My mother and I walked into the palace garden to meet with the QueenUrsa . I loved coming here with mother, it was so peaceful. "My lady." My mother said bowing deeply to Ursa. I followed suit but had to hold in my giggles as my best friend came stumbling towards us. "Axandria my oldest friend there is no need to be so formal here." The Queen said softly. I never understood how such a sweet lady could be married to the Fire Lord. "Mother would you mind if Kail and I went and played?" Zuko asked looking up at his mother. "Why don't you ask her mother if she can play Zuko." He turned to my mother and gave a small bow. "Lady Axandria, would you mind if Kail and I went and played?" My mother smiled warmly then flashed a playful grin at Zuko's mother. "I don't know Prince Zuko… Will you two stay where we can see you?" "Yes ma'am." "Will you protect my daughter, how do I know she'll be safe with you?" Zuko shifted his weight nervously. "Lady Axandria, I would never let anything bad happen to Kail, she's my best friend. I'll protect her no matter what happens, I swear it to you." He said bowing again, this time more deeply. My mother gave him a loving smile. "Go on you two go play." She said. "But be careful and stay where we can see you." Zuko's mother added. I had started to walk away when our mother's conversation caught my attention. "They would be a smart match." Zuko's mother said. "They would be, but we will have to wait until they're older to be certain… but I think she loves him already…" my mother said will a big smile. "She calms him like no one else can and he loves seeing her, he's always asking when the next time the two of you will visit will be…" Zuko's mother said returning my mother's smile. I was going to stay longer, but I heard Zuko's footsteps coming towards me and I didn't want him to catch me spying. I had just rounded the corner when I ran straight into him. "There you are slowpoke." He said grabbing my hand and dragging me after him. "Kail look what Uncle taught me." He said starting to fire bend. I smiled and clapped as he showed me what he learned during his last lesson. My father was teaching me how to control my fire bending, but Zuko always taught me whatever he learned at his last lesson. "Ok are you ready to try it?" he asked excitedly. I studied him for a moment and smile. He wore his royal Fire Nation clothes and his hair was cut short. His golden amber eyes held my attention the longest. "What? Did I do something wrong?" he asked concern filing his eyes. "No… I'm just happy." "Why?" "Because you're my best friend." I said hugging him and kissing his cheek. He turned away but I could still see him blushing. He kicked at the grass nervously for a moment before he looked back at me. "I meant it you know." He said quietly. "What?" I asked confused. "I meant it when I told your mother that I would always protect you…" he confessed
I awoke as the sun began to rise. I sighed sadly missing my best friend. That was the last time I saw him. That night muggers came to our home killed my parents and kidnapped me. They then sold me a women named Gwen, or as she likes to be called Queen Gwen, or Mistress Gwen. She's a vile woman to say the least. She takes in orphaned or kidnapped children and puts them to work cooking and cleaning when they're young, and then when they are older she puts them to work for her. She runs a tea shop outside of Ba Sing Sai. I've been with Mistress for a little over 10 years. I find myself thinking of Zuko often, for no reason at all except that we had happy memories together. He truly was my best friend. When I was first kidnapped and brought to Mistress Gwen I swore up and down that he would come save me. She would just laugh and then smack me for speaking without being spoken to. Gwen is very abusive; Sia and I had to learn that the hard way. Sia was brought to here a few days after I was. We became fast friends. She's 17, a year older than me, and she was kidnapped from an Earth village. We try our best to protect the young ones that come here, but it's hard, Mistress Gwen takes her rage out on anyone who is near her.
Quiet whimpers tore me away from my thoughts. I looked around and found the new girl Zinny whimpering for her parents. She was only 5 and had to watch her parents being burned alive. She escaped her captures, but a few days later Gwen found her. "Zin you're ok. Just wake up Zinny." I said moving towards her shaking her softly. "Momma.." she almost screamed. I pulled her against me protectively and kept trying to shake her awake. "Please wake up Zinny." She opened her eyes and stared up at me. "Kail?" she asked softly on the verge of tears. "You're ok." I said cradling her against me. "I miss my parents." She whimpered as silent sobs shook her body. "I know little one. I know. I'm here." I said rubbing circles on her back. I looked across the room and saw Sia start to move. Her green eyes met mine and we shared a sad smile. She stood up and went to wake up Luna and Piper. There were only 5 of us now, which made it a little easier for Sia and I to look after them, but sadness filled me when I thought of the other 5 children that use to be here. I shuddered at the thought of dying at Gwen's hand. Quietly we all got ready for the day. The sun painted the sky lovely fiery colors as it rose. I missed fire bending, but I couldn't do it here, neither could Sia, she was an Earth bender. We knew it was to dangerous. The kids started their morning chores as Sia and I left to open the tea shop. Gwen never woke up before 10, so Sia and I basically ran her shop. I started making tea while Sia opened the shop. Queen Gwen's Tea Shop was located right on one of the busier streets of Ba Sing Sai. We had our first few regulars served when an old man walked in followed by a boy about my age. The old man had kind eyes and he was somewhat familiar. The boy was tall and had gorgeous ivory skin. Soft black hair fell into his eyes and covered part of an ugly scar on the side of his face. But it was his eyes that made me stop in my tracks. His golden amber eyes caught mine and shock filled both of us. My heart rate picked up and I found it hard to catch my breath. It was him, he was here. He kept his promise. Zuko had come to rescue me.
