A/N: I wasn't sure about this chapter at first (I keep wanting it to be longer/more detailed and it refuses to do so), but I think it turned out okay.

When Eska woke up, everyone else had already left for breakfast. Good. Now they would all be there to see her grand entrance.

As she took her place at the table, she pointedly ignored the Avatar…which was easy, since she was busy talking with Father. She was also, Eska saw, now without her airbending instructor and his family. Desna was staring at his half-finished plate and didn't even look up when Eska sat next to him. Odd.

Breakfast was somewhat more palatable than dinner had been. They had eggs, at least, which were extremely difficult to ruin.

As soon as it was polite to get up, Eska went off in search of Bolin. She found him just in time, as he was turning to leave the hall.

"Hello, boyfriend," she said loudly to his back, using his preferred term. He must have jumped about a mile.

"Oh! Um…I didn't know you were there!"

"I have been in this room for twenty-seven minutes. That is ample time to notice my presence."

"Yeah…well, I'm not too observant sometimes."

"Obviously," Eska remarked. Then she said, "I have come to reaffirm our commitment. We will spend the day together."

"Okay! Sure!"

Would Father object? Eska looked at him. He was still involved in his conversation. Desna had already left.

Eska led her boyfriend outside and, after some time walking around, found an isolated cliff out near the tents for them to sit on, where no one would bother them. Yes, it would be pleasant to stay here for the time being. The sky was clear and the temperature was relatively moderate. Plus, there was a good view of the town below.

After a few minutes, when they had both caught their breath after the steep hike up, Bolin said, "Uh…were we going to do something?"

"We are doing something."

"Oh."

He was quiet for a while longer, then asked, "So what are your hobbies?"

"Reading. Bending practice. Meditating. Hating the moon."

"That's ni…wait, what's wrong with the moon?"

"What isn't wrong with it?" Eska didn't feel that he needed to know the details at the moment.

"I just thought…you know, because you're a waterbender, right? And…maybe I should shut up now."

"Yes."

The rest of the morning went well in Eska's opinion, once Bolin stopped trying to make small talk. She even let him hold her hand; a very daring move in Northern Water Tribe culture. His hand was much larger than Desna's…and quite rough in texture when he didn't have a glove on. It didn't seem like something that would feel nice at first, but surprisingly it did. She knew he would have kissed her had she let him, but that was a bit too daring even for her.

Unfortunately, they did have to leave to go inside eventually. Eska had forgotten what a pathetic resistance to cold non-Water Tribe people had.

After lunch, Father summoned the twins and told them, "We are going on a trip to the South Pole to begin the Avatar's spiritual training. Be prepared to leave before dark."

Eska and Desna nodded their assent. Eska looked over at her brother as Father left. He seemed out-of-sorts. It was subtle…just a slight stiffness in the way he carried himself and an almost imperceptible shadow over his eyes. Probably no-one except her would have been able to pick it up…but something was definitely off. Was he mad because Eska hadn't spent much time with him today? She'd have to make a greater effort to include him in her activities. This trip was a good place to start, since they could ride together.

As they saddled up their camel-yaks, Eska saw that the Avatar's lover would be joining them…she carefully averted her eyes so she wouldn't start thinking about that. Then the Avatar's father showed up, and there was arguing. Again.

But…where was Bolin?

Then she heard frantic yelling. Ah, yes. There he was. And it seemed he had learned a lesson from this morning, and gotten warmer clothing.

That snowmobile he was driving looked a lot more comfortable to Eska than being jounced around on a camel-yak for hours.

"Does this sidecar have the capacity for two passengers?" she asked.

"Sure does! But, uh…who's gonna drive?"

Well, Eska had promised herself she would spend more quality time with her brother. She was sure Bolin would understand.

Poor, stupid Bolin seemed entirely out of his league. He turned to Eska for comfort at even a mention of dark spirits while they were all sitting around the fire in their overnight shelter.

"Don't worry. I will protect you, my feeble turtleduck," she assured him. In a way, he did remind Eska of that stuffed animal he'd won for her…large, clumsy, and awkward, but nice enough to cuddle with.

(Where was that stuffed animal, anyway? She hadn't seen it since last night. She'd have to check with Desna about that.)

