Chapter 60: It's Love Alright
Yue slowly faded away from the fog of her sleep, feeling as if she was falling down, deeper and deeper until she stilled against her pelt-covered bed. She found herself enveloped by warmth in touch and breath. It was odd, she idly mused, since she was so used to having a room for herself and was never in another's company, but the awareness became more prominent with the silence of her dream having transitioned into familiar snores. The texture beneath her palm began rising and falling, a steady beat pulsing against her skin. She rubbed her eyes before turning to see Sokka huddled against her, his arm still wrapped around her shoulders, his head thrown back against the pillows. Her hand was resting atop his chest, his heartbeat kissing her palm through his tunic.
She blinked, wide-eyed, and pulled her hand away. Despite the surprising circumstance, she knew there was nothing to be alarmed about, but even so, she and the isumataq hadn't reached this level of close proximity before. Her real concern was whether any boundaries were crossed.
No, there's nothing to worry about. They were tired and down in spirits. They stayed up very late and had eaten until they were full. Of course they ended up falling asleep, there's nothing wrong with that.
There's nothing wrong with that. She let out her breath softly and exercised great gentleness in moving the hand on her shoulder to the expanse of his chest. She sat up, gathering the neglected fur blanket at the edge of the bed and draping it over him. He stirred but did not wake up, reaching for the space next to him. Despite frowning at the emptiness, he then managed to seek a plump pillow and pulled it close to him, cuddling against it. He rubbed the back of the pillow absently, thinking it to be Yue in his haze of sleep, mumbling, "It's okay, dronningi…I'm here, I'm here…"
Yue did not notice that her lips had curled into a smile, nor did she realize just how much she wanted to return to the warmth of his arms, but distant worries loomed in her mind, flooding the peace she had succumbed to last night.
Despite the fact that only the two of them were in the room, the slight crack at the door prompted her to look cautiously before she leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He gave a soft smile in his sleep and hugged the pillow more tightly.
She slipped out of bed, forcing herself to appear stoic when she nearly jumped, startled to see Katara standing by the door with her arms crossed, a smug look in her eyes.
"What?" Yue stood up, trying her best to hide the flush in her cheeks. "And when did you even get here?"
"I saw that," Katara grinned.
"Well it's a friendly gesture, there's nothing to it."
"Is cuddling so intimately with my brother also a friendly gesture, ukuaq?"
"It's not what it looks like."
"Then why is he here?"
"We were talking and fell asleep. That's all there is to it."
"If you say so…"
"I'm not seducing your brother, Katara, this much is the truth," Yue said, reaching for her overcoat that she'd cast aside last night. "It's not going to happen again."
"I'm just saying it's not a bad thing if it does happen again," her voice dropping to a whisper, "You're married anyhow. Contractual or not."
Yue didn't respond to that, her lips pressed tightly together. Katara only shrugged, unconvinced but let go of the matter for now as she reached forward to wake her brother.
"Let him sleep in," Yue stopped her. "He stayed up with me for a long time." Casting another look at him before, "He must be tired from running around and flying nonstop yesterday."
"I know you're tired, too. You were pacing around the entire palace until he got back," the master waterbender remarked, earning a deeper flush in response, "Why don't you take the day off today? You haven't had one of those in…ever, actually."
"I'm fine."
"Seriously, there's not much to do today. Ting Yun and a few others are overseeing today's cases. So far, there aren't any correspondences that need immediate attention. Ivaneq said his assistants will handle the other duties. I won't be teaching, either, until later today; Aang and I will oversee everything until then."
"It was a very tempting offer and one that Yue's exhausted form was grateful for. "If there's an emergency, come get me."
"I can't believe you agreed!" Katara clapped and beamed, "Don't worry, everything's under control. I just need to drag my brother out of here and you can relax—"
"It's okay, let him sleep."
"Then where will you sleep?"
"He stole my room, I'll steal his. Simple as that."
As soon as the princess stepped out of the room, Ping, followed by a young man, had been waiting for her in the common area between hers and Sokka's rooms. The attendant gawked at her in surprise, looking from her sleepy form to the isumataq's room, his imagination supplemented by Katara's knowing little grin. There wasn't much time to think over it, however, as Yue joined them, and the observation went to the back of his mind as they engaged in conversation.
"Is everything alright, Your Highness?"
Yue, taking note of how she was easily zoning out, blinked, "Yes, Ping, I'm fine. I'm still trying to wake up, that's all." Smiling as she closed the wedding invitation pamphlet in her hands, turning to the young man standing beside the attendant, "Anyhow, I'm extremely happy for your brother. Your parents must be excited that he finally agreed to a marriage. And we hear you put up quite a fight, Mr. Kharu."
"It's about finding the right person, honestly, Princess," the young man laughed.
"Of course."
The eighteen-year-old grinned to himself, traces of a giddy blush on his face, "I really like her. She and I were arranged a while back, but we spent quite a bit of time together."
"And that's all that matters…" the princess trailed off, holding back a yawn, "I'm sorry, you're not boring me. I'm just very tired today."
"Are you feeling well, Your Highness?" Ping asked.
"Yes, yes. I just don't know why I'm exhausted."
"It could just be burnout, dronningi. You have been tirelessly on top of your game. Today's your first actual day off."
"I suppose," she tried rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, "Do me a favor, will you, Ping?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I authorized some of the Black Lotus funds to be released and sent to the Kyoshi Branch." Handing Ping a scroll canister from the pocket of her robes, "Please give these documents to Ivaneq."
"Yes, ma'am."
"We'd love to stay and talk, Your Highness, but I'm afraid we have to leave," Kharu said. "There are so many other invitations to send."
"Yes, I'll leave you both to that. It was nice meeting you, Kharu."
"I expect to see you at my wedding no matter what, Sister Dronningi," Kharu smiled. "Ping tells us all the time how you've treated him as your own sibling. By default, I'm your little brother, too, aren't I?"
"Yes, you are," Yue chuckled. "You will definitely see me there, don't worry." Turning to Ping, "Kharu's wedding isn't far away. You should be spending time with your family. I'll be happy to grant you leave for a few days."
"It's alright, Your Highness. I just need the day off for the wedding, and I'll be fine."
"It's a grand event. Are you sure you don't want an extended leave?"
"I'm okay. I won't be able to work when my wife delivers our baby anyhow next month."
"You can take leave again. You shouldn't have to sacrifice time with family. Especially now when things are somewhat looking up."
"Thank you for your generosity, Princess."
Kharu then stood up, smiled, and bowed, "It was an honor meeting you, Princess."
"Wait for me downstairs. I'll be there in a minute," Ping told his brother, who then nodded and stepped out, escorted by a guard.
Ping huffed out a heavy breath, turning to the princess, "Your Highness?"
"Yes?"
"If I may, I want to say something."
"Go ahead."
Despite his hesitation, he couldn't help a quick glance at the princess's room where the prince was currently sleeping before saying, "It would be nice to see your marriage become fruitful as well. I honestly think there's much potential there."
