Chapter 20: Made of Revolution Part 1
"This way," Sokka tore the eunuch overcoat off of him and dropped it on the steps of the prison building, "This way, Your Highness."
They were quiet as they quickly stumbled out of the prison premises. Having noticed that there were more guards than usual surrounding the area, they hid themselves in the shadows as best they could. They weren't as slick as they thought they were being, though; two guards happened to spot them beneath the moonlight.
"Hey. You two over there."
"Stop where you are."
Sokka and Yue froze in their spots, hearing footsteps getting closer from behind them. Sokka seemed to have prepared for the situation, for he was quick to jam a hand into the pocket of his coat and slip something on his face in the dark. By the time the guards caught up to them, the moonlight revealed a man with a hefty beard and a woman whose face was covered with a mask. One of the guards raised his eyebrows at Yue. "Ma'am, I need to see your face."
She didn't hesitate to bring her mask down, maintaining eye contact along with a collected look. Her composure came in handy, for the guards didn't have a reason to believe she could be guilty of anything. She certainly didn't look like she had something to hide underneath all that confidence.
"Where are you two coming from?"
"We're workers at the palace," Yue said.
"Yep!" Sokka managed a grin. "Just heading home after a long day's work."
One of the guards frowned as he looked at Sokka. He stepped closer to the prince, eyeing him with scrutiny. "You seem familiar. Where have I seen you before?"
"It's the dark hair. And the dark skin and the dark beard and the blue eyes," came the snarky remark. "I'm sure you've never seen anyone like that in the North."
The second guard chuckled, much to the first guard's glare. "Watch it." And he looked at Yue next, "If you're servants, then why are you staying in the dark?"
"We are? We didn't notice, sir," Yue said.
"Don't play innocent," the first guard demanded. "You and your boyfriend were walking oh so conveniently in the shadows."
"Sir, we're actually not—"
"If you didn't do anything wrong, then why couldn't you have walked by us like the other servants?" the guard demanded impatiently.
The second guard happened to notice Sokka reaching for Yue's gloved hand, and the look on the prince's face held a disapproving frown at the first guard's tone. The second guard sighed and turned to the first, "Eh, don't bother going there."
"Why not?" the first guard shot him a look. "Don't get in the middle of my investigation."
"They're a couple heading home after a busy day," the second guard said. "What do you think they'd be doing in the shadows to relax? It's not without reason we're known as the most fertile race on the planet."
The first guard cast them a wide-eyed look, noting the shock in their bulging eyes and the unmistakable crimson of their cheeks. He sighed and shook his head. "Very well then. Did you or your fiancé see anyone suspicious?"
Fiancé? Yue tried to gulp down her embarrassment. "With all due respect, sir, he's not my—"
"Just answer the question!"
"You better watch that attitude of yours," Sokka poked at the guard's chest with his finger, "Or I'll have you reported to Master Khasiq. Who do you think you're talking to? We're his right-hand servants!"
"Alright, settle down, I'll handle this," the second guard stepped in. "Ma'am, did you two happen to see a man in a eunuch uniform and a woman walk by?"
"But sir, I've never seen anyone in a eunuch uniform before," Yue said with a convincing amount of "surprise." "But if you're asking about a suspicious man and woman, we did see a man in grey robes and a young lady heading towards the South Wing," she pointed in southern direction of the inner ring, "I'm not sure if they're the people you were looking for, but—"
"Yes, that's them!" the first guard said. "So they were still in the inner sector?"
"Yes. Something tells me they're headed to the Jungqiran Snow Forest. We thought it was strange because no one usually goes to the South Wing for errands. It's the danger zone."
"It's true," the second guard confirmed. "The workers are not allowed near the South Wing."
"Men! Surround the forest area immediately!" The first guard turned back to Yue, "Thanks for the information, now run along. You and your husband should leave the inner sector as soon as possible."
"But we're not—"
"Get to it!"
From there, Sokka and Yue managed to steer clear of the rest of the guards and hurried out of the inner sector, which Yue knew would be counterproductive to her intention of getting back to the palace and fasting in peace and solitude.
"Way to save our skins, Your Highness," he beamed. "You're a natural."
She didn't respond, firmly believing that she would never be able to look at the Southern prince the same way ever again. As someone who hadn't allowed a single friend into her life with so much trust as to telling them everything about her, she had her worries and suspicions. Prince and hero of the South he was, and conscious he may be of not ratting her out, but Sokka was still a stranger. At least, he was a stranger to her predicament. Besides, he would have more of a connection with Arnook and his worries regarding her, not with her and her missions.
Then again, it was safe to say that she was confused. Baffled by the admiration, maybe even fascination that he seemed to hold in his gaze. The fire of rebellion that she held within her was mirrored in his bold mischief.
They finally came to a stop when they were deep enough in the middle sector. Sokka looked around and examined the area. "There's no one here," he panted.
Yue brought her mask down, gulping in some air while the Southern prince took off his beard. He rested his hands on his knees and caught his breath, smiling at her, "Thanks to you, I memorized a lot of the North already, Princess Yue."
She eyed him in silence. She didn't seem angry, per se, but she was definitely in a bad mood, likely from all the events that transpired earlier in the day and the fact that he blatantly disregarded her claim of not wanting security. His grin dissolved. "Sorry, ma'am, it was a bad joke, I didn't mean—"
"Did the chief send you to look for me, Your Highness?" Terse, formal, cautious.
"It's just Sokka, remember?" he said softly. "And actually, I told him I'll look for you. But I didn't say anything to him, I swear."
She slowly nodded, a flustered look on her face. "I need to go—"
"Wait, don't!" he stepped in front of her. "I promise, I really didn't say anything. Now let's go, the nearest restaurant is this way. We're ending your fast right now."
"I'm not eating," she walked around him. "You may eat if you like."
"Hey, wait! You can't do this!" He jogged up to her, "The chief agreed to your proposals. He said he'll let you do whatever you want—"
"I need to hear him say it for myself," she kept walking, "I need him to say it to my face."
"He will if you eat first," he struggled to keep up with her hurried strides. "Princess Yue, please trust me. He feels terrible that you didn't eat, and he thinks you're missing. He said he'll do anything to make sure he won't upset you again."
"He said the same thing before, and nothing's changed."
"No, it's different this time, I promise," he slid in front of her again, holding his arms out to prevent her from leaving. "Look, you're a healer, aren't you? Then you should know that if you don't eat, you'll pass out. It happened to me one time, except I didn't have anybody following me around."
She raised her eyebrows.
"I was out fishing twenty miles from our igloo and passed out in the middle of a blizzard 'cause I didn't have anything to eat. I got buried under a lot of snow in just two minutes. When I woke up, I had to dig himself out with very little strength left. Only the universe knows how I made it out alive. True story, I swear."
"I'm sorry that happened to you, but don't you worry about me. If I pass out, the universe will look after me like it did you."
