Chapter 56: Adieu and Hope
"I can't believe you're making us leave already, Hacky," Amaruq frowned, approaching the Southern chieftain who was packing his belongings, "We haven't been here for very long."
"A week's not enough for you?"
"We want to see the North in its entirety. This place is Tui's heaven on earth!"
"More like La's hell."
"You didn't think that when you and Kya went on tours after tours the first few days," the chief's brother-in-law pointed out with raised eyebrows. "And then you learned about the Akna and all of a sudden this place became La's hell for you?"
"Not everything revolves around the Akna," came the response. "The North may be beautiful on the outside, but all of this grandeur is just to hide the fact that it's a wreck on the inside."
"In many ways, it's better than the South. At least there's justice at work here. Back home, we're not even putting up a fight since we didn't even have food to eat."
"It's your liberal ideas that made my children turn out like this," Hakoda grumbled, grabbing hold of a thick scroll on the nearby table, "See for yourself what your nephew did."
Amaruq skimmed over the scroll before settling his gaze towards the very bottom, "One million gold pieces? This wasn't part of the speech, was it?"
"No, but he added it," Hakoda said. "He wants to donate over half of his personal shares to the Akna's charity projects—"
"And how is this bad? He's only donating from his personally allotted shares. He's not touching your stuff. Let the boy do what he wants. He's doing a noble thing—"
"The issue isn't that he's touching my stuff. He can do whatever he wants with his shares, but I never authorized him to change this speech—"
"You authorized him to feed the tribe and lead missions, didn't you?" Amaruq shot back. "What now, he can't add something that'll be of considerable benefit to good causes?"
Hakoda dropped the conversation then and there with, "Of course you wouldn't understand." Slamming his packed trunk to a close, "Anyhow, you said you wanted to spend time with Kya. I've arranged for us to spend a few weeks at Whaletail Island before she and I go back to the South. We'll have a good time there. So forget about the North and get packing. There are certain people who don't want to come with us; we won't be standing around begging them to come."
Amaruq hardened his gaze, "You sure are a good husband, Hacky. It would be nice if you allow your son to care for the woman he likes that way, too. Like the way you care for my sister and ease her burden."
Hakoda said nothing, leaving for his room to bring another trunk and more of his belongings to pack. He noticed his wife sitting up in bed and looking out of the window absentmindedly as she folded a few clothes.
"Kya?" he settled beside her, and his arm wrapped around her, "You're not asleep yet? I told you I'll take care of the packing, darling."
"It's fine. I couldn't sleep anyway."
He kissed her forehead, "You should be excited. I made arrangements for us to stay at Whaletail Island for three weeks. You get to spend more time with your brother."
"Hm…" the chieftess laid her head against Hakoda's shoulder.
"Sokka's not back yet?"
"You noticed he left…?"
"There's nothing to really notice other than the fact that he hasn't really been home at night," he said. "Either he leaves early or comes in very late or both."
Kya wrapped her arms around her husband's arm, "Do you want to go for a walk? Or maybe a gondola ride?"
"Right now?" he asked, alarmed.
"I heard some gondoliers stay late at night in the middle ring. It'll be safe." Gently squeezing his hand, "If anything's going to happen, it will be in the inner ring. Where people can target the princess all they want. But we'll be okay in the middle ring."
"Kya, are you sure? The situation is kind of…"
"I want to get out of here for a few minutes, Hakoda, please."
And Hakoda found he couldn't protest, honestly feeling the same disheartenment that she was likely feeling with regard to their son. "Alright. Ping's on the night shift. He can escort us to the middle ring. We can go for a quick gondola ride, just the two of us, and then he'll escort us back. How's that?"
She nodded, "Okay."
The Southern chief and chieftess covered their faces with their mufflers as they stepped into the gondola. Hakoda took the initiative to row for the sake of their privacy, and their gondola soon traversed the waters of the canals. The chieftain made sure to keep the ride smooth and slow, allowing the Southern leaders ample time to take in the sights around them. The glittering waters, the paper decorations, the street lanterns that lit up their path, the lanternlight that bounced off of the snowy buildings, everything lit up their eyes. The festive atmosphere was worn by tours and activities of the international guests, but it didn't fail to captivate all who passed by with a persistent ambiance of celebration.
"Regardless of how it is on the inside, the North really is as beautiful as Tui on the outside," Kya mused in all honesty. "It makes you feel like you never want to leave…even makes you want to model the South after this…"
Hakoda sighed, "I know."
"But that's how sin is," she shook her head, "Irresistibly attractive."
"Yes…" the chieftain kept getting lost in the luminous grandeur balanced against the dark night. Like Kya, he noted bitterly that tomorrow would be the long-anticipated yet long-dreaded full moon: the full moon that marked its significance in Sokka's birth chart and was set to seal Sokka's fate.
"There's no way we will find someone suitable in twenty-four hours."
Hakoda paused rowing, and they both looked up at the sky, seeing the waxing gibbous that taunted them with its near-complete luminosity.
"Even if we wanted to marry him off as soon as he comes back to the South, what tribesman of self-respect is willing to give his daughter our son in marriage? Especially if the tribe finds out Sokka's been spending his nights with a woman he's not married to? People will spit in our faces."
"Hakoda—"
"If he was younger we would've disciplined him, but how can you discipline a grown man?
"He's confused, that's all there is to it," Kya defended. "You said she's the spitting image of Tui. How can he not be drawn to that image? Now I'm not saying La is dumb enough to fall for every imposter and think she's Tui, but…you have to remember that La chose to be among us. He blessed us. And as such, he's going to be human for us. Maybe this is his way of reiterating that sin presents itself in attractive ways. Maybe he's willing to go through that for us…" Taking a deep breath, "And this isn't just about who he really is. He's our boy, Hakoda. He's never crossed the line before…"
But Hakoda didn't seem convinced in the least. "Lust can make you forget many things, many people, Kya. We've seen plenty of examples. Remember Inchika's boy, Minnaruq, a few years ago? His father didn't want him to be married so soon so he could help him with his canoe business. The boy went off and got a woman pregnant before wedlock. His father never liked that woman's family but he was forced to accept her as his daughter-in-law. See, this is what happens if we don't marry our children off in time for them to start discovering their needs."
Kya frowned, shaking her head, "But Sokka's not like that—"
"But can we ever be sure?" Hakoda said with a burdened look in his eyes. "Maybe…maybe we don't know Sokka as much as we do…Just a few weeks ago I felt like the proudest father alive for everything he's done to uphold the tribe, and here I am now, dreading the day he gets that woman pregnant and brings her to our doorstep—"
"He wouldn't cross the line, he's our son! He's La, Hakoda, he'd never forget his morals!"
"I'm just saying we can't be su—"
"Don't talk about him like that! I never want to hear you say anything like that ever again—"
"Alright, alright, don't get too upset," he held her by her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I won't say it ever again."
Their conversation was interrupted by distinct voices; there seemed to be a group of people on the far end of the canal alongside one of the sidewalks that led to a space of tundra. There were several tribefolk huddled around, cheering and hollering and whooping. They were barely being contained by the Loyalist and Revivalist guards, the cheering folk separated from another group of tribesmen and women who were crying out for their children.
"What's happening over there?"
"We don't have to know," Hakoda began to turn the canoe back, "Let's just go home—"
"Long live our dronningi! Long live our dronningi!"
"Let's just go see," Kya pressed.
"But Kya—"
"Sokka could be there if the Akna is."