Though caught off guard, Yue wasn't offended, necessarily. "I appreciate that, but I'm not sure how the future is going to look."
"I'm sorry for prying into a personal matter, but I'm only asking because I think of you as my sister," Ping said. "Do you…do you really not have feelings for the isumataq?"
Yue sighed, "If you must know, we were just talking last night—"
"I'm not asking about this, dronningi. I'm asking in general because…what that man feels for you is nothing short of devotion. And quite frankly, it seems obvious to me that you feel that way about him, too…I'm not wrong, am I? A-And I won't disclose any of this to him, by the way."
"I have great affection for Sokka. We are good friends. And I'm not really invested in this Tui-and-La rebirth thing, but there are times I feel like…" Like he reflects everything I aspire for. Everything I crave. Everything I've been deprived of… "Like if joy was a person, it would be him."
"Then why hold back, Your Highness? Everyone can see that he makes you happy."
"But that's not enough. Affections aren't about being with people who make you happy. They're about making those people happy. And what Sokka and I have…That's not love."
"Is that what you're trying to tell yourself? Because if it's not love, then what else can it be?"
"I don't know…" Pressing her lips together, "All I know is that love is his grandparents waiting for him. Love is his mother willing to do anything to not lose him. Love is his father willing to do anything to put him on the throne. Love is his baby brother bawling at the prospect of not seeing him for a long time." Crossing her arms, "Sokka's here only for gratitude."
"I don't see that, honestly—"
"Because people don't want you to."
"I don't know, Your Highness. Sokka seems to be of the highly particular type. He's not easily satisfied by people and things. He's very picky, very strict when it comes to important things. At least, that's how his friends describe him. And from what I've seen, I get that feeling, too. Sokka's not the type to marry you if he didn't love you or have feelings for you—"
"What he feels for me is not love. Maybe admiration because I helped out the South, but not love."
"If you're so insistent on that, then what about what you feel for him?"
"Wanting him to be here when I know he can't…that's not love, either. That's selfishness. I'm a selfish person, that's what I am." Standing up, making her intention to stop the conversation obvious, "Don't stress yourself out over people's fantasies for us, Ping. We can continue this conversation if Sokka ever admits that he sees me that way. Until then, let's not get carried away. It would be a waste of time if we dwell on things that might never happen."
Moments later, Yue found herself sinking against the pelts in his room. Though unused, the room and bed welcomed her with surprising warmth, possibly resulting from the fact that the fire had been roaring all night. The sheets were covered in his scent— a wisp of Ocean Eros dousing the blankets from his overcoat that he'd left in the middle. The scent made it feel as if Sokka was in the room, close by…and it quickly pulled her into a comfortable haze as her eyes closed…
Until two objects that were protruding from under her pillow, their blunt but prominent edges grazing against her neck, slipped to the floor. Yue sighed at the prospect of leaving the comfort of the bed before pulling herself up and reaching for the books that had fallen and the paper that had fallen out of one of them — a neatly-folded note that had been tucked between the pages.
Yue was aware that Sokka was keeping a diary— a Book of Catharsis as he had called it, she remembered with a grin— and she was aware that he had kept several of them thus far. He had once mentioned his practice to her and recommended the practice to her so that she would log any stressful events and process them. Realizing that at least one of them could very well be that book, she opted to tuck the note back inside one of the books and close it quickly to preserve the privacy, but when she knelt to pick the contents up, she was surprised to recognize her own writing on the folded paper: To the Esteemed Prince of the South…
It was the letter that she had first written to him and sent to the South along with his space sword gift.
"He still has it…?" But why? It's been several months. There's no real worth or substance to it. No relevance… She picked the note up anyway, unable to help her curiosity as she opened the letter and glanced over its contents to refresh just what she had written. It was obvious that he'd been keeping this parchment intact with great care. Not to mention he had even boasted of memorizing the letter once.
But what about this letter would he find so valuable?
She jumped out of prospective trains of thought and folded the letter again, tucking it back inside the book, but before closing the book, she briefly caught a glimpse of her name— her name?— on the page before quickly darting her eyes away.
Did he really mention her in his journal?
Of course he would, you're the only person he's extensively been around.
Her eyes momentarily betrayed her resolve and strayed back solely to the area where her name was written— and that, too, with the neatest and fanciest of penmanships she had ever come across.
What could he have written…?
"No, no, it doesn't matter, I shouldn't…I shouldn't be thinking about it," she closed the book and placed it atop a nearby table. Technically she wasn't peeping if she read the letter she herself wrote, right? And happening to see her name wasn't the equivalent of reading everything.
Then again, a guilty pleasure reared its head at her as she saw that the second book on the floor was his book of sketches. He often brought it with him on lax days, and he shared his artwork with her, his drawings never failing to make her smile. Sometimes he would exaggerate or purposely mess up his drawings just to make her laugh; other times, he would make good faith efforts at recreating scenery or the villages they visited and such "to capture the moment."
It's not private, she grinned as she took the thick book and settled back on the bed. She laid her head against the pelts, entangled with the isumataq's overcoat that smelled so much of him, pacified by the satisfaction that at least she didn't read anything, per se. She beamed at his doodles, all of which she had seen a couple of times. The people they've met, the villages they favored, the children and pets they played with and the different attires they wore to blend in with local tribes and their varying cultures. There were also attempted caricatures of people whose attitudes Sokka hadn't appreciated; he had redrawn them as popular demons from tribal myths, evoking laughs out of her. At one point, she turned a page, realizing that she had also simultaneously turned to the first page of another, thinner sketchbook that was tucked inside this one.
He hadn't shown her the smaller book before.
"I probably shouldn't, then—"
But he had apparently titled the book in Nagaran this time: Yuesangamin.
My Yuesanga, she translated. My Laughing Moon.
Why would he name it this way?
The world around her stilled all at once. She bit her lip, a flush traversing her spine. She blinked and reread the title over and over, her inner drumbeat of a pulse vibrating her chest. Her fingers traced absently over the doodles of little hearts that surrounded her name.
There's a reason why he never showed me this…I shouldn't…
But her interest was piqued, and her sense of ethics was now raising its eyebrows in question at her actions with both her curiosity and her guilt mounting with a turn of the page. She was welcomed by colorful illustrations, more careful and gentle strokes; it was easy to see that more effort was placed into these drawings. In the back of her mind itched an idle thought of how he had the time for these if he was constantly by her side every day. The only other extensive free time he had when he wasn't with her was when he slept, and the sleep he had been getting by following her around didn't amount to that much, either, for him to worry about other things…
Anyway.
The first page contained a doodle of her— every page would contain doodles of her, obviously, the book was named after her. Pressing her lips together, she saw herself depicted as a smiling woman of really long hair, a wild mess on top of her head which she could only guess to be a traditional headdress waving in the Arctic wind, the marking on her wrist unmistakably that of the Yang half, confirming that it was her. Her doodled form was supposedly sitting on a chair of some sort— likely a throne with how high the chair was atop what appeared to be a pyramid with lines — a series of steps, probably— and surrounding her were…dogs? Wolves? Yes, wolves, maybe, given the large, sharp triangles that he'd drawn for their sharp canines. He had apparently drawn himself, too, a wide, toothy smile on his face with his hands up in the air. A mass of lazily drawn stick figures that were facing her, likely representing a vast audience, their hands also up in the air. And completing the image were more doodles of little hearts bordering the page and circling her face.
