Chapter 75: Love, Longing Part 1

Angayok Sokka's distance from the Southern royal family seemed endless with each passing day. It was as if he was a stranger, as if he had nothing at all to do with the South, as if he was never connected to it, to begin with. This distance struck a bitter chord with the Southern royals every now and then. The tribefolk, too, were rattled, especially by the persistent markings of blood that supposedly bathed the faces of Kya and Hakoda's idols and the ice in the palace hallways.

It was a miracle to many tribefolk as to how Pakku was still alive and how he still had the strength to keep screaming as he rotted away little by little in his cell, how he was yet to get used to the excruciating pain that did everything but numb him every second. But if anything, these were all reminders (especially for those who ever dared to look in the direction of the Southern Water Tribe prison) of the horror that separated them from their former prince. They came to understand that Pakku's suffering was not something to cease anytime soon.

Among the tribefolk was also the acknowledgment that the Northern chief may not ever set foot in the South again — owing to personal reasons, obviously, for the North and South remained on harmonious terms legally and politically. The last the South had heard anything about Sokka and his family was the celebration of Ummi's birth that spanned the North for about a week. Several months had passed by with no communication between the North and the South regarding matters further than the collaborative efforts of the White and Black Lotus Societies and the Revival Project, which had neared completion with the South having demonstrated economic stability. The tribefolk were content with the fact that at least Sokka was in sheer bliss in the North, happier than he ever would have been had he been obedient and stayed behind to dance to the tunes of his parents and grandparents.

Kya and Hakoda, however, stubbornly refused to believe this was the end of Sokka's connection with the South; they held onto whichever rays of hope they could find, their hearts set on someday meeting their granddaughter.

"Waterbending! Whoosh!"

Ummi cooed and waved her chubby arms up and down, mimicking Sokka's silly arm movements as bathwater splashed on his face from the force of her tiny fists.

"Good job, paniga!" the proud father cheered and clapped and swarmed in with tickles, reveling in his panikuluk's giggles. "Let's do it again! Waterbending, whoosh!"

Ummi giggled and splashed in the water, pouring more onto him and squealing as he tickled her again.

"Okay, you two, out of the water, now," Yue said, having observed her husband and daughter for a while now. "Sokka, she's getting your White Lotus robes all wet—"

"It's just water, it'll dry off."

"It's time to get out of the water anyhow—"

"Wait, hold on, we're almost done."

Sighing at the laundry hamper getting drenched in bathwater, "I need to get these clothes out of here—"

But Ummi began wailing in agitation as she saw her mother nearly leave the room, "Naana! Anaana! Anaanaaniiii….!"

"Yeah, where do you think you're going, anaanaani?" Sokka pulled her next to him, "Stressing Ums out like that!"

"Okay okay, I'm here," she chuckled, calming Ummi with kisses. Royalty as they were, the chief and chieftess didn't rely on maids and servants despite the exhaustion exuding from childrearing while running the country. They insisted on doing everything for their child themselves — with help from the ecstatic grandparents, of course— instead of relying on strangers. It was not just an attempt at living a simple life despite being responsible for a country; it was the firm resolution to provide adequate love and attention to their child, especially with Yue having been raised in lonely secrecy under Khasiq's regime and Sokka having been downtrodden in a persistently-unsatisfied Pakku's demanding household. And needless to say that the result of the parents' love and attention was Ummi's unwavering attachment to them.

"Alright, you two need to hurry up—"

"Don't rush perfection, nalligima!" he said, continuing to make his water noises, keeping Ummi's full attention. "Pow, pow, whoosh! Pow, pow, whoosh!"

"Woo…woo-woo…" Ummi cooed.

"Yeah! Woo woo!"

"She's not that skilled yet, nalligima," Yue laughed, "She'll need more time to deliberately move the water around."

"I'm encouraging her," he said, splashing more water and cheering as Ummi copied him, this time drenching Yue, too, "Go, Ummi, go!"

Sokka's excitement had known no bounds when Ummi showed her first signs of waterbending a few days prior. Beneath the full moon, the eight-month-old had waved her arms only for the water in a distant cup to rise and follow her movements, linger in the air, splash onto the floor, and rise back up with the swish of her arms in the shocked parents' presence. Of course, this also meant anxiety and close supervision — especially during full moons— so Ummi didn't accidentally hurt herself, but Sokka was nevertheless relieved. Despite being a skilled nonbender, he expressed many times how he would rather Ummi be a bender so she wouldn't have to work as hard as he did "to defend herself and kick butt," as he liked to call it.

With Ummi being a waterbender, the discussion of the possibility of an airbending leader had also been avoided for the time being. While a lot of anxiety in the council had been eliminated regarding the course of Ummi's future chiefdom, the question was not entirely eliminated; the airbending trait was still in her blood, and any one of her children in the future could possibly be an airbender. Of course, with more waterbenders in the family and in the event Ummi marries a tribesman in the future, the more diluted the trait will become, but it will never completely cease to exist.

Of course, they had a very long way to go for a full-fledged discussion like this, and Sokka was hellbent on not taking nonsense from the council, so the conversation was delayed indefinitely.

"Alright, you two are going to flood the bathroom at this rate," Yue placed one towel over her husband's shoulder, reaching for her daughter with the other.

"I'll get her out," Sokka volunteered and wrapped his towel around Ummi, scooping her out of her tiny bathtub and swooping her into his arms, not minding the soap that got onto his clothes.

"It's like you're actively trying to ruin your robes," Yue helped slide his cape off of him.

"It's not a big deal, nalligima."

