Hey everyone! I am so sorry it took so long to update! For some reason the doc manager wasn't working for me for like 2 weeks. Any who! New Ch time!

Kasai and Li arrived at the docks and were greeted by Zhao.

"Princess… it is my pleasure to take you to the Earth Kingdom." Zhao had a wicked smile on his face. "My crew is at your will." He gestured behind him, there were two armored men behind him, both bowed and said in unison.

"Mhysa." Zhao pivoted.

"She is your princess.." he started but Kasai held up her hand.

"Zhao, it is as if you know nothing at all. It is a respectful name I earned on Ember Island. I name I take to my heart, for as the Princess, I am the daughter of this nation, but when I ascend the throne, I will be the mother… I will be Mhysa." She nodded at the gentlemen as she walked by, Li was at her side when she boarded the ship.

"Princess I wasn't aware I was taxiing you and a guest." Zhao looked at Li.

"Li is heading back with you to the fire nation after you leave me." She told him.

"I wasn't aware I was leaving you…
"I am telling you that you are." Kasai was firm. "I am to assume I have a cabin?" she turned to the Captain.

"Yes Mhysa, this way… It is an honor to have you aboard my ship." The Captain seemed like a nice man.

"Thank you." She nodded, Li followed as Kasai was lead to her cabin, and when they were alone, Li cleared his throat.

"May I speak freely?"

"Of course Li." Kasai smiled.

"I hate Zhao. I'm waiting for the day you Queen and you have him ended." Li was serious.

"I will make sure you are there then." Kasai giggled.

"I also… brought some things that could help you on your journey." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a midsized circular object that was relatively flat. "For in your pack." She opened the clasp and gasped. It had two portraits in it. One side was an older one of just her and her mother. The other side was a portrait of her Uncle and her cousin Lu Ten. "And for your neck." He held up a gold necklace that squared around the neckline, it was her mother's. Kasai owned it now, but she never wore it, she kept it hidden away, so nothing would happen to it.

"Li… I… thank you." She smiled. "How did you know where I hid this?"

"I know everything about you." He shrugged. "I didn't want something to happen to it while you were away, and I couldn't do anything myself."

"Awe… poor servant didn't want to be caught with the Princess' jewelry?" she jested.

"No… not today. I like my hands." He nodded.

That evening she was invited to share a meal with Zhao, but she has Li refuse him. She, instead, joined the Captain and crew in the galley. If she wanted to rule the nation on loyalty and respect, she had better start earning some. When she entered the galley she went unnoticed at first. She looked at the giant pot that looked like stew and helped herself to a bowl. She was finally noticed when she sat down among the men, who all stood at once.

"Princess.." the captain gasped and all the men looked to the ground. "Our humblest apologies. We did not hear you come in."

"It's alright. Sit men, sit. This is your home, not mine. If you don't mind, I helped myself to a bowl."

"No not at all my princess… it is shellfish stew…. I hope it is to your liking." One of the men spoke, Kasai assumed he was the cook. All the men took their places, but she noticed that they were all sitting straighter. Kasai smelled her bowl and put a spoonful in her mouth,

"This is amazing." She smiled. The man who spoke looked honored. "I mean this… relax men. I'm not going to execute anyone for relaxing."

"Princess…" another man started,

"Kasai please." She smiled sweetly, but they all looked unsure and she understood. It was technically treason to not refer to her as her title. "Fine… can we settle on Mhysa?" the men seemed to be okay with that.

"How did you get that name, if I may Mhysa?" a helmeted man asked.

"Well… it is meant as mother… but it is not a common dialect. So technically it isn't a word, but it is used as a slang term in slums. I earned it on Ember Island." She smiled.

"There are slums on Ember Island?" one man asked. At that moment, Li walked into the galley.

"Your highness, I informed Commander Zhao that you will not be dinning with him this evening." He bowed.

"And how did he take that?"

"He was not happy." Li was matter of fact.

"Good… that's how I like him." Kasai turned back to her conversation. "Yes sir, there are slums on Ember Island. That is actually where Li's family was from. His mother was the midwife that delivered Azula. She come a month early, in a market place. His mother helped my mother and in turn she and her son, Li, got to work in the palace."

"Are you telling the Mhysa story?" Li asked, still standing.

"I was hoping you would actually." Kasai looked at him. "After you grab a bowl and a seat and eat."

"Your highness, I shouldn't… "Li started.

"I do believe you are to do as I say." Kasai raised her eyebrow. Usually they would dine into one of their playful, yet technically inappropriate, tit for tats. This situation was different, they were in public. Li bowed his head and conceded gracefully. He got his meal and sat in a space Kasai saved for him next to her. "Good… story?"

"Yes… The Princess was seven or eight and the royal family was at the summer palace. The Princess was a curious type and ventured from the main part of the island, where she was supposed to stay, to the far reaches. Those are were the slums are. She came upon a soldier who had caught poor boy stealing. As I am sure you gentlemen know, that is punishable by anything from a fine, to losing a hand, to being tied up and flogged with a fire whip. This soldier's specialty was the fire whip. Our princess saw the man draw back and the little boy was of course terrified, and stepped between them. She ordered him to stop, and whether the soldier was ignorant of who she was or so absorbed in his powered is not known, but he drew back and stuck the princess for obstructing him." The men gasped.

"Needless to say, the soldier lost his job." Kasai inserted, smiling.

"He lost his life. And the people of Ember Island have never forgotten their princess defended one of their own." Li looked down and finished his food.

"Princess… I didn't expect my invitation to be turned down for… this." Zhao had found her, Kasai pursed her lips slightly.

"Commander Zhao… I pegged you for an intelligent man… it seems my fleeting redemption of you was…" she paused to think of the proper word. "Misguided." Zhao's eyes narrowed but he kept his mouth shut and left the galley.

"Mhysa… no disrespect, but we do still need to live with him." One of the sailors spoke up behind her.