Chapter 25: Buried Trust (Let's Dig It Back Up)

"You've been running around all morning, haven't you?"

"Just preparing the Air Nomad meals, taking care of a few things at the palace, cleaning the Moon Temple," Yue said, "The usual."

"It's like you do nothing but work," Sokka sighed. "You were even wanting to go with Kanguq and Sayen to see those officers."

"Well if I sit in one place and do nothing distracting, I'll be tempted to fall asleep."

"Maybe it's because you absolutely need the sleep?"

"It's imperative that I don't get my beauty sleep today. According to what the servants told me, there are twenty-five men coming to the event later tonight, and Khasiq is very interested in having me engaged on the spot. That's why I have to scare them away however I can." A shrug, "I know I'll be masked up anyway, but just in case."

"I don't know if staying awake is going to work," he said, "Even when you're tired, you're very beautiful, Princess."

She blinked, her face heating up, "P-Pardon?"

Flushing as he realized what flew out of his mouth, "Uh…" His brain filter really didn't work after a sleepless night, "I mean…it's not going to work out anyway since you won't be seen by anyone. Judging by your dad's rules and precautions and stuff."

But she most definitely heard him the first time for him to cover up anything in a purely suave manner. She just didn't make a big deal out of it. "I thought the same way until he let you see my face. Even when he had my alliance fixed with those Earth Kingdom imposters, he never let them see me. You are the first other person to ever see me knowing that I'm the princess."

"Really?"

"Yep. The chief trusts you that much." Unable to keep her curiosity hidden any longer, she asked, "By the way, did he mention anything to you yesterday?"

He nodded, "He asked me directly," he felt his cheeks warm up a little, "You know, to be your suitor."

"And you said 'no' of course."

Taking a deep breath, "I said 'yes.'"

"Yep, I knew it, I knew…" she trailed off, just now realizing what he said and widening her eyes. "Wait, you what?"

"I know it sounds strange, but relax—"

"You told him that you were going to marry me—?"

"I had a perfectly good reason for saying that," he assured her. "He asked me if I wanted to marry you. I said yes, but I also told him that I wanted to wait a while before marriage."

"But...but…that doesn't change anything!" A wild pounding shook her chest, and she found it hard to think further in the haze of exhaustion and panic. "How is that helpful?"

"I did this because it would free you from having to encounter more suitors. Since you'd be 'taken' already," he said. "Your dad's not gonna come up to you with more alliances, and there won't be any talks about marriage. This is especially a plus for you after the establishment of your treasury. Since you're now very rich, I'd imagine a lot of guys are gonna start showing up at the palace claiming they want to court you. This will be a way to escape that issue, too...Well, it's either that or they'd keep their distance since you're not using the funds for personal luxury, which means they wouldn't stand a chance, but anyway—"

"But he will announce to the tribe that you're my…!" Fiancé.

"I told him to keep this a secret. No one's gonna know."

"A secret?"

"I told him not to publicly confirm anything yet," he said. "Since I'm wanting to wait. I also told him it wouldn't be wise to let the press get a hold of this."

"But won't he ask you why you want to wait?"

"Oh, that's easy," he cast her a sheepish little grin, "I kind of told him that I needed some time to court you."

"Court me?" she blinked.

"Think about it practically, Baby Blue. Your dad and his Loyalists won't be pestering you to get married. They'll have no reason to; it's all on me, and they won't pester me about it, either, because from their point of view, they wouldn't want to upset me and ruin the potential alliance. I told them that I'm gonna need time for you to fully accept me, and I told them not to say anything to you, so you just need to act oblivious about the whole thing. From their point of view, I'm a real suitor, but from our point of view, it's all pretend."

She thought for a moment, her panic dissipating as she gave the idea more and more thought. It would certainly lift a significant chunk of the burden off of her. "Khasiq is not going to sit still," she said. "He's the one who planned tonight's event. He'll do anything and everything to make sure I'm married off. And the chief...if he doesn't make a fuss about my marriage, people will be suspicious, won't they? After everything he's done to marry me off?"

