Note: Sorry for the wait! This chapter was hard to write because it's a transition of sorts. As always, thanks for the reviews and follows!
Korra stood in front of her mirror. She felt strange staring into the reflection of a young woman that was apparently her. She lifted up her shirt and stared at her still taut and toned stomach. Korra poked at her belly and bit her lip. Somehow, she was supposed to believe that a little child was growing inside of her. She believed it though. The week following Noatak's abrupt announcement seemed like a sudden spotlight on the obvious. Korra felt queasiness in her stomach and the tiredness in every part of her body. A slight feeling of excitement and doubt permeated in her mind.
"It won't be until the Winter Solstice," Iluq said.
Korra spun around and tugged her shirt down. Iluq touched her braids and sat on Korra's bed. She tapped on the bed for Korra to join her. Korra sat beside her and bit her lip.
"May I?" Iluq said.
Iluq pointed to Korra's stomach. Korra knitted her brows and inched away from Iluq.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Korra said.
"May I feel the baby?" Iluq asked.
"What baby!" Korra said.
"Your baby. Yours and Noatak's baby," Iluq said.
Korra hesitated before lifting her shirt up a bit for Iluq to place her hand on her stomach. Korra breathed deep in nervousness as Iluq touched her stomach. Iluq nodded and smile as she took her hand away.
"Your baby is very strong. It's going to be a very powerful waterbender," Iluq said.
Korra pulled her shirt down and looked at Iluq. She held out her pinky to Iluq.
"Swear to me you won't tell anyone about this," Korra said.
Iluq cocked her head to the side before linking her pinky to Korra's.
"Winter Solstice?" Korra said.
"Yes, you're baby will be born by then," Iluq said.
"How can you even figure that out? Or even feel this baby? Both you and Noatak can do it. I wish I could see what you guys see!" Korra said.
"It's because you're not a bloodbender," Iluq said.
Iluq's declaration was just as nonchalant as the look on her face as she said it.
"What! Does your father know about this?" Korra said.
"No…" Iluq said.
"Wait… Noatak said you had a secret between the two of you… Desna… he's a bloodbender too," Korra said.
Iluq nodded.
"Is that the secret?" Korra said.
"No," Iluq said.
"What's the secret then? If it isn't that Desna and you are bloodbenders, then I have no clue," Korra said.
Iluq sighed and stared into the distance. Her face looked incredibly blank as she touched her hair.
"Desna… he uses bloodbending to control people," Iluq said.
"What! We need to tell your dad about this! That's super serious Iluq!" Korra said.
"No," Iluq said.
Iluq held out her pinky finger for Korra. Korra shook her head and turned Iluq's hand away.
"I can't. You have to understand why," Korra said.
Iluq shook her head and placed her fingers on Korra's lips. A slight tightening in Korra's chest grew apparent- a dull and painful ache around her ribs. Iluq's eyes deadened as the pain slowly grew.
"Stop it!" Korra said.
Korra cried as she felt the muscle around her ribs start to crush them. A whimper escaped her lips that sounded like a dying animal. The sound pierced into Iluq's mind. Her eyes quickly closed and snapped open. She took her hand back and suddenly ran out of the room. Korra groaned and touched her now sore ribs. She held her torso as she stumbled into the bathroom and looked for any ointment. The only thing Korra could find was a washcloth that she soaked in the hottest water the faucet would allow. She wrung the cloth and pressed it lightly against her torso. She winced a bit before she settled down from the pain. Korra discarded the washcloth and changed her clothes before exiting her room.
Outside of Korra's room, Ingyu stood looking at the marble pillars and tapping on them. He stuck his hands in his pockets and wandered around them. As he turned around and saw Korra, he smiled and waved.
"What're you doing around here?" Korra said.
"Dinner, of course. Tell your uncle to stop inviting me or conning me into coming over," Ingyu said.
"It's not that bad. You have me as your partner in crime," Korra said.
"And Qilaq. I dragged her with me, but she left to powder her nose and find a place to smoke," Ingyu said.
"Then dinner should be extra fun," Korra said.
Ingyu shrugged and then pointed at Korra.
"By the way, congratulations. Noatak told me," Ingyu said.
"He told you!" Korra said.
