Trigger Warning: Things are going to start to get darker starting with this chapter. There are instances of verbal and emotional abuse in this chapter.
Chapter 10
The next few days were a whirlwind for Ursa. It was a complete blur that she could barely remember half of it. Her engagement to Prince Ozai had been announced to the world and as part of the custom of the Royal family; they had stood at the steps of the palace for hours to be congratulated by the nobles and the people who lived in the capital and wanted to see them. It was difficult for her to see the look of distaste on Ozai's face when the 'common' people approached them, and she had wanted to shout at him that she was just as common as the people that he was turning his nose down on.
It was strange to see how excited people were for her and the wedding. Ursa had never imagined that her wedding would be such a big event, but it was starting to hit her how massive this wedding was going to be. When she had agreed to marry Ozai she hadn't thought about the changes that were going to happen to her and the way that it was going to change her life.
It was hard for her to come to terms with the fact that her life as she knew it was going to be over. Even though she was still living at home she felt that the only time that she spent at home was when she was asleep, the rest of the time was spent at the palace. She felt guilty that she wasn't spending time with Elua or with her siblings, or even her parents. She knew that Mura was feeling particularly neglected but she just didn't have time to spend with her these days. It was a hard change to go from helping her mom with her siblings and spending so much time with them. She knew that Eska was confused about why she hadn't seen Ursa as much as she usually did. Ursa dreaded to think of what things would be like when she was living at the palace and how she would be able to balance her new life with her old life.
There were countless meetings with the wedding planner, and Ursa had been slightly relieved that she wasn't expected to come up with plans from scratch but instead just give her final opinions on everything that the wedding planner came up with. They had things planned from the popular color schemes that Royal couples used to the foods that would be served at the wedding. She hadn't had much of a say in terms of the guest list either, much to her dismay. She had hoped that she would have more control over who would be attending, but Fire Lord Azulon had dictated the list and she wasn't willing to anger her future father-in-law. Ozai had been conspicuously absent from most of the meetings, but Ursa didn't mind. She didn't want to be around him very much right now. She still hadn't confronted him about what he had done to Ikem, and she wasn't looking forward to that conversation.
Ursa knew that she was going to have to get over it but she wasn't sure how she was supposed to. She had agreed to marry him if he spared Ikem but she felt like he had gone back on his word when he sent Ikem to war. It was so hard for her to get past that. When she had agreed to marry Ozai, it was under the pretense that Ikem would be free to live his life. But now with him at war, he wasn't safe and he wasn't free. So how was she supposed to deal with Ozai's lie?
Fire Lord Azulon had instructed her to learn about the Royal family customs and traditions, and so when she wasn't dealing with the wedding planner, she was in class with Madame Misu and Moku. When she returned back home after a day in the palace, she was utterly exhausted. Ursa hadn't expected that her training would involve learning how to walk properly and how to hold herself in public. It seemed that the Royal family had higher expectations than her mother had had for her.
She was glad that she was kept busy; it meant that she didn't have a lot of time to think about Ikem and where he was. She wasn't even sure if he had reached the army yet. Ursa wondered if he was thinking about her. She wished that she could talk to him or write him a letter but she knew that it would be a bad idea. She desperately wanted to go to Arik to ask him about Ikem, but she was sure that he wouldn't want to see her. Ursa was sure that Arik would hate her for the rest of her life, and Ikem would as well. She hated herself as well if she were being honest with herself.
Ozai paced outside of the throne room as he waited impatiently for his father to admit him. He detested being summoned by his father and lately it had been happening more and more. He wasn't sure what his father wanted; Iroh wasn't due to arrive for another few days, so he knew that it wasn't about his brother. It was probably about the wedding, which was set to take place at the end of the month. He didn't care about the planning, didn't really want to have anything to do with it. He knew that Ursa was in the palace but he couldn't be bothered to check in on her.
Meiko was being needier than normal and Ozai was losing patience. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He knew that his father would want him to stop seeing her, but she had been his mistress for several years and he couldn't imagine having to train a new one. But he realized that Meiko could quickly become a problem if she continued to behave the way that she was and he was going to have to do something about it.
He just didn't know what that something would be.
