An Unexpected Reunion
170 AG
-The Fire Nation-
Kuvira sat in the guard house; her feet propped up on the table as she listened to the bustling conversations of the other guards. She was still tired after only getting about two hours of sleep; she didn't sleep well anymore. Actually, that was a lie; she did when she was with Suyin.
The older woman's presence brought a comforting warmth to her. Kuvira could sleep on a rock with Suyin by her side.
After getting used to falling asleep with Suyin, Kuvira found it harder to go back to sleeping alone. She was too content with drifting into sleep as the matriarch ran her fingers gently through her dark hair. In the moments before her body succumb to the natural cycle of rest and hibernation, everything felt just right; her nostrils drawing in Suyin's perfume; her hand's grip going limp around whatever part of Suyin they clung to.
Even if the matriarch sometimes left before she woke up, Kuvira was grateful enough that Suyin was the last thing she saw, and the first she remembered.
Leaning her head back, the conversations around her died away as she closed her eyes and let her mind wander.
"Hey, are you on shift tonight?"
Kuvira sighed. And just like that her brief serenity was broken.
Yun, one of the other guards and a close friend had walked up to her; her mouth full of half-eaten food. Rubbing the temples of her forehead, Kuvira looked up in annoyance at the dopey expression plastered on her face. Her cheeks puffed out with food as her silver-rimmed glasses slowly slid down the bridge of her nose.
What would it take to get some peace and quiet?
Lifting her feet and rocking the chair forward to its original place on the floor, Kuvira sighed again. "No, not tonight -and I plan on getting some rest." she quickly added, sensing that Yun was just itching to do something with her. Boredom came easy to the ball of energy that happened to be her best friend, Kuvira knew that much was certain.
"Aw, you're no fun." Yun said plopping down beside Kuvira with a defeated slouch, tapping her foot restlessly to maintain her energy.
Yun looked at Kuvira, then looked away; her gaze jumping aimlessly from place to place. She crossed her legs at the ankles; they impatiently shook from side to side. She sat up and squirmed in her seat, trying to plant her restless feet into the ground.
Staring with a blank face at the wall across the room, Kuvira counted in her head. When Yun was as restless as she was now, Kuvira knew she couldn't sit still for any period of time longer than a minute. That's why Suyin typically assigned the edgy guard patrol duty; it kept her feet moving and her mind focused.
Sitting calm, the breath moving through Kuvira's body stayed even and her mind dormant, as she waited for the other guard's probable outburst; fifty seconds having already gone by.
'10 more seconds.'
Kuvira closed her eyes, trying to ignore the tireless fidgeting of the guard beside her, hoping Yun would get up and find something else to cure her inherent boredom.
'3 more seconds.'
Kuvira inhaled her last peaceful breath.
'1 more se-'
"Come on." Yun grabbed Kuvira's arm, tugging her back and forth.
Serenity was broken again as the stoic guard just slowly opened her eyes, and patiently waited for Yun to stop.
"You're only ever with Suyin…and then when you do get time off you're sleeping." Yun stopped and let go of Kuvira.
"Well I'm tired…" Kuvira said with a smile as she slumped the side of her face into her hand and closed her eyes. "I can't help it."
"Come on." Yun grabbed Kuvira's forearm ripping out from underneath her face, sending a sudden jolt through the unsuspecting guard. "I'm not gonna let you just sit here and waste your life away." Yun forcefully pulled Kuvira to her feet and held the other woman by her shoulders. "You...You…"She wore her mind into a frenzy searching for a proper insult while staring into the flat emotion in Kuvira's eyes. "You…buddy neglector."
'That's what she came up with?' Kuvira raised her eyebrow with a small smile; now she was amused.
Yun's grip around her arms was tight and unrelenting.
Kuvira had to admit, the dopey guard may have been a bit on the ditzy side, but her physical fitness was spot on. Yun's bending skills were almost close to her own, and her mental stamina was a lot sharper than most gave her credit for.
Kuvira saw in her what the others didn't. They were either too busy full of themselves, or just weren't gifted with sight beyond the superficial. They couldn't see Yun's powerful qualities hidden inside the child-like adult. But again, she could, and Suyin as well. That's how the small time city police officer got promoted within a matter of weeks. Suyin wasn't one to stand by and waste talent. Kuvira knew that, and introduced the matriarch to the underestimated skills of her best friend. Of course having a place in Suyin's heart helped her case ten-fold. It gave Kuvira the privileges of Suyin's time, and mostly undivided attention.