"Of course he did. We're brothers. That's the sort of thing brothers share. Don't worry. I didn't tell anyone. Not even Qilaq knows," Ingyu said.
"What don't I know?" Qilaq said.
Qilaq walked towards Ingyu and Korra in a floor-length burgundy dress with blood red lips and smoky eyes. She eyed Korra in her silver dress with its long sleeves and shorter skirt- something that the servants said was quite risqué and fashion forward.
"It's nothing Qilaq. Just something between Korra, Noatak, and I," Ingyu said.
"Oh… I see. Nothing too secret is it?" Qilaq said.
"Um… well you see…" Korra said.
"It's more of a matter of discretion," Ingyu said.
"I can keep a secret Ingyu. I'm not five," Qilaq said.
"It's not up to me to tell you what it is anyway," Ingyu said.
"Then she can tell me," Qilaq said.
Korra sighed and shook her head.
"I'm sorry… It's really personal," Korra said.
"I'll find out either way," Qilaq said.
"Nope. Not going to budge," Korra said.
"Eh… well, I can respect that. Besides, I've got something else to say since I've got you two around here, and it looks like we're alone," Qilaq said.
Ingyu leaned against a pillar and glanced behind him. No one around. He turned back and folded his arms.
"What is it?" Ingyu said.
"I met with Noatak today," Qilaq said.
'What!" Korra said.
"I rise rather early… I saw you too Korra, but you ran off before I got to say hi. Anyway… he told me about what happened at the Magnolia Club," Qilaq said.
"And?" Ingyu said.
"Let's just say Noatak will be our little infiltrator," Qilaq said.
"He agreed? But… I… It makes me uncomfortable," Korra said.
"You'd be surprise what one will agree to when you offer clemency," Qilaq said.
Ingyu grinded his teeth and scowled at Qilaq.
"You can't do that! You do not have the authority to offer that! That's bribery, and you know it," Ingyu said.
"He's illegally residing in our nation. I think my offer is the least of his worries. Besides, he can't get clemency without a member of the council to present the idea in council meeting. Let's just say that he has at least one," Qilaq said.
"Qilaq, do you realize how irresponsible that is?" Ingyu said.
"When I see what we're up against and what is going on in this nation, I have to say that I think I'd rather risk this," Qilaq said.
"At least consider Korra in your decisions," Ingyu said.
"He was the one who said yes. I don't know why you're putting this on me," Qilaq said.
Qilaq turned around and walked towards the dining hall. Ingyu rubbed his temples and looked at Korra who had been staring at her feet and clutching at her stomach. Ingyu slowly rubbed her back and patted her shoulder.
"I'm sorry about that. Qilaq is… she has a one-track mind. I'll see what I can do about letting her soften up on this infiltrating idea of hers. I don't really care for it. Especially because he could get killed if they find out about his true identity… That said, you need to talk to him. If he's going to listen to anyone, it's going to be you. Honestly, I think the only reason why he agreed to this mess is because he thinks it's the best way to protect you," Ingyu said.
"Thank you Ingyu. It means a lot," Korra said.
Ingyu smiled and took Korra's arm in his. He leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"By the way, even though it's early, I think pregnancy is rather becoming of you. You're already glowing," Ingyu said.
Korra blushed as they walked towards the dining hall. The table was already set with usual people- her family and Chu's. Qilaq drank her wine as she eyed Hahn sitting at one end of the table who was trying to tell Unalaq something. Ingyu took his seat beside Korra and nervously brushed through his hair. Unalaq turned towards Ingyu and ignored Hahn.
"Councilman Ingyu, I'm glad you joined us tonight. Any time that you can appear at these dinners is great occasion, and you brought Councilwoman Qilaq with you. Your district is well represented tonight," Unalaq said.
"It's… an honor," Ingyu said.
"Well, please come to more of our dinners. Your presence is always welcomed. Although, you always seem to ignore my requests," Unalaq said.
"Well… I'll try to make up for my absence," Ingyu said.
The servants passed by with their bottles of wine and plates of seasoned seaweed. Korra brushed the wine aside and took a glass of her water. Qilaq raised her brow and sipped on her wine.
"Avatar Korra, if the wine is not to your suiting, I can certainly drink your glass for you," Qilaq said.
"Oh… No. I just haven't been able to stomach it lately, but you can have my glass if you want," Korra said.
