chapter thirteen: blood red

Somewhat ironically, the wedding reception was actually much more intimate than the engagement party. Apparently it was Ozai's idea, and for once Azulon was eager to agree with him. Neither, apparently, were fond of having to deal with so many people. And so the wedding reception was held inside in a smaller, though still grand, room of the western reception hall. After a short palanquin ride from the temple, the newlyweds arrived at the palace. When Ursa walked down from the palanquin, Ozai was there, his hand outstretched for her and his expression much lighter than normal. Ursa was out of breath from the excitement, but she shared in his happiness. There was still that something buzzing within her, something that felt so tangible and alive, it made her ache.

Hand in hand, Ozai and Ursa walked through the small crowd waiting outside of the entrance to the western wing of the palace. The noblemen clapped and cheered, and children threw rose petals and rice paper as the couple walked through the crowd. Ursa couldn't describe the feeling. She was on a high. And suddenly before she knew what was happening, Ozai was leaning down and kissing her. It felt good, grounding, but still made her heart race, like it always would. They kissed for several moments there at the entrance, family and other nobles laughing and cheering, and Ursa could feel the heat on her cheeks and the butterflies in her stomach she almost didn't notice how good it felt to have Ozai's lips against her own. Then, after minutes or hours or years, it was over, and Ursa finally smiled.

Iroh was there when she entered the room, already filled with people. He was smiling knowingly, having watched their embrace, and he reached out for Ursa. She embraced him, enjoying his humorous expression. Anyway, she was too intoxicated by the excitement to have fears. There were so many sounds, loud in her ears, so many feelings, and so many colors. When Iroh let her go he was quick to hug his younger brother, laughing and hitting him on the back. Ozai was just happy enough not to be entirely repulsed by it. While the brothers embraced, Ursa looked around the grand hall. It was styled differently than the others, and Ursa soon recognized that this must have been one of the original rooms, left from the way the palace looked before Firelord Sozin remodeled it. It was in the traditional, more colorful style, with a detailed ceiling, tatami floors, and murals across the tall walls of the room. They depicted bonsai trees, dragons, and other animals - and all the colors meddled perfectly with the design of the ceiling. Red, gold, and royal blue. The design was so awe-inspiring that it was hard to look away from.

Ozai noticed his wife looking around the room in appreciation. He smiled and walked up to her, sliding his arm around her small waist. Ursa didn't flinch at his touch, and at that he smiled even more.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? It's the original artistry. Over a hundred of years old," he noted, looking down to his wife. It was so strange for Ursa to feel so much happiness that she felt unlike herself, but she only smiled and looked over her husband's flawless face. For a moment, she felt perfect, and she never wanted to change anything. She was married, in love, in power, what more could she ever want? It was a strange sensation. Ozai leaned down to kiss her again, unable to resist himself, apparently, but it was much quicker this time. That didn't change the way her heart raced, however, and she blushed, slightly hiding her face in his robes, her hand interlaced with his.

The musicians began playing and then Ozai's hand shifted back to her waist. A servant approached, holding out a tray of drinks, and Ozai took one for them both. As soon as she was about to take a drink, a young man was in front of her, bowing.

"Lieutenant Zhao," Ozai began, "Thank you for coming." Zhao smirked.

"Of course, your highness, I was honored to receive your invitation." He was tall, and rather imposing for his age, Ursa supposed. He might have been handsome if not for the sideburns covering his face. She almost wanted to laugh at the sight of him, but this man certainly did not seem the laughing type.

"And a great honor to meet such a fantastic beauty, of course," Zhao added, bowing his head, the smirk still on his face. Ursa could tell he was intelligent just from speaking to him, but that did not mean that she was happy with his presence - or his words. His pompousness struck her sharply.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Ozai took a sip from his glass.

"Zhao and I went to the same firebending school, many years back," he added, his hand still firmly around her waist. Ursa liked his touch. She felt protected by it - less vulnerable. As Ozai and Zhao began to speak about the war Ursa merely listened, not knowing enough to have any opinions, and she took a sip from her glass. It was some sort of fruity alcohol, judging by the way it burned in her throat. She almost went to put it down, but stopped herself - she wasn't in her parent's house anymore. She could drink if she wished.

