The Girl No One Knew

Chapter 3

Days went by since my accident with Azula, and nothing seemed to had changed. Except for me. I wouldn't speak more than a sentence per day, and it drove Zuko crazy. He would try to force me to speak in anyway he could, but almost nothing worked. "Saki, I can't take it anymore!" Zuko had yelled once. "Just talk to me already!" His face would get red every time he got upset with my silence, and it was enough to make me laugh. That was enough for him, as well.

At least, for the time being.

Not long after, there was another incident in the palace that only seemed to change everything for the worst.

One night, after everyone had fallen asleep, I'd decided to roam the palace, as I always did. The palace had always been beautiful, but, at night, it was even more spectacular. Especially when the only people that I had to worry about were the guards, and they happened to like me a little.

I tiptoed through the corridor, looking at the portaits on the wall. Each one was of the royal family, all the way back to Sozin. As I looked at the faces of each member, I wondered what the world was like back then. Before the war. Before the entire world was suffering. Of course, I can never go into deep thought without running into something. I fell onto the floor, and "umpf" breaking the air of the soundless hallway.

But it didn't come from me.

"Saki?" I heard Ursa hiss. "Why are you awake? You should be in bed." She helped me to my feet and brushed off my clothes, though I didn't see a point. My clothes were always dirty. I couldn't help but notice that she was dressed in an oversized cloak. She knelt down to my level and whispered, "Please, please go to bed."

I completely disregarded her plead. "What... Where are you going?" She didn't focus on what I was saying; she was too busy looking around. We were alone, so what was she so worried about? "Your Majesty, what's going on?"

"I'm leaving," she said.

"Then I'm going with you." I demanded.

"No," she growled a bit loudly. "No. You have to stay here."

"But I can't!" I argued. "I can't stay here without you! You know that." I was persistent. There was no way I could survive living in the Fire Nation without her. "I have to go with you. Please don't leave me here..."

"Please, Saki," she pleaded with me again. "I need you here. You must stay with Zuko. You're his only friend, and you're the only one I can trust to keep his head on straight. You will be safe, I promise." Before I could argue with her again, she stood straight and hurried away, hiding herself with the hood of the cloak. I wasn't sure what had happened, and I wasn't sure if I even wanted to know. As much as I loved and adored the Queen, my main concern was one thing:

Without Ursa, what would become of me in this place that seemed worse than Hell?

The next morning came news that made my entire body ache: Fire Lord Azulon was dead, and Ozai had taken his place. Was this why Ursa left? Did she have something to do with it? Regardless, it didn't change the fact that I had no one to protect me from Azula and her father, as well as a majority of the Fire Nation. Zuko didn't take the news well at all.

"How could this happen?!" He'd shouted as he paced his room. I sat quietly on his bed as he ranted on and on. I didn't know what I was supposed to say, so I didn't say anything. Mainly because I was only half listening to him. I kept replaying last night's event in my mind, trying to figure out what could've been happening with Ursa. "Saki, are you even listening to me?"

"Sorry, I'm just.... What were you saying?" His face burned a brighter red as he stomped off, still rambling about whatever it was this time. I felt bad, honestly, but it was just as frustrating to me as it was for him. We just....handle things differently.

"Prince Zuko sounds very upset," Iroh chuckled as he walked into the room. "Did you put fire flakes in his tea again?"

"General Iroh!" I smiled and stood quickly to my feet, bowing as he approached. "I thought you weren't returning from Ba Sing Se until next week."

"I had decided to come early," he sat beside me. I walked to the other end of the room to pour him a cup of ginseng tea, and brought the cup back to him. "It is not easy to lose your father and your son in such a short time."

"The war takes many," I said without meaning to, "whether they're involved in the war or not. It's heartbreaking, really. For so many lives to be lost before their time." I realized I was talking too much (and too casually) about the war, and instantly shut my mouth, setting the teapot down on a tray and sitting next to him. "My apologies..."

"Do not apologize for speaking the truth," he smiled, then changed the focus of the conversation onto me, as he always did. "My nephew doesn't seem to be the only one that is troubled. What could be bothering you?"

Aside from Ursa and Zuko, Iroh was the only person in the Fire Nation I could trust and confide in. "A lot has happened since you've been away. I'm not sure what to do anymore...."

He placed a hand on my shoulder, a sign that always meant he was going to give me some sort of spiritual wisdom. "When our hearts have only seen darkness, we tend to only see the worst in things. There is a silver lining, and you shall find it when the time comes."

I had meant to simply thank him, but instead these words came out:

"My only chance at a silver lining was just banished from the kingdom."