"I have a plan for all that."

"What is it?"

"It's a surprise, Princess," he smiled.

"How long are you going to pretend like this?"

"Until you become the chieftess," he said, "And then you'll be even freer to do whatever you like. You wouldn't need a fake fiancé anymore."

"Are you sure you thought this through? I-I mean, how are you going to 'court' me when you go back to the South? Through letters?"

"Why letters?"

"That's the only other way. It's not like you're staying here after the conferences."

"You don't know that," he grinned.

"I think I do." She crossed her arms. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure you keep your distance and drop your little plan. If anything, I know for sure that this is just your reckless way of getting involved with the situation here."

"Well no plan is perfect, is it?" he asked, amused.

"But it's all too perfect for you, isn't it?" she frowned.

He laughed, her reflection filling his gaze, "The things I do for you, Princess. Do you know how hard I worked to keep your identity a secret? Questions and inquiries, impromptu meetings about Lady. Jeong Jeong staring right into my face every time I tell them you're not the terrorist that Khasiq wants them to think you are." He leaned back against his chair, "You really did yourself a disservice by turning me down."

The ends of her frown wavered a bit before caving in and curling into a teeny smile, "I'm doing someone else a very big favor by saving you for them, isumataq."

"Don't be so considerate, Princess. You need to be selfish with certain things."

"And what does that mean exactly?"

He only beamed at her and shrugged.

Kameli barely had the time to open the front door when their next guest charged into the estate anyway. The Revivalists, who were gathered in the front room and were engaged in conversation, simultaneously looked up to see the woman tearing briskly into the room. Trailing behind her was a man— likely her husband. The man's head was lowered and turned to the side; there was the slightest hint of a tremor in his hand accompanied by an occasional twitch near the corner of his mouth, but there was a smile on his lips as the Revivalists stood up to greet him.

"Brother Junguk!"

"Imona!"

"Where's Kun-Kun?" Imona addressed them instead.

"Well hello to you, too, Sister," Amka said, bowing, "It's good to see you both."

"Good to see you, too, Sister Amka," the man did not turn or make eye contact with anyone; his tone was low, but his smile widened as the Revivalists brothers hugged him one by one.

"It's been a while, my friend," Muktuq said, "You weren't seen by Khasiq's men, were you?"

"No, Brother. Imu and I are always careful."

"Is Kun-Kun here?" Imona asked, impatient in spite of the warm welcome.

"Kuunnguaq's in there with Uki," Sanka pointed to a bedroom to the left down the left-side corridor.

"How is Uki?" Junguk asked.

"She's fine. She's in a little bit of a shock, but Kuunnguaq said she'll be alright in a few days."

"I know she's in good hands since Kun-Kun is treating her, but Junguk can check on her," Imona offered.

"How is Sister Kun-Kun?" Junguk asked. "I imagine she's overwhelmed by what happened."

"She'll be fine," Old Man Ingimak grinned, "She has to be! It's Prince Sokka we're talking about. That boy's got a charm of his own. He has a talent for turning frowns into laughs."

Imona raised her eyebrows, "Prince who now?"

"Prince Sokka," he said. "From the Southern Water Tribe. He's in there, talking to her."

"You know, our friend that we once told you about?" Ujaraq added.

"Ah, the legend who managed to get two fishing hooks stuck in his thumb?" Junguk said to which the comrades chuckled in the affirmative.

Imona, however, flashed them all a skeptical look, "Is Sayen in there, too?"

"Sayen and Kanguq are at the palace. They're speaking with a few officers about what happened last night. It's expected; after all, it's not a small issue to talk about."

"Okay, but is anyone else in there with Kun-Kun?" And based on their expressions, she could tell that the answer was "no."

"We decided to give them some privacy," said Uncle Khamingka. "We figured they'd have lot to talk about as leaders."

Imona glared, "What were you all thinking? Leaving Kuunnguaq with him? Giving them privacy?"

"Kuunnguaq is not a baby," Ingimak said. "She would hold her own if there was anything to worry about."

