Chapter 65: A Half-Truth

"The man sitting in Khasiq's cell is…well, still there but in custody," Katara explained. "All the other Nationalists that survived the attack are imprisoned." Turning to Yue, "The bloodbenders that you've taken down can no longer bend," and then turning to her brother, beside whom she was currently sitting, "And the bloodbenders you took out are not alive."

Sokka said nothing, not an ounce of regret on his face. Arnook and Ahnah, while relieved, still held disturbed looks, seeming as if they were on the verge of saying something but refraining. Sokka had to wonder if it was the situation at hand that troubled them or something else.

"I didn't think it was possible to take someone's bending away in other ways…aside from killing them, I guess…" Aang looked at Sokka, "Though I see you were originally going for injury to the forehead and…got carried away…"

"Your method is spiritual, Aang. Energybending is a highly spiritual discipline," Yue said. "I think our approach is more based on anatomy. Benders have a highly sensitive spot in the gland behind their forehead. Block their chi there even once or injure them the right way, and you can block their bending for good or seriously impair their ability."

"I didn't know about the gland, necessarily, but I was going for the injury part," Sokka said. "I once met a guy who could firebend with his literal mind. He'd aim from that exact spot and just blew shit up. I ended up hitting that spot on his forehead with my boomerang. And then he blew himself up. I mean, granted these guys weren't bending with their minds, but that's a pretty important spot for a lot of benders. All benders, apparently."

Aang blinked for a moment before nodding slowly, processing the information.

"How were you able to manage…? There were quite a lot of bloodbenders," Katara asked.

"I'm a bloodbender myself. Well, I think it's more accurate to say I'm a bloodhealer. I don't reach inside someone on purpose and control them around or anything…" The princess, after her unflinching answer, turned to her parents for a reaction, given the fact that they weren't aware of this. To her surprise, they weren't shocked.

"Osha told us," Ahnah simply said.

Yue swallowed and nodded, looking back at the floor. "So yeah, I…I simply resisted their efforts. And I… I kind of…I didn't bloodbend Sokka, per se, but I did have to keep his blood flow going consistently so I can have him resist the effects—"

"She saved my ass. That's all there is to it," he said.

"Then how did you still…?" Katara hesitated to ask, having noticed the obvious guilt on Yue's face. Even so, she couldn't help her curiosity.

"There was a point when a bloodbender partially blocked my chi, and I lost a bit of control—"

"But I'm fine," Sokka told his sister, "Now enough questions, okay?"

"I'm grateful that she saved you, I'm not questioning anything," Katara frowned.

"Alright, alright, let's settle down," Aang diffused the situation. "It was unexpected, and several people would've been injured. We're all glad that no one's seriously hurt."

"How did you even get the information?" Ahnah asked her daughter.

"I didn't…"

"Then what were you doing so late?"

Yue hesitated to answer, but Sokka took the reins from there with, "We were both going to the Moon Temple. We had quite a bit to do 'cause of the Tui and La Festival and stuff. And then Niqquq came running towards us and spilled the beans. Yue didn't want me involved and told me to go back, but I couldn't help myself."

Frowning at her daughter and son-in-law, "How could you go all by yourselves? You could've told any one of us, and we would've sent backup!"

"We're sorry, anaana, but we had to do something."

"Thankfully, Khasiq is now dead and is no longer a threat. We don't have to worry about him ever again."

"But I still can't believe you didn't say a word to me or your mother about this," Arnook glared. "This was a highly dangerous mission, paniga. Were you even thinking about what would've happened to you?"

"I have the ability to counter their effects. I wasn't affected—"

"That's no excuse! You could've still been hurt!"

"What do you think we should've done, then?" she frowned, "Should we have waited for them to attack and kill civilians and then sent in our warriors, none of whom are bloodbenders? Did you want me to sit around and do nothing as they come for you and anaana?"

Arnook and Ahnah softened their glares.

"Khasiq knew about anaana," Yue explained, "And he knew both of you are here. He wasn't going to pass up the chance to hurt you."

Despite the alarm on his face, Arnook still sputtered, "Says the bloodbenders' number one target! You're the soon-to-be chieftess! And you went in and put your head inside the saber-lion's mouth! You would've been torn apart if you hadn't been careful. You should've just taken backup instead of trying to be a hero!"

"The warriors that you were looking to send as backup would've been the ones torn apart. Those soldiers have their own families waiting for them to come home unharmed. I can't willingly put their lives on the line knowing they wouldn't have been able to do anything to prevent themselves from being bloodbent." Gesturing to her husband, "I'm already pissed that this guy jumped in the middle of it all."

"You're mad at him? He was looking out for you!" Arnook frowned, "He was being a good husband!"

"So it doesn't matter to you if he gets hurt?" Yue questioned her father. "It's okay if he gets mangled? How selfish can you be?"

Everyone, including the isumataq, gawked at her.

"And you," Yue stormed up, glaring at a wide-eyed Sokka, "If you do another stunt like that, I'm annulling your ass, shipping you to the South in your sleep, and closing the borders so you'll never set foot here again!"

