(Warnings for this chapter: Fire Nation focus, racism, child abuse, dysfunctional parenting)

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Being involved with the Royal family was like a war of attrition.

Kya knew from the moment she accepted the Prince's "proposal" and gave herself to that fate, she knew that this relationship would be one of compromise, and she was quickly proven correct. In order to get anything from Ozai, she had to surrender something else in response, even if it were just something as innocuous as her time or assorted favors. But the man himself was far from the worst part of it all.

Ozai had simple goals and desires, and it wasn't too complicated for Kya to learn how to deal with him. The simple fact of the matter was that his attachment came with a need for attention. Every time Kya thought about his background, and what passed for a family in the Fire Nation royal family, it made more and more sense to her. It certainly didn't erase his flaws, and Kya was far from forgetting about the circumstances behind her ending up with him, but understanding her surroundings was the first step to controlling them. It made too much sense for someone who was sired by Fire Lord Azulon to have issues, the only thing she knew about Ozai's mother was that she had been deceased for a long time, and the Crown Prince was considerably older and hardly ever around. There wasn't really anyone else beyond that.

While the world moved and changed with war, the Prince did not.

Granted, it wasn't as though he fought very hard for those bonds. The Fire Lord and Crown Prince had already earned his ire (questionably in some respects, given the subject matter of his rants, but still earned as far as Ozai was concerned). And as far as Kya knew, there was no one else in the palace that Ozai regularly interacted with outside of some sparse military contacts and politicians. He was a dour loner underneath all the glitter and gold.

As if to make up for that, Ozai couldn't seem to leave Kya alone for very long.

But she could handle him.

Ozai's behavior loosened with time, and from the moment that Kya had accepted his 'proposal,' she received more privileges in the palace. Her schedule was no longer so strict as to confine her to her room at specific times of the day, and the guard gave her more distance and privacy in the library and gardens. If she tried hard enough, Kya could pretend that she really was alone.

Though Kya's nature a sociable Water Tribe eventually won out. She started striking up conversations with the guards and maids that frequented her room and took her to and fro around the palace grounds. The regular staff had been polite enough to her throughout their job–as they were probably trained to be–but started talking back as time passed. As Kya learned their names and behaviors, aspects of their personal lives slipped into those conversations as well, much to her surprise.

She asked her servers about the types of food they liked, that they could recommend. Kya was concerned for the maid fluffing her pillows with dark-circled eyes, telling her to put some incense on before bed for better night's sleep. Out of all the attendants, she was most fond of the young guardsman that served as one of her escorts, a barely warrior-age individual named Fei. He picked out books from the library he thought she'd like, and Kya gave him what she hoped passed as advice for Fei's fledgling crush on a fellow soldier.

Even so far away from home, Kya used what freedom she had to build her own community.

But all of this newfound freedom hinted at something more worrisome, something that had to be true for Ozai to consider an action as public as a marriage.

Namely, that the Fire Lord was aware of her presence there.

Kya knew on some level, that it was inevitable for her to be discovered eventually, but compared to his father, she wasn't threatened by Ozai at all. Especially with how obvious he was with everything. And she didn't feel at all comfortable knowing that the only reason for her increased freedoms following the proposal was because there was no one to hide her from anymore.

At the same time, preparations were underway for Prince Ozai's upcoming wedding to Kya.

Before his original fiancee disappeared, servants and guards in the capital had already been in the process of preparing their wedding. They'd been gathering guests, setting aside and preparing a venue, and securing an extensive list of guests for the occasion. Now that the woman who was supposed to be in the capital was gone, and Kya was being married in her place, some details needed to be changed and redone, partygoers and servers who had to be informed as to the changes taking place.

Ozai even swept in once or twice to offer his "suggestions" for decorating the venue. It all seemed terribly formal and unnecessary from Kya's perspective, and she confessed that she knew nothing about the specifications; weddings weren't planned to the extensive level in the southern tribe that they were in the Fire Nation. Partly, she felt disappointed in herself. Kya had gone out of her way to demand busy-work before, but now she couldn't do anything but be as stagnant as the nobility she so tried to avoid becoming. The Water Tribe had dresses and finery (such as they were) for such occasions, yes, but none so elaborate or brimming with precious metals, like the gold leaf pressed into Kya's formal headdress.

The Prince hummed thoughtfully at the knowledge that there wasn't much she could contribute, but brushed it off idly. In this instance, he didn't seem to mind putting in his own effort. Ozai enjoyed his expensive tastes, his luxury, and knew enough about them to actually be useful. Kya was unused to the novelty of a man being so…fashionably minded.

But she didn't have much time to think about the idea.

One day Ozai was a whirlwind of activity, seeming excited as the important day grew near, the next he was visiting her chambers with an expression on his face that could only be called grave, shooing out the maid who'd been helping Kya with her new dress in the process.

Kya hadn't expected to see him. From what the books and the servants told her, the Fire Nation had an 'issue' with the bride and groom seeing each other alone so close before the marriage. It considered uncouth. She supposed it hardly mattered in the end.

Ozai would do what Ozai wanted.

That was why she was here in the first place after all.

From the serious look on his face, Kya could guess than something had gone wrong, or at least, not according to his plans. The woman found herself tensing up instinctively, setting aside the comb she'd been using to fix her hair once freed from the complex headdress.