"Well it would be really embarrassing if you asked for another uniform again," she said. Indeed, many a silk robe belonging to the Northern leaders had been tarnished by milk and spit-ups and baby vomit, but Sokka's robes bore the brunt of it all, for Ummi's fascination with glimmering objects often prompted him to let her play with his White Lotus cape, owing to its silver-white lotus mantle.

"What, it's only my fifth time asking," he shrugged with a grin. "And no one in the council's gonna say no to the chief." He proceeded to cover Ummi's cheeks with kisses as he dried the water off of her.

"Speaking of the council, do they know the location for the next Global Conferences?"

"Yeah," sieving through the pocket of his drenched robe to pull out a very drenched scroll canister, "Omashu. Got the invite this morning."

Ummi cooed and beamed, sparking their amusement.

"What's so funny, Ummi-bear?" Yue smiled, "Omashu?"

Again, Ummi giggled.

"Omashuuuu!" Sokka sang much to Ummi's delight, "Oma-shooooo! Oma-shoo-shoo!"

Yue carefully pulled out the scroll, which was miraculously intact from the bathwater, and unfurled it to read its contents. "It's official. It has the seal and everything." Taking a look at the tiny cover, "And what's this?" She reached inside, finding a tiny hair clip in the shape of a bow, embedded with jade beads. Attached to the hairpiece was a small note scribbled with nearly undecipherable script, owing to Bumi's handwriting: Bring Ummi, too!

"Are they going to have someone coming from the South this year?" Yue asked carefully, already seeing a dark awareness flicker in his vibrant eyes, "For representation?"

He shook his head, "No. The South declined. Apparently it officially declared to the Omashu dignitaries that none of its representatives will be in attendance."

"Well if they're not going to be there, we should go to the conferences… Don't you think?"

"Us?"

"There's no reason to be worried," she told him. "Ataata and Anaana can handle things here for a few days. And you did say there's not going to be anyone from the South in attendance. We shouldn't have anything to worry about."

"We shouldn't… But I guess I'm just a little nervous…"

"It'll be like a vacation of sorts," she said. "An actual vacation. It'll be Ummi's first time outside the North. And for once, I want to be able to travel without worrying about…well, trauma…"

Especially since their last trip away from the North was the cursed trip to the South. Sokka let go of a ragged breath, his discomfort visible. "Wouldn't our folks flip? They can't go a few hours without seeing Ummi."

"You never let our parents' disagreement get in the way of things," she raised her eyebrows. "And why would silak and ukuagek or my parents be against us having fun? You can show us around the city. You've been to Omashu before—"

Ummi giggled again at the word, bringing the smile back on her father's face. "You wanna go to Omashu, Ums?"

Ummi laughed again, repeating, "Oh-oh."

"Okay then!" raining kisses on his wife and daughter, "Omashu it is!"

A portrait of the Northern royals was eventually released to the Northern public before being replicated on millions of pamphlets, one such pamphlet making its way down to the South. It featured Ataniq Yue, Angayok Sokka, and their chunky bundle of joy, challenging the Southern royals' efforts at maintaining the mandated distance. Ever since they caught a glimpse of Ummi in the portrait, they were overwhelmed with the yearning to see the Northern leaders and their panikuluk, but a meeting was impossible.

Sokka's Southern friends and their families, though, did have the luxury of meeting them. In a trip originally proposed by Isuq and Panuq, they had planned to surprise the Northern leaders at Omashu, having arranged for a gathering of sorts and keeping their tongues in check to avoid all conversations of the Northerners' prior Southern experience. Despite the fact that Sokka's fury was geared mainly towards the leaders of the South as opposed to his friends, he was initially not amused by the unannounced reception; it was a matter of security, he had insisted grumpily. He loosened up, however, when his friends showed Yue and Ummi great gentleness, affection, and respect, addressing Yue as their true chieftess and spoiling Ummi with gifts. They showed Yue the utmost respect that she deserved but never received down South. And despite the care the Southerners took in avoiding speech that would remind the Northern leaders of their wounds, they showed through their actions just how much they regretted the reception Yue received down South. Just how much they were seeking to show their loyalty for her efforts in reviving their home, make amends however they could despite the irredeemable nature of the Southern royals' actions. And when the Southerners returned home and narrated all that took place to the curious tribefolk and the maids and servants, Kya and Hakoda, crushed by the weight of the past and vulnerable before the judging eyes of the tribefolk, could only eavesdrop, trying to make the static portrait of their granddaughter spring to life in their imaginations.

"She learned how to say ataata!" Isuq's wife told the maids, who all squealed and clapped. "Sokka was ecstatic! He'd been trying to teach her for a while now. I mean, she recognizes him and gets excited when she sees him. Crawls up to him when someone points him out as ataata and everything. The poor guy was desperate to get her to call him something, so he stuck with "Da-da" in the common tongue for a long time. But when we were there, she said ataata for the first time!"

"Awwww!"

"And we were all there, and we all got to celebrate that moment with him. It was just wonderful!"

"Does Princess Ummi really look like her mom? Or does she have her dad's features a little?"

"She's Ataniq Yue's spitting image, but she's dark like Sokka. She has his eyes, too. She's a waterbender like her mother."

"They could already tell?"

"Yes, she apparently showed signs a few months ago."

"Wow!"

"And she's super attached to both of her parents. She'll want them in the same room as her. She gets fussy when her dad goes to another room or when her mom goes to get something down the hall."

"Sokka took her to one of the conferences," Panuq's wife followed. "I think it was on the second day. Yue was giving the speech, and the entire time, Ummi kept saying, 'Anaana, anaana' and waving at her. It was the cutest thing! And for some reason, she thinks the word 'Omashu' is the funniest thing ever, and as you can imagine, people kept mentioning Omashu during the conferences, and she would just laugh hysterically."