Qilaq choked on her drink and widened her eyes. She glared at Ingyu who had already placed Korra's glass in front of Qilaq and returned to his plate of seaweed. He shrugged and chewed slowly as if he had no idea what Qilaq was thinking about. Chu, sitting next to Qilaq, patted Qilaq's back and reached to give her one of the napkins.
"Are you okay Councilwoman Qilaq?" Chu asked.
Qilaq cleared her throat and reached back for her glass. She took a long drink of wine before swallowing and returning to form.
"Yes… It was merely an accident," Qilaq said.
Hahn glanced at Korra and Qilaq and smirked to himself.
"Well, it's a good thing that nothing happened to the Northern Water Tribe's political rising star," Hahn said.
Ingyu rolled his eyes and wondered when dinner would end already. If he were at home, he would have sat in his kitchen, alone, with a bowl of noodles he bought at some stand on his way home and listened to the radio- a much less stressful existence than this. As he poked at the remaining bits of seaweed that could not be obtained with his fork, he pondered on whether or not he should have told Qilaq about Korra and Noatak's surprise anyway. He saw her cheeks flare up in bright red- not because of the wine but because her embarrassment of not catching on sooner.
"Korra, I believe we should have some healers look at you sometime. This condition of yours has persisted for a couple of days, if I recollect correctly," Unalaq said.
"Oh no… I'm fine. I just think it might have been something I ate when I went out into the city," Korra said.
"Street food is no food for the Avatar. You should be more careful," Hahn said.
"But street food is food for people that live in my district?" Qilaq said.
"Well… that's one way of putting it," Hahn said.
"The Water Tribe food of the peasants is the food of the Water Tribe. It always has been. The same can be said of each nation. The people make food from what they can to survive, that has always been the way of the Water Tribe," Ingyu said.
"Well said Ingyu. I agree with you full-heartedly. I prefer the simplicity of that food to this extravagance to be honest, but I also appreciate the artistry that goes into this delectable food," Unalaq said.
"It is certainly the best food in all of the Northern Water Tribe," Hahn said.
"For certain people," Ingyu said.
The servants rushed in and out to remove plates and place the main dish. Hahn tapped his chopsticks against the plate of noodles topped with sea prunes and tiger prawns.
"Well, I'm sure this could be too rich for a man that is used to two Yuan bowls of sea prune stew," Hahn said.
"I guess so, but I also like eating that kind of food. I grew up eating that," Ingyu said.
"Among other things too? I hear fire ferret is a delicacy in some parts of the Earth Kingdom," Hahn said.
"I hear that as well. It's a shame my father never cooked anything outside of noodles because I never ate anything besides the Water Tribe food my mother cooked. Besides, I hear that some restaurants in your district serve polar bear dog, but I assume that's a very cultural thing that I wouldn't understand as a man of mixed heritage," Ingyu said.
Qilaq smirked as Hahn glared at Ingyu's statement. Unalaq sat up straight in his chair, shocked at the words spoken. Ingyu ignored them all and ate more noodles.
"Well… these dinners certainly are never boring," Chu said.
"That is quite the understatement," Unalaq said.
korra looked up from her plate of noodles and at Unalaq.
"Uncle, if it's okay, I'd like to be excused from dinner. I'm not feeling well," Korra said.
"Please feel free to leave. We'll definitely need to see some healers soon," Unalaq said.
"Sure thing..." Korra said.
Ingyu stood up and took hold of Korra's arm.
"I'll take the Avatar to her room," Ingyu said.
"Thank you very much," Unalaq said.
"It's no problem," Ingyu said.
As they walked out, Ingyu felt the eyes of Qilaq and Hahn follow them as they left. Ingyu walked past the entrance of the wing that led to Korra's room and straight out of the palace where Ingyu's Satomobole sat waiting. Korra stopped and looked at the small car, far less luxurious than Qilaq's model. She opened the door and climbed in as Ingyu got in and started the car. He drove far more cautiously than Qilaq did and never said a word for most of their ride to wherever they were heading. When they stopped, they were in front of small building on the edge of Ingyu's district. He quickly left his Satomobile before coming back with a paper satchel. He dropped the package marked 'ginger tea' in Korra's lap before he started the car again.
"Consider that a gift of congratulations on the baby."