89: Bloodline.

"Boy, you seem to have some opinions about me." After creating an ice umbrella to shield himself from Shisui's joke, Arnook turned to look at his grandson, who wasn't paying him any attention at the moment.

His attitude was rude, but no one dared complain to Shisui. No one was as stupid as Hahn, who was still lying on the ground. Although he was conscious, he didn't try to stand up. The rest of the attention was not focused on him, however, but on the family drama that was taking place.

"Shouldn't you answer your grandfather?" Azula whispered directly into Shisui's ear. It was a rather intimate gesture, but she didn't mind that there were people around.

"What for? Zuko is a good diplomat, and I have nothing left to teach these people. If I could, I'd go back to the Fire Nation. The people say Ember Island is quite comfortable for sightseeing right now..." Without lowering his voice, Shisui replied to his fiancée, making her roll her eyes.

"But he's your family! Aren't you the one who always told me about the value of family?" Azula stared into Shisui's eyes, who couldn't bear the harshness in her gaze and turned his head away. This caused the princess to burst out laughing.

"You're just acting like a spoiled child!" Then, Azula realized that Shisui was simply letting his childish side out, throwing a tantrum. Since he was an adult, this was the only way he could provoke his grandfather.

"Anyway, I'm exhausted. Why don't we go to the ship? It wouldn't be good for the baby to sleep in such a cold place..." Shisui stood up with Azula, but the Sage did not understand the power of his words.

Arnook had simply decided not to pay attention to Shisui, but the boy was talking as if he were alone. While Arnook was concentrating on chatting with Zuko, he had to listen to the Sage.

Then, when he heard the word 'baby,' Arnook looked directly at Shisui, waiting for confirmation. Was Princess Azula pregnant? If this were true, his plans to have Shisui returned to the Northern Water Tribe could be at risk!

Sensing Arnook's emotional turmoil, Shisui looked at him with a mischievous smile before walking beside the princess toward his aunt Yue, who was talking with Pakku.

"... then, if women Waterbenders learn how to fight, they can also contribute their strength. Won't we be more prosperous like this? Come on, Pakku. Let's make the Northern Water Tribe great again!" Yue said to the elder Waterbender, who nodded, completely convinced.

"I guess if women can integrate, many valuable markets we left behind due to a lack of manpower can thrive." For the first time in a long time, Pakku felt that he was facing a turning point in history.

He could envision a more prosperous city in the future. The little arable land at the North Pole and the surrounding islands could grow more food. The fishing boats could bring in more cargo with each voyage. They could try even more things, like traveling to a new continent in search of resources.

They could make the tribe great again! A fire that had been extinguished in Pakku's heart was rekindled, a flame representing the desire to progress and change things for the better.

'When did I stop being fluid like water and become a stubborn iceberg?' Pakku pondered to himself. Luckily, old age was never an impediment to a bender.

If Bumi could accomplish great things despite being a centenarian, couldn't Pakku, who was younger, do even more? Pakku decided to invite the White Lotus members to a meeting. He needed to learn from them and the other elements.

Pakku paused when he noticed Shisui and Azula standing nearby and chatting with Princess Yue, who was holding the hand of her nephew's fiancée.

"You carry a vibrant life inside you! I have a feeling she'll be a little troublemaker like her father," Yue said to Azula with a smile. She then looked at Shisui, who had started whistling absentmindedly until he noticed something in her aunt's words.

"Wait, how do you know she's a girl? She doesn't even have a shape!" Shisui's question caused Yue to wink at him. For a moment, the Sage watched as his aunt's white hair shimmered slightly.

'Oh, so Tui and La told her. Is it because of some astrological thing? With spirits, one never knows!' complained Shisui mentally.

"It doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl, but I hope she's not like Shisui was as a child. You don't know how naughty he was!" Azula, knowing she was in front of one of her fiancé's few relatives, decided to do what every good wife should do: expose her husband's foolish attitudes in front of his family.

"Hmm? Please tell me! I know very little about Shisui's childhood!" Yue's blue eyes sparkled at that moment, and the Sage felt he was in danger. But when he tried to complain, he chose the Pakku's path and kept silent. The look Azula gave him didn't scare him...

Just a little bit.

...

"Shisui will have a child?" Arnook asked Zuko directly. Zuko noticed the old man's urgent and nervous expression and thought he was worried about his grandson. Zuko decided to answer him.

"Yes, everyone knows. They didn't try too hard to hide it. My sister is already a couple of weeks pregnant, just as long as our trip lasted. Come to think of it..." Zuko's words made Arnook go silent, doubting everything.

"So... I'll be a great-grandfather?" Arnook was about to say a few more things, but then he realized there didn't seem to be much point in discussing this with Zuko, or anyone, for that matter.

Though Shisui hadn't told him anything concrete, it was obvious that the Sage disliked him. Considering the reply to his letter, which emphasized that he was engaged and didn't want a harem, his plans had fallen through from the start.

"Huh? Yes! And I'll be an uncle. Hey, isn't this one more step towards peace? Although Shisui was born, raised, and developed entirely in the Fire Nation, he has a connection with the Northern Water Tribe. Isn't that the most suitable way to unite both nations?" Zuko said with a smile because, to him, this was a real step forward in achieving peace and finally ending the long war.

