Korra woke up earlier than she would have liked on an average day. The stars were still out, dusting the dark sky in specs of bright white. Why did the princess have to wake up so early? Sometime last night one of the older guards had brought the knight her daily schedule for the week. According to page one of seven, Korra needed to be awake and ready before Asami stepped out of her door this morning. She had managed to get a meager 2 hours asleep, but her body was still tired from the escapade last night. What she would give for just another hour. Nobody should even be up before the sun is in the sky. Mornings truly were evil.
She had been given a highly detailed schedule that told her when the princess would wake, eat, sleep, travel, etc. Overall, it looked like a nightmare. Asami’s daily, and more than likely yearly, schedule was exactly the same day in and day out. Wake at five in the morning. Get dressed by five thirty. Eat breakfast at six. Leave her room for her studies at six thirty until ten a.m. That was just her morning. The list was essentially seven pages of the same list for the whole week besides minor adjustments to her study schedule or training times. There were rows and rows of things that Asami needed to complete before she could go to bed each night. It sounded insufferable.
The princesses' life was cut, polished, refined, and laid out for her without room for negotiation. It was essentially the same thing everyday with no variety. One thing stuck out to her the most though. Between studying, eating, traveling, and sleeping, there was never any free space of time on the paper. Every single slot was filled with some activity or another. From the moment Asami woke to the moment she fell asleep she was constantly moving and pushing herself with no room for pause. She was either fulfilling some royal responsibility or studying for hours. Where was the time on this schedule for Asami to just be….Asami? Not a princess, not a student, not an inventor. Just, Asami. She wasn't a machine, she was a young woman. She should be going out and having fun, sneaking off and staying out late. Where was the time that Asami could be free to do whatever she pleased with no rush to get there? Time where she didn't have to meet standards and she wasn't expected to be perfect.
Days like today were supposedly a special exception. Korra assumed her father just didn’t know that Asami was leaving to escort the knight to the markets. If he did, he would more than likely be furious with his daughter getting so close to someone of Korra’s position. Royals shouldn’t even really speak to their guards, let alone accompany them on their travels. It was supposed to be the other way around, Korra should be following Asami to the ends of the Earth. But she certainly wasn't going to complain if Asami wanted to join her. The good news was that Asami accompanying her to view the town's stalls meant that Korra could keep a close eye on the princess.
Korra knew Asami wasn't helpless. She definitely wasn't some damsel in distress. Asami could hold her own in battle if need be considering she had multiple self defense classes packing her already tight schedule. However, that didn't stop Korra from worrying about her. Korra had been raised on the notion that her job was to protect Asami. Fight for the royal family, and defend them at all costs. Do what was necessary to keep them alive. Not only had the notion been scarred into her very core, but there was a distinct need for Korra to protect Asami. She could feel it every time she was around the princess. As if losing Asami would kill Korra herself.
There was history between the two, short lived as it was. The distance between them never did fully eradicate Korra's desire to be around the young woman. Her possessiveness had come back full force the moment she saw Asami enter that booth again the other day. She would not let anyone hurt Asami. They wouldn't touch a single hair on her head so long as Korra was around.
She slid out of bed and began to dress for her trip to the town center. She really didn't want to shop around at the market. She already felt guilty enough that the princess had covered her room from top to bottom in traditional southern decor. It was a large gesture that didn't go underappreciated by Korra. Nobody had ever taken care of her like that. Not since she had left her home. The material possessions that Asami had gifted her with her room were already making her feel culpable. A shopping spree today only made the ever present feeling ten times worse.
She didn't have money to buy anything, which meant Asami would be giving her money out to Korra as if she were some charity case. It made Korra feel gross, as if she were taking advantage of Asami’s generosity.
She and Asami had been best friends as kids. They had grown closer and closer with each little play date they had back then. When Asami had been ripped away from her a massive hole had been left in her tiny heart. And then Korra was sent off to the Knight Academy. When she arrived at the stairs just below Asami's throne, she had spoken to Korra as if she were a friend, not the princess's loyal guardian. Then their small escapade last night had Korra's feeling even more scrambled than before. Asami’s touches and gestures had seemed a little more than friendly in her opinion. But maybe that’s how girl friends were supposed to behave towards each other at this age, it’s not like she would know. Korra grew up surrounded by the boys her whole life.
But Asami made her feel warm. For the first time in…she couldn't even remember, she didn't feel so alone. Each time she saw those jade green orbs she melted into a puddle on the floor feeling secure and protected like she always had with Asami by her side. She had spent approximately a whole two days with the princess since they reunited. Maybe, they were still warming up to each other. Korra was Asami’s dame, but also her friend. She could be both professional and playful. That’s what Korra decided to go with. It was easier than trying to take time and sort through her complex emotions and abandonment issues.
She finished the rest of her morning routine before grabbing her sword and shoving it into the sheath attached to her hip. She had ended up in light chainmail armor draped over a cream colored long sleeve shirt and leather pants. Casual but still respectable for an on duty guard if she needed to jump into action. After the previous night's dilemma it was best she be prepared. Her shoulder still hurt terribly, but she didn’t have time to change the bandages and soothe her wound. Asami would be up any minute and she needed to hurry so she could wait outside her door while she ate breakfast and got ready for the rest of the day.
She walked out of her quarters and right down the hall to Asami’s room. She knocked on the wooden door and waited for a response. She heard a muffled “come in” from the other side and pushed into the room. Korra stepped ahead inside before gently shutting the door back behind her. The scene she walked into wasn’t quite what she had originally expected.
Asami sat on her bed stretching still in her dress from the night before. Korra had sent the princess to bed in her dress. She had made Asami sleep in a giant puffy gown. Korra felt like a complete idiot. Asami jumped as she realized who had entered her space.
“Oh, good morning Korra. You’re here right on time.” she smiled.
“That was the goal.” she grinned back before clearing her throat and continuing. “I’m sorry. About your dress, I mean. I wasn’t thinking about it when I banished you to bed rest last night.” she apologized.
Asami looked down at her outfit before giggling. “It’s okay, dressing me for bed isn’t exactly part of your list of duties. And it was still the best sleep I’ve gotten in a while.” she said simply.
Korra felt more relieved knowing that Asami wasn’t upset with her outfit arrangement. Her head turned as a knock on the door disrupted the quiet of the room. A short, plump chef wheeled a large cart of breakfast food up to the princess’s beside. The tray was filled to the brim with different delicacies. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, potatoes, and a bowl of various fruits all sat piled onto the top of the plates.
“Breakfast M’lady.” he said before bowing and walking out of the room and shutting the door.
Korra just stared at the overflowing plates of food before turning towards the door. “Alright, well, I’ll be outside the door if you need anything just come grab me.” she said.
“Wait!” Asami shouted before Korra could reach the door. Korra turned back around with a confused look. Asami looked disgruntled at her plate before turning to Korra. Maybe there was something wrong with her food. Although Korra didn’t see a problem with the abundant tower of goods, it certainly smelled delicious. Korra was about to voice her question when Asami continued on. “When was the last time you ate?” she asked. It came out almost as an accusation.
Korra scrunched her face up and thought for a second. When was the last time she had eaten? Maybe lunch yesterday? Or was that breakfast?
Asami just sighed and shook her head. “The fact that you’re taking this long to think about it is answer enough. Come on.” she said, patting the spot on the bed beside her.
Korra looked at her befuddled before finally managing to spit out a response. “No, I’m okay. That’s your food. I’ll grab something later. I really should be standing at my post outside the door.” she tried to argue subtly. She really didn't want to get in trouble, and she definitely shouldn’t be interacting with Asami like this. The two were at very different levels, Asami was royalty, and Korra was, well she was Korra. Everyone else talked to the princess with respect and fancy titles. Maybe Korra should be taking notes. Besides, that plate wasn’t intended to feed the knight. She would eat when her schedule provided. Which by the looks of it, wasn’t going to be until noon.