The man gestured for her to take a seat on the sofa in her quickly-becoming-unnecessary guest room, and pulled up a chair to sit down nearby. "Unfortunately, we have ourselves a problem before we can go ahead with our upcoming marriage," He paused for a moment, unusually hesitant, and his pause caused a rise of nervousness in Kya as well. "My father has demanded that you speak to him this afternoon in the audience chamber."

Kya froze, her hands clenched into fists at the pronouncement. The very thought of being face to face with the Fire Lord sent her instincts rushing into fight or flight mode.

"Why," Kya said, and the discomfort of his pronouncement was enough to jar her completely, and the word came out as nothing more than a flat, dull statement.

"Because…I know the Fire Lord more than I would like, and I know that he enjoys my discomfort," Ozai's lip curled in distaste. "And I know that he despises your kind the most."

Kya's nails dug into her own palms at that sentence, both anxious for her safety, and upset at the idea of being thought of as lesser simply for her blood. "What have we ever done to him?" Kya muttered, and the man offered no answer beyond a shrug of his shoulders. A waterbender never would have been let out of a cell where they could so much as glimpse the royal family, but for Azulon, her Water Tribe origins without that sort of power were enough to earn her scorn. It wasn't just to her people to be treated that way; when had the Water Tribe ever wronged him?

Kya couldn't bring herself to ask. Some part of her was already aware of the answer: that the Fire Lord hated her people not because of something they did, but because they existed.

But assuming was dangerous, and who knew what was really going on that man's head.

Her eyes were drawn back up when the Prince leaned forward in his chair, "I don't know what he wants to say to you, but if you provoke him in any way….Well, If you give the Fire Lord an excuse to strike you down, he will do it." Ozai offered out his hand to her, palm up, and the woman reach out to take it without thinking, steadying herself. "So let me give you some advice for dealing with my…father," Ozai's golden eyes were narrowed and serious. He seemed almost genuinely concerned. "First, do not say a single word to him unless he commands you to speak. Any sign of aggression must be avoided. Say nothing of the…favor I did for your hand; he will rescind it without hesitation if you are the one addressing it. I'm sure he ignored those orders because he wasn't getting anything out of it anymore.

And last of all, this is the most important of all the others, do not mention anything relating to the past raids." The Prince stopped, his hand was unnaturally hot against her own, tense and stiff. Kya remembered how his bending seeped through his skin when Ozai's emotions flared; even when he looked calm, a fire was always burning just beneath the surface. The intensity here was definitely not one of anger, but it burned bright nonetheless. His brand of fire was hard for anyone to forget. "Do understand what I'm telling you?"

Kya's eyes closed and her grip tightened for a moment before letting go. "Yes, I do."

She knew there was no avoiding Azulon. Might as well get it over with.

Ozai helped her select a set of formal clothes from her expansive closet when it was time for her meeting with the Fire Lord, an extra layer more than she usually wore at least. It wasn't usually his way to help with them, but this time was different. Ozai stood close to her as he adjusted Kya's long sleeves, sliding the length of cloth down over her hands. It was a possessive touch that she was far too distracted from to really be bothered by at all. "Come back in one piece," Ozai said, and his kiss felt like a promise.

Kya was escorted to the audience chamber shortly thereafter, though the guards did not accompany her inside. Fei was one of them. His face was twisted into a worried cringe; even the guards themselves knew well how dangerous it was to carelessly approach the Fire Lord. Kya nodded at him and forced a smile with a bravery that she didn't truly feel, and stepped inside. The heavy door swung shut slowly behind her, like the jaws of a trap snapping shut.

Across the hall, supported by pillars raised far above on a high ceiling, Kya spied the occupied throne of Fire Lord Azulon.

The man himself was only a shadow, concealed by a towering inferno that walled him off from any eyes who tried to glimpse him, not unlike a curtain of flame. The barrier roared like a living thing as she approached, hungry and ferocious, and the sound more than drowned out the click of her shoes across the tiled floor. For a minute, the crackling fire was the only sound that filled the room, tension unbearably heavy as Kya made her way closer. And during that time, neither of them spoke a word. Kya was not eager not to do so at all. And the cold-blooded Fire Lord was busy sizing her up with barely visible eyes. When the woman was close enough to somewhat make out the form behind his bending wall (not that she particularly wanted to see him), she knelt down in a bow the way she remembered the attendants do so many times for Ozai.

After what seemed like forever, but was really only a minute or two (a wait that was tailor-made to keep her on edge), the wall of fire rolled back. The Fire Lord was white-haired and wizened from age, his frame was thin–and almost looked frail when compared to Ozai. But his countenance was as frigid as the coldest plane of ice in the South, eyes so empty that Kya had to work to suppress the shiver that crawled down her spine.

Eyes narrowed just enough to show his distaste, Fire Lord Azulon finally began to speak. "So…you are the spare Prince Ozai took into my palace with no warning. My youngest grows more erratic every year," His voice was cold, devoid of any more than the slightest inflection. "I hope that you thanked the Prince on bended knee for his generosity. You should thank whatever fragile spirits your people have to have been born without bending, otherwise, you would not have lived long enough for my son to make a reckless decision the way he did. I can promise you that. Still, such amenities are far more than what a savage deserves."