Yue giggled sweetly at the drawing, not reading too much into the heart doodles after her initial surprise, but it wasn't until she heard herself that she again stepped out of her daze. What was she doing?
"This is wrong..." but her fingers kept turning the page. The next image was of her being surrounded by children, whom she recognized to be from the orphanage they visit every week. Her hands met together in a clap, and she was laughing joyfully at a toddler who seemed to be dancing. The doodle following that was of a similar scene, only this time, she was holding a young child in her arms while keeping watch over the other children. The child lay against her bosom, having fallen asleep, small arms wrapped around her neck.
Every page was filled with a moment or memory. From that meeting they had a while back in which she had gotten furious over a minister's handling of issues to the late-night walks they took beneath the moonlight, from the vivid details of their wedding to the meeting she had last week with the Black Lotus branch leaders from all over the world. The bubbly mess they made as they did the dishes together in the royal kitchen in servant disguises, the ample dishes they savored whenever they happened to eat out, the appreciative grin she wore whenever he did the cooking, the play of the aurora against her porcelain skin as they swung their legs in the waters of distant canals…
Of course, these scenes required extensive deciphering given his rather cryptic designs and abilities, but it was obvious just how invested Sokka was in these moments…
Just how invested he was in her.
The drawing that really grounded her to that reality was on the very last page, coupled with a heavily crumpled note that was subsequently folded and hidden away. He included himself in the drawing. It was the two of them surrounded by much smaller figures — little girls and boys with braids and wolf tails and big smiles. Yue would've mistaken them for the children he had drawn earlier had some of the children on the page not had white hair.
White hair. Yue felt a soft lurch in her heart as she stared at the page, at the ink strokes coloring some of the children's braids and wolf tails, a baby blue shade coloring some of their eyes, pale skin contrasting against dark-skinned counterparts. Hers and Sokka's intertwined wrists held their marital markings, and dangling around their necks and over their chests were their respective necklaces.
He was envisioning a family with her…? Did he love her? Was everything that other people had been saying true?
Can you truly say you're surprised?
She reached for the crumpled paper next; it appeared to be a paper torn from the binds of a book. The text, though starting off neat with fancy-looking calligraphy, transitioned into being quite messy, and most of the writing was scratched out or commented on with red ink and self-deprecating remarks.
Word choice, idiot!
Damn you, where's the eloquence?
Spirits, how do you propose to a poet!
You're a failure, she'll hate you after this!
And in between the harsh crimson were glimpses of black-inked calligraphy. Blotches of text peeling the layers of his heart.
I'm in love with you, Yue. (heart doodle)
I feel like we had moments. I have so many feelings. Too many feelings. I've never had these feelings about anyone, it's too much, I can't breathe sometimes. I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat (cut this out, idiot) I go to bed at night dreaming of our future together. I dream of us having a family. I dream of the faces our babies (children sounds better) would have. I dream they take after you and your kindness and innocence and badassery and beauty (don't ramble) Spirits you're so beautiful, every time you look at me, I die and come back to life (stop, not poetic)
These six months have changed my life. I felt so loved and appreciated all this time. Just as I felt the moment I read your letter.
Your compassion for everyone, the way you love the North, the way you take on the role of a chieftess like the champ you are. You inspire me. You make me be a better human being, fuck, I just love you so much, (word choice, word choice, nutbrain!)
You might think I was joking around every time I suggested we settle down in the North, but really I was trying to tell you how I felt. And I know that's cryptic for anyone to pick up, but those things came from the bottom of my heart. You think you're not worth my attention and pampering but if only you knew!
You might be thinking I'm ready to get out of this arrangement and that it will give me freedom. The only freedom I want is to be bound to the person I love. I want the freedom to be bound to you.
I can't prove the extent of my feelings with science or logistics, but I can definitely keep on showing you for the rest of our lives together. If you accept me. (if you want to accept me, no force in this!)
Faithfully yours (?)
Yours forever (?)
Always your man (huh?)
With lots and lots of love (maybe)
Yours always (?) (pick one, dammit)
Sokka
And over the text already interwoven with red markings, a wave of crimson: Worst love note ever! Rewrite, dumbass.
Yue didn't know at what point she truly began feeling the dormant waves of love crash over her heart. Fearing she would drown, she closed the book, placed it on the table, and swiftly left the room, but not before tucking the crumpled note in her pocket. Katara, who was sitting out in the common area, reading through a few scrolls, looked up at her in concern, "I thought you were going to take the day off—"
"I forgot I had errands," Yue nearly ran out of the corridor.
Akluviq surprised everyone with his arrival, and that, too, earlier than anticipated. The leadership council member, followed by his wife, rushed to the North by cruiser, surprising the guards. Although the council member's arrival was fairly discreet, word spread like wildfire among Yue's cabinet members, beckoning them along with Aang and Katara to the docks in greeting. Ivaneq, though surprised, didn't seem as caught off guard by the move, for he was the one who notified Akluviq of what had happened the night before.
"Not that we're not excited to see you both, but we figured you were coming next week," Aang said once they were led inside.
"Yes, the original plan was to be here a few days before the winter solstice," said Akluviq's wife, Kheera, "But then we heard what happened from Brother Ivaneq." Looking around in concern, "How is the princess? How is she doing? I don't see the prince, either…"
"They're still sleeping. They haven't really slept all night," Katara said. "I'm sure they would've prepared beforehand if they knew you were coming—"
"Please, no formalities, Dronningi Katara," Kheera stopped her. "We're only here to check on how they're faring with all of this. Especially the princess."
Ivaneq explained all that happened in detail from his perspective— from the sympathetic performance of the imposter to the isumataq's hurried but timely slam through the meeting chamber doors as soon as Appa landed on the palace premises. Aang and Katara supplied additional information regarding the failed investigations of the imposter.
"Oh dear," Akluviq shook his head, "This is terrible. How did she react? I wonder what she's thinking…"
"She hasn't said anything about it to us, specifically, but she did ask Osha to tell her the truth, so she's already suspicious," Aang said. "And also, she and Sokka stayed up really late last night talking. She might've mentioned something to him."
"Can't you say it's just a rumor?"
"That's what we're doing," Katara said, "But she doesn't seem entirely convinced. Osha told her not to worry about it. The catch, though, is that sooner or later, the truth is going to come out."
"Yeah," Aang nodded, "Her father is an airbender. We don't know who he is, where he could be, or even if he's alive or not, but if those really did belong to him, if anything the markings and stylization of the beads says a lot about his prowess as an airbender…and the fact that he's high-ranking… And such gifted benders have great chances of passing their abilities down the bloodline."
Akluviq and Kheera stiffened at the implications of that statement. Indeed, it would be troublesome if the princess's children exhibited airbending abilities, a consequence which probably would've been explained if the princess had married an airbender.