"Which there is not," Muktuq said. "Prince Sokka is highly trustworthy. He's the prince of the South! He's a man of honor and morals."

"He does seem to be more of the comic type than a threat based on your stories of him," Junguk said. "But it won't hurt to be careful."

"Besides, we wouldn't be so worried about Sister Kun-Kun if she was the type to attack," Imona frowned. "She walks around preaching trust and compassion all the time. She doesn't even think about herself! A criminal could hold a dagger to her throat, and she'd still reach out to heal the scab on his arm. What does she know? Your charming prince over there could be making a move on her right now, and she wouldn't call him out so his feelings won't be hurt!"

Imona's persistent suspicion was no surprise in spite of her identity as a mind specialist who was quick to point out and analyze the complexities of human minds. Her skepticism resulted from her being an ex-Revivalist who had long given up on all efforts to educate the public, having lost all interest in continuing to be in an organization that sought to do what she felt was impossible— turn Khasiq's beasts of toxic men into civilized moral beings.

Imona believed the situation was too far gone in the North, that the toxicity oozing out from Khasiq's regime and the extreme Nationalists' propaganda has poisoned the men of the North and would soon add to the existing patriarchal toxins in the South. Out of that hopelessness, she fostered a kind of bitterness that no tribesman would be able to withstand so easily, and it had gotten to the point where Imona eyed every tribal stranger with extreme scrutiny. She had finally found peace when she married Junguk, and their blissful marriage and her move to the Earth Kingdom healed most of her wounds, but her resistance to viewing tribesmen in a favorable light persisted in smaller degrees, and she couldn't help making her trip back to the place that used to be her home.

All to see her friend, Kuunnguaq, who was known to Imona and her husband as a servant of the palace who bore the identity of Lady.

"There's no need to worry, Sister Imona," Sanka said, "Brother Sokka can be trusted. In fact, he and Kuunnguaq are probably both getting to know each other really well."

"Yeah," Siluk chimed in, "They've been talking for a long time. I get they really enjoy each other's company."

"Getting to know each…?" the ex-Revivalist held an incredulous look on her face, "What exactly do you all have in mind? Is this some kind of matchmaking yakshit that you arranged or something?"

"Well, not really, but you see—"

"Sokka's a great guy, he really is—"

"He's not married, and Kuunnguaq's not married, of course—"

"And they're both nearing their mid-twenties—"

"It's not going to be easy for them to find people around their age, you know—?"

"And Prince Sokka really likes her speeches and her mission and everything—"

"And Kuunnguaq seems to like him, too. We can hear her laughing. She doesn't usually—"

"Cut it out! All of you!" Imona snapped. "What on earth is the situation you're in and what are you doing right now?"

Junguk, finally making contact with someone in the room, i.e. his wife, placed his hand on her shoulder, and her quickening breath subsided and her tone softened at his touch. Squeezing her husband's hand, "I'm going to go see her."

"I'll be there in a minute."

She stormed into the corridor, making a run for the room where her friend was. Uncle Shuqar sighed and shook his head. "Daughter Imona hasn't changed one bit, eh?"

"What did you expect?" Junguk chuckled, proud, enamored, and amused all the same, "The tsunami's here, and she's going to hit hard."

"Well, if you intend on staying awake, I have a...a favor to ask…"

"A favor?" Yue blinked.

"Well if I sit in one place and do nothing distracting, I'll be tempted to fall asleep." He shifted in his seat, the gears in his mind finally churning after being smitten for so long, "So...Katara's been complaining of a headache. She didn't go on the tour, either."

"Oh no—"

"It's not serious, but she says it's kind of annoying."

"Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

"I...I was going to, but, uh...I'd greatly appreciate it if you...I don't know, come see her and give your opinion or something…? After all, Kuunnguaq is one of the finest healers in the history of mankind, so…"

"And who told you that?"

"Oh, just the universe," he grinned, "no one special."

"I see. Is this 'universe' willing to take me to your estate then? Ordinary servants are not allowed inside, and the princess has strongly discouraged guests from leaving their accommodations."

