Note: Warning, this is a long-ass chapter compared to my other chapters. I think it's fantastic though. Thanks for all the follows and reviews. I really appreciate it all.

Korra looked at the orange and purple glowing sky from her room. Tonight's dinner was with Chu and his family. Iluq had been dressed in a fine silver gown with fluttering sleeves and a little crown of sea bell lilies. Tonight was the night, according to all of the maids. Chu would present Iluq a betrothal necklace. All of the chirps about Iluq distracted Korra. She grasped at her plain neck as the maids braided her hair and commented on how sad it was that Korra wasn't married yet. Korra didn't need to be bothered by the insinuations that were being made, but it dwelt on her mind. The other part of her life was the life she enjoyed with its freedoms- the one where she could be seen with Noatak out in the open. She wished that were always the reality.

The dress Korra wore for tonight's dinner was a blue-green silk bias cut dress. The dress clung to her body. She always imagined what Noatak would think if he saw her in any of the dresses. When she asked him about it, he always said something like how she looked good in anything. She stood in the mirror and looked as the maids mussed with her hair one last time. Iluq walked into her room then. The maids all stopped and bowed to Iluq. They murmured the princess' name. They parted from Korra, and Iluq walked to her. She grabbed Korra's arm.

"Come. It's time Korra," Iluq said.

"Okay then…" Korra said.

Iluq walked them out of the room and into the corridor toward the dinning hall. Korra could hear the light shuffle of Iluq's feet on the flooring.

"How is your fiancé?" Iluq asked.

"Oh… fine," Korra said.

"I like him very much," Iluq said.

"Oh… I'll tell him that,' Korra said.

"He's very nice."

"Uh… well yes."

"Father can grant pardons."

"Huh?"

"For your fiancé."

"Well… that would be kind of hard… he has a lot of enemies."

"You're the Avatar."

"It's more complicated than that."

"No it's not."

"Why are you so invested in this anyway? You can't be poaching other girls' boyfriends. You know? Well… I mean. I did. Once! But it wasn't something I planned! And he turned out to be a jerk anyway. Besides… who macks on another girl when he has a girlfriend. Should have seen it coming."

Iluq shrugged and tilted her head. Korra always had a hard time trying to figure out what either of her cousins was thinking, but Iluq was really a hard nut to crack. At least with Desna, she could guess that he was up to some creepy no good thing. With Iluq, Korra had to wonder- especially with all of the time that Iluq spent with her these days. The first few times were strange- especially when Korra tried to spy on her uncle's meetings to get more information. Then gradually, it became useful. When Korra left to meet with Noatak at night, Iluq usually helped make excuses for Korra or covered up why she wasn't around.

"He knows my secret," Iluq said.

"Your secret?" Korra said.

"Yes… I can't tell you," Iluq said.

"Eh… if that's what you want," Korra said.

"I don't like your fiancé that way. I like Chu."

"Well that's a relief because he really likes you."

"I know. He told me so."

"Well… the maids say he's going to propose to you tonight."

"I know. He showed me."

"Huh? You already saw your betrothal necklace?"

"I already said yes."

Iluq stopped in front of the dinning hall doors. Some of the attendants gathered around and pulled aside Chu, who had been waiting outside. Chu lent his arm out to Iluq who timidly grasped onto Chu. He smiled and gave Iluq a tiny peck on her forehead. A slight shade of rose came to Iluq's cheeks. If Korra look hard enough, she saw the same smile on Iluq that she saw on the portrait of Iluq's mother. Chu looked especially handsome in his navy dress uniform: medals all pinned onto the chest, silver epaulets, perfectly shined black leather shoes, and bright white gloves. His black hair cut close on the side but was longer on the top. Korra wondered what Noatak looked with the same exact haircut.

Before Chu and Iluq entered into the dinning hall to join the other guests, the attendants grabbed another guest- a brawny naval officer who probably needed a better-fitted uniform. He looked at Korra, stopping at her chest and at her ass. The side of Korra's mouth started to twitch in a grimace. Even if she weren't engaged, she wanted to punch this guy straight in his crooked nose. He held out his arm for Korra to take. Korra kept her hands straight at her sides.

"You know that only makes your tits and ass more noticeable," the guy said.

"You know I could kick your ass for just saying that," Korra said.

"Watch it! I'm an officer in the navy," he said.

Korra placed her hands on her hips and squinted at him. She tossed her hair behind her and shrugged.

"Oh yeah?" Korra said.

"Yeah, and bitches like you need a man to tame you. Don't worry, you'll be begging for it," he said.

"Well, then you'll just be wishing you hadn't talked like that to the Avatar."

"The Avatar?!"

"Oh… sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I happen to be the Avatar… oh- and also the Chief's niece. So I'd watch what you say next," Korra said.

