Author's Note: I want to thank you all for your patience and apologize for how long it took me to get this chapter up. It was a difficult chapter to write but I have a lot of plans for the next section of this story. I'm really excited about what's to come. I had a lot going on in my personal life that took up my writing time. We were without power for a few days earlier this month due to tropical storm Isaias and then had some family stuff going on. However, things have finally calmed down some and I hope that I can get the next chapter up soon. Please enjoy this chapter and I would love to hear any thoughts that you have!

Chapter 12

Time was ticking by slowly.

Her wedding day had arrived and Ursa couldn't sleep. She wasn't sure how long she had been lying in bed staring up at the ceiling and waiting for night to pass. Everything had happened so quickly. From the day that she met Ozai to now, it had only been a few months. Her heart still ached for Ikem every single day. She hoped that as time moved on she wouldn't miss Ikem as much and that the ache wouldn't be quite so prominent. She hoped that she would be able to love Ozai and that he would be able to love her in time. She wasn't naïve to think that they would love each other right away. But she could only hope that as their lives unfolded that they could find love.

Come morning her entire life was going to be changed completely. She was no longer going to just be Ursa but Princess Ursa of the Fire Nation. Her children would be heirs to the throne. They were going to be royalty. Their childhood was going to be so completely different from the childhood that she had had. Would they have good childhoods? Would they be able to play like she had as a child? Would Ozai allow her to raise their children the way that she had been raised? She wasn't naïve to think that Ozai wouldn't want to have a child soon after their marriage. She wasn't sure if she was ready to start a family but she was trying to be realistic and realize that it was something that she was sure that Ozai would want.

Finally having enough of staring at nothing and tossing and turning, she climbed out of bed and walked over to the door leading out to the balcony. She looked back at her sleeping family, they had been staying in a villa outside of the palace, and pulled the door open and stepped outside into the cool night, quietly shutting the door behind her.

The villa was close enough to the palace that Ursa could see it from the balcony. It was just one villa among several others, these houses were where the elite of the Fire Nation lived and stayed in when they were visiting the Capital. This villa, in particular, was one of the nicest ones according to her mother, complete with a spa-like bathroom that was apparently a replica of the one in the palace but on a smaller scale.

The cold air calmed her racing heart as she sat down on one of the chairs that were on the balcony. She wondered briefly what Ozai was currently doing. Was he also nervous about tomorrow morning? Or was he…with someone else? She wasn't naïve; she had heard the whispers about Prince Ozai even before she had met him. She knew that he had a reputation for being with a lot of women but she was hoping that with their marriage he would be more faithful to her. Ursa didn't want to know about his past she was only focused on the future.

"Can't sleep?" Jinzuk asked, stepping out onto the balcony.

Ursa was startled, but when she realized that it was her father standing there, she felt a smile form on her lips.

"Yeah," she replied, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

Jinzuk walked over to the other chair and sat down quietly. She gazed at her father and wondered what he was thinking. She had the sense that their lives were completely changing, not just hers. Suddenly her family was going to be family to the Fire Lord through her. How was this going to affect them? Ursa knew that her mother was hoping that they would be moved into one of these villas, she hadn't missed the way that her mother gazed at everything in the villa and when they had arrived. She knew that her mother's dreams were coming true with this wedding and her mother was hoping to go back to how they used to live.

"Big day tomorrow," Jinzuk said.

Ursa nodded her head. "Really big day," she agreed, keeping her voice even.

"How are you feeling, Ursa-bear? What's going through your head?"

She was quiet for a long time as she sat there, trying to form words out of her thoughts. Her mind had been going nonstop since the lights had been turned off and everyone was supposed to be asleep.

"I guess…I'm just scared of how things are going to change tomorrow. I had thought that I would have more time before the wedding came…but it all went so fast, you know? I'm scared of everything changing."

Jinzuk leaned forward and placed his hand on her knee.

"Whatever happens tomorrow Ursa, we will still love you. You have been my daughter since I married your mother and I am so unbelievably proud of you. You are going to be wonderful. I believe in you."

Ursa felt a few tears fall down her cheeks. "Thank you," she whispered.

They sat together not saying anything else for a long time, enjoying the cold and the silence.


Morning had come too quickly. Light streamed through the curtains as Ursa opened her eyes a fraction of the way and saw that servants and her mother were already hustling through the villa. Every single part of today had been carefully planned down to the last second. The wedding would start at eleven in the morning followed by her coronation on the palace balcony. It was expected that every citizen of the Capital would be in attendance to watch as she became their newest princess. Afterward would be the reception attended by the elite of the Fire Nation. Fire Nation generals, diplomats, and magistrates would attend from across the Fire Nation.