Then there was yet another argument. Eska only paid partial attention. She'd heard the story of her uncle's banishment many times before. This ended with the Avatar storming out, and only coming back inside their shelter much later, so she wouldn't freeze to death in the night.

This place wasn't a comfortable sleeping spot, but Eska was so tired from last night that she didn't care. She drifted off within half an hour, and thankfully had no embarrassing dreams that she could remember.

They woke up before dawn the next morning…she noted that Desna had taken a liking to Bolin's pet...whatever that was, and vice versa, and that they had fallen asleep together. After they hurriedly ate some travel rations for breakfast, and Eska was forced to walk with her cousin to a spot where they could relieve themselves away from all the men, they set off again.

Of course, things started going wrong as soon as they got into the Everstorm, and of course Bolin got into trouble and had to be rescued by the twins. Eska wondered how he had managed to not die for all these years without her. And then he had to go and repay her by fooling around with the Avatar! Eska had to rescue him from that as well, before he did anything he'd regret.

Honestly, Korra hadn't even been gone for that long. And didn't he realize that Eska was as good as his betrothed? In the Northern Water Tribe, people of the opposite sex who weren't related didn't hug unless they were married…and even then, some of the older, more conservative people frowned on it.

Eska would have to keep an even closer eye on Bolin than she had before, to make sure he didn't stray.

Now that the festival was over and the portal had been opened, Eska had thought that they'd be going home, she with her soon-to-be husband in tow. But Father had other plans. Certainly, it was good that he was bringing these unruly subjects in line, but this meant that they had to stay longer. Eska's dislike of the South had blossomed into hatred, and that hatred only increased with each passing day. She had frequent stomachaches from the unfamiliar food, and her back was killing her. (Desna was also having back problems; they helped each other out as best they could, but their doctor was at home in the North and neither of them could go for full healing sessions down here with this conflict.) She constantly felt as if she was on the verge of a meltdown more severe than she'd had since she was little. Somehow, though, she managed to hold it together.

And her relationship with Bolin was hitting snags as well. It seemed like ever since Eska had saved him from cheating on her with the Avatar, he was trying to avoid her. And honestly, she didn't know what to do with him while they were still stuck here. When she ran out of activities for them to do, she started putting him to work to keep him occupied. He was strong, and he could earthbend, so Eska thought physical labor should be easy for him.

She was dismayed when she discovered that Bolin hadn't even been aware that he was coming back home with her. Had she not made that clear? She had assumed that it was only logical, since she'd already invested this much time in him.

And then he kept going, "Um…can we talk about something?" at the worst possible times…usually when Eska had a headache, backache, or both, and talking was the thing she wanted to do least, especially when it was something she most likely wouldn't want to hear. So she threatened to feed him to the dolphin-piranhas to keep him quiet. (Surely he didn't think she was being serious! It would be counterproductive to kill him; she'd have to find a completely new husband then.)

The intrusive thoughts she kept having didn't help things either. At night, when she was trying to sleep, her brain imagined…things…without her consent. She'd thought that the mental images of Bolin naked were bad enough, but the things just got more explicit from there on out. And the worst part was…she didn't find these images to be nearly as abhorrent as she thought she ought to.

This called for drastic measures. She'd been intending to wait a respectable length of time back home before she and Bolin got married, but she was realizing that this might not be an option any longer. Now she needed to get the marriage over with before Bolin was turned against her completely. He might be taken aback by the suddenness of it all, but Eska was sure he would get used to it in time. She and Desna started making preparations. Father's distracted state gave them unusual freedom. Eska thought they could have discussed their plans in the middle of town, shouting into megaphones, and Father still wouldn't have noticed.

After more than a week in the South, Eska finally got tired of trying to eat the food in the dining hall. Father had insisted that they do this, but he wasn't even there half the time anymore. Thus, she and Desna sought out Bolin, and informed him that he would find a suitable restaurant for them to eat dinner.

"Uhhh…great! Yeah!" he said a bit too cheerfully. "You know, there's actually this place down the street where Korra and Mako are eating tonight!"

"Excellent. We shall join them."

Bolin looked as if he'd said too much. Naturally, Eska had no desire for the Avatar's company, but she wanted to make the couple uncomfortable…just as they had done to her.