Blinking, "Yes, ma'a—"

"Now get over here," she grabbed his hand and tugged him along, "You need a healing session."

Everyone watched the prince follow his wife with hearts for eyes and a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Katara folded her arms, eyebrows raised, "How romantic."

"NO MERCY!"

Sokka, pinned beneath the vicious grip of a cackling Hama, howled from excruciating pain, his limbs contorting to impossible proportions. Yue screamed in horror, racing towards him but finding that her own limbs were held firmly in place. She struggled to pick her feet up, tripping in her haste, vines reaching out from beneath the ice and pinning her wrists down.

"SOKKA!"

"NO MERCY, KUUNNGUAQ!" Hama yelled, twisting her fingers and, along with them, Sokka's arms and legs. Blood leaked from his ears and nose, pooling beneath his neck, traveling down his convulsing body.

"LET HIM GO! HAMA, LET HIM GO!"

The isumataq held his life-breath in his eyes as he looked in her direction, uttering a silent, desperate plea for help. And she could do nothing, absolutely nothing, her abilities mysteriously stripped away. All she could do was bang her head against the ice and sob, yell, and roar, chant his name like she was possessed.

"SOKKA! SOKKA!"

"Yue, wake up!"

She jerked awake, finding herself in a chair beside his bed. He was sitting up, his hands settled on her shoulders, his face burdened by alarm and exhaustion rather than the pain or chaos that she'd seen in her dream. She sighed in relief, pulling him into a fierce hug.

"It's just a dream," he said softly, rubbing her back, "I'm right here."

"You're not in pain, are you?"

"No, no. I'm perfectly fine, see? I can walk around and stretch if you want."

She rested her head against his shoulder, tracing her hand down his arm. "Let's just stay like this for a minute."

It seemed to be the longest night they've had yet. The chaos that had unfolded was temporarily swept under the rug, and once daylight fully hits, the walls will certainly begin to talk. Until then, they had these moments to soak in all that had happened, to recuperate fully from the dangers they'd narrowly escaped. They had long passed the stage of thanking one another for saving each other's lives; it had become an instinct, requiring only a gaze of acknowledgment, some gesture of appreciation.

"Was it Hama again?" he whispered, tentative.

She swallowed, nodding as she pulled back, a staggered breath leaving her. "You were her victim this time…and I couldn't do anything…"

"You're still jumpy from earlier. You saved me from getting fatally hurt an hour ago."

"But you were still hurt…"

"But I'm safe…I'm here, and I'm talking to you…"

Her palm hovered over his pulse before her reassured fingers ventured to his hair, brushing it out of his face. He blinked idly at her neck for a second or two before he smoothed his fingers behind her neck and the back of her ear, fingers grazing softly at the skin before pulling back, covered in black ink.

"It'll wash off," she said, her hand once again flying to his pulse. He answered her unspoken worry with a squeeze of her hand, a soft kiss to her knuckles: I'm okay.

Yue's hand traveled from his hair down to his shoulder, thumbing at what appeared to be the remnant of his torn tunic sleeve. She was abashed at how hastily she assaulted his poor tunic— even if it was for healing purposes. She peeled the rag off of his bicep with a degree of embarrassment.

"That was one of my better tunics," he feigned a pout.

Biting her lip, "I shouldn't have thrown myself at you like that."

"You're lucky I'm in love with you," he said, a spark to his eyes, "Otherwise, it would've lacked consent from my end." Nudging her arm, "Doesn't look very good on Kuunnguaq's record, does it?"

"Are you seriously joking around right now?"

"What? Those bloodbenders only went for my gorgeous body, not my brilliant brain—"

"It's not funny," she glared. "You could've been seriously hurt because of me…"

His lightheartedness fell, "But I wasn't."

With a huff, "Sleep."

He shook his head. "Who knows what stunts are running through your mind now."

"There are no stunts," she croaked, "Now sleep."

But he didn't, seeming to ask a hundred questions at once without saying a word.

"It was a lapse in judgment. It won't happen again."

Gently he pulled her towards him, and she sat beside him on the bed, her fingers thumbing against his stumble. She kissed the top of his head but didn't stop there, venturing down to his forehead, traversing his cheeks, longing fueling the subtle hunger of her lips. She stopped just short of his lips, merely a centimeter's worth of a gap, baby blue eyes peering into his.

"I never wanted to see you like that. What if something had happened to you…?!"

"Nothing's gonna happen to me," he told her, soft yet firm, "You didn't let anything happen to me—"

"But you could've been seriously hurt because of me," the princess whispered, casting him a questioning glare, "Why did you come?"

His hand smoothed her hair, "Why did you go?"

Her mouth grew dry.

"I felt the same way when you weren't here," he said. "When I read that note. Being bloodbent is nothing compared to that agony. Those forty-five minutes or so, it was absolute hell." There was a quiver in his voice as it dropped to an incredulous whisper, "A suicide note? I knew you wouldn't do something like that, but I still felt like my life was sucked out of me when I read that. Were you really just going to leave?"

