Part 1: Abandoned
Chapter 2: Kuvira Meets Her "Family"
When she was four, the little girl, who was named Kuvira by the midwife, was sent back to Kano.
Kano, by this point had remarried. Kuvira's stepmother's name was Aza and Kano and Aza had a little boy named Kano Jr.
Little did Kuvira know that even if Aza adopted her, she was to get nothing out of the family inheritance.
She meant nothing to the family, or to her father, for that matter.
"What are you doing here, girl?" Kano snarled.
"You're my Daddy," the four year old replied.
"Fine, get in, and stay away from my son," Kano snapped.
"I have a little brother?" Kuvira moved quickly, eager to see the small toddler.
"He is not your brother," Kano snapped. "You are not a member of this family."
Kuvira cocked her head in confusion. "Daddy?" She asked.
Enraged, Kano raised his hand and brought down as hard as he could against the side of Kuvira's tiny face.
Kuvira staggered and cried out in pain. "Get out of my way," Kano then shoved the little girl into the doorframe.
As he walked out the door, he snapped, "You are only to address me as sir or Master, my son as Little Master, and my wife, as Mistress, slave."
"Yes, Master," Kuvira stuttered out.
"And no stuttering," Kano snapped, slapping Kuvira again.
"Yes sir," Kuvira hung her head brokenly.
She then headed into the kitchen. She looked up when she heard a woman's gentle calling to her. "You must be Kano's daughter," the woman held out her hand.
Kuvira slowly nodded and then shook her head. "I'm Kuvira, Mistress. I think he fathered me, but that doesn't make him my dad," she replied.
"Mistress?" The woman laughed. "That husband of mine. You are not a slave when he was out. Then you are a daughter of this household and under the training and protection of me. Understood, my little Kuvira?"
Kuvira nodded. "Stepmother?" She asked softly.
"Yes, Kuvira?" Aza replied.
"At the orphanage, I was told my name meant "courageous woman" and that sometimes names can hold the key to a person's destiny," Kuvira murmured. "What does my name mean for me?"
Aza took a deep breath. As a little girl, she had trained under Aunt Wu of Makapu Village to become a fortune teller of sorts. Aza's main specialty was relating names to destinies. She closed her eyes and concentrated on Kuvira. "You will suffer much in your life, but you will rise above it to become a powerful leader, but will fall at the hands of the Avatar," Aza murmured. "All of your pain will create a strong, courageous woman who will not give up on anything."
Kuvira nodded. "I hope the Avatar doesn't actually kill me," she murmured.
Kano Jr. toddled in and grabbed Kuvira's leg. "Who you?" The little boy demanded.
"I'm Kuvira," Kuvira replied.
"Mama, who she?" Kano Jr. asked.
"This is your older sister," Aza replied.
"Dada no talk 'bout her," Kano Jr. replied. "And she hurt."
Aza flinched and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Let's put some ice on that bruise," she suggested.
"Why Dada no talk 'bout my sister?" Kano Jr. demanded, tightening his grip on Kuvira's leg.
"Please, take your son before he cuts off the circulation in my leg," Kuvira grunted as she placed the ice over the bruise on her cheek.
Aza picked up her son. She turned and motioned for Kuvira to follow her into the back room. "OK, KJ, Daddy never talks about Kuvira because he hates her," Aza told the two children.
Kano Jr. or KJ turned and glared at Kuvira. "Then I hates her too," he declared, kicking Kuvira in the shin.
Kuvira turned to her stepmother. "He's just like Daddy," Aza moved to readjust the ice pack.
"NO!" Kuvira pulled away. "Tell me why. Why does my father hate me?"
"Your father adored your mother," Aza revealed. "When you were born, your mother died in the process. For some reason, something went wrong as you were born and your mother lost too much blood and died at the same moment as you entering the world."
Kuvira stared at the floor. "Stepmother, it might be best if you refrain from being kind to me too often, your husband might find out," Kuvira said, her mind racing.
Aza nodded, her mind trying to figure out to soothe her husband's vows of revenge against Kuvira.
He often spoke of murdering his first born child, which troubled her.