As the night carried on Ursa met many nobles of importance and relation, and she did her best to learn their names and affiliations. From time to time Ozai would whisper in his wife's ear, telling her some important piece of information about whoever was approaching them. She watched her husband as he talked and listened, his eyes happy but still burning with that concentrated intelligence that never seemed to leave them. She realised, after several hours of mingling, just how good Ozai was at politics. She had never seen him in his element, discussing the war and other matters of importance. He had a silver tongue, she knew, she had heard, but it was entirely different to see how his mind worked up close. After hours of talking, receiving endless gifts and good wishes, the party was dying down. Ursa watched as her husband finished off his glass of wine and surveyed the room. The music was much quieter then, the music had ended, and apparently Azulon was supposed to make a toast of some kind to end the party.

"Are you looking for your father?" Ursa asked quietly. They were seated next to each other on a raised dias. Ozai nodded,

"Yes," he paused, still looking around the room, "He probably got talking with some diplomat." Eventually Azulon made his way to the dias and raised a glass.

"We toast tonight to the union of my son, Ozai, and his marriage to Ursa, granddaughter of Avatar Roku. The Fire Sages tell me that this is a powerful lineage, of which I agree. May you bear many healthy heirs for our nation."

Ursa stood pateiently in her new dressing room as servants fluttered about. They moved silently around her, removing her wedding gown and jewelry. The luxurious fabric came off her in pieces, each time many knots being removed in the process. It was a complicated ordeal, and it struck her to think that she would be dressing so formally everyday now that she was a princess. A shiver ran down her spine, and she wasn't sure whether it was from feeling the cool air of the room against her back or if it was because of her anxiety for what was to come next. She wasn't sure that she was ready to go through with it. Her whole life she had been told her virtue was her most important quality, and it seemed strange to break something that she had tied to her character for so long.

When the servants removed her undergarments she almost protested, but she forced herself to swallow her pride and allowed them to continue. When had been stripped of all her clothing she let out a shaky breath, and she immediately knew it was obvious how nervous she was.

"Do not be nervous, Princess Ursa," one servant said as she held out a silken nightgown, "I'm sure the Prince will not be disappointed with you." Ursa slipped on her dressing robe and looked over the servant who had spoken. She had a pretty face and grey-blue eyes, uncommon in the Fire Nation. In all honesty Ursa wasn't sure whether the maid had spoken out of turn or not, but frankly she didn't care. The reassurance was nice to hear.

"You're sure?" Ursa asked as her belt was tied by another servant.

"Yes, Princess. He is completely taken with you. He has been for some time." At that, Ursa smiled, and suddenly she wondered why she had been so unafraid. The servant girl was right. It was all the new scenery, and the excitement, that was what had scared her. There was no need to fear him.

She was dressed in a black robe, embroidered very beautifully with white silken flowers. It looked and felt extremely expensive against her bare skin. Ursa briefly wondered if Ozai had chosen such a garment for her. The servants finished removing her jewelry and then the brushed out her long hair. It was wavy from being in braids all day, and she quite liked the way it looked. After her makeup was removed the servants washed her face and applied a gloss to her lips. Finally, a hint of jasmine perfume. She was ready.

The servants bowed and Ursa did as well.

"Goodnight," she said faintly.

"Goodnight, Princess Ursa," they responded in unison. When they were gone there was nothing but for her to venture out into the room beyond. She was not entirely sure where she was, but she did her best to find her way, walking through a corridor that led to several rooms and then to the main room that Ursa recognized from before.

"Beautiful," Ozai sighed, and Ursa turned around sharply to see him standing behind her. Ozai, too, was in his night robe, although his was deep red in color.

"Thank you," she breathed, smiling as she walked towards him. He was smiling, too, and he looked entirely handsome. He pulled her towards him, his hands on her waist as he held her. Her heart was beating very fast, but she was eager to feel him kiss her now that they were in private. His lips were warm against hers, and she could feel a blush on her cheeks as he kissed her. Just when she expected him to continue, he pulled away. Ursa blinked, her cheeks helplessly flushed as he pulled away to open up his bedroom doors.

"They're lighting fireworks for us, Ursa. Come, look," he said, holding her hand and pulling her over to the balcony. Ursa didn't even have time to look over his massive bedroom before he had ushered her outside. The balcony was the same polished dark wood of the palace, adorned with a small table and chairs. Ursa looked up at the fireworks as Ozai poured champagne for the two of them. As he came up behind her he held out a glass for her and she took it, but Ozai stopped her before she could take a sip.