The noise of the semi-busied guardhouse died suddenly, alerting both armor clad women who stood eye to eye.
"What's going on?" Kuvira asked, looking over Yun's slightly taller shoulder.
"Hmm?" Yun turned around, her instant curiosity breaking her away from Kuvira. She wedged her way through the group of socializing guards in front of them, bumping their shoulders rather roughly.
Yun had no fear; she was always the first out to investigate anything.
Kuvira admired that, but also knew that her lack of discretion and patience could be her friend's greatest downfall. At the right moment and time it could be a strength. But Yun's naturally overzealous courage could just as well get her killed if not judged correctly.
Coming close to the front, Yun's hazel-green eyes searched the room to see the guards close by the door way straightening up to attention. Another guard stopped in front of her, blocking her view with his head. She leaned a little to the side, finally spotting the figure of Suyin standing by the entrance. Her brow furrowed. It was rare for the matriarch to make appearances at the guard house during the day; something must have been important.
"At ease, I just came to speak with Kuvira." After looking around for a moment Suyin asked, "Where is she?"
Yun didn't hear the whole conversation, but she did hear Suyin say Kuvira's name; that was enough for her. Out of Suyin's line of sight, Yun quickly paced back to Kuvira and nudged the guard, who had resumed her seat and gone back to closing her eyes.
"Guess who personally stopped by just to see you?" Yun said jokingly with a suggestive smirk on her face.
Kuvira's eyes flew open and she shoved her hand into the other guard's thigh with a growling grunt; she didn't need to ask who it was.
Hearing nothing more from Yun, Kuvira silently looked up to see the other guard's infamous crooked smile; a semi-playful warning drawing in her own eyes.
"What?" Yun chuckled. "Oh come on, don't look at me like that." She smiled, hardly containing her amusement. "She even asked for you by name. I mean with the rest of us it's just "You, you, and you."" Yun gestured with her finger pointing in the air. "But with you, it's like "Oh, where is Kuvira, my captain of the guard."" Yun mocked in a helpless damsel in distress voice before she broke out laughing for her own enjoyment as Kuvira growled, slowly standing to see Suyin approaching her; the regal woman easing her way through the hushed guards standing around them. With glazing eyes Kuvira watched Suyin get closer and closer, forgetting how bad she wanted to shove Yun again for her mocking joke, even as the guard's laughter slowly died out of respect for Suyin's presence.
How beautiful was this woman? Kuvira stood for a moment in juvenile wonderment. Just the sight of Suyin always made her heart run a mile. All those clothes hid so much of the older woman's true beauty, and Kuvira triumphed in the thought that only she knew how beautiful Suyin was under them. Well her...and her husband, but Kuvira didn't want to think about that reality.
Lost in her daydream, she barely had time to react as her helmet came flying towards her.
"Here." Suyin said with a smirk as she watched Kuvira fumble with the helmet before gripping it firmly.
The guard looked up with a raised eyebrow, silently asking for Suyin to elaborate.
"I want you to come with me to the Fire Nation. I'm going to meet the Fire lord." Suyin said.
Kuvira shifted her eyes downward. "You might want to pick somebody else for this one."
The guards, who had seemingly gone back to their own conversations, got quieter, trying to pick up as much as they could without being obvious. Saying no to the Boss was not something anyone did. Suyin wasn't outright threatening, but that was just it; that was one of the things that made her so deadly. With all her smiles and good hospitality, she was a force nobody ever expected to see coming.
"Don't make this an order Kuvira." Suyin said, her voice commanding her to go, but her eyes pleading for her to go.
Kuvira sighed as she gave up with a nod and followed Suyin out of the room, feeling multiple eyes of confusion resting on them.
In silence, the pair made their way from the guardhouse through the courtyard. Kuvira, watching as Wei and Wing sparred while Opal sat and read under a tree, thought about the pain her relationship with Suyin would bring, if they ever found out.
"Hey, where are you off to?" An all too familiar deep voice sent chills of jealousy through the guard as she turned with Suyin to see Bataar approaching. He came close, grabbing Suyin into a hug, kissing her lightly in the process.
Averting her eyes, Kuvira listened to Suyin speak.
"I-I'm about to go see the Fire lord." Suyin said as her mouth turned up into an awkward smile. She knew Kuvira had witnessed that display of affection, and didn't need to guess how she was feeling in that moment.
"How long are you going to be gone?" Bataar's voice cut through her thoughts of the guard. "You didn't tell me about this trip."
