A/N: Hello my dears! This has been an interesting week. I have been working on my business and preparing to transition from work to home possibly permanently. I like my job but there is a possibility I will still be teaching from home even into the fall. I am keeping my eyes and ears open for all possibilities. We certainly hope things will improve quickly, but until then we keep moving forward, right? I hope everyone is well and has what they need. This week's installment of our story gives us a little more about Madame Hachi's school of elegance and not everything is as it seems. There will be a surprise in the next chapter involving a certain granddaughter of the last Fire Nation Avatar. Zuko makes a startling discovery about herself and Ozai has to put out a couple of fires... not literal ones though. LOL! As always, Let me know what you think in the reviews if you have a question or comment and if you likey, follow or favorite!
Disclaimer: Fanfiction is for finding out if Ozai Kasai really does have a soul...
Chapter 6—A Letter, A Change
A few weeks after Princess Zuko's arrival at Madame Hachi's school a messenger hawk flew into the Caldera hawkery bearing a letter for Fire Lord Ozai. The message came from the ship captain who carried the princess to Madame Hachi's island.
He sent the letter shortly after he spied the princess in a compromising "stance" with the prince of the United Water Nations. Though he kept his opinion to himself he let the Fire Lord know what occurred and that it was in full view of the public.
Ozai was in his study when the letter arrived. He unfurled the parchment and as he read the message, he frowned in a mix of confusion and surprise as he raised an eyebrow. Zuko was in a relationship with Prince Sokka? Ozai wondered why he never noticed that before.
The letter stated that she kissed the prince in broad daylight before his subjects on the docks like some common woman. Ok, the captain expressed his opinion a little. Ozai furrowed his brows in thought.
That scenario really didn't surprise the Fire Lord that much since Zuko was already sixteen, but he knew that it would appear that he wasn't in control of his family if he allowed his daughter to run wild. Ozai knew he would have to address the situation and soon.
Under different circumstances, meaning when the Fire Nation controlled the world, it wouldn't have mattered to him who Zuko married. Ozai hadn't planned on giving her the throne anyway, but with the new order of the world and the treaty, he could not allow the girl to be with anyone other than a Fire Nation nobleman on the slim chance that she did have to become the next Fire Lord or bear heirs for the throne.
The treaty was designed to prevent countries from making alliances that could tip the balance of power within the four nations. Ozai could not allow his daughter to be with anyone just for love. She would have to marry for the benefit of the crown and kingdom. Besides, the idea of his daughter marrying a water barbarian would never sit well with the council.
He instantly thought about the situation with his nephew Lu Ten and the Princess Katara.
The council nearly had simultaneous strokes when Lu Ten requested permission to marry the Water Nation princess. The council used a colorful variety of unkind words about Katara's heritage and the stringent rules of the treaty nearly bringing Lu Ten to a boiling rage.
Ozai didn't see any better outcome for Zuko and Sokka. He personally liked Sokka because he was intelligent, levelheaded, learned quickly, and navigated court life well. Sokka and Zuko would be a good match in his opinion, but he would have to be careful about how his reign was perceived.
The Fire Lord didn't want anyone to think that he was trying to "pollute" the line of Sozin nor did he want people to think he wasn't aware of what was going on in his own household.
Ozai sighed wearily rubbing his hand down his face. He considered calling his servants for a moment to order a tall stiff drink. Though Ozai was sure the captain thought he was doing his sworn duty in informing the Fire Lord of his daughter's activities, the captain was now forcing Ozai's hand.
The Fire Lord had hoped he wouldn't have to begin the process of choosing a partner for his daughter yet. He would have to consult the council in the morning. This would be the spark to light the blasting jelly keg of competition he knew.
Councilmen from all over the kingdom would begin to subtly and not so subtly try to insert their son's names for consideration. They were all power and money-hungry leopard-sharks waiting for the prey to hit the water.
Zuko didn't deserve to be harassed and harangued by those wolves and he really didn't want the headache that would follow. Ozai decided. He would find an obscure lord from one of the outer islands to marry his daughter although he had to play along with his council to make it seem like it was a fair and ultimately well-considered decision. This way there would be no conflict within his council, and he would meet the necessary requirements of the treaty.
Ozai took out parchment to write a reply to the captain. One fire for the day was enough. He would thank the man for his dedication to the Fire Nation and the preservation of their way of life. He hoped that would be enough to keep the captain from creating an issue where there was none.