As the officer gaped at her, she walked by and stomped hard on his foot. Korra turned around and waved at him. He was hopping around on one foot and grasping at his other foot. Korra smiled to herself and walked into the dinning hall. Her uncle greeted her with a small kiss on the cheek and big hug. He led her to her seat that sat her between Iluq and Chu's mother. Before Korra sat down, she stood up and turned around to see Iluq and Chu walk down. Chu led Iluq to her seat and gave her a kiss on her hand as he let go to sit in the seat in front of her. Unfortunately Korra had to sit in front of the oaf who tried to "tame" her. Next to her, Chu's mother and Councilman Hahn sat across from each other. It was the first time Korra had seen Chu's mother, a rather large water tribe woman with a small mouth that strangely puckered at the end like she was sucking on a lemon and tiny, beady eyes that stared out. The only thing about this woman that didn't bother Korra was her immaculate hair and tiny hands. Korra wondered if Chu had been adopted. Next to Chu's mother and in front of Desna was his sister, a girl that Korra had seen at her birthday party. She had long brown hair that curled at its ends. She had her mother's same beady eyes and her father's long, spidery limbs. The fur stole she wore slipped down to reveal her bony back. Chu must have been adopted.

Unalaq sat at the head of the table and nodded to the servant beside him. A bell rang to begin dinner. Servants walked out with silver trays of smoked salmon and sea prune relish with flat breads. Korra saw Councilman Hahn's wife nibble slowly at her food as if she were fire ferret. The man in front of her ate like the food in front of him was about to disappear at any moment. She glanced past Desna and Chu's sister to see other guests eating in much of the same manner. Korra only ate consciously around these people because she hated hearing the whispers of how uncouth she was. So she as slowly as she could without seeming like the most ridiculous person in the world.

"So Korra, have you met my nephew Akiak?" Councilman Hahn said.

The man next to her stopped shoveling food in his mouth and swallowed.

"I've already met the Avatar," he said.

Councilman Hahn's mouth curled as he hit his fork against the side of his plate.

"Well, Akiak is a captain in the navy…" Councilman Hahn said.

"Recently promoted actually," Akiak said.

Akiak looked at Korra and started to stare at her chest. She rolled her eyes and took a sip of the wine in front of her.

"And quite the bachelor," Councilman Hahn said.

"I'm not surprised," Korra said.

"Akiak has always been one to not settle down, but I guess you haven't met the right woman yet," Chu said.

"I wasn't privy to meet the princess or be handed my rank," Akiak said.

Unalaq sighed and took a drink of wine. If he had known this would be the kind of conversation taking place, he would have gladly drowned in fire ice instead. He was always expected to be a man of calm though. So he cleared his throat and hoped that the servants would have the soup ready soon.

"I'm sure Chu has done a lot of work. Most people I know that are commodores do. Besides, I'm sure this talk of the navy is hardly interesting to everyone at this table," Unalaq said.

"Yes Chief, why don't we talk politics instead?" Councilman Hahn said.

"I don't think politics are an appropriate topic for dinners," Unalaq said.

"I was only suggesting. Besides, I'm sure with the way things have been going at the council, you've been stressed enough."

"That's very true. I just wish we can come to a reasonable solution that benefits all parties."

"I'm afraid that's almost impossible at this point Chief Unalaq."

The servants came by to clear the plates while other servants came by with bowls of delicately pureed seaweed soup garnished with ribbons of sweetly pickled white radish. Korra looked at Councilman Hahn take his spoon and swirled the soup.

"Councilman Hahn, I would rather we not discuss this here," Unalaq said.

"I think this is interesting, Father," Desna said.

Desna gave Korra and Iluq a soured look before he attended his soup. The council members to Desna left sat up in their chairs and stared at each other strangely like they all had something to say.

"I do admire your interest in your country's affairs, but I would rather not discuss this when everyone has been enjoying dinner so far. I would hate to ruin it with an unpopular opinion," Unalaq said.

Korra could hear someone say something from the other end. It came from a brusque fellow with a dark navy suit and red cravat. He had slicked back long dark brown hair that grayed at his temples and a beard that softened his hard look. He had a scar that ran down his left eye to his chin.

"Councilman Keelut?" Unalaq said.

"What is it Chief Unalaq?" the man said.

Councilman Keelut's voice boomed. It was that same sort of deep baritone like Noatak's voice- but less smooth and more sinister. He pounded his fist onto the table.

"I've had enough of this farce of a nation! For too long, you've been appeasing to the fools at the United Republic. We have been castrated," Keelut said.

"Councilman Keelut… I understand your concern, but we need to have stable relations with the other nations. We hardly need any more military forces," Unalaq said.