His father's attendants threw open the doors to the throne room and he stood there, waiting for his father to ask him to come in. He could see Lu Ten kneeling in front of the throne and he almost rolled his eyes. His father had him waiting out here for Lu Ten?
"Prince Ozai," Fire Lord Azulon addressed his son. "Lu Ten was just showing me his firebending forms. He has started to practice a new set."
"That's magnificent," Ozai said, his voice deadpan.
Lu Ten looked up at Ozai curiously. "My father is going to be home in a few days so I was showing Grandfather everything that I've learned from my tutors."
Ozai looked at him with a blank expression on his face. He had never related to this child before, and he didn't think that it was going to change anytime soon. He didn't like kids, didn't really like to think of having to interact with his own children. He would have them, of course, but he didn't think that he would do much with them. That would be Ursa's job, and he realized that the kids would probably be better off with her than with him.
"Your father is going to be proud to see all of the work you've done," his father said, looking at his grandson. "But leave us, Prince Lu Ten, I need to speak to Prince Ozai."
Lu Ten nodded and bowed to his grandfather and then walked out of the throne room. Ozai turned to his father and braced himself for whatever it was that his father was going to say. He was sure that it was going to be something ridiculous.
"Ozai you should be trying more with Lu Ten. He's your nephew."
Ozai took a deep calming breath. He was so tired of this conversation with his father. He wasn't interested in having a relationship with Lu Ten, and he wasn't interested in what his father had to say.
"I'll keep it in mind," he replied, his voice even.
Fire Lord Azulon gave him a hard stare and Ozai returned it, not flinching or looking away. It went on for far too long, but then Azulon just shook his head.
"I have received reports from Misu and Moku that Ursa is coming along well. But they report that she seems sad. Do you have any idea why?"
Ozai tensed up. He didn't like his father's tone. He was sure that his father was going to find some way to blame him for Ursa's disposition. He was always blamed for everything. It infuriated him that everything was his fault in his father's eyes. He clenched his fist as he looked at his father on the throne.
"No," Ozai replied. "I don't know what goes through her mind."
"She is going to be your wife, Prince Ozai. You should want to know what goes through her mind and what she's feeling. You need to start to work on the basis of your marriage. I know that you don't know her very well yet, but you should be trying to get to know her. It is time for you to stop acting so selfishly, Prince Ozai. I had hoped that you would grow up now that you're about to marry. But something in your behavior must be upsetting her. I've told you to stop with that girl and you still won't listen to me. I know what goes on in this palace, Prince Ozai. What happened at Omashu—"
"When are you going to stop about Omashu?" Ozai demanded.
"When you give me a reason to see that you've reformed! You need to make things right with Ursa; she is going to be your wife soon. Your brother never caused half—"
Ozai glowered and shot a fireball at the wall of fire behind his father. He was furious and he couldn't hold it in anymore.
"I am so tired of you comparing me to Iroh. I am so done with you telling me what to do! I am tired of you blaming me for everything," he boomed.
"Calm down, Prince Ozai," Azulon thundered, standing up from his throne. "I am not comparing you to your brother, I am trying to give you advice."
"You're not, you are comparing me to Iroh and I'm not Iroh. One day you will realize that you were wrong to put all of your energy on Iroh and you will regret it."
"Are you threatening me, Prince Ozai?" Azulon demanded, standing up.
"No," Ozai replied emotionlessly. "Of course not Father."
Azulon looked at Ozai for a long time, but then sat back down.
"Find out what's on Ursa's mind, Ozai, and make it better. You are dismissed."
After her exhausting work with Madame Misu learning all of the customs of a royal dinner party, Ursa had found her way to the turtleduck pond in the garden. It didn't feel like it belonged in the middle of the palace, but she was glad that it was there. Her head was spinning from all of the information that they were trying to pour into her. She hadn't realized how many rules there were for a princess. As a noblewoman, she had learned the customs at school but they had seemed irrelevant to her because her family never was invited to the palace. But now that she was going to marry Ozai, there were so many things that she needed to learn going forward.
"Ursa!" a voice called from behind her.
Ursa, though exhausted, felt a smile form on her lips as she turned and saw Prince Lu Ten coming towards her with his tutor.
"Prince Lu Ten," Ursa greeted with a smile. "Done with your lessons?"
"Yes," Lu Ten said with a nod.
"Me too," Ursa admitted with a laugh.
