and Ozai. "I have to go; my daughter is down there."

"Your daughter," He began, "Is not the one we have to impress. We must foster good relations with the Water Tribe, and they despise concubines. Which you're, in case you haven't noticed."

She stuck bony finger in his direction. "I'm a member of this family too, you arrogant little—,"

"I see no dragon ring, Tiang." Lu Ten disdainfully looked Tiang up and down, stopping his gaze on her bare hand. "Aunt Ursa has one, my mother has one, as did my grandmother and great-grandmother. When she eventually marries, Azula will also receive one. But you aren't married to my uncle; you only hang around him like a loincloth."

Oh, if only he could preserve the image of Tiang's insulted face for all time. Her eyes bulged out, her lips pursed like she'd sucked on a lemon, and her fists shook in barely contained anger. He'd never seen her so enraged.

Tiang expectantly turned to Ozai, still standing on the edge of the gangplank. He hadn't gone down yet, watching the exchange between them. "My love?" She asked him for assistance.

"I'm sorry, my darling." Ozai bowed his head slightly, impassive eyes meeting Lu Ten's own. "Here, our Crown Prince's authority is surpassed by none."

Tiang sneered. "You don't deserve the title." Her red lips spat at his feet before storming off.

Even as Lu Ten shivered, he couldn't help but feel ungraciously smug about sending Tiang back. Hearing the older woman's enraged shriek as she sulked away would definitely be the highlight of his afternoon.

Last to descend, Lu Ten followed his Uncle down the walkway to join the rest of his family. Ozai joined his wife, but Zuko and Azula remained spread apart from the rest and from each other. Zuko was closest to the envoy from the Water Tribe, so he didn't see who they'd sent.

Hearing him approach Zuko turned. "Where's—,"

"I took care of it." Was all that he said before turning to greet the envoy.

Shit.

The person in front of him couldn't be real. She couldn't be. Head to toe, she was dressed in white fabric, and a pure white cloak swirled around her in the wind. When Zuko moved out of the way fully, she greeted him with a warm smile, a hint of red on her cheeks. A large white veil covered hair so white that it practically gleamed silver. The rest left uncovered was bound into two thick braids down her front.

The girl stepped forward and bowed slightly. "My name is Yue." Her arms opened wide to the landscape behind her before turning back to him. "It is a pleasure to have you in the Southern Water Tribe."

Maybe the Water Tribe wasn't so bad after all.

Hope you all enjoyed the revised version! 1/12/18