Asami, however, wasn’t taking no for an answer. “You don’t need to stand outside my door all the time, now come on.” she tried again.
Korra just continued to stand in place. “But the directions on the schedule say-” she began but was ultimately cut off by Asami’s eyeroll and annoyed pointed gaze.
“I wrote the damn schedule, I can very well change it as I please. Now I’m telling you for the final time. Today, you’re going to sit with me and share this breakfast.” she said with finality crossing her arms and nodding toward the empty spot beside her.
Korra just sighed in defeat and dragged her feet over toward the bed. She sat down with a huff. She was most definitely pouting at her defeat, but she didn’t have any intentions of trying to hide her displeasure.
Asami just giggled before starting to dig into her plate. “You know most people would be honored to share a meal with royalty. You don’t have to look so peeved about being next to me.” she said before plopping a blueberry into her mouth.
Korra only straightened up enough to show that she wasn’t bothered by Asami, but rather that she was yet again taking from the princess’s generous hands. “It’s not that I don’t want to be around you. It’s just, it feels like I’m using you.” she tried to explain. Words were never her strong suit.
Asami looked dumbfounded as if she couldn’t possibly understand what Korra was implying. “How do you figure that?” the princess asked.
Korra was about to shrug her shoulders when she remembered the scaling burn the movement had torn through her arm last night. “I mean you’ve already given me a fancy room, and you’re about to take me to buy more clothes that I don’t need. Now you want me to eat your food with you. And last night you spent time with me in the forest even though you should have been getting ready for bed. You’ve also been letting me call you by your name instead of using your titles like I’m supposed to. You’ve already done so much for me in two days, and I’ve done nothing to earn it.” Korra confessed.
The guilt truly was eating her alive. Asami was already letting Korra get away with a lot more than she probably should be. Between her special room in Asam’s wing and the generous gifts she had received Korra was feeling iniquitous. As far as she knew, her quarters shouldn’t even be near Asami’s room. She should be down living in the guards quarters where everyone else would be in a couple of weeks.
As if it were even possible, Asami looked more confused than before. “Earned it?” she said incredulously. “Korra you don’t have to earn hospitality. You were provided a room because unlike the rest of the soldiers, you’re my personal protector, I need you close for emergencies. You need more clothes, that’s a fact. You aren’t going to have time to follow me around and take care of laundry on top of everything else. You need to eat or you’ll pass out. And quite frankly I love that you don’t talk to me like I’m some supernatural being. You treat me like a person, and I’m very grateful for that.” she told Korra with earnestness. “You never have to earn my generosity. I don’t just give to you frivolously because you’re my guard. You’re my friend, and you deserve to be treated as such.” she said finally.
Well that certainly cleared a lot of things up, at least they were on the same page that Korra could be both guardian and friend.
Korra just sat silently as her mind tried to sort through all the explanations that Asami had given to assuage Korra’s guilty conscience. She couldn’t argue that the statements held a certain amount of validity to them. It went a long way in deafening Korra’s tidal wave of worries into a more of a small puddle. Even if Asami was right, that didn’t mean Korra had to be happy about it.
Korra eased up a little bit though she continued to keep her pouted lip jutted out. “Fine. But I’m still going to work for it, and you can’t stop me. This just means I have to work harder to give back to you.” she decided.
She’d make sure to repay Asami as best she could with her nonexistent funds. She could craft handmade gifts for the princess, or maybe get somebody to schedule her a break. The girl’s packed schedule was a clear reminder that Asami was in need of a breather.
Asami just rolled her eyes and laughed. “Still as stubborn as ever I see.” she chided from beside Korra.
Korra finally dropped the pout in exchange for a grin. “Absolutely,” she said.
Korra was content to sit there and pretend like she was eating, but Asami had caught onto her plan rather quickly. The princess took one of the smaller plates from her arrangement and piled it with goods for Korra to enjoy before shoving into Korra’s hands.
“Unless your insatiable appetite has changed, I know you’re starving.” Korra was going to deny the accusation but her stomach had betrayed her. An empty growl rose from her stomach and into the room. Asami just gave her a knowing look before she spoke again. “Eat. We have a busy day today. I can’t have you passing out on the job.” she said.
WIth that, the two women ate Asami’s breakfast. Rather than talk with their mouths full they opted to enjoy the peace of the summer morning sounds coming from outside of Asam’s open windows. The trees were rustling from the slight breeze and birds were singing as they flew by. It was overall a serene morning for them to enjoy together.
Right after they finished the meal and Korra had begun to carefully stack the dirty dishes there was another knock at the door. A heavily pregnant maid walked in this time, carrying a thinner velvety green gown most likely for Asami to change into. Asami stood up and went to stand behind a folding screen that covered her up to just above her chest, leaving her shoulders and head in full view.
“Morning Pema.” the princess said as she waltzed to stand behind the screen and began stripping.
Korra turned around heading for the door so she could wait for Asami to finish changing but the princess’s voice stopped her. Korra stood still, continuing to face the door. “Korra, I wanted to discuss the plan for today before we head out. I was thinking-” she started before the maid, Pema, cut her off. Korra stole a quick glance from over her shoulder.
“Arms up dear.” the maid said just before heaving a base layer over Asami’s head and pulling it down. Asami untucked her raven black waves and continued as if she wasn’t having a conversation half naked. Korra had turned around before Asami started again.
“Anyway I was thinking we would take the carriage into town, and then we shop at the stands for a few hours. The plan is to get you new clothes first and foremost. But I also want you to grab some things to decorate your room with, it currently looks rather…sparse in that area.” she continued gently.
Korra just continued to stare at the door as she responded. “Yeah, sounds great.” she said rather quickly.
Asami stopped and finally took a look in Korra’s direction. “Korra,” she said.
“Mhm?” she hummed in answer.
“Would you turn around? It’s not exactly a conversation if I’m talking to your back.” she said casually before continuing to don her clothes.
This girl was going to be the death of her.
Korra slowly turned around and avoided eye contact, instead finding that the floor was rather interesting at this moment in time.
“Korra,” the princess spoke again curtly.
“Yeah?” Korra asked her looking up to meet her eyes for the first time since this awkward endeavor had begun.
Asami smiled. “Great! Now that I have your attention,” she began, but Korra didn’t hear a word that came out of the woman's mouth. She was too busy watching as the girl twisted and turned to wiggle into her gown. Her collarbones were on full display, and the sunrise was hitting her skin at just the right angle to illuminate the princess’s pale skin. Pema proceeded to tighten the corset from behind Asami. The princess’s chest was raised and put on prominent display. Korra audibly gulped before using all her willpower to refocus on the woman's words that were spilling from her supple pink lips. She knew her cheeks were burning from under her tanned skin.
“....so we should get back by one in the afternoon at the latest, assuming that we don’t run into any problems. Once we get back I’ll help decorate your room and then we can find something to fill the time from there. I managed to get out of all my studies and training today.” she finished as she stepped out from behind the screen and headed to the bureau in the corner to begin touching up her makeup that she hadn’t washed off last night. Not that Asami needed it, Korra could just tell that Asami had a beautiful natural face underneath the eyeshadow and lipstick.
Korra was finally brought back into the current moment as she worked to piece together a coherent sentence. “Sounds perfect. I’m sure we can find something to do” she responded. Straight and to the point. That seemed like the best option in her current predicament. Asami skillfully put on black eyeliner with one swipe of her hand. It was impressive, especially considering Korra didn’t know the first thing about a makeup routine. Asami made eye contact with her from the reflection in the mirror before talking again.
