The Fire Nation's Lily (Wing Beifong x OC)

Book One, Chapter Three: Kidnapped

As soon as Senri landed, Korra unwound her arms from Sayuri's waist and jumped off the scaled cat. She was half-awake, and completely ignorant to the heated look that the princess was giving her. In less than twelve hours, the princess not only went from aspiring diplomat, but now she was also the avatar's babysitter for when she went into the city. Apparently, Tenzin didn't trust Korra enough by herself, and thought the Sayuri would be able to keep an eye on her, seeing how she caught the avatar sneaking out a few times. 

Senri shrunk in size and Sayuri picked the cat up, stroking its furry head as she followed Korra into the arena. The sun was barely up and most inhabitants of the city were still sleeping away. They climbed the steps and when they reached the third landing, Korra began walking through the corridors, chatting away about their win last night and her amazing teammates. 

They walked past an empty gym and Korra stopped, almost making Sayuri run into her. "This is where we will be practicing. Want to wait here while I change?" 

"Sure," Sayuri groaned. "Because that's just what I want to do." 

Korra didn't seem to hear the princess' grumbling, and she patted her arm before walking off into the changing room. The princess spotted a worn chair in the corner and decided to sit down. She removed a worn book from her pocket and began reading, determined to get something productive down during her babysitting hours. 

Soft footfalls entered the room and she heard someone release a loud sigh. She glanced up from the book and noticed that a tall man with Fire Nation features was staring at her. She retuned her attention to the book and as she flipped the page, the man grew closer. 

"Hey," he yelled, "you can't be here!"

Sayuri lowered her book and met the man's eyes. She titled her head to the side and she closed the book, careful to mark where she was. 

"I was invited," Sayuri replied. 

"By who?" he demanded. 

"Korra." 

The man clicked his tongue and walked away, clearly annoyed by their interaction, and Sayuri went back to reading. Every now and then, she would look up and watch the man as he conjured fire, and she felt a familiar feeling bubble up in her chest. Jealousy. 

A few minutes later, Korra walked in with another guy. They wore similar outfits, the only difference was the color of their underclothes and sashes she wore. The man next to Korra must have been an earthbender. 

Korra walked up to the firebeneder and the earthbender trailed behind her. They huddled into a small circle and after a few seconds, the earthbender broke from the circle and ran up to the princess. His green eyes were wide and he wore the largest smile she had ever seen. He pointed a finger at her and looked back to Korra and the stern firebender. 

"Oh, my gosh! It's Princess Sayuri of the Fire Nation!" He reached out his hand, then stopped, only to cover his gawking mouth. "Can I touch you?" he asked, moving his other hand closer. 

Sayuri pressed down on his advancing wrist, cutting off his bending, and leapt from the chair, twisting in the air before landing a little further away. 

Korra laughed at her friend's limp arm and she held onto her belly. "I told you not to touch her, Bolin." 

The earthbender, Bolin, only nodded and continued to stare at the princess. She was so beautiful, and he couldn't help but think that her pictures in the paper did not do her justice. The firebender grabbed Bolin's arm and bowed low at the waist. 

"I apologize for my brother's behavior." He lifted his head and gave her a bashful smile. "I am Mako, Bolin's older brother. It's an honor to meet you, Princess Sayuri. Please, allow me to apologize for acting so cold towards you. I did not know who you were."