The sun, the moon, the dragon - The seeds of the future (Patreon)

Daeron Targaryen, Gaoling, Earth Kingdom

Jon watched as Toph was "guided" to the table and stifled a snort at the incredible performance

One of the most powerful earth enders he has ever met, posing as a delicate and weak flower, being guided by one of the Beifong servants to the table, being assisted to sit in front of Jon

Toph pulled out an elegant fan to cover her face and avert her gaze, she didn't need vision to know she was being inspected by the white wolf

Then, everyone present chatted pleasantly, Jon maintained his impeccable manners, thanks to the teachings of his beloved wife

"Your manners are impeccable my lord," Lady Beifong said approvingly, as she watched as Jon skillfully manipulated the kettle, serving Toph, to the obvious pleasure of the elegant woman

"Thank you, it was the teachings of my wife, Princess Yue" Jon said calmly, although he had accepted Yue's departure, Jon would always treasure her memory

At the mention of a wife, Lord and Lady Beifong were alarmed for a moment, at least until Princess Yue's name came up, they were both aware of the princess's passing, after all

And with real sympathy, both Lord and Lady Beifong offered their condolences

Elegantly, Jon nodded, receiving the words and responding similarly

"I suppose that Agna Qel'a took severe action against the Fire Nation for such a heinous attack," Lord Beifong said

Jon simply nodded and replied

"The Fire Nation is not as united as it seems, Ozai sent a suppression fleet to eliminate soldiers and officers who had served with Prince Iroh in the past, this fleet, now, is in my service, and will be of vital importance for the capture of Caldera City," Jon said with total certainty, to the surprise of Team Avatar, Toph's obvious interest, and the approval of Lord and Lady Beifong

Sensing an opportunity, Lord Beifong spoke

"Your presence in the prefecture is a blessing of the spirits, Your Grace, I wish I could speak on some matters, would you grant me a meeting?" said the man with a lot of respect, not wanting to anger someone as dangerous as the White Wolf

Jon nodded elegantly, at the same time standing up, and when he saw that Aang was doing the same, he quickly intervened

"Lady Toph, why don't you take Aang to see the beautiful gardens on the property? I'm sure he appreciated the gesture," Jon said softly, although everyone knew perfectly well that it was an order

Toph obeyed immediately, submissively and softly stood up and bowed to Jon, to the pleasure of his parents, and in an elegant soft voice spoke

"If you will accompany me please, Avatar Aang" said Toph, at the same time that the little monk nodded and followed her calmly, being followed by Katara and Sokka, under the watchful eye of Jon

"She is beautiful, right? Despite her disability, our daughter is a maiden of extreme beauty, with the best education and noble blood, as well as being an earth bender, a perfect wife for a growing dynasty" Lady Beifong said proudly in her voice

Jon nodded, the woman's words were true, after all

Lord Beifong raised his hand and his wife looked down right away, keeping total silence

An act that made Jon want to frown, although he was able to control his natural reaction

"My dear, go and make sure that the rooms for King Jon and his companions are ready, the men will talk," Lord Beifong ordered in a calm tone

The beautiful woman bowed to her husband and Jon, before going out and obeying her husband's orders

"At this point, my wife's intentions are not alien to you," said Lord Beifong, making himself comfortable and pouring two glasses of sake

Jon took it gracefully and nodded

"And at this point, you should know that I have just been widowed and that, out of respect for the memory of my beloved wife, I will not look for a replacement in the near future," Jon said firmly, but without losing respect

Lord Beifong nodded, pleased

“I understand and respect it, it speaks very well of your character that you maintain such a posture, however, I will give you some advice, sooner or later you will have to move on, you are a leader, a King, a Ruler, people depend on your good judgment and your decisions, mourn your former wife, honor her until the last of your days and move on,  life is so ephemeral and short, that without you realizing it, what used to represent unbearable pain is a simple memory, painful, of course, but a memory nonetheless” said Lord Beifong

At those wise words, Jon could only nod, his respect for Toph's father increased considerably

"Then you will understand that I cannot take your daughter as a wife at this moment."