"It's aggravating because whoever that man is, he should be condemned. He's undeserving of his position," Aang glared. "He may not have known he was going to be a father when he left, but he knew about his guru's intentions before he chose to marry that woman and lie with her. He married her anyway and said he chose her and would never abandon her only to go off running back to his guru. And thanks to his betrayal, that woman went crazy with rage and revenge." Scoffing, "He might be a high-ranking monk in the social sphere, but his spirit will never be free. Injustice can never be justified for spiritual purposes."
"What happened is tragic," Akluviq sighed, "But reversing what happened would mean the princess would not be here with us today…even if this inconvenience could be avoided. I would never justify this injustice, but there is a blessing that comes with it. It's selfish, but…such is life."
It was the bitter truth: had none of this happened, Yue wouldn't be here, and no one could argue against that.
"Where are those beads?" Kheera broke the silence. "Does Osha have them?"
"No, I asked for them and sent them to the Northern Air Temple," Aang said. "Gyatso is there visiting right now. He'll be circulating the beads through the Air Temples, especially the Northern and Southern temples since they're designated for the men. I think he will be able to find out who they belong to."
"That sounds difficult," Akluviq noted.
"It would've been if they were ordinary beads, but as I mentioned, prodigies wear highly specialized beads. I would've saved the beads if I'd known you were coming."
"It's fine. I just don't know what we should do if we do track the man down. Is it even necessary to have him tracked?"
"I won't disclose the details about this to Yue. This is just out of curiosity…" Frowning, "And such a man shouldn't be in that kind of position anyway."
"Do you think Her Highness will ask for the beads?" Ivaneq suddenly asked. "The Revivalist sisters always mention how she'd been attempting to track the Akna for a long time."
"Then we'll just say we sent the beads in for investigation and never heard back from anyone," the Avatar said. "It's also a way to get the beads away from her; as long as she's around them, she's going to be tempted to start her own investigations."
"Alright," Kheera nodded, "We'll do what we can to assure her in the meantime."
"We need to strike the right balance," Katara cautioned. "We shouldn't mention anything extensively if she doesn't bring it up, but at the same time, we can't not mention anything at all."
"Well our method of reassurance will be more through action than words," Akluviq said. "Kheera and I think it's best if we expedited the coronation. After surveilling the tribe from our end, that is."
"Expedite it?" the news piqued the trio's immediate attention.
"It's not confirmed when yet, and we still need to thoroughly observe the tribe for a few days, but if there are serious questions being raised about the legitimacy of the ruler, and if we're relying on her for this, I think expediting the coronation is something to look into," Kheera said. "We will have security measures increased if we have to; we've given her too much freedom to do as she wishes and see everyone who comes to visit. But now we need to be more careful."
"She needs to be more careful, too. It's not exactly safe if she's responding to random people who claim they have some sort of problem," Akluviq said sternly. "That man had targetted her weakness. From what you're saying, he really put up a theatrical performance, and with the way he supposedly explained things, anyone would worry his daughter was brutally raped or killed or something of that nature."
"Well we can't tell her to stop being compassionate," Ivaneq said, his gaze soft. "Her Highness can't not look out for someone on the rare chance that she will run into an imposter. The tribe is full of people who have critical problems, and it's because she's willing to directly see and talk to them that their problems are being solved quickly and our dockets aren't being crowded—"
"Docket-crowding shouldn't be prioritized over the princess's safety."
"But the princess prioritizes the public's satisfaction over security measures, and we don't have the authority to go against that. She insists on seeing whoever comes for her."
"He does have a point," Kheera told her husband. "And anyhow, this only happened once."
"Countless people come to see Yue for various reasons, and existing security measures proved sufficient," Aang said. "I understand the need for increased measures, but we can't have this one incident outweigh people's valid needs."
"I'm happy to say that my students are going to finish their training officially in a few days, and several of them are highly competent and eager to serve Yue," Katara said. "We're looking to have them appointed."
"Even with increased security, we need to put an end to all potential speculations before they reach alarming points," Akluviq said. "We need to have the coronation over with as soon as feasible if the tribe has recovered enough. When her official position is recognized by the public, there will be greater skepticism about these imposters and the propaganda they're raising." Swallowing, "I know this is difficult for us to think about, but we can't ever have the situation with Chief Aklaq again. The people themselves rallied behind the extremists because the man wasn't who the public thought he was."
"Aklaq's downfall was his intolerance to religion," Kheera said, disconcerted. "And his policies genuinely raised concerns even in rational people. The princess is not at all like him, but she is at risk of being branded as heretical with her support of nonconforming groups. Her call for diversity and acceptance is commendable, but the fact that she's condemning the purity laws is not helping. The conservatives are only swallowing their distaste because they believe she's Arnook's blood and is doing her best to avoid offending people."
And it was well-known that without those conservative groups having this general understanding, it would've been very easy for them to denounce Yue's leadership on the spot.
"It's easier to prevent a ruler from sitting on the throne than it is to pull someone away from it," Kheera said. "That's why a coronation is necessary. I really think Dronningi Katara has the right idea; we will handpick the best of the best female waterbenders to serve as additional bodyguards. Prince Sokka can't always be on edge about security; he's the chief-to-be. He and the princess should act more like the royal couple they are, not soldiers constantly on edge."
Ivaneq nodded along, but Aang and Katara felt an additional layer of awareness. After all, no one knew of the arrangement between the prince and princess other than the Avatar and the waterbending master.
"But we still feel like we need a good look of the tribe itself first before the date can be finalized," Akluviq said. "That's why we need all statistical reports. We will observe the tribe as it is for a few days. We will also be attending the training completion ceremony for our first female security division."
"An extremely thorough investigation is not necessary," Kheera clarified. "The princess is truly a wonder; we set aside nine months, but it only took her six to sort out many issues. We have been keeping track of a majority of her activities, and we've been hearing all about her travels. The amount of support Agna Qel'a received for providing training for women is unexpected but amazing. Even before she reached out to some of the other villages, they had made preparations for their own training facilities."
"She is Tui. We can't expect any less," Ivaneq beamed.
"That's why we just need a last quick glance before coming to a decision; in light of the circumstances, we will choose a convenient date and time."
"That sounds perfect," the Northern assistant nodded, relieved, "It's about time. Once Her Highness is officially coronated, she will have to accept increased security measures whether she favors them or not. If not for herself, for the tribe. She's the nunaatip anaana after all; she has to take measures to protect herself so that she may protect the tribe."
"If we're planning to expedite the coronation, and if you think that's an appropriate next step, when is it likely going to be?" Katara asked.
"Well, if all goes well, we may sanction the coronation as early as the Winter Solstice."
"But that's next week!" the trio exclaimed.
"If all goes well," Akluviq reiterated. "We will let you know in four days what we plan to have happen. I know it's nearly impossible to get everything ready in a few days' time, but this is very necessary."
"Of course, this also means the consummation dates will need to be expedited as well. Brother Ivaneq, what is the moon phase going to be tonight?"