Won over by the need to get their son away from ridiculous matters that did not concern him— in the event that he and the princess actually were there— the Southern leaders, keeping their mufflers up, headed over to the commotion. Hakoda docked the gondola a little ways down the sidewalk, and before long, he and Kya headed over to the crowd to investigate. By now, the crowd had spread out pursuant to the guards' demands and efforts to keep the lay tribefolk out of whatever skirmish that had captivated them.
Hakoda kept his arm around his wife as they squeezed through the crowd. They eventually spotted a building a few feet ahead, but it was blocked by several guards, who had formed a line between the crowd and the skirmish in front of the building.
"What's going on here?" Hakoda asked the man besided him.
"I dunno, but the princess is over there!" he said with a spring of excitement in his voice.
The Southern leaders caught glimpses and peeks of the situation through what they could see through extended elbows and turning heads. They eventually saw that the doors of the building were wide open, and several guards were rushing out with children— all of them seeming to be young boys of various ages, from those who were yet to learn to walk to those who streaked across the tundra. At one point, the watching tribefolk saw the cloaked princess whose presence stirred the crowd and sent the tribefolk into a wild frenzy of cheer. She was wearing a servant's uniform, likely having been on another undercover mission, and she, too, was holding a child in each arm as she stepped out.
"What, is she stealing children from people's homes now?" Hakoda scoffed at the man beside him, "And you call her a leader ?"
The man frowned, "Take a closer look before jumping to conclusions."
The Southern leaders then saw that Sokka darted out of the building. He, too, was carrying a toddler in one arm, his other arm wrapped around the shoulders of a boy who walked beside him, clinging to him. Sokka subsequently entrusted the children over to the guards who were blocking the view; the guards held each young child up, facing the group of flailing parents, "The parents of these children come forth!"
And immediately, tribesmen and women propelled themselves forward and took their children into their arms, lost in sobs of relief as they immediately left the scene, holding their children close to their bosoms. The older children dodged the guards and ran over to their parents.
The process was the same for the other children taken out of the building. This process went on for a few more minutes before a group of guards stepped out, dragging with them a woman who seemed to comply. At least, until she seized her opportunity by surprising the guards with several kicks to their shins, punches in their eyes that temporarily disabled them. She grabbed hold of a boy from one of the guards she'd injured and whipped out a dagger from her boot, holding it up against the crying boy. A couple from the crowd shrieked and panicked, having to be held back by several guards.
"Even a single step closer and you'll have blood on your hands, Princess!" the tribeswoman hollered, a wild look in her eyes.
Yue simply raised her eyebrows, the act sending a water whip that struck the woman from behind, pushing her forward. The princess lunged forth, catching the boy in her arms before swinging her leg and bringing the woman down to the ground, pinning her against the snow, the princess's foot lodged against the woman's back. The tribeswoman struggled before losing consciousness once the princess pressed her fingers against the pressure points at the woman's neck.
"Take her away," Yue ordered, and the guards hastened to bind the woman's hands together before taking her into custody. The boy's parents wasted no time in rushing forward and taking him from the princess.
"If you're not a parent who needs their child healed, you need to vacate!" Sokka commanded, "Guards, clear the area! Sisters, we need an ice tent!"
"On it, isumataq !"
The Southern leaders continued to gape at the scene until the tribesman beside them interrupted them, providing some explication. "You see that woman they just arrested? She's a fraud. Said she ran a spiritual education institute for families looking to pass priesthood down the line. Said parents have to give up their children to the institute for the first twelve years of their life so the kids will 'maintain connection to the spiritual premises' and whatnot. Damn bitch didn't teach those poor kids a single thing. Just starved them away and physically abused them. Didn't even give 'em enough water to drink, I heard. Never fed those babies right."
"That's horrible!" Kya shuddered. "Who would do such a thing?!"
"And if I recall correctly, children in training are usually given up to temples," Hakoda glared, "How can those parents be so irresponsible?"
"You see, she sweet-talked those parents and said she set this place up in collaboration with several high profile authorities. Even worse, she said the parents can't be in contact with their kids 'cause that'll distract them from their spiritual path and all that yakshit. Several parents gave their children up and were forced to stay out of contact until the princess's guards notified them of what's really happening. All those religious leaders she named are now gonna be under intense investigation."
Hakoda and Kya looked back to their son and the princess. The Southern prince, holding a toddler in his arms, was seemingly making a fuss about a cut on the princess's palm. The panic on his face was alleviated only when she healed herself.
"How did the princess find out?" Hakoda asked.
"The princess and Prince Sokka apparently went to have dinner together. I think they saw the woman there with an older kid. They must've gotten suspicious and followed her here. Called a few guards and raided the building."
Kya and Hakoda looked around, noticing how some of the parents who'd stayed behind were preoccupied with feeding their malnourished children, crying and kissing them. Kya dabbed at her eyes, brushing back her tears, "Those poor children…"
"Does everyone here have their child?" the princess's voice caught their attention. The Southern prince followed, addressing all who had gathered, referring to the baby in his arms, "Who are the parents of this boy? No one's here to claim him yet!"
No response came other than the boy's own bawling, which abated with the prince gently rocking him. "There should be records somewhere in the building," he told the princess. "All the parents who enrolled their kids here must've signed some sort of log book or something. Maybe agreement papers? We can have someone check for them."
"Good idea."
The presence of a looming ice tent followed seconds later. Sokka was settled on a pelt inside, the boy he'd been holding now lying in his lap as a Revivalist guard brought him a bottle of warm yak milk. The prince fed the child as the Northern dronningi sat nearby, examining a young boy's bruised hand, both young leaders trying to calm the distressed parents.
"Your Majesties?"
Kya and Hakoda were soon interrupted by a hand that settled on the Southern chief's shoulder. "Oh, Ping, it's you."
"I've been looking everywhere for you both."
"We got side tracked," Kya admitted, and with softened eyes, the Southern couple looked back over to their son, who was now flipping through the records that a guard had brought to him while continuing to feed the boy in his lap. The isumataq then looked over to the princess and voiced his findings as she nodded and joined him, her healing work now taken over by Junguk.
"For the past few days, you've been so worried about what Isumataq Sokka was doing late at night," Ping said, "And you refused to believe it's social service. See for yourself now."
The leaders found it difficult to swallow their guilt, and not for the first time since their stay in the North.
"I am of the opinion that you should reconcile before leaving."
Kya and Hakoda shared uncertain looks at Ivaneq's suggestion. The Southern chieftess then sighed, admitting, "Would she want that? I mean…I've spoken rather harshly to her before this. It's likely weighing heavily on her mind."
"When did this happen?" Hakoda asked her.
"When I went to bring Sokka back from the Moon Temple."
"Well that certainly does not help things," Ivaneq noted, "But even if she may not appreciate what happened, she will likely be willing to hear a sincere explanation of how you felt you were wrong and what you appreciate about her. Tell her about what you saw last night. How you realized you misunderstood her. This will all help in making superficial amends, at least, and will preserve the harmony of our tribes."
When the leaders failed to give an adequate reply, Ivaneq added further, "You will be leaving tonight anyway, and you will have no other reason to come all the way back up here. If you wish, you may avoid meeting with her until the end of time. But for now, for he sake of tribal harmony, you cannot refuse."
After indulging in a few more minutes of deep thought, Kya let up and nodded, "Alright. We would like to meet with her."
The boy seated in Yue's lap giggled and clapped as Sokka made funny faces. With every second, the princess kept melting, which in turn increased her rage regarding the horrors that had happened overnight.
"I didn't say anything to those parents 'cause they were already in pain, but it was extremely dumb on their part," Sokka said, voicing her inner thoughts. "Now these poor kids will have this incident embedded in their memories."
