| By King Bumis Heir | Genre | Rating | Reviews | Updates |
| More from King Bumis Heir | Romance/Drama | YA 13+ | None | No update page |
A Lotus in the Snow[]
Aloi sat back straight near a writing desk in a candlelit room. She had been writing to Rong Yan and Jushi over the past two months since they left Ba Sing Se. Aloi said aloud as she scribbled on the parchment with a brush, "Unaraq and I arrived in Iqaluit about a day ago, the Chieftain ordered a feast to be prepared in our honor. It feels like just yesterday you killed General Senlin. But I know it's been over two months now. Everything's such a huge culture change; it was actually difficult to find parchment. The Tribesmen don't usually use paper to communicate with others at long distances. Well, the nobles do, but everyone talks to each other person."
"We need to come to visit soon. Maybe you and Yua can take us for a much-needed vacation to Ember Island. I know we just got here, but...some of the people here don't accept me quite yet. I suppose they don't accept me because it is quite odd a southern Prince is in a relationship with a nun from one of the Air Temples. If I chose to wed..." she stopped stroking the brush for a pause.
Without continuing to write, she whispered to herself in a soliloquy, "...would that illegitimize his rule? Would that corrupt the bloodline?"
Aloi sighed and rested her index and thumb across her brow, "No, no, that's dumb."
Aloi resumed writing, "... we'll figure it out. He's thankful you saved his life a few months back. Unaraq talks about it a lot to the guards and servants. He hasn't gotten a ton of sleep either since we got back. He's been off attending the meeting with the Court of Elders and other important figures. He's been assisting Chieftain Unirak with diplomatic things about the peace treaty."
"I can't imagine you're off doing the same thing from the Fire Nation. Well, I hope you write me sooner this time around. Love, Aloi," she finished.
She rose up from her seat and padded toward the door; a servant hurried to the door's opening. He was a short tricenarian, his hair held into a small ponytail, on his upper lip rested a thin strip of facial hair. His skin was dark tan, and he was slender. The servant bowed before her and greeted Aloi, "Good afternoon, milady, the crowned Prince wishes you join him an hour past early afternoon for a public appearance!"
"Another one?" she inquired.
"Yes...well, the less fortunate sections of the capital city have yet to lay eyes on the lady he's brought back from his adventuring days, of course!" he answered.
"Hey, did you make sure that my meals from now on are vegetarian?" she asked him.
"Of course, while that might've made Siigruk angry, I'm sure he was able to compensate. He hired someone to collect plants from Tikigak. Although he made a request to the Chieftain to have a garden near the Oasis. Specially made to grow your food," explained her servant.
"Thank you, Kipaluk. I can't eat nuts forever," she thanked him for updating her on that.
"Agreed nuts can make you fat," smiled Kipaluk.
"Nuts can make you fat?!" blurted out Aloi.
"Well...eventually," he added.
Kipaluk led Aloi from her and Unaraq's chambers to the dining hall where the chef, Siigruk, saw her as she entered from a distance. He murmured something inarticulate to himself. Siigruk went forth and presented her with a small wooden bowl full of greens, collected from the week to bring to her. He mentioned, "These are delicacies from the South Pole, enriched with plenty of nutrients."
After Aloi's meal, Kipaluk returned and led her toward the stables. There he grabbed a random fur coat and wrapped it around her. She fidgeted with it until she properly slid her arms into the sleeves. By the time they got outside, she was warm and covered in furs. Kipaluk opened the door to the carriage and made sure she got inside. An older gentleman sat on the coachbox of the cart and snapped the reins of the arctic camels. The animals of burden felt the lash and hurried forward.
Sometime later, the carriage halted somewhere in the city's noble section, some elder's estate, she thought. The big blue painted doors creaked open, and the crowned Prince exited the property. The carriage driver hopped off from his seat and greeted the Prince, "It is good to see you, Prince Unaraq. It's been a little over three or four years since I last saw you."
"It indeed has; it's always a pleasure to see you too, Saiyu," returned Unaraq.
The older gentleman opened the door for the crowned Prince and guided him into the carriage. As Unaraq crawled inside, he greeted his girlfriend, "Afternoon, my love,... that's...something new."