"The universe would love to escort you, my lady," he bowed exaggeratingly, earning a giggle, but they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps hurrying in their direction. Yue quickly pulled her mask back up, and Sokka, frozen and caught in an awkward bow by the time the door opened, quickly straightened up and chuckled nervously at the visitor.

"Imona?" Yue stood up. "Oh my goodness, Imona, it's you!"

"Kun-Kun," the woman at the door sighed in relief and raced over to Yue, hugging her. "It's been so long since I've seen you!"

Sokka felt that the name sounded familiar and quickly remembered that Imona was a good friend of Lady, according to what he had been told by his friends.

"I'm here, too, Kun-Kun!"

Yue turned to see Imona's companion smiling at her. "Brother Junguk!"

And Sokka didn't know why, but he felt that the man looked familiar.

"It's great to see you, sister," Junguk bowed in greeting.

"Are the children here, too?"

"No, they're back home with my grandmother." And although he kept his head lowered and didn't make eye contact with anyone other than Imona and Yue, Junguk still recognized Sokka's presence. Imona, however, was looking at the prince with a hint of a frown in her wrinkled eyebrows.

"I'm Sokka," Sokka bowed, "From the South. Nice to meet you, Mr. Junguk and Sister Imona."

"Pleasure's all mine, Prince Sokka," Junguk smiled.

"Just Sokka is fine."

"We heard a lot about you and your comical adventures down South," Junguk laughed. "One could write a series of books on them."

"The guys just can't keep secrets, can they?" Sokka chuckled.

Imona ignored the prince, however, and turned to Yue, "Can I talk to you in private?"

Yue blinked, glancing at Sokka before turning back to her friend, "Um...yeah. Have you met Prince Sokka? He's a big hero down South—"

"I'll be waiting out in the garden," Imona said tersely, "Meet me out there when you're done talking."

"It's probably something important," Sokka smiled at Yue sweetly, "You can go ahead. I'll wait for you."

"You'll wait for her?" Imona raised her eyebrows. "Not trying to be rude, but don't you have other things to do?"

An awkward pause followed. Junguk calmed his wife with another pat on her shoulder. Sokka, having received the hint from the harsh tone that Imona and the angakkuit were not too different, simply chuckled away the awkwardness in response to Yue's apologetic look. "No worries, I'll still wait.

Sokka opted to chill with Junguk for a while, observing the man as he checked Uki's pulse. The little girl remained asleep, but the stress that she previously bore in her expression was dissipated for the most part.

"Her heart rate is normal," Junguk told some of the comrades who had gathered in the room. Sanka sighed in relief and tucked the girl back under the covers.

"Uki is strong," Junguk said, "It's not easy to forget something like this. But I know she will come around." He paused for a moment, growing uncomfortable for a split second, the light tremor in his hand returning as he asked without looking at anyone in particular, "Nothing happened, right?"

"No, nothing happened, thank the Spirits," said Aput. "The mystery man busted her out in time."

"Praise the Spirits," Junguk nodded, contemplating for a moment before saying, "Prince Sokka, our comrades will keep watch. Would you like to join me for a walk in the meantime?"

The two men soon found themselves outside the building, walking around the courtyard. Small talk took place in the beginning, such as the differences between the North and South, the Southern prince's travels, and the familiar observations that Sokka made during conversations involving Junguk's home in the Earth Kingdom. From there, the conversation steered to Sokka explaining what happened last night from the Revivalist perspective and Junguk's reassurance Uki's quick recovery.

And from there, they reached the part of the conversation that had been building up since the beginning.

"You're probably wondering if I'm talking to you or this glacier right here. Since I'm not looking at you."

Sokka, who was lost in thought, snapped out of it and turned to Junguk. "No, not at all."

"You must be curious about me in the very least. Aren't you curious? We need to address the elephant-seal in the room at some point."

"Actually, yeah," Sokka admitted, "I am curious about something."