"Oh, I understand it perfectly," he replied, at the same time as he drank his sake all at once, sighing with pleasure at feeling it go through his throat

Jon did the same, he took the liquid and felt the pleasant sensation of the liquid go down his throat and when he finished, Jon let out a soft sigh, accompanied by a small white flame, which left a little smoke in its place

Lord Beifong, far from being alarmed, simply said

"So the rumors are true, Lord Agni's chosen one," with naked interest in his gaze

"You don't look alarmed," Jon said calmly

Lord Beifong shrugged his shoulders and replied

"I am not, on the contrary, your presence, your gifts, are a blessing of the spirits, sent to bring order, peace and prosperity to the three nations," said Lord Beifong decisively

Jon frowned

"I don't want to conquer, the well-being of my people is my top priority," Jon said with determination

At those words, Lord Beifong just looked at Jon with amusement

“I recognize greatness when I see it, you may not wish to conquer, however, in difficult times, strong men are born, you unified and transformed the northern water tribe into a kingdom, so powerful and important that it is capable of standing up to the fire nation, the Earth kingdom fractures more and more, the coalition,  Sooner or later, will request vassalage before the White Wolf, and since I know you are a good man, you will support those who have helped your people, more and more towns and prefectures are sheltering under your shadow, even among your enemies, your exploits have caused interest, the Fire Nation is on the verge of a civil war,  Your demonstration of leadership and mastery of fire bending has given the soldiers of the Fire Nation something that was taken from them long ago, the possibility of choice," said Lord Beifong, with wisdom and experience

Jon was pensive at the cold and accurate analysis of the situation, he was not stupid, he knew that it was a matter of time before the coalition requested vassalage and protection from Agna Qel'a and Jon as well as Lee and Dao were preparing to make the transition as quickly as possible

"And of course, when that happens, Ba Zing Ze will intervene, no matter how incompetent the Earth King is, he will not allow a third of the kingdom, in addition to all the territory under the control of the fire nation, to escape from his sphere of influence and something tells me that, you do not react very well to threats" said the Lord, taking more Sake

Jon did the same, lost in thought, the situation he had mentioned was...Terrifyingly possible

“It is a matter of time young wolf, for the nations to be under the rule of a single king, a single empire, a single ruler, then and only then, will the world really know peace, the question is, are you willing and determined? To accept your destiny as Jon the unifier, Jon the conqueror?” said the man

And Jon knew the answer perfectly well 

He wanted it, from his time at Winterfell he wanted to rule, even if he felt bad about doing so

"I have my answer," said Lord Beifong approvingly.

“My wife expressed her desire to offer our daughter to you, as a wife or concubine, being linked to the King of the North would be a great benefit to our family, at the same time that you would guarantee her safety, one of her greatest concerns, for years, she has trained our daughter to be a devoted and submissive wife, seen but not heard," said the Lord

Jon just snorted

"Your daughter doesn't need to be protected, she's a talented and powerful earth bender," Jon said determinedly, getting to the point he wanted to deal with

To Jon's surprise, the man nodded, proudly

"I know, the blind bandit, a powerful name, worthy of a Beifong," said the man

Jon looked at himself in surprise, and seeing his face, Toph's father continued

"I know everything that happens in my home, young king, I know how prodigious my daughter is, and I also know that a conventional marriage will never work for her, as her mother expects." When he finished speaking, Lord Beifong leaned towards Jon

“You want a talented earth bender, I imagine to train the avatar in earth bending and I want close ties with who will be the next ruler of the four nations, my daughter will leave Gaoling, with a future ahead of her, there are twelve months of mourning for the loss of Princess Yue, and twelve more months of courtship,  you will take my daughter Toph as one of your wives on her eighteenth birthday," said the man, now focusing entirely on the negotiation