"Well I object, Princess!" came a persistent huff of disapproval. "I'm telling you this because I don't want anything happening to you!"
"Your concern is appreciated, but I'm not breaking my fast that easily. I have several goals I need to accomplish."
"You shouldn't be neglecting your health for that!" he said in exasperation. "Okay, how about this? You eat now, and we'll tell the chief that you didn't have anything. There's no way he'll know we ate in the middle ring, right? Plus, it'll kill some time. You know, since it's only been about half an hour since I told the chief I'll look for you."
"And?"
"And...if we go back to the palace this quickly, he'll get suspicious," he explained. "He might think I already knew where you were…"
"You couldn't have possibly snuck into prison and warned me about Sayen and Kanguq without knowing I was here."
"I...well...it was just a lucky guess," he rubbed the back of his head.
"Well you can pass the time however you'd like to. I'll go to the palace on my own."
"But Princess—"
"When I step into that palace, I have to answer to a group of healers who are expecting me to be fasting. Suppose we went along with your plan, if they figure out that I was well-fed and tell the chieftain about it, will he ever take me seriously again?"
"Well as the princess regent, you shouldn't have to wait around for someone's permission, and you definitely shouldn't have to starve to get what you want," he frowned. "There's not gonna be a next time for your fasting, Princess Yue. You'll see for yourself that the chief will agree to all of your proposals right when you walk in. I'll even be there to make sure you don't have to meet with the healers, okay? So please, eat."
"Like every other corny believer, I'm confident that the Spirits won't forsake me," she said, heading back. "I'll be just fine."
"Faithful human!" his deepened voice boomed behind her. "You say I never forsake you, but you fail to recognize that I reside in the hearts of all humans to look out for you!"
She spared him an amused look from the corner of her eye.
"I am La, the All-Seeing Eye, the Keeper of the Seas and Nourisher of Mortals!" A realistic wolf growl followed. "And I command you to eat!" And in spite of not receiving a verbal response, he didn't miss the way her lips curled upward if only for a split second. "Is that a smile I see?"
"No, no it's not," she turned away quickly.
"No, I think it is," a knowing smirk, "You're smiling."
"I'm not smiling—"
"Admit it, Princess, you're impressed by my La skills," he grinned, trailing behind her and deepening his voice again. "Shall I growl for you, faithful human? I recall you saying you like my divine growl—"
"The La in me has a point to prove, Your Oceanness."
He sighed, dropping his act. "Your Highness, please. You gave up food so you can have the chance to help us, and now you're doing the same thing to help others, I'm sure of that. But depriving yourself so you can have your requests put through...that's not healthy."
She furrowed her eyebrows, a flare of defensiveness shooting through her gaze. "Prince Sokka, I'm not sure why you care this much. I highly doubt I'm anything more than a puzzle that you need to solve."
He had to admit he was caught off guard by her words. In fact, he appeared downright offended. Still, he kept his gaze and voice soft. "Well you're totally wrong, Princess, because I just so happen to think that if Tui and La were real, they would've been none other than you. And I'm not the only one who thinks this. Just ask the millions of people who finally have something to eat down South. They'll say the same thing."
Yue felt heat rushing up to her face but didn't care to entertain it. "Flattery will not help your case."
"I don't have a habit of kissing up to anyone for any reason, so I hope you understand that I don't just say these things to anyone unless if I really mean them," he said. "I'm not asking you for answers, Your Highness, and I don't need you to explain anything to me because this isn't about me trying to figure things out. I'm only asking you to eat and not stress yourself out. I know it's stressful enough."
"Prince Sokka, whether you care or not is not the issue here. I know for a fact that you have better things to do than follow me around." And she went on her way, picking up the pace, ignoring the flutters in her chest.
"Alright, I see how it is! If you won't eat, then...then...then I'll go the rest of my day without eating, too!"
That certainly earned her attention. "Wait, what?"
"I'm the type of guy to eat five meals a day if I have the chance, but I skipped every meal today 'cause I care, for one!" And as if to prove his point, his stomach let out a fierce rumble. "See?"
She widened her eyes. "So you really...you really didn't…? But why would—?"
"I've decided I'm not eating until you eat."
She huffed and trudged back over to him. "Prince Sokka, you can't be serious, this is—!"
"I have no reason to not be," he crossed his arms and held his chin up. "I've made up my mind. If you still don't wanna eat, then that's up to you. Just don't expect me to enjoy all the comforts you've worked so hard to arrange for me and my folks."
Yue frowned. "I didn't alert the other nations about the situation in the South for you to skip meals over someone you barely know—"
"I'm not concerned with all that," he brushed off her argument. "I'm not eating if you don't eat, and this is final."
"Why do you have to be so stubborn?"
"Why do you have to be so stubborn? I told you I'm gonna make sure things go your way! Should I make an oqaaseq aukkut for you, too?"
Oath through blood? Her frown melted away, leaving behind a look of alarm. He was already reaching for his sword, his glove yanked off, but she stopped him by holding his hand. Staring back at her was a cut bordered by dried blood from its place on his thumb. She took off one of her gloves and placed his hand in hers as she examined his finger. She then summoned some water from the air and surrounded his thumb with it. The glow felt cool against his skin, juxtaposed by the warmth of her hand as her movements caused the parted skin on his thumb to heal quickly and snag the blood and sting away.
"Princess Yue," he looked up at her, eyes lit up with wonder and worry, "I'm making you a warrior's promise that I will not rest until the chief tells you that you have complete freedom to implement any proposal you want."
She felt she had no other choice but to acquiesce.
Minutes later, they both found themselves in the nearest restaurant in the middle ring. Their seats were arranged away from everyone else in a private space as requested by Sokka— turned out he came here beforehand and had all necessary arrangements prepared, like the plethora of vegetarian delicacies that instantly greeted them so they didn't have to wait for hours on end for the food to arrive. Yue stared at all the dishes, frozen in her seat, but her frown of disapproval was still intact as she cast him a look. "Well?"
"You first."
"I'll eat when you take the first bite, Your Highness."
"It's just Sokka, Your Highness," he said with a smile.
"Any reason why you're calling me 'Your Highness,' then?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Well you're not addressing me informally, so…"
Her frown didn't change, and for a reason that eluded him, the Southern prince couldn't resist a small smile. He took a pair of chopsticks and grabbed hold of a small kelp dumpling. "Alright, here comes the snow husky sleigh! Whooossshhh!" he waved the chopsticks in the air and continued on with his funny noises before holding the dumpling to her lips. "Where's it gonna go next? Oh look, there's a tunnel," he pressed the dumpling against her closed lips, "It's not opening up! We're trapped!"
The princess only blinked at him.
"Sorry," Sokka put the dumpling back in the bowl, "that's how my dad gets Ko-bear to eat."