Every move today had been perfectly choreographed by the people who had planned the wedding. Every move that she would make had been practiced and was expected to go perfectly. Ursa knew that the moment that she opened her eyes that she would be ushered into the bath and then she would have her hair done and her makeup down and then she would be put into her wedding dress. The moment that she opened her eyes the day would begin and she was already exhausted.

"Ursa, it's time to get up," her mother said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and smiled down at her daughter.

She wanted to ignore her mother and pretend that she didn't hear her but she realized that it was of no use and she needed to get up and get ready. Ursa finally opened her eyes and gave her mom a small smile.

"I can't believe today is your wedding day!" Rina exclaimed, smiling down at her daughter. "I'm so proud of you, Ursa. I love you so much."

"I love you too," Ursa replied softly.

"Up up!" Malina, the wedding planner, said, clapping her hands.

Ursa sighed and nodded her head. She pushed herself up off the bed and took a deep breath. Today was starting. Tonight she would be a married woman. There was no going back now.

"Come, the bath is ready for you," Malina explained, leading Ursa towards the bathroom.

She briefly wondered where her father and siblings were but she was suddenly being undressed and she found herself in the warm bathwater, fire lily petals floating on the water. Ursa sank down under the water enjoying the silence for a few moments before she sat back up. She still wasn't used to having servants and how they expected her to not lift a finger when they were around. Two girls, who were probably not much younger than she was, stepped forward to the bathtub and began to wash her hair. Ursa did enjoy the way that it felt when they washed her hair although it was going to take a little bit of time to get used to this, if she ever did really get completely used to it.

They had a bathtub at home but the water never stayed warm as it did with two firebenders continually keeping the water warm. It was a luxury that she had never had and she was enjoying it.

Rina walked into the bathroom and nodded her head approvingly when she saw Ursa. "When you are finished with her hair she needs to get out and start getting her hair and makeup done."

The servants nodded their heads and Ursa sighed. She wasn't ready for the bath to be over. She was enjoying it too much. Like staying in bed, she could stay in this tub forever. But of course, her mother would come in to ruin the peaceful atmosphere of the bathroom. The servants rinsed her hair one last time before encouraging her to stand up and get out. She was handed a towel, which she wrapped around her body, and she was pushed into a sitting position as a servant began drying her hair and brushing it carefully.

When she was dried off the room was invaded by her mother, Malina, and countless people that were going to dress her and do her makeup and her hair. She felt completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people that were suddenly poking and prodding her and it was difficult for her to sit still so they didn't accidentally poke an eye out or accidentally injure her.

She missed Elua desperately; it wasn't fair that Ozai had denied her involvement with the wedding. He had said that there was no way a commoner would be involved and she had wanted to shout at him that she was essentially a commoner too but she had held back. Ursa was regretting it now. She felt like she should have fought him more or spoke up more and tried to convince him to let Elua be there. When she had told her best friend she had understood, Elua was always so incredibly understanding, but she still felt guilty. She wished that she was there. Maybe today would have been more fun with her by her side instead of horrifyingly overwhelming.

"Where's Mura?" Ursa asked her mother. She didn't hear her siblings playing in the villa, she didn't know where they had gone.

"They went back home to get ready, they will be back soon," Rina said dismissively.

Ursa knew how much Mura had wanted to be a part of this but of course, their mother sent her home with Eska and Ukano and Afiko. She should have told her mother to let her stay and get ready here too.


Ozai stood in his room, his hands clasped behind his back as he appraised himself in the mirror. His wedding robe fit perfectly as he turned to look at the sleeves. They were a traditional red color with a gold dragon on the back. The sleeves had traditional Fire Nation designs in gold thread and he knew that his father would approve of his choice.

"Little brother," Iroh said, standing behind him.

Ozai hadn't heard him come in. He turned to face his older brother. For once today was going to be about Ozai and not Iroh and he was going to enjoy it completely.

"Iroh," Ozai said with a slight nod in acknowledgment.

"You look good. Mother would be proud of you today. She would have been so happy to see you get married. I know you never got to be with her but she loved you so much. She was so excited to meet you and it's a tragedy that you didn't get time with her."

Ozai's face didn't move from the mask that he had carefully curated throughout his life. His mother was a topic that he rarely broached. He felt that it made him weak and Ozai didn't do weakness. He had seen the way that Iroh reacted when he lost his wife and he had heard the stories about how his father had reacted when he lost his wife. Ozai would never be like that, he was certain of it.