"Tonight?" Aang and Katara shared wide-eyed looks.
"The moon phase today will be a waxing gibbous, Sister Kheera," Ivaneq answered. "Estimated to be at around sixty-three percent."
"That's good enough. Tonight, the consummation nights will commence."
"But that's so soon!" Katara pointed out.
"Why are you so shocked, Dronningi Katara? The isumataq and dronningi are being intimate with each other anyway, aren't they?"
Trying not to show their nervousness, the Avatar and the master waterbender chuckled and nodded, "Yes, of course!"
"We just thought that the consummation will be during the full moon since it's more auspicious," Aang covered.
"It's ideal, yes, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And anyhow, earlier is better than later."
"But I still think it would be nice if they had a heads-up," Katara said, "Because…you know how we ladies need to double-check on certain things…"
"Oh…well we'll talk it over with the dronningi later on," Kheera said. "We have a week anyway. Hopefully we can squeeze in one night at least."
"Why can't we just keep the original date?" Aang insisted. "Is expediting the consummation necessary? I mean, Yue hasn't been able to process important life events. Her wedding was expedited without her knowledge and now this…"
"It must be done. We need some form of security before we can finalize her as the leader. Her Highness is our only hope, yes, and she will definitely have the chance to rule during her lifetime regardless, but if childbearing is not a possibility, we need to have time to make alternate preparations in the future. Regarding who is going to succeed her…"
"But what if she has an airbending child…?" Ivaneq asked in spite of his hesitation, "We can't ignore the saber-mammoth in the room."
The room grew quiet. Akluviq could not form a coherent answer, but Kheera was the one who ended up breaking the silence, "We'll worry about what when we get there. I know this isn't helpful, but…let there be a child first."
"Hey, Yue."
Sokka was in love with her. Sokka was truly and deeply in love with her. He had been this entire time. Everyone had been telling her, but she was the fool…
"Yue? Yoohoo!"
But should she really be surprised? Didn't she kind of already know? The looks, the touches, the care…
But it had been an act, hadn't it?
According to his letter, no…
"Hey, Baby Blue!"
"Huh?" Yue snapped out of her thoughts. She looked up from cleaning the Aninnialuk statue, not seeing Sokka but instead the laughing faces of the volunteering women, the angakkuit, and the amused Priest Kunuku.
"What's Grandpa up to today, Grandma?" a teen volunteer nudged her. "He's usually attached to your hip. Is he not in town?"
"He asked me directly. You know, to be your suitor."
"And you said 'no' of course."
"I said 'yes.'"
"Yep, I knew it, I knew…Wait, you what?"
"...I kind of told him that I needed some time to court you…"
"He's busy," Yue swallowed, dumping the rag in her hand in a bucket of water and dabbing carefully at the Yang side of the Aninnialuk.
"Busy with what?"
"I don't know. He just said he was busy…"
"He can't possibly be busy enough to not make time for you. That man skipped out on freaking White Lotus meetings just to help you with the dishes in the royal kitchen or mop a few more inches in the sanctorum. And he's not even a believer! Who do you think he's doing all this for, huh?"
Yue didn't answer.
"Whatever he's up to, it's probably pretty serious," angakkuq Akeqah mused.
"Oooh ooh ooh! Maybe he's avoiding you on purpose so he has time to do other things…" another angakkuq began.
"Like what?" asked another.
"You know how men start avoiding their women when they're busy making something she shouldn't see just yet…"
"Are you suggesting he's making a betrothal necklace?!" another teenage volunteer squeaked. "Oh my Spirits, oh my Spirits, he's probably going to propose to you, Yue! AAAHHH!"
Everyone in the room began to feel excited at the prospects, but little did they know of the sweet weight of La's pendant— his token of loyalty— that currently rested against her bosom.
"Can you imagine it, Princess? Us married?"
"Oh, no."
"You don't want to marry me? I'll make a really good husband."
"I'm sure you would for the right lady."
"Rejecting me again, I see."
Akeqah, with the objective of teasing the temple caretaker by making her jealous, quipped, "How many necklaces is he making, huh? Two?"
"That's what I'm sayin'," another angakkuq chimed in, smirking. "He might as well make a third one with his loyalty to Lady and all. Sometimes I wish he could make up his mind. Sokka's a heretical joy, and he preaches loyalty and all, but then one minute he's scouring the north on foot with Yue and the next, he's running around the princess and the third minute, he's lost in Lady's mist deep in the forests."
"Well I like Yuesanga better than all of them."
"Oh? And who's that?"
"All three of them combined, of course."
"People say he's not a womanizer, but he's certainly around a lot of women. Who will he give himself to?"
"Yeah, he needs to pick one and be loyal to her."
"I take you, Yue of the Kharsaq lineage of the Northern Water Tribe, as my lover and wife."
"Through thick and thin, adversity and bliss, I remain loyal to you, Yue."
"Inaamiya."
Yue felt several skips in her pulse. Her heart swelled with love, yet her brain was consistently slapped by reality, her voice quivering as she replied in annoyance, "Why would he choose someone here when he's not staying here in the first place? You all need to quit harassing the man and let him live."
Silence fell quickly. The priestesses-in-training paused what they were doing long enough to give her looks of curiosity and discontent.
"What do you mean, Yue?" Akeqah frowned. "Did he say he's leaving?"
It's not fair, Yue tore at her lip. The angakkuit themselves, who were repulsed by his disbelief at first and cursed him an eternity in hell, had come to love him as a son over the months given his just nature and were now willing to traverse hell and beyond to make sure he was safe. Didn't the universe see just how much more it would hurt her to see him leave? Because his departure was inevitable. To this very moment, she could still picture Kya's wrathful glare.
"What is it going to take?! What will it take for you to leave him alone?!"
"Because of you, my son has lost his reputation as a respectable tribesman. Because of you, he's been acting recklessly. He's turned into a lovesick polar puppy, and our lives have become utterly miserable! We're all breaking apart and it's because of you!"
"You're an untouchable. A contagious germ of the Water Tribe! And you will never find a place in our household! So leave my son alone!"
She could still recall Hakoda's horror and disgust.
"Even if I'm driven to the streets in the worst possible circumstances, I won't need a thing from you or your family. And mark my words, angayok….if the only other way to repopulate the human race was for me to sleep with your son, I will still not spare a single glance of expectation in your son's direction. In fact, I'd rather slice my own throat."
"Thank you for the confirmation."
She could still remember Kohana's teary eyes and his hiccuping fears.
"Will Sokka and Katara be safe here? I don't want them to get hurt."
"Your brother and sister will always be safe. 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. Once I become the chieftess, your family will be together again…"
"Spirit promise?"
"Spirit promise."
"Sokka's going to have to leave one day," Yue placed the rag aside, looking up at the Aninnialuk, the La half that teased her with its striking similarity to him.
"But why would he?" Priest Kunuku frowned. "Did he say he's leaving anytime soon?"
Yue, still frowning, shook her head.
"Did you two get into an argument?"
"Why would we? Everything's fine."
