I sat by the beach, soaking up the last rays of sun of the day before night came. I closed my eyes and took in a deep, relaxing breath. I listened to the waves crashing, the seagulls squawking, the voice calling my name. Wait, what? I quickly opened my eyes and stood, wiping the sand off of my skin and clothes. I ran towards the voice which led me through the woods. The voice became closer and louder as I ran deeper into the growth. I could recognize the voice as female, high pitched and delicate. I ran faster, knowing the only person it could be was my nurse maid, Ash. I stopped when I could see her figure walking through the brush; I walked towards her and called her name. She turned to me and rushed her way over to me. She took a moment to catch her breath and then stood up straight, looking me dead in the eyes with a worried but serious expression.
"Your father wishes to see you immediately princess Kin!" Ash exclaimed her speech rushed. I nodded and went with her back to our small but thriving village. I looked around at the people, all tan with dark brown or black hair tied up into ponytails with brown or golden eyes. Most of the men wore dark red, loose, draped pants to the knee with a gold sash tied around the waste and the extra fabric falling over and down the front. They also wore tan shin, wrist, and collar braces with red trim, each person having different gold trinkets here and there. The women wore very similar clothes except with skirts instead of pants and red tops exposing their stomachs. When they would see me passing them, they would bow to show their respect, as was the custom.
I made my way to the palace, my home. I took a fast pace as I followed the familiar hallways to my father's office. The halls and rooms were decorated in reds and gold with tribal patterns and artwork. I quickened my pace as the nervous feeling inside my stomach increased. What could he possibly want? As I pondered the reason he would request my pretense, I found myself face to face with the wooden door carved with the sun gods image surrounded by dragons. I took in a deep breath to release the anxiety, it didn't work. I raised my hand to knock on the door but it flew open before my fist could make contact with the wood.
My father, the chief of the sun warrior tribe, was standing in the doorway, looking down at me with a look of anger. I bowed to him and showed my respect and he moved over to let me in. I noticed he was wearing his formal attire consisting of red and gold robes that showed his tan chest, a gold collar piece that covered his shoulders and his gold jewelry. His red and gold headdress was sitting on his desk, the crime colored feathers spilling over the top. He sat in his usual chair behind the desk while I sat myself across from him in one of the guest chairs. His face was serious and his motions were stiff, it was unnerving. I cleared my throat.
"You wished to see me Sir?" I asked with hopes it would start off this conversation. He sighed and stroked the chin beard he had tied in a golden band. I awaited his reply patiently. He said nothing. His eyes never left the wooden surface of his desk. "How did the meeting with the council of elders go?" I asked, trying again. His mouth opened his mouth and closed it quickly as if deciding on what to say, he did this a few times before finally looking up at me with a look of determination. Once his eyes met mine though, they softened.
"It went well, I suppose, but there was one issue we had very much trouble deciding on." He informed me. I nodded and kept wet, waiting for him to continue his story. "The matter of your sixteenth birthday came about and seeing as you are the first born and the heir to the chiefdom, the elders feel uncomfortable with you assuming the throne without first accepting a male suitor, as is tradition of the female heirs." I looked at him as he finished his story; his eyes had drifted back to his desk while his thumbs started battle against each other. I nodded my head as the news slowly sunk in. My entire body stiffened as I recognizedhis words, I could faintly remember the law stating that a female heir has to be married to accept the throne by her sixteenth birthday. My sixteenth birthday is the day after tomorrow. "The council has chosen Tsuba as your suitor, the wedding ceremony will be held tomorrow and the banquet will follow in the morning before the passage of power ceremony. Following this will be the festival and celebration."
My heart sank into my stomach and did acrobatics. I felt like vomiting but held it in as my mine reeled. Tsuba, that was the head male warrior, I being the head female warrior. We had crossed paths a few times. Tsuba is an arrogant, chovanistic, narsasastic prick. He was the youngest tribe member to become a head warrior at thirteen years old and he's wracked up many impressive achievements since. I hated him with every fiber of my being. My father viewed him as the son he wished he had instead of me or my little sister. Tsuba has a bad reputation as a play boy though, he loves this title more than any of his others. I can not marry him, I would rather throw myself into a pack of starving saberwolves. I stood up abruptly, my head going light.I gave my father a look of desperation as he looked at me.
"Please! Anyone but him!" I pleaded with him. He stood his ground and held a firm, stubborn gaze into my eyes.
"Return to your room and prepare with your nursemaid for tomorrow," he said in a strong, dominant voice.I knew there was no changing things. My body deflated visibly, I slumped back to my room, sulking the whole way there. I walked into my room and shut the door behind me softly. I leaned my back against it and slowly slid down the wooden board. I sobbed quietly into my hands with my legs tucked underneath me and my shoulders hunched over.
I cried into my palms for what seemed like eternity. The moon was high in the sky from what I could see through my window meaning it was close to midnight. I felt a surge of anger go through my entire body. How could he do this to me? He knew how much I disliked Tsuba, why didn't he try harder with the council? I got to my feet and rom aged my room for something, anything to distract myself from the anger building quickly inside me. I found nothing suitable for the situation, which only made me angrier. I started to scream out of frustration and desperation. I grabbed random things from the drawer I was currently scavaging through and threw them in different directions to vent my anger. I heard a loud crack and looked to my left.