"That's what I'm saying!" she nearly threw her hands up, exasperated, "Thankfully the children hadn't been with that bitch for too long, and thank the Spirits they weren't hurt as bad as they could've been if they stayed longer." Glaring at the ground, "Who'd just give their children away like that? And I don't know what kind of sadistic pleasure someone would get from starving children."
"She's gotta be a psychopath," he sighed, shaking his head. "I honestly don't understand why tribefolk are so obsessed with useless traditions and austerities just to give offerings to pieces of stone. For one, these kids aren't old enough to consent to these things. What if they don't wanna be priests? Are these people that hypocritical to worship stones but give zero value to human worth? They're putting priorities in the wrong place. And even if they did have their priorities in the wrong fucking place, giving up their kids that easily just 'cause some idiot said they can summon La or whatever? How the fuck could they believe someone like that?"
"If these parents had the wisdom to see La in their children and their smiles, none of this would've happened," Yue huffed. "La is the Spirit of Life. He's a provider; he would hate for you to starve to realize Him. This should be so obvious, but unfortunately it's not."
The boy babbled in response as if he knew what they were talking about, raising his voice and jumping up and down. Yue laughed, part of her rage thawing away.
"This guy speaks the truth," Sokka said, patting the boy on the back, "Tell 'em, my man."
They were interrupted by entry of Sanka, Imona, Sayen, and Kanguq. Yue furrowed her eyebrows, "Any information?"
"We questioned her assistants," Sanka said. "Apparently this boy was taken from an orphanage in Muktang. All of the other boys were willingly enrolled by their parents, but this one's not going to have anyone come for him."
Yue felt the child burp against her shoulder, which brought a soft smile to her lips in spite of the news. As much as she would love to keep and nurture him, she was obviously not in a position to do so and knew she was thinking through the lens of her maternal instincts right now. Imona saw right through her, stating with a frown, "You got that look on your face again."
"What look?" Yue blinked.
"As if mothering the nation isn't enough," Imona huffed. "You can't take care of everyone at every minute."
Sayen brushed back the little boy's curls, "There's no need for anyone to worry about this. Kanguq and I will raise him as if he's our own."
"Yes," Kanguq followed with a smile.
"Are you sure?" Yue asked.
"Of course," Kanguq took the boy from the princess, "From today onwards, he's our son. Uki will now have two new siblings instead of one."
"Congrats, new parents," Sokka smiled. "All you need to do now is think of a name for him. He can't be 'Little Guy' for the rest of his life."
Sayen took the boy next, holding him to her bosom. "Kur'Aninni," she beamed. "'The Great One's blessing.'"
Yue smiled widely before being reminded of the situation at hand. "What about that woman?" she turned to Sanka, "Did you find out why she and her assistants were doing all of this?"
"They're predators, Kuunnguaq. Misandrists. They purposefully chose this field so they can target little boys. It's their way of retaliation. Similar to Hama."
The mention of the terrorist made Yue's blood run cold.
"The only difference is that Hama was teaching women to bloodbend and take revenge. That woman was directly taking revenge on helpless little boys—"
"They're babies ! They don't go about raping people like these adult monsters! Is our nation really that full of heartless imbeciles?" Yue clenched her fists.
"That's why you shouldn't give her the whole picture at once," Imona frowned at the other Revivalists.
"I think we've heard enough for one day," Sokka stepped in, trying to calm the princess's rage. "Your Highness, it's okay, it'll be okay. The kids are safe."
"Children should be raised with love, tenderness, compassion," Yue said, wincing, "How did she have the heart to…?"
"Not to justify that cold-blooded bitch's actions or anything, but there's a reason why she's deranged to the point of all of her empathy and humanity being nearly erased," Sanka said. "She had a horrible past. She had a daughter ten years into her marriage. Her husband was apparently having an affair with a rich woman; he'd been trying to get his wife out of the picture for many years. He first told his parents he wanted the marriage annulled because she was barren. When she finally got pregnant, he severely beat her and almost caused her to miscarry. She had to go live with her parents until she had the baby. Her parents thought they could talk it out with the family and sent her back after a few talks or whatever, but when she was asleep, her husband asphyxiated their infant daughter and blamed her for the baby's death. She was put in prison, charged with killing her own child."
The room went silent, tension weighing the air down. Yue gulped, "What happened after that…?"
"She escaped prison and brutally killed the husband and his parents. Changed her name to Kirinah and moved five hundred miles to the south; she's originally from Inpinga."
"Oh joy, leave it to another man to fuck up the world."
Sokka swallowed with great difficulty, fear freezing his entire being throughout the story, even more so with Imona's comment. He stared at the princess, fearing her reaction, dreading if she'd lose all hope in men.
"The very basics of self respect tell us not to spend a single second around people who treat us so horribly, especially if those people are husbands and in-laws, but like all tribeswomen and their families, she and her parents didn't get the memo," Yue sighed. "And also, a grown-ass monster killed her child, not these babies. If she was angry at just that man, this all would've ended with her killing him or her getting justice. But it seems she's enraged with society itself and took it out on innocent children. However you slice it, she's a psycho undeserving of sympathy. Her actions will never be excused, and as long as she's alive, she's never leaving the confines of prison. My infinite gratitude goes out to the Great Spirit for allowing us to prevent the rise of another Hama."
Sokka found it heartbreaking to see how utterly pale the princess had gotten. He wanted to say something to ease the pain, to do something that would provide some sort of comfort, but he was muted by the collective pain and frustration, feeling lowly yet again despite him being the antithesis of the monsters that caused this situation.
"Shit happens, Kuunnguaq. You can't stop it each time. You're only human," Imona said. "But you were lucky enough to do something about this. If you and the isumataq hadn't gone out for dinner, those children would've still been suffering in that building, and we would've been caught up in our busy lives to really notice."
"Yeah, you two were just in time," Sanka said.
Sayen, who took notice of Sokka's plight, added, "Prince Sokka was also a huge help. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have been so efficient in rounding up that bitch and her crew."
"Yes, of course," Yue said, clearing her throat. "I, uh…I'm going to meditate. I'll meet you at the conference, isumataq ." A faint smile, "I know you'll do well."
"Your Highness, I—"
The creaking of the door caught their attention. Ivaneq stepped in, wearing a look of both caution and determination on his face. "This isn't a good time, is it?"
"Don't hold back," Yue said.
"It's just that, um…Chief Hakoda and Chieftess Kya…"
Sokka widened his eyes, immediately shaking his head at Ivaneq in an anxious attempt to stop him.
"What did they start now?" Imona snarled.
Ivaneq sighed, giving Sokka a reassuring look before telling the princess, "They are here to reconcile, Your Highness."
"That's not necessary. No one is forcing anyone to apologize."
"It's not a matter of force, Your Highness, they're sincerely—"
But Yue didn't stick around to listen, simply walking out of the room. She didn't stop even as the others followed, even as Ivaneq remained resilient in his reconciliation efforts. As she walked down the hallway, looking to cut through the nearest leisure chamber, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Southern chief and chieftess seated against the pelt cushions. Immediately upon seeing her, they rose to their feet.
The air became much thicker as the princess simmered by. True to what Sokka and the Revivalists who had followed all noticed, the Southern leaders had certainly destroyed their pride in coming here. They also held a considerable amount of hesitation coupled with nervousness; the dronningi was, after all, someone who had the capacity to drown the nation as she saw fit. But more than that, even, was the look of pure shock on Kya's face, reminiscent of the shock that Hakoda had experienced when he first saw the princess. It was no surprise that the dronningi's maskless appearance halted the world as it was currently doing with respect to Kya's world. The Southern chieftess widened her eyes, drinking in the divine sight before her, unable to believe this was the woman she spoke so brusquely to the previous day. This was the princess? This was the Akna?