He eyed the fur layers that his girlfriend wore. It almost hid the lower half of her face. It was long and covered her all the way down to her ankles. She asked him, "You don't like it?"
"It's not that I don't like it... it's just not you. Especially because you're wearing the pelts of animals, I specifically told the tailors to import something from the Oma Kingdom for this specific reason," commented Unaraq.
"Wait, they made me a coat?" she returned an echo question.
"Did Kipaluk not give it to you? Nevermind that," Unaraq concluded, then shook his head, changing the subject.
Aloi stared out of the aperture as they traveled through the city. They were exiting the section that was wealthier than others. He looked over to her after he finished his thoughts and questioned her, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she responded.
"Nothing means something, what's wrong?" he pressed again.
Aloi sighed, "It's just...yesterday when we were waving at the crowd of commoners and nobles. Did you not see their faces? Those women looked disappointed and disgusted that you chose me – a foreigner. Wouldn't that illegitimize your rule?" she wondered.
"It hasn't been done before; the citizens will get used to you overtime. Don't worry, they'll have to," answered Unaraq.
"You didn't answer my question," she said.
"I-I don't know, as I said, it hasn't been done before. Or not in the past few centuries that I'm aware of," added Unaraq.
"Try not to think about it too much; you're here to stay. Those women can daydream all they want, but at the end of the day, you'll be chieftainess someday," Unaraq assured Aloi.
She gave him a light smile, then leaned over and rested her head on Unaraq's shoulder. Hours later, they reached the poverty-stricken areas of the capital city. A crowd flooded both sides of the street, giving the carriage much-needed ground to get through. Inside, Unaraq turned to face Aloi and questioned her, "Ready?"
Aloi nodded; they shared a peck, and Unaraq opened the hatch on the top of the carriage. The opening was large enough for both of them to fit through. The peasants thought nothing of it when they saw an Air Nomadic woman emerge alongside their beloved Prince. Aloi was shy again as she's not used to audiences the size of a town. They gave toothy smiles and waved to the impoverished streets of the city as the carriage rolled through.
"Try not to think about it too much; it'll come naturally," he whispered to her.
"These guys love you," Unaraq said; she repeated everything pose and movement her boyfriend performed.
"This isn't so bad. I like these people; they aren't judgmental," commented Aloi.
"Can I help them out? Since I'm going to be a princess and all, the least I could do is assist my subjects, right?" she pondered, turning to face Unaraq.
"Sure, whatever gets you to feel comfortable and liked by the people. I don't see why not; if you have any ideas, you can bring them forward to my Dad," agreed Unaraq.
That evening, they finally made it back to the palace. Inside, a woman knelt before Chieftain Unirak as he rested on his throne. He spent his entire day attending meetings. The woman implored and requested, "I only wish to speak with the crowned Prince, honorable chieftain."
"I already told you no, Crowned Prince Unaraq is in a loving relationship with another, and I highly approve of it! You need to leave, or I'll have the guards escort you to the prisons for trespassing," declined Unirak.
A sense of reality set in for the woman; she stood up and backed away as she exited the throne room. In the halls, however, she ran into her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. She smiled when her eyes laid upon Unaraq's ocean blue eyes. Her arms were wide open, attempting to hug him, although a guard used his spear to quickly stop her. She peered down to see the weapon blocking her path, then her gaze moved to Unaraq's left. She saw a tall, slender, and pale-skinned woman with light blue tattoos holding hands with the crowned Prince.
The woman gasped, and the guard spoke louder and warned her, "The chieftain has ordered you to leave, touch the crowned Prince, and you're going into the slammer tonight."
Unaraq was still in shock that his ex-girlfriend Nuttatatik was inside the palace halls. Inside searching for him, what did she want? He wasn't interested in whatever it was she had to offer. Aloi, in those brief seconds, as Nuttatatik pivoted around and stormed out of the palace, pieced it together. She knew this was the girl that one of Min's club members mentioned once back in Ba Sing Se. She couldn't quite recall the name of his previous significant other, but she thought this had to be the one.
"Unaraq," she called out to him; Unaraq snapped out of the shock he was in. She played dumb and questioned him, "Who was that?"
"You stared at her as if you knew her," Aloi guessed.
"That's my ex-girlfriend Nuttatatik; I don't know why she was here, though," he replied.
