A/N- Here's another chapter for y'all, hope you guys like it
Two years later
"I'll be back soon, I'm sure of it. Those Earth Kingdom bastards can't keep us out forever. " Lu Ten flashed a quick smile and hugged and kissed Hiromi as he prepared to leave the palace. He'd already said goodbye to the rest of his family, but wanted to make sure Hiromi was the last person he saw. In all honesty, he didn't know when he'd be back. The siege of the outer wall has lasted for almost 350 days, meaning it had been a little under a year since he'd seen his father. Lu Ten hummed a song his father had sang to him ever since he was a little boy as he walked to the Fire Navy ship that would take him to the Earth Kingdom. From there he would join his own father, as well as Hiromi's father, on the battlefront outside of Ba Sing Se, fighting for victory and honor for the fire nation.
Lu Ten took one look back at Hiromi, who he was sure was still smiling at him even as the doors to the palace closed. He missed her already, and was determined to fight his hardest so he could be back with the girl he loved.
Hiromi sighed and looked down at her hands as the doors to the palace were shut, serving as a barrier between her and the rest of the world. She turned around, walking to the one place she felt at peace with herself when Ursa and Lu Ten weren't around- the turtle duck pond.
She walked slowly through the halls of the daunting palace, but began shuffling hastily as she neared the garden and grew more anxious to sit and watch the turtle ducks.
The sky was as blue as ever, not a cloud in sight. The coming of spring brought with it the blooming of flowers and new life. Baby turtle ducks swam around in the pond, in the crystal clear water that's surface was lightly dusted with pollen. Baby sparrow squirrels hopped around their nests in the cherry blossom trees, waiting for their mothers to bring them something to eat. Even the butterfly beetles, newly emerged from their stage of metamorphosis, appeared to be acting playful and childlike.
Hiromi smiled and sat underneath a nearby tree, laughing at the three turtle ducks that soon surrounded her.
"You all know me too well. " she said, removing her hand from under her satchel, revealing a cookie. She crumbled it into small pieces and held her hand out, giggling as the turtle ducks tickled her palm while they ate from it.
"I'm all out, you guys. I'm sorry. "she apologized as more turtle ducks began surrounding her. They nuzzled their heads against her dress, begging for another cookie. Many of the newborn ones also began approaching her, unsure of whether she was a trustworthy person or not.
Hiromi thought of Azula and how she used to always mistreat these creatures, throwing rocks and whole loaves of bread and who knows what else at them as they swam in the pond. She understood why they would be untrusting of her at first, but she knew they would warm up to her.
After the turtle ducks realized she didn't have any more food, many of them left. Some stayed, content and comfortable with her mere presence, and allowed Hiromi to pet and play with them. Hiromi loved the way their soft feathers transitioned into the hard shell of their backs. She counted the age of the animals that stayed beside her, most of them between five and eight, but some as young as two or three years old.
Their chirping noises soon grew more frantic as they started towards the pond, scared off by an approaching human.
Hiromi turned around and saw Zuko behind her, holding a few loaves of bread.
"Do you mind if I join you? "he said, avoiding all eye contact.
While this kind of gesture was unexpected from Zuko, she accepted- trying to get him to look her in the eyes. Zuko handed her a loaf of bread and sat parallel to Hiromi, expecting turtle ducks flocking towards them.
After sitting under the tree for a few minutes, Zuko broke the silence.
"Do you miss your dad?" He asked Hiromi.
Hiromi thought of this question, of course she missed him- but it seemed like he'd been gone longer than he'd been at war.
He was never around, not even when she was young. He'd never been the father her friends had, or the father she wanted him to be. He didn't bring her to fire bending lessons or eat dinner with her at home. He would occasionally experience a change of heart and attempt to spend more time with her, but this never lasted more than a few days- a week at the most.
Hiromi simply nodded her head in response, picturing what her life would be like if her mother hadn't died giving birth to her. She'd seen paintings of her parents that had been made before she was born. The artist seemed to perfectly capture the happiness in her father's eyes, something that was no longer present.