"All the guests kept having a hard time being professional; they would throw in the word 'Omashu' into their speeches any chance they get!"

"And the White Lotus sentries, you should've seen them! They were having the time of their lives with her. Ummi just loved tugging on Jeong Jeong's goatee every five seconds."

The maids laughed. "Oh my, that man's the most serious one, isn't he?"

"He's a softie with Ummi, apparently. She loved being around him."

"And oh, you should've seen her cute little jade dress and beaded hairpiece and matching green moccasins! Sokka apparently picks out a lot of her dresses and accessories."

"He's all about fashion," one of the older maids nodded, chuckling, "Matching belts and bags. I remember that phase."

"And did I tell you how much Ummi loves to play?" Masahn's wife squealed. "She and her parents play games all the time!" She raved on about how both Sokka and Ummi had been blissfully unaware of the world around them as they engaged in crawling races, ambitiously trying to get to the finish line that was Yue's inviting arms. The eleven-month-old dronningi's chubby cheeks and rolls of baby fat served no hindrance to how fast she traversed the baby-proofed hallways of the Northerners' private chambers, the soft, weighty blankets upon which she made her pursuits as she laughed and tumbled into her mother's lap every time, showered with love and kisses and praise.

"And Sokka always lets her win and she gets so excited! Oh Tui and La, she's the happiest, most beautiful baby I've ever seen, and they're such a happy family! I've never ever seen Chief Sokka happier in all my living days, and I know the same can be said for Ataniq Yue…"

"It's a shame his personal ties with the South are broken," another maid said, "Or we could've seen Princess Ummi, too."

Kya stepped away from the adjacent hallway once the maids' conversations transitioned into another topic. She glanced down at the pamphlet of her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, trying to douse her flames of longing. It was, however, in that delicate moment when the tides of loneliness swept through her heart that Chunta raised hers and Hakoda's hopes all at once: the Northern chief and chieftess were apparently staying for a few more days in Omashu, having greatly enjoyed their time thus far and having been persuaded by Bumi and Toph to stay a little longer and handle pending diplomacy matters in person as opposed to correspondence.

Kya and Hakoda, knowing trickery was undesirable, still sought to seize the opportunity; they planned to quietly make their way to the Earth Kingdom city and disguise themselves as locals with no regard for their statuses — if at least to spot Sokka and his family from a distance. And their opportunity came during one of the Northern family's outings. The Southern leaders snooped throughout the largest market in the city, dressed as commoners and guided by a few servants who were also disguised as locals. And boy, were Kya and Hakoda lucky to have seen, though from afar, the bliss on their son's face as he showed Yue around the area, simultaneously pampering their daughter. The Northern family was ecstatic to shower gifts on one another and have a good time with the welcoming locals.

It was in those rare, precious seconds of witnessing the priceless smiles Ummi brought on her parents' faces that Kya and Hakoda's misfortune slipped through; the chieftess, having felt as if they were being watched but initially ignoring the feeling, suddenly turned in the direction of the stall behind which the Southern leaders were watching them. She hiccuped in horror and tucked Ummi away in her arms, hiding the baby's face from their sight. Sokka's dormant alarm flared all at once, and needless to say the Northern chief's wrath knew no bounds when he spotted them.

"My heart stopped when he saw us," raved one of the accompanying servants to her friends at home afterwards. She referred to the embers that flared in the chieftain's darkened eyes as he cautiously grabbed hold of his wife's arm and led them to their carriage at the end of the street, slamming the doors on a following Kya and Hakoda in his rage.

"He looked so scary, oh La… It was like that eclipse all over again, I thought he was going to murder someone! Even our chief and chieftess looked like they were going to piss their pants."

"What happened then?!" another servant asked.

"Sokka and his family left for the North barely an hour later."

"They left?"

"Got themselves a nice cruiser booked and hightailed out of Omashu. Chief Sokka wasn't having it. King Bumi sent a formal apology. He said he had no idea Chief Hakoda and Chieftess Kya were coming. They didn't even show up for the conferences, so there was no way he would know…" The servant shook her head, "I can't imagine how it feels to be hated by your own son and his family."

"Well I don't blame Chief Sokka and Chieftess Yue one bit. The chieftess took a pitchfork to the womb, of course she's picking up the child and running. And Chief Sokka's never gonna trust his parents after everything."

"Dronningi Ummi is the most precious thing ever. Why did the royals have to be jerks? If they had just accepted the union to begin with, they wouldn't have had to stoop so low and snoop around and face international embarrassment just to get a look at their grandchild."

"It's a shame that it has come to this. All their prayers in the past for a child…Just to drive him away like that. And now…what's even the point of all that struggle and joy?"

Every ounce of Yue's energy slipped out in orgasmic waves that drenched the carpet beneath them for the umpteenth time. He recovered from his own pleasured shudders and settled against the floor of their closet with a long, quiet groan, his lower body snugly bucking against the rippling waterfall between her legs. They trapped their moans in each other's mouths as they tasted each other's prior releases, a particular final thrust spurting heavy ropes of his seed through her. She bit into his shoulder to silence a blissful shriek, riding out their shared climax.

"Shhh," he gasped in gentle reprimand, "You're gonna wake Ummi up."

Flustered, "You're the one doing this to me…!"

He laughed between groans as she collapsed on top of his chest, a rosy sheen coating their sweaty, overstimulated bodies. He exhaustedly peppered her with kisses, her cheeks darkening another degree more every time his stubble brushed away occasional remnants of semen.

