Suki had just finished the letter when there came a soft rapping against her door. She froze, her ears pricking to listen to the taps. A fan against the wood tattooed a sharp pattern and then ceased. By the time Suki made it to her door, she could only hear the soft swish of linen pants as the person walked swiftly away.
The Earth Kingdom princess had assumed - either in a fit of ignorance or manipulation - that the Kyoshi Warriors had been an honor guard for her daughter. They had been required to stay on at the palace, even as the princess and her daughter left to return to their city kingdom. Suki had only brought a small number of women with her, enough to help set up the training school and get Ty Lee settled. Not one of them had expected to linger here for any real length of time.
After a whole month, Suki and the other warriors were now too anxious to leave.
Whispers spiked through the palace, and the mutterings in the city were more incendiary. Before, there had been a noticeable presence of Earth Kingdom stock around as the colonists were repatriated. Now, that presence took on a more imperial stamp, disquieting the most forgiving city dweller.
The Fire Nation natives spoke of a more sinister colonizing force; where they had done it with honest warfare, the Earth Kingdom was using heinous politics. The air had turned sour, and residents born within the Earth Kingdom borders made sure to stay indoors at night.
Worst of them all, the Fire Nation citizens remarked, was the bootlicking, traitorous Fire Lord himself.
Someone had long since whispered to Suki how Zuko had previously feared assassination and would wander the halls at all hours, unable to sleep. Now, Zuko rarely ventured out into his gardens and never went into the city, but seemed unbothered by the hostility boiling outside of the wall.
His nights had not become any more peaceful, however.
Bells had been hung all over the palace, an over-enthusiastic gift from the princess's daughter. They clinked nigh constantly, but Zuko never seemed troubled by them during the day. When questioned about them, he remarked that it reminded him of his bride-to-be, who wore jangling threads on her wrists and ankles.
At night, the sounds of them must have threaded tendrils of disharmony in his head. Zuko often woke up at a late hour, screaming. It was mostly inarticulate, yet some of the other warriors had heard him call repeatedly for Katara. He would thrash at any who came close as if he were blind and could not differentiate friend from foe.
A servant would be called, jingling with some small piece of the princess's favor, and quiet the Fire Lord. In the morning, Zuko would have no recollection of the previous night.
This tapping that had come announced that Zuko had once again awoken. Suki opened the door to the darkened hall and hurried out, making sure to lock the door behind her. She knew that whoever had been rifling through her things probably had a key, but it would hopefully make them warier. Nothing had been amiss for the past week, but that could be only due to the snoop being more careful.
Suki padded quietly but with purpose down the hall, moving at the edge of a sprint. When she turned a corner, she could hear the screaming. Two other women suddenly flanked her and Suki examined them closely in the dim torchlight. Since their uniform could be so easily copied, they had begun doing simple, temporary changes to it. These two wore their makeup altered slightly, and Suki knew they were hers.
"Has anyone come?" Suki asked.
"No. We are keeping them away." The warrior on her right said. Suki nodded and they made their way to the screaming.
Two other warriors were already there, keeping Zuko in his room with their fans. His eyes rolled wildly in his head, and his hair was sticking to his sweat-slicked face.
"I need Katara!" He yelled. Suki frowned, watching her warriors circle Zuko as if he were a rabid animal.
She had sent three letters in the past two weeks but had gotten no reply. This next one would have to go out a different way.
"Zuko, if you need a healer, we can call for one," Suki said as she approached. Zuko whirled on her, staring at her but not seeing her.
"I need Katara!" He repeated and started to cry. She was able to get closer to him and gathered him in her arms.
"You need to tell me what's wrong. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong." Suki murmured as Zuko made croaking noises. At this point, his throat was shredded from his nights of screaming.
"It's in my head," Zuko whined.
"What is?"
"Him."
There was a clattering outside of the door, and Suki knew she had run out time.
"Who Zuko? Who?" She questioned urgently.
"The Traitor." Zuko managed as the warriors were pushed aside. A servant, jingling like a pampered house cat, shoved Suki away.
"Hush, sire. It's fine." He whispered and Zuko started to quiet. The man jingled and clinked as he ushered the subdued Fire Lord back to his bed. As Zuko clambered in, the man turned and glared at Suki.
"The Fire Lord is fine. You can leave now, guard." He stated sharply. Suki glared back as the other women gathered around her.
"Good night Zuko," Suki said, addressing him directly. But Zuko didn't reply, only whimpered as the servant pulled the blanket up under his chin. Suki sighed and walked out, trailing the other warriors. As she made her way back to her room, the women peeled off one by one and disappeared to their posts.
Suki had a letter to send.
She was at Iroh's rooms by dawn. Wanting to be discreet, Suki had chosen to wear plain clothes, looking much like another servant wandering down the halls. She had learned most of the routines in the palace and could avoid the people she found unreliable.
Iroh was not surprised to see her when he opened the door.
"I assume this is about my nephew?" He asked, weary, after closing the door behind her.
"When are you going to Ba Sing Se?" Suki asked instead.
"I was not planning on going at all." He answered. Suki turned and looked almost angrily at him.
"Let me rephrase that." She said and pulled her letter out of her pocket. "I need you to go to Ba Sing Se."