Suyin pulled back in his arms, giving him a playful displeased look as she crossed her arms over her chest with an eyebrow raised.
Smiling nervously, Bataar took an arm from around her and scratched the top of his head. "You did tell me, didn't you?"
Suyin just nodded with a smile. "About three times yesterday…and then again before we went to bed."
Bataar looked away; his nervous smile turning guilty. "Sorry honey, you know how I get when I-"
"I know." She placed a hand on his chest; his eyes connecting with hers once more. "It should be a day trip, but I'll radio in if I end up staying overnight at the palace."
"Okay…" Bataar took his arms from around Suyin and gently squeezed her shoulders. "Be safe." With a brief glance over to Kuvira -who had completely turned away, facing the airship on the platform behind her- Bataar took his leave. His wife was in good hands, no need for him to worry.
Suyin watched him walk away for a moment, before she briefly looked down then turned her head back to Kuvira. Seeing the guard's eyes set in a passive expression staring out at the sky with her hands clasped behind her back, she decided it was best not to talk about what had just happened. "Let's go." Suyin moved past Kuvira, pressing her fingers into the guard's arm to get her attention.
Kuvira slowly nodded her head. Wrenching apart the fingers behind her back that had begun to turn white at the knuckles, she followed Suyin over to the airship entrance.
"You ready to go?" One of the pilots shouted, sticking his head into view from the cockpit as they boarded the airship.
"Yes." Suyin said, leaving Kuvira's side to walk into the cockpit. "Let me know when we get close…I'm sure the Fire lord would love a heads up." She patted him on the shoulder with a smile and turned around. Stopping a moment, Suyin rested a hand along the cockpit's unenclosed archway entrance. Gazing into the open doorway of the room across from her, she watched Kuvira plop down on the couch inside and close her eyes.
'She must be tired'
Feeling the airship begin to lift from the ground, Suyin snapped out of her brief stupor and walked out of the cockpit.
With the new technology implemented in airships, they had come a long way from their predecessors. Trips were actually more pleasant and enjoyable since stabilization mechanisms had been upgraded. A trip that years ago made her queasy, now flowed with such ease that Suyin couldn't tell they were off the ground. That feeling of not being connected to the earth was one of the worst for an earth bender, but many -including herself- had gotten used to it at the reward of a much faster trip from A to B.
Suyin headed past the lounge type room Kuvira was in to gather the documents she had brought on-board earlier, planning to get through most of them during the hours long trip.
Her feet padded softly across the gray metallic floor, and she smiled rounding the corner into the war room door way. They may have been off the ground…but having metal under her feet was still a comfort. Her smile quickly faded coming face to face with the egregiously tall stack of papers she loathed, sitting in the middle of the table mapped with each nation for tactical use.
Hoisting the stack into her arms almost made them ache, as she slowly brought it out and into the next room, setting the papers on the dark metal table in front of Kuvira, allowing her eyes to gaze for a moment over the guard steadily falling asleep.
Kuvira's head had slowly started to tilt further downward with every second that passed.
Another but softer smile graced Suyin's face as she straightened up and closed the door to their room. She looked back to the sleeping guard; her hand lingering over the handle with the smile on her face fading away.
Sometimes her mind couldn't help but travel back, envisioning Kuvira as the kid she was over a decade ago. She could still see the child in the guard's face; the little girl who regularly escaped the confines of the estate to watch the guards train, or ran into her office wearing an old guards helmet that was sizes too big.
Was their relationship even right? That thought had plagued her mind for months back when everything between them first started. It was what kept Suyin from holding Kuvira's hand, and believing what they had was real.
Having watched Kuvira grow up as a kid made their love affair all the more difficult for Suyin to digest; at least that was the case at first.
They truly had blurred so many lines. And after a while, Suyin had forgotten to care.
Around the second time she had slept with Kuvira, she remembered lying in the guard's bed, shocked by how quickly she had thrown herself into Kuvira's arms without a second thought.
That same night Suyin rolled over and gazed at Kuvira as she slept, convincing herself that the person she was in love with was no child, but a woman.
Kuvira was an adult now, and who she chose to love just happened to be her.
Suyin was familiar with the phrase "love doesn't choose, it finds." And that was all too true for her and Kuvira. Those simple words described their relationship with utter precision, and rationalized most of Suyin's conflicting thoughts. Somehow, this woman had become more to her than just another human life or employee, holding a special place in her heart she couldn't describe.
