Earth the element of stability and substance. Earthbending was an ancient and proud art that took not only a lot of control, but also a lot of patience. Centered around neutral jing, the earth bender is at their most powerful when they listen and wait closely before striking.
"Grandfather I'm bored." The young girl sighed heavily, unfolded her legs from her seated position and flopped backwards onto the earth behind her.
"My dear, this is earthbending." Across from her sat a man, many years her senior; completely composed and serene. Eventually breathing in and out, his eyes remained closed.
The young girl moaned in protest, "No it's not. We've been here for hours just breathing."
"We've been here for minutes Anila." Though that comment only caused for another objecting groan from the girl.
Anila swiftly sat up, her free flowing blonde locks now slightly entangled from her dramatic display. Her grandfather promised her some real training today, her ninth birthday had come and gone there was so much that she was ready to learn. Her bright green eyes narrowed into a glare before she jumped up and began to alter the earth around them. They were able to reserve the training grounds just for themselves once a week; allowing the soldiers a break from their rigorous regimen and usually Anila got to learn some new moves. The grounds were huge, open and mounted on a large, flat and even piece of earth; an earthbenders dream come true. Just as she sucked in a large breath of air into her lungs in preparation of erupting a large boulder from beneath her she was knocked onto the ground.
Bewildered and frustrated she picked herself up and glared at her grandfather who still sat, unmoving. "What was that for?" Her voice was shrill and angry.
"A lesson in meditation, if you payed closer attention you wouldn't have been knocked over. Know and feel your surroundings, Anila. Always be ready to counter and strike." This time he stood, always a little slower and more carefully than the time before but proud and with his head held high.
Anila's expression slowly changed and she bowed her head, understanding. Even though meditation wasn't the most exciting she wanted to be able to catch people off guard just as her grandfather just had. She wanted to be the best earthbender, just like him. Just as she was about to sit down and resume her training she noticed in the corner of her eye as her grandfather wavered and crumpled to the ground.
"Grandfather!" She gasped and rushed to his side, careful to cradle his head in her hands as the healers had taught her. "Is it your head? Are you alright?" As of late he had been plagued with awful headaches that sometimes lead him to be unable to leave bed for day. "King Haru!" one of the guards passing by was at their side in an instant.
"Go get a healer, Princess." Just as she was about to object she looked down upon his pain-stricken face; she ran as fast as her feet would carry her, propelling the earth under her bare soles to the medical ward of the palace.
Anila watched silently as the three waterbenders did what she could only assume was magic to try and ease some of the pain from her grandfather. They said that there was some strange mass in his head that couldn't be cared for no matter how hard they tried, they said that he didn't have long left. But they didn't know him, they had no idea the strong man that he was and there was no way that he could ever die and surely not by his own mind. He was going to get better, he had to get better.. He was all she had.
"You will be in good hands, my dear." The past year had gone by in a blur and her grandfather's bouts of being bedridden had only grown and this time he hadn't been able to leave for a month now.
"I'm in good hands now," tears brimmed from the corners of her eyes as she gripped onto his hands as tightly as she could. Anila hated seeing him like this but she didn't lose hope that any moment now he would get better. She had been taking her worries and frustrations about his condition out on the sparring fields, and she had grown formidable. She wanted to show him how much she had learned from his teachings, he needed to get better to see her in action but she couldn't do that with him saying such grim things.
"Hou-Ting gave me her word that she would raise you as her own, I know you will be a great ruler of the Earth Nation, your parents would be so proud." His words were pained carried by a shortness of breath. "I am so proud."
"Grandfather please stop talking like this-" Anila was at a loss for words and only a sob followed.
"Princess, I hope you feel up to leaving your room today. The people miss seeing your bright and shining face." A servant kindly spoke as she placed a tray of food down on the table in her room, only to be ignored like all the rest. Everyone was kind to her when her grandfather passed away, and gave her the space she desperately needed to come to terms with her loss. She laid on her futon staring up at the ceiling as she has been doing for what must have been weeks now, she had started to lose track of the days. Her mind wandered to what she imagined her grandfather would say to her if he were still here.
"No matter how things seem to change, never forget who you are."