And granted, Kya had told herself the coincidence was the temptation of sin, but how truly beautiful was the princess...like Tui herself …and the sight literally evoked tears of absolute awe. It's no wonder she has Sokka wrapped around her finger, she thought.
"Your Highness," Ivaneq called, "Your Highness, please. In the name of the Spirits—"
"For the well-being of our tribes, Princess," Hakoda said, "Please, give us a chance to speak. We come in peace."
To which she came to a pause, her back still facing the Southern leaders. No matter; every move, every swish of the princess's hair, every swivel of her robes… She has to be Tui, Kya was on the verge of thinking.
"There's nothing to talk about," Sokka glared at his father, "Just go back to the estate before yakshit hits the ceiling—"
"We are here to apologize. With utmost sincerity. We are not here to argue."
"See, Your Highness?" Ivaneq said, "Please, have a seat. We can talk this out—"
"I'm not interested, Ivaneq," Yue crossed her arms. "Tell them to just say what it is they want to say."
The chief cleared his throat, seeming as if he was waging a war within himself as he struggled out, "I crossed a line I shouldn't have. Several lines, actually. You have done a lot for us, and…and I was being ungrateful. Regardless of… your beliefs and ideologies," his brow furrowed, "my words were insensitive."
"An apology is worthless if it's not sincere, Ivaneq," Yue said. "Please tell our guests that I wouldn't want them to waste their valuable time by attempting one."
"We really do regret what happened, Princess," came Kya's interjection, but she still didn't eye the princess, especially after having freshly insulted her at the temple.
Yue sighed, "Ivaneq, even without looking at them, I can still see both of them flinch away from me as I speak. I'm not so naive as to not see the disgust in their eyes. And if I were to take even a step towards them, they will no doubt run out of the chamber."
Sokka bit his lip, itching to interrupt but was held back by Kanguq, who simply shook his head, gesturing for him to stay calm.
"I know they're here because they don't want me flooding the South or something," Yue said. "Because they've seen what I'm capable of, and they don't want to be targetted. But I'm not a monster. I'm not out to get anyone or swallow anyone up. I have morals…even if they don't think I do."
The Southern leaders weren't sure of what to say because she was right when she said they were here partly out of intimidation.
"I care about the South, too," Yue said. "The North may be where I was born, and it may be where most of the problems have been actively displayed at the forefront thus far, but I view the North and South equally. We're two tribes but still one country." Sighing, "But leave it be."
"Your Highness, please allow Chief Hakoda and Chieftess Kya a chance—"
"There's absolutely nothing to revisit," Yue said clearly. "I personally would like to put the past behind me. I have far more important things to worry about. And besides, none of us are schoolchildren on the playground to be engaged in petty disputes and lifelong grudges, so there's nothing anyone should fear . I don't intend on stopping the aid I'm sending to the South. I don't intend on demanding my gifts to be returned. The people of the South are my people, too; I want nothing more than for them to recover from their economic blows and stand on their own two feet."
No one reacted for another minute or two, clearly uncomfortable with being here longer than they should.
"I expect nothing from Chief Hakoda or his family," Yue said. "I absolutely despise being reliant on others in any way, especially when those people find me a disgrace. I don't expect their respect, their company, their apology, nor do I crave a place in their tribe or family."
Sokka bit down hard on his lip, making it bleed. He earned a sympathetic look from the Revivalists, even from Imona to a degree.
"Our guests are not obligated to maintain a harmonious relation with me. They are not obligated to like me. They're not obligated to speak with me or see my face or do anything that would be injurious to their religious purity."
"We don't hate you, Princess," Hakoda began, "It's just that…we're in a very difficult position that we can't describe—"
"Ivaneq, none of that is my concern. While I do wish that both of our tribes maintain deep friendship and camaraderie, my personal interaction with our guests will be no more than a pure business transaction. And another thing: I don't see myself consorting intimately with anyone until I see the change I want to see. And by the looks of things, that will probably be when I'm old and bony. So let justice be my lover; Prince Sokka is a dear friend, and our friendship will stay that way. There is nothing our guests should have to worry about."
Sokka gulped down the lump in his throat, looking away.
"I've seen things I can't unsee, and I've heard things I can't unhear….and I'm not taking any chances," Yue said, failing to prevent a tiny ray of vulnerability from shooting through. "Anyhow, I've said enough. Brother Ivaneq, please be sure to have someone deliver holy water to their door in a few minutes. Also see to it that they have a safe trip home."
She didn't waste another moment in the chamber, holding her hand up to prevent the Revivalists from following her. Hakoda, clearly displeased by the reception they got, "It's good that your princess is so self aware of her duties, Ivaneq. It would be nice if she was aware of her roots, too, so that she doesn't continue making a fool of herself."
Luckily, the princess was out of earshot by then, but Sokka still glared angrily and miserably at his father before walking out in pure disgust.
Amaruq took a whiff of the gin in his cup before wolfing down the contents. He leaned back against his pelted chair, eyeing his nephew, who had declined to drink given the Conference that awaited him. Handing his cup to the warrior, "Pour me some more, will ya?"
The prince nodded, complying.
"What does your dad say?" Amaruq asked. "Did he say the magic word yet?"
"Disown?" Sokka gave a dry chuckle, "He's getting there, I think."
"Bah," taking the cup from his nephew, "It's nothin' to be afraid of, son. Disownment isn't too bad. Either they want nothin' to do with ya or they'll always come back for ya." Drinking up the gin at a slower pace this time, "They're family after all. They see you started one of your own, and they'll be up all over your babies. Grandkids: often times they're the solution."
"Are you trying to encourage me to do certain things?"
"No, merciful Spirits," he took a sip of his gin, "I'm just saying that disownment sounds scary…but if your heart's in the right place, it's not as bad as it sounds. If I were you, I'd rather be disowned than let go of someone like the princess."
"You seem so confident," Sokka said. "You happen to know anybody who was disowned?"
Chuckling, "You're looking at him, my boy."
Furrowing his eyebrows, "Uncle Amaruq, you're not disowned."
"Said who?"
For several moments, Sokka said nothing, only repeatedly blinking at his uncle as Amaruq poured himself another cup, the smile on his face a mixture of faint sadness followed by a rare dose of pride. "You're not being serious, are you?"
"My boy," the man's giant hand landed on Sokka's shoulder, "It's time you knew."
Widening his eyes, "Uncle Amaruq, were you really…?"
"Yep!" drinking down the cup's contents yet again before throwing it aside, "I was told not to go announcing this to everyone I saw. It's a taboo thing, ya know? Being disowned."
"But…but why ?"
"Because society says so."
"No, I mean…why were you disowned?"
"For marrying your aunt, of course."
And again, Sokka gave him a stunned look. "Aunt Ki'ma? But she's the nicest, bestest person in the world!"
"But you weren't born to testify that in front of a live audience," Amaruq chuckled. "You see, Sokka, in our culture, a man invites a woman to come live with him in his home after marriage. He and his family members expect her to conform to the culture in their home. It's part of a housewife's duties ," he gagged as he spat the word out. "Now they don't do shit for her, but she's gotta do everything like wiping their butts free of their own shit. And I always thought that this gender preference was yakshit at its finest . It's just not fair, ya know? They way they treated your mom versus how they treated me."