And yet…it was startling for him to realize that he liked the thought of his mother being proud of him. It hit a chord in him that he hadn't known was there and he offered his brother the slightest of smiles.

"You think so?" He asked casually as he picked at an invisible string on his sleeve, looking down at it.

"I know so," Iroh said, placing his hand on his shoulder. Ozai looked up. "Becoming a husband means that you are officially a man, Ozai, and I think that it will do you a lot of good. The day that I married Kuvira was the best day of my life. Besides the day that Lu Ten was born, of course," Iroh chuckled.

"I'm hoping that Lu Ten will have a cousin shortly."

"I'm sure that he would love that," Iroh agreed, smiling at his little brother. "I always regret that we weren't able to give him more siblings. He's such a smart boy, a good boy."

"He is," Ozai agreed because he knew that it was what Iroh was expecting him to say that. He didn't think much about his nephew. He was simply there.

"He has been telling me all about Lady Ursa. She seems like a great woman. He really seems to look up to her and he likes spending time with her. I think that she will be good for you, Ozai. And a great mother."

"Thank you," Ozai said, pleased with his brother's praise. It was certainly one of the reasons that he wanted Ursa compared to someone like Meiko. Meiko was fire and perfect for his mistress, but Ursa…Ursa was great for the public. And she would be a good mother to his children and her bloodline would hopefully produce strong children with strong bending.

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation and Ozai turned his head to look at who was interrupting. One of the Fire Sages opened the door after his consent to open.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Prince Ozai but it is time."

"I'll be there in a moment," Ozai dismissed. The Fire Sage bowed low to them both and shut the door.

"Ready for your life to change, Ozai?" Iroh questioned a good-natured smile on his face.


Standing in front of all of the elite of the Fire Nation was incredibly nerve-wracking for Ursa. She didn't like all of the eyes on her and Ozai as they stood in front of the Fire Sage, Shyu, who was officiating their wedding. The one thing that helped was that she didn't look like herself; she had been so done up that she hadn't even recognized herself in the mirror when they had shown her back at the villa. Her mother had cried and said that she looked beautiful but Ursa didn't even recognize herself and it was unsettling.

Ursa didn't know how they had gotten her hair to do the things that they had gotten it to do. Her hair had been braided together and weaved into this incredibly intricate hairstyle at the top of her head. A crown of fire lilies had been weaved into her hair to sit on top of the bun and a sheer veil covered her face. They had made it look simple when they had done it but she had no idea how they had managed to do it. Her lips had a dark red color on it and her eyes had an almost smoky look to them. It was pretty but it didn't feel like her and she wasn't sure how she felt about it.

The gown that she was wearing was the best part. It was a beautiful red color with beautiful and intricate gold-threaded design throughout. The Fire Nation emblem was on the sleeves of the dress and a beautiful dragon was on the front. It matched the dragon on Ozai's robes and she thought that it looked good together. She had been amazed when they showed her the dress for the first time and it was even more incredible when she put it on.

"Thank you all for coming today to see the union of Prince Ozai, son of Fire Lord Azulon and Lady Ilah rest her soul, grandson of former Fire Lord Sozin rest his soul and Lady Ursa daughter of Rina and Mako rest his soul, stepdaughter of Jinzuk. It is always a special day when we witness the joining of two families but especially today. Today is the day that we look to the future. To the future of Prince Ozai and Lady Ursa and to the future of the Fire Nation as a whole. Their union will bring prosperity to the nation."

Ursa glanced out at the guests watching them. Her family was sitting in the front and she was strangely proud of her brothers sitting there still. Eska was even staying still and she wondered what her mother had done to get her to do so. She was startled to see that Meiko was in attendance. Ursa couldn't read her expression, for a moment there was a look of anger or hurt, and then her face went blank. Her relationship with Ozai was something that Ursa was worried about; she could still remember the look that Meiko had given her at Ozai's birthday and the things that she had said. She had never asked what the nature of their relationship was and she didn't want to ask about it. She much preferred to not think about it. She didn't want her to be around but as the daughter of a noble, Ursa knew that she couldn't get rid of her.

"Marriage between two people is a commitment to each other and to your families and to our Nation. Standing here today in front of your families and our citizens is a promise to honor each other and to honor our nation. Do you, Prince Ozai, promise to honor Lady Ursa for as long as you live?"

"I do," Ozai replied.

