Steam Will Rise

7. Easier

She hoped that it didn't show that she wasn't very well traveled. Everyone else aboard the ship seemed so much more cosmopolitan than she. Her parents had booked one of the best suites aboard the ship, and for once she was glad that she'd listened to her mother and packed her very best clothes. She didn't feel like she belonged, but she at least looked the part, and her father always told her the best way to look like you belong was to act like you belong, but the more she saw how those who belonged acted the more she was glad that she wasn't part of this world.

They were no different than the noble borns back in the North Pole. The same carefully measured walk that was neither too fast or too slow with a spine that always remained ramrod straight. The talk. Not too loud and not too quiet with an over indulgent cadence that served no other purpose than to let people know it came from money. The penchant to treat anyone who wasn't a noble as if they were invisible. Never speak directly to nor look directly at those who weren't in the same societal circle as you.

All of the noble born girls her age had formed an elite clique called the Ice Queens. All the members were prim, proper, and pampered and they made sure everyone who wasn't a part of the Ice Queens knew. Kanna hated being a part of their clique. The only things they wanted to do was go ice skating, but they never actually ice skated they just showed up in fancy outfits and drank hot cider or coco and watched the boys skate. The topic that came up more often than not was who they were going to marry and where they would live after they got married. As if the arrogant swaggering toerags were a prize.

No one in her group ever wanted to talk about what she wanted to talk about. They hated her Girls should be benders speeches.

"Girls are healers, Kanna not benders. Bending is for warriors and women aren't warriors, beside You can't even bend, and if you could you'd never get a husband."

After awhile she stopped bringing up the subject of women benders, but she never stopped believing that women should be able to bend. It didn't matter to her if no one in her clique felt that way she felt that way, and there were other girls in her village that felt that way. One day their numbers would be so great that the men of her village would have to listen to what they had to say.

"We'll be in the Earth Kingdom soon Kanna." Her governess said pulling her out of her own head. "Don't stand with your shoulders slouched, and remember you're representing the Northern Water Tribe."

Kanna turned from the window that she had been looking out. "Yes Mikak."

"Wash your face and comb your hair again."

"Yes Mikak."

When lunch time came the pair left their suite to sit in the exclusive first class dining room. Mikak looked over the menu and ordered for the both of them.

Kanna's chest felt tight to the point of bursting. She wanted to shout at Mikak to let her lead her own life, but if she caused a commotion Mikak would tell her mother, and neither woman would ever let her live it down. The words "I can't believe you caused a commotion." would follow her to the grave. They ate without talking much. Kanna was far too worried about eating elegantly. If she didn't it be another lecture on how she'd squandered her finishing school education. Though she was ravenous she hardly tasted her meal and there wasn't enough of it to slake her hunger.

"I am going to go lie down. I never did like traveling on these huge ships. You may walk around the ship if you want to, but do not leave the ship until it's time to visit Madame Wu, and do not talk to strangers. Mikak made a face as if she just smelled something nasty. "You never know with certain types of people."

Kanna gratefully took advantage of her unchaperoned free time to explore the ship. There was a lot to explore and she would certainly enjoy it more without her governess hovering over her shoulder and dictating how she should act every second of the day.