Moving around the table Suyin sat down next the guard.
Kuvira's eyes opened feeling the presence of a body next to her. "What-" She sat up straight off the couch cushions, still dazed in sleep; not looking so menacing with a frizzy braid and cowlick beginning to stick up around her head.
Suyin turned her head away from the few papers she had taken and put in her lap to look at the guard, holding back a laugh threatening to break her tame smile. "Get some sleep. We won't be there for a while." She said pushing Kuvira back down with her hand on the guard's collarbone.
The hours went by at a much slower pace than the landscape outside the windows, as Suyin tirelessly worked through trade agreements and other documents. She had only gotten up a few times to stretch her legs and take a break. By now, Kuvira was fully asleep and the final time Suyin sat she pulled the guard down from her sitting position, resting Kuvira's head in her lap.
Letting her fingers rake through the guard's hair, she distracted herself from her work as she listened to the soft snores.
"Ma'am, we're here…or getting close." The pilot announced over the loud speaker.
Gently sliding herself out from underneath the guard, Suyin exited the room and moved down to the far end of the airship, meeting the two pilots in the cockpit again with a smile.
"Ok, radio the head guard and tell them I'm here." Suyin said gazing through the large windows to the ground below. Almost the whole Fire Nation city layout was visible from the sky. The roads were winding and twisty, appearing maze-like from so high up. Just looking at it was enough to make Suyin feel overwhelmed.
Unlike newer cities, the Fire Nation infrastructure lacked the linear straight roads native to republic city and Zaofu.
After years of imposing its imperialism on other nations for means of abroad expansion, the Fire Nation itself was left shrinking by the time Izumi took to office. Population was growing fast within the popular urban areas, and space was getting tighter. Facing a growing number of car accidents and crime, the Fire Lord knew it was getting chaotic. After so long she relented, and called for a project of city expansion that would take years to complete. Zuko always advised her- rather strongly- to keep the Fire Nation historical, and she still intended to keep some parts as they were. But the bottom line was that "historical" was getting too small; it was time for modernization and inner expansion.
The head pilot looked up at Suyin from his chair and tipped his head. "Will do."
Coming back into the room only to find Kuvira sleeping face down with an arm draping over the side of the couch, made Suyin want to laugh at how unpredictably child-like Kuvira was when it came to sleep. Mouths hanging open, snoring, etc.…Kuvira was guilty of it all. Yet still this was a moment worthy of being captured in a picture, because even then…it was rare.
'Spirits, she really was tired'
But now came the unfortunate task of waking her up.
Suyin walked over and sat back down resuming her previous position, rolling the armor clad guard over until she could see her face.
"Hey…" Suyin started, using her hand to gently shake Kuvira awake. "We're here."
The guard groaned opening and closing her eyes a few times before fully re-entering reality. She felt a hand stroking her cheek as she looked up to see Suyin's face gazing back at her. Why couldn't she wake up like this every day? Kuvira thought before hearing Suyin speak.
"Welcome back." Suyin smiled and continued. "You should go get cleaned up, we'll be landing soon."
Kuvira reached up putting a hand on Suyin's face; her thumb gently kneading into the matriarch's skin.
Soon after a sigh escaped from the guard as she dropped her hand and sat up with another groan. Rubbing the back of her neck, Kuvira stood and stalked over to the door, disappearing moments later to head to the bathroom.
Suyin sighed too, watching Kuvira leave.
These were some of the moments she cherished the most, and always wished for more. What memories could or would be made between them she didn't know. Their seemingly strong relationship was unpredictable, always adapting to the changing circumstances around them. Suyin had no idea what to expect with the twenty-one year old.
With Bataar she at least had a good idea of what they would become after they met and fell in love. He was a good man, and her expectations of a stable future with a family were sure to come to fruition. But with Kuvira she couldn't say the same; it was just different.
"We're here ma'am."
The loud speaker came to life, jarring Suyin from her thoughts. She stood slow and steady, picking up Kuvira's helmet from the table beside her pile of papers, before heading out to the main area.
Walking out Suyin stopped, seeing the guard emerge from the bathroom looking much more rested than she had before; her frizzy hair fixed, and her eyes clear and alert.
"Ready to go?" She asked, once again tossing Kuvira her helmet. This time the guard caught it with an iron grip.
"Yeah," Kuvira said putting it on.
"I already lowered the door down, so you guys are good to go." The pilot said as they both made their way further into the main area.