And although she tried to look annoyed, she had to admit that it was sweet. The prince was certainly...interesting.
He reached for the bowls of red chilli rice and sea prunes next. "'I wonder if she'll eat me first!'" he made his voice sound high-pitched and comical but didn't move his lips too much. He passed the bowl of prunes closer to her, "'No one passes up the chance to get some delicious stewed prunes!' 'Nah, she's gonna eat me first,'" he moved the chilli rice up to her next, "'I'm spicy and savory, and Yue seems to like spicy dishes!' 'Well I'm sweet,'" he dragged the bowl of crushed mango ice, "'She'll choose me over y'all any day! Right, Yue?'"
She couldn't help the tiny giggle that slipped from between her lips. "Childish."
"'Looks like we made her laugh, folks!'" he made the sea prunes bowl do a little "excited" jump.
"Quite the ventriloquist, aren't you?"
"Eh," a smug shrug, "it's a gift." He reached for the cup of water in front of her and handed it to her. "Come on, Baby Blue. Refusing water means refusing La. You don't wanna refuse La, do you?"
"You think you're so manipulative against us poor believers, huh?"
"At this point, I'm willing to try every idea I've got," he kept holding the water out to her. "Please please please?"
With a sigh, she straightened up in her seat, blinking a few times to clear the blurriness that was starting to take over her vision. Her knees, which had been shaky for a while now, quivered with greater intensity. It wasn't until she took off her thick gloves that Sokka noticed how much her hands were shaking. A look of alarm crossed his features. She tried to play it off with a nervous chuckle and reached for the cup, but it seemed she couldn't hold it properly. She set it down quickly before the water spilled. Her heart started pounding.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Y-Yeah, of course. Give me a minute."
But it seemed her shakiness was just as stubborn as she was. "Princess Yue?"
"Kind of...feeling faint a little bit..."
This is how it begins, he thought worriedly and quickly scooted his chair over to where he was sitting beside her. He held the water cup up to her lips, wrapping his other arm around her and holding her. The princess, who had kept herself composed up until now, was overcome with a look of utter desperation that overruled her protests, and she quickly gulped down the water.
A concerned Sokka held up his cup, too, noting how in just seconds, she emptied that as well. "Didn't you drink anything all day?"
She shook her head. "No solid foods," another gulp, "no liquids."
"That's so much worse!" he exclaimed, also realizing that the dry prison air likely aggravated the extreme thirst. "Hey, waiter, over here!"
And although he had her cup refilled instantly, the look of desperation only intensified in her gaze. She wolfed down the water, panting, a wild look in her eyes.
"Give me that," Sokka grabbed the water pitcher in the waiter's hands. "Get some more water, will ya?"
"But sir—"
"I'll pay you, man, get some more!"
Yue wasn't sure if she'd ever had this much water to drink in one sitting, but once her body was hydrated enough, her hunger pangs were finally let loose. Given her shakiness, she barely had it in her to lift a finger, much less hold the chopsticks the right way. Sokka took hold of the bowl of noodles that she was attempting to reach and held some noodles up to her lips. "Let me, Princess."
She shook her head, "That's fine, I can...I'll do it, you should—"
"It's okay, really. Please, allow me."
A kind of awkwardness was expected, but surprisingly, it never came. Sokka never had the chance to feed someone like this, not even his little brother, and Yue, on the other hand, didn't recall anyone from the opposite gender exercising this much concern for her. And yet, it all happened so naturally, as if they had known each other for years, as if they trusted each other and were very close. They were oblivious to it, but their interaction earned smiles from all who passed by— the smirking young couples, the beaming older tribefolk, the amused waiters and attendants, to name a few.
When the princess finished up the noodles, the rice, and the dumplings in quick succession, he reached for the five-flavor soup next. "Are you starting to feel better?"
"Don't worry, sir, it's all a part of the process," a nearby attendant piped in. "It's imperative that expecting women eat as much as they need these few months."
Yue shrieked mid-swallow and nearly choked on her soup.
"Don't mind him!" he panicked and rubbed her back, helping her reach for the water again before shooting a glare at the attendant. "Mind your own business instead of assuming things, will ya?!"
"It's good that you're protective, too," the attendant smiled, taking the empty pitcher with him. "Hey, waiter! More water for the pregnant couple in the back!"
She didn't seem to want to eat after that, flushed all over from self-consciousness and the awkwardness following people's assumptions. "Am I eating that much?"
"No, not at all!" he assured. "Don't listen to them. People can be real pains in the blubber sometimes. You're doing great, promise."
The feelings that Sokka was feeling at this very moment were foreign to him. Well, not completely, considering it was similar to the care he felt for the people in his tribe, for the people in his family. But the princess. It seemed that over the course of the last few weeks, ever since the Northern representatives set foot in the South and spoke of her existence, his world was revolving around his curiosity of her. Here she was now, her threatened spark of life held desperately in her sleepy eyes, her hair tousled from the whips of the wind and tucked messily beneath her veil, the fabric of her tunic torn at the sleeves and the ends, the beads of sweat on her face and neck born from a hard day's experience. This princess of the North— posing as an ordinary tribeswoman for the welfare of her tribe— who had filled him with a kind of warmth that he couldn't describe, cultivated within him a deep sense of loyalty accompanied by the urge to care, kindled within him an instinct to protect that was so great, an instinct that he couldn't give a name to. This princess who had been making him feel all kinds of things ever since he first heard about her, who was directly the cause for the conundrum in his chest that refused to abate until she was cared for.
What was it that he was really feeling?
Time passed by quickly enough, lost to his panicked gestures and her desperate gulps, and eventually, a revitalized Yue finally put down her cup of water and dessert bowl took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and held up her hand in protest before he could feed her more. "I think I'm good now."
"How are you feeling?"
"Full. Too full," she sighed. "And tired."
"You sure you don't wanna finish the rice?"
"I can't take another bite. If I do, I'll get sick all over the North, and no one else will set foot here ever again."
"You didn't eat that much, if you ask me," and he reached for the untouched pickled seal. "You should try some meat, Your Highness. It'll be good for your bones."
"I'm good. You can have it all."
"Are you sure?"
"Eat, Mr. Wang."
Without further protest, he dug his teeth into the seal meat and gulped down mouthfuls without caring to chew. The man was ravenous as always, but the relief he felt this time around was striking to him. A tiny smile formed on her lips, and occasionally, she reached forward to fill up his cup with water. There was a sharp tug at her heart, too; the prince wasn't kidding when he said he hadn't eaten.
"You should've... eaten a little... bit more," he said between bites. "I can order some more dessert, if you want."
"I might be the princess, but I don't have the appetite of the entire tribe," she said, her eyes bright and no longer looking deprived of life. "In fact, this is the most I've ever eaten in one sitting."
"Only this much?" he reached for the next dish, namely the squid soup. "But you're royalty."