"I thought so," Junguk said. "It's a developmental disorder. I've had it all my life." A pause as the tremor in his hand returned, but he took a deep breath, still not making eye contact, "People look at me and think I'm not very intelligent, but really it's a matter of working on certain skills," his head tilted forward a little, "trying to reverse a few tics," he gestured to his quivering hand as he said it, "Sister Kuunnguaq reviews a few habit reversal and self-care techniques with me sometimes."

Sokka smiled at him, "That's good to know, my friend, and I'm glad you could trust me with something personal like this, but I was actually going to ask you how you became such a successful healer. A guy becoming a healer is something unheard of in the recent tundras if you know what I mean. Involves destroying toxic egos a bit. Not saying that you have or had a toxic ego, but I mean the influence is pretty macho—"

"I get you," Junguk chuckled, simultaneously caught off guard, for he had been fixated on the assumption that the prince was observing his unusual tendencies, but to be seen as a point of fascination on a level of achievement rather than disability was a pleasant surprise and also what Junguk considered to be signs of a strong friendship. Well, it probably would be once they got past the truth that Junguk was about to drop. "Having a toxic father is enough to humble you, I guess."

"A toxic father?"

"Yep," and for the first time, Junguk looked at him. Very briefly, very carefully. "Khasiq is my father."

The universe seemed to come to a stop right then and there. Sokka thought his eyes would bulge out of their sockets and spill across the tundra. "You're kidding, right?"

"I wish I was, but unfortunately, Khasiq is my biological father."

"A jackass like that can't possibly have a brilliant healer like you! Well, I mean, obviously you get your fairness from your mother's side, I suppose…"

"That jackass and my mother had relations way back when. He promised her he would marry her, but he never did. In fact, he left as soon as he found out she was pregnant with me. My mother and grandmother took care of me. My mother worked odd jobs here and there before getting a permanent position in the Earth Kingdom. We ended up moving there when I was three or so."

By then, Junguk's mother had noticed several signs in her son that called for regular meetings with a mind specialist, but given their financial situation and the inaccessibility to quality care for people barely above the poverty line, treatment was not possible.

It was the year of Junguk's fifteenth birthday that Khasiq came to see him for the first time. The politician, feigning regret and a chance at bonding with his only son, took Junguk from his mother and grandmother and had brought him to the North's palace, introducing him to several authorities. Obviously as his successor and a means to legitimize himself as a candidate for the throne, considering Arnook was a widower with no plans to remarry or secure an heir for himself.

"There was no reunion, no bonding, no yakshit like that," Junguk said. "Khasiq always thought I was a retarded buffoon who couldn't look straight at the people talking to me. But the thing is, even if I couldn't express things, I hated how he treated people. The maids, the laborers." Another deep breath, "It wasn't really a pleasant experience, to say the least."

"How long did you stay at the palace?"

"Six or seven months. I tried to run away in the fourth month I was there. Thought about getting on a boat to Mitkuq Village because here was a port there that could take me back home. But that didn't happen. Ever since, he ended up having me heavily guarded. That is, until I disowned him for good."

"You disowned him?" Sokka blinked.

"Well yeah. He tried to get rid of me forever, so that expedited the process."

"Wait," Sokka froze in the middle of the walk, "Did he try to kill you? His own son?"

It was only inevitable given that there were rumors spreading throughout the palace that Khasiq's only heir was mentally retarded and was unfit for any kind of stable job, much less the title of potential chieftain if his father secured the throne following Arnook's regime. Since Khasiq already told the entire North that he had a son, he couldn't just ignore or send Junguk back without people asking him what happened or why he chose to abandon his heir. And even if he did, he would have no basis for being chieftain, for he did not have an heir (granted, Junguk himself was illegitimate as he was born out of wedlock).

"He took me with him on a hunt one night. Took out a knife from his robe and charged at me." Junguk seemed to tense up then. "The plan was basically to finish me off and...say that I went insane and ran away from the palace again, that some wild animal attacked me in the woods and killed me. And all of that was...I suppose it was expected to a degree 'cause I knew what kind of person he was, but...but he also said some things. About my mother, about me… And I was there and I was angry and defenseless and couldn't do anything, dammit..."

A horrified Sokka placed a comforting hand on Junguk's trembling shoulder. "How did you escape?"

