Sorry, I know it's literally been forever since I've last updated any of my stories. I've just been super busy. Well, here's chapter two, this is more from Ursa's point of view. Read and Review, please! Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: Don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the characters.


Before even opening her eyes, Ursa was aware of the raging pain in her head. She barely managed to hold back a groan as she blinked and tried to focus. She raised her hand and pressed it firmly to her forehead, attempting to dull the pain as she gathered her surroundings. She was in her quarters, lying in her own bed. Someone had taken care to close the shades on the window, blocking out the bright afternoon light. This someone had also removed her formal over-robe and tunic, leaving her dressed in only brown pants and her thin undershirt.

Sighing, Ursa lifted herself into a sitting position, ignoring the sharp pain in her head. She glanced in the mirror at the far side of the room. Her hair had fallen out of the loose bun she'd carelessly thrown up that morning, and her makeup was smudged. She leaned back against the pillows as she tried to recall what had happened.

"You've been out for most of the afternoon," a voice said coolly from near the door. Ursa gave a little scream and grabbed the bedcovers, pulling them up over her undershirt.

"Who's there?" she asked, angry that someone was watching her while she was underdressed.

"I am Prince Ozai," the cool voice replied, and the pale boy stepped out of the shadows. "My brother Iroh instructed me to wait here until you awoke. He is attending to more pressing matters."

Ursa was again surprised at how frightening his tone was. But she was in too much pain to care about that, or about her manners told a member of the Royal family. "Like what matters?" she asked informally, suddenly annoyed as she remembered how interested Iroh had been with the dead dragon.

"Rehearsing for his firebending performance at the coronation," Ozai spat out the words as though they were poison. It was clear that he resented his brother with a fiery hate. "He should be back momentarily, if that's what you wanted to know."

"I'd rather he just stay away," Ursa muttered. The younger boy didn't hear her. He sat down on her vanity stool across the room. She suddenly caught herself looking at Ozai, studying his eleven-year-old features. It was remarkable how closely he resembled his older brother, other that the paleness and the constant cool glare in his eyes. They both had the same amber eyes and dark, wavy hair. They had pointed features, angular but still somewhat rounded. And they were tall for their age. At eleven, Ozai was only an inch or so shorter that Ursa, who would turn fourteen in a month.

The two sat there in silence for several minutes. Ursa found it almost strange that she didn't find the quietness between them awkward. In fact, she was completely comfortable. Finally, Ozai stood up.

"I'm leaving," he announced. "You're awake, so I'm not required to stay any longer."

"Bye," Ursa replied, her tone bored and uninterested.

He paused for a moment, turning back to glare at her. She could tell he was considering whether or not to demand that she address him like the royalty he was. But then his face softened slightly, and he left without another word.

Ursa continued to lie in her bed after Ozai had left. She still had considerable pain in her head, and it was then that she realized she must have fainted and fallen back in the throne room. She also decided that she must have hit her head on something, judging by the fact that she'd been out all afternoon.

Finally, she decided to take a bath and fix her hair. A formal dinner was held nearly every night in the Fire Nation Palace, other than Sundays. Ursa had arrived the day before, on a Sunday. Tonight she was scheduled to attend her first dinner. Master Taisho had explained to her that the Fire Lord Azulon rarely attended these dinners. However, the Princes' and the Fire Lady Ilah came to them regularly. As a visiting noble, Ursa too would be expected to be at the dinners as often as possible.

She stood, balancing herself against a bedpost until the room stopped spinning. Then she chose fresh underclothing from a drawer and went into the bathroom to fill the tub. She was just removing her pants and sliding into the water when she heard the bedroom door open and shut.

"Lady Ursa?" a voice called. "Are you still in here?"

Ursa cursed, immediately recognizing the voice to be Prince Iroh. She reflexively grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her naked body just as the prince came around the corner.

"Oh!" he said, surprised. He spun around, quickly averting his eyes.

"You know," she hissed, "The reason they have doors is so that people like you might knock before they come barging in!"

"I thought you'd be in bed!" he replied defensively. "You had a horrible fall, and you hit your head really hard! You shouldn't be moving about like this already! The doctor said you should rest at least until mid-evening!"

"Don't tell me what's best for me!" she replied angrily. She stepped behind a dressing panel, still wrapped tightly in the towel. "I'm feeling perfectly fine, thank you!"

