Chapter 11
Head pounding, Ozai let out a grunt as he lay in bed. Last night came in bits and pieces, Lee had arranged a party for him, a sort of last hurrah before Ozai's wedding next week. Ozai's contemporaries had been there, and there had been a lot of drinking, hence the pounding headache and turning in his stomach. Lee had arranged for several courtesans to attend the party and he had had his fun with them. He knew that his father would expect him to remain…faithful to Ursa after the wedding, but he had his qualms about that. Ozai didn't think that he was meant for monogamy, and well, Meiko and his promise to her would make that rather complicated. As long as Ursa didn't know the truth about his relationship with Meiko then there would be no problems.
He was marrying Ursa to get his father off of his back and he knew that it was time to have a wife in practice. Iroh had been married before he turned twenty four and Ozai was sick and tired of the comparison and the fact that his father kept making comments about his bachelor lifestyle. He enjoyed not being tied down to one person but if he was going to prove to his father that he deserved the throne then he realized that he needed to play by his father's rules for the time being. If marriage would show his father that he was ready for more responsibility than he would do it. And it certainly helped that Ursa was beautiful and he was sure that their children would be incredibly strong benders. After all, her grandfather had been Avatar Roku. Despite the fact that Ursa wasn't a bender, there was no doubt in his mind that his genes would be stronger and the children would be strong. His father had also always said that after his marriage he would consider allowing him to take more of a role in the military, which was something that he had always wanted. He resented that Iroh had been a lieutenant for several years while Ozai languished in the capital, being ignored and unfulfilled. His father had let him attend war meetings, but he was always expected to sit quietly and listen instead of participating like he felt was his right.
That would change though. With Ursa by his side and several heirs, people would see that he was the better choice. He was sure that he would have more children than Iroh who seemed completely uninterested in remarrying and thus he would be the better choice as heir. His father would eventually see the errors of his ways and see Ozai for who he was. He would make sure of it. He was just waiting for the right time. But until then, he would do his best to show his father that he deserved the honor of heir. He deserved to be the future Fire Lord.
It was a strange feeling, the wedding right around the corner, and Iroh arriving later that day. Iroh would just be there for a month, but Ozai was dreading it. A month of watching as Iroh and his father strategize and talk about the war while casting him aside. It would be a month of war meetings where he was expected to keep quiet while Iroh was lauded for being a great lieutenant and for his service to the war. Ozai wished that he could go and fight in the war as his brother did, but his father didn't expect the second son to have military knowledge. It wasn't the custom of the Fire Nation. He had always felt like the spare and his father had always treated him as such. Everybody around him praised Iroh's cunning and knowledge of the military while they ignored him.
The knock at the door made him growl and when a servant pushed the door open, a burst of fire shot out of his fist towards the door. The servant gasped and slammed the door behind him.
"My, my, my, someone had a good night," Lee drawled with a grin as he lazed on the chaise in Ozai's bedroom.
"You got me too drunk," Ozai said, rubbing his hand over his face as he tried to wake up. "My head is pounding."
"You didn't complain last night," Lee said with a laugh. "You deserved your night, Ozai. Although I'm sure your wife wouldn't approve."
"She's not my wife yet," he grumbled, forcing himself out of bed and over to the mirror. He looked positively exhausted and he looked a mess. He was sure his father would not be thrilled.
In hindsight, last night wasn't the best time to let loose and party with his elder brother arriving later today. Ozai realized that his father would be furious with him and he was sure that Iroh would have a comment. He was sure that Ursa wouldn't say anything, which was why he picked her in the first place. He didn't need another person in his life criticizing him.
"I'm pretty sure you traumatized that servant. A pity," Lee commented.
Ozai rolled his eyes. "How are you so…cheerful right now?" he questioned.
"I didn't imbibe nearly as much as you, my friend. I know my limits," he replied easily.
"Hmph," Ozai replied, pouring himself water. He would need to bathe before Iroh arrived. He could practically smell the alcohol coming off of him and he was sure that his father would be furious with him if he didn't look put together. And tonight was the welcome home banquet for Iroh.
"So when does his royal highness arrive anyways?" Lee questioned, pushing himself off of the chaise and grinning at Ozai.
"This afternoon."
"Well, you better get going then it's already noon," He said.
Standing beside Ozai as they waited for Prince Iroh to arrive, Ursa scanned the throne room. Fire Lord Azulon sat on his throne and Prince Lu Ten was fidgeting beside him. Ursa couldn't imagine what he was feeling as they waited for his father to arrive. It had been a year since he had last seen his father and over the past week, she had watched as his nerves grew more and more. She had been trying to reassure him that his father would be proud of him and that it would be okay. But nothing that she said seemed to calm his nerves, and it made her realize that she didn't want her children to grow up like Lu Ten was. It hurt her heart a little bit to see how much pressure the young prince had on his shoulders.
It made her worry about raising her own children and what that would be like for them. She wanted them to have normal lives; she wanted them to get to be children unlike Lu Ten. She hoped that the fact that Ozai wasn't going to be Fire Lord one day meant that their children would escape the childhood that Lu Ten had. She was grateful to her parents for allowing her to have a normal childhood with the kids in the neighborhood. It brought that familiar ache in her chest whenever she thought about Ikem or anything that reminded her of him.
She was trying to not think about Ikem but he still managed to find his way back into her heart and mind. It was a problem, she realized, but it was outside of her control. She just feared what Ozai would do if he knew that she was still thinking about Ikem.
The servants opened the door and Prince Iroh walked into the throne room. She immediately recognized him from the portraits around the palace. She hadn't seen him since she was a child, but she could remember her parents talking about him throughout the years. Iroh was shorter than Ozai and stockier, but she noticed a kindness in his eyes that was missing in Ozai's.
