Kida walked to the porch of her lean to house. "I know that it's not much but, we learn to manage."

The inside of the house was small. The walls were made of wood and covered with small shelves filled with pots and pans for cooking. "this is the living room." She said, pointing to a small table with two pillows on the floor. "I will get Lu Ten to fetch you some blankets from another house."

The young boy pulled back the curtain that served as a door when he heard his name. "yes Mommy?"

"Dear you heard, now go." The boy sighed and let the curtain fall as he walked off. "Sorry if Lu Ten isn't friendly but the people he plays with are sick and no one is able to watch him, so I'm making him stay with me until they get better." She smiled a motherly smile and walked over to a small countertop.

"well, Miss. It would be no trouble for me and my Nephew here to watch your son. It would only be fare."

The mother smiled. "thank you, but you don't have to."

"I insist." Iroh said. Taking a seat at the table. "well, that is very kind of you…I'm sorry but, what are your names? When we are contacted about visitors the letters are very brief."

Zuko opened his mouth to speak but, Iroh cut him off. "my name is Mushi and this is Lee…but we just call him Jr." Zuko looked to Iroh and raised an eyebrow. Kida was looking out the window for her son.

"Alright. If you don't mind me asking what do you need at Ba Sing Sa?" she leaned over to the right as her son walked down the road. "that is the only place we will be safe from the fire nation." Iroh answered.

Zuko looked over at his uncle. But he just placed a finger over his mouth. ZUko knew that his uncle knew something. And he wanted to find out what.

"Lu Ten, I said it was time for bed." Kida, Iroh and Zuko were all talking around the small table in Kida's "living room" after she said sent the young Lu Ten off to bed.

"Mother's instinct." Iroh sighed. "very scary." He laughed, for Lu Ten had only peaked his head out of his door, that was facing away from his mother.

"but, Mommy!" he said. "these guys were fun! Can't we play a little longer?" she shook her head. "No. Bed. Now."

A few minutes later, after knowing that Lu Ten was asleep, Kida sighed. "Lu Ten is always asking out when we have male visitors, like this." She said. Ruffling a small handkerchief in her hands. "You see, Lu Ten's father died before he was born. So, he very knew what it was like to have one." He placed her hands in her lap. "and I'm always running around, being in charge of this refugee village." She smiled motherly toward Iroh and Zuko. "Thank you so much for playing with Lu Ten. You don't know how much it meant to us."

"no, no miss. It was my pleasure. I miss having little ones running around like that." He laughed. Then sighed. "Miss. I need to ask you a question."

Kida looked up, "Yes."

Iroh thought about how to ask this question. Then sighed. "What did the fire nation do to you that made you come here?"

Kida's eyes glazed over. "oh, well…" she swallowed hard. "it's a long story…"

I grew up in Ba Sing Sa. I was a servant girl for the Earth nation princess. She was eight years old when it happened.

There was great talk of a Fire Nation attack on the city. So King Bumi, her grandfather, instructed her to leave Ba Sing Sa. So if the capital would fall, the bloodline would live on. I was the only servant that she could take with her.

We moved into a small village far from the city. I was sixteen years old at the time. We were both very scared, neither of us had ever been alone before. We lived in a small upper room of the town hall. Only the mayor of the village knew we were there.

One night, the princess and I were asleep in our beds when the mayor bust open the doors to out room. "Princess!" he yelled. "the Fire Nation found your whereabouts! You must leave at once! They are burning down the village! Go!"

The only thing the young Princess and I had where our night gowns and her small golden crown, we were not to let anything ever happen to it. It was the symbol of the Earth Nation itself.

As we ran to the bottom of the stairs we heard the Fire Nation troops drawing near. "Princess!" I yelled over the crackling of the flames. "Please listen!" I pushed open the back door of the town hall. "Listen to me!" I grabbed her by the arms. "I need you to run! Fast as you can into the forest! Away from here! Keep running until you find another village. There is one north of here. Don't stop!" I took the crown from her.

"What do you mean? What are you doing?" she yelled as I pushed her out of the room, slamming the door. "GO!" I yelled.

The front door flew open as fire erupted into the room. "There she is!" one soldier yelled. "The princess, get her!" I stood my ground. Giving the real princess time to escape. I did my duty. I had protected the princess.

The soldier took me onto a large war ship, and locked me in a small dark cell. Heavy chains locked my hands to the walls.

A few hours after we had left the village I heard footsteps coming down the large metal stairs at the front of the hall. A man appeared in my view. "Princess." He smiled. "how nice to see you,"

I didn't say anything. "Quiet aren't we." The man unlocked my cell door. He lite a small flame in his left hand. "Your quiet pretty for a earth kingdom wench." The man stroked my cheek with his free hand.

I couldn't think. Yes, I had protected the princess but who was going to protect me?

That ship had been in my nightmares ever since. Things more horrible than anything I could have ever thought possible happened there. No matter how hard I tried, the nightmares continued.

But after what seemed like a life time, it was over. We had reached the home of the Fire Lord and his subjects, the Fire Nation capital.

I was presented, still in my tattered night rode, with the Earth Nation crown on my head to the Fire Lord.

"Your majesty. The Earth Nation, defeated. By the capture of their beloved princess." The captain of the ship said as I we dragged in the Great hall. In front of every Fire Nation noblemen.

I tried to hail me head high, but, how could I? after what had happened. I didn't even understand why I didn't give the real princess to them when I had the chance.

"Good job, captain." Said the Fire Lord. I smirk crossed his face. "but, it seems that you have over looked one tiny detail that I had told you about the Earth Nation Princess…"

"what's that, your greatness?"

"the Earth Nation Princess IS EIGHT YEARS OLD!" fire consumed the whole room and shot toward the captain. "but that wench said…!"

"I said nothing!" I yelled about the roar of the crowd. The fire lord looked over to me. "what was that child?"

"I never said that I was the princess. No one ever asked me. They just assumed."

"you are one smart child…" he said to me. I didn't care what happened to me. There was nothing for me to live for anymore. "for that I will let you work here in the palace for us."

The crowd grew loud.

"What?"

"Unheard of!"

"Your Majesty! Reconsider. This girl could be a spy…"

"enough!" yelled the fire lord. "I say let the girl work here. If she be a spy, let it be on my head then…" he waved his hands around, "now, leave me now!"

I still do not know why the Fire Lord let me work in the palace. I think that it was a very foolish thing to do really.