"A toast," he proposed, and Ursa raised her glass with his. Ozai was still smiling, and it was making her feel things she had never felt before. He looked so happy, she could see it in his eyes. Ursa was not accustomed to seeing them like that, so bright and full of joy. There was no amount of calculation in them, so careful manipulation, it was just him. She smiled at that as he drew her in close to him. He spoke quietly over the sound of the fireworks, but she could still hear his every word.

"To my beautiful, enchanting wife. The woman who has made me feel what I have never felt before. The woman who makes me happy beyond my wildest dreams." Ursa exhaled softly, feeling a rush of calm come over her as he spoke. His words ran through her in waves of passion and longing. She smiled wider.

"And to my handsome, charming husband. The man who has stolen my heart. The man I know is the only one for me. He's charismatic, magnetic... electric," she sighed a bit, looking up at him under her thick eyelashes, "and I love him, I love him, I love him." Ozai's smile was only growing, and he pulled her in closer, all the way to his chest, and a warm feeling was blossoming that she knew wasn't from the wine. It was so intense she almost felt faint, and then Ozai was kissing her deeply, taking her breath away. After he had kissed her to his content he remained close to her, breathing with her while the fireworks burst overhead. They stayed like that for a while, and then Ozai moved to press his lips to the crown of her head.

"I love you too, darling." Once they had watched the rest of the fireworks show, and their glasses were drained, they moved into his room. Ozai lit the candles in his room as Ursa looked around, taking in the vastness of the space. His room was an odd shape, she thought. As you entered from the main dark double doors the massive bed was straight ahead, against the back wall. It was decadent and distinctively royal, the dark wood of the posters carved into intricate designs. On both sides of the back wall there were doors to the outer balcony, so there were doors where there would usually be corners. Ozai pulled the sheer red curtains over the glass of the balcony door and the room felt much more intimate. As Ursa continued to look around she saw a grand wardrobe covered almost entirely by gold designs of dragons, but composed of the same dark wood as the rest of the furniture. There were also several dressers, and on the other sides a beautifully carved bookshelf completely full with various texts and scrolls. His personal collection, she assumed.

"Do you like it?" He asked, walking towards his wife. Ursa smirked.

"Yes, very much. It's so beautiful, I can hardly imagine living in it." She explained, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. Ozai chuckled.

"I didn't mean the room," he explained, "I meant the books. Do you often read?" He asked, and Ursa almost scoffed at him.

"Yes, of course I do." Ozai raised an eyebrow.

"Not everyone enjoys reading, you know," Ozai retorted. Ursa scoffed.

"How foolish. Reading is wonderful." She moved closer to his bookcase and ran her finger over the books, some of them new, and some of them almost ancient in appearance.

"I have several first editions that I have collected over the years. Most of them Firebending scrolls, though, so I doubt you'd be interested." Ursa listened as she read over some of the titles.

"The yomihon," she exclaimed, looking back to him, "You read romantic novels?" Ozai almost blushed. He had never had anyone go through his personal things.

"Sometimes," he admitted, "Is that so horrible?" He teased, and Ursa smirked back at him.

"No... I like it when you're romantic." Ozai couldn't help but smile when he heard that, and with a hand he pulled her over to him.

"Good." They stood together by his bed as he ran his fingers through her hair. It was soft as it slipped through his fingers, and he sighed as he continued to touch her. He ran his hand over the curve of her cheek and the length of her pale neck before he leaned in to kiss her there. He had never kissed her there, and the sensation of his lips and his goatee on her neck sent wonderful shivers down her spine. As moved back to kiss her lips he let his hands trail down her her sides. She was pressed up against him, her hands on his chest and she moved them up to his shoulders to draw him closer as the kiss continued. He was making quick work of her, his tongue massaging hers in a series of sensual glides that made her feel weak in the knees. He obviously knew what he was doing; sucking and kissing her lips and tongue while her heart pounded furiously in her throat. It felt so good that when his hand inched up to cup her breast she barely noticed. It wasn't until he began massaging her flesh there that she got startled by the feeling. All too suddenly she broke the kiss and backed away from him, her chest pounding and entirely out of breath. Her cheeks were flushed when she drew away from him, her eyes wide open as she realized what she had done. Ozai scowled.