Suyin stopped at the top of the airship steps, Kuvira close behind her. "Thanks for getting us here." She said giving the pilot a genuine smile.
"And I'll be here when you get back." He tipped his head to both. "Stay safe."
"Will do." Suyin said before descending the steps.
Taking in the red-based scenery around her, she walked over to the young man in a gray double breasted uniform waiting by a Satomobile.
Even in the Fire Nation where two earth benders stuck out like sore thumbs, she wasn't surprised to see a Satomobile. The car's popularity had very quickly taken the transportation industry by storm.
Spreading from Republic City at a rapid pace, the car and its influence permeated the cultures of each nation. Now the middle class had a vehicle that was so mass produced it was affordable to buy. The Satomobile became one of the few, yet ingenious ways to bring the four major nations together; each universally sharing an amount of love and gratitude for the car. The streets of republic city, the fire nation, and the earth Kingdom were filled with them; Zaofu…not so much.
The polished young man cleared his throat as they approached. "Welcome to the Fire Nation, I'm Wong." He followed his words with a bow as the two women stopped in front of him. He was a nervous looking scrawny man, maybe in his 20's. His well-greased and combed hair, eloquent verbiage, and tediously pressed gray uniform were all signs of the extensive grooming most palace employees underwent.
Hastily running to the backseat door, he opened it with an almost too happy smile.
"Nice to meet you Wong." Suyin said with a polite nod, Kuvira doing the same after her. "Well practiced greeting…does the Fire lord tell you to say that to everybody who arrives?" Suyin added with a smug look.
"Yes, she does."
"Well, that sounds like Izumi for you." Laughing, Suyin got into the back seat along with Kuvira.
As the drive went on, Suyin made small talk with the man, easing his nerves.
"I always told Izumi she should build a landing platform near the Palace grounds. Guess she never got around to it."
"Her grace has been very busy."
"Mhm, busy for three years."
Listening to Suyin in the background, Kuvira had resorted to staring out at the passing buildings with her chin resting on her hand. Time had changed so many things since her childhood. Dirt roads had turned into paved ones, and places where small houses once stood were now replaced by buildings that scraped the surface of the sky. However, the fire nation may have looked different, but it still smelled and felt the same. She hated being here; it brought back too many memories.
Suyin leaned back in the seat and glanced over to Kuvira, doing a double take spotting the spiteful look on the guard's face.
"What is it?" She asked, placing a hand on Kuvira's thigh. The angry look slightly dissipated but wasn't gone.
Kuvira looked over to Suyin. "What is what?"
"Why do you look so angry?"
Kuvira opened her mouth, but closed it as she formulated what to say. The only reason she was here was because Suyin wanted her to be; she would have never come on her own.
The prolonged silence troubled Suyin as she gave Kuvira's thigh a squeeze, gaining the guard's attention once more.
"Sorry." Kuvira looked over to meet Suyin's eyes staring back at her with concern. "Don't worry, it's nothing."
"You wouldn't look like that if it was nothing..." Suyin said as Kuvira turned her head to look straight ahead. "…So-"
"We're here." At the young man's voice Suyin hastily pulled her hand off of Kuvira. It didn't matter where they were; people still knew who she was. To start a scandal, even so far away from home, would've been a bad idea.
Thankful for the interruption, Kuvira closed her eyes. She didn't want to talk about any of it; and saying no to Suyin would've been hard. She only wanted to do her job and get back to the Earth Kingdom as quickly as possible.
The Satomobile came to a stop in the vast palace courtyard, and the man quickly got out, opening the door for Suyin.
"If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the Fire lord." The man said pushing his sliding glasses up at the bridge of his nose as he stood in place with his head tilted down.
None of the palace employees ever made prolonged eye contact with any of the royal family. To do so was a sign of disrespect in their culture, and was ingrained through the Fire Nation constituents from birth. Those lucky enough to work at the palace followed custom procedure ten-fold, and subsequently were held to higher standards than the citizens beyond the palace walls. In the palace they were each representations of their own family name. To disobey custom in place of such high regality was to bring dishonor to that family name. So none did; most were honored to be among the royal family's chosen few.
Suyin turned over her shoulder to watch the guard step off the car and flex her back, rolling her shoulders to stretch out the dormant muscles that were still knotted up from her long nap aboard the airship.
Kuvira's eyes connected with hers, giving her a silent acknowledgement, and an extra push of reassurance. Suyin was already a strong person in her own right, but Kuvira's presence made her feel nearly invincible.