Drying her eyes, "I can't live a life of lies…"

"Is that the real reason?"

"What else would it be?"

"Then what about this?" He reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out the scroll sent by Pakku. "Are you sure your actions had nothing to do with this?"

She stiffened, reaching for the scroll, "Where did you get that—?"

He held it out of her reach. "How is this piece of yakshit's approval worth anything, dronningi? Because he threatened to reveal the truth? Did you really think I'd let that happen? Did you think I'd stand there and do nothing as he threatens your career?"

"It's not like that," her eyes softened.

"That monster is full of empty threats," he crumpled the scroll, "Half the time, he does that to get what he wants. And even if he dares to raise his voice against you, I'll have him rot in prison. Hell, I'm already gonna hunt him down and shove him in a cell right now for wanton defamation of a leader—!"

"It's not the threat," she stopped him. "It wasn't the threat that made me go…"

"Then what was it?"

"It was my personal choice. I chose to leave on my own. I wasn't compelled, I wasn't scared into doing it, and I wasn't influenced. I just couldn't live a life of lies, I told you…"

"You left so I wouldn't be disowned. You freaked out when you found out I haven't been writing to my folks. I know you, Yue."

She couldn't deny it even if she wanted to; the fire in his eyes demanded the truth and wove in every bit of logic together.

"Call it selfishness," she worded instead. "I don't want to be the reason a grandson would contemplate throwing his grandfather in prison."

"He's not a grandfather, he's a bloodthirsty piranha-bat who's never satisfied with the people around him. I mean, what were you even hoping to get out of this? Leaving everything and everyone you ever cared about for me? For that piranha-bat?"

"Sokka—"

"How could you make this decision so easily? Even compassion has a limit—"

"You call that compassion?" she frowned, "You think I'll do this for any Kutiq-Mutiq down the street?"

"Well on that note, I'll have you know I wouldn't go running to a group of bloodbenders for any Kirah-Mirah down the street," folding his arms, "But what I don't get is that you love the North with your heart and soul… And you always put bigots in their places. Why listen to this one? 'Cause he and I share the same blood? Do you know what would've been the situation right now if you left? Do you know the chaos that would've erupted if anyone else had read that note? There was no going back from that!" And when she couldn't answer, he asked in a vulnerable tone, "You said the North was like your child. Why would you leave it behind for some gluttonous idiot like me—?"

"Don't talk about yourself like that," she stopped him, firm and hurt, a hand at his chest to soothe his raging pulse, "I did what I did because I respect you. I honor your loyalty—"

"Telling me about this scroll before taking decisions on a whim is also a way of honoring my loyalty, dronningi."

Ignoring the statement, "I wasn't really going to leave the North, besides. The plan was just for me to leave the throne—"

"You say it like it means nothing!"

Sighing patiently, "I wanted to get a mission out of the way, too. The attack wasn't supposed to be today."

Raising his eyebrows, "And how do you know that…?"

"Because I'd been keeping in touch with Investigator Niqquq," she admitted. "He told me about a week ago that he noticed suspicious activity from people he suspected to be bloodbenders. He decided to go undercover. I didn't hear from him again until yesterday; his agent sent a message about the bloodbenders' initial plan to enter the capital through Nansei during the full moon. They were working in unison with the Nationalist group and were promised a bit of land in return."

Frowning in alarm, "So that's what you were up to yesterday? You knew about all of this and didn't care to tell me about it? I thought at least Niqquq would tell me about it."

"I told him not to say anything to you. I didn't want you involved at all. I never wanted to see you bloodbent. This was exactly the situation I was trying to avoid at all costs…" Her hand absentmindedly traced his bicep, "I wanted to wait it out at Nansei and stop them before they could reach Agna Qel'a and endanger anyone else..."

"So to recap, the plan was actually to take a huge risk by yourself so no one else but you would get hurt—"

"That's not how I saw it—"

"And then you'd leave to some nearby village and convince everyone else that you're…!" he trailed off, casting his glare at the ground.

"I didn't want people looking for me. That was the main thing," she admitted. "They'd look for me if they knew I was out there somewhere. The only way I could continue living somewhere in the North peacefully without causing suspicion was convincing people I no longer—" he cut her off, a gentle hand to her mouth, a shake of his head. Don't finish it.

"You weren't even thinking about what would happen to us, then, were you?"

Swallowing, "You might've all been upset, but you would've gotten over me eventually—"

"Oh would we?" he exclaimed, his tone laced with a mixture of anger and heartbreak.

"At least, that was what I told myself…" Turning away, "It was the most difficult decision I ever made. Walking away from you…From the palace, from everyone else… I knew I wouldn't be able to do it again. I didn't want to look back. I knew I wouldn't be able to go if I did. And I actually couldn't. It took me a long time just to get to the woods. I….I was just wandering the North for the longest time…I didn't know how much time passed."