Beside Councilman Keelut, a man cleared his throat. His voice was high and whiney, and it perfectly matched his look. He had a long face and a rather nascent moustache for a man his age. His hair was braided like Councilman Hahn's and Tarrlok's. His suit looked too large for his small frame- like a little boy trying on his father's clothes.

"We need more defense! Just look at how pathetic those Republic City fools were! The whole city brought down by an anti-bending radical! Those Equalists had advanced weaponry! How can we protect this nation when you have terrorists like that running around with giant mechanized weapons? We lost our biggest ally in the United Republic because of those people! I can't sit here and have more men like Tarrlok get killed," the man said.

A woman across from him sat up and folded her arms. Her dark red lips pursed as she tilted her head. She reminded Korra of what Asami would like if she were an older Water Tribe woman. She had full lips and long black hair that cascaded past her shoulder in beautiful waves. Her eyes were a dark blue that looked like the ocean on a stormy night.

"Councilman Itigiaq, that anti-bending radical was not only a water-bender, but he was a Northern Water Tribesman and the brother of your so-called ally. Besides, Republic City reporters said that Tarrlok was a proven bloodbender and the son of an infamous criminal. I'm frankly more concerned that people think the Northern Water Tribe is complacent with electing people who practice criminal behavior on people. In fact, why don't you ask about that to one of his victims? She sits with us tonight," the woman said.

Everyone laid his or her eyes on Korra. She bit her lips and looked at her soup to avoid everyone's gaze.

"I think you've said enough Councilwoman Qilaq. I think you've scared the Avatar enough already," Councilman Hahn said.

Qilaq snorted at Hahn's words. She peered over her nose at Hahn and laughed.

"You dare say that? You want to use the Avatar like a weapon even though you and I and everyone on this damn council knows she has never gone into the Avatar state. Not even when Amon was bombing Republic City to shambles! Even if she could go into the Avatar state, none of us could even use it. Or have you forgotten what happened when the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom tried to?" Qilaq said.

"Qilaq… let's not bring this up in front of the Avatar…" Hahn said.

"You can call me Councilwoman Qilaq. I am not your friend. And neither is the Avatar," Qilaq said.

"Well… this has been quite the spirited conversation," Unalaq said.

"You should invite us over for dinner more often Chief Unalaq," Qilaq said.

Qilaq drank her glass of wine and folded her arms.

"Well, no one can say that this dinner wasn't exciting," Chu said.

Korra looked at Chu with a bewildered look on her face. She envied Chu's overly positive outlook on the night. Everyone was spared the verbal barrage for the main course. They sat chewing in almost silence- at least it would have been if Akiak could eat quietly. Korra barely touched her tiger seal filet. She couldn't stop trying to piece together what was going with the council to the staticky conversation she heard not too long ago. She knew she would need to learn more before making a decision about a course of action, but her mind would not stop once. Besides, not only was she positive that those Black Squall members were talking about her uncle, now she had to be concerned about herself and what the council was trying to do. She knew for sure that of all the council members, only Councilwoman Qilaq was to be trusted- but probably at arms length. Korra looked down at Qilaq who only drank wine and probably only ate five or so bites during the whole entire service.

After dessert had been served, the group broke out into the grand hall to enjoy more drinks. Korra stood far from the crowd and toward the back. Everyone stood around Iluq as Chu entered carrying a similar black box to the one Korra received a week or so ago. He opened the box slowly and presented the betrothal necklace to Iluq despite having shown her earlier. The necklace was beautiful as expected. The platinum necklace had droplets of diamonds linking together and hanging down like a triangle that ended with a milky white stone carved in the shape of a white sea bell lily. Iluq blushed and nodded. Chu took the necklace and draped it against Iluq's neck. They shared a kiss that could only be described as sweet and with the fragile innocence that only these two people could have.

"Seems a shame that his father can't learn anything from him," Qilaq said.

Qilaq stood beside Korra with her flute of sparkling wine. Korra stepped aside and grabbed the sides of her dress.

"I assure you that I have your best interests Avatar. But you should have known that when you left your compound in the South that you were just moving to a different prison," Qilaq said.

"And you're the good person?" Korra said.

"Better person. I'm just making sure that your uncle stays in power," Qilaq said.

"Nothing else?" Korra said.

"I have no other motives if you're asking."

"I see."

"Well, I have some imparting words of wisdom for you Avatar. Don't make friends with any of the council."

Qilaq smiled and waved as she walked away. Korra looked at her and wondered if Qilaq was including herself in those words. She could only slink into the shadow and run back to Noatak.

Note: Just so everyone knows Qilaq does not equal Noatak's former lover. When Noatak said she was dead, she was dead. Qilaq is her own badass self.