They didn't need to speak to one another to know what the other was thinking. Messages conveyed normally with words, were just as well sent through the eyes. Knowing each other on such an intimate level, not every word or emotion had to be spelled out, and not every gesture had to be dissected to understand the nature of its meaning.
Suyin loved Kuvira's eyes; because unlike her, it was where the guard did most of her talking.
Breaking her gaze away from Kuvira, Suyin set her eyes on an entry way that led to a garden across the courtyard. By her side, she felt Kuvira's warm presence stop. Realizing her aimless staring would only get her lost in thoughts and wonders, Suyin looked back over to the driver who still stood in the same place, silent without a word or a gaze.
Raising an eyebrow out of curiosity, she cleared her throat to get the man's attention.
His head snapped up then down. "O-Oh a-are you ready to go?"
"Yes. We're waiting on you." Suyin smiled. There was no need for him to be nervous, but people tended to be around royalty. And most forgot…she wasn't royalty at all.
"I apologize." The short man turned around and began to walk, leading them through a walkway covered with a traditional red tile roof that was lined in gold around the perimeter of its slightly curved edges and corners. Palace guards were posted along the walkway, lining its sides. At first, the only guards present were at the path's entrance. But the closer they got to the main palace doors towards the end of the far-stretched walkway, the more guards were present.
Coming to the main set of overbearingly large palace doors, the man let out a courageous puff of air as he stopped and stared at one of the heavy doors. "Ok."
Suyin and Kuvira shared an inquisitive gaze, before both stopped, focusing on the scrawny man walking towards the large door.
The Fire Nation guards on duty standing beside the doors did nothing to help him; they didn't even move.
Suyin sympathized with man. He was smaller than Kuvira, and she remembered something from her childhood about the doors weighing over 80 pounds each. She looked over to the guards on both sides with a furrowed brow. "They should be ashamed of themselves."
She knew they were probably smiling and chuckling at the man under their concealing fire nation helmets, joking about how weak he was.
Turning her attention back to Wong, Suyin watched him grip one of the gold plated handles with both of his hands. She guessed his plan was to pull the door back using his legs for power and leverage.
To her surprise, he managed to pull it back…all the way.
But something wasn't right, even his own face looked utterly shocked. Suyin looked back to Kuvira expecting to see some form of astonishment on the guard's face. But a quick look down to one of Kuvira's hands revealed the reason it hadn't fazed her at all. The guard's hand furthest away from her was tilted up semi-discreetly at the wrist; her open palm and fingers set in a straight position were all signs of her metal bending.
Kuvira looked over catching Suyin's gaze, knowing she had been caught. She shrugged and whispered. "I figured he could use a hand." She softly smiled; Suyin doing the same as she looked away and back to the man who stood by the side of the open door, ready to usher them in.
"Please, after you." Wong gestured with a smile, pointing his hand politely into the doorway.
Still as beautiful as Suyin remembered it, the inside of Palace was historically ornate; the large columned halls and rooms decorated in Fire Nation colors. As children she and Lin used to come here and play with Izumi, while Toph talked to Zuko. But now, Izumi had taken the throne of Fire lord after her father, and the Fire nation did nothing but thrive under her reign. She ruled steadfast, but fair. And even through their duties as world leaders, Suyin had always managed to stay in touch with her. They would write letters back and forth like kids passing notes in a class; and in those letters contained some of the most intimate details of their lives. They talked about everything from family to politics.
But today, Suyin had a different secret she wanted to tell; one she would never send in a letter.
Although she loved Kuvira, she never realized how difficult it would be to keep a relationship of such magnitude hidden. Sure, she had succeeded in keeping some of her past relationships secret when she was younger; but it wasn't the same with Kuvira. This un-releasable forbidden love was becoming harder and harder to hide, and as a result, weighed heavy on Suyin's mind. It was time for her to tell somebody, and Izumi was the only one she trusted.
The opening sound of another set of large and lavishly decorated palace doors brought Suyin back from her thoughts, as the man led them into the inner chamber where the Fire lord sat waiting -postured perfectly- on one of the scarlet upholstered couches, with guards placed at every edge of the room.
"Fire lord, t-the guests have arrived." He said bowing as the Fire lord got up from her place and approached them, stepping down with ease from the elevated red carpeted flooring.
"Thank you, you may go." The man left as the Fire lord stopped mid-step to turn around, and with a commanding voice she addressed the other guards in the room, "Actually, you may all go."