His eyes got wide as he looked up at her. "You have lessons too?"
"I do," She said, a conspiratorial smile on her lips. "I have to learn all about the customs of the Fire Nation. I thought that I knew everything already but my tutors are surprising me."
Lu Ten giggled. "My father is going to be home soon for your wedding."
"I heard, I can't wait to meet him. You must be so excited to see your dad."
He looked at her and Ursa could see the nervousness on his face as he toyed with his sleeve. She had heard that Prince Iroh had been gone for a long time, ever since his wife had passed away.
"Yeah," he said, shuffling his feet.
"Are you nervous?" She asked, looking at him with concern.
Lu Ten shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm sure that he's going to be so proud of you. I've heard them say that you are a great firebender," Ursa encouraged.
"Really?" He asked.
Ursa nodded her head. "I have. I can't wait to see you bend."
"I can show you right now!"
The tutor laughed and stepped forward. "Prince Lu Ten, we don't have time for you to show Lady Ursa right now, but we'll arrange something, okay? Your firebending teacher is waiting for us."
Lu Ten sighed and Ursa smiled. "You can show me later," she promised. "There is plenty of time."
"Okay," Lu Ten finally agreed and nodded his head.
"I'll see you soon," she told him.
She watched as Lu Ten and his tutor walked away. She felt like a weight had lifted off of her chest after talking to Lu Ten. Already she felt for the young boy and wanted to be a positive influence in his life. She could only imagine what it was like for him to grow up without a mother or a father. Of course, his father was gone for a good reason, but she knew that it had to be hard for him.
"Ursa," Ozai greeted her.
She hadn't heard Ozai come up behind her and she nearly jumped. Had he been standing there when she was talking to Lu Ten? She wasn't sure.
"Prince Ozai," she greeted, looking up at him.
Something in his eyes made her body stiffen. She could see the controlled rage behind his eyes.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Excuse me?" Ursa asked, narrowing her eyes and looking at him.
"Madame Misu and Moku said that you have been down. My father is berating me for your behavior. What is wrong?"
"Nothing," she lied.
"Bullshit," Ozai snapped, storming over to her and grabbing her arm and pulling her up to her feet.
"Let go of me," she demanded, fear in her eyes. She wanted to run away and get away from him. There was something dangerous about him right now and she didn't want to have this conversation.
"No," he stated, looking down at her, his face harsh. "You will not give my father reasons to berate me again, do you understand me? You will cheer up and you will not give my father any reason to think that you aren't the happiest woman in the world."
Ursa hated him. It was in that moment that she realized that she hated him and everything that he stood for. She had been wrong to think that people were wrong about him. She wanted to turn and walk away from him right then and go and find Ikem wherever he was. But she stood there instead, stiff, as Ozai gripped her wrist.
"You lied to me," she burst out, glaring at him. "You said you would let Ikem go if I married you. But you didn't, did you? You sent him to the war front and now it's going to be your fault if he dies," she shouted at him. "You tricked me into marrying you."
Ozai let out a cold laugh. "Are you done being dramatic?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ursa wanted to hit him. She had never wanted to hit someone as much as she did at that moment. But she held back as she glared at him but didn't say anything to him.
"You remember Princess that you made a deal with me. We've announced our engagement to the world and the wedding is in a few weeks. You will show everyone how happy you are to get married and you will not speak of that man again. Do you understand me?" Ursa was quiet. "Do you?" He demanded.
"Yes," she said grudgingly.
"Good. Now let me see that smile."
Ursa glared at him for a moment, her heart pounding. She couldn't go through with this wedding. She needed to find a way out; she needed to disappear from the capital and leave. Perhaps she could convince one of the fishing trips to bring her to the colonies and she could disappear from there. It would be hard, but she knew that she was strong enough to do it.
"Remember that you have a family to think of."
Ursa stared at him for a moment. Was he really threatening her family? She thought of her siblings and knew that she needed to protect them. It wasn't their fault that she had gotten wrapped up with Prince Ozai and they didn't deserve to suffer. All thoughts of escape disappeared in that instant.
She smiled at him.
"Much better," he said with a smile. "Come now. We're going to see my father."
Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading, I always appreciate it. I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long but I'm hoping that the next chapter will be up soon!