It was most certainly true how lost she had been in those moments; all she could think about were the lulling chill of the tundra, the cozy warmth of his body heat, and the hushed dance of the Northern Lights beneath the starry Agna Qel'a sky, the lilt of the waves lit up by the moon.

"On the way, I ran into an animal that was hurt. I noticed that its wounds were impossible unless a bloodbender caused them. It made me suspicious. That's when I saw Khasiq with a bloodbender. By their discussion, I realized they were planning to attack today instead of waiting for the full moon. So I headed straight for the Moon Temple."

Shaking his head, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but if it wasn't for a bloodbender attack, you probably wouldn't have stopped." Looking at her, "I never expected this to be a one-man versus the North kind of dilemma."

"Isn't that the same situation you're going through? One woman versus the South?"

"Well you're obviously more important to me than some throne!"

She held a look that echoed his answer, making waves of love flood his heart. He sighed heavily, his head hung low, "I never wanted to be the reason you gave everything and everyone up, dronningi. I never wanted you to lose the people you love or give up on your goals…All I wanted was to be with you all the way. All this time, my care and attention went into making sure I never caused any kind of inconvenience…"

"Well I never wanted to be the reason behind you losing everything and everyone you love. We're both in the same canoe." She crossed her arms, "You're the reason why ataata was able to pull himself back up. You've basically given my family back to me. You've worked so hard to help me get through all the daunting tasks I had planned. I didn't want to return that favor by snatching you away from your family and rightful throne."

"The whole point of it all is so that we can be a family…"

She ignored the flutter in her chest, "Even if I don't rule the North as a chieftess, I can still be a leader."

"And even if I don't rule the South as a chief, I can still be a leader."

"And even if I can never be a leader, I'll serve the North in other ways…"

"And even if I can never be a leader, I'll serve the South in other ways…"

"But you're irreplaceable," came their simultaneous comment, bringing with it a moment of pause, contemplation, an unspoken tension on the verge of bursting.

"Every bone in my body has the strength to resist Pakku and cut him out of my life. Because I'm not about to have him wreck what we have, and I know the kinds of shit he pulls. This is my personal decision," Sokka said, resolute. "And whether you accept me or not, that's what's going to happen because he crossed lines that he shouldn't have at this point. This isn't an issue about me being disowned. This about me disowning him. And I've already done it."

And all she could answer him with was pure alarm on her face.

"Whatever you decide to do, dronningi, I'm gonna be with you, I promise you. When you take the throne, I want to be the first person you turn to for anything. Or if you really wanna shout your identity out to the world, then I'll be with you all the way then, too. I'll scream to the world that I'm your ikkingut, to hell with what society has to say about it. Or if you have another runaway mission planned, I'm coming with you. But whatever happens, it'll happen to the both of us. If you think I'm one of those people who cries and moves on…that's not me." Swallowing the lump in his throat, "Just promise me you won't leave like that again."

"How can I leave? Now that I know you need supervision," she huffed. "I was missing for maybe an hour and you literally jumped the leader of the bloodbenders and exposed yourself. I only wrote a suicide note; you were on a whole-ass suicide mission." Shaking her head, "I'm not making the mistake of leaving you again."

His palm rested against her cheek, relief flooding him, "I guess I should've thrown myself at bloodbenders earlier—ow!" He rubbed his forehead as the princess flicked him, glaring.

"I mean it. If you do something like that again, I'm throwing you on a ship back to the South."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Here comes Kohana and crew with his zoo," Isuq smiled in the midst of his chiseling as the young prince, followed by a few of his friends who were also learning waterbending, ran his way up to Isuq's igloo, accompanied by his bison, lemur, and army of huskies. "Looks like they're out early today."

Isuq's five young children huddled around the approaching students, drenched from head to toe by husky saliva and the tackles of laughing students in a matter of seconds.

"Alright, calm down, everyone," Isuq's wife chuckled at the sight, greeting the panting boys with a cup of warm yak milk for each.

"Auntie Mihrah, Auntie Mihrah!" Kohana jumped up and down, "You wanna know what happened today?!"

"Drink your milk first, and then we'll talk."

The boy obeyed, wolfing down the milk, nearly choking in his haste.

"Slowly, slowly, there's no rush!" The woman rubbed his back, led him to a group of pelts, and sat him down, affectionately ruffling his hair. "You all seemed to have finished class early today."

"Master Pakku said we don't have practice today," a student said, wiping the milk off of his mouth.

"And why is that—?"

"'Cause Sokka got married!" Kohana blurted out.

"Yeah, Uncle Sokka's married now," another student nodded to confirm. "Kohana told us everything!"

Isuq and Mihrah gawked at the children, then at each other and then at Kohana. "Uh…what was that buddy?" Isuq asked.

"Yeah, Sokka married Princess Tui at the North Pole! I heard Gramp-Gramp and everybody talking about it!"

"He married the princess?" Isuq stood up from his seat, "Are you sure?"

"He's just a child," Mihrah said, "He doesn't even know what marriage is—"

"I know what it is!" Kohana nearly looked offended, "A guy and a girl have matching drawings on their hands, and after a year they have a baby."