"But Fire lord tha-"
Swiftly she raised her hand, halting the protesting commander of her guard who held his helmet firmly in his hand.
"No, don't worry about it…Sara will be here soon anyways."
At that name Kuvira's stomach dropped. All she wanted to do now was leave as fast as possible.
The Fire lord waited for every last guard to leave, watching them close the towering doors rich with fire nation engravings, before turning back around to walk towards Suyin. Halfway to the matriarch she opened her arms and gently enveloped the earth bender in a warm hug.
"How long has it been?" The Fire lord said as she broke the hug, grabbing Suyin by the shoulders.
"Too long." Suyin said, a smile growing wide on her face. It had been couple years since last they met in person. Although time had changed their appearances from their youthful days, they still remembered each other as the trouble makers who used to pull pranks around the palace.
"Suyin, would you like for me to wait outside?" Kuvira asked, sensing the personal nature of the meeting.
Suyin looked back over to Izumi from Kuvira, silently asking for her opinion.
Izumi let Suyin go, and moved back until the two were equally in her view. "I don't mind, you're both guests here...it's up to you." She said shifting her eyes from Suyin to Kuvira then back to Suyin.
Suyin looked over to Kuvira. "No, I want you to stay with me."
That added "with me" didn't go un-noticed by the Fire lord, and she glanced among the two again, trying to read into the connection between them. There was something else that colored Suyin tone as she spoke to her guard…it was a way in which she would never speak to any of her guards; but for now, the Fire Lord let it pass.
"Well there's no use in standing…" Izumi said as she moved back over to the sitting area, motioning for them to follow. "Come and sit."
Following the Fire lord, Suyin sat down while Kuvira took her helmet off and stood directly behind her. Izumi looked up at Kuvira…there was something about that face that she recognized.
"How have you been?" Suyin started, quickly tearing the Fire lord's attention away from Kuvira.
"Good…or decent at least, you've read about most of it in my letters." The Fire lord rubbed the temples of her forehead before she continued, "There are some times I wish I wasn't the Fire lord." She smiled as her eyes drifted back up towards Kuvira. What was it about her that she recognized? It was probably nothing and not worth dwelling on, but she couldn't help but stare for a few moments more. "Your turn, how have you been?" She asked looking down at Suyin. "How's the family?"
"They're good." Suyin paused. "Opal and Huan are going o-"
Suyin was interrupted by the sudden forceful opening of the main doors. She turned her head to watch a tall broadened-shouldered woman walk in with a piece of paper in her hand. Not stopping to bow, or request her presence, she marched in with comfortable ease towards the Fire Lord; her almost knee high black boots stepping up the pristine red carpet to their level.
Indiscriminately drifting up, past the woman's dark pants uniformly tucked into the tops her boots, and secured at her waist via a black belt held together by a gold buckle embossed with the Fire Nation emblem, Suyin's eyes set onto the matching color jacket she wore.
It was no doubt made from fine material.
The black cloth was clean, unscathed from stains of any kind. The single-breasted jacket fastened to three gold clasps off-set to one side of the woman's chest. A gold colored border ran along the front of the jacket's main flap; also embroidering the rim of her slightly parted mandarin style collar.
She was a personification of power.
Her stately but modestly decorated clothes gave her a dignified appearance; a stark contrast to her insubordinate attitude. And it was almost abhorrent to Suyin to see the sleeves of such a fine tailored jacket lazily pushed up to the elbow.
Suyin looked back over to Fire lord who didn't seem the slightest bit fazed by the woman's bad-mannered entrance.
"Sara, what have I told you about barging in here like that?"
"Ah suck it up, it's not like you're having sex in here or anything." The woman's deep voice held a dark yet playful tone as she gave an evil looking grin.
Suyin sat stilled; taken aback by how the Fire lord allowed this woman to talk to her.
"Here, I just got back from the east of side town." The woman spoke, handing the paper to the Fire lord, completely oblivious to the company around her. "What you asked of me has been done. I got them to sign it…it took some persuasion, but they got the message." She said with a sadistic tone filling her voice.
"Good." The Fire lord said simply, placing the paper on the table.
Too lost in their thoughts of moment, nobody noticed the shocked look that had passed over Kuvira's face as her eyes went wide. She turned her head away dropping her gaze down to the floor, avoiding eye contact.
Turning her head, Sara looked around the room before her eyes set on Suyin and the guard above her.
"So who are these people?" She sat down next to Fire lord, placing the long sheathed object from her belt on the table that separated the two parties.
