Castle of Sand
Chapter 2: Confrontation
It's been a month since the Day of Black Sun and Zukos' death. How ironic that he would die on the day the Fire Nation is at its weakest.
Mai still hasn't spoken to me, and she visits my brothers' grave daily. His body isn't there though, so it's just a stone with his name etched into it. Not to mention that 'disgraced prince' is also chiseled on its surface.
I understand that he should have been punished for his betrayal, but should he have been killed? Was his life not important? He was incredibly skilled and could have been used for great things, that is, if he forsook his plans to aid the avatar. I don't know, maybe his death was best for our country.
At this point I'm feeling much better, although my arm is, of course, still broken. And still there have been no summons from my father. Maybe he's feeling remorseful for his injured daughter and has given me a break?
No. Never. He's got a reason for keeping me out of the loop.
Regardless of his intentions, I refuse to be kept in the dark on this new weapon of his. Ty Lee says it's got something to do with the new airships we've built and war balloon schematics we created after the battle at the northern air temple. The failed invasion force sure was surprised by our beautiful display of ingenuity. So I have no doubt that my father has come up with a more destructive method of warfare that will send villagers and soldiers alike cowering away in fear. It's got to be maniacal.
Making people afraid of him is something he's good at. Except that tactic isn't going to work on me, and that's why I've decided to approach him directly on the matter. I am his loyal daughter after all.
I'm at the palaces' main entrance, and comfortingly, the soldiers won't look at me. They won't address me as I walk in. Good. They know not to unless they have urgent news for me, or a message from father. However, I feel a tinge of apprehension in their composure that extends far beyond their fear of me. Something else is keeping the silent.
That brings me to another suspicious matter: The throne room is empty.
I am inside now but father isn't here. I stand in the giant corridor alone. It's dark, and only two small flames are lit on each side of the throne.
Where is he?
As I stare at the throne I hear a noise behind me. I turn around.
It's Mai, and she's standing with both hands at her sides. Her head is tilted slightly toward the ground and I can't see her face. She is standing perfectly still.
"Mai, I—"
"Where is Firelord Ozai?" She interrupts me and continues to stare at the ground. Her body is shaking.
"I don't know…But Mai you shouldn't be here. How did you even get inside? If he finds out you've—"
"I don't care!" she yells.
I've never seen her display emotion like this before. She is shaken and flustered, angry and forthright. I'm very uneasy in her presence.
"So you don't know where he is?"
I wish I did. But instead I just swallow, not sure what to say. "…no…I don't."
She gives no reply and immediately slips away, slithering into the darkness like a serpent in the shadows of midnight.
"Mai, wait!" I say aloud. But my voice echoes in the chamber and no reply comes.
She's gone, and left no trace behind.
[Time skip]
After I left the chamber I decided to look for Ty Lee, thinking that she might have answers for me. I find myself roaming the gardens. Ty Lee like flowers, after all. Maybe she's here somewhere.
Everything about today is just weird:
Father is gone.
Mai is sneaking around the palace.
Ty Lee isn't waiting on me hand and foot.
Why do the people in my life have to be so irritating? And aside from that what was Mai thinking? If my father catches her in the main chamber she'll be thrown into prison, or even worse. Father has been unpredictable lately, so there's no telling what he might do. Honestly though, she needs to be more careful.
But apart from her being imprudent, I wish I knew how she felt. How she's been dealing with Zukos' death, or what she thinks of me. Zukos' death still haunts me. I stood there and watched him die. Nobody intervened. Not me, not the guards. We all just stood there as the prince was killed.
I haven't thought about until now, but all the guards were gone when I exited the main chamber earlier today. Not a single one remained. How suspicious.
On a different note, the flowers around me smell decent. They don't smell like the disgusting ones mother used to grow, which smelled like dragon moose feces. She even made perfume out of them. Gross.
I wish I didn't always have these thoughts of her. Or Zuzu for that matter. I need to stay focused.
At this point I'm starting to think that telling my servants to leave me alone was a bad idea, because I could really use something to drink and some medicine for pain. My arm is killing me; but nobody is around. Where is everybody? Just like at the palace entrance, there aren't any guards here either.
I leave the gardens and head to the infirmary. Hopefully someone in this godforsaken place can give me some medicine. But as I enter the ward, I quickly realize that it's empty. Nobody is here.
I check the courtyards and barracks, and eventually I scour the entire palace and don't find anyone, not a single guard, servant, or maid that I can give orders to. Not even Ty Lee or Mai.
I've ended up at the main entrance once again, overlooking the city within the volcano. The landscape looks just as empty as the palace. Where has everybody gone?
I've also lost track of time, and day has quickly turned to dusk. The sun is sitting on the horizon, although I can't see it because of the volcanos ridge. It will be dark soon.
As I stand before my kingdom I hear an eerie, soft-spoken voice behind me. The hairs on my arms stand straight up and goosebumps form on my skin.
That's Zukos' voice.