“Alright, let’s head down so I can say goodbye to my father before we disappear. Not that he’d notice anyway.” she mumbled with a tinge of indignation as she put her makeup away and stood up.
Korra held the door open for Pema to leave before looking at Asami and waving her hand toward the door frame. “After you M’lady” she said teasingly with a grin.
Asami just rolled her eyes and laughed in response as she walked through the door to leave.
Korra followed only a pace behind the princess. They maneuvered down the steps and through the corridors until they reached Hiroshi’s wing of the palace. Asami knocked on the door to his office before stepping inside with Korra. Hiroshi quickly began shifting papers around on his desk and fixed his glasses on his nose before opening one of the bottom drawers on his desk and shoving a stack of papers inside. He cleared his throat before giving both women an annoyed look.
“What’s so important that it warranted interrupting my work? I love you Asami, but you know I’m too busy for small talk right now.” he said curtly.
Asami looked unphased by his tone as she continued sweetly. “Korra and I are going into town today. We’ll be back by one.” she told him.
Korra saw Hirosh’s brows scrunch together in confusion. “What do you need to get from the town that’s so urgent? You shouldn’t be going into Main Republic Village right now if you can avoid it. The Equalists are running rampant around the streets.'' he said, making eye contact with Korra.
Asami walked over to Hiroshi’s desk and sat in the plush chair in front of it. “We’re just running to get Korra some new clothes. Her wardrobe is lacking in variety and number.” she said with a small laugh. Hiroshi just continued to stare at Korra, eyes narrowed. Asami cleared her voice, gathering her father’s attention. “We’ll be fine Dad. Besides, Korra’s going with me. She won’t let anything happen.” Asami said, turning to smile back at Korra. The princess subtly nodded towards her father, encouraging Korra to speak up.
She took a step toward the desk and watched as Hiroshi backed up the smallest bit but she continued on anyway. “I’ll take care of her sir. She’s safe with me.” she told him confidently.
Hiroshi glared at her again “Yes, I’m sure.” he said, albeit sarcastically.
Asami’s shoulders drooped as she stood up to walk away back toward the office door, practically dragging Korra with her. “Well, I just wanted to let you know where we’re going. We’ll be back by one, love you dad.” she said before quickly scurrying out of the office with Korra.
Something about that whole conversation felt off. Hiroshi was jumpy and fidgety the whole time. The way he looked at her made Korra feel gross. He looked at her with silent, unyielding anger. Korra couldn’t shake the feeling that she had done something to upset the King. Great, she had only been here two days and she was already pissing off the ruler of the Kingdom.
Fantastic.
Once they got to the main floor of the palace Korra finally spoke up as she walked toward the courtyard with Asami.
“Why do I get the feeling he doesn’t like me?” she asked the princess as they walked out of the grand entrance.
Asami let out a small chuckle. “That’s my father for you. It’s nothing personal, he doesn’t really trust anybody when it comes to my safety. I’m his only little girl. He’s just protective, I promise.” she defended as the carriage pulled to a stop in front of them.
Korra decided not to read too much into it. If Asami said this was just how Hiroshi was, Korra was willing to let it go. “If you say so.” she responded as she approached the caravan.
One of the coachmen opened the door for them to cimb in. Asami stepped up and sat down into the plush seats first while Korra sat on the opposite bench facing her. It was quiet for a minute as they both settled down for their trip to the village. The clouds were rolling in and beginning to block the sun. Graciously taking some of the heat off of them. Maybe long sleeves weren't the best choice. She looked at Asami in her dress. The sleeves were shorter, but the main part of the gown was still a heavy velvet. And she was carrying extra weight with the base layers. All without breaking a sweat.
This was just more proof to her working theory that Asami was not human, and instead was a goddess or spirit sent from another realm.
“He wasn’t always like this,” Asami said suddenly, looking out the window to her left. “Ever since mom passed he’s just been distant and overprotective. He used to be fun and carefree. We’d spend hours in one of the workshops behind the house building new inventions together” she said distantly. “Then one day it all just….stopped.” she practically whispered the last word.
Korra didn’t know what to say to that. There were no words that would make the princess’s longing hurt any less. And even if they did exist, Korra certainly didn’t hold them. There had to be something she could do to help. Asami did mention that they had some free time later. Maybe….
“Do you want to go to your workshop later?” she asked before adding on “You said you didn’t have many volunteers willing to help you in your magic technology crossover. I could help. I have all the different magics, you can test out everything you need.” she proposed.
Asami looked at her stunned. “You’d really want to do that?” she implored.
Korra simply nodded as she responded “Of course. It helps you out and it gives us something to do. So, why not?” she offered. Then added on “Although I’m not exactly a fully realized Avatar yet. So, the best you get is three different kinds of magic.” she finished.
Asami raised a curious brow at Korra, encouraging Korra to explain. “I haven’t found anyone to teach me air magic yet. Katara’s son, Tenzin, is the only air mage left in the world, and I have no clue where to even begin looking for him. I’m hoping that maybe he has some answers on this whole Avatar thing. Katara had taught me a little bit about Aang, but I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with her. All I know is that Aang was her husband, and he ended a war, and apparently he was reincarnated as me. I think? I don’t know, it's all a little fuzzy, I haven’t seen Katara since I was six.” she elucidated.
Asami laughed. Korra didn’t understand what was so funny. This was a serious problem. If she didn’t learn how to control air magic then she was screwed. She needed to be able to help people, and she couldn’t do that if she couldn’t master this last element.
“You’re in luck Korra,” Asami started. “Tenzin is Pema’s husband. They live at the edge of the palace’s grounds on a small island” she claimed. “But your intel is a little outdated. Tenzin’s not the only air mage anymore. They’ve got three very rambunctious air magic wielding kids and another one on the way.” she grinned.
Korra couldn’t believe it. All this time Tenzin had been so close. She desperately needed to talk to him. She could find some room in her schedule to train with him, and escort Asami where she needed to be. She would have to find a way to get to him.
Korra looked at Asami wide-eyed. “Do you think I could meet with him?” she asked hopefully.
“I certainly don’t see why not. I’ve never met him myself though, I’ve only heard secondhand stories from Pema.” said Asami.
Korra couldn’t believe that she was actually going to be able to develop her magic to the fullest extent after all these years. “This is amazing. You’re, amazing.” Korra said dreamily.
Asami giggled at her before speaking again. “I’ll see what I can arrange when we get back. You should be able to meet him by the end of the week so long as he isn’t too busy with council meetings.” she said.
Korra nodded back excitedly and turned to stare at her reflection in the window, practically bouncing in her seat. Today just kept getting better and better. Maybe mornings weren't so evil after all.
____________________________________
Asami watched as Korra picked up one of the small trinkets from the table in front of them, examining it closely. They’d been here for about an hour looking through all the street vendors' stalls for some knick knacks to fill Korra’s room.
Asami started to take a step away from the table. “I’m gonna go look over there, I’ll be right back.” she told Korra.
Korra immediately sat the item down before following after her. “Okay, I’ll come with you.” the knight smiled.
Asami internally groaned. Korra had clearly succeeded in her loyalty training back at the Academy because Asami wasn’t able to take so much as a half a step away from the knight before she was tailing close behind, watching her diligently. Assami had tried at least three times now to sneak away so she could get Korra a gift as remittance for the previous night's attack. Each attempt had ended in complete failure with Korra practically stepping on her shadow as the soldier followed her around from stall to stall. Asami needed to have to come up with a plan, and quickly.