"This is Suyin Beifong and her guard. They came from Zaofu earlier this morning."
"Well my apologies, I didn't know you were having such esteemed guests today." Sara said with a smirk on her face. The woman's red eyes shifted to look at Suyin, instantly making her feel a bout of unease.
Hell had been imprinted in those eyes looking back at her; framed by messy mid-length bangs that fell along the sides of the woman's face, they were set in a permanent glare. There was something dark about this woman and Suyin didn't like it. She had a special blood red color to her eyes that was rare even among fire benders; amber or gold being the more prominent.
Suyin continued to stare back, feeling as though the woman was seeing right through her; trying to unnerve her by making it seem as though she already knew all her deepest secrets. In her brooding eyes Suyin saw only darkness. Hers, were the eyes of death.
Thinking years back, Suyin remembered an old mentor who had once asked her if she'd ever seen evil in someone's eyes, to which she -as a teenager running with the Terra Triad replied, "Maybe."
Looking into this woman's eyes she realized she was dead wrong. Sara's eyes were home to the darkness. Their unnerving obscurity mystified and rattled the matriarch. But Suyin had to admit, her curiosity wondered...what had this woman gone through to gain a pair of eyes like that?
Breaking her gaze away from the mysterious woman, Suyin focused, remembering her reason for coming to see the Fire lord in person.
Although it wasn't her only reason, it was still important.
"A-Actually, I would like to speak with you in private." She said leaning in slightly towards the Fire lord.
Hearing Suyin stutter, all of Kuvira's attention went to her. A woman as sure of herself as Suyin never stuttered; if she did it was for a reason. Every word that ever came from Suyin's mouth more often than not sounded like a command. So something wasn't right.
Slowly Kuvira turned her head to the fire bender sitting beside the Fire Lord. With a furrowing brow she watched Sara smirk and recline into the red upholstered sofa garnished with gold wooden trimmings; the woman staring at Suyin the entire time.
Izumi looked up to Suyin from the paper she had picked up off the table. "Okay." She said, glancing to the woman beside her who paid her no attention. Feeling the awkward thickness of tension begin to seep into the room, Izumi spared a glance up to the guard behind Suyin, seeing her eyes narrow as they stared at Sara.
There was hatred in her eyes, pure hatred.
"Come on." Izumi stood up and broke her eyes from Kuvira, making her way to the double doors before Suyin.
Turning back halfway, The Fire Lord watched Suyin take the long way around the couch and stop in front of the guard, whispering words to her only she could hear. Intrigued by their subtle interactions with one another and a gaze that was more than just an eye-sweeping glance, Izumi's quiet observation turned into a stare, until Kuvira's eyes locked with her own. Shifting her gaze away like a caught eavesdropper, she looked over to Sara again who had also been watching the whole display.
Something really was different about Suyin's relationship with this guard, and awkwardly Izumi felt more like she was peering into the personal business between two lovers.
Suyin left Kuvira's side, letting her hand linger on the guard's shoulder before following Izumi out.
They silently made their way down the hall; the Fire lord walking in front of the matriarch with slowly measured regal steps as she clasped her hands behind her back. Izumi had definitely grown up from the rowdy kid she used to be, and so had Suyin…more or less.
"Are you that personable with all your guards?" Izumi asked as they came into an office.
Suyin didn't immediately answer as she glanced around the office with her back to the Fire lord. There were stacks of papers piled high on the wooden desk she remembered seeing Zuko sit at. Also decorated in fire nation colors of deep reds and golds, the room was a sight to behold in itself. "No just her." She answered, her words running out before she could think.
Realizing the mistake, Suyin's eyes darted around the room as she silently hoped the other woman hadn't picked up the hidden meaning behind them.
Izumi threw another questioning look Suyin's way before closing the door to her office. She moved past Suyin, over to the table where fresh tea had been placed. The servants knew she liked tea hourly, and would always put a fresh batch on the table where she did most of her work. For the Fire Lord, seeing and smelling fresh tea was just one of small comforts that always made her day better, bringing a smile to her face.
Picking up a cup she sat down, taking the first refreshing sip.
"Are you going to sit down?" She said slowly taking another sip as she watched Suyin exhale; her shoulders falling down with her head.
"I don't know if I can." Suyin said before letting out another breath.
'I have to get this out.'
'I can trust her.'
'Just do it.'
After her final thought pushed her, Suyin turned to face the Fire lord. "I have something I want to tell you."