Iroh stopped in front of his father and bowed to him. "Father," he greeted.
"Prince Iroh," Fire Lord Azulon said, stepping down from the throne to embrace his son. "Welcome home."
Ursa noticed the way that Ozai immediately tensed up as they watched Iroh and Azulon. She looked up at his face and saw the anger in his eyes, but she quickly looked away not wanting to do something to anger him. Being privy to the intimate details and life of the royal family had never been something that she imagined, but here she was, standing stiffly beside Ozai, her soon to be husband. It was something that she was still coming to terms with and she knew that it would take a while before she was used to it.
"Father," Lu Ten said, his voice trembling slightly as he stepped up to his father.
"My boy," Iroh said warmth in his eyes as he knelt down in front of his son. He opened his arms and Lu Ten raced into them.
Ursa smiled. She had been right all along that Prince Iroh would be happy to see his son. She was glad for him, he was such a sweet boy and she saw how much he adored his father. She felt bad that he was growing up without his mother, but she could tell that he was going to be okay. Seeing Prince Iroh with his son gave her hope that there could be warmth in the royal palace and that perhaps her worries were unfounded.
Iroh pulled away from Lu Ten and straightened up, keeping a hand on his son's shoulder, he made eye contact with Ozai. The two bowed to one another and looked at one another. Ursa could feel the tension between the two brothers and it made her uncomfortable.
"Little brother," he greeted with a smile. "It's good to see you."
"Yes. Welcome home," Ozai said his voice monotone.
Iroh turned to Ursa and smiled. "You must be Lady Ursa."
Ursa bowed to him. "It's an honor to meet you, Prince Iroh," Ursa said.
"You as well."
They stood in awkward silence, Prince Iroh, Ozai, and Ursa. Ozai seemed to be sizing his brother up and Ursa felt out of place. With Fire Lord Azulon standing a few feet away and Lu Ten near him, Ursa was unsure of what was going through any of their heads. These people were supposed to be her family and yet she didn't know them at all.
"Prince Iroh, come with me, there's much to discuss," Fire Lord Azulon finally said breaking the silence that had overtaken them.
Iroh held his hand up. "Later. It has been a long time since I've seen my son. I need to spend some time with him first."
Azulon looked at his son for a moment before he nodded his head. "Of course. Come see me when you're through."
Iroh nodded his head and sensing that they were dismissed, he and Lu Ten found their way out of the throne room. Fire Lord Azulon looked at Ozai and gestured for him to go, and Ursa quietly followed him out of the room. She felt stiff and tense and unsure of what she was supposed to do with herself. Ursa was expected at the banquet tonight and she needed to go home to get ready but she felt strange about leaving Ozai when he was in a bad mood.
It was surprising how so much pressure had been put on this meeting and it was already over.
"So, um—" Ursa started to speak, but Ozai interrupted her.
"Our rooms are finished, would you like to see them?" Ozai questioned.
She paused. "I would like that."
Ursa wasn't sure what to expect as she followed Ozai away from the throne room. She wasn't sure what to expect. It was a strange feeling that she was about to see her new bedroom. Ursa still hadn't come to terms with the fact that she would be living in the palace in a week and that she would be living away from her family. Of course, they were not that far away from the palace and she would still be able to see them whenever she wanted, but it would be different, sleeping away from them. Mura was struggling with the changes that were coming and that Ursa hadn't been spending as much time with her family as she was used to. She felt guilty that she wasn't being the big sister that her siblings were used to.
She had never been on this side of the palace before; it was away from the hustle and bustle of the palace it seemed. It was quieter than the main areas of the palace that she had been in like the library and throne room and dining room. Ursa didn't know what to expect of their rooms.
Ozai stopped outside of a door. He turned towards her and then pushed the door open and gestured for Ursa to walk into the room. She nodded and walked into a room that was larger than her living room at home. At the entrance was a seating area for entertaining, she supposed, with different options of seating. The walls were adorned with beautiful paintings and tapestries. Walking through the doorway into the actual bedroom, the bed was the center of the room and was much larger than her bed at home with a beautiful red canopy with gold detailing. A writing desk was off to the corner with a wooden chair with a red cushion and there was a large wardrobe for her clothes. There was a mostly empty bookshelf on one side of the wall and she figured that she would be able to fill it with her own books from home.
"It's not as large as Iroh's chambers, but I hope that it meets your standards."
"What?" Ursa asked, turning to look at him. "Ozai, these rooms are bigger than my bedroom and living room combined, they're incredible," Ursa said with a laugh.
A smile formed on Ozai's lips. "Well, I'm glad that you approve of them, Ursa. My rooms are through here," she said, walking over to a door. He pushed it open and led her through to a large shared dining room with several doors off of the room. "This is our main living space, this is where we'll dine every night and there's a living room through that doorway. This is my room," he said, leading her into another room.
It was slightly larger than her rooms but she truly didn't care. Her space was more than enough. Ursa had mixed feelings about having separate rooms, but she was glad that she would have her own private space. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting but it wasn't this. Her parents had shared a bedroom but it appeared that she wasn't going to have to share one with Ozai, which gave her some relief. The thought of having to share a bed with a stranger made her feel uncomfortable, but she was glad that they would have their own space.
"It's nice," Ursa said, offering him a smile.
Ozai nodded his head and turned to Ursa. "I hope that you will be happy here, Ursa."
"I'm sure that I will be," Ursa replied. It was a slight white lie but she realized that she needed to accept that things were as they were and there was no point in focusing on what could have been. This was her life and she needed to accept it.
Author's Note: This is a bit of a shorter chapter but I hope that you enjoyed it anyway! I'm so excited for the next chapter, the wedding has finally arrived and you won't want to miss it. As always thank you for reading and following and I'm hoping to get the next chapter out soon!