"Then why?" Akekah pried, "Are you sure you—?"
"Have you all forgotten that he's the heir to the Southern throne?" And although it appeared as if she was talking to them, her inner voice was screaming to her the same thing. Affection was clouding her thoughts, sending through her a rush of excitement, a pulse of emotion radiating from the crumpled paper hidden in her bindings. She wasn't sure what she wanted, what she needed to do to alleviate these sprouting instincts, these suppressed needs, this persistent ache to see him…
"He's not going to stay here forever," she broke the silence that had fallen yet again, "And if we really care about him and his happiness, we shouldn't want him to stay here and ruin his future."
"He was always vocal about staying here longer, though," Akeqah said.
"Three days into your stay here, and you've already become very special to me. I'm really going to miss you when you leave."
"I won't leave if you don't want me to, Princess."
Swallowing, "He stayed long enough. He has parents who have their entire hopes and futures set on him and his success. Should we crush their hopes and sabotage his dreams just because we want him here?"
"But Yue, the boy's in love with you," Akeqah said, dropping her efforts at making Yue jealous, her tone turning dead serious. "And you know that."
She flushed, feeling all eyes intently on her, "He has a greater future to worry about."
"Be honest, Yue, is this about the prince-can't-marry-a-servant yakshit?" another angakkuq piped up. "Are you sacrificing him for the princess's sake?"
"Think what you want. His place isn't here. My place isn't beside him. That's all I can say. If he looks hard enough, he'll find someone that he and his family like. Someone who is willing to stay with him in the South. He will be happy."
"Are you crazy? Why would he look in the South when he's in love with you?"
"Did he tell you that he was in love with me?" Yue demanded. "He didn't, right? He didn't say any such a thing to anyone. So why assume?"
"Assume? It's obvious!"
Taking a deep breath, "There's no point entertaining fantasies. The reality is that his folks are highly particular about the kind of woman they want to accept into their family, and if that woman doesn't meet their criteria…Sokka could be denied his position as chieftain and cut off from the bloodline…"
Collective gasps came in response.
"If anyone wishes to do him a favor, then encourage him to go home," she stood up, bending the soapy water off of her, "And if any of you say anything to him about what I said here today, I'm leaving the capital for good."
Everyone watched her leave abruptly, sharing looks of alarm with one another.
"Oh dear," Akeqah frowned in worry, "Something must've definitely happened."
On her way to the former inner ring, now commonly known as Palace Canal, Yue was surprised to see Niqquq, a senior Loyalist and experienced spy masquerading as a Nationalist. Formerly the man had been investigating crimes of other prominent Nationalists, but he was only recently redirected to Khasiq's prison by Sokka. In a short time, the man had earned Khasiq's trust.
Realizing the man was probably here to see her, Yue covered her face and approached him. She pulled out her royal pin from the folds of her robes. The older man nodded in realization, addressing her in Khajim, a distinct tribal dialect not known among Agna Qel'a locals save for the princess, who had picked it up under Osha's tutelage. "Care to join me for a walk, Your Highness?"
"Of course."
Many alarming points were revealed in the course of their walk, but what was most alarming was Niqquq's mention of Khasiq's interest in choosing bloodbenders as his henchment.
"What are you saying, Brother Niqquq?"
"I'm speaking the truth, Princess. Prince Sokka was very timely in appointing me; otherwise, we would've missed out on crucial information. This is a serious threat in the works."
It appeared that Khasiq, frustrated following his failed attempts in spreading propaganda, is now trying to get in touch with a few bloodbending sleeper cells. Khasiq's aide had personally informed Niqquq of Khasiq's orders that he visit Mugdao.
"Mugdao is in the Earth Kingdom," Yue noted, "Just a few miles west of Nansei. So…does this mean there are bloodbenders hiding there?"
"That has to be the reason why. It certainly doesn't help things when he says things like 'twisting people' from the inside."
"Merciful Spirits," she shuddered. "This would be a huge threat to the public. Because he failed to approach me, he's targeting the kingdom from the other direction. He's aiming for the subjects now."
"Well yes, but also, you are still his target, Your Highness," Niqquq said. "It's true that he's gathering as many resources as he can to leave the public defenseless, but his plan is to specifically hurt the public who are closest to you so he can reach you. And by that I mean, his main target is, unfortunately, the isumataq."
She could feel her heartbeat jarring to a stop, her face paling.
"The isumataq's presence is getting in Khasiq's way. Prince Sokka isn't allowing even a fly to get close to you; it's going to be impossible for Khasiq's influence to make its way up to you. After all, the isumataq managed to thwart the imposter yesterday even when Khasiq planned this knowing he wasn't in the city. The isumataq made it back just in time."
Yue nodded, tightly clutching the side of her robe in apprehension.
"Simply put, getting Prince Sokka out of the way means knocking your shield away from you and leaving you on the defensive, Your Highness. Of course, that's a fallacy on his part given your abilities, but he insists you're unstoppable as long as Prince Sokka is by your side. That's why he's relying on bloodbenders. They're above and beyond benders, and although Prince Sokka isn't a bender himself, he has the capacity to outsmart benders. And not to mention, he has the aide of several benders, including you. Bloodbenders are not easy to outsmart, and their control over another's body is instantaneous. If Prince Sokka runs into them…"
"He won't," Yue shook her, horror flitting through her gaze, specifically at the memory of that poor man who was nearly mangled by Hama's barbaric actions. She refused to imagine Sokka in that place.
"If we apprehend him now, then we will lose track of all the bloodbenders he's trying to get in touch with," Yue said. "And I want them all locked away for good."
"That's why it's best if we don't risk anything. There's a chance of those bloodbenders fleeing and terrorizing more groups."
"Yes, we need to let this play out to a degree," Yue agreed, "But we also need to make sure no one falls prey to the ones specifically targeting the city. We need to especially keep Sokka out of this, and knowing him, if he finds out, he's going to undermine the danger he's in just to protect me." Swallowing, "I always knew I had to send him and Katara back, but now I know I have to send them away from here as fast as possible. And if I really want to handle this myself, I can't have Aang here, either."
"Your Highness, you can't possibly fight them," the man said, alarmed. "They're bloodbenders."
But Yue knew his concern came from the fact that he didn't know the extent of her abilities. She had never bloodbended anyone before, yes, but the power to curb those effects was right there at her fingertips, having helped her heal tens of thousands of people in her lifetime at will. Without the magic of the full moon. She would fight those bloodbenders without succumbing to their control, and that in itself was the greatest move she would ever make instead of reaching inside others and controlling them per se.
"They can definitely be taken down, Brother Niqquq. It just needs to be done without their notice. I will have to act secretly and fast. What we need to do now is feign ignorance. Play dead before making the strike. Prepare."
"If an attack is to happen, it would likely be on the solstice," the man told her. "During the full moon. After all, bloodbenders like Hama who can bend completely at will are very rare."
Briefly looking at her own hands, "Yes…I suppose…"
"Do you think your sifu might be able to help us?" the man asked.