Their exertion was no surprise as he was more doting than usual on days he was afraid. Eclipse nights, especially, had become the most terrifying and intolerable for the Northern chief. For protocol, he restricted as much activity as possible in the tribe during those special circumstances. He kissed and cuddled with his wife and child longer. He would play with Ummi for hours on end, spoil her with toys and games, and keep her close to him until she fell asleep. And in the intimate hours of the night, he bathed Yue in fiery passions, tossing away his fears in the heat of closeness and union.

Though tonight, he wasn't the only one peeved.

"You okay?"

Her sleepy eyes fluttered open, batting against his pecs, a finger lazily curling the hairs on his chest, "I've just had my sixth climax or so, I think I'm more than okay."

Chuckling and kissing the top of her head, "Well yeah, but I mean from earlier, baby." Sporting a look of concern, "You still worried about our sponsors? Well, ex-sponsors?"

"I'm not worried, per se," she admitted. "I'm just irritated by how they keep trying to insert themselves into every charity as if they're the most compassionate people on earth." "They" meaning Natsiq and Lusa, the couple who had shaken her to the core with the truth about her past. "They act like…like doing all this will redeem them or something. I hate it. And now they have the audacity to give their biggest donation to date for the Akna Initiative."

The brand new Akna Initiative had, in some ways, snuck up on the leaders of the North. It was initially an untitled proposal brought by several Loyalists and Revivalists to improve the situation of women and children in conjunction with the more generalized Black Lotus efforts. The agency took on the name of the Akna Initiative, encouraged by Revivalist adherents who sought to dispel stereotypes, taboos, and superstitions. Yue was unsure about having the agency named after her— regardless of others' ignorance of the fact that it was her they were really referring to— but any indication of protest was discouraged by Sokka, who knew Yue's doubts regarding the name would only draw suspicion.

It was barely months after the name was finalized that the Northern leaders witnessed the opening of a grand building attached to the Moon Temple with an adjacent building fashioned into a healing and self-defense center for underprivileged women. A large reception was held to celebrate the agency's purpose, importance, and legacy to come, all chief guests being the women whose lives were impacted the most under the ataniq's early leadership. What was most unexpected was the announcement that Mr. Natsiq and Lady Lusa had contributed a large portion of their wealth to the cause. Not to mention their written message: We are hoping the Akna Initiative will inspire our Akna and the Gentleman to come out of hiding one day, to face the tribe when it is ready to embrace them as they are, to share their wisdom and openly aid those who have been cast down as they have.

"I know what you mean," he said, "But we sent their donations back. You don't have to worry about the agency being contaminated with their contributions."

"Yeah, but…it's just…People are going to ask why I turned those people down, and I don't have an answer."

"You don't have to answer to anyone. That's why we were being discreet about this. Besides, everyone's gonna think there's a good reason behind you doing that. No one's gonna dare to question you."

"But I feel like yakshit. This project is too important. It's a chance to keep improving the conditions in the tribe…but I had to turn that donation back because it's from them… I'm being too selfish about this, aren't I?"

"Well I'm not psyched, either, about the Initiative accepting donations from people who abandoned or encouraged abandoning babies," Sokka said, perturbed, "especially when the purpose of this Initiative is to give justice to women and children. It would've bothered me."

"Exactly," she said, frowning, "I wish they didn't tell me the truth. Why did they have to do that when they really weren't expecting anything from me? Why do they keep getting involved? They keep reminding me of her, and I don't…I don't want to think about her."

He didn't need elaboration to understand that "her" was Kunya.

"They're strangers, love. They always will be. But us…we're family. No matter what, we're always gonna be together." With a kiss, "There's nothing to worry about, and there's no reason at all to worry about them messing things up or anything."

"I know," she nuzzled against his cheek, "I have everyone I need right here in this palace. I just don't want to deal with those two."

"If it's really bothering you, we can send them an official letter telling them to keep their contributions out," Sokka suggested.

"It's one thing if we stop them from donating to the Initiative. It's another thing if we block all of their donations, even the ones to different charities. People will want to know what's up."

"Don't worry about what people think. If this is bothering you to the point you can't ignore them, we can do something about it. I can sit down and have a talk with them…"

Shaking her head, "Honestly, I don't think that's necessary. I just…I need to stop stressing about them too much."

Their legs locked together beneath the sheets as she huddled against him, succumbing to his kisses that simmered with rejuvenated heat, irrespective of their multiple rounds of lovemaking and despite the eclipse reaching its end. She sieved through his locks, blinking at him, taking note of a perturbed glint in his gaze. "Seems to me like you're thinking about some people too much, too."

He sighed, partly settled by the return of ample moonlight, "When they were honoring the people who went through all those struggles, and they invited those women up there…you know, victims of violence. And Imona was up there and…And then they wanted you up there, too…" Turning away, "It's good to see people being more aware of the situation, but no one should have to be up there… You shouldn't be up there. It was a very important and powerful moment, but I would rather you not know that kind of pain and suffering. And just thinking about that night… you know it kills me every time—"

She stopped him with kisses, thumbing away the blips of moisture in the corners of his eyes.

"I literally thought I was gonna snap when we were at Omashu," he said, accompanied by fury, "The nerve they had. I never wanted them to even see our Ums up close like that—"

"Sokka, that was several months ago," she soothed. "You're still thinking about that?"

He swallowed, lost in the throes of anxiety, "I just don't want them to have anything to do with us."

"We're millions of miles away from them. All the way on the other side of the world. And we made it clear that we want no contact or communication with them. We can't even step into each other's tribes. We don't have to worry about them."