"Are you sad that Lu Ten left as well?"
Zuko watched her facial expressions as she formed an answer in her head. He saw her mouth open slightly as she began to answer, then close back together and purse her lips together. She looked towards the pond, but not at it. It seemed as if she were looking further into it, searching for something beyond the surface of the crystal water- for some kind of answer that had sunken into its shallow depths long ago that she was trying to resurface from its icy fathoms.
"I'm sad that I'll miss him, but I know this is something he's always dreamed of doing- fighting alongside his father for the Fire Nation. I have no doubt both my father, General Iroh, and Lu Ten will return victorious in no time." She nodded and smiled at me, content with her answer.
But as she looked back out into the pond, Zuko sensed the slightest hint of tension in her silence- a fault in her feigned sense of confidence.
She was scared.
Hiromi smiled as she released the messenger hawk out of her bedroom window. Two letters were inside the parcel- one for her father and one for Lu Ten.
"Hiromi, your breakfast is ready!" a maid shouted from the kitchen.
"Just a minute!" she replied, attempting to run a comb through her disheveled hair.
Hiromi sighed as she studied herself in the mirror- her murky eyes were tired, her wavy hair frizzy from being freshly brushed, and her skin was starting to break out from all of her stress.
"Maybe I can at least do something about my hair." she said as she searched for a ribbon to tie her hair up with. She didn't see anything on her dresser right away, so she decided to search in a jewelry box that had sat untouched for many weeks- if not months.
Hiromi opened the box and shoveled through its many contents, pushing aside rings and bracelets she had never worn. At the bottom of the box was a black ribbon that was slightly frayed at the ends. She pulled it out, but as she began to tie her hair back she noticed a comb that was previously believed to be long gone.
She dropped the ribbon next to her mirror and snatched the comb out of the box as if it were going to disappear if she didn't grab it right that moment. Hiromi smiled and ran her finger over the intricate design on it, admiring its craftsmanship.
It was the same comb Ursa had given her many years before, the comb with a large red rose set above smaller black flowers surrounded by gold. She looked in the mirror and pinned her hair back behind her ear, setting its black teeth at such an angle that it wouldn't allow her hair to fall in her face.
Hiromi ignored the frizziness of her hair as she walked down the hallway into the kitchen, where her breakfast sat waiting for her to enjoy in solace- as it always did.
"What adventure are you going to have today, Miss Hiromi?" the maid said as she cleaned up from breakfast.
"I'll probably go to the palace and see Ursa, as usual." she replied, smiling at the woman.
"Will you be returning for lunch?"
"No ma'am." she answered.
Hiromi began to get up before she added, "But I will be back for dinner, Miss Kiyoko."
Kiyoko smiled and went back into the kitchen, where she would probably spend the rest of her day.
Hiromi thought of Kiyoko as she walked to the palace. She was a kind woman, about 40 years old, who had been working for her family as long as she could remember.
Hiromi used to make a game of guessing what it was like for Kiyoko growing up. She had been the oldest of eight children, and her parents were constantly working. It had always been her responsibility to take care of her brothers and sisters- to make sure they were fed, bathed, and in bed at appropriate times so that they could go to school in the morning. Which, Hiromi concluded, was probably why she was so skilled at cooking, cleaning, and caring for Hiromi and her father when he was home. Their parents never returned until late at night, when almost everyone was asleep, and had to wake up very early in the morning. Kiyoko, as well as her siblings, never got to spend a lot of quality time with their mother and father.
One of the guards nodded his head at Hiromi as she entered the gates of the palace and she smiled in return. The large gates closed loudly behind her, echoing for what seemed like forever after they had actually been shut.
"Hiromi, I'm so glad you're here." Azula said, holding a doll wearing earth kingdom clothing in her hand.
Upon closer observation, Hiromi noticed that the doll was badly singed, with black soot covering its face.
"I'm delighted to see you as well, Princess." Hiromi hissed back, feeling the air grow cold around them despite their elemental bloodline.
