The prince and I played together every day for the remainder of my family's visit. I told my mother everything, and the identity of my new friend surprised and troubled her. I'd tried to tell my father also, but she advised against that "for grown up reasons." She was too ill to accompany me to the garden each day, but she permitted my visits after being reassured by the guards.
When I tried to tell Ozai, on the last day of our trip, that I wouldn't be back, he looked confused.
"Don't you have a house in Caldera City?"
"Well, yes. But we have a house on Ember Island too, and we're going there—"
"Where are your parents?" he asked.
"Right now? Mommy's at home. I don't know where my daddy—whoa!" I gasped as he took me by the hand and pulled me towards the exit.
"Take me to her."
I agreed because I wanted them to meet—certainly not because I felt an obligation to obey him. All the tutors in the world couldn't convince me that I needed to feel that.
She sat up in her bed when she saw me, beaming and holding out her arms for a hug, and then her second guest arrived, dumbfounding her. Ozai stormed in with the confidence and bearing of a prince. Well, a child prince.
"Ursa needs to stay in Caldera City," he either announced or commanded. Perhaps both. "She needs to learn. She is my firebending pupil, and she has yet to keep a leaf from burning up. My father will make sure the gardens are open to her every day, and if you really have to go, she can stay in the palace."
There was a beat of stunned silence, and Ozai felt the need to clarify.
"I'm Fire Prince Ozai."
Just as my mother regained the ability to speak, he spun on his heel to storm out the same way he came in.
"So... can we stay?" I pleaded with all the sweetness I had.
Mom blinked twice before bursting into laughter and climbing out of bed.
"I do believe you two have either frightened or cuted all sickness out of me," she chuckled before following Ozai to see if he would like any tea.
My family postponed our trip to Ember Island for a few more weeks, staying in the estate shared with my widowed aunt's family. Stolen back by his tutor and mentor, Ozai could no longer be there every day, but he insisted on every other day. As always, the prince got his wish. And as always, my mother insisted on watching us. Once she fully recovered, she would play with and teach us.
"Lady Ursa's Mom," as officially titled by me, would baffle me more than I ever could her. I was taken aback by her... sincerity. She was kind and generous not to flatter or serve her own interests but simply to be kind and generous. I had little experience with genuine tenderness and no experience with maternal... anything. Though she was the polite, perfect noblewoman, she didn't take my nonsense, somehow finding ways to tame me without my realizing it. Though she was elegant and regal, she often played our games with more enthusiasm than I did. Though she was gentle and somewhat elderly, I knew no one with more wisdom or strength.
She was the closest thing I ever had to a mother, and it would be years before I learned her first name.
My father didn't warm up to him like she did. In all honesty, affection for the prince would never overcome his worry—assuming any such affection had ever developed. Being suspicious of royalty was part of his upbringing as Avatar Roku's youngest son. Though the Avatar's children were numerous, Fire Lords Sozin and Azulon spared them. It helped that none among them had much political or bending power to speak of, and the siblings separated themselves to avoid appearing too organized. Then again, maybe the Fire Lord separated them himself. Whatever the case, my aunts and uncles were all too aged to intimidate a mouse by the time I was born. Most of them were dead by the time I was born. Even as the youngest child, even with his birth being a miracle considering Ta Min's age, Daddy was ancient.
To assuage his fears, Colonel Iroh himself came to tea. Then, of course, the same colonel had to soothe his own father's qualms.
Father wouldn't have noticed our friendship for months had my tutor not complained. He didn't complain directly to the Fire Lord, of course. Few dared such a feat, and none completed it unscathed. He'd been pleased to learn I made a new friend—female or otherwise—but displeased by her lineage. Fortunately, he didn't object. If he had, she would've been exiled from the fire nation before another word was spoken. He knew the family posed no real threat. He simply wasn't fond of the idea. Somehow or another, my favored brother convinced him that she would be good for me, that her family couldn't be more loyal, and that I'd grow tired of her soon enough. No one expected that she might grow into my bride. Neither her parents nor mine wanted her to do so. Azulon worried they might expect as much, but Iroh dismissed the idea instantly and convincingly.
