Disclaimer : I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender, only original characters and the story's plot are of my own.
Prologue :
The Jewel of Ba Sing Se
There were countless things that could and were most definitely and undoubtedly being said about Zhen. It was hard not to be the talk of the town when you were the sole heir to your vast family fortune and as apropos to such a title, she of course accordingly took residence in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se along with all the other most elite members of the city, the cream of the crop.
However, because of the overflowing wealth under her family name, it was inevitable and only a matter of time that her scheming, manipulative, sordid, dear old Aunt Ying would claw her way with her perfectly manicured tips into the picture. And in the blink of an eye, she began living off of her orphaned niece since the latter was at the tender age of six.
From an outsider's point of view, it would seem as though Ying taking Zhen under her wing was probably the best fate that could possibly befall the child, especially after the lost of her parents so long ago. And that was exactly what people went around thinking. Ever since Ying became responsible for Zhen's upbringing, landing her the role of the young girl's legal guardian, the most lucrative part she had ever been given in her entire career as a washed up actress, never before did Zhen have nicer, more extravagant clothing on her back and that was the least of it.
Zhen's late parents had always tried to pass on the teachings of living life in moderation, despite their wealth being able to sustain not only of the three of them, but also including Zhen's great-great grandchildren, should she ever extend their family tree one day.
Unlike most of the other socialites, their family didn't come from old money, passed down from generation to generation for the entire, extended family to enjoy, transcending time and immediate relation. Zhen's parents had to work their way up from scratch to build their empire and in doing so; they made a name for themselves, climbed up the social ladder and sealed Zhen's future with a life of financial stability, something they unfortunately weren't privileged enough to grow up with. This was the reasoning behind their frugality, an attribute that better suited those from the Middle Ring or those at the bottom of the social class, who spent their days in the rundown buildings or the desolate streets of the Lower Ring.
Because of this, Zhen was unfamiliar with the lifestyle that Aunt Ying brought unto their household. Gone were the modest clothing she was accustomed to, along with the simple meals and their humble family home. In their place were expensive robes made of the finest imported silk, lavish meals that seemed more like banquets and a private estate complete with a staff of servants and guards always at their beck and call. Zhen's life was never the same again.