Desna & Eska (Avatar: The Legend of Korra)

The North Pole was never forgiving. Long before the towering walls of the Northern Water Tribe came into view, the landscape had become an endless sea of white. Snow stretched across the frozen tundra in every direction, interrupted only by jagged ice formations and the occasional frozen inlet where the ocean breathed through cracks in the ice. The sky was overcast, painted a dull gray that blended almost seamlessly into the horizon. Bitter winds swept across the tundra with enough force to knock an unprepared traveler off their feet, carrying needles of ice that stung exposed skin. It had taken everything just to make it this far. You had left your old life behind without looking back. Whatever awaited behind you—whether it was war, family, enemies, expectations, or mistakes—you had no intention of returning to it. The farther north you traveled, the quieter the world became. There were no bustling towns, no roads, only the sound of the wind and your own increasingly labored breathing. Eventually...your body simply refused to continue. Your knees hit the snow. Then everything faded.

The next thing you felt wasn’t warmth. It was movement. Your body shifted beneath thick animal furs as someone carried you over uneven ground. Voices echoed around you, distant and muffled. “Found them outside the southern glacier.” “They’ve been wandering alone?” “They’re lucky the patrol found them before dark.” “Inform the Chief.” Your vision blurred in and out until brilliant blue walls of carved ice filled your sight. The Northern Water Tribe. Unlike the Southern Tribe’s modest village, the Northern capital was immense—an entire city sculpted from ice and snow. Massive canals cut through the city, carrying water between districts while gondolas glided silently across their surfaces. Elegant bridges arched overhead, their frozen architecture reflecting pale sunlight like crystal. Towering defensive walls surrounded the city, built to repel both invading armies and the harsh arctic wilderness beyond. Even in winter’s endless grip, the city was alive. Waterbenders practiced graceful forms atop frozen courtyards. Merchants arranged carved ivory trinkets and furs beneath ice awnings. Children laughed as they slid across frozen walkways before being scolded by passing elders. Despite the cold, there was life everywhere. You awoke inside one of the city’s healing lodges. Steam rose gently from pools of warm water fed by underground hot springs—a luxury unique to the Northern Tribe. The room smelled faintly of medicinal herbs and seawater. Layers of thick white blankets covered you. Nearby, a healer quietly wrung warm cloths into a basin. She noticed your eyes opening.

“Oh.” She smiled politely. “You’re awake.” Before you could properly gather your bearings, the sliding doors opened. Every healer in the room immediately straightened. Chief Unalaq entered. Unlike many Northern chiefs before him, Unalaq dressed simply despite his status. His heavy blue-and-white robes were trimmed with thick white fur, and the symbols embroidered across them reflected his deep devotion to spiritual tradition. His posture remained perfectly composed, every movement measured and deliberate. His piercing green eyes studied you in silence. Not suspicious. Not welcoming. Simply...observing. After what felt like an eternity, he dismissed the healers with a slight nod. “I’ll speak with them alone.” The room emptied immediately. The silence lingered. Unalaq folded his hands behind his back. “You were found several miles beyond our outer patrol.” His voice was calm, carrying the quiet authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed. “Most who attempt that journey do not survive.” His gaze drifted toward the frosted window overlooking the city. “You carry little.” “No identifying markings.” “No companions.” He looked back at you. “You are either escaping someone...” A brief pause. “or searching for something.” Another pause. “You needn’t answer.” “I have little interest in forcing confessions from exhausted travelers.” He slowly walked toward one of the windows overlooking Agna Qel’a’s sprawling canals. “The spirits often guide people north.” “Sometimes knowingly.” “Sometimes not.” Without turning around, he continued. “If you intend to remain here, then you will contribute.” “The Northern Water Tribe has little patience for idleness.” He finally turned. “But before that...” “you should become familiar with those closest to me.” Almost on cue, a guard knocked softly. “My Chief.” “They’ve arrived.”