The older tribesman went on with describing the household he and Kya grew up in, the way he swore to the Spirits that he wouldn't let anyone bully his baby sister.
"Anytime she did something stupid, I took the blame," Amaruq said. "Fun fact: When I caught Kya and your father swapping spit behind the fifth glacier, I didn't rat her out, no. I took your dad to my house and introduced him to my folks, and I made it seem like I chose him for my sister. Covered their asses up with an 'arranged marriage,' haha! That ungrateful bastard…"
"I knew their marriage wasn't totally arranged, but I didn't know you were the matchmaker."
"Oh yes I was. But Hacky decided to play obedient son-in-law and didn't return the favor. When I met the love of my life…" Reaching for the gin once more, "Your aunt is two years older than me, you know that? She was nineteen when I was seventeen."
"That's not bad at all. I mean, you're both past marrying age at that point."
"Yep, but back in the day, it was scandalous to marry a woman who was even one millisecond older than you."
"Is that why they disowned you?" Sokka said, incredulous.
"Actually, what happened was that your aunt was betrothed to another man when she was seventeen. She didn't even know the guy. He died the night before their wedding; got stranded out in the blizzard and had severe hypothermia. And the fucked up part about this was that she was forced to live as his widow just because she was betrothed to him. She wasn't even married to the guy, yet she had to live like she was eternally in mourning. Couldn't go see her relatives, couldn't celebrate festivals, couldn't celebrate her birthday. All for a guy she didn't know or love! And she didn't even fight it. She lived that way for the sake of her parents and relatives. For society ." He threw the emptied cup aside, "But I persisted, Sokka. I loved her for her. And she loved me, too. But she was too afraid to tell other people. To focused on duties… eugh…"
"Who told their parents first?" Sokka asked.
"Well, at first I came home and told my folks, and they were naturally enraged. They talked about taking me to the village shaman. Thought an evil spirit possessed me! And then they went straight to your aunt's place and told her folks, and they were super enraged. Locked her in the house and told her not to go outside!"
"Did you elope after that?"
"For a few hours, yeah. You see, I was told I'll be disowned if I married her, but I told society to fuck off the moment I snuck out of my igloo. I broke into her igloo, unlocked her room, and we snuck out and ran all the way to the next village and got married at a pagoda there. We came back the next day." Sighing, "My parents said they never wanted to see me ever again. Her parents didn't even say that; they just kicked her out and closed the door on her."
Sokka furrowed his eyebrows, taking note of the perturbed look on his uncle's face.
"Our folks were afraid of what the people were gonna think. Their fear of society was greater than their love for us. So we said fuck it! Weren't gonna abandon what we had, no no no, so we left the tribe. We wanted to make a name for ourselves, stand on our own two feet. That's when we moved to the Earth Kingdom. I started my own business, and your aunt went into politics, and look at us now!"
The warrior smiled, "I'm glad your story has a happy ending."
Reaching for another cup to pour himself some more gin, "Now it wasn't totally easy. I'm not gonna lie, son, I missed my folks. Ki'ma cried for her folks sometimes. And I'd feel guilty 'cause I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. But in the end, neither of us regret our decision. 'Cause if we'd chosen our folks over ourselves and each other, we would've both been miserable for the rest of our lives, and we knew that. We would've been stuck living lives that we weren't even a part of, lives that we couldn't even call our own."
The Southern prince nodded. "You know, Uncle, I've been coming to see you in secret for all these years. Why didn't you ever tell me any of this?"
"Well, it wasn't my choice to hide it from you," Amaruq said. "See, when you have the potential of being a bad example, people compel you to hide that part of yourself. So the people who come after you won't follow in your footsteps. And the thing about your parents is that they're cowards. They're great people deep down, but they're stuck in a world where they think Pakku's the king."
"You got that right."
"Not to mention the fact that they didn't have children for a long time. After hundreds of prayers to the Spirit of Life, you were born. With your special birth time and charts and all. They always wanted everything to be perfect when it came down to you, and they were always afraid of losing you. I mean, to this day, they try to get you to do things that they think will make you be interested in faith and stuff. That's not because they want you to or that they care that you're pious or not; they're afraid of what society will say. They're afraid of Pakku being disappointed with you. They're afraid of Pakku being the one to disown you. So naturally, they never wanted you to be around anything or anyone that would lead you down the wrong path. That's why your parents made sure these finer details of my life never left my mouth."
"But you're not setting a bad example," Sokka said. "Not at all."
"Exactly! I'm only in favor of loyalty and justice. And if you really needed to hear this at some point in the future, I was gonna save it for when the time was right." Gulping down the gin in his cup, "And besides, what do you tell a guy who wants to be a free bird and finds all lovers to be saps? Up until a few weeks ago, you were a way different Sokka." Nudging him, "You gotta fall in love to see the magic in my secrets."
To which the prince beamed and nodded. "Yeah, you're not wrong about that."
Amaruq grinned and sat up straight, "Now this princess of yours, she's a delight. You're not gonna meet anyone else like her in…well, ever. So don't let her go."
"I won't—"
"I know you won't, you're my boy, you're La , dammit!" clapping his nephew on the back, "Sokka, as long as my family and I are around, you'll never be disowned—"
"Alright Uncle, I think you had enough for today," Sokka stopped him from reaching for more gin, helping him out of his seat.
"We're tribesmen, dammit!" Amaruq hollered, catching the attention of a few bustling servants, "We're wolves . We're born loyal. And we're never gonna waste any time with those who can't see that!"
"Yep, you're right on that one—"
"Sokka, my boy," Amaruq said as he saw Hakoda glaring at him from the other end of the estate, "If you're ever cut off from the family, I'mma march into your dad's igloo and adopt the hell outta you…!"
Hakoda's glare deepened in the direction of his son and brother-in-law. Spirits have mercy.
"Before I step down from the podium, I want to officially kickstart my service to the community as a White Lotus sentry," Sokka addressed the Conference attendees. "And I want to do so by donating to worthy causes. 'Donate' is not the right word, to be honest, because everything we have today came from Her Highness." Looking at the princess, who was seated beside her father and disguised mother, "And yet she insists on not taking credit."
Yue answered with a small smile from beneath her mask.
"I'd like to donate to the various charitable projects soon to be launched by the Black Lotus," Sokka announced, and with a smile fueled by persisting loyalty, "And Honorable dronningi , you can't refuse. After all, we are but one tribe."
Extensive applause followed with the princess rising and clapping and cheering for him. Contentment returning to his gaze, a rare joy lighting up his eyes. "It goes without saying that we're indebted to you, dronningi. Thank you for all that you do, and I look forward to seeing you sculpt the North in your image: beautiful, bold, generous, and just."
Chief Arnook smiled, turning to his wife, "Well if that's not a confession, I don't know what is."
"You are certainly on a roll, Princess," Monk Gyatso smiled in Yue's direction. "You have won several more hearts today."
"Yeah, at this rate, you will be officially crowned as Chieftess in a matter of weeks, Princess," Aang said.
"Today's mission was unexpected, actually," Yue admitted. "And it wasn't necessarily to win hearts."
"It doesn't have to be," Katara noted. "You won everyone over by putting Azula in her place."
"Up until that point, Ozai and his minions were eager to pounce on the tribe and declare war, but the storm had them wetting their pants and had them running for their money," Jeong Jeong said. "Now they're afraid of being declared war on."
"It's only natural," Sokka held his head high. "No one messes with our dronningi or the Water Tribe."
The White Lotus sentries smiled and nodded.