Kya tensed to her core, but she didn't make a move other than to tighten her fists reflexively, enough that her nails dug painfully into her palms.

Ozai's warnings rang clear in her mind.

She didn't say a word.

The man tilted a head at her careful silence, before continuing on, seemingly unbothered. Not that it was easy to tell. Kya braced herself for whatever he had to say next. And yet, despite that, she was surprised again. "Not to worry, I'll keep my promise to Ozai. Your future is secure. Unless, of course…you have the assassination already planned?"

And, with a direct question, she couldn't keep her silence going. "I-I beg your pardon?"

The towering flames burned white-hot for a moment for a moment before calming again, and the Fire Lord's voice came back as a modicum more clipped and harsh. "I know full-well what the snow-eaters' ultimate goal is: to depose me," Azulon raised his chin and stared down at her, as if daring her to disagree. Kya was inclined to do so if it was possible to without instantly signing her own death warrant. Was he was suggesting was…borderline paranoia. Unless something had drastically changed in the period of time since she'd been taken, the Southern Water Tribe had their hands full simply taking care of their own. Her people just didn't have the resources or the manpower to actually attempt to take down the Fire Lord, no matter how much they wanted to. And he certainly deserved it (not that Kya could stay that aloud). Unless, he was talking about…. "You'd love to try it, wouldn't you? The last attempt at resistance of a dying breed."

No, that wasn't true. She wouldn't do something like that.

Kya hated him just as much as any Tribesman did, that much was could be attested to. But the only times she'd picked up a weapon intending to harm another was done in self-defense. How could she ever consider taking up the mantle of an assassin? Either way, Kya had to answer. How was she to give a satisfactory response without angering him when everything he said was layered over threats and hatred? The only path for her was humility.

"I'm deeply sorry, Fire Lord, but I know nothing. I…I am merely Prince Ozai's fiancee. I no longer have any connection to Water Tribe politics," Kya said, fighting every instinct she had to keep her voice level and calm.

Azulon stared at her for a moment, presumably judging her honesty. He then gave a brief jerk of his head, a clear sign of dismissal if she ever saw one. But as Kya rose to her feet and turned to leave (eager to get out of his sight), the man called her to stop, "Before you go…" Kya didn't turn around, she couldn't. But as it turned out, he didn't order her to. "If you're truly so…unconnected to the south as you claim, then this information bother you at all, peasant. Your…countrymen, those your kind were so desperate to reclaim…they have been disposed of."

What? No, he couldn't be saying what she thought he was saying. One hand crept to the front of Kya's clothes, fingers tightening into the material just before her racing heart.

But…he just kept talking. "I had them incarcerated in the first place to keep those southern beasts at bay, as useful–but not truly needed–insurance if it were ever necessary." The suggestion of a self-satisfied sneer entered the man's voice, "But I think they've expended the last of their usefulness at this point. The waterbenders' prison was draining more resources than it was worth, and I have little interest in preserving relics of a bygone age. It was quite simple. I withdrew the guards, ended the delivery of supplies, and let the facility die. Perhaps, if I knew we'd end up simply recycling that prison, I wouldn't have wasted time with it in the first place."

The man paused, and Kya used that time to try to calm the racing of her heart, to no avail.

'They were dead. All of them. The Southern Water Tribe never had a hope of seeing their stolen brethren again.' She had realized how unlikely it was, all too aware of the inability of rescue. But she didn't think they were dead. Her people always used the word 'lost' for a reason, but now…. Kya didn't want to think of them going out that way. In a cage. But, standing there in that wide open hall, hallway with no one nearby but a soulless Fire Lord, she couldn't help but imagine it. Her body was shaking faintly, and the prickling in her eyes told her that she was on the verge of tears. But she didn't want to break down in front of him, give him that satisfaction.

Azulon left another moment of silence, and Kya couldn't but feel that he was waiting for her to pull a knife and attack him. Prove his suspicions correct, and give him a free pass to get rid of her. Because there was no hope for Kya to be able to overcome him if she tried.

Finally, he seemed to have grown tired of her presence, "Get out. I don't want to see you here again." The flames flared hot on the woman's back as they moved back into place.

Kya did so gladly, her hand rising from her chest up to her mouth, muffling the beginnings of a sob under her fingers. Her finger slid over the door for a moment before she could get it open, slipping outside. The moment the door closed, Kya released a choked cry, forgetting for a moment the guards that had been waiting for her on the other side. The pair of them immediately set to work leading her away, Fei's voice whispering concerns while the other man kept a nervous silence. Kya was grateful, because without them it would be hard to find her way back to her rooms, as long as her vision was blurred with a buildup of tears.

When they arrived back, Ozai was waiting for her, and she caught a brief glimpse of his form tense in waiting before he noticed their arrival and came close. The Prince immediately demanded privacy for them, and her escorts left them alone.

Ozai's hands were Kya's shoulders a moment after, eyes roaming over her as if searching for some unseen injury. "What did he do? Are you…?" She shook her head, too distressed to articulate the words trapped in her throat, and trying to wipe the tears from her face. He seemed to take her denial as a reason to lean forward for a kiss. Kya wasn't sure whether it was fueled by a relief in her safety, or possessiveness, or both mixed into one. Likely the latter. Either way, she wasn't able to tolerate it. Not now, after who she'd spoken to and what she'd been told.