The girls smiled at each other, the friction surrounding them growing more intense. They stood, quietly staring into each other's eyes- the cold, sparse air between them causing their breathing to become more difficult.
Azula finally broke the deafening silence, "I suppose I'll see you around, Hiromi."
Hiromi smiled, "I'll be counting the seconds."
The Princess laughed in response as she walked away, "Don't hold your breath."
Hiromi rolled her eyes right before Azula stopped and turned back towards her, "On second thought, maybe you should." she smirked at Hiromi and continued deeper into the palace, disappearing around the doorway.
Azula burned the doll her uncle had sent her weeks before in her hands, forgetting why she had gotten it out in the first place, until it became nothing but ashes that she released outside into the wind. She watched the small black specks dissipate as the wind carried them beyond the palace walls.
"Good riddance." Azula said, thinking of the repulsively ugly doll her oh-so-gracious uncle had gifted her.
"And for Azula, a new friend." her mother had read aloud upon her receiving the doll. Azula had looked down at it, immediately annoyed by the way its beady black eyes sat on its face. She threw it into the corner of her room as soon as she left her mother's sight.
Azula stopped reminiscing and looked out into the garden, pretending she wasn't jealous of Hiromi- who was usually sitting by the turtle duck pond with Ursa, laughing and talking and feeding the animals that surrounded them.
She had never done this with her own mother. Did she want to? Of course, but Ursa never would give her the time of day to do so. She hated Azula- she thought she was a monster.
Azula winced at the hurt she felt thinking of her mother's words one day.
"What is wrong with that child?"
Azula had pretended she couldn't hear what her mother had said. She bit back the tears that were threatening to come out any moment.
That child.
Azula would be the first to admit it- she was, indeed, a monster. But the way her mother had said that. It was as if, well, as if she wasn't even her daughter anymore. Azula was just "that child."
Even her mother didn't want her.
"How long has it been since you've seen your uncle?" Hiromi asked Zuko, tossing some bread crumbs into the pond. She laughed to herself as many of the young turtle ducks swam towards the treat, running over each other in the process. Zuko and Hiromi had spent almost every day with one another since Lu Ten had left. The two of them had become close friends and would spend most days in the garden, enjoying the fresh air by reading, sparring, or quietly feeding the turtle ducks.
"About a year and a half." he replied, not looking away from the pond.
Hiromi nodded her head, she already knew the answer to her question- she just wanted to talk about their families.
She knew it had been 597 days since she had seen her father, and 247 days since she had seen Lu Ten. While the fire nation had already broken through the outer wall, who knows how long it would be before they started falling back. All the soldiers were tired- her father and Lu Ten had both told her in their letters that they would rather perform Agni kai with prince Ozai than suffer one more minute of fighting their way through the kingdom's fortifications.
Hiromi shivered, remembering Zuko's reaction when she had told him what the letters had said about his father.
"Well, I'd have to agree with them." he had laughed, "My father is a ruthless man." He had a cold look in his golden brown eyes, the fire inside of them dimming at the thought of his unmerciful father.
Hiromi quickly glanced at Zuko, who was still focused on the pond. He had changed so much since they were little. Though they were almost the same age, it had always seemed as if Zuko was many years younger than Hiromi. Many times, Hiromi noted, even Ursa had mistaken Hiromi for an older age.
Perhaps it was because she was always with Lu Ten rather than Zuko. Until recently, Hiromi never really acknowledged the lack of age difference between the two of them. His birthday was only a few weeks before hers, yet she never paid this any attention until that moment.
"It's almost your birthday." Hiromi said, causing Zuko to look up out of his trance.
"Oh, uh, yeah. Yours too." he smiled and looked up at Hiromi for a split second, then back out at the pond.
He heard Hiromi exhale loudly and shift her body more upright against the tree.
Zuko shook his head and looked up at the sky.
"I need to leave." Zuko said, brushing the dirt off his pants.
"I'll see you around." Hiromi said, smiling up at him.
Zuko nodded his head and went towards the palace, leaving Hiromi by herself under the large cherry blossom tree.