"It's true that I'm highly upset with Ozai's side of the leadership," Yue said. "My people and I were tired of being treated like a flea-fly's excreta, so I demonstrated what I can do, but I have no fantasies about conflict." Frowning, "Only cowards terrorize the innocent. War is but needless suffering, and no reason can ever justify nurturing an individual's ego with destruction. If there absolutely has to be a fight, let the fight be to defend and not to kill."
"You said it," Katara agreed.
Yue turned to Piandao, "I want to avoid all interactions with the Fire Nation for a while if it can be helped. I know you and Master Jeong Jeong do not support Ozai's portion of the regime as it stands, but the Fire Nation is the last place I want my parents to seek shelter. Just because the Fire forces are highly competent and loyal to Ozai than they are to Fire Lord Iroh."
"Ozai has abandoned all of his properties on Ember Island, Princess," Piandao told her. "It is guaranteed to be safe. We will make sure your parents have different identities, and we will be sure to keep watch."
"I apologize, but I'm not willing to take chances. I've decided I will handle this another way."
"That's perfectly alright if you choose to do so," Jeong Jeong said. "But now the question is, are you still making your parents leave today? If so, we need to choose an alternate location."
"We kind of talked it out last night," Sokka said. "And we decided Ba Sing Se is the best option. It's the only other location that has significant power to combat Fire forces in case there's a conflict. Of course, we won't let the situation get that far, but another plus is that it's a huge city with hundreds of thousands of neighborhoods. Ember Island's population is relatively low even for a tourist spot in comparison, but in Ba Sing Se, you'll be lost in a sea of faces. It's the perfect place to blend in. Not to mention it isn't as far from here as Ember Island is— you know, in the event that we have to meet up with the chief and chieftess for something."
"Ba Sing Se has really pulled itself together following the incarceration and dissolution of the Dai Li," Yue added. "We've looked at all the recent statistics. My parents will specifically be staying in Nan'an; it's a small district inside the inner wall. The most liberal; a safe, welcoming space for tribal diaspora."
"Nan'an is in what was formerly the middle ring," Sokka explained. "All facilities are readily available. You won't be given extensive attention as the former upper ring areas, but you also won't be neglected like the former lower ring slums. Middle class environment, low crime rates. There's a good bit of tribefolk there. They have their own restaurants and everything set up in the eastern division of the city. It can't get any better than this."
"We applaud you for your research, but you do realize a single word with the Earth King would have arranged everything for you."
"Well…yes, but I don't want this to be a burden for him—"
"She's being too nice," Sokka interjected, "The Earth King may be respected, but he's made some poor decisions. He leaked top secrets to spies several times. Nice man but not exactly the brightest of the bunch. I'm sure this doesn't come off as a shock to everyone."
The sentries chuckled, not explicitly saying anything in the affirmative but agreeing with nods.
"Very well then. We will be happy to cater to your preference," Gyatso said, turning to Aang. "I'm sure you know a lot of people in Ba Sing Se."
"Actually, Sokka told me about this earlier," Aang said, looking to Yue, "I already made plans. Mr. Chizhu is a good friend of mine. He's a flower seller. From fake documents and certifications to a nice house, he has everything set up. You said you wanted him to work, too, right?"
"Yes," Yue said. "Something to keep him distracted from intoxication."
"If he's willing, he can help Mr. Chizhu around the flower shop. It's a simple job; not too much strain on his health but still something that can distract him. He'll have the exercise he needs. There are facilities that help with rehabilitation, too, if he feels the need to go."
"That sounds wonderful," Yue smiled. "I greatly appreciate you all for pitching in with these arrangements. Now it's only a matter of telling them they're leaving in a few hours."
"You mean they don't know yet?" Katara asked, voicing everyone's surprise.
"I kept trying to bring it up the past few days, but anaana wouldn't hear of it," Yue said. "She insisted that she stay a few more days since she's barely been here. As we all know, she and ataata are plotting means of setting up our wedding reception." And subsequent activities, but that part didn't have to be disclosed for all of them to understand.
"But there's no better time for them to leave without public attention than tonight," Katara said.
"Yes," Aang said, "A large number of guests will be leaving tonight after the last conference. It will be easy to sneak your parents onto a ship and have them blend in with the departing guests."
"Exactly," Yue nodded. "We need to get them to leave tonight. At any cost."
"What in the name of the Spirits are you talking about?"
Yue repeated calmly, "You and ataata are leaving the North tonight."
"Tonight?" Ahnah rose from her seat, a horrified look on her face, "We can't just leave tonight! There are so many plans, so much to do—!"
" Ukuagek , please try to understand," Sokka started, helping her back down to her seat. "We already agreed that you'll be staying in another area, remember?"
"But not this soon!"
"Please, stay calm. You shouldn't excite yourself—"
"How can I not?" Ahnah pressed, "I haven't even been here for a full forty-eight hours, and she wants me out of here?!"
" Anaana ," Yue stopped her, holding her hand, "Do you really think I want you out of here? This is a crucial precautionary measure. We can't just ignore the situation here."
Exasperated, the Northern chieftess stood up, ignoring Sokka's cajoling, "I'm taking this up with your father, young lady, I can't sit here and argue with you—"
"Fun fact, I don't listen to him in matters like this."
Ahnah cast her a glare of helplessness.
"The original plan was for us to visit you in Nansei," Yue stood up, "and for me to leave two days later and for ataata to stay with you. We're sticking to that plan even though you came all the way here." With a firm look, "You are leaving Agna Qel'a tonight an hour after the Parting Feast."
"We understand how much you want to stay," Sokka told his mother-in-law, "But this is about your safety. There's no better time for you to leave without being noticed. You and the chief will be disguised, and you'll be able to blend in with so many politicians and visitors leaving tonight. Security will be extensive."
"You will get on a cruiser to Ba Sing Se," Yue said. "After nine months, I will assess the situation here, and if the conditions are safe enough, I will send word for you to come back."
"You make it sound like that's a really easy thing for me and your father to do."
"You said you'll leave if I get married, and I did," Yue frowned, "I did everything you asked me to do. What more do you need? And don't say consummation because that's not happening."
"Why did you get married then?" Ahnah demanded, "If you're just going to sit under a glacier all day?"
"I wanted so badly to be the first person to ascend the Northern throne without getting married or being in a relationship," Yue said. "There was so much I wanted to prove to the tribe with my coronation alone. But that didn't happen and it never will. But that's okay because your safety matters more to me. I've kept my word; it's time you kept yours."
"If you don't want the consummation, then find, but you can have a reception, can't you? There's nothing intimate about that!"
Hardening her heart, "I will hear no other arguments."
"But paniga , it's only been two days," her defensive glare melted away, "I haven't seen you all my life…I can't just leave you now!"
Yue turned away, unable to look her in the eyes, "If we want to keep seeing each other, you have to go, anaana . I'm not losing you again."
"I want to celebrate my daughter's wedding, and I have every right to do so. I wasn't there for any of your milestones. This is all I have that's immediate. You're already putting off children, so I can't be looking for that anytime soon." Her eyes welling with tears, "As your mother, I have the right to celebrate you. I have the right to be with you…"
Ignoring her, "Zhi, Ivaneq, Ping, please arrange for their departure," Yue said. "It's for the safety of the Water Tribe royal family, and there will be no compromises."
"Y-Yes, Your Highness," Ivaneq bowed, sharing a helpless look with the Northern chieftess before he and his co-assistants left. Ahnah sank back into her seat, trying to hold back her sobs.