"I think she came looking for you when she knew you were in town," said Aloi.
"We broke up years ago before I left the South Pole to join Rong Yan..." he paused.
He turned to Aloi and resumed, "...then I met you, and you helped me get over her."
"It seems she never got over you," said Aloi.
Unaraq cringed when he suddenly remembered the day they broke up," She was possessive and controlling. I did the right thing, and it wasn't pretty. My Dad made sure she spent two weeks in jail."
"Wait, what did she do?" Aloi questioned him.
"I'd rather not say," Unaraq shook his head.
One Week Later
The Chieftain sat comfortably inside the carriage surrounded by twenty royal guardsmen. Aloi sat beside him as she looked out the aperture. She seemed to like staring at the environment as they rolled through. Many estates were architecturally similar, but the decorations and emblems of other noble houses made them vastly different.
Chieftain Unirak enjoyed some of the ideas his future daughter-in-law shared with him. He invited her to an emergency Court of Elders meeting. The meeting, however, wasn't assembled because of the suggestions she had. There was an issue in the educational system within the city that needed to be addressed.
The carriage came to a full halt; they waited in front of massive wooden gates with the woodcarving of a mammoth bustard. The doors opened slightly and a slouched dark tanned elderly man hobbled outside with his cane. He gestured the gates to be extended further to allow the cart inside, the old man careened alongside the carriage. A guard assisted Tutkiksuk toward the courtyard, where he waited for the Chieftain to exit the wagon. He itched the dry skin on the top of his already bald crown. The weather hasn't been too kind on his skin.
As the carriage door opened and the Chieftain stepped out, he bowed his upper torso to the leader of the tribe. A young woman he'd never seen before was the next to follow behind the Chieftain. He turned his attention to Unirak, "This must be the woman you were telling me about, the one who's with your son. Correct?"
"Welcome to my estate; you are an honored guest along with Chieftain Unirak," greeted the old man.
"I am Elder Tutkiksuk, and you must be?" he introduced himself.
"I'm Aloi; it's a pleasure to meet you," she smiled.
While the guardsmen escorted the three to the estate's main house, he had a pleasant time speaking with Aloi to the meeting room. Nuttatatik and two other noblewomen, probably friends, passed through the halls of the main house. Although, Unaraq's ex-girlfriend missed Aloi by a bit; one of the women does but thought nothing as she continued on her merry way. When the three entered the meeting room, Tutkiksuk introduced Aloi to the other Court of Elders members.
In front of them was a table with six pillows beside the table's four sides, two men and one woman were already seated. The elderly man began the introduction, "On the far right is Elder Iglutuiruk from Aagiak, to our near right is Elder Isumanguruk from Iqaluit, to our far left is Elder Nagligigaa from Nunavik. You're more than welcome to have my seat; I'll sit across from the Chieftain."
"Everyone, this is Aloi; she's the significant other of the crowned Prince. She has some ideas to share for some of the poverty-stricken areas of our city," Tutkiksuk presented to them the young woman that was joining them.
Aloi bowed to the Elders and smiled, "It is a pleasure to be here with you all."
She sat next to Nagligigaa, who gave her a warm beam and whispered, "Welcome."
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for meeting me on such short notice; I believe we have some things we have in order," began Unirak.
"I think Elder Iglutuiruk had something to share," he said.
"Certainly, thank you," thanked the elder; Iglutuiruk rose from his seat and began with the issue at hand.
"I've recently overlooked some of the data from underperforming students, and I thought it was only feasible to give a tutor to each of the children underperforming whether it'd be hunting, fishing, academics, bending, and even weapon skills," explained the Elder of Education.
"Isn't there a level of differentiation that makes this impossible? Even for the most dedicated of teachers and masters to provide?" inquired Elder Isumanguruk.
"Essentially, which is why children with educated and engaged parents have one-on-one tutoring at home," added Elder Nagligigaa.
Aloi chimed in, "What about the children who don't have that kind of access? Receiving a more tailored instruction from their academies can help level the playing field and close achievement and data gaps."
"Thank you for supporting my issue, Aloi," thanked Iglutuiruk; he was expecting the girl would remain quiet. But she surprised him by joining the debate.
Chieftain Unirak turned his attention to Aloi, "What else do you have to support the argument?" he inquired.