"You would think that, but the truth is, I'm discouraged from indulging in food as much as I'd like to. I'm a princess, so one of my duties includes maintaining 'optimal fitness.'" She leaned against her chair and held back a burp. "What will happen to my poor suitors if I gain too much weight and don't appear to their liking?"
He frowned mid-gulp.
"I told you before that our society is counting on us ladies to starve," she shrugged. "Apparently there's just no time for accepting ourselves and our bodies the way they are."
"Stupid rules."
"Some rules you have to follow. Or at least act like you're following them."
"Just enough to take the system down from the inside," he mumbled, putting down the now-empty bowl. "Yeah, I know—" an unexpected belch. He covered his mouth, gawking at her like a little kid who was caught for something silly, "Sorry."
Her eyes sparkled in amusement. She gestured to his lips, "You've got a little...you have a soup moustache."
"Oh," he licked at his upper lip with his tongue. It wasn't the most elegant of his moments following his advent, he realized after the fact, but it was Yue, and her smile shone as bright as the moon, and that's all that mattered anyway.
The guards in the inner ring were greeted by a sudden waft of mist coming from the direction of the south wing. Many of them tensed at the observation, but only a couple of them dared to voice their suspicions aloud.
"Mist..." a guard turned to his comrade, trying to appear calm, "H-Hey, do you know if there's supposed to be a lot of fog today?"
"No, no fog," the other guard shook his head, his attention kept in the southern direction, "What if it's her?"
"It has to be," chimed in a third guard. "Mist can't just pop out of nowhere."
"Relax," a fourth guard said. "Generating mist is something that many advanced waterbenders can do. Our tribe is the epitome of bending excellence, and our men are the finest waterbenders; surely it's not unusual for a tribesman to whip up some mist."
"But for what purpose? Doesn't this seem at least a little suspicious? Master Khasiq repeatedly told us to be on the lookout. And remember what the senior guard said? That woman was apparently last seen heading to the south wing with that imposter."
"There's no way they'd make it through the woods on a night like this."
"Not unless Lady has their back. Or worse, if that woman is Lady herself. She didn't show her face after all."
"But what's the point of doing that? No one knows what Lady looks like anyway—"
Their conversations were interrupted by a much greater wave of mist that swept through the area and covered their surroundings. Visible worry was splayed over their features by the time the second round of mist settled enough for them to spot each other.
"M-Maybe we should check it out," a guard said. "Some of us will go and the others will stand guard."
With that, around half of the security guards who were dispersed in the inner ring took off in the southernmost direction, and with less security in the inner ring, it became easier for Sokka and Yue to sneak in. The princess grabbed hold of his hand and led him through the nooks and crevices of the fancy buildings. Luck didn't seem to be completely on their side, though, when a few guards spotted their silhouettes.
"I see someone running that way!"
"It's a trick! It's a trick!"
"Hey, stop! Stop right there!"
"I got this," Sokka reached into his pocket and threw a smoke bomb forward. Smoke blasted forth and covered them in time for the guards to reach them or catch a glimpse of their faces.
From there, the duo didn't look back. Yue cleared some of the lingering mist with a wave of her hand and pulled him with her into the palace premises. She tugged him along to the western wing, where they darted through a courtyard and crossed into the servants' quarters, which housed higher-ranking personal attendants of the royals. In one of the buildings was a certain storage closet that caught Yue's attention; she pulled him inside, and he shut the creaky door behind them, keeping watch through the peephole. "Don't see 'em," he noted, "They didn't follow us."
"Don't worry, we're safe here."
They struggled to catch their breaths with Sokka sliding down to his knees and pressing his back against the door to keep out any impromptu visitors. Yue grabbed hold of a torch in the corner, yanked off her gloves, and pulled aside a worn tapestry on the opposite wall. She pressed her hand against the wall and felt her way along it before stopping at a certain spot. The icy piece of wall beneath her fingertips suddenly shifted aside, revealing a small drawer-like opening that housed jewelry along with a fancy-looking white robe. She placed the torch on the sconce near the opening and took the robe out.
Sokka swallowed and stumbled back up, turning away, heat suddenly taking over his face.
"You're fine, it's just an outer robe," and she took off her blue face veil and headscarf, letting loose her long, flowing hair from the confines of its bun. She fumbled to put the robe on over her blue servant uniform, covering up the torn fabric with the bedazzled white silk. In just a few moments, she turned from a common servant to the princess of the tribe, the strife on her face masked with a quickly-conjured look of calm and sophistication.
Sokka blinked at her, the way she tossed her head back to coax her stubborn curls away from her face, the way her fingers worked quickly to put on her pearl bangles, the hints of frustration on her face as she adorned her neck with necklaces made from pearls and seashells. And her earrings— tiny conches with fake-looking feathers dangling from their ends. Combined with the sway of her braid against her hips, the way the ends of her hair brushed against her knees, Sokka was nearly an annihilated man. He could feel his lightheadedness kicking back in.
Don't stare too much, the abrasive voice in his head pulled him out of his stupor. He cleared his throat and pulled up a pelt to sit on. "So...you're, uh...okay with giving the location of this place away, Princess?" he asked her. "T-To me?"
"You already know quite a bit," she said, tying a sash at her waist, "This isn't going to hurt or help my case." She then reached for an upside-down bucket in the corner of the room and lifted it, revealing a collection of fragrant ipomoeas. She picked several of them and began adorning her braid with them.
"Do you like moonflowers?" he asked.
"It's a means for natural perfume," she explained. "I usually smell like spices. Today I smell like jail. The princess that our tribe envisions shouldn't be smelling like any of those things...or have her clothes wrinkled, for that matter," she extracted some water from the air and used it to catch hold of some of the flame from the torch, the union of the two elements generating some steam. Yue bent the steam all over and around her, straightening the wrinkles on her robes and the veil and scarves she held in her hands. She then let the steam settle around her, letting it cling to her and cover her exposed skin as little wet droplets, resembling beads of sweat. As a final task, she pulled out a smoother-looking pair of moccasins from the opening in the wall and placed them aside to wear eventually.
"How do I look?"
He snapped out of his trance, "Like a tired princess." A beautiful one.
"That's good."
She closed the opening and covered it with the tapestry again, and she pulled up a pelt for herself, taking her seat next to him. He felt a delightful thrill run down his spine, which was quickly overtaken by concern.
"We can stay here for a while, if you want," he offered. "You look really tired. I'm too full to move, myself."
"Sounds like a plan." With that, she leaned her head against the tapestry on the wall, closing her eyes for a few moments, taking a moment to fully breathe in the Arctic air that was so frequently snatched away from her thanks to the overbearing masks and veils. The face veil belonging to her royal attire was especially intensive with its flaps and mesh screen that barely allowed her to see. She kept the monstrous veil aside for now, letting out a sigh, her fingers brushing away her hair that clung to her steam-soaked skin. Her knees parted with one leg folded, the other stretched out— a posture that would for certain drive the older killjoys insane out of its "un-ladylike" manner— but here in the privacy of an abandoned room with her shabby uniform moccasins kicked off, she exercised her disregard for the biting winds as her bare toes sought relief in the open space.