"No," Kya pushed him off of her. When the man made a vaguely frustrated noise and opened his mouth to speak, she blocked his words with her palm. "Not now…I can't…just let me talk for a while," Kya said, voice wobbling. "You always talk; just…let me this time…."

For once, Ozai did what she wanted. She told him what the Fire Lord told her, slowly and haltingly, in not so many words. Ozai didn't say anything in response, not that she would let him now. It wasn't like he could even really understand what she was feeling. But after so many times of the Prince using her as a means to vent his issues, he owed her this.

At the end of it, she had no more energy to continue, pacing over to the bed and collapsing on top of it without even bothering to remove her layers. She was too tired to deal with it. The last thing Kya saw before drifting off to sleep was Ozai sitting at the far end of the bed, expression dark, lighting the stick of incense on the bedside table with a cursory flick of his fingers.

The scent of lilies and spice filling the room chased away dreams from her restless mind.

In contrast to all the work that went into preparing for it, the day of Kya's wedding was, in the way of royalty, a constant procession of formal celebration.

Early in the whole morning hours, well before she was usually disturbed, Kya stirred, finding the maids already filing inside the door. She was dressed quickly and politely led out from her room, surrounded by a procession of attendants. All of them seemed to be in too much of a hurry to really tell her where they were going, but the women who'd grown accustomed to Kya's social presence smiled pleasantly at her at their first greeting.

The path they took was down to the ground floor of the palace, and shockingly enough, out to the front entrance. Kya hadn't really left the palace in so long besides her trips to the garden, that she'd forgotten the sprawl of the city just outside. For only a moment, her feet hesitated on the threshold, rendered more uncertain by the reminder of the world outside she'd missed so much.

Not far from the front entryway, a palanquin was settled on the plaza, a group of guards and servants for carrying the litter clustered around the expensive litter waiting for her. When Kya had first seen it, she had dismissed it has something that was nothing but an unnecessary status symbol, and not something that would ever be reserved for her. But now…things had changed with the wedding. She almost wanted to question it, but there wasn't much point. Kya was helped up into the seat inside and the curtains swung shut around her, sunlight streaming through the red and gold cloth. She settled into the too soft cushion as the palanquin tilted into motion, rocking smoothly with the practiced steps of the bearers.

It was almost soothing. Private.

She closed her eyes in the seclusion of her seat and imagined that she was on a boat, rolling and rocking methodically on the embrace of the sea.

When the trip came to a stop and Kya had stepped down out of the litter, she was ushered inside of another building, where the guards stopped and formed a line outside. This one was much shorter than the palace–only a few stories tall–and elegantly decorated to be beautiful in contrast to the intimidating might of the palace. The room she was led into was closed with a door made mostly of a colorful screen than wood, with images of bright orange dragons roaming across their surface. On a table just inside was a redwood box the maids opened to reveal a beautiful gown in red and cream that Kya immediately knew would be her wedding dress. They pulled out the silky clothes and the rest of the morning hour revolved around the maids helping Kya into her elaborate wedding gown. The cream-colored cloth was over-warm for the weather and heavy on her body, and the sash was tight across her middle. They pinned ornaments into her hair and pulled up the brown locks to secure in place with a shiny hairpiece. Makeup was padded over her cheeks, only the thinnest layer (the maids allegedly admired the lack of blemishes on her skin, but Kya knew full well she wasn't as soft-skinned as any Fire Nation noble lady) as opposed to the dark lipstick applied with even strokes.

The woman's face stared back at her from a hand mirror, almost unrecognizable to the Southern Water Tribe mentality she carried. Only her blue eyes broke a hole in the illusion her garb created, until of course the sheer white veil was dropped down over her face.

When she was dressed and ready, she was led away from the preparatory room and up a staircase and across a balcony corridor. The atrium floor below was already one of celebration, but the poised, controlled kind Kya had come to expect from the Fire Nation nobility. Melodious music filled the air as a band played to a gathering crowd of upper class guests who were ushered inside by the guards. A few of them looked up to see her procession moving overhead, gesturing and whispering to one another, and the woman angled her face away from their gazes subconsciously. Kya wondered, with his prickly personality, how many of these people even knew the Prince at all.

There was a small waiting room before the next hall where her escort stopped. The servants there obsessively checked over her makeup to make sure it was "correct" before leading her into the next hall.

People were already filing into the seats that filled the massive room. Kya made her way down the balcony steps and across a deep red carpet up to the altar at the far end. She glanced briefly over the guests and looked away. Of course the Fire Lord didn't bother to show up.

Ozai met her at the other side, dressed formally in scarlet and inky black, extending his hand in a gesture to come closer. Kya exhaled slowly and did so, and the attendants at her side dispersed to the side to frame the proceedings. Kya recognized the garb of the man that stood before them from the history books she'd skimmed; he was one of the elder Fire Sages, the man who would officiate them in the law of the Fire Nation. Like one of her elder council.

But as the sage started to recite the vows, Kya instead watched the Prince out of the corner of her eye. He was standing there proudly, with the air of a man who didn't regret a single choice he made. Kya looked away, anxious at the path spreading out before her. She chose this.

She had tuned out the man's speech, but was aware enough of when it ended to straighten to attention when it ended and Ozai turned toward her. He lifted back the veil and his golden eyes froze her in place with their intensity. It was just like the first time they met.