"Are you sure you heard your grandfather right?"

"Yeah! He was yelling at Mommy and Daddy yesterday. He got really mad that Sokka married Princess Tui without telling us."

By then, Mihrah, too, dropped her amused grin, surprised, "Really?"

"Did he just say Sokka married the princess?" came the voice of another tribesman who happened to pass by Isuq's hut.

"Yeah, Uncle Masahn," one of the students confirmed, "Sokka married the princess of the north pole!"

It was a secret! Chimed another tribesboy.

"Sokka married the princess?" asked another tribesman from afar.

"Wait, Sokka what now?" joined in another.

"Sokka's married!"

"Sokka married our princess?!"

"Spirits, it's about time!"

"Sokka's finally married!"

"I knew they were seeing each other, I knew it!"

A knock on the door brought Sokka out of his sleep. He stirred, tightening his hand around the sleeping dronningi, but his intentions of ignoring the knocks fell short when he thought he heard Arnook's voice calling out to him from the other end. The isumataq groaned, untwining his arm from around her waist, kissing the top of her head as he slipped out of bed.

"Ningauk?" came Arnook's voice, tight and laced with anxiety.

"Silak, I'm coming," he rubbed his eyes, grabbing a tunic. Moments later, he and his father-in-law found themselves in the chamber right outside of Sokka's room. Arnook appeared to be on edge, echoing the anxiety he bore on his face before.

"Is everything okay?" Sokka asked. "You should be happy. Khasiq's gone for good. Everything's set for Yue's coronation."

Arnook gulped, simply issuing a mere nod, "Yes…I'm glad the threat of Khasiq is over." Looking up at him, "You have saved us all, ningauk. My daughter is too merciful; she would've never taken his life."

Sokka took a deep breath, twiddling with his fingers, "Chief…I officially told Yue that I'm in love with her. I told her that I had been for a while."

The man looked up, his interest piqued, "What did she say?"

"She wanted some time to figure things out, but whether she ultimately accepts me or not, my place is with her. If I can't be her husband, I'll be her friend."

"I don't think you have to worry too much about it," Arnook said, his tone still lacking its usual confidence and weight. "I know she cares deeply for you. It is only a matter of time."

"You think so?"

"Yes…"

Sokka, taking note of how Arnook still appeared stiff and stoic, asked again, "Is everything alright, silak? You seem worried."

A wave of fear and heartbreak settled into the chieftain's gaze as he eyed Sokka, "Yue knows the truth, doesn't she? That she's the Akna?"

Sokka stiffened, trying to mask his shock with, "W-What? What gave you that impression…?"

"I know she read Pakku's message."

Sokka's heart dropped into his stomach, "H-How do you know about the scroll?"

Arnook tried not to appear too distraught, "I knew Pakku sent her a message. Zhi personally delivered her correspondences to her the other day. He panicked when he saw that Pakku's message was in it, but there was nothing he could do because Yue had already taken the scrolls from him. He voiced his concerns to me, and…and I knew it then that we were doomed…" Clearing his throat, trying to compose himself, "Yue was gone for so long yesterday. I couldn't help myself and checked her room. And I saw it…"

"Silak—"

"My blood was boiling all night," Arnook hissed, barely able to keep his voice at a whisper. "I can't imagine how much pain she's in after knowing the truth. After reading that Spirit-damn note…" Rubbing his aching head, "Up until today, I strongly believed that there is no one crueler than the people who gave birth to her. But your family broke that record, Sokka."

And the isumataq responded with a look that bore infinite shame and anguish.

"Spirits, is your grandfather even human?! How did he have the heart to say everything he did…?!" Storming out of his seat, his fists clenching, "The nerve he has to tell someone as capable as she is to remove herself from the throne?! She's my daughter! And I decided that she is my heir! My infinite pride! The fucking nerve he has…!"

"I'm sorry," the Southern prince croaked, "I know he was being a dick. If I'd known, I would've done anything to—"

"It's not your fault. I'm not blaming you for any of this. You didn't know…"

"Actually…" Swallowing, "He might've been responding to a letter I sent a while back." And when Arnook raised his eyebrows in inquiry, he continued, "When you and ukuagek were still in Ba Sing Se, he first sent me a letter saying he'll cut me out of the bloodline and end my candidacy for chiefdom if I don't marry a woman— sorry, girl— that he arranged for me. I wrote him a letter back saying I married Yue."

"You told him…?"

"I'm sorry, but I was angry and stressed and confused… and by then, Yue figured out that I hadn't been writing to my folks at all and she panicked and…She wanted to send me back and end things and I…I didn't want her to end things between us. So I told him to shove his threats down his ass. I told him I'm happily married and that I'm not abandoning Yue no matter happens."

"And you didn't once think he'd target my daughter when he finds out?" Arnook glared.