Sokka breathed in the ipomoea fragrance, watching her glow from sweet rebellion in the torchlight, her face resembling an autumn moon. He had most certainly not been kidding when he told her she was beautiful.
"You've never seen a princess before, Mr. Wang Fire?"
He blushed at her teasing tone, "Oh, sorry, that's...I just...I…" It was only when he caught another casual glimpse of her feet that he noticed red areas on her skin and shoe impressions around her heels. They appeared slightly swollen, too, and were likely the results of her tight moccasins. "Princess Yue?"
"Hm?"
"I have some seaweed lotion if you want some." He pulled out a small container from the folds of his tunic and held it out to her, drawing her attention. "I always carry it around everywhere. It's good for frostbites and stuff. I'm guessing they'll be good for your feet, too? I mean, you're the healer here, and you'd know more than me, so…"
"Oh…" In spite of a slip of hesitation, she took the container from him. "Thank you."
"If you want, I can help you apply some. I'll do one foot, and you can do the other—"
"No, thank you, it's okay. I can do it." She took some of the lotion into her hands and smeared some over the more tender areas, hiding the wince on her face. She had a harder time reaching the back of her heels, though, with the way she was sitting.
Sokka cast off his gloves and took some of the lotion into his own hand. He shifted to where he was sitting in front of her feet. "May I?"
"It's alright, Prince Sokka, I can—"
"It's no trouble at all, Your Highness. In fact, it works best if you don't move around so much, so let me."
He dabbed the lotion slowly, carefully on the reddened areas of the skin and around her heels. His touch was smooth, cooled by the cold lotion, and a little uncertain, too, at first. And because of this, it felt ticklish and extracted a few giggles from her. Once the lotion settled against her skin, however, it started to feel warm, accompanied by his heated fingers as they got a feel for the tender skin. The sensations made her feet feel pleasant, and the slowly-generating heat tingled through her skin.
"You can have the lotion, if you want," he told her. "I got plenty more."
"Are you sure?"
"Oh yeah, of course. I just wish I had some Arctic turmeric on me, too. Works like a charm if you combine it with the lotion..."
And as he slipped into a ramble, Yue blinked at him, watching the way he worked his fingers, smiling with every word he spoke. He gave her a look every now and then to note her reaction and be on the lookout for any possible discomfort, but the discomfort never came. It was a new experience, no doubt, having someone else touch her feet, much less massage the skin, but the part of her that was shrinking didn't do so in a bad way. More so in a surprised, softened way. She could feel the tension ebbing away from her feet as his hands grazed softly over the throbbing skin.
"...It's good for aches and pains, too. If you want some on your soles," he said to her.
"I think I'll do that before I go to bed. Since I have to walk back anyway." She eventually moved her feet away, letting the lotion dry against them. "Thank you, Prince Sokka. I really appreciate it. I can't tell you how bad I feel for having you do this."
"Eh, it's nothing to be ashamed of, Baby Blue," he said with a grin. "We're Water Tribe. Gotta adapt however we can."
She chuckled and ruffled his hair in a playful gesture. While he hadn't been expecting it, it was certainly a welcomed touch. He smiled giddily to himself, and they basked in the silence that followed, sharing little smiles and amused looks.
"What we should tell your dad?" he asked when he finally managed to ground himself from his gushing high. "You know, if he asks us where I found you…"
She thought for a moment before saying, "I was meditating in the Spirit Oasis and accidentally fell asleep there. I just woke up and was about to head back when you ran into me at the Western Gates. We went straight to see him after that."
"Got it...uh...what's the Spirit Oasis?"
"Oh, sorry, you wouldn't know. It's a special area in the heart of the capital. It's the center of all spiritual energy in the tribe, you see. It's not too far from the west wing."
"Center of all spiritual energy, huh? Kind of like the Spirit Forest in the South."
"The Spirit Forest?"
"Apparently it's a frozen forest with a special pond somewhere in the middle. I've never been there personally, no one really has. It's usually talked about through stories and stuff. The ice there is too intense for people to visit, but the tribefolk think it's a harbor for spirits and the center of spirituality or some shit like that. Something about legends talking about avatars and solstices and stuff. But, uh..." he scooted closer to her a little, "This oasis place sounds pretty peaceful, though."
"I can take you there one day, if you'd like."
"I'd really like that."
She cast a look at the ground, fingers clasped, feeling her chest gallop in warmth. "I'm sorry I was being rude earlier."
"Isn't righteous temper something to be admired, faithful human?" he nudged her softly, his voice deep and his lips curved in a grin, "Don't you worry. I am La, the god most high, and I will always be smiling down upon you."
"I see you stole those words out of my mouth, Your Oceanness," she chuckled.
"Maybe, but seriously, you don't need to apologize. You should see me when I get hangry, I become a whole different person." A shrug. "Besides, you were harsh with a purpose."
"Oh?"
"Obviously you didn't want me at your heels."
The response acted as a segway into the question she'd really been wanting to ask him since the past hour. "How did you know where I was? How did you know that Sayen and Kanguq were coming to see me?" How did you know I was Lady?
"I met with the Revivalist members this morning. They heard about the case and thought you'd probably be Lady. They were discussing ways to get you out and meet up with you to confirm it. They were even planning to talk it over with your dad."
"So they finally reached out to you," she said.
"Katara and I actually met them yesterday. Their men are our best friends, actually...though I'm assuming you kind of knew that?"
"I didn't know they were your best friends. I thought they were your acquaintances for sure, in the very least. And I knew they'd contact you. I just didn't think it would be this soon."
"They kept us up-to-date about the situation here, and Katara and I consider ourselves as a part of the team now," he looked at her, "We were looking forward to meeting their official leader, Kuunnguaq, but she hasn't been seen for quite some time now. And she doesn't seem to be too excited that I'm her ally."
Yue sighed. "Alright, where did I slip up? When did I give it away?"
"You didn't give anything away," he told her. "I just...had a feeling…"
"You had a feeling?" she raised an eyebrow.
"I know it doesn't make sense…"
"Then do you know how you had that feeling?" she asked. "You could've easily assumed I was three different people."
"I don't know," he said truthfully. "When we first met at the temple, I was so sure you were the princess, and…To be honest, I kept asking people around about how you're like," he twiddled with his thumbs, "It's only natural to want to get to know more about your hero after all, and the universe gave me really good clues, I guess. And everything fell into place from there."
She held a blank expression on her face. "What clues?"
