Chapter 65: Banquet & Princess

A/N: Chapters in advance in Patreòn

Pa treon.com/HolyJoker

(20+ chapters in advance)

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Chapter 65: Banquet & Princess

***

The real Avatar's arrival spread like wildfire throughout the Northern Water Tribe and hosted a feast for him. Though the grand feast was also made to celebrate the 16th birthday of Princess Yue.

The banquet was held at the big palace, and Sokka was attending too. Aang and Katara looked at him strangely, because even though he wasn't supposed to know how to act cordially. Sokka seemed to strangely be in his element.

"So you are the Avatar's companion?" Asked Arnook, smiling at the young man. The Tribe Chieftain had drunk a little and loosened up. "Today is a glorious day for our tribe, to have the Avatar amongst us."

Sokka nodded. "Of course, I am happy too. Though from what we have seen the Northern Water Tribe won't be safe for long."

Immediately, the happy and glamorous atmosphere during the banquet quieted down. Sokka smiled and wondered if he had some talent in running everyone's mood.  

"Why might that be so?" Inquired Arnook, as his eyes settled on him like a hawk.

"They want the Avatar dead," Sokka clarified, taking a cut of tea and gulping it down in one swing. He never liked alcohol too much, even in his first life, so at this party, he only drank tea. Though he drank it as if it was a shot of whisky, most people here thought he was drinking alcohol. "After the airbending Avatar dies, do you know where the cycle leads next? Water. It's safe to assume that it won't be long before they attack."

Arnook nodded and sighed. "You are probably right. But if they attack, we will be prepared to fight against them."

'Right, and you have no idea how they fight for the last hundred years or what ships they even use. You might mean those words you say, Chieftain, but to me they are empty.'

Sokka didn't trust Arnook's judgment. But decided not to voice his opinion out loud, and just gave a toast, with a small smile on his face. "Then let's hope that when they are here. We can fight together, as a group."

Trying to fend off the Chieftain with words would be useless. Sokka knew that, to them, he was just a snot-nosed brat from what they considered a savage and backward tribe. 

**

The feast went on and Sokka was back to being in the background, letting Aang stand in the spotlight. 

His gaze settled on the chieftain for a split second before he looked away. Technically, Arnook was the one in charge of the Southern Water Tribe too. 

But Sokka would never let someone else, an outsider, rule his lands. Spending a hundred years apart, without contact, no one in the Southern Water Tribe would accept someone who will come and say that they will now rule them, after abandoning them for a hundred years. 

Titles don't give you the power to rule over someone, only of it, like a shadow on the wall. 

Sokka would make sure that no one obstructed his way to the Chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe.

He glanced at Yue and smiled, though she wasn't looking at him.

***

-Sokka POV-

What's the best way to sway the opinion of a leader who has to listen to his people's complaints and work based on them? Well, charm his daughter and have her put that idea in his mind.

Yue had quite an exotic look, with blue eyes, silver hair, and light caramel skin. She would become a beauty, no doubt. Will I be able to get on her good side? Who knows, sometimes feelings aren't logical, so they can't be calculated. But the first step was important, and that was talking to her.

The chances might be low, even if you try, but without trying then the chances are truly zero. 

Walking towards her quietly, I went and sat down next to Yue as a girl sitting there previously got up to do something. 

"Excuse me, do you have fried octopus?" I asked, masking my real intentions. Starting to flirt with her immediately would just make Yue and everyone else who saw us think that I was just another scummy guy. She probably had a lot of guys trying to act like that towards her, since she was, after all,0 the Chieftain's daughter.

She glanced at me, and I noticed the intriguing look in her eyes. 

Hmmm… she wants to know more. It isn't every day she meets someone from the outside. Especially someone from the Avatar's group that has traveled the world. A girl her age must be curious about the outside world.

"Here are the fried squids," someone handed me a plate, and I took it. Putting the plate in front of me, I used that as an excuse to sit down next to her. 

"So? I heard that you're a princess…" now my next words will either break or make the relationship. "You don't look like one."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She narrowed her eyes.

Well, at least I had her attention now. "Where I come from there is a story of a princess falling in eternal sleep and only the kiss of true love could save her. Romantic right?"

"I guess…"

"No! That's creepy, would you want an older guy to come and kiss you while you sleep. And he already loves you when he doesn't know anything about you?! That's even more ludicrous," my hand gestures and story made Yue chuckle, though she tried to hide her laugh as that would be unprecedented behavior from a princess.

"It seems like outsiders have very interesting stories," she said politely, with a nice smile on her face, which I could see was very fake. But that uncontrollable chuckle from before was real. 

So now that she had calmed down, I told her the premise of another story. "Do you know about the story of a princess who kissed a prince that had been turned into a frog?"

"Oh, I know about that one!" Exclaimed Yue excitedly, but she immediately calmed herself down and fakely coughed in her hand to try and get rid of the embarrassment.

"That's what I am talking about, you don't seem like a princess. I can't imagine you going around kissing frogs."

**

I told Yue some stories about Disney fairytales, and how ridiculous they were when thought about logically. Always telling the romantic part first, and the truth later seemed to amuse and surprise her.

This was like a semi-date, though neither of us would call it that.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Hahn staring at me with an angry look in his eyes.  

Tough luck buddy, but I need Yue for something and you're just in the way. He was her betrothed, not like that was going to stop me. 

In my first life, the first time I spent with a woman, she was married. Not my proudest moment, but in my defense, I was a late bloomer. If a relatively pretty woman throws themselves at an inexperienced man, they will start thinking with their lower head. 

Though I did feel guilty later on when they divorced, not for the adults, but the children that would have to go through their parent's separation. 

Looking at my cup, I wondered if coming to this world had changed me. Here I was, charming another rich guy's daughter to get what I want. 

Damn… 

"Sokka, is something wrong?" Asked Yue worryingly, putting a hand on my cheek and making me look at her. 

Her worried eyes, and gentle expression overlapped with another woman for a split second. 

Fuck. Naive and nice people will always be taken advantage of in this world. The underdogs are beaten down, used, pumped, and dumped. 

It almost made me feel guilty for using her. Well, that didn't mean I couldn't develop feelings for her later on. Maybe this time, we could have a happy ending?

No, I was never foolish enough to try and wash things I regret in the past, something that had already happened, can't be changed. 

It was about time to stop thinking about a past life I could change nothing about and start looking forward to the future. I can't change the past, but I can stop myself from making the same mistakes. 

Well, Hahn was walking towards us too. So I couldn't stay daydreaming of what could have been. That guy seemed to want to punch my lights out.