Kya wasn't afraid of the man with golden eyes. She chose this.

They met together in a fluid motion, sealing their contract with a kiss.

From then on, Kya's relation with the Prince entered the public sphere.

Consort of the Second Prince of the Fire Nation. Why was this her life? Although her heritage as Water Tribe wasn't announced to the world, it wasn't particularly hidden either. There was a measure of authority that came with her position, though she knew better than to think it could be used against the royal family. But that didn't mean it couldn't be useful for other means.

At least, Kya used her influence to help the attendants around her in various ways, and promoted Fei up to her personal guard. He was one of the bright spots of her life in the palace, and looked forward to speaking with him when the hours ran slow. The young man confessed that her advice for him had been successful and was now dating a soldier entering the navy. All the history books in the library couldn't acclimate Kya to the Fire Nation culture the way he could, and there were so many aspects outside the war that were revealed to her through him. And she needed that more than ever. Especially now that Kya was edging into the public eye.

She was taken out of the palace more often, for whatever outing Ozai found appropriate. But none of this was done without a personal escort and opulent transportation, and however little the trip either of those was strictly necessary. It was stifling, but Kya had, perhaps unfortunately, grown used to that during the first month in the Fire Nation. Instead, she chose to enjoy the time outside her physical walls as much as possible. It was refreshing change of pace.

Even though the brief glimpses of violence and pain on the streets were enough to unsettle her.

But eventually, Ozai found a new focus for his interest, and it wasn't long before Kya was distracted from the less immediate things. The truth was that the Prince wanted a child.

Or more specifically, an heir. Someone to carry on his strength and legacy beyond himself.

It was the expected result of people in power, but Kya couldn't help but feel that he was rushing into things. It wasn't that she didn't want to have children; quite the opposite, and the many hours she'd spent in the south helping with the community's own cemented that interest. It was an easy future to imagine: contributing her own blood to the tribe with a warrior who loved her. But raising children in a faraway land, with a man she had only ended up with due to circumstance? Regardless, given how they were, Kya would end up with his child eventually, even if–up until now–Ozai hadn't been trying to get her pregnant. Marriage was a promise to that.

She was on guard, and familiar with how the other women back home reacted when their bodies told them they were with child. Which was why Kya caught on to the signs so quickly.

The early morning illnesses, changing diet, and inconvenient mood swings made her certain.

Ozai reacted with an odd kind of pride when he found out; Kya just assumed it had to do with his own role in making it possible. It didn't matter really.

What mattered was that the attendants crowded her more than ever, insisting on handling more and more of her physical activities (after she had pulled so much to obtain them), and having her rest for longer hours. She was less fragile at that stage than they gave her credit for. Still, Kya had to make use of the time given to her, reading more and writing in her journals (having created more over the long time she'd spent with the Prince). Her handwriting had grown noticeably neater and straighter after so much practice. A far cry from the hard slashes before.

So she spent the weeks writing about everything, even as her body started trying to rebel against any small activity she tried to pursue. And the time blurred meaninglessly together.

When the time for the birth finally came, Kya's emotions were frazzled and unstable, pain coursing through her as her doctor and attendants filed in for her. She couldn't even lingered how unnecessary their number were, how very much like glass they were treating her, not in this state. Her mood was wild and tumultuous, and only worsened as the pain did. And when Ozai appeared at the door despite the doctor's insistence, Kya screamed at him to leave, every ounce of moderation she'd built for him scattered to the wind. Soon after that, she passed out, the strain on her emotions from her perspective somehow greater than that on her body.

When the woman awoke, dizzy and confused as if hungover, Ozai was standing over her. The man had that familiar spark of pride on his face again, and was brushing back Kya's tangled hair.

The midwife was next to him, her face smiling despite being dauded in sweat. "Congratulations, my Lady, it's a boy," She announced, breathing hard. But Kya had eyes only for the bundle in her hands. It didn't matter how tired she felt. The woman thrust out her arms for her child, her son, and the look in her eyes brooked no argument as the midwife complied.

"Oh," Kya said in a soft voice the moment the weight settled in her arms, the moment she saw him. He was beautiful. Her baby was Water Tribe tan and brown haired, with sharp golden eyes like his father. The same eyes that transfixed her, unable to look away. But unlike Ozai, there was a deep curiosity and wonder in them, like he needed to know everything in his sight. He grasped at her hands as tight his small body could, and Kya smiled, taken by that too. "You are so strong, my little warrior." She laughed, remembering those old, affectionate nicknames her people gave. It was true, her son may never hold a spear or see the ice, but the spirit of warriors still lingered in him.

When Ozai drew near, to look over his promised progeny, their son shifted his focus to clung to his father's large hand and wouldn't let him go. Ozai tilted his head in Kya's direction, gesturing down at the child, "Well he certainly has your face, Kya." Maybe. Kya didn't use a mirror very often, so perhaps he would know better. Only after when the baby's limited energy ran out and he fell asleep, could the Prince move his hand away. Gold met gold, one set of eyes open and innocent, wanting to know things he hadn't the vocabulary or understanding to describe.

Kya named him for that. She claimed that right; it was only fair after this had become her life.

Sokka, for Understanding. He was the first truly pure thing she was given in the Fire Nation.