She put a hand on Korra’s shoulder and stopped her. “No, that’s ok. I’ll be fine Korra, you don’t have to follow me around so closely.” she said hoping Korra wouldn’t take it the wrong way.
The guard pouted as she looked at Asami. “I told your father that I’d look after and protect you.” she argued.
Asami really appreciated that Korra took her job so seriously and wanted to follow through on her word. However, at times like these it became exceedingly inconvenient.
“Korra, I really appreciate you trying to keep your word. But I really think it would be more efficient if we split up.” she said before taking out some yuans and gold coins and practically shoving them into Korra’s hands. “You can stay here and pick out some items for yourself, and I can go look around for some things I need to get. Then afterwards we can meet back up and finally head into the shops to freshen up your dull wardrobe.” she said teasingly.
Korra seemed to contemplate the offer before sighing in defeat. “Okay, but we need to be done shopping out here within the next hour. I’ll meet up with you at the clothing shop just over there.” she said, turning back to observe the previous booth again.
Finally.
Asami strolled up and down the streets scanning booths for the perfect present to give to her knight. Nothing in particular had caught her eye. The booths held many various articles sampling jewelry, spices, herbs, fresh fruits and vegetables, handcrafted wood pieces, and even weapons. None of it really appealed to Asami. She didn’t know exactly what she was looking to get for the southerner, but she figured she would know when she saw it.
And then she did.
There was a smaller booth that sat in between two larger stalls. The stand was held up with two wooden posts and a navy blue cloth was used to shade the salesman inside. It had a collection of various water mage artifacts laid out and displayed neatly on the table inside. A small vase delicately etched with water tribal symbols sat on a pedestal. It was a light white porcelain with various blue engravings. It looked like something that Korra’s parents would have had laying around the palace.
After a short conversation with the vendor asking about the price and worth, Asami claimed the cloth bag holding the vase and slung the strap over her shoulder for safe keeping. Now she just hoped Korra wouldn’t try to pry about her purchase when they met back up again. After their brief conversation during breakfast about Korra’s guilt Asami felt the need to shower the girl with gifts and praise. Korra truly had been under the impression that she needed to work her ass off in order to be rewarded with basic respect and kindness. That simply wouldn’t do. Korra deserved to be shown that she was worth more than just some measly palace guard. She was also a person. How hard had the Academy tried to work her?
Korra had been pushing herself hard since she arrived at the palace. She didn’t eat dinner the night before she arrived, and had tried to skip breakfast this morning. Spirits only knew when she had last eaten before that. She had also woken up before Asami had ventured out of bed. The princess woke up at five, meaning Korra would have gotten up at at least four this morning to get ready. They had gotten back to Asami’s room at around twelve thirty. That meant Korra was probably running on about three hours of sleep max. And the knight was injured. Yet she never showed it. Korra had been bright and playful this morning, and continued to hover over Asami all day performing her job with impeccable dexterity. How did Korra do it? Asami herself felt groggy with her four merciful hours of sleep that she had gotten. Korra really was something.
Asami made her way over to the clothing shop to see that Korra was waiting at the door scanning through the scenery around her with her eyes, still fully on guard. As soon as Asami had stepped into her peripheral vision Korra’s head snapped to look at her.
“Hey, are you ready to head in?” she asked before Korra had room to inquire about her purchase.
Korra practically glared at the shop’s door. “I guess so.” she said flatly.
Asami laughed at Korra’s annoyance with having to try on clothes. “It won’t kill you. Now let’s go. The sooner you get in and try things on the sooner you can be done.” she offered.
“I suppose I can’t argue with that logic.” Korra sighed before pushing the door open to let Asami in first.
They walked in to see racks and tables that held various garments. Asami immediately began grabbing things she wanted Korra to try on in the small fitting room in the back of the shop. Korra wasn’t very willing to give any input on the clothes, claiming that if Asami was buying the items then she should be the one to pick them out. After the princess’s hands became full and she physically couldn’t carry anymore she walked with Korra to the fitting area.
Asami sat down on the wooden stool outside the room. “You go in and try these on and then come out here and show me so I can approve them.” she said.
Korra stepped into the fitting room with a huff, but still did as she was told. She came out with various different outfits. Many new vests in different colors, a few more wool and cotton undershirts, leather pants, and brown linen pants. All the acquired garments had fit well thus far, Korra saved the best piece for last. The southerner stepped out of the fitting room in black linen dress pants and a white button up undershirt. Over her shoulders she wore a black vest and a long tailed blue coat. On her feet she donned sleek black leather boots to match. Asami thought her jaw might have landed on the floor somewhere.
“Asami, I don't think we can get this.” Korra said hesitantly.
She looked at Korra confused. The getup suited the soldier perfectly and hugged her in all the right places. “Why? Does it not fit?” voiced genuinely not seeing the problem with the garments.
Korra shook her head. “No, but it’s super fancy and expensive. I don’t have anywhere I would need to wear this.” she offered in response.
Asami had to admit Korra had somewhat of a point. Even if they did attend formal balls or parties, Korra would most likely be sporting her armor. But after seeing the suit on her, Asami concluded she would just have to make an event that required Korra to wear the get up.
Asami had made her decision, the suit was coming home with them as well as the other clothes. “Does it fit?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“Well, yeah but-” Korra had started before Asami cut her off.
“Then throw it in with all the other things we’re getting. We’ll keep it just in case you need it.” she said.
Korra looked like she was going to try and argue again, but Asami just gave the knight a look that showed this wasn’t up for debate. Korra conceded with an eye roll and grabbed the clothes to walk them back to the front of the store to pay.
Asami pulled some gold coins and yuans out of the small leather pouch in her pocket and handed them to the shopkeeper who stared wide eyed at the pile of clothes they had acquired.
"Keep the change." Asami smiled as she set the payment on the shopkeeper's counter.
The owner gathered the garments and threw them into a large sack that looked similar to the bags that farmers held their grain in.
As they walked out of the shop Korra turned to Asami. "Are you sure I really need all of this? This seems like a lot of clothes for one person, and it was really expensive-" she tried to argue worriedly before Asami stopped their walking and cut Korra off.
"Yes, I'm sure. I have probably triple, if not quadruple the amount of clothes in that bag in my own closet. They also didn't exactly put a dent in our funds. You have to remember that our kingdom has two major sources of income between its past inheritance and the inventions my dad sells to everyone." she argued rationally.
Korra still gave her a guilty look as if she didn't believe Asami was telling the truth so Asami continued her speech. "Really. You don't need to worry about it. You deserve to have nice things just as much as anybody else." she said, but Korra still didn't look convinced.
Asami needed to find a reason to offer Korra that wouldn't make the knight feel so guilty. "Think of it this way. You're going to be living in the palace and escorting me everywhere, right?" Korra nodded her agreement with a confused look at where this conversation was headed. "So if you're going to be next to me all the time, representing the kingdom, shouldn't you have nice clothes to wear?" she asked.
Korra seemed to pause and weigh Asami's words for a moment before finally giving in. "I guess that if I'm going to be standing by your side I do need to look presentable." she said. There was a brief pause before Korra looked at her and smiled with a small airy chuckle. "Although, if you're in the room, I highly doubt their eyes will be on me." she said before casually turning back in the direction of where the carriage would be arriving to pick them back up.
Asami could feel the heat rise to her pale cheeks, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the sun was beating down on them. The compliment was meant to lighten the mood, but Korra had said it with such genuine earnestness in her voice as if the statement was fact. She'd never received such a flattering remark. Of course people had complimented her beauty before, but most of them had just been trying to please her father. This was different, Korra had made the remark casually and sincerely without trying to gain a spot in the family fortune. It made Asami elated as if she were floating off the ground.