"I know…"

"We have a perfect life and a perfect daughter in our own perfect world." Another kiss followed by a look of purpose piercing through his ocean eyes, currently lit by the moon's radiance that wafted into the cozy closet space, "All we need now is a perfect son."

A spark in his eyes, "Nalligima…"

Color rushed up to her face, "How do you feel about…trying for another…?"

"Do you really want to?"

She smirked at the underlying excitement in his tone, "The world's waiting for more Sokkas," her lips dove into his neck, nipping the skin as her legs sought purchase around him, "I need to do my part to make it happen."

"I expected better from you, Chieftess," he teased. "Buckling to societal pressure like that…"

"I'm not pressured. I'm just thinking about Ummi," she batted her eyes at him in "innocence," glimmering perfectly beneath the peeping moonlight, "She needs a brother to play with."

"You do make a good point," he hummed, lost in her eyes as his arms tightened possessively around her waist.

"So what do you say?"

"It's your call, my love. Are you up for it?"

"I wouldn't suggest it if I wasn't."

"Yeah, yeah, of course… But you wanna ask Yugoda if it's, you know, the right time? It's not too soon, is it? I mean, I know you're a healer, too, and you obviously know better but Ummi's…well, still little and—"

"People continue to have babies when their older babies are still little," she said, amused.

"Well yeah, I know that, but…"

"I already double-checked with Yugoda for a second opinion," she assured him. "She gave her okay."

A flare of doubt briefly flickered in his eyes, "And you're sure you're not suggesting this just to make me feel better?"

"Getting me pregnant makes you feel better?" she laughed as he flushed beet red, fumbling to respond. She reassured his sputtering lips with the waltz of her own, "I consulted Yugoda for her advice a few days ago. Even before this ceremony, even before you got upset. Happy?"

"Really?"

"Go ask her if you want, Your Skepticalness," she kissed down his throat, "And she'll testify," worshipping his chest, "just how much I love you…" slipping down his abdomen, "and just how much I want another baby from you…"

She yelped and giggled as he flipped her onto her back, his lips colliding and dancing with hers. Eagerly, breathlessly, "What if we have another girl?"

"Then we'll try again in a few years and give our girls a brother," she said as if it was the most natural response in the world.

"Ambitious, aren't we, Chieftess?" he smirked.

"Of course. It's our duty as leaders."

"Yes, yes, of course," he grinned, pinning her beneath him and nibbling at a breast, "Good thing we got a head start then."

"Well yes," came a moan, her hips undulating impatiently, "but I wasn't implying that you stop now."

"Good deal," he chuckled, hoisting her legs above his shoulders, "I wasn't planning on stopping, either."

In the wee hours of the night, a restless Ummi dozed off at her mother's breast. Yue straightened her blouse before kissing and tucking in the child. Her gaze flew to Sokka, who was pretending to have also fallen asleep in spite of his pending trip, his arm tucked around their daughter.

"Sokka," she gently shook him, "Come on, wake up."

He mumbled something incoherent, scooting closer to Ummi and refusing to leave. She couldn't help a tiny smile at her husband's antics, how he resembled a child looking for any excuse he could find to get out of going to school.

"I know you're faking it," she said to him, but he was persistent. She sighed and struggled to pull herself up, weighed down by the four frolicking lives in her womb, but he was at her side in an instant, abandoning his scheme and helping her sit up instead.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she assured, patting the space in front of her, inviting him to sit. "Just tired."

He cupped her face, pulling her in for a kiss, struck by waves of yearning. "It's not too late. Just say the word, and I'll stay back."

"Sokka, we've talked about this," she said, grasping the hand at her cheek, "This is important. Ivaneq already sent the message saying you're gonna be there."

Conflicted embers jostled in his eyes, "Why do you have to make this so difficult, Chieftess? I tell you not to have compassion. Not for them. And you keep having more of it."

Yue sighed, unable to help herself. It had been a strange week; ever since the news of Kanna's passing reached the Northern Water Tribe, the situation had been processed very weirdly. Sokka didn't care to send even a letter of condolence on behalf of the North, nor did he advise anyone else to do so. He didn't even appear to be grieving despite having grown up in Kanna's household; only a stark bitterness and a paralyzing trickle of fear remained, and any and all thoughts of the Southern royals triggered panic attacks over the horrific eclipse incident more than anything. Even Ivaneq wondered if aloofness was the correct response— at least, with respect to the demand of "harmony between both tribes"— because Kanna had been the chieftess of the South prior to Kya, and respects had to be paid to former leaders. Sokka, however, insisted that all harmony to exist between the tribes was not to be characterized only by personal relations between the ruling families.

The demands from the South, however, were far greater. Kanna's will apparently had a provision in which she indicated her desire to have her ashes immersed in any body of water in the world, so long as it was done by her first grandchild, Sokka. The will had been drafted sometime after Katara's birth, and it was clearly not amended to accommodate the very recent legality of the relinquishment papers, but Kanna's attachment to Sokka was neither a mystery nor a surprise. Hence, the responsibility, the Southern Council argued, nevertheless fell upon the Northern chief to fulfill Kanna's last wish. The Council even made many accommodations so that the Northern chief would accept; the plan was for Sokka (and whomever he preferred to bring with him) to meet with Chunta and Bato, who were to bring Kanna's ashes following the cremation ritual down South. Kya and Hakoda were not going to be there, and not a single Council member will be in attendance, either. The authorized persons were all to meet in Akhein, a small Earth Kingdom village equidistant from the North and the South, resembling a half-way point. This was a way of honoring the tribes' policies forbidding each other's royal family members from entering their premises. From Akhein ran a small tributary in which Kanna's ashes were to be immersed.

