The Only Hope

Book 4: Chapter 10

Then

“Extra… Extra…” My grandfather slapped the newspaper on the coffee table sitting in from of me. I winched, not from his fiery gaze or my aunt’s disapproving look, but merely from the high pitch sound it had made. “Princess Zabri Fa of Fire Nation to Wed Fire Nation Commoner Kwon Bue…”

“I don’t understand why you just can’t be happy for me- for us!”

“Because- he’s not the right one for you!”

“But he loves me!”

“How do you know- you know a boy through letters for a few months and suddenly start dating- with most of it through letters and barely a year into this so called relationship you’ve deiced you want to spend the rest of your natural life with him!”

I looked at him slightly mortified, “Well it’s not as if I just met him and decided- hey I’m going to spend forever with you! Need I remind you grandma Amaya was only my age when she was going marry a solider of her own!”

“Yes, but times were different.”

“How much different could love have been back then!?”

“That’s not what I meant- and beside, May ended up not marrying him; she came to her senses and realized that she was rushing things!”

“But I’m not- we’re not!”

My grandfather looked at me, saying nothing. As he shook his head, he took a few steps back.

“I’m finished with this discussion, and if it was up to me- you wouldn’t be training for anything, you’d be disowned.”

“You mean just like you did my mother?” His face grew red at that and he stormed away.

It had been a low blow, I know, but how could he disown me just for marrying a guy I loved?

It was then it hit me.

“What did he mean- training?” My aunt stepped forward, sitting across from me on a chair.

“Tenzin and I have been speaking, and I understand you love teaching your students but you have a duty here- to the Fire Nation. You are still first in line to the throne. Iroh has unofficially stepped down.”

“… You still want me to be the next Fire Lord?”

“Yes, despite my father’s woes, you are... for now.  Up until you say ‘I do’, you are set to rule after me.” I looked down as she said that, trying to piece it all together

“So if I marry Kwon, you’ll disown me- not just grandfather- I’ll be losing my whole family over one man?” She glanced down to her folded hands and slowly nodded her head.

“Yes, because he could never be a royal.”

“Why- why do you think he’s so bad? Why is everyone so mad at me?”

“I don’t, and I’m not, not much at least… My father is not truly mad, just… disappointed that you hadn’t come to us sooner.”

“It’s only been a week and half!”

“Try seeing it from his eyes, he wakes up three days ago, comes into breakfast and what does he see on his front page? What are the radio broadcasters gushing about? His granddaughter’s engagement to a man he’s only met once as your ‘friend’. We had no idea he was the one you were seeing.”

“Okay, so I was wrong. I meant to tell you, but I just never got the chance- I came here for that exact reason…I shouldn’t have to choose- it’s not fair!” I slammed my hand on the coffee table, tears filling my eyes. “I shouldn’t be forced to choose between my family and my boyfriend.”