"Well…" the moonflower fragrance was probably a bit too awkward to bring up, but... "There's the calligraphy in your handwriting. You know the sign you wrote for the temple repair? I kind of compared that with the writing in your letter. Not to mention you're a vegetarian. Not many vegetarian tribespeople running around in the North."
"You carry my letter around with you?"
"Uh...I just happened to have it on me," he defended.
"Well even if the handwriting was a good clue, I still don't think that's enough information to tell you that three different identities are actually one person."
"Well there's the spiritual stuff, too," there was an unnaturally bright spark in his eyes at the mention of spirituality, of all things, there's definitely something wrong with you, Socks. "Your versions of Tui and La are very liberal. Very compassionate, very accepting and nurturing. They're not at all like the narrow-minded personalities I've seen or heard down South. You know, the kinds that tell you to repent every two seconds and tell you that you're a goner for being a disbeliever. You also have a passion for social reform; you don't like people being in danger because of you, and you always want to help every chance you get." At this point, he was smiling despite not knowing it. "I read some of your speeches, too, by the way. You write very poetically, and that poetry is in the way you talk, too. It's in the way you help the people around you. The way you reached out to help that wolf pup...and the South and Ko-bear…"
By now, she was trying to put the pieces of information together in a way that he might have done in figuring it all out, but the shade of crimson on her face was becoming more and more obvious. She turned away, trying to shrug off her warmth.
"And, of course, you're very secretive. Very stubborn." A frown, "A very good liar, too."
"You need to learn the tricks and trades if you wanna get around in these parts, child."
"And that's another thing. You like to observe and learn about everything around you, but you keep a lot of things to yourself, so there's no way other people can learn more about you.
"You seem to have learned quite a bit, so it must not be too impossible," she said with a charmed grin. "You certainly stand out for your excellence, Prince Sokka."
"I suppose that's why you rejected me," he said, his voice soft. "This morning."
Clearly he was referring to his request in being her bodyguard. It didn't cease to surprise Yue how an acquaintance-come-friend could be so invested in her safety. Wasn't this only his third day here? "I rejected everyone."
"Always wanting to do things by yourself even with so many resources around you," he huffed, "If you really thought of me as your friend, you could've said something about the situation here in your letter, but you didn't mention anything. Not even once."
She shrugged as if it didn't matter.
"I can prove it. Want me to recite it to you? 'To the Esteemed Prince of the South, please allow me to express my most sincere apologies. First and foremost, I understand that a simple apology will not compensate for the hardships the South has faced, but I hope that by the time you are reading this note—'"
"Wait, you memorized the whole thing?" A spark of curiosity and amusement lit up her eyes, "You must have been quite invested in my letter."
"I just...that's not the point, Princess," he flushed, "You should've told me about the situation here."
She shook her head. "I didn't want to tell you anything about any of this, to begin with, but even if I wanted to, I couldn't have possibly told you in the letter. It would be like giving you excuses for why we didn't respond, and that wouldn't make it any better that we didn't respond right away."
"It's not an excuse. Those are legitimate reasons. We should be helping each other. We're two parts of the same whole. Our tribes, I mean."
Yue gave him a look that seemed far too weary for someone of her age. "What exactly are you expecting me to say, then? That this vibe of peace and exquisite cultural display is just a poorly crafted surface for a shattered tribe? That the people here are being made to put on a show of utopia in front of Avatar Aang and his powerful associates?"
"That's why I want to do what I can to help," Sokka said earnestly.
"You should be focusing on the South."
"Thanks to you, I don't have to worry about the South anymore," he said. "I can't tell you how much you've done for us. Even if I was suspicious of it all at first..."
"That's understandable."
"I know that your outreach to the South was all possible because you professed a hunger strike—"
"Ah, yes, the famous article."
"But you still need to be reasonable about this, you know," he insisted. "How long are you going to keep your health on the front line?"
"Depends on how much longer I have to guilt the chief into letting me pass my proposals, of course."
"He said you get to do whatever you want," he unconsciously reached for her hand. "Don't do this ever again. Please. You're not looking too good right now, you know that? You look like you haven't slept well, either."
"If my demands are being met, then I have no reason to be going through all of this."
The sliver of coarseness in her look made Sokka wonder if Yue really knew about her past, considering she knew much more than what she let on to Arnook. And, of course, the more important question: how was Arnook treating her? Sure, he likely cared for her, but he hadn't exactly been sharp enough before to figure out that he was sending his daughter with imposters, and he didn't care to listen to her side of the story. Was this simply an unfortunate circumstance, an error resulting from his ineptitude perhaps? Or worse, could it even be deliberate considering Yue wasn't his biological daughter?
"It's quite tragic because the woman apparently abandoned the child. She had supposedly placed the baby in front of the idols as an offering and left her to starve overnight."
"I'm not too sure what happened after that, no one really knows. But to this day, a majority of people say the poor baby was cursed because it contaminated the idols upon her birth. We're not allowed to talk about the incident under the orders of the chieftain. It's a very sensitive topic, you see."
"Tell me something, Princess Yue," he said, "Is the chief...is he treating you right?"
She seemed caught off guard by the question. "What do you mean?"
"It's just…I expected him to put more effort into making sure you're not fasting anytime soon…"
She didn't say much, simply shrugging again, shifting her posture to where she had both legs straight. The peeking winds felt cool on her skin, contrasting with the slight warmth that radiated from the lotion. She stretched and wiggled her toes, apparently finding that act to be more fascinating than answering to his observation.
"Your dad's not hurting you in any way, right?" he asked again.
"It's not like that," came the absentminded response. "He's a busy man, that's all."
A busy man. Sokka didn't like that answer.
"I get that you're concerned, Prince Sokka, I really do, but I'll have you know that I'm not one to take nourishment lightly," she said. "You know, I just started the hunger strikes this month, and as you can see, I could barely handle it. But when I think about the people who are not as lucky as I am…" she trailed off, looking uncertain for a moment before continuing, "I can't imagine how it must have been down South. So many families, so many children…" She looked at him with incredulity, "It was like this for thirty years, wasn't it? There are people who grew up in starvation. There are people who had never known what it's like to have a full course meal."
"You responded as soon as you knew, so there's nothing to worry about," he said in reassurance. "Even if we had our share of difficulties...It all felt like it was worth it thanks to everything we received all at once."
"Trying to justify your experience for my sake?"
"No, but you know something, Princess? We reached out to so many people over the years. So many leaders, so many places. But no one bothered to do so much. I'd like to say it's pure luck that we didn't have as many casualties as we probably would've had, but if it wasn't for you...to put candidly, we would've been running into a lot of corpses, that's for sure." He squeezed her hand. "Yue, I never want to see you like this again. You shouldn't be in the very condition that you're trying to prevent. You shouldn't be depriving yourself."
She kept her attention on the floor, her gaze hardening.