Kya refused to let the midwife or the nursemaids take her son away from her for any length of time; she would care for him herself the way her people dictated.

When a few weeks passed in this manner, Ozai decided to take them away, on a vacation of sorts. It was something to help heal his wife's exhausted body and–though he spoke little on the subject–to escape the changing political machinations in the capital. Much later, Kya would learn that the Crown Prince had returned to the Fire Nation very recently, his retinue fat with success and tariffs from their conquered cities. Iroh's son, Ozai's only nephew, had graduated from the preparatory academy, soon to go into military training. Ozai wanted his child away from his brother's in these early days.

Thankfully, the hot, tropical place that Ozai took them to wiped away much of that stress. It was a place called Ember Island. A place of leisure amid a nation mired in war and poise.

Ozai took very few with them: a small detachment of guard who stayed in the side wing of their beach-house so they wouldn't encroach on the Prince's vacation, a single nursemaid, and Kya's personal guard (she soon found that Fei was surprisingly good with children). Besides, the cabin was well furnished in its own right. Not comparable to the palace, but still far more luxury than homes in the south. More than that, it was the locale that caught Kya off guard. Though she had lived for a time in the capital and experienced its heat, that was within the city's confines. A sandy beach with palm fronds waving in a pleasant breeze was far away from accustomed.

Ozai surprised her bringing her something to wear on the beach, insisting that she enjoy the shore, "I promise you'll enjoy it." Kya actually felt vaguely scandalized. The ink black 'outfit' was just about as revealing as underwear, but her smirking husband insisted that was the point. "You can't go swimming in these waters if you're weighed down by so many layers, Kya." Despite that, she tied a lacy, violet shawl around her waist, thin cloth waving in the gentle wind.

At least Sokka was enjoying the beach. Under careful supervision, he kicked up sand, drawn to the water's edge. Kya held him there as he sunk his toes in the sand, water washing over his feet. The expression on her child's face as he looked over his shoulder at her was heart-melting.

Then she was momentarily distracted when Ozai stripped down to his undergarments and joined them on the beach. Under direct sunlight like that, in the middle of the day, it was a very different sight. Kya was flustered and red when he took his place next to her.

No wonder he gave her that outfit. The man had no modesty at all.

But still, Kya had to admit that taking this trip was easily one of Ozai's better ideas.

With the assistance of her aide, Kya took some time for herself between the the constant responsibilities of caring for a child. Normally, she wouldn't have slackened in her duty. But after spending so much company with her attendants, Kya knew them personally and trusted them to look after Sokka while she rested. Fei in particular was an enthusiastic caretaker, telling her child all about old Fire Nation legends about fiery birds and kingly spirits. He was a great friend to Kya in helping to lighten the load.

That vacation should have been an easy one. What was a surprise in those days of relaxation was when, after a few months away, Kya was again pregnant with another child.

Their trip had to be cut off, as Prince Ozai returned to the palace with his wife and child, now on his way to be a father of two. To Kya, the passage of time seemed shorter this time, perhaps because of all the time she spent taking care of Sokka. The moment he figured out how to move around on his own, he was always getting underfoot. It would be good for him to have sibling around to keep him company. Hopefully it would help curb his energy.

The days passed quickly. Ozai had to return to his duties, and couldn't be there as often as he should be. Kya heard word had spread of her son to the Crown Prince and how he'd learned about her connection to Ozai. Little gifts of 'congratulation' were left at her quarters. And she occasionally saw him in the library, challenging guards at Pai Sho, gaze drifting her way.

Nervous about the new attention, Kya chose not to address him until Iroh left the capital again. She was overthinking things again. Iroh might have done that just to irritate his brother.

Either way, it was a relief to have him gone, and she could focus on other things.

Things like the birth of her second child. It was far easier this time, and she was at a loss as to why. Kya sent her attendants to summon Ozai to her side this time, and the man arrived not too long after, as the midwife started directing her through the final stretch.

As it turned out, Kya's second was a girl. She was crying her lungs out from the beginning, but quickly faded out into her mother's arms. She was also tan-skinned and had the noticeable Fire Nation eyes, but her eyes and hair were both a few shades darker than her brother's, fragile gaze closer to amber than gold. As Kya stared into them in wonder, those irises almost seemed to shine. Tired but nonetheless determined to look her over, Kya admired her quietly, "You've got stars in your eyes, little one."

The baby was tuckered out very quickly, asleep even before Ozai's curious hand touched her head. "An even set," The man said, sounding satisfied. "Do you have a name for her?"

Kya smoothed back her daughter's hair blearily, "I've got something in mind, yes."

Once, long ago, Kya had a grandmother on her father's side who had been a waterbender. They had been gone for a long, long time. Dead before even Azulon cut their lives short most likely. And since then her family line had been completely barren of benders. As it was, only through word of mouth did Kya even know who she was. But she was a worthy memorial all the same.

So Kya named her daughter Katara, to remember her lost people and the old blood in her line.

They deserved that much.

For a time, Kya had worried about how Ozai would fare as a parent, with his temperament. And for a while, it seemed it was alright. Ozai behaved like having children was an achievement at first, but he at least tried, didn't snap at her when Kya corrected him on how to hold a child. It was like he was curious about them, almost as much as the kids were of him. It wasn't perfect of course, few things could live up to the fantasy Kya had once imagined, but it was a start.