"I didn't think this through. I was acting on raw emotion then…I'm sorry…"

The chief took a breath to calm himself, "I suppose they would've found out at some point, and they still would've tried to target my daughter." He held his head in his hands, "I haven't had much respect for Pakku, to begin with. Hearing everything he's done, the kind of attitude he supposedly has…and all this time, I'd been praying to the Spirits to inspire me, to give me ideas on how to pacify him, but…but now, I don't ever want to see his face. Your folks' anger would've been understandable if they stopped at showing their displeasure. But they sought to strip her of her pride and honor. And…and frankly, I had expected better from your parents. From your father, at least. I thought they'd have the conscience to not throw her prestige in the streets. I thought they'd refrain from announcing her past to the world. Even after she healed your father and saved your brother, even after she spent millions on their gifts alone, even after she drained what little she had left at that time to save the South."

Shame welled up inside of him.

"Don't get me wrong, son. I'm not saying she should be compensated for what she did. We respect the South, and we'd never ask to be paid back. and Kohana is like my own; no one can ever put a price on the life of an innocent little boy." Closing his eyes, "But I, in the very least, expected respect and appreciation for her. At least, a grain of sand's worth. A snowflake's worth, maybe…Hell, one would at least expect sympathy. Would anyone of minimum empathy and moral consciousness approach someone and taunt them over how they were abandoned? For Spirits' sake! And that horrible man…that man called my daughter many things…"

The fact of the matter is that you are the very destitute creature you feel so sorry for.

Sit your parents down and ask them to swear on the Spirits and tell you the truth behind your impure birth and birthright, and they will tell you just how much your biological parents loved you if they were so eager to abandon you in your vulnerable state and left you to starve.

You will never be a part of our family no matter what you choose to do, no matter if you play him like a puppet, no matter even if you bear my grandson's seed. At most, you can only be his whore, but not his wife.

If you do not disclose this, I myself will reveal it to the world and have you dragged to the streets and set ablaze for your blasphemous existence. Your people will spit in your face as you burn and rot, and Arnook's heart will break and might even fail him.

Sokka trembled in his seat, nearly an embodiment of rage and wrath; yet, he stood up and made his way over to the shaking chieftain, his hand on the man's shoulder. A gesture much appreciated given that the older man seemed like he was about to pass out. Sokka led the man back to his seat, taking a moment to pour him some water.

"For all the callousness they showed," Arnook said upon sipping the water, briefly looking at his son-in-law, "You make up for it with your nurturing affection. The way you treat her, the way you light up her world… it is very apt for the La you are, ningauk. Your genuine love and respect for my daughter is literally the only thing that's keeping me from regretting this marriage. You're a man of excellent character, ningauk. Not at all like that horrible creature." Setting his cup down, terror returning to his burdened look, "And as true as this is…it is also very true that my daughter will suffer in the hands of your family."

"Chief…I no longer accept him as my grandfather," Sokka said resolutely. "And if I ever see him or hear from him, I'm throwing him in prison. I'm not having him be anywhere near us, and I'm sure as hell not going to be anywhere near him. I also no longer accept the chieftain candidacy of the South."

"But that's not going to fix things…" Arnook took another deep breath before asking, "You and Yue still have not consummated yet, have you?"

"Chief, that's not on our minds right now—"

"I'm asking because it's probably for the best that you two haven't." Standing up, wearing a weary look, "I'm not about to put my daughter at a disadvantage."

Frowning, "What are you talking about? What are you saying?"

"I only mean that even if there's a possibility that she would conceive… it's not like your folks will accept your child anyway…"

"Why talk about approval and acceptance when I just told you their approval doesn't matter?" Sokka said, vehement. "I'm relinquishing the Southern throne. In fact, I already conveyed that message when I wrote that letter—"

"Sokka, you relinquishing things is not going to help our case," Arnook insisted, his fears flashing before his eyes again. "If the tribe finds out that she's the Akna, then everyone will be paranoid, and they'll drive her out. Sokka, you've seen everything. Many of the conservatives here don't see her for the work she does. They constantly jab at her inexperience in spite of all of her successes. Those sexist idiots…No matter how many she fires, they keep coming again and again." He held Sokka by the shoulder, an intense look in his eyes, a rage that Sokka had never before seen in the chieftain, "My daughter is a literal goddess. She's TUI. And everyone here should be down on their knees worshipping her. I won't settle for anything less than devotion and loyalty to her."

"I want the same thing you do, silak," Sokka said, "And I'll do everything in my power to make it happen—"

"But you won't be able to do anything if everyone finds out the truth! You may be La, but even you can't reverse centuries' worth of bigotry overnight!" Arnook nearly burst, miraculously maintaining a whisper in his impassioned state. "There is no other option than for you to go home."

Sokka felt his heart stop, "What?"

"Tell them everything that happened," Arnook ordered. "Tell them it's my fault, that my daughter had nothing to do with this. Tell them that I was the one pushing for marriage even when she didn't want it. Put every bit of the blame on me, Sokka, I don't care…Just convince them not to say a word. Please."