" Ukuagek , please, this is the last time you two will ever have to be apart," Sokka told the chieftess. "Yue and I will work hard to change things here. Who knows, maybe things will get better before the nine months are up. We'll let you know as soon as possible when it's safe, and you can come back. You and Yue and the chief…you'll never be separated ever again."
Yue took a deep breath before approaching her mother again, settling beside her and holding her hand. "We've waited this long to see each other. Let's wait just a little longer to actually be together. We won't have to be apart ever again."
Ahnah squeezed her daughter's hand in desperation, "You've never thought about just leaving this all behind, paniga ? Because I have. Hundreds of times." Looking at her, "Think of how things would be if we left all of this and went somewhere else. Where it will be just the four of us, and we never have to worry about being assassinated or torn apart?"
"If it was just a matter of taking a position that will make me rich, then I would've abandoned the throne a long time ago," she said. "But I have several responsibilities, anaana . I can't abandon our people. Not for anything. I can't pick and choose; I want it all. I want you and ataata , I want the tribe, I want these people. I want the North, and I want to stay in the North."
The chieftess drew her daughter close, holding her tightly as if doing so would prevent the separation that was to come. She shakily kissed Yue's forehead, uttering a quiet prayer to Tui and La. "Spirits have mercy."
Immediately following the chaotic harmony of the Parting Feast, Sokka and Katara found themselves at the Northern docks, trying to console a wailing Kohana. The boy, who was told last-minute of the fact that his older siblings wouldn't be joining them on their trip back home, insisted on either not leaving the North or having Katara and Sokka come with him.
"Ko-bear, you gotta understand, buddy," Sokka knelt down in front of the boy, "It's not safe for you to stay here."
"Then why are you staying?!" Kohana stomped his foot angrily, "You're never home, Sokka!"
"He's got different priorities," Hakoda said simply, earning a glare from his oldest. "Don't look at me like I've ruined your life, Sokka. She said it herself that she's not interested in relationships."
"I wanna stay here!" Kohana yelled, "I wanna stay here with Katara and Sokka and Aang!"
"I wish you could stay, too, Kohana, but it's too dangerous," the airbender said, obviously touched but highly aware of the circumstances. The tiny bit of stability that kept the tribe from crumbling would be challenged as soon as the last of the international guests sought the waters to their home, and even though he was staying behind, Yue's life and her regime would still be subject to danger.
"I don't care!" Kohana shouted. "I never get anything I want!" And with that, he ran off, squeezing through the crowd before anyone could get a hold of him.
"Kohana! Ko-bear!"
"Kohana, stop!"
The young prince ran despite the calls and footsteps behind him, wiping at his tears and blending in with a group of servants going inside the palace. He eventually split from the group, running down three consecutive hallways and traversing up the stairs. He entered a seemingly abandoned chamber before stopping at a room he thought to be empty. After catching his breath, he went inside, closing the door behind him.
"Who's there?"
The boy jumped, turning around in fright, but to his relief, standing before him was a woman of long white hair and sweeping white robes, surrounded by scrolls. She wore a startled look on her face given his sudden entry into her study in the middle of her reading.
Kohana immediately recognized her as the woman who saved him when the temple walls had threatened to tumble down on him, but he also recognized her robes as belonging to the princess he met a few days ago.
"Prince Kohana?" Yue blinked, standing up, "What are you doing here?"
"Tui!" the child ran towards her, wrapping his arms around her as he cried.
"Kohana, what's wrong—?"
"I don't wanna leave, Tui!" He looked at her with tear-filled eyes, "I don't wanna leave Sokka and Aang and Katara!"
"...And Dad's always yelling," Kohana mumbled before sinking his teeth into the pillowy soft cake that Yue had given him. "I never get what I want."
"Oh my, you have it so rough," she said, brushing away the boy's tears, "But our Kohana is a sweet prince, isn't he?"
"Yeah," the little prince threw the cake wrapper aside, and he held his small arm out, "Do you have another one?"
"Of course I do," Yue reached into the folds of her tunic and pulled out another small cake. She handed him the same after opening the wrapper, and he instantly dug in, smearing his face with more of the cream on top. It was then that rapid footsteps jarred to the halt by the door, relieved faces taking in the sight of the young prince.
"Ko-bear!"
"There you are!"
"Thank the Spirits!"
The boy frowned at his siblings and Aang, who were all trying to catch their breaths. The boy eluded Katara's grip and hid behind Yue, "I'm not coming home!"
Yue chuckled at the older Water Tribe siblings, "You two are very lucky to have a brother who cares so much about you. Isn't that right, Kohana?"
"Yeah."
"And our Kohana is a good prince, too. Right?"
"Yes, I am."
Yue seated the boy next to her, giving Katara, Aang, and Sokka a reassuring look before turning back to the young prince. "Do you know what a good prince does, Kohana?"
The boy nodded. "A good prince goes to meetings and talks to important people."
"Yes. What else?"
"He gets married so he can have babies and be a chief. Dad says Sokka's not a good prince 'cause he's not getting married and having babies."
Sokka frowned, earning laughs from the others.
"Sure, but that's what older princes do. What about younger princes like you? What is something that princes of all ages do?"
Thinking for a moment, "Well…a good prince helps people…and he makes people be safe."
"That's right," Yue said. "And guess what? That means you need to make sure people are safe, too."
"But everyone says I'm a baby. Nobody's scared of me. How can I make the bad guys go away and people be safe?"
"You don't have to be big, bad, and scary to keep people safe. And you don't have any bad guys to fight, either. You just need to take care of the people you're around." Brushing the icing away from his cheek, "That means you would take care of your mom and dad, your Gran Gran and Gramp Gramp, your animal friends. You would also help take care of the new baby when it gets here."
Kohana looked up at her, "Tui, will I be a good prince if I do all that?"
"No, you'll be a great prince. You said you're good now, but you need to be great . Everyone loves great princes."
"I wanna be a great prince!" the boy jumped up.
"That's why I think you should think about going home."
He frowned, looking back at his siblings and airbending friend, "But…"
"Katara tells me your Gramp Gramp is a great bender."
"Yeah, he is. He teaches all of my friends."
"And we recently found out that you can bend, too," Yue said. "Think about it. If you start learning how to be a good bender from your Gramp Gramp, you can fight all the bad guys once you grow up. And you can keep your family safe. Isn't that right, Katara? You're a powerful bender, you know how it goes."
"That's absolutely right," Katara smiled.
"What about you, Aang? You've had a lot of teachers."
"Yeah, I did, and they all helped me get better. That's why everyone thinks I'm so powerful today."
"You hear that? Once you learn from a powerful master, you can be powerful, too. And one day, after you become a powerful bender like Aang and Katara, you can become a great warrior like Sokka. Isn't that right, isumataq ?"
"Yep, that's correct," Sokka grinned.
"You'll be so powerful, but you'll also be super helpful to everyone around you," Yue told Kohana, who was now listening carefully, "Everyone in the South is going to want Prince Kohana and only Prince Kohana to protect them."
"Am I really going to be a powerful bender?"
"Of course!" the adults all said simultaneously.
"You bent a whole wall of ice on your very first try," the princess said. "That's something only powerful benders can do. I never bent a wall on my first try. Did you, Katara?"
"Nope, I never did."
"Aang?"
"No way. I couldn't even bend a snowball when I started off."
"You see? You have a head start already! All you need to do now is go back home and start training. But guess what? That's not the only thing you need to do."
"What else do I have to do to be a good prince?"
"You need to make sure you help your mom and dad around the house. Your mom can't do everything the same way with a baby in her tummy. She has to be very careful, and she needs all the rest she can get. If she tells you to eat or sleep on time, you should do it and not stress her out. And you need to start taking care of your pets. You have a lot of them, and you need to make sure they don't mess up the house."