He was silent for a few moments, pondering what to say. Then he finally spoke. "That's not exactly how you address the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation," he said, almost deathly quiet.

"It is when that certain Crown Prince barged rudely into my personal quarters," she answered loudly. "And I haven't even mentioned how disgusting it was that you were so interested in those poor dragons! It's just wrong, and you obviously can't see that." she sighed and sucked in a deep breath to calm herself. Now probably wasn't the appropriate time to discuss the dragons with him. "Now will you please leave me in peace to take a bath?"

She heard quiet footsteps, and after a few seconds she peered around the panel to see that the Prince had disappeared. Ursa walked back into the bedroom to confirm that Iroh was truly gone. Then she finally clambered into the bathtub, sighing as the hot water seeped over her body.

As she prepared herself for that night's dinner, Ursa struggled to keep thoughts of the Iroh out of her head. She didn't understand exactly why she hated him in the way she did. He was handsome, and even somewhat charming. He was certainly much more sociable than his younger brother. He wasn't unlike the kind of boy that every teenage girl dreams of. And yet, she couldn't help but feel a wave a hate descend on her every time she saw the Prince. She was disgusted by his fascination in the dragon, and still angry that he'd entered her room without knocking, but Ursa knew those weren't reasons to completely hate the boy as she did. She puzzled over this for several minutes as she dressed and primped herself for the dinner.

When she was finished, Ursa stepped in front of the mirror. She had chosen a deep maroon dress that fell in a robe style to the ground. The dress had only one thick strap over her right shoulder. She had tied a golden brown sash over her left shoulder and down to her waist. Her hair was tied into an elaborate design: a neat bun with a fire nation hairpiece on the top half, and several thin braids that cascaded down her shoulders on the bottom half. Ursa had also plastered her face with traditional makeup, much as she hated to do so. She had to admit to herself that she looked quite beautiful in the fancy attire. In the Earth Kingdom colonies, there had been few children her own age and therefore few people to show off to. Ursa had grown up in an environment where it was unnecessary for her to care about her appearance. She'd rarely noticed the beauty in her long, angular features and her dark, silky hair. Smiling lightly to herself, she slipped on gold trimmed ballet flats as a finishing touch.

A guard arrived at five-fifty to escort her to dinner. The dining hall was just across from the main throne room, and as they walked past Ursa realized that she hadn't ever met or even seen the Fire Lord Azulon. It made her wonder what he was like, and if his two sons were similar to him or not.

The hall was just as majestic and wonderful as the rest of the palace. It was very large, though the dining rug was small, situated off to one side and only twelve cushions around it. Prince Iroh and Prince Ozai were already standing behind their seats, dressed in formal robes and wearing the royal family hairpieces on their ponytails. Two other teenage nobles and what appeared to be a fire sage were also standing behind seats, but they were at the opposite end of the rug than the princes. One of the teenage nobles was a girl, and she looked to be about Iroh's age. The other was a boy who was about eighteen or nineteen. She was glad to see that the other girl was dressed even more lavishly than herself, and that she hadn't overdone the formality. Keeping her eyes well averted, Ursa stopped in front of Iroh and bowed low.

"Your highness," she muttered, trying to sound formal and respectful rather than rude and hateful, as she was feeling.

"Lady Ursa," he replied, his tone sweet and smooth, almost like honey. It surprised her, and she involuntarily looked up, right into his face. He was staring straight at her, his golden eyes boring into her very soul. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't smirking or frowning either. His mouth was a flat line, curved up slightly at the edges. His hands were folded behind his back, and for the first time she noticed how incredibly handsome and mature-looking he was. She could see the lines of his muscular arms through the robes, and she almost expected the hateful feeling that was flooding her body to just melt away. But it wouldn't leave. She narrowed her eyes at him and raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"Your seat." He indicated the cushion to his left, speaking in the same honey-smooth voice. When he spoken to her earlier that day, both before she'd fainted and when he entered her room, his voice had been choppy and rough, much like that of most teenage boys. It was as though he was purposefully trying to rein her in now with all of this new enchantment.

"Thank you, Prince Iroh" she replied stiffly, moving to stand next to him. If he wanted to play games, she would have none of it. She would show him that he couldn't treat her so rudely one part of the day and then expect her to respect and be friendly with him the next.