During the meal, Eska and Desna excused themselves. Eska heard Bolin immediately start an animated conversation, presumably about her. No matter. Everything would be taken care of in a few days.

"How is the project proceeding?" she asked Desna once they were out of earshot. Since they had neither the time nor the resources to make entire new wedding outfits by hand, Desna was making alterations to some formal robes they'd brought.

"Well, I don't have his measurements, so one can only hope that it will fit him sufficiently well, but other than that events are proceeding as we anticipated. What about you?"

Eska frowned.

"The shopkeepers objected to my procural of a betrothal necklace because I'm female. I rebuked them sharply, and they changed their minds. But their selection was too tame for my taste. I'm in the process of adjusting my purchase to make it more to my liking. Oh, and I have successfully located an officiant."

"When are you planning to announce your proposal?"

"I was hoping for tomorrow. Would that give you sufficient time?"

"I presume so," he answered. Then he looked down.

"What is it? Did I make an offensive utterance?" Eska asked him.

"Your remarks were acceptable."

"Are you fearful that I will neglect you after my marriage?"

"No, it's…it's of no concern. It will pass with time."

Eska could tell he didn't want her to pry anymore, so she turned to the buffet and loaded up her plate. That way, their claim of retrieving more sustenance would, in fact, be true.

But the next day, Eska's plans had once again gone awry. She was woken up by guards in the middle of the night, who said they had to move her and Desna to a more secure location, and did this despite her sleepy protests. When she got to the palace, she learned that rebels had attempted to assassinate Father overnight, and now there was going to be a trial. (This made Eska wonder why, exactly, she had been moved to the palace when the assassination attempt had taken place there. Nobody had a satisfactory answer.)

Eska was grateful that Father was alive, but this meant they would be stuck here for even longer! At least she didn't have to sleep in a tent anymore.

Then, first thing in the morning, Father made them search for Varrick. They happened on Bolin, along with the Avatar's other acquaintances, in the entry hall of Varrick's house.

"I'm not on the hunt for you…currently," Eska informed him. This was true, because they would have to accomplish this task before finalizing wedding plans. And with this delay, Desna wouldn't be finished until tonight at the earliest. (Eska had completed the necklace before she'd gone to sleep last night, and was carrying it in her pocket just in case.)

The initial search revealed nothing. Although Bolin had come up with a new term of endearment: "koala-otter." Eska liked it, and was pleased with his act of submission.

Hours later, though, both twins were on edge. They'd looked everywhere they could think of, and there was no trace of Varrick. Father was clearly disappointed in them, but the trial was starting, so he had no time to scold them. He made them keep watch in the hallway, perhaps as punishment.

After a while, Desna said, "He's going to confront you. Those friends of his are poisoning his mind against you."

"Yes."

"This may be your last chance."

"Do what you can. I'll come get you for final fittings. If the outfits aren't quite finished, so be it."

Sure enough, almost as soon as Desna had left, Eska saw Bolin out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey there, Eska. I was wondering if we could talk?"

"I grant you permission to speak freely," Eska said. She was glad her robe had such long sleeves, so Bolin couldn't see her shaking hands.

It was now or never.

She listened, at least outwardly placid, as Bolin aired his grievances.

"You know, when we first met, there was this crazy spark, but I'm starting to feel like that spark…is fading," he explained.

Eska forced herself to not react yet, and her hand slid into her pocket and clutched onto the necklace for dear life.

"I agree. It as if a great chasm has formed between us and nothing can bridge it." The pendant dug into her fingers.

Bolin started babbling in happiness, only to be cut off as Eska revealed the necklace.

"Nothing, that is, except marriage!" she stated. (A bit melodramatic, maybe, but the line was delivered perfectly…in her humble opinion.)

She put the necklace on him before he had a chance to run...it was a good thing she had purchased the larger version, since he had a big neck and it fit tightly as it was. As she dragged the terrified Bolin away, she told him, "We will wed at sunset. You may express your joy through tears."

Eska wished they could get married right here and now, but Desna would need the extra time for fitting. In the meantime, she had to make absolutely sure that Bolin wouldn't-even couldn't- escape. And she thought she knew how.