Sokka's response had obviously been a vehement no, followed by the blackening of his irises, the dilation of his pupils, and a shrill, echoing La-esque holler of, "DON'T THOSE IMBECILES REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED THREE YEARS AGO?! THEY THINK I'M JUST GONNA FORGET EVERYTHING AND LICK THE GROUND THEY WALK ON?!"

But it was Yue who was torn the most by the South's request. The circumstances that pitted Sokka away from the South were horrid enough, never something to be wished upon even one's worst enemy. And while it was not in her control that Sokka fell in love with her, nor was it in her control to have fallen in love with him, she felt that she was nevertheless partially to blame for the rift. The people of the South might be sympathetic to the reasons why Sokka wouldn't even dream of carrying out this task, but the Council— despite its own level of sympathy— stubbornly remained undesirable in these three years, refusing to speak of or acknowledge the atrocity as time crawled by, for that would mean (in their view) attributing a unspeakably sinful act to the entirety of the South.

Yue was never going to deny the fact that she was fuming at the thought of the Southern royals just as Sokka was. She was not going to not acknowledge the fact that even Kya and Hakoda made no comment about Sokka absolutely having to do this. And most of all, she was never going to let Sokka be involved in anything he didn't want to. However, she also couldn't stand to hear about the nature of the Southern Council's talks characterizing the chieftain: a "boneless puppet of the North who serves no purpose other than licking the ground the ataniq walks on," a "spineless loverboy who cares about nothing other than fathering the ataniq's babies and wiping their behinds."

The Northern chieftess felt nothing short of unadulterated rage, and she knew she shouldn't listen to a bunch of sexists' take on their situation, nor should she fret over the Council's ignorance of Sokka's competence and the place he really held in the hearts of the Northern tribefolk. But she clung to the fierce resolve of not wanting to make things even worse somehow between the North and the South, and she was determined to prove the Council wrong. And for that, at least, she felt that she had to send Sokka for the demanded purpose, place him on a moral high ground. It was a decision she herself wasn't comfortable with, hence the thousands of precautions she ordered upon the security personnel to ensure the chieftain's safety at all costs— though she knew fully well that there was not going to be any threat to his safety; he wasn't the victim of the pitchfork. She also hated the idea of not being able to see him for a week, but she knew that once this was over, at least there were chances of the Southern Council renewing its respect for him on some level.

Of course, getting him to agree was a battle all on its own. The alternative option that Sokka wanted to repeatedly harp on was not desirable at the moment, for his preference that Katara attend the ceremony instead was limited by the fact that Katara had just given birth to her and Aang's first child, Tenzin. Kohana and Karuna were obviously too young to take on such a daunting responsibility, and Hakoda and Kya were in mourning and were, healthwise, not in an optimal condition to travel.

Despite it all, Sokka never expressly voiced his agreement, any and all talks exchanged between him and Yue truthfully being unfair due to the overarching "don't argue with a heavily pregnant woman" logic. Even now, one person took to packing his belongings, another person booked the world-class cruiser, and yet another person cleared his schedule to accommodate the trip. But to this moment, Sokka himself never initiated the process of leaving.

"It's not compassion. Not really," Yue eventually said, doing her very best to hide the moisture swirling in her gaze as she placed her hand over his, squeezing his palm softly, "I just don't want anyone down South disrespecting you in any way—"

"I don't care what people think," he persisted. "I especially don't care what the South thinks. Who would ever say it's a bad thing that I'm avoiding them? We have every valid reason to be avoiding them!"

"We are avoiding them," she maintained her calm, "It's just gonna be you, Bato, Chunta…"

Which did absolutely nothing to ease his discomfort.

"Silak and ukuagek," she continued, referring to Amaruq and Ki'ma. "And the five hundred or so security guards and the ten top cooks I'm sending with you. No one else. See, we're actively avoiding the royal family. And…and Bato and Chunta aren't threats, are they? If anything, Chunta's probably annoying, but he'll keep himself in check. Bato was originally against the Council's decision to banish us; I trust that he's not going to say anything to piss you off—"

"I still don't want anything to do with them. I don't care. We're strangers to them anyhow."

"Then go as if you're helping a helpless dead person you don't know," she said in a matter-of-fact manner. "If they really don't mean anything to you personally, at least give them the treatment we'd give to the less fortunate. What if there was some old woman out there who wanted the chief of the North to immerse her ashes? You would do that, wouldn't you? Out of the goodness of your heart—?"

"Well they don't deserve the goodness of my heart," he said, looking over her pregnant frame worriedly, "And I don't care if people think I'm a horrible person. I can't just leave you like this!"

"Sokka, I'm pregnant, not fragile," she told him. "Besides, it's just for a week."

"'Just' a week? What if you go into labor?!"

Taking a deep breath, "We talked about this, remember? Aang has the schedule for the cruiser. Wherever you are, he's going to fly in on Appa, pick you up right away, and bring you back here in time. Besides, I told you an early labor is not super likely—"

"That's a stone cold lie, Chieftess," he frowned. "Yugoda said there are greater chances of an early birth for two babies or more—"

"Not every case is the same," she said. "It's not going to be bad. We made it into the eighth month, and that's an achievement. The babies are healthy and active. There are no complications to worry about."

He didn't seem convinced, so she guided his palms to her stomach, letting him feel for himself the rambunctious kicks jolting through her belly. "If there really was something concerning, I'd keep you here."

"Oh yeah, you definitely would."