"I don't get it. If you want something, you have every right in the world to get it," he said. "You solved all of our problems overnight, but here, you're acting like a servant in your own home, running on zero energy while doing strenuous things, running around with possibly the most uncomfortable shoes in the entire tribe."
"It's either this or staying put in my room all day and going insane," came a dry chuckle. "We're social creatures, Prince Sokka. Sooner or later, we'll be in need of company no matter how much we crave isolation. The universe knows that taking away all forms of social interaction from us is damaging to the point of no repair. I had no other choice."
And although she caught herself, keeping alert to spare personal details, what exactly made her tongue slip in the first place, she didn't know. She probably said too much. Then again, Sokka was very easy to talk to, and he was a man who knew the definition of true struggle. He was caring, too, with his seaweed lotion and attentive demeanor and all...
"That was before, when people didn't know about you," Sokka said. "Now, you can have everything you want. You're the princess. You shouldn't be working harder than necessary."
She smiled tiredly at him, "You're a prince yourself. Why did you work so hard? You could've gotten other people go on those trading missions for you and bring supplies for your family. Why did you personally have to go?"
"I might be the prince, but that doesn't mean I get to sit back and do nothing. I should be on the front line and take care of everything and everyone myself—" he paused, finding her answer in his own upon taking a glimpse of her knowing look.
"If being a princess means just having money and ranking higher in the social strata, then every kingdom on the planet has a princess. Maybe even more than one. Every lady in the upper rings of Ba Sing Se and the Fire Nation's Capital City could be a princess. But a real leader, regent or otherwise, has to be mindful of the situation and act according to the welfare of their people. Just as how you stood by your people in times of need instead of mooching off of what they could hunt and catch. Likewise, I should be out there trying to prevent the North from falling into moral decay. Only I was several years late to it officially since I was in hiding all this time."
"You weren't in hiding, Princess Yue," he said. "You were put in hiding. It might have been for protective intensions, but it's a very debilitating move." He cast a brief look at the tapestry on the wall next to them. The weaving was an image of a pack of wolves huddled around a pond, Water-Tribe insignia markings on the coats of their foreheads, looking at the moon that was reflected in the water. "I like to think the reason why the Water Tribe community is compared to a wolf pack is because of that social dependence we all have on each other, like you said," Sokka mused. "But locking someone up for good...it's like caging an Arctic sparrow thinking it would get eaten by a tiger-seal, but that's also thinking that the sparrow can't fly on its own and defend itself. No tiger-seal would lay a hand on a free spirit."
Yue smiled, also casting her attention on the tapestry. "You have a way with words, Mr. Wang."
Sokka looked at her. "There's one thing that I don't get, though. Why aren't you letting people know you're a bender? Thanks to you, the sisters in the tribe are able to finally learn combat and self-defense, so it's not going to be unusual if you come out as a bender and want to learn, too. I say 'want to learn' because people might ask a lot of questions if they know you knew combat all this time...but just think of how much more freedom people are gonna give you if they find out you're not defenseless like they think you are."
"Only they shouldn't know," she said. "You do have a point, Sokka, but I still must act helpless if I want to get things done. If I want to have enough freedom to at least walk the halls by myself."
"I don't understand. Shouldn't they relax a little if they know you can bend?"
"You'd think so, but that's not the case. If anything, they'll put more restrictions on me. 'Oh, you can bend, you're able to do so much more to put yourself at risk. You must be guarded more often.' You've met Lady Toph Bei Fong, haven't you?"
"Yeah," he winced at the reminder of the punches the Bei Fong threw at him.
"When her parents found out that she was actually a master earthbender, they made sure she was guarded twenty-four hours a day. She had to run away and start a whole academy to prove herself and be accepted, and this all happened even if she doesn't have a threat to her life. But the thing is, this is in the Earth Kingdom. The culture is very different from ours. Lady Toph's parents have become more open-minded than the chief will ever be, and running away isn't something I want to do when the tribe is like this. His Majesty will not be taking any chances, especially with me having actual threats."
"Maybe if you agreed to having a bodyguard, things would be a bit better? Maybe they'd let you bend in peace and not restrict you so much?"
She insisted on avoiding the suggestion, though. "Coming out as a bender wouldn't be ideal anyway. It will probably give away the identity I've cultivated all these years. At the very least, it would make Khasiq suspicious. I'm a mystery already as Kuunnguaq and as the princess; it's not impossible for people to put two and two together and write articles upon articles. It's imperative that in my identity as the princess, I do not share the same abilities as my identity as Lady."
She looked down at her feet, "You and everyone else in the tribe seem to be convinced that I don't look out for myself, but this is my greatest defense mechanism. And as far as my servant job goes, it may not be the most convenient, but it's worth it, foot sores and all, exactly because of the freedom it brings. Well, not freedom freedom but definitely something better than being stuck in a room. It was the only outlet I had that allowed me to interact with people. Plus, I'm able to bend without the fear of being watched. Even if I can't give away that I can do combat. It was also because of this job that I was able to find Khasiq's collection of intercepted correspondence, which included your letter," she looked up at him, "And if I hadn't found that letter, I would've never known about the economic situation of the South. It's not like anyone's ready to tell me or His Majesty these things."
And what did hunger strikes and being in jail for a day have to do with this? It was simple. If the tribe acknowledged that she had a voice, she wouldn't have had to be involved in these things.
"You don't understand, Sokka. It's much easier for you to demand what you want to have done. You're a prince. You're not defined by how much jewelry you wear or how many kelp cakes you eat in a day. And dare I say it's easier for your father and your grandfather than it is for your mother and grandmother to balance the chiefly authority. For a man, it's all about what he's willing to do for society, so you actually have authority. People look at your character when they see you. They don't care about your table manners or if you look pleasant to people of the opposite sex. They don't judge you for not remembering to put two washcloths in your lap at ninety-degree angles when you eat in proper lady-like fashion."
She stood up, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed. "Authority is something I can't have for myself. It's not just gender but circumstances that are also not in my favor. That's why it's imperative that I be crafty and have a way to convince people. That's why I'm having to treat myself like I'm in the middle of a famine. I can't have important proposals passed without looking like I haven't eaten in years. It's the only way I can get things done. And this, too, only works because the chief cares about me. If he didn't care, this would've worked on no one."
"You haven't heard of confrontation?" Sokka asked. "Demanding that you exercise your rights?"
"But conflict is scary, ikinngutima," she said lightly. "And besides, the people here aren't willing to put up a fight with a woman in any field."
"You're not just any woman. You're the princess!"
"I'm a woman first," she said. "What substance do I have to my right to give orders to people? The only reason I'm able to do anything at this point is because of my lineage."
Lineage. So she really didn't know that she was not Arnook's biological daughter? He supposed it made sense. This was a secret that only Khasiq and Arnook seemed to know after all...well, as far as what Arnook told him. Then again, something that Sokka repeatedly noticed was that she didn't refer to the chieftain as her father but only as the chieftain. What could be the reason behind that? Was it just that she had a highly formal relationship with her father? Or could it be that Yue actually knew the truth?