The seats around the table began to fill up as more nobles entered the hallway. Ursa half expected Iroh to introduce her, but she and the two princes stood in complete silence for several minutes. Iroh still had the same smooth look on his face, and Ursa was trying to shake the image of his eyes boring into hers out of her head.

Finally, the guards that had been positioned outside the hallway doors came inside. Both, Ursa could see from their uniforms, were firebenders. They raised their fists into the air and slowly brought them down, dimming the lights in the room. One of the guards then stepped forward.

"Her highness the Fire Lady Ilah," the guard said, and then both moved to the side of the doors and bowed low.

The women that entered the dining hall then so closely resembled her eldest son that it startled Ursa. Ilah had the same rounded face, the same golden eyes, and the same smooth expression as Iroh. She was tall and thin, wearing a gorgeous golden dress that bloomed out from her waist in a wide skirt. The differences between Ozai and Iroh were now much more obvious to Ursa. Ozai was much more angular and bony. His eyes were much more red rather than gold or amber, though he too was tall like his mother and brother.

"My lady," the entire table coursed together suddenly, and they bowed. Ursa quickly got the hint and did the same. She nearly jumped in fright when she realized that the only empty seat was just across the dining rug from her. The Fire Lady was going to be sitting next to her!

"Mother," Iroh and Ozai nodded respectfully at Ilah as she moved to stand at her seat. Then she gracefully lowered herself into a seating position on her cushion. Ursa could feel uncontrollable nerves rising in the pit of her stomach. She took a deep breath, trying desperately to calm herself. The princes' sat next, and then the rest of the table. Ursa struggled to move as smoothly as Ilah had down onto her seat. The Fire Lady rang a small bell, and servants immediately began bringing out the first course on golden platters.

"Young Lady, I do not believe we have met," Ilah smiled warmly up at Ursa, who gulped. She was suddenly lost for words.

"Mother, this is Lady Ursa, daughter of Commander Orison. She has just recently come to the palace from the colonies in the Earth Kingdom."

"It is very wonderful to meet you, Lady Ursa." Ilah said, politely beginning to eat her dinner. "What purpose do you have here in the palace?"

"My parents have sent me here to enrich my studies," Ursa replied, feeling the butterflies in her stomach calm slightly. The Fire lady was much kinder than she had imagined. "My mother wishes me to one day replace her as the Fire Nation embassy to the Earth Kingdom."

"I see," the Fire Lady answered. "And you have already been acquainted with my sons?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I trust they have treated you well?" Ilah continued, and Ursa could have sworn she saw the Fire Lady wink at her.

"Yes, of course," Ursa replied stiffly, much as she wanted to discuss with Ilah the confusion and anger she was feeling toward Iroh.

The dinner passed in much the same manner. When Ilah turned to speak with the nobles sitting next to her, Ursa ate her meal quietly. She didn't bother to even acknowledge Iroh, though she could often feel his eyes on her. She guessed that he would say something eventually out of frustration with her, and she was right.

"Lady Ursa," came his smooth voice from her right. "Are you enjoying your meal?"

It was plain and simple small talk to anyone else, but Ursa knew there was a hidden message. What he was really saying was something to the effect of 'why are you being so rude and purposefully avoiding me?'

"Fine, thank you," she replied. Suddenly, she felt him slid closer to her, and she could feel his warm breath against her neck. Ursa froze in shock.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. And then he was gone. He had leaned back in his chair and was looking away from her.

She quickly went back to her meal, not sure what else to do. It was a few minutes before anyone spoke to her again, and she decided she much preferred the silence.

"Iroh, have you introduced Lady Ursa to any of the other dinner attendees?" Ilah asked her son in a scolding tone.

"No mother," he answered. Ursa noticed he was avoiding looking at her. "The man at the far head of the table is General Lu Zhaoin, leader of the elite Fire Nation Militia. The woman on his right is his wife, Taira. They are expecting their first child in a few months." Ursa could see that the lady called Taira was very round at the middle and obviously pregnant. She nodded, and then remembered that Iroh wasn't looking at her. "The two sitting to the General's left," Iroh indicated the teenage boy and girl Ursa had first noticed when she'd entered the hall, "are my cousin Lieutenant Jeong-Jeong, and Lady Kylee, who is the daughter of my father's greatest friend, Fire Bending Master Lee Song." Iroh continued on, introducing the rest of the table, but Ursa was hardly listening. She was noticing how exhausted she was, and the bump on her head was throbbing painfully. She wondered if Iroh had told his mother of the earlier incident, when she'd fainted from the dragon. And when she thought of the dragon, the feeling of hatred toward Iroh washed over her again.