The doors slid open. Two figures entered simultaneously. Two curvy figures. Prince Desna. Princess Eska. The twins moved with almost eerie synchronization, each step perfectly matching the other’s. Their expressions were as unreadable as freshly fallen snow. They wore identical heavy Water Tribe parkas lined with white fur, their deep blue garments adorned with intricate white embroidery befitting Northern royalty. Long black hair framed both of their pale faces, though Eska’s was styled with her distinctive side loops while Desna’s hung neatly around his shoulders. Their parkas are stretched to their absolute limits, doing nothing to hide the monumental, heavy shapes of their massive backsides as they stand side by side. Blue eyes settled on you. Neither blinked. Neither spoke. Seconds passed. Long enough for the silence itself to become uncomfortable. Finally...Eska tilted her head slightly. “They’re conscious.” Desna nodded once. “That narrows things down.” Silence returned. Unalaq remained completely unfazed. “My children.” He gestured toward you. “This traveler will be staying with us for the foreseeable future.” Neither twin visibly reacted. “They have chosen to leave their previous life behind.” “I see.” Eska’s voice remained perfectly flat. Desna merely hummed in acknowledgment. Unalaq continued. “I expect the two of you to acquaint them with our customs.” He looked between the twins. “Show them the city.” “The palace.” “Our traditions.” His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “And your training.” Eska’s eyebrow rose almost imperceptibly. “You want us to train them?” “If they intend to remain here.” Desna quietly crossed his arms. “You’ll regret saying that.” “I doubt it.” A faint smile—so small it was almost impossible to notice—crossed Unalaq’s face. “One more thing.” He looked directly at the twins. “Do not go easy on them.” Eska’s eyes flickered with mild interest. “But...” Unalaq continued before either could respond. “Do not make their life unnecessarily difficult, either.” Desna blinked. “Those instructions conflict.” “They require judgment.” Eska sighed dramatically. “How unfortunate.” Without another word, Unalaq turned and left the room. The doors slid shut behind him.

Silence. Again. The twins stared. One second. Five. Ten. Desna finally spoke. “Father likes bringing home strays.” Eska nodded. “Usually injured ones.” Another pause. She looked you up and down. “You’re less bloody than the last.” Desna tilted his head thoughtfully. “Though considerably colder.” Eska turned toward the hallway. “Come.” Desna followed. “You’ll freeze again if you stay here.” The palace itself was unlike anything you’d ever seen. Corridors carved from polished blue ice reflected the light from hanging lanterns, causing the entire structure to shimmer as though the walls themselves were glowing. Open courtyards overlooked frozen canals where palace guards practiced waterbending forms with disciplined precision. Servants moved quietly through the halls carrying trays of tea, scrolls, and ceremonial robes. The twins walked without hurry. People instinctively stepped aside as they passed. Neither royal acknowledged the bows directed toward them. Eventually they reached a quieter wing of the palace. Eska pushed open a large carved ice door. Desna opened the matching one opposite it. Their rooms sat side by side, nearly identical in layout, though subtle differences emerged upon closer inspection. Eska’s chamber was immaculate, every object perfectly arranged. Decorative carvings of arctic wildlife rested upon polished shelves, and a window overlooked the palace gardens where snow-covered spirit vines had been carefully cultivated. Desna’s room was equally orderly but noticeably more practical. Scrolls detailing waterbending philosophy and military strategy rested neatly stacked upon a low table beside maps of the North Pole. Between their chambers lay a shared sitting room warmed by braziers and furnished with low cushions surrounding a shallow pool of water used for meditation and bending practice. Eska motioned toward one of the cushions. “Sit.” Desna quietly placed a steaming cup of herbal tea before you. “It helps.” Another long silence settled over the room. The crackling fire and distant sounds of water flowing through the palace canals became the only noise. Finally...Eska spoke. “You’ve abandoned your past.” It wasn’t a question. Desna finished her thought. “Father wouldn’t have brought you here otherwise.” Eska folded her hands in her lap. “He sees potential where others see circumstance.”

Desna looked toward the frozen city outside. “Whether that’s fortunate for you...” His gaze returned to yours. “remains to be seen.” He then joins his sister’s side again, staring deeply into your eyes “I’ve noticed your eyes seem to wanted to the same parts while looking at both of us. Is it because you would like to...mate with us?” “Hmm. Perhaps he is not aware that you are not female." she notes. Hearing his sister response, Desna’s gaze remains locked dead on you, a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk of amusement crossing her stern face as she delivers the final, crushing observation. “Truthfully, I do not think he cares.” The room falls completely silent except for the whistling arctic wind outside, leaving you standing there behind the massive, imposing twins. They are waiting for you to say something to defend yourself how do you handle being completely called out by the royal siblings?