"Well, back at home, every child had a guardian monk; besides the main duties of one, they were also role models for us. Developing a close relationship with a role model is an important determinant of engagement in our lives. And a tutor that regularly sees a child can have that kind of relationship," she added.
"And how do you suggest we pay for this? No tutor will willingly waste their time without compensation!" argued Elder Isumanguruk.
"You pay nothing at all; in fact, you can recruit community volunteers, and for those who are graduating, we can make a requirement for them before they qualify to leave their education behind. Perhaps those who seek further education to become teachers themselves will volunteer. And if a teacher wishes to do so, they can be reimbursed for their time," maintained Aloi.
"I like her idea, all in favor?" Unirak commented then requested a vote from all of the representatives.
"Elder Isumanguruk?" Unirak questioned the representative from Iqaluit.
"I vote no," he answered.
"Elder Iglutuiruk?" he looked to the man for a response.
"I vote yes," Iglutuiruk responded.
"Elder Tutkiksuk?" he inquired.
"I vote yes," the elderly man rose his hand.
"Elder Nagligigaa?" asked the Chieftain.
"I will vote yes," she beamed.
"I will also cast a vote for yes," said Unirak.
"Four yes against one no, the tutoring policy passes, effective immediately," declared Unirak.
"I've noticed there was an increase in homelessness since the last time I visited. Unaraq wanted me to gain the people's favor and said I should begin from the bottom up. So I had an idea that we can construct community homes for the homeless. Some of these are dying of hypothermia and other diseases. Mainly, the non-benders can't survive an evening here; I want to propose the idea of community homes for those who need it," described Aloi.
At the same time, Nuttatatik and her friends were in the courtyard giggling about rumors and noblemen around their age. Her friend who saw Aloi mentioned, "I noticed the chieftain is here in your estate."
"Oh yeah, my father is an elder in his court; he comes here a lot when the meeting's scheduled to be in our estate," responded Nuttatatik. Her tone seemed disinterested about Chieftain Unirak. Perhaps it was over the encounter from the week before.
"You know everyone in the Royal Family and who they associate with, who was the Air Nomad woman that accompanied him?" she wondered curiously.
"Air No-how dare she enter my home!" gasped Nuttatatik. She was furious that she stormed off toward the meeting room.
Isumanguruk countered the idea, "That's a preposterous proposal! If you believe that we're going to increase the rich's taxes in the city just so that homeless people can have housing? Do we forget the part where these people got themselves in this situation because of their carelessness?!"
"Is he always this angry?" Aloi questioned Nagligigaa using her inside voice.
The woman rapidly nodded her head then stopped when Isumanguruk's eyes darted in her direction. Chieftain Unirak inquired, "Elder Tutkiksuk, you are the Minister of Taxation and Public Health; what are your thoughts on the matter?"
"Hmm..." he made a sound as he stroked his chin while in thought.
"I agree with the girl; she's right. We cannot allow citizens to die on the streets, and many cannot survive the harsh winds without a warm fire. It couldn't hurt to raise the taxes by another five percent to collect enough money to construct homes for the homeless. However, my concern is, when we house them, what happens next?" he opinionated.
Elder Tutkiksuk asked Aloi, "Are they to live off of the city's coffers until they pass? Or will it serve them as a means of rehabilitation back into the workforce?"
Suddenly, the doors to the meeting room busted open; it was Elder Tutkiksuk's daughter Nuttatatik. Unirak stood up angrily and snarled, "Elder Tutkiksuk, what is the meaning of THIS?!"
The elderly man, with the support of his cane, stood up, "Nuttatatik! What are you doing?!" he yelled at his daughter.
"How dare you allow this windbag into our home?!" she pointed at Aloi.
Aloi was frightened by the entire situation and the sudden rage of the strange woman she encountered last week. Nuttatatik hissed at Aloi, "You don't deserve to lay next to my husband!"
"Husband?! My son no longer wanted you for reasons, and here you are proving why he ended things with you in the first place!" hissed Unirak.
"Nuttatatik, you have no place to be telling anyone – anything you need to leave. Now!" related Elder Nagligigaa.
"You embarrass me, child," frowned her father.
"I'm not doing things to impress you, father," denied the woman.
"I order you to stand down," barked the Chieftain.
