The House of Varuna, Fire Nation
The great scarlet sails with blooming roses emerged from the horizon and Princess Akahana rose with a smile that spread all across her body like the first rays of warm sunshine. Relief settled into her heart, as she was now certain that her father, the Grand Prince, was now home and safe.
"Princess Akahana, the sentries have alerted us that the Grand Prince has returned. He shall be at the gates in a matter of time," the First Maid of her household smiled.
Akahana turned quickly towards the young children, her half-siblings, with joy and motioned them to follow her to meet their father. In the mass exodus from the gardens to the front gates, the children dressed in bright pastels of silk flitted about excitedly as they raced towards the entrance. Colorful ribbons fluttered in the breeze and Akahana lost track of the little ones who had ran far ahead.
Lamara pumped her arms as her sandaled feet slapped sharply across the polished marble floor. She was determined to greet her father first and be welcomed in his embrace. Her pale little face huffed out quick breaths when she heard the great thud of the front gates being opened.
"Welcome home, your highness. The Grand Prince has arrived!"
All the children ran faster across the various vast halls, weaving in and out of the maze-like palace. Lamara was near the lead when she heard her beloved father's voice.
"Lamara? Lamara!" his voice rang strong and clearly as the great bells, which hung in the bell tower.
"Father!" she shouted as she slid across the floor and sprang on to his wide outstretched arms, her soft face crushing into his smooth, hard armor.
"My darling girl, have you missed your Papa? Have you, dear Lara?" he chuckled as he brushed back her scarlet colored curls and then he turned to the others with his free hand, "My children! Have you all missed your dear father?"
The children all rushed to his side to embrace him and shower him with their garlands. Lord Ken, Grand Prince of Varuna, had just returned from the imperial courts following a three-month campaign, therefore he had not met his family for nearly half a year. His newest bride, the kind Lady Liha elegantly bowed to welcome him back as Princess Akahana serenely walked in with a smile.
"Welcome home Father. We are so immensely glad that you have returned to Varuna," Akahana beamed as she respectfully lowered her head.
"I'm so proud to see that you have taken care of everything so well while I was gone Akahana. I am pleased to be back," he spoke warmly to his eldest child.
The Grand Princess, Lady Liha ushered the family into the parlor as she revealed a party that was to be held celebrating Lord Ken's arrival. As it was a joint celebration of both the Grand Prince's homecoming as well as the new moon, Lady Liha had arranged a stargazing event, which allowed even the younger children to join.
Lamara sent excited looks to Arata and Akana as they busily prepared for their first petit ball and stargazing event. The three princesses chattered incessantly as their nanny, Amina busily coiled and braided their long red strands.
Akahana smiled dreamily as her maid fixed her hair with jewels for she was secretly expecting to meet the handsome new courtier she had met a few times in their gardens. Though it was forbidden to even consider the possibilities with the courtier without any acknowledgment from her father, Akahana was determined to ask one of the seers to secretly look if their destinies were ever to intertwine.
Lamara fluttered about the wide stargazing patio, spinning about so that her ruby colored silk ribbons, which were held by emerald pins, and her ruby silk gown fanned around her. She tightly grasped the hands of Akana in one hand while in the other she held her Father's gift, a golden telescope engraved with celestial maidens. The girls with abruptly stop from their escapades to press their faces against the small glass to gaze up in wonder at the sky while the lovely court ladies surrounding them fluttered their fans and glanced up at the glittering sky to merely compare them with their jewels.
The Grand Prince had called for the attendance of famous stargazers to join the party and gaze up at the twinkling stars to guess the fortunes of the guests in attendance. Akahana, garbed entirely in dark wintergreen silk, was by one of these seers and having her fortunes read.
"I am sorry Princess Akahana, I do not see him in your future. A more pressing matter cuts any unions of romance however because of dark cloud…" the seer shook his head in confusion.
"What sort of cloud are you talking of?" Akahana pressed on the subject when she heard her father's voice rise in abrupt shock.
"What is the matter Seer? What have you seen in the stars?" Father's clear voice boomed creating a sudden stillness in the happy night.
"Lord Ken, please forgive me! Forgive me!" the old grand Seer fell to his knees as he shook violently, his long white beard coiling on the marble floor.
"Whatever is the matter? What is it that you saw?" the Grand Prince asked again as he brought the Seer to his feet.
"I saw the destruction of the civilizations," the Seer whispered fearfully, his eyes appearing wild.
"What?" Lord Ken, as well as the rest of the startled guests, did not comprehend the old man's words.
"You must kill Princess Lamara or the end for all of us shall come…" he breathed in a gasp as he turned his dark eyes to little Lamara.
Lamara dropped her sister's hand and her telescope fell from her grasp as her other hand dropped as well. She watched the golden cylinder roll across the marble floor and rest next to the feet of the man who called for her death. She slowly looked up into the old man's terrified expression, which was stuck on his deeply lined face. The Seer stared into the jade green eyes of the little princess and Lamara saw the haunting fear that lurked in the dark shadows of his bottomless eyes.
"How dare you speak such folly old man? Do not listen to him Father! How on earth could our dear Lara bring about the destruction of man? Come Lara, we shall leave this ridiculousness," Akahana violently shouted as she gathered the still little princess in her arms and hoisted her up in a firm embrace as she hissed, "Leave this court old man before I hunt you myself! You have surely heard of my archery skills…I never miss my target."
"Akahana, take your younger sisters to bed. I shall deal with this matter," the Grand Prince spoke softly, monotonously.