"Sister Kuunnguaq," Junguk choked a smile out of his sob, "As Lady, she was the one who jumped in and helped me escape. Froze him to a tree and took me out of there. To this day, I don't know how she knew about the plan. She never told me. But I do know that ever since, Khasiq hated her for what she did. He'd sworn he'll have her killed at any cost."

From there, Kuunnguaq and the Revivalist sisters had taken him in. Sister Kuunnguaq, Junguk said, was especially kind to him. It was as if she knew him and the values that he couldn't express. She helped him find a place to stay nearby where he would be guarded by the sisters.

"The sisters were nothing but kind and compassionate to me," Junguk said. "Sister Kun-Kun did her very best to help me with my communication skills. It got to the point where I could talk and no one would suspect a thing. I could speak my mind with more confidence than before. It would take me a while to get my tics under control, though. And that was when I met Imona. Two years later."

"Were you one of her patients?"

"Yeah."

Junguk would soon find out that Imona had gone through her own trauma. An aspiring healer and mind specialist who was engaged to be married, she had only been in practice for about a few months when an assault attempt had left her heavily wounded.

"He was a bloodbender," Junguk whispered, moisture and anger swirling in his eyes. "The guy who tried to force himself on her. It was bad, Sokka, really bad."

Kuunnguaq and her team found Imona when she was on the floor, bleeding heavily, the lower half of her body covered in blood that spilled in torrents from her bloodbent loins. It had gotten so bad to the point where many healers thought she wouldn't be able to have children anymore given the damage done to her reproductive system in general. And Imona's impression of tribesmen was further mutilated after her fiancé canceled the engagement and got engaged and married to another woman the week after. When Imu was still recovering in the infirmary. Lady ended up healing Imona after much effort and a long eight months, but the wounds in Imona's heart were yet to be healed.

"It was several months before Imona started practicing again. It was her first day back, and I was her first patient. She yelled at me. Strictly because I was a man. She let out all of her anger at me. And then she cried. A lot." Sighing, "I went back, though, the next day. Not gonna lie, I was intrigued when I first saw her. She's very pretty. But after her episode, I felt like I should do something. She was hurt really badly, and Khasiq's reckless system is to blame. I didn't want her kicked out of her job, so I went back telling her supervisors that she was really helpful to me on the first day. And I guess...I guess she was intrigued, too, by the gesture."

Even though he was her patient, they didn't have the typical healer-patient type of relationship. Rather, they were both healers, and they were both looking to be healed and loved. Imona saw that he held a passion for healing and encouraged him to pursue it regardless of the dichotomies set up by society. Kuunnguaq gave him extensive training in just a short time, and he'd picked up very quickly, making history. Junguk found a companion in Imona in the process, and Imona found for herself a man of strong conviction, righteous rebellion (given his permanent split form Khasiq), profound sensitivity to others' struggles, and an exemplary healer— the first-ever tribesman to have officially received healer training in the recent centuries— in spite of the limitations presented by his neurodevelopmental condition.

Imona told him very frankly that she was always going to have her suspicions about tribesmen. Because the environment here is like that. Very mistrustful of men. The few that were becoming infamous were ruining it for the rest of the tribefolk. But when it came to Junguk, she said she was willing to share the rest of her life with him with no doubts or questions in mind. Junguk was quick to realize that he would always be one of the very few men Imona would ever trust, just as he had profound trust and faith in Imona. They were both healing in their own ways, picking each other up from their pasts, and in the process, they swore that we would always protect each other. And they never looked back ever since that moment. After Imona exited the Revivalist group, she and Junguk got married at the Moon Temple, and they moved to the Earth Kingdom. The change in environment and the fresh approach to a new culture helped ease Imona's bitterness to a large degree. And at present, they were a family of nine, their household including the two of them, their five children, and Junguk's mother and grandmother.

"We would've abandoned the Water Tribe for good if it wasn't for the Revivalist sisters and especially Sister Kuunnguaq," Junguk said. "The only reason we're coming back is to see her and our friends here. You see, Kun-Kun is not at all like Imona or Amka or Sanka or any of the other sisters. She's strong, but she's also very sensitive."