The day things truly changed was the day that Kya's daughter, the one she had named for her fallen waterbenders, first showed her that she was a firebender.

The irony was unbelievable.

At age three, Katara ran into the sitting room where Kya was writing in her latest journal, and tugged excitedly on her sleeve, wavy hair bouncing around her face. On the other side of the room, Sokka fiddled with a bit of tangled metal Fei got him from abroad; it was supposed to be some kind of puzzle whose pieces you could take apart one at a time. So far he hadn't been having much luck with it, but Kya didn't know enough about it to help much. "What is it, dear?" Kya said, putting down her booklet to give the toddler a gentle smile.

"I make light!" The girl said with a smile, and for a moment Kya's heartbeat jumped to her throat. Spirits, if she'd somehow managed to get into the fireworks again…. But before the woman could even start to interrogate her, Katara turned and thrust her hands into the air. A shower of red-orange sparks burst from the girl's palms, thankfully disintegrating before they could set the carpet aflame. Katara turned back around and grinned at her shocked mother, "See? Bright lights!" Sokka's puzzle clattered to the ground, forgotten as he stared at where the fire was.

For all her confidence at raising children, Kya had no knowledge of how to handle this. She sent for Ozai. It was the only thing she could do.

Katara was taken under the wing of her father and a select group of tutors who slowly began to teach her how to reign in her ability at a young age. At so young, there wasn't much she could do, but plans were made for her to have a set training schedule in the future when she was more developed. But even so young, Ozai commented that the latent talent in her was strong.

With their daughter's bender status realized, eyes began to shift to Sokka in turn, waiting for the day that he would also reveal his blood-born gift. It was assumed as a given that he would. Sokka was the son of royalty and the bender blood of the royal family was touted as stronger than any; surely this would guarantee a similar talent.

But no such spark showed itself.

The anxiety of the Prince was soothed by his advisers, who insisted that not all benders revealed their talents quickly. There was still plenty of time for Sokka to come into his own.

In the meantime, while Katara practiced ever increasing displays of bending, Sokka became determined to ignore her newfound talent. He took a sheaf of Kya's journal paper and a letter brush, and started using them to take up drawing, with rough, uncoordinated strikes of the brush. Kya thought that maybe he had the rough handwriting of his mother. She was about to stand up to look over what he was making. But this time, Ozai made it to him first.

Sokka looked up at him hopefully. Despite everything, the boy was drawn to his father. He followed the man around when he was near and told him what he was working on. Wanted to please him and for the most part, Ozai indulged him, seemingly amused or maybe flattered by the constant attention. This time, he slowly slid the brush from the young boy's grasp, and showed him how adjust the pressure so that the image was smoother and less blotchy. And to not mash the bristles into the paper.

Kya expression softened when she saw it. 'Doting' was far from the word she'd use to describe Ozai, but he was at least trying something. Maybe there was hope for him after all.

It was only just her luck that sentiment was soon to come crashing down.

Every year young Katara's strength and skill as a firebender grew, even at her age.

Ozai was proud of having such a talented daughter in the family, wondering just how far she could go, how much he could teach her and when. But with every thought about his second child, he was drawn back to the first. The few retainers who had been informed about his son's situation insisted time and again that benders' abilities appeared at different ages in their childhood. Ozai himself had not bent a flame until the age of six. He kept that to himself.

But as years passed, and Sokka turned seven, his hands remained barren of a spark.

When Kya looked away, Ozai fixed his son's back with an intense stare, waiting for him to prove his unsettled suspicions wrong. Waiting for him to bend.

He never did, and eventually, Ozai decided it was time to take things into his own hands.

Katara managed to convince her mother to join her for one of her training sessions, and it was a perfect opportunity. He led his son to a special room in the palace, one that stopped being frequented long ago. Bare of all furniture, the only thing of note in the fancily tiled floors was a golden bowl on a small carpet in the middle of the room. Elegant legs raised the bowl about six inches off the ground, and within the dish sat a handful of round, black coals. With barely a thought, Ozai set the coal ablaze and gestured for Sokka to come closer.

The boy did immediately. He wasn't nervous, why should he be? He was directed to kneel by the bowl, and his father did the same on the opposite side.

"Do you know why you're here, Sokka?" Ozai asked him, voice heavy. His son shook his head slowly, but curious as ever. "This is an ancient rite of firebenders, one that…fell out of use. It's a test meant to bring out your inner fire, without outside distractions." Sokka leaned forward, eyes lighting up, eager to learn. They were bright eyes, maybe bright enough to hide the spark he should have. "Spread your hands before the fire, feel it, breathe with it. And then, direct it." For a moment, Sokka directed his attention to the flame, obediantly doing as he was told. But still nothing changed. "Well?"

"I…I'm trying, but I don't feel anything." He hesitated before continuing, "I don't think I can…."

"Of course you can," Ozai snapped, voice rising. "You are my son and blood of the strongest firebenders in the world flows in you. No more excuses. Complete the task."

A nervous light crept into Sokka's eyes as he went back to the fire, swiping his hands before the flames, getting more and more desperate with each passing second. Ozai watched him flounder, frustrated. Royalty produced benders, always. Azulon would not tolerate this kind of failure, and Ozai would be humiliated when the Fire Lord found out. He didn't have any more second chances.