"Silak…You can't really be telling me to leave—"

"Yes, I'm telling you to leave!" Arnook said, nearly exasperated, "But not forever, I assure you. Son, I'm not implying any of the things you're afraid of. You are my son-in-law, and nothing is going to change that. But you have to understand. If they open their mouths, I will lose my daughter. Just go shut them up. That's all I'm asking of you."

But Sokka was having trouble processing everything. All he could picture in his shaken state was the endless Southern tundra. None of his friends' faces came to mind; just a vast emptiness in which he was trapped in Pakku's igloo. Bereft of warm, baby blue eyes; deprived of her playful grin; ripped apart from the memory of her touch, the scent of her moonflower-doused hair, the way her fingers tasted of pungent cardamom with every kiss to her hand, the way she softly called him isumataq.

The South had none of those things.

"Her love for the North…you know it more than I do," Arnook choked. "I honestly don't know how she's taking all of this in…but I know she won't be able to handle it if anything gets in between her and the North. This is for her safety." Both of his hands now on Sokka's shoulders as he shook the young prince out of his thoughts, "Yugoda told us to take absolutely good care of her, you know this!"

"I know…That's why I want to be with her. I want to take care of her—"

"I know, son, I know…but if you stay here any longer, she won't get a chance to sit on that throne. Pakku will ruin everything!" His hand holding Sokka's in a gesture of plea, "Ningauk, I have never interfered with your relationship with Yue. Ahnah and I had given you both all the time and privacy in the world these past few months. I have never done anything that would increase the distance between the two of you. But as her father, I am worried to death about her future. Yue is too precious for us to lose. She might not have our blood, but Ahnah and I…"

"I know, Chief. But what you don't seem to understand is that she's too precious for me to lose, too. How do you want me to cope with not seeing her?"

"That sounds ridiculous, don't you think?" Arnook huffed in impatience, "I know you'll miss her, but you're acting like you can't go a few days without seeing her."

And in response, the portrait of Tui and La in koi forms, circling one another in their eternal cosmic dance, stared back at the older man from its place on the wall as if to silently demand, What else did you expect?

"I don't know how to explain it, Chief, I really don't, but I can't just leave," Sokka said. "I can't explain my feelings. I can't rationalize them. I just…I can't imagine staying away—"

"Sokka, even if you stay here, would you ever be able to proudly call yourself the Akna's husband in public?" Arnook questioned in frustration. "Fine, never mind the public. Would you ever be able to call yourself the Akna's husband in front of your folks and be honored for it? No, right? So why risk it? Pakku is a former chieftain. There are no reliability issues there. The people will believe him if he opens his mouth and spews out any kind of garbage. The only option we have is stopping your folks from raising their voices. It must be done. My daughter will be saved. My daughter will be happy. Why can't you understand?!"

"Tell me something, angayok. What if the only way to shut their mouths is for me to stay behind forever? What if they never let me leave? What would you want me to do if and when it gets to that point? Live the rest of my life without seeing her just so they'd shut their blowholes?"

But Arnook didn't seem to want to answer that. "You're La. You can convince them. It won't get to that point."

"But what if it does?" Sokka demanded. "There's no one in my heart other than your daughter. If they try to force me into a marriage, I can always find my way out. I'm a grown-ass warrior, and I can physically find my way out of there. But Pakku will still talk. The only way I can stop him from talking is by slicing his head off so he won't be able to speak permanently. Either that or stabbing him in the vocal cords and chopping his limbs off so he won't write shit down—"

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer, Sokka. No matter what you say, the only ethical option there is is talking it out. You need to go, and you need to stay until they agree to this so Pakku doesn't ruin things with his fucking mouth." Sighing at the isumataq's broken look, "I'm sorry, but I have no choice but to punish you for what your grandfather did."

Sokka merely gave him a helpless look.

"Akluviq thinks Yue should give her first public appearance in the morning. She will address the public for the first time without her face coverings, and she will announce her coronation date herself. It will be a very important moment for her. And after that's over, we can sit her down and talk to her about this. Until then, don't say anything." Patting the prince on the back, "I know this is an option that you don't like. None of us want it to be this way. But you're a righteous man, ningauk. I have no one else to turn to but you. I'm helpless, but I know you'll make things right."

Sokka tried not to give away his distress as he stepped back inside, pushing the thick pelt curtains forward to block out the rays of light that slipped through. He settled beside Yue against the sheets. The princess snuggled closer to him, mumbling against his shoulder in mid-sleep, "Where did you go?"

"Nowhere," he whispered, draping his hand over her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her temple, "Nowhere at all."

In a matter of minutes, nearly forty percent of the village tribefolk had huddled in Isuq and Mihrah's igloo, having lost track of their duties and daily life if it meant they could get a taste of the supposed drama brewing in the royals' home. Hours had slipped by with the young prince retelling the story to all who came, slipping in details that randomly came to him.

"And then Gramp Gramp said something, and Daddy got really mad and grabbed his shirt. Like this," and the little boy demonstrated by clutching Isuq's shirt with both of his small fists.

"What did your Gramp Gramp say to make him so mad?" Isuq frowned in alarm.