"Yes, she definitely will," Yue nodded. "Kuunnguaq will do what she needs to do, and I'll play my part. I might as well leave this to her capable hands as I enforce precautions." Narrowing her eyes, "Who knows, I might end up distracting Khasiq as Kuunnguaq goes for the blow."
By now, they had reached the ocean shore. The man reiterated, "I plan to go with Khasiq's assistant to confirm everything, and I will relay the information to you once I get back. It won't take but a day."
"It's very dangerous. Please be careful."
"I will."
"Brother Niqquq, this conversation must be kept between us. Please don't let anyone know. Not even Sokka. I need to plan certain things before I can disclose this information."
"As you wish, Your Highness."
Osha found the dronningi seated by the shore, the incarnate Tui's feet planted in the tundra, her knees hugged to her chest. The older woman was quick to join her, her bony hand resting on the young woman's shoulder.
"I don't see you thinking this hard when you help other lovers," the priestess began. "In our very temple, you and the isumataq brought many lovers together in marriage. And yet…when it comes to your own feelings, you are backing out."
Yue bit her lip, staring at the waves. "He's in trouble."
The priestess chuckled, "Bah. Who can fight the ocean and win? Who can anger the moon and live?"
"I'm being serious," Yue's throat choked as she looked at the priestess, "I can't let anything happen to him, Mother Osha."
"And you won't. Who said you will? No one. No one other than you."
Yue turned away, feeling the cold waves brush up against her mocassins. "He's in love with me."
Osha nodded, "He has been for a while."
"He wants to have a family with me."
Nudging her, "But you kind of already knew that, didn't you?"
The princess blinked back the moisture forming in her eyes, refusing to melt. "I can't…"
"Why ever not?"
"Because I just can't, I…" Her eyes glazed with love, growing soft, filled to the brim with adoration, "Sokka's precious. He should always smile and make others smile. He should always be happy. And I don't want to be the reason why his happiness is snatched away from him."
"You could never take his happiness away from him. You make him happy."
Swallowing the lump in her throat, "I told his parents that I'm no animal in heat. I promised them that I'd never separate their son from them."
"You won't separate them. And you are not an animal in heat; you are starved of love and affection. There is a difference." Crossing her legs and settling beside the princess, "You've let go of many things for the tribe. You've thrown a lot of burden on your shoulders over the years. And as a leader, you are commendable. But please, for the love of La, do not do yourself injustice, Yuesanga, because it will break his heart, and it will break him."
Yue looked to her.
"La is willing to give himself to you. He has spread himself out as a feast before. So partake of him. Have compassion and mercy. And by that, I don't mean you should love him because he loves you. I'm saying you should have compassion for yourself. Because I know how you feel, and you know how you feel. So let yourself feel. Let yourself love freely and without fear."
Yue didn't respond, but Osha grasped her hand. "You said it yourself once to a woman who was in similar shoes. 'Unbridled loyalty should be rewarded with ruthless compassion.' What could be said of what you and he share? Isn't that loyalty at its finest? Tell me, has he ever intentionally strayed away from you for even a moment?"
She shook her head.
"His loyalty to you is not deserving of punishment, and neither is your loyalty to justice. Reward yourselves, I say."
"If I reward myself, those parents could lose their son. He could be disowned. He will be miserable. Because of me," Yue's voice broke. "A butterfly-moth is at its happiest when it is not caged. When it has a lush flower garden to feed on…"
"But you are not the cage, Yuesanga. You are the flower garden. And he has made that very clear to you. It's just a matter of you realizing it." Osha turned to the sea, "You are worried that Kya and Hakoda will lose their son, but the truth is that they are the ones trapped. They are struggling to break free. Who knows, this 'selfishness' that you call of your feelings could liberate them."
Yue furrowed her eyebrows, silently seeking an explanation, but Osha only smiled at her. "Keep him beside you, and all will be well."
Every bit of worry that plagued the princess melted away when she heard, "Baby Blue! Baby Blue!"
She tore her eyes away from the sidewalk and cast her attention to the direction where the voice was coming from. A flood of emotions overcame her, but despite her inhibitions, her arms automatically spread to welcome her worried admirer into her arms. He panted against her shoulder, his arms wrapped around her.
Yue, I'm in love with you. She sighed, tightening her hold of him, smoothing the back of his wolf tail.
"I'd been looking everywhere for you," he breathed, instinctively kissing her forehead, stirring a whole other round of emotion, "Why didn't you wake me up?"
His voice rumbled softly against her skin. Had it always been this soft? "You were running around yesterday for my sake. I wanted you to take a break for today."
"It's not safe for you to wander around by yourself. Even with your disguise."
"I think you're just paranoid from yesterday."
"I have every right to be."
She smiled, her hand lingering longer than she may have expected on his cheek. He didn't seem to mind, though.
"So, uh," grasping the hand on his cheek with all tenderness, "Akluviq's here. With his wife."
"Already?" frowning, "They weren't supposed to be here until the end of next week."
"He said he wanted to talk to us about something. I have a feeling he knows what happened yesterday."
After traversing all the way up to Palace Road and rushing to make themselves a bit more regal and presentable, they found themselves being the objects of Akluviq and Kheera's attention, accompanied by Katara and Aang.
"It's good to see you again, Chieftess," Akluviq smiled, lowering his voice, "And you, too, of course, Mr. Chieftain Consort."
Kheera smiled and handed Yue a large, thick book, "A gift in honor of your wedding. I was unable to attend as I was expecting at the time."
The book was a compilation of the paintings of their wedding. Several scenes had been recreated with utmost brilliance, from the moments they each entered the Spirit Oasis to their famed kiss. The princess, complicated as her feelings were at this point, couldn't help a dark flush of her cheeks as she handed the collection to Sokka. He turned back to the first page and glossed over the paintings with a soft gaze. He was smiling a rare smile much to Yue's notice.
"You didn't have to make it into a whole collection," Yue said. "I must have been burdensome for you."
"Oh, not at all. You are our chieftess!" Akluviq chuckled, "Your parents wouldn't have spared me if I didn't do it!"
Kheera cleared her throat, "So, how are things? I'm hoping you both are happy and in a good place right now."
"Oh, they're annoyingly inseparable," Katara said, earning chuckles.
"But of course, they're being careful, too, to not give their relationship away," Aang said. "Top secrecy is priority after all. But still, there are a lot of people in the tribe, if not basically everyone, who think they're seeing each other or courting."
"Oh, well it's good to hear that they are exercising such a level of care for one another." Akluviq turned back to the flushed couple, "You are being intimate with each other, yes?"
Sokka wasn't sure what to say, but Yue took the reins, "Y-Yes…we are…"
"And if you don't mind me asking," Kheera turned to Yue, "When was your last cycle, Your Highness?"
"Uh, if you need me to step out, I—" But Yue caught Sokka's arm, gesturing him to remain seated.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of, it's a natural question," Kheera said. "Surely you've seen it all as her husband."
"Yeah…right…" Sokka flushed deeply.
"If you must know, I'm not pregnant," Yue said. "My cycle was last week—"
"Perfect!"