Lord Ken had no need to repeat himself for Akahana grabbed the arms of Akana and Arata as she carried Lamara out of the star filled night. She pushed the other two into the arms of their nannies as she personally carried Lamara to her bedchambers where Amina, Lamara's nanny, waited worriedly. Without any words, Akahana swiftly unpinned the ribbons and jewels out of the immobile Lamara and dressed her in her blush colored nightgown.
"Do not look so frightened Lara, do not take any of that to heart, do you hear me Lara? Those ridiculous mystics…they'll say about anything to bring about confusion…" Akahana spoke firmly as tears welled in her confused eyes.
"Akahana," Lamara suddenly spoke as she looked sorrowfully into her eldest sister's face, "Father won't kill me will he?"
"I told you to forget his foolishness! Of course not! Now go to sleep Lara…I'll be here…don't worry, you trust me don't you?" Akahana's voice quavered with tinges of fear and a tear slid down her porcelain cheek.
Lamara slowly sank her head into the pale silk sheets as she focused her eyes upon the dark ruby colored waves of her eldest sister's soft hair. Unwittingly, she firmly grasped the soft cold hands of Akahana as she shut her eyes trying to lull herself to sleep though both knew that neither would sleep that night.
The Seer and the Grand Prince were in the west library apart from the guests. The Seer nervous before was adamant with his visions now in the privacy and insisted his visions to the Grand Prince.
""Lord Ken, if Lamara lives then the destruction of the world is imminent," the Seer spoke pressingly.
"Then the world shall burn," the Grand Prince spoke steadfastly.
"My Lord!" the Seer cried in disbelief.
"I cannot kill Lamara. I cannot kill my daughter!" the Grand Prince shouted angrily.
"My Lord…you must. She shall destroy us all…" the Seer repeated statically.
"Her mother was my only love…the one I could never have. Lamara is all I have of her and I intend to keep her," the prince held back his tears as spoke firmly yet with wavering hands.
"My Lord, there is no hope any way. If the Sages figure her destiny then the Fire Lord shall kill her himself," the old man whispered.
"What can I do then? What can I do to save my child?" the prince nearly pleaded to the mystic.
"Perhaps you can betroth her to a faraway prince…" the Seer finally suggested, "yet I cannot guarantee that it shall completely get rid of the risk."
"I must part with her?" Lord Ken's voice was strained.
"To save her," the Seer spoke.
"So be it then," the Grand Prince wringed his hands as he made his decision.
The Grand Prince made his way to the bedchamber of his most beloved child and shed tears as he watched her sleeping figure. Akahana rose quickly upon notice of his arrival and held a single slender finger against her rose colored lips as she came off the bed and under the silk curtains. The Grand Prince softly motioned to his eldest and without any expression told her of his decision.
"You are listening to that crazy mystic? Lara…she is but a child! You know Father how they call that palace the Forbidden City! Unspeakable acts happen behind those gilded gates and we may never see her again!" Akahana's eyes spread wide in disbelief, "How could you send her away like this? How can you believe that stupid seer! He could very well be lying to us…to destroy our happy family!" she spoke shrilly.
"Akahana, it has been decided. This is the only way Lara may survive. This is the only safety I can ensure her…if I don't send her to the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Lord may ask for her head," the prince's voice was strained.
"What destruction could a child bring? How could a woman bring destruction? You know better than us Father, we girls have no powers of that sort," she remained vehement.
"Father! Why must I leave?" Lamara spoke suddenly as she pushed back the silk curtain to their surprise.
"You shall be a princess, my dear," his voice cracked as he tried to smile at me while lifting her into his arms.
"I don't want to!" the girl insisted and looked at her elder sister with large pleading eyes, "Akahana, I don't have to, right?"
"Father…please! Lara…you will suffer the most without her, you know that!" Akahana begged.
"It has been arranged. I never go back on my promises and I have taught you two to do the same," he spoke resolutely.
"Have you forgotten your other promise then? Have you forgotten how you would never let any memory of Lamara's mother go? Have you forgotten that promise Father?" Akahana persisted.
"I am sending Lara away so that she may survive…I cannot keep her if she is dead. Can I Akahana?" Tears slid down Lord Ken's smooth face and Lamara wiped it away for him.
"I will go Father, I will go. Please do not cry," Lamara smiled.
The little princess was immediately set on a ship laden with treasures of Varuna to present to the Earth King as her dowry. Lamara was to marry his young son, the Crown Prince Haru, in exchange for her father's vast material wealth, which they needed to support their opulent court life. Tears fell silently across everyone's faces as Lamara stood statically on the end of the ship.
"My dear Lara, you must fend for yourself I am afraid. The Earth King's court is notorious for their rigidity and peril. Watch you step and be careful my darling," Lord Ken softly spoke as he brushed back her curls for what was to be the last time.
"Lara, forgive me. I promise that one day you shall come back home and I'll be waiting for you…my dear sweet sister," Akahana spoke shakily as she tearfully embraced her sister.
Without another word, Lamara set sail to the mysterious and opulent Earth Kingdom. She did not know what she was about to face but her innocence protected her from the fears. She ignorantly embraced her given solitude and awaited eagerly for her long journey to end so that she may give some relief to her father and sister.
"Why did you send her to the Earth Kingdom? Why not Water or Air?" Akahana ruefully asked as she saw her sister's ship disappear into the horizon.
"Because I needed her to be sequestered away forever."
"So you purposefully chose the one palace where she would be put away to rot forever without anyone knowing?" she asked flabbergasted.
"The silk curtains that divide men and women shall save her…and save the rest of us as well."