"…and that's everyone, at least that is here tonight," Iroh finished. Ilah had gone back to talking with the lady sitting next to her. Iroh still would not make eye contact with Ursa.

"Thank you, Prince Iroh," Ursa said politely. She glanced around and saw that some of the nobles were standing to leave, and she did as well. "I think I will retire to my quarters - It has been a very tiring day. Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Lady Ilah. It was very nice to meet you." She bowed to the Fire Lady, and then turned respectfully to the princes. "Prince Iroh, Prince Ozai, goodnight and thank you for dinner," she realized that she was speaking though slightly gritted teeth, and she relaxed her face into a smile, though it was forced.

"I hope to see much more of you, Lady Ursa," the Fire Lady smiled gently up at her. "Have a good night."

Ursa walked back to her quarters in silence. She had dismissed the guard who had been waiting to escort her, preferring to be alone. The noble's chambers were in a different building than the dining hall and the throne rooms, and she had to cross the open air courtyard to get to it.

The courtyard balcony overlooked the city. Ursa leaned over it, resting her arms comfortably on the ledge. Having only arrived in the capital the day before, she'd spent all of her time within the palace. Therefore, she hadn't gotten the chance to explore the great city that she now witnessed before her. Naturally, Ursa had been intrigued by the capital ever since she was a young girl. Her father had told her stories of the legendary city, built in the very crater of a volcano.

The city was even far greater than she'd imagined it. She could now see the crater walls surrounding her, rising majestically into the dark night sky. The bright lights of the homes and shops below her sparkled like a campfire. Intricate pathways wove through the city, and Ursa glimpsed the occasional burst of a firebender's flame. She smiled and sighed, taking advantage of the opportunity to forget the day's events.

Not for the first time in her life, Ursa wished she were a simpleton, a girl born to parents of no noble descent. When she'd lived in the colonies, she'd dreamed of being an earthbender's child. Nature and beauty had always spoken more to her than fire and fierceness ever had. And, she noted to herself, had she grown up an Earth Kingdom commoner, she would never have had to deal with confusing royal hotheads like Prince Iroh.

"Lady Ursa?" a voice called softly from behind her. She spun around, hoping with all her heart that it wasn't the Prince who had come to see her. A wave of immense relief washed over her as she saw that it wasn't Iroh at all, rather the teenage noble from dinner, then one whom Iroh had introduced as Lady Kylee.

The girl came to stand next to her, resting her arms on the ledge of the balcony as well.

"Kylee Meringer," she said.

"Ursa Sonlee," Ursa replied. "But you seem to already know that."

"Yes," Kylee smiled. "Prince Iroh pointed you out to me as you were leaving the dining hall."

"Did he?" Ursa murmured with contempt, not loud enough for Kylee to hear.

"I heard about your arrival this morning," The other girl continued. "I was most excited to meet you. I've always wanted to travel to the Earth Kingdom, the colonies especially. Is it nice there?"

"It's wonderful!" Ursa sighed, a sudden wave of homesickness descending upon her. "Of course, I'm very happy to be in the capital city. I've wanted to come here since I was a girl. But I miss my home terribly."

"I wish we could have sat next to one another at the dinner tonight," Kylee said. "I wanted so badly to speak with you. Would you perhaps join me for the morning meal tomorrow?"

Ursa nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!" she smiled brightly at Kylee. Never before had she met anyone so interested in the colonies. Most upperclassmen in the Fire Nation regarded the colonies as a waste of time. They believed the Earth Kingdom people to be mindless, inferior benders and wanted nothing to do with them, even if the colonies were benefiting the Fire Nation.

The door to the palace suddenly burst open behind them, flooding the balcony with blinding light. A frantic servant stood there, panting.

"My ladies," he gasped, "I bring terrible news. The Fire Lady has collapsed in the dining hall! She has fallen fatally ill!"