Wasn't it a common custom in ancient times to marry important people from different nations? Usually, they were from the royal family. Oh, and both Azula and Shisui were royalty; it was perfect!

"Yes... Do you think Shisui may want to rule the North Pole?" Arnook asked in a low voice, trying to make sure only Zuko could hear him.

"This... Shisui is very attached to the Fire Nation. I don't know how to answer you. Wouldn't it be good for you to talk with him? Chief Arnook, I know I'm not supposed to discuss these kinds of topics, but you should be more open with your family.

"Even I can see that Shisui rejects you because of what happened with his mother and what you tried to do to his aunt. I can't tell you how, but Shisui can talk with Yue. He loves her very much, just not in the way you suggested." Zuko gave Arnook some cryptic advice, and Arnook stroked his beard, pondering it.

"Isn't it common for relatives to marry into royal families? At least it is here and in the Earth Kingdom," Arnook commented, causing Shisui to grimace oddly.

"That is no longer done in the Fire Nation since Avatar Szeto, and after my father's generation, marriages have not been arranged. We can choose who to marry." As Zuko said this, he looked sidelong into the distance at Mai.

"Besides, the government of the North Pole is different. It's not like there's an official royal family, is there? As far as I know, their government is a collection of tribes that elect a ruler from among the chieftains. What guarantees that your family will remain in power instead of another family?

Shisui is strong, but he's not interested in ruling. He considers himself more of a seed spreader. He proved that today, don't you think?" Zuko pointed to the arctic poppies blooming around them, and then he pointed to the sky, where the water dragon was still roaring occasionally.

"You can find all this out if you live with him more. Besides, don't you think we should have entered the city by now? We're still in the harbor!" Prince Zuko's words reminded Arnook of this, embarrassing him.

So many things had happened, and the Fire Nation retinue hadn't even entered Agna Qel'a yet! Realizing this, Arnook began giving orders to his escort. They already had accommodations arranged for these people, especially Shisui's group.

'I just hope Shisui wants to chat with me for a moment,' thought Arnook as he watched his youngest daughter interact with his grandson and his fiancée.

He realized that he had focused too much on politics and neglected his family. He wanted to solve this problem, even if it took more than one try.

...

Hahn realized that his foolish words had cost him dearly. Even though his body was healthy and his mind was clear, he was embarrassed by the situation that forced him into his position, so he kept silent.

'At least my teeth grew back...' Hahn lightly touched his mouth, feeling his new teeth.

His whole world seemed to change suddenly, and now he seemed to be more self-aware. Even though he was manipulated, he couldn't deny that he also felt some animosity toward Shisui.

He had also come to believe that he was one of the candidates to be Yue's mate. He wasn't even her official fiancé, yet he had imagined having children with her and ruling the Northern Water Tribe.

But that wasn't what mattered to him now. The crowd had begun to thin; apparently, the Fire Nation entourage had entered the city. Even Sage Shisui had been convinced by Prince Zuko to follow the group.

Hahn could have gone with them, but he just lay there, feeling quite sad. He wanted to be left alone, but someone crouched down beside him.

"You seem to be doing much better, Hahn," said a familiar female voice. It appeared often in his most private dreams.

Hahn saw Yue. Oblivious to the dirt on the floor, she sat down next to him and looked at him with amusement in her eyes. Hahn might have looked like a fool, but he was a valued warrior, noted by the tribal chieftain, so he was particularly intelligent.

This allowed him to understand Yue's expression. It wasn't mockery; she simply found his state amusing, like when a child sees a turtle duck flipped over, waving its little legs in the air, unable to turn around.

"I... I was dumb, wasn't I? I got all caught up in it," Hahn said in a tired voice. Yue nodded.

"You were different from the other men my father wants me to marry, but you made the same mistake they did. You're not even close to that South Pole boy you despise so much." Hearing this, he remembered Hahn.

Sokka had been his 'rival' since childhood, and he had even touched Yue's hand! He didn't know if they were in a relationship, but he felt bad remembering how much of a failure he was. Hahn closed his eyes.

"I apologize not only for those words, but also for anything else I said while under that influence. I regret it. I'll apologize to the Sage later. I'll stop bothering you...." Although Hahn's voice sounded weak, Yue noticed something else: a growing determination in the man that affected his chi.

"I haven't trained in a while. Looks like I need to resume training with my weapon. If you'll excuse me..." Hahn started to stand up, but before he could sit down, Yue's hand went under his arm and helped him up.

"My relationship with Sokka was brief. We just didn't hit it off. But those who can fall into the deep end and use that experience to pick themselves up, they're attractive, you know?" Seeing Hahn's incredulous look, Yue burst out laughing and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"Then keep that determination, keep your mind clear, and get stronger! Sokka recently beat a giant eel, so what will you be able to beat?" Yue pulled away from Hahn, leaving him all alone.

"What the hell was that!?" Hahn shouted to the sky. Luckily, he no longer had the dragon created by Shisui.

"I guess I'll have to train to stay awake again," the man muttered before walking back to the city. He wanted to be stronger to avoid being manipulated again, defeat a powerful creature, and maybe get another kiss from Yue.