"Let's play a game."
The young boy gave his sister a dirty glare from the tranquil palace pathway. He avoided her glare and the questioning glares of her little friends.
"We don't want to play with you, Azula."
The brunette girl walking next to him blinked owlishly at the other girls. Her green eyes met the amber orbs of Princess Azula and she felt the electricity of her mischief staring back at her. She shrunk beside Zuko and ignored the other girls.
Princess Ursa looked on from nearby, and urged Zuko to go play with his sister. Yu stayed behind as the boy begrudging went to join his sister's friends. She played with her robe and twirled the fabric in her fingers. A gentle hand rubbed her back as the princess knelt down to her side.
"What do you say, Yuying, why don't you go play with your friend Zuko? He'd enjoy your company."
The little girl glanced up at her with wide eyes, blinking in protest. "B-but...Azula is always mean to me..."
Ursa giggled softly and reassured the girl again. "I'm sure Zuko will protect you."
The black-haired boy glanced back at the shy little girl. He ran back to her side and grabbed her by the wrist. "Come on Yu! Let's be on the same team!"
Ursa stood up from her crouched position and watched her son and the young girl with a happy smile. Duchess Jun Rei joined her at her side, and giggled to herself.
"Well, Ursa, I wouldn't be surprised if the talk of grandchildren crosses your mind."
Ursa chuckled as well, and carefully watched the children as they played a game of tag. "Neither would I. Zuko has taken quite a liking to Yuying."
The duchess nodded, then added more. "It seems so, however that noblewoman's daughter seems to have Zuko in favour as well. It'll be an interesting battle for sure."
"You're it, Dumb-head. You can't move now."
"Oof!"
The little brunette girl fell to the ground. More importantly, she was shoved into the side of the fountain and therefore fell into the ground when Azula "tagged" her. Falling to the ground, she clutched her knee and felt little tears prickle her eyes. Nearby, Zuko had been frozen as well. His amber eyes shifted to glance at Yuying as she sniffled.
While Azula and her friends laughed at Zuko and Yuying's expenses, the boy slowly shifted to her side where the girl was softly crying.
"Yu...are you okay?"
"Sniff...I scraped my knee, Zuky."
The prince examined her scrapped knee with a frown. He sat back on his rump, and gently ran his fingers through strands of her long hair.
"It'll be okay, Yu. Azula is such a jerk."
Even in those days, the prince knew how to make her feel better.