"I don't know. Auntie Neeqa and Uncle Bato came. Auntie Neeqa asked me if I was okay. I didn't hear what Gramp Gramp said."

"So Neeqa and Brother Bato were there, too," a tribeswoman mused.

"Yeah, Uncle Bato and Auntie Neeqa yelled at everybody to stop. I had a sleepover at their igloo because everybody was fighting."

"Oh dear," Mirhah sighed. "What about your parents?"

"Mom and Dad didn't have a sleepover. It was just me."

"No, sport," Isuq couldn't help chuckling, "I mean...how are your parents taking this in? They must be surprised."

"Yeah, but Mom and Dad always tell Sokka to get married. Everybody's happy when people get married."

"Well yes, yes, of course! But usually, people get married in front of their parents. Not without telling them.

"If I were you, I wouldn't judge," Masahn piped up. "So what if Sokka went ahead and married the princess? This is the moment everyone's waiting for."

"Yeah, those two have needs, and they're already way past the traditional marrying age," another tribesman said. "They can't wait around for blessings they'll never get. It's only a matter of time before people snap. And Pakku's a party pooper in general."

"Why do you think Sokka married her without telling anyone, though?" another tribesman whispered to his friend beside him.

"You think he got her pregnant?"

"Looks like our Sokka finally proved himself to be a man!"

"Shut up, there are kids here!" scolded a tribeslady near the men.

"This is an adult matter being told by a kid, mind you," reprimanded another woman.

"But kids have no filters whatsoever," the tribesman insisted.

"Even if this is all true, how would he knock her up in a week? The letter said he married her the week after he met her. That's not enough time even to court her."

"But on that note, it has been almost six whole months since he married her. Why did he reveal it now? She has to be pregnant."

"Oh my goodness, we're having a baby prince or princess soon!"

"And Sokka's finally going to be the chief!"

"But it makes no sense," a Northerner frowned. "The princess said in a press conference a few months ago said she has no thoughts on marriage. Of course, Prince Sokka's feelings are obvious, it seems, but the princess never announced a marriage with him. She publicly refers to him as her ikkingut."

"Ikkingut doesn't just mean friend. It can mean companion, too," explained Isuq. "Who knows in what context she said it."

"And maybe she didn't want to reveal it for personal reasons," Ping suggested. "Maybe it's also for security reasons. She did send her father away to some distant place because it was dangerous. Maybe she's trying to protect the prince in her own way."

"But he's her bodyguard. Everyone knows this. If someone was looking to target her, they'd likely target him, too. He won't be in any more danger than he already would be, would he?"

"Well clearly the title of 'husband' has greater weight than 'bodyguard.'"

"But they're really close either way. Attached at the hip. The princess isn't totally detached herself; haven't you heard the crewmen's massage stories? And just think about it. No one can just become a chief or chieftess without a spouse. Even if they can be leaders without an actual baby in their arms."

Another tribesman shook his head, "I don't know what Pakku has against the princess. She saved our butts—"

"What in the name of the Spirits is going on here?"

Everyone turned to see Bato standing by the entrance, shocked by the number of people present as he stepped in and swooped Kohana into his arms, "Kohana, what are you doing here?"

"Bato, is Sokka married?" Isuq pried.

"Is that boy telling the truth?" Ping asked.

And one by one, everyone else jumped in and fired their questions away, causing alarm to take over Hakoda's friend.

"No one ask me anything!" he eventually said, carrying the boy back to his own igloo, knowing fully well that the boy was not to be kept anywhere near Pakku tonight.

"Oh, Ko-bear, what have you done?"

The palace was deathly quiet as Sokka stirred, fighting off the effects of the drowsy muscle relaxant that coursed through his body. It then occurred to him that he must have slept for a long time, for the time candles signified that it was late in the afternoon. He quickly sat up, finding that the space was empty beside him.

"Akluviq thinks Yue should give her first public appearance in the morning."

"Fuck fuck fuck!" he toppled out of bed, rubbing his eyes like crazy, "Why didn't no one wake me up?!"

After several moments of him throwing on a newer-looking tunic and dousing his face with cold water, he rushed out of his chambers and headed to the meeting chamber, finding it strange to see that Akluviq was the only one sitting there. The man looked as if he'd been through a lot in just a short time.

"No one woke me up!" Sokka panted, capturing the man's attention, "Did Her Highness give her public appearance?!"

Akluviq shook his head, stating in a calm voice, "Don't worry, Prince Sokka. I know the chief talked to you about leaving for the South last night, but turns out, you don't have to go anywhere."

Sokka felt relieved but was nevertheless curious, "What made him change his mind?"

"Oh nothing," Akluviq closed his eyes and leaned back against the pelts in his icy chair, "The princess decided to break the ice today, that's all." Gulping, "She told the chief and chieftess that she knew about her past…"

Sokka gawked at the man as Akluviq opened his eyes and glanced at him, stressed to the core, "And not only that. She's demanding that I announce to the public that she's adopted."

A/N: Yes, they will be together in the next chapter. :D