When Zuko returned from Madame Hachi's school she would be a debutante: well- trained, cultured, and the perfect subservient bride for a nobleman. That should be enough to let people know that Ozai was still in control of the situation and that he was doing his job.
Ozai proved himself clairvoyant when he made his announcement the next morning about his intentions to marry off his daughter Zuko. The chatter was instantaneous.
Local lords began making plans to bring their sons to court before the lady returned from Madame Hachi's island. Some noblemen were planning to wine, dine and woo the Fire Lord in order to show their ability to care for his daughter and thereby their qualifications as candidates as potentials for Princess Zuko.
Already Ozai had a headache and knew he would have to end this council meeting early. He made up in his mind that he would begin going through the list of noblemen throughout his kingdom and choose the one everyone least expected.
At the end of the meeting, Ozai was approached by Ukano one of the local noblemen whose daughter was a friend of Azula's.
"Ah, Fire Lord Ozai…" Ukano began subtly.
Ozai raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Ukano was unmoved and smiled innocently.
"My Lord, I congratulate you on your move to solidify relationships within your kingdom and to find a suitable union for your oldest daughter. Do you already have any candidates in mind?"
Ozai kept his face impassive. He didn't know what Ukano's play was since he only had the one daughter and his wife Michi was with child again. Ozai spoke evenly.
"No, I just made the announcement today. I suppose I will have many young men and their fathers approaching me in the very near future." He said with a hint of sarcasm. Ukano smiled.
"Indeed. I too will have to be considering my daughter Mai's future soon. Well, if you need any support, my Lord, I would be happy to help you in this endeavor." Ukano said with a bow. Ozai was still unsure of Ukano's sincerity and reasoning but remained cordial.
"I appreciate your offer Lord Ukano and perhaps I will call upon you in the near future," Ozai said. Ukano bowed again.
"Until then, have a great day Fire Lord Ozai." He walked off smiling to himself.
Ukano knew that whoever the Fire Lord seriously considered would also be a prime choice for his daughter Mai. He would get closer to the Fire Lord to see who a suitable spouse for his daughter would be. Any reject from Ozai's list would be a perfect fit for Mai. Ukano smiled at his own resourcefulness as he made his way to his palanquin.
The Fire Lord made his way to his study after almost an hour of speaking to nobleman after nobleman about their available children, grandchildren, nephews, and friend's children. There was even one nobleman who asked Ozai to consider his great-grandson who was approaching the tender age of seven.
Ozai desperately needed a drink stronger than tea by the time he entered his office. He knew that he would have to find a suitable match for his daughter quickly or he would die from annoyance.
After taking a swig of fire whiskey from his crystal goblet he requested as soon as he left the meeting, Ozai pulled out his book with the Kasai family's genealogy dating even before Sozin himself. It included all the families near and distant and the islands from which they came.
The book was regularly updated every ten years to accommodate the newest members of families, deaths, and marriages.
As Ozai thumbed through the book he came across the page of family members from the island of Toku which in Fire tongue literally translates "far away." He saw that many of the members of that family were already married but there was one Lord who should have been in his twenties and was not married, Lord Takeshi Hondo.
Ozai smirked a little. The lord's name was quite ironic since it meant Warrior of the Mainland, but he lived on the island Far Away. He decided that he would find out more about this Lord Hondo who was a distant, distant relative quite literally and figuratively.
As the weeks progressed, the girls at Madame Hachi's school were surprised to discover that they would also be taught various hand to hand combat skills including the use of melee weapons and bending.
Madame Hachi explained that just because they didn't use or carry swords in their day to day didn't mean they couldn't die upon them if there was ever an attack. Though the war was over the world was far from experiencing the peace of one hundred years prior.
Zuko was thrilled to be able to refresh the swordplay skills she developed in her time with Master Piandao another close friend of her Uncle Iroh. Piandao taught her the use of dual Dao broadswords.
The princess was left-handed which is typically taboo in the Fire Nation so having a skill using both of her hands was a benefit and would not be frowned upon.
This day the girls were practicing archery and going back and forth shooting with the bow and retrieving arrows from the targets. It was Zuko's turn to collect the arrows while Mariko shot them. Zuko moved to collect the three arrows she shot and was on the last one when Mariko was attempting to nock her arrow properly.