Korra had already taken a few steps away by the time Asami had come back to her senses. She hurried to catch up with her guardian as the carriage rolled to a stop in front of them. Korra hefted her sack of clothes into the small trunk box that sat attached to the back of the caravan and then held out her hand to take Asami's bag.
Asami, probably a little too quickly, turned her shoulder that held that bag away from Korra. "I'd rather keep this on me." she said, hoping Korra wouldn't try to question her erratic behavior.
As if hearing her silent plea, Korra just raised a brow before nodding her head and returning to the door of the carriage. The women climbed inside and sat back down in their previous seats. It was quiet, but not uncomfortable as the two sat together.
Korra turned her head to stare out the window and Asami used the opportunity to take a peek into the bag with the vase.
She really hoped Korra enjoyed the vase. The more she thought about it though, the more she worried about her decision. Korra obviously wasn't very willing to talk about her parents, and Asami had just bought something that distinctly represented Korra's homeland. Asami mentally kicked herself for being so inconsiderate. She didn't know why Korra's approval mattered so much, she had never been one to conform to people's standards before. But this was Korra. Her friend and her protector.
She wanted to be as close to the southerner as she used to be. Something about Korra was just so breathtaking to be around. She was constantly turning the darkest days into light within the blink of an eye. She was kind, funny, and considerate. These past couple of days made Asami feel more alive than she had in years. Maybe it was just the history, but Korra felt like home. Calming, comforting, and safe. She couldn’t lose that again.
Neither of them wrote to each other all those years apart. They hadn’t shared a word or even a look. But now having Korra here, around her all the time, it felt so extraordinarily right. She had to get to know Korra again, the new Korra. They were adults now, and things would be different. But Korra had a way of making her feel like their time apart never even happened. As if nothing had changed between the two. Korra still pouted, made jokes, and teased the princess as if she weren't some royal. She made Asami feel human, as if Asamai was just a common villager rather than some otherworldly figure like other people tended to make her into. She wanted to get closer to Korra, no matter what it took from her.
Her thoughts were broken when a steely short blade of a dagger ripped through the top of the chariot. Korra was immediately sitting up to push Asami behind her back like a human shield to block the attacker. Korra unsheathed her sword and held it out ready to fight. The horses had been frightened by the disruption and picked up speed, sending the caravan zooming down the paths. Within a blink the attacker ripped through the roof and jumped down inside. Korra had been prepared. As soon as the man landed the guardian grabbed him by the top of the head and held the sword to his throat as she pushed him to the ground onto his knees causing the attacker to drop his own weapon in the process.
"What do you want?" she seethed as practically broke the man's neck with how far she was snapping it backwards.
The assassin had stopped resisting rather quickly, accepting that he wasn't getting out of the knight's grasp alive. He was cloaked in a black and red uniform. The man laughed. Laughed, as if he wasn’t one breath away from being decapitated by Korra’s weapon. He tried to shake his head, but couldn't with the tight grip the knight had on his hair.
He managed to choke out a weak explanation after a few strained breaths. "Here you are trying to protect the princess, when you should be worried about protecting yourself. You have no idea what's coming for you, Avatar Korra" he said only a moment before he gathered all his strength to push his neck into the blade. Hot red magma spewed over the blade's edge and dripped onto the floor of the carriage as the assassin's eyes rolled to the back of his head.
Asami just stared at the still body that slumped to the ground as Korra let him go. Her sword clattered to the ground with his body. The Knight began to strip the man of his belongings to see if he had anything that may reveal his identity. Asami didn’t know how Korra did it, she herself was ready to vomit of the grotesque sight in front of her.
Asami couldn't shake the man's words. He hadn't been there to hurt her. He had gone out of his way to attack Korra in the confines of the carriage. She didn’t understand who could want to end Korra’s life. What was so dangerous about the young woman? It was just mere moments ago that she had been pouting because she had to try on some outfits. How could she be a threat to anybody with just her existence? Was it because of her magic? And if it was, did that really warrant her receiving all these attacks? Many people had magic capabilities, Korra shouldn’t be any different. There was a piece missing to this puzzle, but Asami didn’t have a clue what it could be. Years of inhaling a buffet of information and she couldn’t understand why Korra was being targeted. Before they could even press him for more questions he had thrown himself into Korra's steely sharp blade and ended his own life. Apparently whoever had sent him didn't want him to come home if he didn't finish the job correctly. It made her shiver just thinking about it.
"What do you think he wanted with you?" Asami managed to choke out trying to ignore the bloody dead corpse in front of her.
Korra scoffed a laugh. "Someone just broke into your chariot, and you're worried about me?" she asked. She was still hastily shuffling through the man’s things for answers.
"You heard what he said, Korra. He wasn't here for me, he was here for you" she said before continuing more softly. "What if you being the Avatar isn't as big of a secret as you were made to believe?" she whispered.
"Well then you should probably look for a new head knight." she retorted.
Asami couldn’t believe what she was hearing. "Korra, you can't leave-" the dame stopped her searching and turned to face Asami with her hand held up for her to stop talking. She then reached down and proceeded to dump a satchel full of the dead man's belongings. Gadgets of plenty clattered to the floor. Coins, buttons, a small photo of what looked to be the man’s family, and other various items. She picked up a small mask, one that belonged to the Equalist members.
"I'm not going to risk putting you in more danger. That defeats the whole purpose of me being your protector." she argued.
"You're not putting me in more danger. You've protected be during both attacks anyway-"
"And I've been the reason for both of those attacks! You wouldn't have to deal with all this if I wasn't your knight. If they come for me, they're eventually going to go for you too. I can handle them trying to kill me, but I will not let you carry the same burden." Korra had cut Asami off again and Asami wasn't having it.
"Listen to me," she stated with a sense of authority that quickly had Korra sitting straight up. "I am not some damsel in distress Korra. I can defend myself enough to protect us both if need be. You're going to continue to be my knight, Avatar or not. I don't care if it puts me in danger. You're my friend Korra. My father and I, we can help protect you until the Equalists revolution is over." she said.
Korra looked at her sadly. "Asami, I will not put you in more danger than you already are." she said firmly.
Asami had to think of something quickly. She wasn't going to lose Korra again, not when they were on track to find the sense of easy flowing normalcy they once had. "Look, how about this. You continue to be my dame, and serve me. However, we also get you started on training with Tenzin as soon as possible so that you can find out more about this whole Avatar position and master air magic. Staying in the palace will keep you closer to Tenzin anyway for training. Then, once you figure that out and help defeat the Equalists you can return your focus to being my guard." she proposed.
"What if this whole Avatar thing is a lot bigger than just being able to bend all types of magic? What then?" she asked.
Asami didn't have to think about a solution very hard. It came as naturally as breathing. "Then we figure it out together." she said, taking Korra's hands in her own.
And they would. Maybe Korra's Avatar duties required a lot more from her than she had originally thought. If she had this magic, surely there was something she should be doing with it rather than just sitting and being Asami's knight. Even if this Avatar gig had a lot more in store than Korra having unique magic abilities, they would figure out a plan.
They always did.
____________________________________
Korra opened the door to her room with the hefty bag of clothes thrown over her shoulder. The princess walked into the room first and sat down at the chair by her desk. Korra started packing away her clothing into the closet piece by piece. It took quite some time to get everything to fit into the brown wooden wardrobe. She wasn’t entirely sure why the princess had insisted that she come back with Korra to her chambers, but Korra certainly wasn’t going to complain. She tugged off her chainmail chestplate now that she was back in the comfort of her room. The armor wasn’t necessarily very heavy, but she felt that she could breathe much lighter without it. Asami sat quietly just looking around the room and watching Korra as she moved about. She could feel the heiress's eyes on her back.