Jon straightened his back and cleaned his face of all expressions

"I hope you don't think that will be enough, you will need to offer much more, if you want your daughter to be one of my consorts," Jon said, completely immersed in his role as king

Lord Beifong looked at him approvingly

“So, let the negotiation begin”

Both men would be there for quite some time, if Lord Beifong wanted to play with fire with a dragon

So be it

Katara, Beifong Garden

“What do you think they are talking about?” Katara asked, looking towards the main house curiously

Aang, innocent and optimistic replied

"Jon is convincing Toph's father to let her travel with us," said the bald monk

However, Katara was skeptical, as was Toph

"My father see in the presence of the white wolf an opportunity, I'm sure he's negotiating my hand, offering me to Jon as a consort, hand in hand with riches and luxuries," said the beautiful earth ender with resignation and normality

Aang looked at Toph in amazement

“But... Jon's wife died a couple of months ago” said the bald man

However, Sokka intervened

"Jon is a king Aang, just as Yue fulfilled his duty to his people by taking the place of the Moon, Jon must see to the well-being and safety of Agna Qel'a and if that means taking another wife as a political alliance..." said Sokka with an uncommon tact in his voice

Completely shocked, Aang responded

“But... but, Princess Yue” said the avatar in disbelief

"Is gone" Katara said softly

"And what do you think about it?" asked Sokka, looking at Toph

The earth bender simply shrugged her shoulders, as she blushed

"Jon is powerful, he doesn't underestimate me and respects my strength, I wouldn't mind if he took me for himself," said the beautiful sixteen-year-old earth bender with acceptance

 "I don't think it's right," Aang said

Katara responded calmly

"Relax Aang, I doubt it's an immediate commitment, Jon must complete his twelve months of mourning, as is tradition in the tribes, before he can look for another woman, however, if a contract is finalized between Agna Qel'a and Gaoling, then Toph will be able to travel with us and teach you earth bending," Katara said

At those words, Aang became calmer and Toph's curiosity was touched

“Did Jon teach you water bending?” asked the young woman

Aang nodded quickly

“YES! Katara too, he is terrifyingly good, he possesses incredible techniques and abilities never seen before, he is even able to "see" by feeling the water of people's bodies," said Aang, proud of his friend

Katara nodded and continued

"I saw him destroy a fire nation ship on his own, going through it as if it were paper using only his water bending, not for nothing do they call him the Lord of the Oceans or the Dragon of the North, besides the White Wolf," Katara said

For hours, Toph listened and asked, about Jon, his exploits and feats, told first-hand and not by simple rumors and what she heard left her much more impressed than she would like to admit

"Sounds amazing, I wish I could see him in action in his element, in the oceans," Toph said with longing in her voice

Sokka, as usual, asked insensitively

"Why couldn't you see him? If you come with us, we can take you to the sea and AHHHHHHHG” he screamed in pain when he received a blow to the head from Aang, while pointing with his fingers at his own eyes and at Toph

"Oh," Sokka said, really embarrassed by his clumsy comment

"You're insensitive," Katara said embarrassed

However, Toph, far from being upset, laughed with amusement

"There is no offense, your comment makes me happy, to be honest, it implies that you do not see me as a disabled person, a delicate flower that must be cared for and protected in a cage," Toph said

 At those words, the avatar team smiled delicately, however, Toph frowned and spoke

"Apparently the negotiations are over," said Toph, as she got into character again, seeing her father, accompanied by her mother and Jon

Her father looked at her with love and acceptance, her mother with happiness and excitement and Jon with fun and power

Lady Beifong walked to Toph and said

"My daughter, we have good news for you, your father and King Daeron reached an agreement by your hand, he agrees to marry you on your eighteenth birthday," Toph's mother said with emotion

Before Toph could answer, his father intervened

"My dear, go and coordinate with the servant’s tonight's feast, we have much to celebrate and prepare our daughter's bags for her trip with her fiancé," ordered the Lord

Lady Beifong bowed to her husband and ran to obey, leaving the avatar team alone with Toph and her father

"She always wish you were a 'lady' of property, she felt like she was failing as a mother, when all your prospects just weren't interested," Lord Beifong said

Toph bowed her head submissively

"I will do my best to please your wishes, father."