Her hand slipped and the arrow launched right for Zuko. Zuko screamed when she saw the arrow coming and crossed her arms together to prevent the arrow from hitting her vulnerable parts. Mariko gasped when she realized where the arrow was going. She couldn't scream nor could she look away.
The arrow never reached the princess. Zuko was crouched behind a shimmering translucent wall of energy. The iridescent barrier looked like the waves that rise from a hot road in the summer but was much more intense than that; the power from the energy wall disintegrated the arrow.
The former arrow lay in a pile of ashes at her feet. Zuko had her eyes closed waiting for the arrow to pierce her skin but felt nothing. All was silent around her as the girls on the archery field stood dumbfounded at what they saw. Muta was the first to speak up.
"Princess, h- how did you do that?" Her voiced edged with shock and a little awe.
Zuko still had her eyes closed then peaked up at Muta with one eye.
"What—" She looked around to discover that the arrow was gone but there was a pile of ashes at her feet.
Muta pointed down at the ash pile and said, "You did that your highness! I've never seen anything like it before. It was like you used pure energy to stop the arrow. You were all shimmery and glowy and the arrow crumbled and burned up right in front of you!" she said waving her arms around wildly.
Zuko looked at Muta in pure disbelief. Then she glanced at Mariko who stared back with the same shock as her sister as well as the other girls who witnessed what happened.
Muta's mouth curled into a suspicious smile. "Do it again, Zuko." She said mischievously.
Zuko's gawked in shock. Was Muta serious? Zuko didn't know what she did in the first place to stop the arrow. She wasn't so sure she could just "do it again." Zuko shook her head. "I don't know if I can. I think it was just a protective reaction to seeing that arrow come for me." She said with a shiver.
Lady Hayato put her hand on Zuko's shoulder causing her to jump slightly at the unexpected touch. How did she always manage to walk up when something serious was happening in Zuko's life? This unnerved the princess greatly. Lady Hayato smiled apologetically.
"Zuko, it wasn't a protective reaction." She paused shaking her head in disbelief and wonder. Lady Hayato was thrilled that she would be able to work with the purest form of firebending once again. Ursa's gift passed on to her daughter. She sighed with appreciation.
"I wondered if you had your mother's gift. Looks like you really are Ursa's daughter." Zuko blinked as if she were in a dream trying to wake up. She pinched herself just to be sure. It hurt. Lady Hayato smirked knowingly.
"What you can do is a very special gift of the rarest of firebenders Zuko, and it's the specialty that your mother mastered right here in this very place. You must develop it for it has many powerful and useful possibilities," she said with admiration in her voice.
Zuko looked at Lady Hayato and her friends. "I-I think I need to sit down… "she said and fainted right where she stood thudding against the ground and raising a cloud of dust.
Zuko awoke to her world cloaked in darkness. Muffled and distant sounds floated in and out of her hearing. Oddly enough her head also hurt, and she felt as if she was levitating. She tried to speak but couldn't get her mouth to form the words. Her head knew what she wanted to say but everything came out in grunts and groans. A voice came into sharp focus.
"Don't move too fast, Princess. You've been unconscious for a while." It sounded like Madame Hachi. Zuko tried to speak again. This time her voice made more of a raspy squeak. "W-ha-at h-happened?" she managed to whisper and tried again to clear her throat. The disembodied voice spoke again softly.
"You fainted my dear. The shock from an important discovery overwhelmed you. How is your head?" she asked carefully.
Zuko grunted as she opened her eyes and she blinked a few times to adjust to the dim light in the room. Her body began to feel heavy and weighed down on the bed once again. Both Madame Hachi and Lady Hayato sat next to her with concern on their faces as they waited for Zuko to respond. Her voice still rasped and sounded as if she had eaten rocks.
"It hurts a little. Did I hit something?" she asked. The Madame and Lady Hayato gave one another a serious look. "When you fainted, you dropped to the ground quite firmly." The Madame said.
"Shall we call the physician for you Princess?" Lady Hayato said with more than a little concern.
Zuko attempted to sit up grunting and straining as she went vertical. Madame Hachi held Zuko's shoulders gently to give her stability while Lady Hayato moved to place a pillow behind her as she sat up. Zuko felt a little better this way.
"Oh, that's better," she moaned. "I don't think I'll need the physician. Let's save him for a real emergency I'm sure to have in the near future." Madame Hachi smiled. "Yes, my dear, we'll save her for another occasion. There aren't any men on this island." She mused humorously.