After putting away her clothes she turned to sit on the bed and rubbed the ache in her shoulder before remembering she had company. She really didn’t want to worry Asami. Last night the princess was clearly beating herself up over the minor attack. Korra put no blame onto the princess’s shoulders, it certainly wasn't Asami’s fault they had been attacked. The assassin from earlier was proof enough that Korra should be holding most of the blame. She tried to play it off, but the heiress had noticed.Korra couldn’t hide anything when it came to Asami. The princess had always had a way of finding out Korra’s secrets and breaking through the tough exterior she tried to put on.
“Does your arm still hurt?” Asami asked the knight with her eyes slightly worried.
Korra shook her head. “No, it’s not that bad. I can deal with it later.” she said simply. Truth be told, it really didn’t hurt that bad. Not compared to some of the other more grueling injuries she had gotten in training. Those typically took months to heal, and training never stopped. Most times the injuries would end up taking longer than normal because of how the soldiers continued to engage during practice.
Asami gave her a look and stood up to begin searching the room.
“What are you doing?” Korra asked, trying to figure out why the princess was suddenly scavenging her room.
“Where’s the ointment Kya gave you last night?” Asami asked instead of directly responding to Korra’s question.
“It’s on top of my desk, why?” she tried again.
Instead of receiving an answer Asami just walked over to the desk and grabbed the jar of salve before bringing it back to the bed and sitting in front of Korra.
“You’re a really bad liar.” she said as she began to open the jar. “You probably didn’t even put this on this morning like you were supposed to, did you?” the princess accused.
Korra was fumbling for an explanation because while Asami had guessed right, Korra wasn’t exactly keen on admitting it. However, even if she tried to lie, Asami would see right through it. Which really only left her with one option.
“I just didn’t have time this morning. It’ll be fine. I can do it late- Hey! What are you doing?!’ she practically shrieked as Asami began to lift Korra’s shirt up.
Asami ignored Korra’s protests as she continued to tug the knight’s shirt up and over her head, pulling it off to leave her exposed in her pants and chest wrap bindings. “I’m putting this on you myself, clearly you can’t be trusted to do it on your own. Look you didn’t even rewrap it this morning.” she said as she threw a glob of the ointment onto Korra’s unbandaged wound.
“Hey, that's cold!” she pulled back trying to find a way to escape the freezing gel on her skin.
Asami laughed and ignored Korra’s protests to begin massaging the medicine into her skin. “You’re telling me you can handle stab wounds no problem, but a little bit of cold medicine makes you turn into a baby?” she teased.
Korra pouted as she responded. “I am not a baby. Like most other sane people in the world, I don't like being cold if I can avoid it.” she retorted with a huff.
“Last time I checked the cold didn’t bother you that badly. You used to play outside for hours and walk around the house in shorts and cut sleeved shirts like it was nothing.” she argued playfully.
“That was different!” she tried to argue.
Asami just hummed her concession. “If you say so.” she sing songed back.
Korra had previously been too distracted to notice, but Asami was currently very close to her face while she worked. Korra was able to get a very good view of the woman’s face. She looked just like her mother. At least from what Korra remembered from the photos Asami had shown her when they were little. Her eyelashes were long, hiding viridian green orbs beneath. Her skin was clear and soft. Her cheeks were still slightly tinted pink from where they had spent all day in the heat outside. Asami was being extremely gentle as she worked to carefully coat Korra’s injured shoulder in salve. Her eyebrows were pinched in focus as she examined the wound. She grazed the cut with her thumb causing Korra to shiver.
“I’m sorry.” she amended quickly, pulling her hand back and walking to get some bandages from atop her writing desk.
“No, it’s okay it didn’t hurt.” she assured the princess. Asami wrapped her shoulder with the fresh bandages and set the remaining wrap back on the bed.
Asami sighed before sitting back down on the bed and dropping her head. “I’m sorry for more than just that.” she started. “I’m also sorry for dragging you into the forest last night-”
“I already told you that wasn’t your fault. I wanted to go with you.” she interrupted but Asami didn’t care.
“So, I got you a gift to make up for it” she said as she walked back over to the writing desk again where her bag was strewn on top. She grabbed the satchel and walked back over to Korra and plopped back down beside her while handing her the bag. “Here, open it,” she said.
“I’m pretty sure you’ve already gotten me enough today.” she said, still holding the bag.
“Just open it. Please? I think you’ll really like it, and it would help make me feel less guilty about everything last night.” she pleaded with her eyes. Korra was going to argue again that Asami was not at fault for the events that took place last night, in fact Korra should be the one apologizing. But those green eyes were begging for her to accept the gift. Those eyes were Korra’s greatest weakness.
Korra began to open the satchel and unwrap the item inside. Rags, cloth, and papers had joined together to secure the object inside. She tore open the wrappings to reveal a tribal vase, much like the ones her parents had collected when she was younger. She hadn't seen one of these in forever. They were extremely rare to find outside of her homeland in the south. Many of them depicted stories and tales passed down from generation to generation. She was too young to really grasp and remember all of the meanings behind the symbols delicately scratched into the vase’s surface. Maybe one day she’d be able to ask her parents.
Korra didn't know what to say. This was not what she had expected when Asami claimed she had gotten Korra a gift.
"Asami this is beautiful, how did you get this?" she asked, amazed.
"I saw it at one of the stands while I was walking around. I really like the details on it and I hoped you would too." she said sweetly.
"Like it?" she asked incredulously. "Asami, this is amazing. I love it."
"Really?" Asami asked like that had been the answer she was hoping for.
"Yes, really. Thank you, Asami, this is incredible. I haven't seen one of these in years. They're hard to find outside of the southern kingdom." she informed.
Asami seemed relieved that Korra had accepted her offering. As if Korra would be upset by anything the princess gave to her. That was highly unlikely. She picked up the vase and handed it to Asami.
"Here, you pick a spot for it." she offered Asami the vase.
Asami seemed to consider her options before she finally decided to place it on top of Korra's nightstand.
"Hey, while you're over there will you put this in the drawer? It'll be quicker for me to grab it from there in the mornings before I leave to come get you up." she said
"Sure thing." Asami replied as she caught the jar that Korra had tossed to her.
Korra was about to start up another conversation before she realized her mistake. She was going to tell Asami to forget the jar, but it was too late. Asami stared at the drawer full of letters curiously.
"Korra, it seems like somebody really wants to get ahold of you." she said, turning to look at the knight and holding up one of her parents' letters.
"Yeah, something like that," she said, slightly irritated. She wasn’t mad at Asami for prying. Korra had been the one to tell the princess to open the drawer in the first place. However, she wasn’t exactly keen on bringing up her past right this moment.
"It seems important if they've written you this many times." she said before turning the letter over. Her brows furrowed as she inspected the wax seal on the back. Realization seemed to hit her pretty quickly. "Korra, isn't this-" she started to say, but the knight stopped her.
"My parents crest? Yes." she finished tightly.
"Are all of these letters from your parents?" she asked appalled at the sheer number of letters that she hadn't bothered to open in the last 12 years. There were probably hundreds. Korra had bundled them all together with a piece of twine and set them in a drawer to be forgotten. Now that she was at the palace, she most likely wouldn’t be receiving anymore.
"....Yes," she responded honestly.
Asami sat the letter back down in the drawer, shut it, and walked back over to sit down next to Korra again.
"Do you wanna tell me about it?" the princess prodded. She was still as kind as ever, always trying to help everyone else.