The light from my window was illuminating a tall, full length mirror framed with elegant gold mirror it encased had a spiderweb crack comming from the top left corner. I walked over to the mirror, it was still intact, just cracked. When I reached the mirror, I looked down at my feet at the cause of the damage. An heirloom comb payed by my feet, I bent down and picked it up to examine it. The teeth were a white, crime color and long. The base of the comb had pink and red flowers delicately sculpted into it with incredible detail. Pearls and jewels were embedded in with the flowers. A short silver chain hung frok the left corner of the base, at the end of the chain is a larger golden flower with pink and red accents. I held the comb closely to my chest, thanking Agni that it hadn't been hurt. This comb had belonged to my mother before she passed away. I looked up at the mirror to see my reflection.
A girl around sixteen in age stares back at me. She has blond golden hair to her shoulders with side swept bangs that end just after her eyebrows. Her crystal blue eyes were blood shot from so much crying. She has tan skin from being in the sun so much. My eyes trailed to the rest of my body, slender and fit was the build. My body was clad in a light red cloth tied around my bust and a full skirt that ended half way down my calves. I had on a dark red robe over this, it is loose and ended a foot before the skirts end. The sleeves were also very loose and ended halfway down my forearm. The front of the robe was open and exposed most of my stomach and hung loosely off my shoulders. A golden sash tied the robe onto my body at my hips where my skirt started, the extra cloth hung over a little to the side. Around my ankles and wrists are short golden graces, same as around my neck. On my feet are light red flats. Around my head is a thin golden headband that went around my head an across my from the headband is a golden chain on my left side ending where my hair ends with red and golden feathers traveling all the way down it. On my face is the traditional tribal red paint in a line across my check bones and nose, and my lips with a line going down my chin. As well as black paint around my eyes fading outwards.
There was a soft knock at the door, breaking me from my thoughts. I turned in the direction of the door and called for there person to come in. It was Ash. She silently made her way to me. She was carrying a bag in her arms as she began to walk around my room, gathering things and placing them into the bag. "do you remember what you said to me on your fifth birthday, how you wanted to get out of this place, to see the world?" she questioned. I knodded, vaguely remembering the conversation. I smiled at how young and naive I had been, it would be nice though. Ash finished what she was doing and she walked over to me. I gave her a confused look to ask why she had brought it up. "do you still wish this?"
I looked to my feet as I thought for a moment. I looked up into her eyes, she was staring at me earnestly. I nodded and she smile. "But it's impossible, plus I'm getting married tomorrow," I stated to her as I looked back to my feet as she shifted awkwardly. She grabbed my wrist and led me out of my room and down the hall. "Where are we going?" I whispered my question to her. She put her finger to her lips to moton for my silence. I nodded to her showing that I understood. She continued to led my through the palace and down to the bottom floor. She led me to a secluded hallway I had never been in before. She moved a rug over with her foot to reveal a hidden door. She pulled it open silently, leaping into the darkness. I looked around and took in a deep breath. Was she helping me escape? I jumped in after her.
It was a dirt tunnel filled with darkness, Ash took a torch off the wall that I couldn't even see. She lit it and my eyes burned from the sudden light. I followed her down the long pathway, it went on forever. She finally spoke to me after about twenty minutes after we entered the tunnel. "I've been helping people escape from this place for years, I feel as if its your time to leave. This isn't the place for you, I can feel you were ment for greater things than this," she said to me in hushed tones. I couldn't see her face because she was in front of me but from her voice I imagined it to be full of sadness.
"So you are helping me escape!" I announced rather loudly, happy someone cared enough to help me this much, to risk everything for me. She turned around sharply and shushed me. I nodded and she kept walking. "Thank you for helping me but why are you doing this? You could be killed as punishment, you know this right?" I asked her quietly.
"Of course I know this, I know what they will do to me if they find out. I also know what you were ment to do, who you were ment to be. You have a long, hard road ahead of you filled with heart ache and much conflict. But there will be so much love and kindness waiting for you. Kin you have to promise me that no matter what you won't give up on your people, they are in a bad place right now and they need your guidance and help to show them how to get back on the right path," she stopped and we were in a large cave filled up with water. I looked over and saw a metal boat at the end of a dock. She turned to me and she was crying. "Your future is so amazing and wonderfull, you have to promise me," she said, handing me the bag. I slung it over my shoulder.
"I'm so confused, what do you mean my people, my people are here, they are just fine." She pushed me forward towards the boat.
"Not the Sun Warriors, the Fire Nation. They need you, they have done some horrible things and the world is broken and divided. They need your help," she pushed me onto the boat. I ran to the railing and called to her.
"What am I supposed to do, where do I go? I don't know how to do this on my own!" I shouted to her. She smiled to me and tossed me a pai shou tile with a white loutis on it. I rubbed it with my thumb and I examined it intently.
"You won't be alone!" she called back as the engine started to roar and the boat jerked forwards. "Good bye Kin and good luck!"
"Good bye Ash!" I let a tear roll down my face as I waved goodbye to my best friend. I turned around and walked to the front where what seemed to be the captain was standing. I walked up next to him. Before I could say anything, he spoke.
"Good to have you on board princess Kin," he stated without looking at me. I looked in the direction he was looking and saw nothing but a bright blue ocean, the sun was just now starting to rise. The oranbe and red fought for dominance in the morning sky. I looked back to him.
"Where are we going?" I asked, slightly afraid to hear the answer. He smiled and looked at me for the first time.
"Kyoshi Island, we are going to the Earth Kingdom."