Nuttatatik uncorked her waterskin and lashed out a water whip directed at Aloi. Aloi flinched when she heard a shield of ice shatter in front of her. Nuttatatik's father stole water from the same waterskin the young woman used. He gazed at her with sadness in his eyes when the royal guards came to wrestle Nuttatatik to the ground. Tutkiksuk turned away and returned to his seat. As Nuttatatik was being hauled away, everyone remained quiet. Tears crawled into the tear ducts of Aloi's eyes, she ran out of the meeting room. Unirak lowered his head and sighed.
Two Days Later
Aloi received a letter from her friend the Avatar quicker than before she wrote, "It's not honestly, the poor folks seem to like me they have this thing with airbenders where we bring good luck. The nobles are taking their time, but my concerns were correct. Just two days ago, Unaraq's ex-girlfriend caused a scene at a meeting I attended with Chieftain Unirak. She attempted to assault me, and her father defended me; then she was tackled and arrested on Unirak's orders."
"I felt embarrassed about the entire thing that I ran away in fear after she was dragged out. One of the Elders doesn't already like me; now for sure he hates me!" she scribbled.
Then Aloi heard a knock on the chambers' door; she pushed herself away from the escritoire and answered the door. Her servant Kipaluk waited patiently for her; in his arm rested another coat.
"Oh afternoon Kipaluk, can I help you?" she questioned him.
"It's the evening, but no, actually, the crowned Prince ordered I escort you to the courtyard of the palace for a surprise," corrected Kipaluk. His tone sounded suspiciously like he was holding back a secret.
"What surprise?" she asked Kipaluk.
"Here put this in on, it was imported from the Oma Kingdom. It's layered with fleece; the crowned Prince hopes you're more comfortable in this," offered Kipaluk.
As he escorted her to the outer courtyard in the front of the palace. Aloi put on the new coat; when she exited into the courtyard, she was greeted by a massive crowd of Iqaluit citizens. She grew shy and wasn't expecting a huge audience, only something small and personal.
Chieftain Unirak neared her with a custom-made headdress made especially for Aloi. Aloi lowered her chin, and he placed it on her head. Chieftain Unirak then declared, "Aloi of the Sum Pa Air Temple from this day forth you will be a member of the Iqaluit Royal Family!"
The front row's attendants were the Court of Elders and their families; she even saw Elder Tutkiksuk minus Nuttatatik, who was in jail for the second time. Aloi grew a vast beam from ear to ear, she waved her hands to the crowd. Most of them who showed up were nobles and commoners; Unaraq reached into his coat and grabbed something from within. A necklace he held tightly in his hands, Aloi froze when she saw it.
"Is that?" she questioned him while pointing at the necklace.
Unaraq smiled and nodded, "It is. Will you marry me?"
Aloi released a tear from her eye and ran into Unaraq's arms. Unaraq caught Aloi and spun her around; then he stepped behind her to fasten the betrothal necklace around her neck. Aloi felt the pendant and looked down and examined it for a brief moment. The jewelry was made unique to the traditional ones, instead of a leather strap; Unaraq made sure a hemp strap was imported from the Oma Kingdom. As for the wooden pendant, the air temples' insignias and the Southern Water Tribe were carved together. Signifying the coming together of a Western Nomadic woman and a Southern Tribesman. Unaraq held her, and they shared a passionate kiss.
A Few Years Later
"I am so happy for you two; a courier came in today with the invitation! You bet Unaraq, and I will be there for you two. I knew that from the night you met Yua at the Laogai Island party, that you two would be together forever. It was destiny just like Unaraq, and I fulfilled our destinies, and soon..." Aloi paused her writing.
"We'd rather show you than spoil it in this letter, we'll see you in two weeks!" she finished.
Aloi dipped her brush into the inkpot and finished writing, "Love, Aloi."
Aloi smiled and rubbed her belly; it showed more than a month ago. And Aloi's been coming along for the past four months. She rolled up the parchment and left it on the writing desk. She headed to bed with her husband, who was sound asleep.
Notes[]
- Yes, it's a Valentine's Day special, I know I'm late.
- This story is set about two or three months after Rong Yan kills General Senlin.
- It is small events that span after the death of Senlin and before Rong Yan and Yua's wedding.
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