The princess raised her eyebrows, "Pardon?"
"You're all set for tonight's consummation!"
"Tonight?!" the prince and princess yelped simultaneously. Sokka flashed a questioning look to his sister, who merely smiled nervously, indicating that this was not the time for clarification and that she would explain everything later.
"Why are you freaking out?" Akluviq asked calmly. "We're only saying that we must get this show on the road before the solstice."
"Before the solstice?" Sokka blinked, "But what's the point of doing it earlier? It doesn't matter if we're…being intimate anyhow…We told you…"
Suspicious over the couple's repeatedly embarrassed reactions, "How intimate are you?" Kheera asked. "Have you gone the entire way?"
"Uh…yeah…"
"Has penetration occurred?"
The young leaders flushed, "Y-Yes."
"Then what's stopping you from doing it again?"
"Nothing's stopping us," Sokka failed to fight off his blush. "We're as happy as ever."
"I'm glad to hear that," Kheera said, still suspicious, "but a traditional ceremony is still necessary. You're both turning twenty-four, correct?"
"Yeah, but—"
"That will mark eight years past your marrying age. And as you know, your six months will be up by the solstice. The longer we delay tradition, the more inauspicious. Especially given your age and the length of your relationship thus far—"
"But this isn't a matter of auspiciousness," Sokka insisted.
"I don't understand why you're being so defensive about having sex with your lawfully wedded wife."
"I'm not being defensive!" he said defensively, his blush deepening, "I just meant that it makes no difference if we have a so-called 'traditional' consummation or not. We'll still be…you know, doing the deed anyway…"
"I think what he means to say is that we thought we had the date for the consummation fixed already," Yue covered, managing to fight the crimson off of her face. "I thought you had the solstice in mind."
"That was the plan, but now we want to expedite that process. I don't understand why you're not up for this. Is there any discomfort of sorts…? Have you been having difficulty in your sessions? Any medical conditions like pain or…endurance issues…?"
"No, no."
"Then what's the problem?"
"There's no problem, it's just…"
"The full moon is auspicious!" Sokka exclaimed. "Why can't we have it on the full moon?"
"Oh my Spirits, isumataq, you can still have sex on the full moon if you want!" Akluviq said, nearly exasperated, "But the traditional consummation must be earlier than that."
"But why?"
"Because we are looking to have Her Highness coronated on the solstice instead."
Yue widened her eyes, "On the solstice?"
"It's a necessary step," Akluviq merely said. "You say you are both very much in love. Regardless of if you have both taken that step, the traditional ceremony had not taken place, and it's mandatory. We as the leadership council members need some form of security as we dive into this."
"Securing one's bloodline ordinarily requires that couple to already have a child. You know this," Kheera explained. "But we have made several exceptions with you, Your Highness, and with reason, of course."
"But why expedite the coronation?" Yue asked. "We have three more months left—"
"We only set a tentative time, Chieftess. The purpose had been to give you adequate time to help sort the situation here. But we've taken a good look at all the records this morning. Statistics show that there has been an impressive drop in the crime rate."
"You were only here for half a day," Sokka raised his eyebrows, "Are you already sure?"
"Of course not. We need to see more of the tribe to make sure. But we are strongly favoring an expedited coronation if everything looks good." Eyeing the princess, "I don't understand why you're not happy, Dronningi Yue."
"You were informed of what happened yesterday," Yue then said. "I can see it on your faces. You came flying here a week early because you found out I was almost attacked."
"Yes, you're right," Kheera admitted, "And we want to expedite this process because we're afraid that the public will believe this false propaganda. It is easier to prevent someone from becoming a ruler than to overthrow one."
"I wouldn't be so quick to say that. There's always assassination—"
"Yue, don't say that, please!" Sokka burst, "Why would you say that?"
"I don't know, maybe I think it's odd that right after the incident took place, everyone's looking to make me chieftess and are changing their initial plans so quickly," she crossed her arms.
"You're the only heir to the throne, Your Highness. This is the truth," Kheera said. "Everything else is propaganda. There is no other truth you should worry about or be afraid of. Please, trust us."
Sokka held her hand, "Yue, don't stress yourself out over this. What's wrong with an expedited coronation? I think it'll do wonders. Just trust the process." Squeezing her hand, whispering to her in a low voice to where no one else can hear them, "We'll talk out the rest later."
Yue nodded, facing the officials, "Fine. If you're not wanting to stall this any longer, I will only agree to an expedited coronation if I am coronated the night before the solstice."
"A day before?" they blinked. Aang, Katara, and Sokka glanced at her, surprised and curious.
"Is there any particular reason?"
"Nothing other than personal satisfaction," she lied coolly. "Since the opportunity exists, I want to take advantage of being crowned before my birthday. I wish to make history."
Her reasoning wasn't very believable for Sokka, but the desperate officials agreed to it very quickly. "Very well then. Your coronation, if and when finalized, will take place the day before the Winter Solstice. But this would mean your traditional conjugal nights—"
"Will start tonight."
"That was rough," Sokka huffed as he handed her a cup of water, "I'm sorry about that."
Yue shrugged, "It's to be expected. It would've been worse if things had been normal. They do make that point, though; they made many exceptions for me already. They won't be able to wait any longer." Sighing, "And if anything, you should take this as a heads up. I know the committee down South will do the same to you. Prince Sokka, get married. Prince Sokka, have lots of sex with your wife. Prince Sokka, have kids."
"Well thank the Universe the marriage part's done," he winked, "Might as well give in to my charm, eh, dronningi?"
She didn't laugh it off this time, for once feeling the tension that lingered between them both. Even he found her lack of reaction odd.
"But, uh, in all seriousness… I honestly think it's for the best that you're being coronated early. And no, I don't think that because of the propaganda, necessarily. I just want you to be able to have increased security."
"You're still paranoid about yesterday, I see."
"Yeah, but even if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't let you pass up the chance for increased security measures."
She gave a dry chuckle, staring at the floor, "I know you wouldn't pass up the chance to finally go home. Kohana will be happy to know his brother and sister are coming home earlier than expected."
"Woah woah woah," he frowned defensively, feeling a pang at his heart, "You think I want this so I can leave you as soon as possible?"
"I didn't say it like that, it was a joke—"
"I never said I'm hightailing it out of here right after the coronation."
"You might not have said anything, but I told your folks I'm sending you and Katara back after the coronation—"
"Well you can't send us against our will, can you? I told you I'm not leaving, dronningi, we've just been through this yesterday!" he said. "And let's just leave my folks out of this conversation, alright?"
"Sokka, you have to think about—"
"Let's just focus on your coronation right now. We can talk about other things later."
A momentary pause followed until Sokka broke the silence, asking, "Are you sure you're okay with the, uh…the consummation being…tonight…?"
"Keep him beside you, and all will be well." Yue flashed him a look bordering on the edge of a tease, "You make it sound like you dread sleeping with me, husband."
"Uh…" rubbing the back of his head, his face reddening to impossible shades, "I, uh…"
Amused, "Hold onto your britches. I assure you I have a plan."