"No, you won't, my daughter, or should I say, blind bandit?"  said the man at the same time that Toph was paralyzed with terror, thinking the worst

However, his father only placed his hands on his shoulders, in a reassuring gesture

"You'll never be a conventional Lady, you're a Beifong and we're too stubborn and strong for that," joked the father, as he walked away from his daughter and, before everyone's incredulous gaze, began to unbutton his elegant robe

“Father?” Toph asked still in her role

"Your future husband speaks of your incredible ability with earth bending, in his words, you are the most powerful earth bender he has ever seen," Lord Beifong said

Toph couldn't help but blush at those words, looking pleased with herself

"Prove it to me," he ordered, at the same time that taking off his robe, he was left in battle clothes and hitting the floor with his foot, in a demonstration of total earth bending mastery, the beautiful Beifong garden opened halfway, at the same time that an earth bending arena rose from the depths

"Defeat me in a earth bending duel and show me that you are ready for the world, to explore the four nations with your future husband" as he said that word, Lord Beifong took a battle position

And with a huge smile and tears of happiness on her face, Toph's mask shattered

Removing her elegant dress and sticking to her combat gear, Toph challenged her father with excitement

"I hope your ass doesn't hurt too much when I'm done with you, old man," said the blind maid

The man, on the other hand, simply laughed hard

“HAHAHA the same words I said to your grandfather before he kicked my ass, show me the ferocity of a winged boar my daughter” 

The avatar team watched the interaction with a huge smile as they shouted

"COME ON TOPH, YOU CAN BEAT HIM!"

At the same time that Jon was placed in the center to officiate the duel, the Beifong guards approached and began to murmur, having never seen their lord bend

“Three, two, one... DUEL!” roared the white wolf before leaving the arena

And both duelists started, one with youth and the other with experience on their side

Toph started with simple and quick attacks, while kicking up a cloud of dust to make it difficult for his father to see

"Cunning strategy, my daughter," said the man, at the same time dodging Toph's attacks and, in a show of earth bending mastery, took command of the cloud of dust and instantly vanished it

"But you'll have to try harder if you want to go on adventures," and at that moment, the powerful Lord did something curious, hit the earth with his foot and transform the entire platform into sand, something that for a conventional earth bender wouldn't mean a serious problem

But for Toph...

"AGHH," growled the beautiful young woman, while frowning, trying to concentrate, she could still see, but it was blurred and weak, a weakness she had never encountered

Suddenly, a blow to the stomach, coming from a rock of her father's, sent her a couple of meters to the ground, disorienting her more

"Stand up, you are a Beifong, a lineage of warriors and you will be a queen, fight like one" the man ordered firmly

Toph stood up, not angry or worried

But with a huge smile

"Oh old man, I'll make you pay for that," and then she transformed the sand back into rock and started the dance again.

All of this was watched by the avatar team, Sokka cheering for Toph as well as Aang, while Katara looked at Jon with concern

“Are you okay? I know you were in a bind," Katara said, really worried about Jon, as she stroked his arm gently

Jon looked at her with a soft smile, causing a blush on the young woman's face

"Don't worry, I'm fine, it's important that Aang learns earth bending and I was not joking when he said that she was the most talented earth bender I've ever seen."

Katara simply nodded and replied

"I'm here, for whatever you need," promised the beautiful young woman with determination in her voice

Jon nodded calmly and with a smile, placed his hand on Katara's shoulder

"I really appreciate it" before they both watched the duel again next to each other

Jon focused on the duel between father and daughter

And Katara, focused on not looking at Jon's solid and attractive body

A task that was making itself harder every day, to be honest