Zuko strained mentally with the dawning understanding. It was a reasonable explanation as to why she never saw any men around in the day to day operations. She closed one eye as her brain began to hurt. Madame Hachi smiled again.
"I am quite glad that you are alright. You gave all of us a scare especially the Ladies Mariko, Muta, and Chrysanthemum. Poor Lady Chrissy was beside herself with fear for you. We had to send her away to her room to take a rest." she said. Zuko frowned slightly.
"I didn't mean to make them worry." She said apologetically. Lady Hayato put her hand on Zuko's giving her a reassuring smile.
"It's alright Princess. The girls were just concerned that something went wrong after your, uh, realization this afternoon." She said. Zuko gasped.
"Right! I don't understand how this is happening, Madame Hachi, Lady Hayato. My mother never said anything to me about my gift or even the possibility of it. This would have been good to know." Zuko said crossing her arms annoyed. Madame Hachi looked at Lady Hayato raising her eyebrow then turned to Zuko.
"When did you find out about your firebending ability dear princess? The Madame asked seriously. Zuko furrowed her brow. "You mean before this? Not long after my mother left. I was seven and a half almost eight years old." Lady Hayato hummed.
"That makes sense. Ursa left before she could know that you had firebending abilities. Your mother was also a late "bloomer" so to speak about her bending. She started fire bending at nine and discovered her gift only a year younger than you are now. Just two years before your father and grandfather arranged for her to come from Hira'a to marry your father. Perhaps the gift is not meant to be revealed early on until the bender can control it properly." Lady Hayato said.
The Lady pushed her glasses up on her nose and sighed. Zuko allowed her head to fall back on her pillow softly and released a long breath. Without raising her head, she looked at both women soberly.
"So, where do we go from here?" she asked. Madame Hachi smiled. "You'll rest tonight and if you are ready tomorrow, we will show you how to channel this energy you possess and use it in a safe and meaningful way." She said. Zuko nodded. She was glad that she didn't discover this in the palace with her father or sister, or while sparring with an unsuspecting soldier or even Katara. The results would have been disastrous.
"Is it possible to see Muta and the others?" Zuko asked. Lady Hayato nodded.
"Yes, they have been anxiously waiting for you to awaken. I'll send them in but only for a little while. It's nearly bedtime and you all need your rest." She replied. Zuko said softly, "Yes, Lady Hayato, and thank you both for helping me." She said looking at Madame and Lady Hayato with gratitude then whispered, "I'm glad I'm not alone."
The women read between the lines easily and smiled. General Iroh made it his mission to inform them of the princess' needs before her arrival on the island and her challenges at the palace. They both knew of how she was treated or rather mistreated by her father and sister.
They knew that discovering her gift at home would not have been beneficial because many either didn't understand that kind of power and would fear it or would find a way to misuse it leaving the princess in a vulnerable and dangerous position.
"Of course, Princess Zuko, we are here to support you in every way available to us. Your training will be a little different of course since your firebending is not typical but we will help you to navigate this new and powerful ability of yours with all we have. I'll leave you to speak with your companions dear." Madame Hachi said soberly as she rose to leave.
Lady Hayato curiously noted Madame Hachi's shift in mood and made a mental note to speak with her privately about her thoughts later. Zuko smiled grabbing the Madame's hand gently and giving it a small squeeze in thanks. Madame Hachi's eyes widened in surprise at the familiar gesture from the princess but smiled.
She had not had much time with the young princess since she arrived so most of the information she heard about the girl came from what she gathered from Iroh and Lady Hayato and occasionally from the whispers of girls within the school. The rumors about the Princess were true. Zuko was kind and friendly and nothing like her father or sister.
Madame Hachi instantly understood why it was said the people of the nation thought so highly of Princess Zuko. She also understood why her father and sister would treat her so unkindly. Jealousy was a horrible master and demanded much once it possessed a soul.
Zuko's light and goodness glared with intensity in the face of her family's darkness and malice. Her kindness and gentleness served as a rebuke to Sozin's bloody, cruel and violent legacy. More than anything Madame Hachi realized one important fact: Zuko was truly Ursa's daughter and she needed her mother.
Muta, Mariko, and others stood anxiously at the door waiting for the moment they could come in and speak to Zuko. Lady Hayato warned that they only had a few minutes and not to bombard the princess with questions or excessive energy. The girls all replied, "Yes Lady Hayato" and bowed respectfully before going in one at a time.