"What?" He looked disturbed, and Ursa felt a wave of shame roll over her. She stepped closer to him, her brows furrowed.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, "I didn't mean to- I'm sorry."

"Why? Do you not want me to-" Ursa cut him off,

"No, I do! I just- I'm never done this before… I've always been told never to let a man touch me, it's-I'm not used to it," her words came out rushed and off beat. At her response, Ozai sighed a breath of relief. He held her once more in his arms.

"It's understand. I should have given you a bit of a warning, I suppose…" He replied, and Ursa was looking down at his chest, blushing.

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable," he continued, and Ursa looked up as he backed away a bit. She knew she would ruin it. She ruined everything. Here she had been thinking of this for nearly a year and when he actually began doing the things she always dreamed of she flinched.

"No, don't stop," she pleaded, "I want to continue." Ozai exhaled,

"Good." He sat down on the edge of his bed, looking at the beautiful woman that was his wife. He was thinking.

"You start then. Go at your own pace, I won't rush you." Ursa was breathing heavily, still winded from his kisses. In her eyes there was a bit of apprehension. She wasn't sure what it was she wanted, from what she had gleaned about sex the man was always the initiate. Ozai sensed her apprehension.

"You can touch me, if you want," he said, and then Ursa smiled, almost as a thank you for him telling her what to do. She came closer until her knees were brushing with his. Touch him where? Suddenly his hands took hers and brought them to his chest. Ursa sighed. His touch was so warm, it was like fire. She let her hands slide over his body, over his shoulders, through his hair, down his arms. He felt so hard to the touch, she couldn't help but wonder what he looked like underneath his robe. But then, she supposed, it was their wedding night, and she shouldn't scold herself for such lustful thoughts.

"Take off your robe," she said gently, and Ozai smirked deviously. She wondered for a moment just how Ozai might have taken that. He stood up, and Ursa stood back a bit as she watched him untie the knot by his waist. She held her breath without realizing it as the robe slipped off his shoulders and fell to the floor. Thankfully, he was wearing undergarments, for if he was not Ursa surely would have fainted at the sight. Not to say that she had never seen a semi-nude man before, it was just that Ozai was unlike any man she had ever seen. He was solid muscle; his arms, pectorals and abdomen were chiseled like she had never seen in her life. She simply stood there, staring at him, for a moment or so. She couldn't imagine the time that he spent on firebending and training to look to toned. After a few seconds of Ursa staring helplessly at him Ozai couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"What?" He asked as he watched her look at him with wide eyes. Ursa placed her hand over her chest for a bit as she continued to stare, and then she took the step back towards him.

"Gods," she breathed, not really knowing what to say. "You're beautiful." She blushed again at her own strange choice of words. Ozai laughed.

"I think that's what I'm supposed to say to you, darling." He smirked, kissing his wife again. Ursa could feel waves of desire pulsing through her and for once she told herself not to deny them. This was what she had wanted to do for so long. She sighed and tried to get her breath back.

"Of course, for that, you would have to let me see what you look like," Ozai ventured, suavely. He didn't want to rush, and yet, at the same time, he was dying to have her. He had waited for so long to see her, to feel her. Ursa let out another shaky breath.

"I want you to do it," she said quietly, her heart seriously threatening to leap out of her chest at the thought. She could barely breathe. It was so electrifying, so consuming, when his hands reached for the knot on her waist. While he was untying it he noticed that she was barely breathing, her cheeks a furious pink, and he stopped momentarily.

"Are you sure?" He said, dying she would tell him to continue. She nodded. So then he removed the belt and it fell to the floor, but Ursa still had a hand on her robe, keeping it together. Ozai sat back on the bed and ushered her over.

"When you're ready," he said simply, making eye contact with her. She was only a teenager, he reminded himself, and she had none of the experience he had. He remembered when he was nervous the first time, too. It took a lot of courage, exposing yourself to someone so completely. But, to his surprise, she smiled, and then she bit her lip. Her hands faltered, gripped around the silk, but then, slowly but surely, she removed the gown. The silk slid off her shoulders and fell to the floor, like his did, but she wasn't wearing anything at all. Now it was Ozai's turn to be struck speechless. He looked over her pale body, and his mouth fell open at the beauty of her. She was flawless, he thought. Her breasts, pale in the glow of the candlelight, were softly sculpted and puckered, no doubt from the cool nighttime air, and they looked entirely appetizing. As his eyes ventured downwards he sighed at the sight of her sculpted waist and wide, feminine hips. Her legs, too, were curved and beautifully shaped, and he could feel himself becoming aroused simply from looking at her.