"That's a lot of work, though…"
"You'll have a little help from other people. Besides, no one said it's easy being a prince."
"She's right," Sokka said. "Being a prince means having a lot of responsibilities."
"Your dad and grandparents are going to be busy trying to fix the South," Yue said. "That's why it's very important that someone stays home and watches your mom and the new baby when it gets here. And only you have what it takes to do it."
Kohana nodded, "Okay, but…but I'll miss Sokka and Katara. And I'll miss Aang."
"I know, sweetie, but we still need to do these things if we want to protect the people we love. In fact, I'm doing the same thing. I'm sending my mommy and daddy away, too."
"You are? Why?"
"For the same reason. It's not safe for them here. I'll miss them, too, but… I have to make them go to keep them safe."
"But why are you staying here?" he asked. "You have to be safe, too, from the bad guys."
Smiling at his innocence, "But I need to take care of this place. I'm the princess, and I have to take care of my home. I need to make it safe so everyone can come back."
"Oh…But what if you get hurt?"
"I'll be careful."
"I can be careful, too."
"No, sweetheart, that's not how that works. I know how to fight and bend. You're just a kid."
Kohana sighed. "Will Sokka and Katara be safe here? I don't want them to get hurt."
"Your brother and sister will always be safe," Yue told him. "I promise I will protect them no matter what, and I promise I'll send them home as soon as I can, as safe as they can be." Bending the melted icing off of the boy's face and clothes, "Once I become the chieftess, your family will be together again. And my family will be together, too."
"Spirit promise?"
"Spirit promise."
"Will you come to our house when the baby comes? Will you come to see me?"
Yue smiled, "Even if I'm not there, I'll still be thinking about all of you."
Kohana stood up, "Okay then, I'll go home. I have a lot of respibilities."
" Responsibilities ," Katara corrected.
"Yeah, that."
The group's laughter was interrupted by the Southern leaders, who were calling out to their youngest son. Kohana grabbed Yue's hand and pulled her behind him as he ran out of the room, waving at his parents, "Mom! Dad!"
Hakoda and Kya froze upon seeing him, more so when they saw the princess.
"Look, it's Tui!" Kohana pointed at Yue. "I told you Tui was real, I told you!" The boy then grinned at Yue, "I told them you saved me at the temple, Tui, but they didn't believe me."
The Southern leaders widened their eyes as they put the pieces together, the conclusion shocking them.
Yue reached into her pocket and pulled out another wrapped cake, handing the same to the young prince, "One more for the road?"
"Okay! Bye, Tui!"
The princess ruffled his hair before stepping back into her study. Sokka, doing everything he could to minimize the interaction between his parents and the princess, carried the boy away as swiftly as he could, feeling his parents' stares boring into his back.
"You never told us she saved Kohana," Kya said.
Sokka shrugged, "She didn't want me to say anything. She doesn't like revealing these kinds of things."
Hakoda sighed, rubbing his head, "We are grateful…but that's not going to change things. Your grandfather will still never agree to this. It will only be hard for you if you don't learn to forget."
The prince didn't care to respond, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
"When this is all over, you are going to come back to the South with your sister, and you are not going to tag the princess along," Hakoda said. "You are going to be the chief of the South one day. The last thing you would want to do is bring dishonor on the family."
Sokka sighed, folding his arms.
"You hear me?" Hakoda said more sternly, "Don't get her pregnant."
To which he widened his eyes, harboring a violent blush on his cheeks.
" Dad ," Katara frowned.
"Hakoda!" Kya nearly shrieked.
"He knows the deal," Hakoda said with raised eyebrows. "Acting all innocent."
"Don't give him any ideas, Hakoda," Amaruq snickered, earning death glares from the Southern chieftain as Kya led him up the bowsprit of their departing cruisor.
"Don't worry, Sokka. I know we had our discussion earlier, but it doesn't mean things have to go that far. Your dad has no choice but to put up with me for the next few weeks; I'll undo Pakku's brainwashing as much as I can."
Sokka smiled, "Thanks, Uncle Amaruq."
The older tribesman gave his nephew and niece a hug, "The two of you be careful. Watch each other's backs. I'll do what I can in the meantime."
"Remember, from now on, you will be known as Ki'ruq and Ichuz from the Achanti lineage. You're from the Iskis tribe in the Southern outskirts, and you came to Ba Sing Se because you went bankrupt from the economic depression and had nothing left in the South. You travelled all the way here because you didn't expect the princess of the North to step in and help. Most importantly, you don't have a daughter." Yue handed a few scrolls to her father, "These are the finer details of your new identities. Memorize them before you reach the city. Practice calling each other by your fake names."
A disguised Arnook and Ahnah could only nod, longing having taken over them. While Ahnah lamented not being able to see her daughter until several more months, Arnook felt the pain of truly being separate from his daughter. Although he didn't have a chance to see her every single day, the knowledge that she was still safe and nearby brought him comfort. Now, he was to be deprived of even that comfort despite being reunited with his wife.
"You'll be perfectly safe," Aang told them. "I had everything arranged. If you have any questions or if you feel like checking in on the situation here, be sure to write to me and not to the princess. We don't want people being suspicious or tampering with the correspondance."
"We thank you, Avatar Aang, for your contributions and efforts," Ahnah said.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Anaana , this is for you and ataata ." The princess handed her mother a bag containing a fairly large container, including within it a scroll that contained the recipe for the tonic. "Drink one regular cup's worth before bed," she added with a smirk.
Ahnah frowned, her hand cupping her daughter's cheek, "You're a crazy one, you know that?"
"Don't you worry, ukuagek," Sokka grinned. "I'll make sure to keep her craziness in check."
"You're the one driving me crazy half the time!" the princess shot back.
"Calling all travelers to Ba Sing Se!" a crewman announced, which only fueled Ahnah's panic. She held her daughter close and kissed her with great fervor and abundant tears, pulling her son-in-law in for for a hug. " Paniga , ningauk , watch each other's backs. Paniga, you better be eating on time. If you even think about hunger strikes, I swear, I will come hunting you down—"
"Okay okay, I'll eat."
"Take care, Daughter Katara," Ahnah said. "Avatar Aang."
"Don't worry, Mother. Everything's going to be okay," Katara said.
Arnook cleared his throat, holding Sokka by his shoulders, "Protect my daughter, ningauk ."
"Aap, Silak." Yes, Father-in-law. "With my life."
"How selfish and sexist," Yue crossed her arms. "You should be telling me to look out for him, too. What, only he does the protecting—?"
Arnook surprised his daughter with a firm hug, a combination of a laugh and a sob buried deep in his throat. He kissed her forehead, joining hers and Sokka's hands. "Be safe." Looking at Aang and Katara as well, " All of you. Ivaneq, take care of them."
"I will, sir."
"Last call for Ba Sing Se!"
Once more, Arnook and Ahnah drew their daughter close, raiding her with tears and hugs and kisses before Ivaneq had to pry them off of her and escort them to the ship. At one point, they simultaneously turned around, exclaiming, "We love you!" And a pleasantly surprised Yue managed a smile and a wave, whispering, "Love you, too," before drawing her veil back over her face, swallowing the lump in her throat.
She stood at the docks long after their cruiser disappeared from sight, accompanied by Sokka's warmth.
A/N: My love and immense support goes out to the people of Ukraine. Praying for all the lives lost and all the lives impacted by the crisis. Wishing you abundant peace, healing, and justice. —WL