"Have you seen Hiromi around?" Ursa said to Zuko as she passed him on her way to the garden.
"Yeah, she's by the turtle duck pond."
Ursa laughed at herself for having to ask- of course that's where Hiromi was, it's where she always was.
The tall ceiling of the palace hung over Ursa very dauntingly. The red silk that hung from it swayed back and forth with the breeze- causing it to resemble the flames that the palace represented. The high ceilings reminded Ursa of the theater she used to dream of performing in when she was growing up.
An elderly woman looked out into the hallway as Ursa passed by. Ursa bit her lip- still feeling hurt from the woman, Elua, betraying her trust.
After Ursa was practically forced into her marriage with Prince Ozai, she was ordered by him to tell her family that they had been good to her- meaning she was now letting go of them as part of her life. Being very family-oriented, Ursa tried to keep ties with her family and friends, namely Ikem, strong.
Ursa had long suspected that Ozai had been intercepting her letters to her family and ex-fiance, so she decided to test her theory by writing a letter to Ikem containing false information. She wrote that Zuko was not Prince Ozai's son, but Ikem's. After going months without receiving recognition for her treasonous letter, Ursa had long thought her suspicions to be false.
However, her suspicions were confirmed when Ozai addressed her about the letter she had written to her previous love.
"Proof of your treason is living under this roof."
"Ozai, you know as well as I do that Zuko is your son."
"Then why did you write this down?"
Ursa started to speak, then lost her courage. She thought of Ikem when he asked for her hand in marriage. Ursa remembered how silly she felt when she thought he had been reciting lines from the script when he had asked her to marry him. The memory of him alone was enough to reignite her courage.
"Because I never wanted him to be." She coldly spat, her eyes glaring a hole into him.
She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. As true as it was, there was no way Ozai was going to tolerate anyone talking to him like that- especially her.
He was furious, not only did he tell her of the Yuyan archer he hired to have Ikem killed, but that he was going to give Ursa her wish. He was going to act as if Zuko were, in fact, not of his own blood. He told her that she must pay attention, for any time she sees Ozai treating Zuko as if he were alien to the palace and the rest of the royal family- it would only be because he was giving his wife what she wanted.
She shook these memories out of her head as Elua shut the door to her bedroom, uncomfortable with Ursa's presence in the hallway.
Ursa continued towards the turtle duck pond in the palace garden, smiling when she saw Hiromi sitting under the cherry blossom tree.
They talked about the letters Hiromi had received over the years from her father and Lu Ten. Ursa thought of how much she's seen Hiromi grow up since she began coming to the palace- specifically under the cherry blossom tree by the turtle duck pond. She had gone from a timid little girl who was just learning how to firebend to a brave young woman who was going to one day become the Fire Lord's wife.
The ladies were both lying on their backs, looking up at the sky, when a guard approached them.
"Princess Ursa, Miss Hiromi." The messenger said, kneeling and holding out a scroll to Ursa.
Ursa dismissed the messenger, who solemnly looked back at the women. Ursa sat up and opened the letter.
Hiromi heard Ursa gasp, dropping the letter
She sat up and reached for the letter, looking up at Ursa for confirmation that she was allowed to read it.
"Hiromi-" she sobbed, reaching out for Hiromi's hand.
"Ursa, what is it?" she said, reading the first line of the letter.
We regret to inform you about the untimely demise of Prince Lu Ten...
She couldn't read the rest of it.
Hiromi tried to get up, but got lightheaded and had to sit back down. Her vision soon became blurry. "He isn't coming back." Hiromi said, then repeated it several more times- her voice growing louder each time.
"Hiromi, it isn't just Lu Ten." Ursa sobbed, burying her face into her dress and reaching out for Hiromi to hold her hand.
"No, not Iroh too." Hiromi shook her head, thinking of the man who had acted as her father her whole life and desperately taking Ursa's hand.
"It wasn't Iroh." Ursa said, "Hiromi, your father, he- I'm so sorry."
And just like that, her world as she knew it shattered around her.