A/N: Only 16 reviews? Come on..I need some feedback here! :P Hope you like it!
19 years old
"We were both young when I first saw you
I close my eyes
And the flashback starts
I'm standing there
On a balcony in summer air." - Love Story, Taylor Swift
Chapter 7 - By My Side
"I don't understand the point you are trying to make, Ozai. Why push your brother into allowing you into the meeting?"
Ursa had her arms crossed, leaning against the marbled pillars of Ozai's balcony. Some would say the presence of an eighteen year old woman in the prince's room was scandalous, but considering this said woman was Ursa, no one thought anything of it. For years now she had practically lived in the palace and even had her own bed chamber because she stayed here so much. Her parents were always busy running the Ember Island Theater, which Ozai had found shocking for some reason. They seemed not to care about their daughter befriending the young prince.
Then again, what parents would?
"Because I'm sick of not being involved, Ursa," snapped Ozai after a moment, arms held out as several servants slid his black armor over his broad shoulders.
"What will it prove though? You already know the Fire Lord's plans so what's the point?"
"Because my brother is going about Ba Sing Se the wrong way and I want my father to see that! Iroh is so focused on Lu Ten he isn't thinking clearly."
Ursa sighed, running a hand through her long hair. It had been two years since the birth of Iroh's son, Lu Ten, and unfortuneately Song did not make it through the childbirth. The healers had done everything they could, but only managed to save the baby. Ursa's heart broke every time she saw Iroh; a general, a prince, a father. It was more than any human should have to handle.
"And besides," Ozai continued, batting away one of the servants hands. "Watch it!" he shouted at the young woman. "I bring news of the Avatar."
"The Avatar?" Ursa questioned. "The Avatar has been missing for years…since before we were born."
"That will do. Leave us," said Ozai, dismissing his servants. He finished tightening his armor and examined himself in the mirror.
He had grown taller in the past few years, surpassing his brother in both height and size. Where Iroh was shorter and stout, Ozai was now tall and muscular. His golden eyes were strong, like a flame that writhers with heat and pierces with a deadly cold. His dark hair was pulled back regally; resting evenly just passed his shoulders. From his strong armor to his defined jaw, Prince Ozai was intimidating and remarkably handsome.
Everyone was going to know his face now.
"The Avatar was said to be born into the Air Nomads," said Ozai, turning back to face Ursa. "So my grandfather destroyed them all."
Ursa's eyes widened and she brought a hand to her mouth, a slight gasp escaping her lips.
Ozai frowned slightly at her reaction. "Surely you noticed how the Fire Nation kept what they did in the dark?" Ursa said nothing, apparently still in shock, so the prince continued in a darker tone. "My father tried to keep it from me; to keep it from the rest of the nation. But I knew better. I knew he was up to something. That he wanted to follow Sozin's beliefs."
"This is horrible," Ursa breathed quietly, walking over and sitting down in a wooden chair inside Ozai's chamber.
"Why is it so horrible? With the Avatar gone, my father can rule the world."
Ursa glanced up, shocked. "Rule the world? Ozai, the world is meant to be shared and balanced by the four nations and the Avatar. If your father…if he ruled the entire world…no man can endure such a thing. That's too much power."
Ozai glanced down, tightening his fist. A white, bluish glow eliminated inside his fingers that were itching to be released; the crackling of lightning threatening to escape.
His voice came out in a hush. "There's no such thing as too much power, Ursa."
She stared at him. Her voice came out in a hushed whisper. "Is that enough for you, Ozai?"
He glanced back at her, her golden eyes wide and alarmed. The light that shone from the open windows landed on her face, giving her pale complexion a golden glow. Her long hair was pulled up slightly; a red fire lily he had given her earlier still resting behind her ear. She was beautiful in every sense of the word.
"No," he settled on saying, moving toward one of his wardrobes and extracting the wooden box Lady Sanyu had given him over three years ago from the top drawer.
A smile lit his face as he turned back to Ursa. He had been waiting for the opportune moment for months and right now seemed to be it. He stopped a few feet in front of her, allowing her confusion to draw out as he pulled her to her feet and bent down on one knee.
Her eyes widened.
"All the power in the world would mean nothing to me if you weren't by my side, Ursa."
He opened the box to reveal a brilliant white pearl that he had retrieved from the bottom of the ocean on Pearl Island, a Fire Nation tradition. The pearl sat on a small pouf of black velvet and was surrounded by a brilliant, golden-flamed crown that glittered against the rays that leaked into the chamber.
"This crown belonged to my mother. It's a royal artifact and should only be worn by royalty of the Fire Nation." With this he glanced up to meet her shocked gaze, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "Will you do me the honor of marrying me, Ursa? Will you be mine forever…as a princess of the Fire Nation?"
Ursa's eyes were glistening and she glanced down, a hand slowly reaching out to touch the crown and pearl gently.
Despite never being familiar with the feeling before, Ozai knew he loved Ursa. He supposed he had loved her from the moment he met her. If he had to be honest, she was and would probably always be the only person that made him feel this way.
Feeling his heart pounding, he awaited her response with growing impatience. Why did she have to torture him like this? Couldn't she just say yes or no? It took everything he had to remain impassive in anticipation, for patience was not one of his virtues.
She glanced up to meet his eyes.
He held his breath.
"I've always been yours," she said, smiling wider than he'd ever seen.
He smiled back slightly, his heart hammering. "So is that a yes?"
"Yes, Ozai. It's a yes."
A/N: Hope you liked it. I tried to make a realistic proposal that was sweet without being too cheesy, lol. The idea behind the pearl is that in the Fire Nation, a man must dive into the ocean and find an oyster with a pearl to present to their 'lover.' If she accepts, the pearl is placed into a golden ring they wear on their left hand; like us today. It's not really mentioned what the other nations do for marriages besides the water tribe so I made this up. =)