"There's not much to tell. Like I said, I'm not going to be inheriting the throne anytime soon." she said curtly.
Asami softened her gaze and looked at Korra. "There's more to it than that and we both know it." Asami accused.
Korra really didn't want to talk about it. It's not that she didn't trust Asami with the information, but she didn't feel right dumping her pent up issues onto Asami's lap for her to fix. The princess already had enough on her plate, and if she found out it would just be one more thing she would try to mend. She was an inventor after all, always solving problems and finding solutions. It didn’t feel right to dump this onto the princess. They had literally just reunited yesterday. But keeping Asami in the dark also didn't sit well with Korra. She was getting frustrated with herself. Why was this so difficult?
She finally sighed and flopped back onto the bed resting her hands on her stomach as she stared at the ceiling, and Asami plopped down to match her posture.
"Soon after your dad stopped us from seeing each other, a group of rogue bandits tried to kidnap me from the palace in order to use me as leverage against my father. I don't remember much of what happened that night. I just know they had gotten about halfway to the border of the land before they were shot down by some trained archers. After that my parents decided it wasn't safe for me to be inside the kingdom anymore. They made the decision to send me away to the knight academy so that I could learn to defend myself." she said.
Asami just stared at her with kind eyes, but didn't stop her rambling. So Korra kept going.
"They've tried to talk to me over the years, but I clearly haven't been too interested in responding. I don't hate them for it, but it wasn't exactly an easy change. The moment I got to the gates the guards at the school took away my belongings besides one personal item and my clothes. My parents both stepped out to hug me goodbye before climbing back into their caravan and leaving me there. I tried to hold onto them, screaming that I wanted to go home. But they left anyway. That was the last time I saw them. I really do miss them, but I'm still so angry at them for leaving me there alone with no choice but to accept my fate and embrace it. They’re my parents, and they just left me there like it was nothing." Korra said. She hadn't realized that her eyes were watering until Asami used the pad of her thumb to wipe a tear that had spilled down her cheek.
"It's okay to be upset with them. But I think keeping yourself away from them is hurting both of you." Asami offered quietly.
Korra scrunched her brows together in confusion.
"Your parents love you. They probably thought they were doing what was best for you, even though that doesn't make what they did right. But I think you ignoring them leaves you both in the dark and scared. Clearly they weren't trying to take you out of their lives for good if they’ve written to you all this time." she said softly.
She had a solid point. Korra did miss her parents. She wanted to know what they were up to, to see what was going on back home. She wanted to know what her dad had been doing around the kingdom, and one new meals Senna had created for dinner. Another part of her thought that opening the letters would only make her more homesick. She had built a life for herself here, or at least she was starting to. She was worried that opening the letters would only destroy all her progress in pushing her grief to the side. She knew bottling it up probably wasn’t the best idea, but it was currently the most efficient.
“I don’t know if I’m ready to read them just yet, but you do have a good point.” she said. “Thank you for listening ” she added.
“Glad I could help.” she smiled back sweetly.
It was in the silence that Korra finally realized that she and Asami were laying on her bed. WIth Korra practically half naked. If anyone were to walk in right now Korra would probably be hung for her indecency in front of the princess. They had really gotten too comfortable with each other. She quickly sat up and threw her shirt back on before standing and reaching her hand out to Asami to pull her up. Asami scrunched her brown in confusion, but took Korra’s hand anyway with blind trust.
“I believe I told you we would head to the workshop today.” she said with a grin.
Asami’s eyes lit up as she practically pulled Korra towards the door and rushed them out of the room so she could go get changed and head to the outdoor workshop behind the palace.
She may not have been able to forgive her parents just yet. But she knew that if she could see the princess smile like that everyday, she didn’t need anything else to be happy.
____________________________________
“Korra, will you hand me the wrench?” Asami asked, sticking out her hand from underneath her current personal project covered in grease and oil.
“Here you go.” Korra said, placing a tool in her palm. When Asami saw it, she frowned.
“Korra, this is a hammer.” she said, peeking out from under the machine to look at Korra’s face. The knight was wearing an old shirt and some torn up cotton pants. She was similarly covered in grease from head to toe.
“It’s not my fault all these thingies look the same.'' Korra argued with a pout.
Asami couldn’t be upset with Korra, her pout was too cute to be mad at. So instead she playfully rolled her eyes and stood up to help teach the knight instead. “These ‘thingies’ are called tools. And if you actually looked at them, and paid attention you’d see that they don’t even look remotely the same.” she said pointing to the different tools.
Korra just sat there with one leg crossed as she plopped her chin with her fist looking at the items with a furrowed brow. “No, see. That one has a handle, and that one also has a handle. How was I supposed to know they were different?” she asked with a playful grin.
Asami shook her head and laughed. It was fun to have Korra working here with her. She didn’t have much time to work out here with her busy schedule. Her father used to work with her out here, but he hadn’t left his office much in recent years. Leaving the garage pretty much in her hands. The base was a concrete floor and the walls were made of metal. She had shelves hung around that sported various tools of shaped and sizes. There was a workbench on one wall with an oil lamp and most of her sketches covering it. She had pinned a photo of her mother to the board above the table so that she didn’t feel as alone when she was working. Korra however, had that job covered tonight.
The knight had let Asami teach her about the various tools within the workshop and helped to keep the space more lively. Korra had told Asami about some of her stories from the Academy, many of them involving two brothers named Mako and Bolin. It was good to see Korra wasn’t fully alone all those years she had spent away from her home. Apparently the brothers would also be living here soon at the knight’s quarters. It would be nice to meet some of Korra’s friends. Maybe they could share some of their stories about Korra. It would be nice to know what she was like all those years Asami hadn’t been able to talk to her.
Asami had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed Korra touching the machine to cover her hand in grease. The next thing she knew she had a giant hand print on the back of her dirty overalls. Asami spun around from where she had been lining up the tools to look at Korra in disbelief.
“You are so gonna pay for that.” she said as she dipped her hand in one of the oil buckets nearby before starting to chase Korra around the workshop. Korra immediately sprang up from her spot on the floor and began hid and dodged behind different pieces of furniture crowding the workshop.
“Gotta catch me first princess.” she said teasingly as she used the chair from Asami’s workbench as a shield.
Asami needed to come up with a plan. Korra seemed to be staying on the defensive. Maybe if she pretended like she had given up and went back to working on the machine Korra would move out from behind the chair. That seemed like her best option.
“Alright, I give up. You win.” she said.
Asami strode over to the machine and began to tinker with the insides again. She had sat there for about a minute when she heard the chair move back into place. She heard Korra’s footsteps trying to tiptoe behind her. The knight had almost made it to Asami when the inventor swiveled backwards and pushed a hand into the soldier's stomach, taking her down. Asami fell too, but her fall had luckily been braced by Korra’s body.
“Well that was quite the move. But I’m pretty sure that’s cheating.” Korra said as she stared up from underneath Asami.
“It would have been cheating if you weren't also planning a surprise attack from behind. I could hear your heavy feet a mile away.” she chuckled. “Besides, you should have known I was lying,” Asami shot back from above.
“Oh yea, how so?” Korra asked.
“Because Asami Sato never gives up.” she smirked before standing up and reaching down to pull Korra up.
Korra cleared her throat as she stood up and began to redirect her attention to the machine in front of her. “So what’s the plan for this thing anyway? I thought you said you needed magic for it to work.” she asked from beside the heiress.
“It does. I have to get the base built first, but it’s almost done. Then I’m going to have you shoot magic into it.” she explained while picking up the wrench she had needed. She wiggled onto her back going back under the machine to tighten a few more bolts.
There was something she was forgetting. She went back out from under the machine to find Korra staring at her with a grin.