Indeed, Kuunnguaq is very fine-tuned to recognizing the struggles of others, and she felt emotions more deeply than most and got carried away in them regularly even if she appeared to be calm. She was the type of person to do anything and everything to make sure others were comfortable, but it seemed she had no time to care for herself. Junguk and Imona knew she worked long long hours in "that hellhole of a palace," but they were living too far away to find ways to be next to her.

"She doesn't like attacking people. She preaches patience and love in a time when those things do nothing to keep our women safe. And every time, we try to convince her to leave the North behind and start a new life in the Earth Kingdom. That way, she can be close to us so we can look after each other. But Kuunnguaq is very stubborn, I tell you. She insists that she doesn't want to leave the North." Junguk frowned, "That's why Imona gets very emotional and downright disturbed when she sees strangers interacting with our sisters, especially with Kuunnguaq." Swallowing a lump in his throat, "So...I guess what I'm trying to say is...please don't mind my wife's harshness, Sokka."

"Hey, no worries, man," Sokka assured him. "To be honest, I'm not surprised by this kind of treatment anymore. I don't mean that in a bad way. I mean that the situation's not good here." Softening his look, "The sisters in the tribe have been hurt badly. This is a result of all that hurt."

"I know it's no excuse for her to be so suspicious about someone honorable like you, and it takes a lot of maturity to still give her a chance, but do give her some time, if you will. You're a great friend, and I know it shouldn't take long for her to see that."

"Don't worry about it. I won't take it personally. Her problem's not with me anyway. She'd probably say that to any guy who was in my place."

"Again, it's no excuse…"

"But I can understand where Sister Imona is coming from, and what happened to her…" concern and horror filled his gaze, "it's horrible to even think about…and I could never expect her to dismiss it so easily and take risks after that because the tribe really is crappy right now. But thank you anyway, Brother Junguk."

A little smile, "I can't be your brother if I'm Kuunnguaq's brother."

Gulping, "Uh...what?"

"Don't act so innocent. You like Kun-Kun, don't you?"

"I...well yeah, everyone likes Kuunnguaq."

"Not the way you seem to like her," Junguk smiled, making eye contact long enough to see the warrior's fumbling expression.

"Is it that obvious?" Sokka eventually sighed.

"Oh yeah, very."

"Have you been taking care of yourself?"

"Yes, Imona."

"Seriously," she frowned, "I know you're still ruminating about what happened last night. I always tell you: observe, not absorb. Take deep breaths, meditate, come to the present moment. Distance yourself from what's happening. You're not the sponge-coral of society to absorb all the struggles around you. You need to learn to let things go."

Indeed, it was one of the many things that kept Imona awake some nights following negative incidents that happened in the tribe. Yue had the habit of empathizing too much with people.

"Alright," Yue reassured her. "I won't think about it anymore. Happy?"

"I'll be happy when you get your sleep first. You don't look well at all."

"There's still so much I have to do, though—"

"You always have things to do," Imona snapped. "When will you start thinking about yourself? Working in that dumb palace for those good-for-nothing wages, walking around Khasiq's imbeciles. Working there is basically choosing suicide."

"It's not all bad," Yue said. "I have friends there. The aunties and sisters in the kitchens—"

"They barely have time for their own lives," Imona rolled her eyes.

"Maybe the princess will have more people appointed so I will have less to do," Yue said. "Why not wait it out for a few days?"

"That so-called 'princess' didn't even appoint a war minister. And she's keeping the Nationalists close, probably so she can be spared," the ex-Revivalist huffed. "Seems like she's a coward to me. Like father like daughter—"

"It would be nice if you got to know Her Highness before jumping to conclusions, Sister Imona."

They turned to see Sokka at the door, his arms crossed.

"You haven't left yet?" Imona asked.

"Prince Sokka needed my help with something," Yue answered. "Just two minutes, isumataq, and we'll go."

"No worries, Baby Blue."