Finally, losing his patience, Ozai got to his feet and stepped around the bowl to where the boy sat. Sokka looked up at him, hopeful perhaps, that whatever he was doing wrong could be corrected. Like his drawings, a technique he just hadn't grasped.

But there was a reason this test fell out of use.

Ozai knelt down next to him and took hold of the boy's wrists, stopping his movements. His son stared, confused. Ozai voice was harsh but quiet when he spoke, but Sokka would remember those words for years to come:

"You will bend, or you will burn."

Ozai plunged Sokka's hands into the fire, and the boy's screams echoed through the hall.

"Ozai!"

The Prince was just finishing up from his evening training session when the yell came, with a flurry of footsteps. He didn't even get the chance to open his mouth to speak before Kya reached him, her open palm making contact with his face. The sound of the slap was incredible. But it didn't stop there. The moment Kya lowered her hand, face a mask of anger, she immediately launched into an accusation. "How could you be so reckless?!"

"Excuse me?" Ozai said, rearing back, his face stinging.

"You know what this is about. You took Sokka on some test that you knew was dangerous, and didn't even bother to inform me!" The woman's expression changed into an agonized one, "The doctors told that if he'd been exposed for just a few moments longer, he wouldn't recover. Even now, Sokka will be lucky if he ever gets full mobility back in his fingers. Spirits, I can't believe you tried to hide this from me! I could have been there to make sure he was safe. There's no excuse for this, even if it was an accident!"

Ozai straightened up, brow furrowing in a faint confusion, "…What?"

Accident? No. Sokka lied.

"Forget it, I can't even look at you right now…" Kya turned away, unable to continue.

But Ozai's next words stopped her in her tracks, "He failed the test, Kya. He's a nonbender."

The women whirled around, irritated by his change of subject, "And what does that matter, Ozai? So am I! You knew that from the beginning, what do you care if our son is too?" And in her case, it was the very reason she was still alive.

But Ozai wasn't done yet.

"And the Fire Lord? Do you think he won't care, Kya?" It was a poignant reminder. The memory of that cruel man stuck in her mind so easily. After so many years living in the palace, Kya was never again called to meet with him, even when their children were born. "In my father's eyes, without a fire, he'll be nothing more than Water Tribe. He'll think that you tainted the bloodline. I think we both know by now how much Azulon despises your people…. With the way he fussed over you, do you think the Fire Lord will tolerate a second Water Tribe in his palace? Do you think he won't hurt him, or worse?"

He was right. Azulon's hatred of the Water Tribe poisoned him against Kya from the start. If Sokka's heritage as Fire Nation was stripped from him simply because of that… "No, he won't. If…if Azulon wants to punish someone, he should punish me. You said yourself, he'll blame me for his blood, so he should hurt me so our son can be safe."

But at those words, Ozai's expression screwed up into one of distaste. "No," He said fiercely, "I will not sacrifice you."

"But you would sacrifice Sokka?!"

The Prince set his jaw, stubborn as can be, "Azulon will find out sooner or later, and then it will be out of my hands. He doesn't respect me or listen to a word I say any longer. Like it or not, I don't have the authority to contest him any more." Piece spoken, the man turned and pulled on the outer layers he'd shed while training. From his perspective, there was nothing left to do any longer. Ozai had risked his influence with Kya and came out the loser. When Azulon found out, the only thing left to do would be to wait to see if the Fire Lord signed Sokka's death warrant.

So absorbed was Ozai that he nearly didn't hear the whisper behind his back, "What if the Fire Lord had no choice but to listen to you?"

"What was that?" The man looked over his shoulder at her.

"I said, what if he had no choice…" Kya's expression was almost alien in that moment. Dull and desperate, like a wild animal driven into a corner. "Azulon can order you to do such things because he thinks your line is inferior already. Replaceable." Ozai's hands tightened into fists, but Kya ignored the action completely. She kept talking, disinterested in any of his objections, "But the Fire Lord would be stupid to send out those orders if you were the only heir he had."

Ozai tilted his head, thinking he hadn't heard correctly, "Are you suggesting assassinating the Fire Nation's Crown Prince, Lady Kya?"

That flat, dull behavior didn't abate. "I know about bombs that my people and pirates created specifically to stop up the engines on Fire Nation ships and sink them, and I've seen the ambush patterns my people made with my own two eyes," Kya said, eyes narrow with an implied experience. "General Iroh has been traveling by sea, hasn't he?"

"But how would you know enough to be able to put this into motion?" Ozai asked, curious despite himself. "I know enough about the Water Tribe to know you're no warrior."

Kya smiled bitterly, "No, but there are no secrets in the Southern Water Tribe. I've cleaned up the debris from raids enough times over the years. I've helped treat the wounds of warriors I've lived with my entire life, and heard enough of their stories to know. I can give you the information you need to put this into motion." She crossed her arms across her chest, expresion glacial. "Have your loyalists do the deed, sell his location to Earth Kingdom forces or pirates, it doesn't matter. When this is over, you'll be the only heir to the throne."

"And when my brother is gone, and I am Crown Prince–"

"You will protect my son," Kya said, deep blue gaze boring into him. "This is the price for what you want most, husband. Is the throne worth enough to you to accept it?"

Ozai concluded that her price was more than worth it.