"A princess I am, but people don't even know my name, and even if they did, what difference would that make? Chief Arnook's daughter. That's all I am. I'm not Princess Yue. Even the money that was required to have everything arranged wasn't mine. It was from the chief's treasury."
"What about your treasury?"
"What treasury?"
"You don't have one?" he asked, bewildered.
"There's the national treasury which has Khasiq's grip all over it, so I can't take a single copper piece from it." At this point, the national treasury has basically been turned into Khasiq's personal treasury. All funding was currently going to his personnel and his businesses, a huge bulk of those businesses being his adult entertainment clubs and factories in remote Northern islands. Additional funding also went to Khasiq's maintenance of propaganda, regulation of the state's trading affairs, and his efforts in policing the North and supporting the strict barriers— physically through walls and socially through limited contacts— among the upper, middle, and lower rings so the various social classes wouldn't intermingle.
"Then there's Chief Arnook's personal treasury," Yue added, "And the chief is not allowed to use it as he pleases without referring to Khasiq first."
"Then how did…? The stuff you did for the South…?"
"It turned out that the chief had been saving a portion of his treasury for my wedding. The expenses that would come with its preparations, the gifts that would theoretically be given to my future husband along with the groom-price and dowry. Then there's another ten percent of the chief's treasury that I could use for my personal expenses. All of this amounted to twenty million gold pieces."
"Twenty mi…?!" he trailed off, a shocked look on his face. Had he even heard such an amount in his lifetime?
"Transporting so many goods and appeasing so many world leaders is not free, ikinngutima," she chuckled at his expression.
"But Princess Yue, you…that was the money saved for your wedding, and...and for your personal—"
"There's no need to feel bad about all this. I told you before that marriage is not my concern at the moment, and even if it was, if some guy out there really wanted to marry me, I would expect him to accept me for who I am, not for how much money I bring to him. Where there's real affection, financial transactions should not be a concern."
"Well of course. It's just that you could've used that money for any other expenses you might have, and…" his abrasive side thawed to irreparable extents, "You used it all on us?"
"It was part of the first group of orders I ever issued as a princess, so I'm proud of it. I won't lie and say that Chief Arnook wasn't upset. He was pretty angry, actually. His entire purpose in life is to get me married off. He thinks that's the only way to protect me from Khasiq, and that's why he has heavy restrictions placed on everything I want to do. But there is just so much that I want to do. I introduced several proposals before my council today, but none of them are being approved. And I doubt even my hunger strikes are going to work out in my favor this time."
"Princess Yue, your dad promised—"
"The chief just says that he will support me, but there's always going to be a catch somewhere. He's Khasiq's ally more than he is my father."
It was a powerful statement, he felt, especially with the way she said it. "But you know there are other ways. If you let other people stand up for you, too. It's not because you can't do it alone. Having allies is going to work out in your favor."
"There are other ways, but I don't need to drag anyone else into this mess to fulfill them. That's why I'm a fan of taking certain things secretly into my own hands. That's why I got involved in the Kinji case earlier."
She told him about how Kinji and Khasiq are allies, how she had no influence of her own to initiate direct action against them for their crimes. Even if she tried to have them imprisoned, it won't work out because of how many people they have fooled into supporting them, because of how many people they've acted as role models to, how many people they have influenced to perpetuate toxic narratives of rich and masculine supremacy. Sex offenders like Khisiq and Kinji were running loose, ruling the tribe and claiming they're La's spiritual descendants, if not La Himself. They were deceiving the poor, raping the women of the tribe and castrating poor men through manipulation. They were perpetuating harmful practices like groom-prices and dowries that cause financial burdens for many families. It was because of these burdens that many people were afraid of having daughters and had been killing female infants up until the past twenty years. Who knew how many people still secretly practiced these horrendous things. And yet, no one was reporting on them because of fear. Because the system itself was catering to the extremists' needs.
"I had actually set a goal today," Yue said with a determined gaze. "I wanted to stay behind bars long enough to incite distress among the Nationalists. I wanted to ruin Kinji's reputation so the public would be more aware of the kind of person he really is. And I decided that this is the perfect time to do so with Avatar Aang's associates being here to oversee all human rights issues. At this rate, the majority of the public will not care to support Kinji, and it will be easier for me to have action taken against him."
And even if Khasiq exerted all of his influence to free Kinji, in the very least, Kinji would be guilty until proven innocent. All it takes is for one person to file a case, and the rest will crash over like a tsunami. The tribe may never know who that woman is who filed the case against Kinji, but knowing that someone had the courage to do this, the others won't back out any longer.
"In a matter of hours, we'll start to see new reports, new cases popping up. Kinji's act is over. But this is only one of hundreds of cases I have yet to deal with. He's only one of many horrible people I need to take action against. But even with the White Lotus watching and the Avatar being in the city, I can't possibly do it all if the system itself is a slave of Khasiq."
"Which is why having allies is beneficial," he started again.
"So is having influence," she said. "The chief tells me that I need to have influence, or in the very least, have lots of money to gain people's attention and get things done. That's why I presented another proposal for increased funding, but it's obvious that won't be approved."
He could see it in her eyes: that righteous anger that she recognized with him, too, that time he argued with Khasiq's assistants. There were people unable to properly communicate with each other given the differences in their social standing. There were children who were working their backs off. There were women who were afraid of crossing the canals by themselves out of the sheer uncertainty of the safety of their bodies. There were people starving under the weight of mediocre salaries. And yet, the national treasury and the chieftain were powerless. On the other hand, the many self-proclaimed Nationalist 'heroes of the North' were spending all of their time wasting away in adult entertainment clubs while claiming they were messengers of La.
"The North is falling apart right in front of me, Prince Sokka," Yue mumbled. "I need to do something about it, but it seems everyone would rather watch it collapse."
Painted on her face was extensive disappointment, and just thinking about everything she was being denied clawed away at him. "Princess Yue, the South can help fund for some of your plans. It's your money anyway—"
"That money is for the improvement of your tribe, and if you have any amount of respect for me and the Southern Revival Project, you will not use those funds for any other purpose," she told him seriously. "This isn't a huge problem. I can always arrange something though the Black Lotus. It's a cruel world out there, and these problems are plaguing all parts of the world in varying degrees. That's why the other nations have expressed considerable interest in launching the Black Lotus. As soon as that happens, hopefully I'll be able to have some funding to back up my plans."
"The Black Lotus…"
"It's the only other option I have."
But there was a degree of uncertainty in her voice. "Are you sure?"
She gave a little smile in response, "It's my belief that if you're trying to do something that's good for the community, the universe will do what it can to help you. And like all corny believers, I'm confident the Spirits will have it covered one way or another."