Chrysanthemum was the first to go in after having had such an emotional reaction to seeing her princess unconscious on the ground.
"Oh, Zuko! I'm so glad you're alright! I-I was so worried about you…" she said her voice close to tears. Zuko held out her arms to hug Chrissy. Chrissy fell into her embrace squeezing tightly and shutting her eyes against Zuko's shoulder.
"I'm alright, Chrissy. It's going to take a lot more than discovering a new form of firebending to remove me from this world. Are you alright?" Zuko asked her brows furrowing with concern. Chrissy released Zuko and nodded sheepishly.
"Yes, I am. I've been told I need to think things through more. I got myself worked up into a foam and they sent me to bed." She shook her head back and forth in shame. Zuko laughed lightly.
"It's OK. I think not thinking things through is a common theme among us. That's probably why we're all such good friends." Chrissy smiled. "I'm glad we are, and I'm so glad you're doing better. Don't scare me like that ever again! You promise?" She said her voice surprisingly cheerful and intense.
Zuko rolled her eyes. "Yes, I promise. Only if you promise not to work yourself into a foam from now on." Chrissy smirked. "Deal." Chrissy looked visibly relieved to see her friend alive and well and sighed.
"Well, good night Zuko. I don't want to hog all the time we have." Chrissy looked back at Muta and Mariko who were just about on the edge of their collective patience and nodded. She looked at Zuko and grabbed her hand to give it a squeeze. Zuko squeezed back and smiled.
"Good night Chrissy." She said simply. Chrissy bowed to Zuko and walked out into the hallway towards her room.
Muta and Mariko came into the room at the same time and sat in the chairs that had been for the Madame Hachi and Lady Hayato. "You're really doing alright Zuko?" Mariko asked nervously. She feared Zuko was only trying to make Chrysanthemum feel better. Zuko nodded gently.
"Aside from a little headache, I'm fine. I had no idea I could do that with my firebending! It was good to find out. Thank you, Mariko." Mariko's eyes bugged.
"Thank you? I think we still need to call the physician. Zuko I could have killed you! What would have happened if you didn't have super fire powers?" Mariko said nearly beside herself with guilt. Zuko sighed.
"Muta, please explain to your sister why I am not so worried about what could have happened today?" Zuko said chuckling. Muta snickered and obliged with relish.
"Mari, the arrows we used were practice arrows. They would have bruised or given Zuko a really sore spot, but they were not made to kill. Madame Hachi wouldn't dare give us arrows that could actually harm someone right now." Mariko blinked.
"Oh, well why did you block the arrow if you knew it wasn't going to kill you?" she asked with a hint of annoyance. Zuko laughed out loud at this.
"Because it was a reflex from having had real arrows shot at me; no one wants even a practice arrow to the chest." She said. Mariko smirked then grimaced.
"So you're, OK?" Mariko asked not fully convinced. Zuko took a deep breath and nodded.
"Yes, Mariko, Muta. I am fine." She said assuredly. Then Zuko grinned widely. "It is nice to know that there are people who worry about me." Muta rolled her eyes.
"Duh, your Highness! You're our last hope for a freer Fire Nation. We have our money on you as the next Fire Lord." She said reminding Zuko of Toph more than a little. Zuko and Mariko giggled.
"Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence even if there is yet another wager placed on my life." Zuko teased. Muta grinned.
Lady Hayato cleared her throat in the hallway. The girls looked up towards the door and groaned together. "Looks like it's bedtime ladies. Thank you for coming to check on me. I really do appreciate it." Zuko said humbly. The girls smiled.
Even though one of them was partially responsible for her ending up in bed in the first place, they were glad Zuko was well and glad to be friends with the Princess of the Fire Nation. They hoped they would continue to be for much longer.
The girls bade one another goodbye and Muta followed closely by Mariko left the Princess' room and went to their own rooms for bed.
Lady Hayato peaked in Zuko's room and gave her a quick smile and slight bow as she closed the door for the princess. Zuko smiled and allowed herself to lie back to rest until the morning.
Down the hall in Madame Hachi's study, a letter waited patiently on her desk to be sent by messenger hawk to a sleepy little outer island named Hira'a. The letter was addressed to Lady Ursa Jinzuki.
What did you think of Zuko's new bending ability? I don't think it has been done before so I have already really explored this in my later chapters. Hope to hear from you!