"Ursa, you're perfect." He exhaled, smiling gently as he reached out to touch her. He felt her arms first, so soft to the touch, and then he had to remember to go slowly with her. He leaned forward to kiss her sternum, and when he did he felt her heartbeat, fast and heavy against her ribcage. He placed his hand to her stomach to try and calm her, his touch as gentle as he could be.

"Ursa?" He simply asked, looking up at her amber eyes. She stared right back at him, and she stepped a bit closer.

"Keep going," she said, barely more than a whisper. He did. His hands and his mouth covered every inch of her skin, and he sucked gently on her nipples, using his tongue there and drawing countless moans from her.

"Ozai!" She felt so weak in the knees she almost fell over. Ozai was quick to pull her into his lap, and she gasped at the sensation of being so close to him. They were a breath away from one another and she immediately kissed him, the feeling of his bare chest against hers sending pleasurable shivers down her spine to her core. The more he kissed, the more she felt it, and as they continued he pulled her even closer, so that she was flush against him. When he did she felt something hard pressed against her belly and pulled back from the kiss. She knew what it was, her cousins had explained it, and so she tried not to look frightened as she felt it pressing against her.

"Ozai," she breathed, realizing just how far they had gotten. Ozai looked just as desperate as she felt. Then, suddenly, he was flipping them over so she was beneath him. As he laid her down his hands moved over breasts and her stomach, and he loved the feeling of her softness there. She was holding her legs tightly together as he did so, and he reached up to grasp her knees. When she realized what he wanted her to do she flushed even further, and it took everything in her to let him spread her legs apart. He was staring at her then, completely, and she was mortified by the thought.

"Darling," he practically purred, running a finger down her body until he reached her slick folds, daringly running his finger between them. Ursa moaned helplessly as he did so, her lust growing to a head. She encouraged him without realizing it and so he kept going, his fingers kneading and exploring her most sensitive flesh. Shock waves of pleasure were coursing through her, and she was only moaning his name in ecstasy. And then, without preamble, he got off the bed and pulled her to the edge, and then he kneeled down on the floor, his face between her legs. Ursa huffed, caught off guard completely.

"What are you doing?" She almost seethed, looking to see his smiling lips only a few inches from her crotch. Nothing her cousins had told her had prepared her for this. Ozai held her thighs in his hands, gently massaging her creamy white flesh. He smiled again.

"You'll see. Just relax." He started with a kiss to her inner thigh. It felt good, but still she was clueless as to his next endeavor. As he continued kissing the skin of her thigh he came ever closer to her center. Finally, when Ursa was almost at the point of pushing him away and crawling off the bed, he kissed her right where she wanted to be touched the most. She gapsed. He kissed her clit, ever so gently at first, and then he proceeded to suck on the little orb there that made her squeal so enticingly. Ursa was losing her mind in pleasure. She had never dared dream of such a thing. He was tracing his tongue in between her folds, and the pulses of pleasure were only increasing. She wanted more, more, so much more. She was almost screaming when he returned to sucking on her clit, and sure enough, a few moments later, she could feel the climactic pulses of orgasm flowing through her.

"Ozai!" She moaned, her legs coming together around his head. His hands were holding her hips as he continued to suck so intently, drawing out the waves of her orgasm. Ursa was seeing stars and in her bliss she fell back on the bed, her hair fanned out beneath her. She could still feel a pulsing ache within her, even after her orgasm, and she knew she wanted so much more. She wanted him.

"Ozai," she sighed, breathing so heavily that she could barely get the word out. Ozai smiled devilishly as he came back onto the bed, wiping the remnants of her arousal from his lips. He, too, was breathing heavily, and his face as red as hers.

"How was that?" He asked, crawling back onto the bed. Ursa was still in the afterglow of her orgasm and she looked like an angel. He smirked as he saw her dazed expression.

"You're amazing," she moaned, not caring at all how it sounded, "That was amazing." Ozai chuckled heartily, pleased at his ability to inspire such pleasure in her.

"Oh, we've only just begun, darling."

A/N: Please Review! It inspires me to hear your feedback. Also, please tell me if you notice any grammar/spelling errors.