Had the Fire Lord met the precocious five-year-old, he either would've been charmed or appalled, depending entirely on her mood. If she didn't submit to him as instructed, he would declare her an insolent disgrace. If she'd stuck exclusively to her training and submersed herself in the role, he'd think her sweet, reserved, and "respectable." If she'd been a dutiful subject that dared to speak honestly when asked a question, there was still a strong chance that the beautiful "imp" would endear herself to him by being her innocent, unabashed, and adorable self. But he did not meet her, leaving the bold, clever, and impetuous Ursa safe and unspoiled.
Iroh's support of Ursa was, perhaps, argued too well. The Fire Lord began to expect her family to be at court always so she would always be available to me as playmate and companion. Their Ember Island home was abandoned for most of each year, except in the summer. Our playdates were scheduled around my tutor's itinerary, except when I managed to escape and surprise her. Sometimes Ursa was pleased by this but not always.
"Ursa!" his voice called from across the garden, stirring me not. I would not move. I would not open my eyes to glance his way.
Breathe. Feel the sun's rays. Breathe...
"Ursa?"
Discipline. Patience. You must learn to let—
"Hey, Ursa!"
"Ozai, hush!" she scolded, glowering at me but keeping her legs crossed. "I'm trying to focus."
She closed her eyes again in a child's meditation.
"On what?"he interrupted again, apparently eager to see me glare.
He sat cross-legged also, imitating me with an expression of mock seriousness.
"None of your business. Now be quiet!"
He let the silence last for an extra second.
"Wanna see me firebend?"
"No, I can't play today. Now, shhh!"
She kept making the mistake of opening her eyes for each reply. I would talk myself hoarse to see those endless jewels.
"But I learned a new form today! You'll love it!"
"I said Shhh! I'm trying to enter the spirit world!"
"Oh."
Finally! Breathe. Focus. Pati—
"Why would you want to do that?"
"Ozai!" she half-screamed, eyes bugging out and brows disappearing into her hairline. "BECAUSE."
For one thing, the spirit world has peace and quiet.
"That's not a reason," I protested stubbornly as I stood and walked over to her. "You get mad at me for saying 'because' all the—"
"Fine! If you MUST know..." Pouting, she half-grumbled and half-whispered a confession. "It's because I want to see a dragon."
He doubled over in laughter, falling to the ground as I rose out of indignation.
"I knew you wouldn't understand! This is why I didn't want to tell you!"
After rolling around some more, the prince got all the mirth out of his system. He sat up, calm and sympathetic, while I fumed in silence.
"I understand, Ursa," he admitted, crossing over to me despite my refusal to look at him. "But you don't need to go to the spirit world to see a dragon. I can show you one."
Her attention was won back instantly.
"You CAN?" she gasped in wide-eyed wonder.
"Of course! I'm the prince. Follow me."
I did, trusting him, believing him even when I recognized the path he took, even when he came to a stop within the same unchanging garden.
A stop right before the dragon fountain.
"See!" he cried, gesturing to the sculpture before us. "The great stone water dragon!"
He laughed at me again.
"Ozaaai!" I whined with my hands on my hips and a stomping foot. "That's not funny!"
Blinded by my own laughter, I didn't see her lunge. By the time I opened my eyes, her gritted teeth were already hurling towards my face, along with the rest of her body. We went flying into the water, and it was all I could do to get my head back up in time to cough the liquid filling my lungs out.
"Maybe that will teach you to not laugh at me," Ursa giggled as I choked and coughed and glared with all the cruelty I could muster.
The added fire only made her eyes light up even more.
He dunked me down for less than half a second, afraid to hold me down any longer, and I then somehow managed to dunk him. By the time the guards found us, we were too busy splashing and cracking up to whine or accuse. Mother had to drag us out of the water herself, seeing as the guards would not disobey Ozai's command to remain where they were, but we went laughing all the way. Even as we warmed ourselves by the fireplace, giggles broke out repeatedly.
We did have one more "fight" that day, but it was barely worth mentioning to my brother when he returned from his latest assignment.
"When I grow up, I'm going to marry Ursa."
"May I ask why, Prince Ozai?" he asked with a half-suppressed smile.
"Because she doesn't want to marry me," I answered as though it were all the reason in the world.
And, well, it was.
"That isn't the best motive, little brother."
I was fully anticipating a lecture on chivalry and romance, but Iroh cut himself off, unable to contain his amusement any longer. He left me to chortle over the idea, finding himself very much in favor of the scheme's completion solely for the irony and humor.
Review, review, review! Doesn't have to be long! Just a sentence! Feel free to complain, ask questions, correct, etc.