She looked up at Ozai and saw that he was watching her. She wondered what he was thinking if he was regretting today. He didn't hesitate when he was prompted, and she hoped that he would honor his vows and that they could put the past in the past. She knew that she needed to put Ikem in her past and she needed to say goodbye to him for good. She needed to focus on her future and her duty to the Fire Nation.

"Do you, Lady Ursa, promise to honor Prince Ozai for as long as you live?"

"I do," Ursa replied, pushing through her sinking feeling in her stomach and keeping her smile on her face.

Shyu instructed them to turn to one another. Ursa felt her heart pounding in her chest as she looked at Ozai. This was it. This would bind them together for the rest of their lives and her life would change forever. Slowly they both knelt to the ground and bowed to one another and when they straightened up, Ozai lifted the veil away from Ursa's face, and together they turned to the guests, their hands clasped together. They began to clap and Ursa knew that it was done. She was officially Ozai's wife.

"I present to you Prince Ozai and Lady Ursa. May we wish them well on their future," Fire Sage Shyu said as people began to clap.

Malina rushed forward and whisked Ursa away from the reception. Their guests would be sent to watch her official coronation while the servants transformed the room and prepared the banquet. She didn't know where Ozai went off to as they sat her down and touched up her makeup. Ursa was feeling incredibly overwhelmed and she wished that she could go back home and stop being the center of attention today. It was nice to be in a quiet room for a few moments, but she knew that she was about to be thrust into the spotlight again.

She wished that Elua could have been here today. She was sure that she was going to be in the crowd somewhere but she wasn't going to be able to see her. It would be a comfort just knowing that she was there.

"Are you ready to become a princess?" Rina asked her daughter, a big smile on her lips.

Ursa looked up at her mother. "Of course," she said.

"We are so proud of you. You looked beautiful standing there, Ursa. You have brought honor to our family."

Ursa just smiled uncomfortably as the Fire Sages came to tell her that it was time for her coronation.

It was an overwhelming blur, she could remember standing on the balcony and looking out at a sea of people. So many people were cheering her name and even as far up as she was on the balcony she could sense the joy that the people had. It was an overwhelming feeling to know that so many people were looking to her and were excited for her marriage. It was a strange feeling when the Fire Sage placed the crown on her head knowing that her life was different now and she was officially Princess Ursa of the Fire Nation. She looked up and heard the overwhelming sound of the cheers of the people.

She stood there for several moments before she was whisked away back to the reception.


Ozai stood off to the side, an approving smile on his lips. Ursa had handled herself marvelously today. She looked beautiful and she had shown the utmost respect for their wedding ceremony and her coronation. It was really an honor that he allowed her to have her coronation day at the same time as her wedding—in the past princes and Fire Lords waited until there was an heir before they allowed their wives to have the royal title.

He watched from a corner as Ursa stood with her younger sister. She had been mingling with the guests while he had been mingling with the generals. They suddenly seemed to think that he was of interest to them and he resented it. But he knew that he needed to play the game with them in order to get them to realize that he was somebody to watch.

"Prince Ozai," a voice addressed him.

He turned and looked and saw Meiko standing there looking at him. He felt anger rise in his stomach as he looked at her. How dare she come to talk to him today with all of these people standing around them? He couldn't have people starting rumors about him on his wedding day. He wouldn't be shamed and he wouldn't have Ursa shamed either. His affairs would be done in private.

"I need to talk to you," Meiko said insistently.

Ozai narrowed his eyes and quickly walked over to her and gripped her wrist tight in his hand, glaring down at her. She gasped and he quickly looked around to make sure that nobody saw them in this quiet corner.

"You dare come to me today? At my wedding to talk to me? I will talk to you when I have time. It will not be today. You will turn around and you will stay away from me and from Ursa and I will send for you when I have time. Do you understand me?" He hissed at her.

Her eyes wide with tears sparkling in them, she nodded her head. "Yes," she breathed out. "I—I understand."

"Good," Ozai said, letting go of her wrist and he watched as she rushed away.

He scanned the room and frowned when he said his brother watching him. High and mighty Iroh had seen him with Meiko. It didn't seem that anybody else spotted them. Besides his father, Iroh was the last person that he wanted to see her with his mistress. It would just lead to more comparisons between the brothers and it would just leave to Iroh giving him moralizing tales about how affairs were bad for marriage and how he needed to be better for Ursa's sake. He could already hear it now and it made his blood boil.

He turned away from his brother's gaze and found Ursa. It was late and the reception was starting to wind down. It was time for him to take his new bride to bed. Hopefully it wouldn't be long before they were expecting an heir.