She was Princess Anila, heir to the throne of Ba Sing Se; ruler of the great city and its people and protector of the Earth Kingdom. Anila jumped from her bed, dressing herself and grabbing a bite of the sweet bun that the servant had so nicely brought her. Weary of feeling sorry for herself and sure now, that her grandfather would be disappointed by her poor display as a princess, she was determined now to learn her role and to take on her destiny. One day she would be Queen.
In the going weeks, things seemed different, however. Anila used to join her grandfather in countless council meetings that she was now barred out of. All of her tutors had been fired and when she tried to look into the reason why she was only told that the Earth Queen didn't see them as fit for the job. But whenever she would try and speak to this new found Earth Queen, Hou-Ting, she was always too busy for her. The only thing that she had access to was the sparring grounds, where you could find her day in and out training.
Anila didn't know exactly what was going on, but there was a shifting within the city that felt like trouble.
Her summons made her nervous, a feeling not easily found within someone who considered herself quite fearless. She was in the only place where she was welcome, the training grounds when one of the Queen's new guardsmen requested a formal presence from her in the throne room.
Formal meant exactly that, she retreated to her chambers and swiftly readied herself in her nicest kimono before being escorted by two armed guardsmen to the grand council room deep within the palace. Anila hadn't seen Hou-Ting since before her grandfather had passed away, and she had quite a lot on her mind that she was dying to talk about.
The large hall-shaped room was brightly lit from the light of mid-day cascading through the large and open windows. None of the faces gathered around the table seemed welcoming and especially not the one of Hou-Ting herself. It seemed as though she had tossed her previous more modest attire and she was now dressed in the finest silks and jade with the crown placed perfectly atop her head. The sight of her almost made the girl ill, she was an acting regent not the rightful heir she had no mind parading herself around in such a way. Though Anila bit back her words and bowed respectfully to her elder, as was customary.
"Lady Anila you seem to be back to your old self now it fills my heart with such joy to see you well." Her kind words sounded forced and fake and hung awkwardly in the air as everyone turned and faced the girl. It seemed as though they had been discussing important affairs, maps and letters were scattered all over the enormous stone table. It had been carved by hand many years ago when Ba Sing Se first became the prosperous hub of the Earth Nation. They would carve the establishing cities and states as they developed through the years; reminding us that we were all cut from the same piece of earth.
"Thank you for that time, but I've been ready to return to my duties and teachings for weeks now-" She was cut off by the boisterous laughter that erupted from Hou-Ting.
"No you haven't you have refused to attend any of your teachings and will only throw rocks in the sparring grounds."
Confusion washed over Anila, what was she saying? She had probably asked everyone who worked in the palace at least twice why all of her teachers had apparently quit. Why, she even asked a few of those seated at the table!
"I haven't refused anything I-" Anila spoke up, trying to get in a retort but it seemed as though Hou-Ting had only just begun.
"I always said it was the fire in your blood that made you like this but the loss of Haru has changed you. You've taken the first opportunity to shrink on your responsibilities as a princess and even refused to eat for days." Hou-Ting's voice raised louder and louder with each word she spat out.
Anila felt attacked and panic was rising in her chest, what was she going on about? "Wait, please I don't understand!"
"If you don't wish to be the princess anymore then fine, as Earth Queen I hereby revoke your claim to the throne-"
"Wait!" She wasn't listening, this was all a big misunderstanding if she could just explain herself it would fix everything. With her shout the stone walls that encased the room came crumbling down, exposing them to the the rest of the assembly hall. Short breaths were rising and falling in her chest and she tried to calm herself as she realized her energy was what caused the sudden change of scenery. Many who were seated had already jumped to their feet, ensuring that the floor above their heads wasn't about to come crumbling down, but it appeared that she had luckily caused no structural damage.
"Monster!" Hou-Ting's voice carried through the rubble and pierced right through the young girl's heart. "Did you see what she did? She tried to kill me with her mind. Seize her!"
The rest of the evening was a blur, or perhaps Anila had chosen to forget being thrown and locked away in her room now.. a prisoner. The only thing she could remember was the word "monster" ringing through her head. They really believe that she doesn't want to be the princess anymore, they've cast her aside.. a monster.