"I mean it. If there was something to be worried about, Yugoda would also be jumping off the rails right now."

And this was only one of many, many assurances everyone had given him— no eclipse was coming up to debilitate benders, no jump in crime rate, no adverse circumstances affecting the security at the palace (which had drastically improved over the past two years).

"If they had been coming, too," Yue said, now referring to Kya and Hakoda, "there's no question, my love. I wouldn't even dream about sending you."

"You don't have to make me go now, either," he said in a small voice, his frown intact.

"You're acting like they haven't loved you your entire life," she said. "They might've disrespected the idea of us, but the fact is, they love you. Forget the papers and just think about it. Even after something as drastic as relinquishment, why didn't Kanna change her will? You can't say for sure that she forgot. She was a former royal, so of course her living will is gonna be constantly watched and followed. You would think the Council would pressure her to change that provision about you, but she still didn't—"

"On that note, no one came knocking on our door giving us a share of the property," he pointed out. "Not that we would ever want or need anything from them but my point is, if they can strike out the property stuff from the will, they can strike this out, too."

"If they're still willing to go through with this provision even with the authority to strike your name from the will entirely, think about how much Kanna must've fought to keep that provision in," Yue said. "She can't just stop thinking of you as her grandson, Sokka. They can't just stop thinking about you once and for all." Swallowing, "Forget Pakku, he was insanity incarnate that night, but everything everyone else did… it was because they loved you—"

"If any of them cared enough, they wouldn't have treated us the way they did. If it wasn't for them, you wouldn't have been in a vulnerable position. And no matter how you slice it, it's never going to be justifiable to leave a bender outside, unarmed in hostile territory during an eclipse," he glared at the ground. "When you were out there on that tundra, I didn't think, 'Oh, they love me so much enough to hurt the love of my life'!" Blinking back tears, "I'd never felt so angry and betrayed. It's so easy for them to say, 'Oh we did it because we love you,' but what they did… I'm never gonna unsee any of it. I'm not honoring their actions by mourning for Kanna." Turning to his wife, "And I really don't want you worrying about any of this. You shouldn't be stressing yourself out with any of this nonsense. Especially now of all times."

"Well hearing people talk shit about you for no reason will not make me feel good about myself in any way. Why go looking for a fight with the Council? Things are bad enough. It's not like you're meeting Kanna herself. She's literally ash right now."

Huffing, "So it's all about how you feel and not how shitty I feel for leaving? How selfish."

With a dry chuckle, "Which one do you want me to be? Compassionate or selfish?"

"Whatever's gonna make me stay with you."

Yue swallowed down her swell of emotions, more so when he wrapped his arms gently, persistently around her, sinking into the curtains of her silk hair. She gently rubbed his back, kissing the top of his head. "Everything will be okay. Just trust me."

A soft knock at the door interrupted them. They recognized it to be Ahnah's knock, allowing Lady Ahnah inside.

"The ship's ready to depart, ningauk," the former chieftess said somberly.

"He'll be there," Yue said, her hand on his shoulder. "Come on."

Sokka's gaze fluttered to Ummi, who remained asleep. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, his eyes stinging.

"Careful," Ahnah noted. "She's not going to let you leave if she wakes up."

Sokka gave his mother-in-law a thankful look before whispering in his daughter's ear, "Ummi! Ummi-bear! Wake up—!"

"Alright, enough," Yue tugged him off of the bed, sighing at her mother, "Anaana, please don't give him ideas. And don't wake her up."

"I won't have to, paniga," Ahnah sat beside her granddaughter with the intent to keep watch, "He's not going to make it to the ship."

"Yes, he will," Yue took Sokka by the hand and led him outside, where Arnook was waiting, wearing an equally-somber expression. He indicated everything he needed to say to his son-in-law with a hand to the man's shoulder and a brief nod. He turned wordlessly to Ivaneq, who indicated his willingness to escort the chief.

Sokka kept his arm around his wife, addressing Imona who was standing nearby, "Sister Imona, I don't trust anyone more than you. I need you to keep an eye on her. You know how she gets."

"Yep, tell me about it."

"Hey," Yue frowned.

Imona yawned, "The only thing I'll be doing is going to sleep in about twenty minutes or so. I know you're not making the trip."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Yue demanded.

"Because we know Chief Sokka so well," Kanguk chuckled.

"There's nothing funny about this," Yue said, "This trip is important—"

"Not as important as you, Chieftess," Sokka grimaced, "but when did you ever believe that?"

Yue raised her eyebrows but said nothing of the comment, simply brushing back the chaos of his hair, "Be safe, angayoga."

Frowning, melting, his eyes glazed, "Be careful, ataniga. I can't stress that enough. Ask Imona for back massages whenever you need 'em."

"I will," she couldn't help a small smile. "Eat on time—"

"You eat on time, and eat plenty."

"I will—"

"Eat snacks in between—"

"I know, I know—"

"Take your vitamins and supplements on time."

"Yes, I—"

"And don't strain yourself. Seriously, Chieftess, don't stay up for hours and hours reading scrolls—"

"I won't, I promise."

Looking in the direction of the palace, "Ummi might give you a hard time. She'll be fussy without the both of us."

"Anaana will be with me. We'll handle it."

Worriedly, "Ummi-bear's not gonna forget me, right?"

"Sokka, that's ridiculous. It's just a week. And she's not a newborn."

"Okay…okay…" he let out a staggering breath, kissing her forehead, "If you start having contractions—"

"I'll send Aang as soon as possible."