"Baby Blue?" Imona frowned and looked at her friend, "Why does he call you that?"

"It's just a nickname—"

"Well it sounds like something a boyfriend would call his girlfriend," she interrupted Yue. "How would you know? You're innocent. This gentleman here could be making a move on you, and you wouldn't know it—"

"With all due respect, it wasn't meant to be like that, Sister Imona," the Southern prince said, but Imona was not moved.

"Prince Sokka is quite the gentleman," Yue said. "He's one of my good friends."

"Don't certify him as a friend too soon. You just met him about an hour ago."

"Actually, we met each other beforehand—"

"So he'd been following you around, huh?" Imona glared at the prince. "Men like you would drool over women but know absolutely nothing about caring for them. You claim her to be your friend, and you see that she looks exhausted, and you still want her running errands for you? It's because of men like you that our women are turning to dust on the spot—"

"Imona, please, don't misunderstand the situation," Yue said. "Prince Sokka is very kind and caring. In fact, his company has made the last few days very fun for me." She smiled at the prince, "Isn't that right?"

And the dreamy look that Imona saw on the Sokka's face confirmed her suspicions that the prince was, indeed, very into their leader.

Suki decided to forego her face paint and dressed quite nicely as she made her way through the inner ring in a gondola. Upon approaching the space leading up to the Crescent Moon Estate, she quickly hit the snow and sprinted up to the estate, holding up her Kyoshi pin to the guards. They led her to the courtyard through which she spotted the entrance. Noticing a few maids sitting on the steps by the front door, she decided to approach them.

"Excuse me?"

One of the maids looked up at her. "Yes ma'am?"

"Is, um, Prince Sokka here? I need to talk to him about something important..." her cheeks slightly colored.

"Yeah, he's in. Sleeping."

"Sleeping? But it's three hours past midday."

"I have no idea," said the second maid. "He's been acting a little weird today."

"Weird? How?" the Kyoshi warrior asked.

"Well first off, he didn't go on that tour today. He said he got diarrhea. And right after everyone else went on tour, he disappeared to Spirits-know-where."

"He then sent us a letter telling us to close all the windows in Princess Katara's room to keep it dark, and he told us to tidy up the place and make it comfortable."

"Then he brings in this veiled healer lady and tells her he needs her to check on Princess Katara," the third maid explained.

"What's wrong with Princess Katara?" Suki asked worriedly. "Is she alright?"

"She's never better actually," the first maid said, "She and Prince Kohana are with Avatar Aang somewhere in the outskirts. And Prince Sokka already knew about this. I don't know why he still brought in that mystery girl."

"He took the lady to Princess Katara's room and told her to wait there," added the third maid. "Then he came back down and told us not to bother the lady, and then he fell asleep on the couch."

"And when we went to check on the lady, she was asleep."

Suki frowned. "Wait...so you're saying Sokka brought in a friend and…?"

"She seems more like a girlfriend than a friend, to be honest."

"Did he say she's his girlfriend?" Suki felt a surge of panic.

"No, but they talked for a long time and laughed and stuff, and Prince Sokka was flirting with her quite a bit."

"They even had lunch together and had moonroot tea. He was helping her with the dishes and everything, and that man never sets foot in the kitchen for any other purpose than to eat."

"Do you know who that was?" Suki asked. "Any idea who she might be?"

"No, but she has the uniform of a palace servant. He calls her 'Baby Blue.' I don't think that's her real name, but…"

The Kyoshi warrior looked at the front entrance before deciding against her initial intention; she disappointedly turned back the way she came, wondering if this was the same woman Sokka had been after the night of the ball. She also wondered if this meant anything significant. Could it be that he was in love with this mystery girl?

The maids, meanwhile, sighed and leaned against the front pillars, peeking inside to see the prince sprawled out on the distant hallway on the pelt couch, his mouth swung open as drool dripped onto the pelts and snores soared through the room. A tiny spider-fly had decided to make his mouth its home, weaving a tiny web connected to the roof of his mouth. The maids gagged and shared unamused looks. "That's one strange prince we're looking at."