“What?” she asked.
Korra shook her head. “Nothing. You’re just really amazing.” she said.
Asami was, not for the first time today, at a loss for words at Korra's sincerity.
“What?” she asked again.
“I mean look at you. You’ve built so many cool things in the garage, I saw your sketches over by the desk too. Those look incredible. I’ve never seen somebody with that much artistic talent before. And you’re learning how to run this super big fancy kingdom all by yourself. It’s just really incredible. I don’t know how you do it. I’m really proud of you.” she said earnestly.
Asami thought she might have gone insane. Here again, Korra was recognizing Asami’s efforts with so much honest conviction. The girl wasn’t doing it to gain anything. Korra wasn’t trying to impress her father or take her fortune. She told Asami what she was thinking because she thought Asami should know how proud she was. Asami couldn’t even remember the last time she heard those words come out of anyone's mouth, at least not directed towards her. This was just what was expected of her. She didn’t have a choice in the matter, she either had to accept the sea of responsibilities being given to her or drown. Nobody had ever been proud of her for that. She was trying to keep it together. Satos didn't cry, not in front of anybody. Her father had taught her to keep her emotions bottled up in order to push through and get things done. The world was moving with or without her, and she didn’t have time to waste grieving. But Asami felt a little misty eyed at the moment. Maybe Satos did cry sometimes.
Korra quickly rushed to sit beside her. “Hey I’m sorry, did I say something wrong? I just kinda say what’s in my head without thinking a lot. I didn’t mean-” Korra stopped when Asami shook her head.
She looked back up to meet Korra’s eyes. “You said all the right things Korra. You always do.” she responded before adding on “I really missed you.”
Korra pulled Asami into a tight hug before she whispered. “I missed you too, ‘Sami.”
She smiled at the old nickname.
Asami and Korra had spent all day sledding down the snowy hills around the palace before Asmai finally had to go inside because of how cold she was getting. Her skin felt icy to the touch. She wasn’t used to the cold like this. Sure, the Republic got cold, but it was never to this extent. She didn’t know if she had toes anymore, but if she did she couldn't feel them. Korra walked her through the palace to the living area, and began stripping out of her layers as they walked. Asami stared at her with her mouth agape. How could the girl possibly be hot inside of a palace made halfway out of ice?!
They walked into the living room and Korra began trying to light the fireplace before Asami stopped her and told her to go get her parents to help. At least one of them was responsible. She sat on the couch shivering when Senna walked into the room and lit the fire for Asami with Korra in tow.
The little southerner hopped up onto the couch next to Asami with one of the blankets from her bed and wrapped it around them.
“There ya go. Now you’ll be warm.” Korra said with a toothy grin. Her brown hair was a mess. It had fallen out of the wolf tails and was now hanging down knotted and messy.
“You need to brush your hair. It’s all tangled.” Asami said as she picked up the ratty mess attached to Korra’s head.
“I don’t know how to do it.” she pouted.
“Go get a brush and a band,” Asami told her. The tanned girl scampered off in a flash to grab the requested supplies. She came back with the items and sat next to Asami.
“Now what?” Korra asked.
“Now, sit in front of me on the floor. My mom taught me how to braid.” she said.
Korra did as she was instructed and plopped down on the floor in front of Asami, staring at the flames of the fire. She tried to carefully comb through Korra’s hair, but it was rather difficult with the way the younger girl’s hair was matted together. It took some time but she managed to brush through all the knots. She set to work twisting all the pieces of hair together just like her mother had taught her how to. Her brows were furrowed and her tongue peeked out in concentration. When she was done she tied the band on just as Senna had walked into the room with a couple of hot chocolates.
“Korra actually let you touch her hair? She never lets me do it unless I put it in wolf tails for her. What’s your secret?” Senna teased, setting the cups down.
“I let Asami do it. She’s gentle, so she can touch my hair.”
“Oh so only Asami can braid your hair?” Senna asked playfully.
“Yup. ‘Sami’s special” Korra answered with a yawn as she climbed back into the warmth of the blanket with Asami.
“‘Sami huh?” Senna asked.
“Yeah, ‘Sami gets a nickname because she's special. She’s my best friend.” Korra said as she laid her head on Asami’s shoulder, closing her eyes with a yawn.
Senna just chuckled as she walked back out of the room. Asami had stayed quiet through the whole interaction, but her small blush of embarrassment spoke for her. She certainly didn’t mind Korra giving her a new name. She liked that she was special to Korra. The compliments from the younger girl made her feel warmer than the blankets wrapped around her ever would.
Korra’s question brought her out of her reminiscing.
“So, how can I help you with this machine?” she asked.
Asami stood and dusted the dirt off her hands and onto her stained overalls before walking over to her latest contraption.
“A while back ago I developed this little module here. If it worlds like it’s supposed to, you should be able to shoot your magic into that, and then that magic will go through this wire right here, and convert into the power that I need to charge the machine. Essentially, I want you to shoot fire at that little module. If it works, then it should make something like a big lazer.” she said excitedly.
Korra looked confused. “So, you want me to shoot fire at that little glass bulb thingy, so that my magic can be made into a super giant lazer?” Korra confirmed.
“Precisely.” Asami answered before pulling a pair of goggles on her eyes. She handed Korra one of her spare pairs before taking a few steps away from the machine.
“This is gonna be so cool.” Korra bounced excitedly.
“Alright, go ahead Korra.” she shouted once she had stepped back far enough
Korra produced a flame out of the palm of her hand and shot it directly into the module. The bulb held the bouncing fire before shooting it across the wire. A second later a bright red beam shot out from the nozzle at the tip of the machine. The lazer blasted a small hole in the metal sheet Asami had previously set up in front of the beam.
It worked. Her machine had worked. This meant that those little modules could be used to transmit magic and give non mages magic abilities. This was going to be revolutionary. Everything had gone perfectly, this discovery opened so many new possibilities for the inventor. She hopped up and down in triumph before running at Korra to slam into her with a hug.
The knight picked her up and spun her around. "You did it!" she cheered Asami on.
Asami shook her head. "No, we did it. I made the invention, but you made it work. I couldn't have done this without you. Thank you for believing in me." she claimed.
"Always. But I'm letting you take the credit, I wouldn't even know where to start with building something like this." Korra said.
"Stay around long enough and you'll pick up on a few things. I tend to ramble while I work, so you should learn something eventually." she chuckled.
"I think I can live with that." she said before she set Asami back down. "Now turn that thing off, it's past your bedtime. If I get you home late again your father will kill me" she said, nudging Asami toward the machine to turn it off.
After Asami shut everything off the two women stepped out of the building and walked out the door. Asami let out a groan as she looked at the long path back. It was dark out, and she had worn heels all day so her feet were incredibly sore.
"What's wrong?" Korra asked as she shut the door and locked it behind her, handing Asami the keys.
"It's such a long walk back." she whined.
Before Asami could even process the movement Korra had picked Asami up into her arms and began to carry her toward the palace.
"Korra!" she shouted at the smirking knight. "I can walk just fine. You shouldn't be carrying me with your shoulder." she tried to argue.
"Do you really want to walk all the way back?" Korra asked her.
"No." Asami mumbled in defeat.
Korra laughed as she continued to haul Asami back toward the palace.
"Then relax, princess," she grinned.
Asami laid her head on Korra's shoulder and hummed her agreement. She was getting really tired. Her eyes were already closing on their own accord. But before she dozed off she found the energy to confess.
"Korra," she whispered up to the soldier.
"Hm?" the knight replied in turn.
"I really am glad to have you back." she said before letting out a yawn and closing her eyes shut.