"Sokka, I will sleep outside on Appa all week if I have to," the sleepy Avatar said as he caught up to them. "Avatar pro—"

"No Avatar promises, Airboy," Sokka frowned. "They're useless."

"If you say so."

"The hell, Airboy? You're not even sincere," the chief snapped.

"Because," stifling a yawn, "You're not making that trip anyway. I know it."

Amaruq and Ki'ma didn't want to interrupt, but they were pressed by time and the correspondence that was sent to Bato and Chunta. "Let's go, Sokka," Amaruq said, hesitant.

The chieftain barely gave a waiting Ki'ma and Amaruq a nod of acknowledgment, and they looked on doubtfully at their son. The chief kept looking over to his wife, eventually whispering, "You don't even have to say it if it makes you feel bad. Just blink twice, and I'll cancel this whole thing."

But she had mastered the art of concealing, wearing a look that he could only describe as determined as she laced her hand with his and gave it a kiss. "I'll be okay," she said, subsequently whispering a prayer of protection. He cut her off in the middle of it, closing the distance between them desperately.

"I love you," he whispered between kisses. "I love you so so much."

"I love you, too. So so much."

Ivaneq sighed at the hopeless lovers before dragging the chieftain with him, walking him to the bowsprit. Yue pretended to be overwhelmed by the biting Arctic wind and cast her gaze down, bending her tears away without anyone noticing. She hated every bit of this, but she could still remember Kya's anguished cry, still hear it soak through her soul.

"The entire tribe thinks you're her watchdog!"

When they reached the bowsprit, several security guards surrounded the chief, complying with protocol. They escorted him along with Ki'ma and Amaruq up the bowsprit. Yue felt some of the burden in her heart lift; she forced a small smile and a wave when he turned back to look at her. And he could do nothing but wear an angry, pained pout, looking more like a trainwreck than anything else.

"I'm at the age where I'm supposed to be playing with great-grandchildren, not defending names and chasing orphans out of my home. Yet here I am."

It shocked him to no end that his wife thought a woman of that character was more important than—

"Ataata!"

He turned in the direction of the wails, finding that Ummi was struggling in Ahnah's grasp, throwing a tantrum. Yue took Ummi into her arms, but the child was still bawling at the sight of him, her tiny hands reaching for him even as she sought refuge against her mother's bosom. Yue tried to keep her own tears hidden in the dark as she attempted to calm Ummi down.

"Fuck this," Sokka brushed aside the guards, "Out of my way!"

"Here he comes," Imona nudged Yue, who saw the chief racing out into the snow. Within moments, Ummi found herself in her father's arms. He held her close to his heart, letting his tears slip as he tore his coat off and wrapped it around her.

"It's okay, panikuluk," he showered her with kisses, "Ataata's here, see? Ataata's not going anywhere."

"Ataata…!"

"Ataata loves you…" He shared a look with Yue, who was fumbling to dry her eyes.

"It's just hormones—"

"Hush, Chieftess," he ushered her into his arms in relief as she let herself sob freely, holding onto him tightly and breathing in his scent. He kissed her temple, whispering comforting words against her skin.

"Alright, everyone, get back to bed," Imona drawled. "Nothing to see here."

Everyone else sported entertained "I told you so" looks before dispersing. The Avatar, too, smiled knowingly, deciding to turn in for the night and retreating to his and Katara's chambers.

"I'll tell them something."

Sokka turned to Amaruq, who gave him a reassuring look, "I mean I'll handle the Council."

"You don't have to look for reasons. Just tell 'em like it is," Sokka told him. "I have zero fucks to give about the Southern Council. I broke away from that bloodline, and the Council itself initiated that process. Tell the Council to do the universe a favor and strike out my name from that Spirit-forsaken document. Kanna's first grandchild is clearly Katara, and if you give Katara some time, she'll do it when she's ready."

"That's not necessary. Ki'ma and I will handle this without dragging you all into it." He turned to Yue, "Don't beat yourself up over this, ukuagek. The Council isn't worth it."

Yue didn't protest, merely content to burrow her face against Sokka's chest.

"Forty thousand gold pieces per household, baby!" a servant ran around the Southern palace courtyard, swinging a pamphlet in the air, "WOOOO!"

"What in the world are you talking about?" a maid blinked at her enthusiasm.

"You haven't read today's pamphlet yet? Chieftess Yue just gave birth to four little princes!"

"What?!" The maid snatched the pamphlet and read over its contents, "Oh my goodness! They're so fertile and so generous, I LOVE it, aaahhhhhh!" she squealed, her exciting prompting others around her to join in.

"Forty thousand gold pieces?!"

"Ten thousand per kid, I see," an older maid laughed wildly, remembering the ten thousand gold pieces that very pleasantly caught them all off guard when Princess Ummi had been born, "Oh my Spirits, we'll all be rich at this rate!"

"I'm gonna refurbish my igloo!"

"I'm getting a whole new wardrobe!"

"I'm paying off my debts!"

"I have plenty for my son's wedding now!"

"May the Spirits bless our young dronningi and baby isumataat," another servant sighed.

"And may the Spirits help them pop out more babies! Aaahhhh!" another maid screamed, dancing around with the pamphlet in her arms, "Keep it coming! Both the tribes better be filthy rich by the time they're done!"

"Shhh," came the stern voice of the senior maid, who stepped outside briefly to caution the women, "Chief Hakoda and Chieftess Kya are still in mourning. Give respect for the late Lady Kanna—"

"Have you read this pamphlet yet?!" And the pamphlet found its way into the senior maid's arms. The older woman was nearly on the verge of crying out in happiness but held her choked laugh, looking both ways, "Well celebrate quietly."