EMBERS. ii. A HUNDRED YEARS IN HIDING ❝FIRE COMES FROM THE BREATH.❞
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"IS IT TRUE THAT PRINCE ZUKO FOUND THE AVATAR, PRINCESS JASMINE?" one of the handmaidens asked Jasmine as she placed the final touches on her hair. Jasmine's hair had been stylized with half of her raven hair pulled up in a small bun and held in place with a Fire Nation insignia band while the rest of her hair cascaded down her back. Jasmine stared at her reflection and took in the appearance of her outfit. She had gotten so used to wandering around in her nightgowns and blankets that she had almost forgotten how lethal they made her look. Though, she could go without the shoes since they were lined with gold-plated metal that made them slightly uncomfortable. However, she knew that one swift kick to the head with her shoes could seriously incapacitate someone for a long time. Plus, Jasmine had to admit that her daggers fit perfectly in her boots and they were almost invisible except for the golden tip of the handle that peeked out. "Princess?"
Jasmine snapped out of her trance as she met Zari's amber-colored eyes in the reflection of the mirror. Zari had been around for a long time and Jasmine remembered the woman in her earliest memories. After all, Zari used to be her mother's handmaiden before she had passed away. Now, Zari and two other handmaidens took care of Jasmine's every need — it was much appreciated since every other person on the ship was a man. "Yes, he has," Jasmine replied as she gave Zari a warm smile. "It's about time too, you know? I have been missing my home."
Zari nodded in agreement as her gaze drifted down to the map of the Fire Nation that had been engraved into the metal of the floor. A sad smile spread across her lips as she let out a remorseful sigh. "I, too, miss the Fire Nation, Princess. It has been a long time since I have seen my family and it would mean everything to see them again."
"Do you have children, Zari?" Jasmine asked. She remembered a time when Zari mentioned stories of young children but wasn't sure if she had been talking about her own children or someone else's. Jasmine motioned for Zari to grab the red cloak that hung from her wardrobe while she continued to apply a light coat of red coloring to her lips. It almost made it look like her lips were stained with blood due to the bright crimson color while the kohl that lined her eyes gave her eyes a cat-like appearance.
"I do not, but my sister has eight children — six girls and two boys," Zari replied as delicately placed the fur-lined cloak over Jasmine's shoulders. It was there to protect her from the harsh weathers of the South Pole. A skilled firebender would have no need to wear warm clothing since they would naturally be able to keep their body temperature high enough, but Jasmine still struggled with the technique. She had no control over her breath — a bit contradictory since her father's nickname for her was Dragon.
"Do you not want children?" Jasmine asked as she kept her eyes focused on Zari's movements. Jasmine tended to forget how old the people around her were. She remembered her own age — 16 years old. She and Zuko were the same age, but he was about two months older than her. She remembered Lu Ten's birthday. It was exactly three weeks before her birthday. He would have been 28 now if he hadn't passed away. Lu Ten and she had a huge age gap, but it was somewhat understandable when her father, Iroh, and her uncle's age gap was taken into consideration. Her father was 60 years old while Fire Lord Ozai was only 46 — fourteen years younger than Iroh. Zuko and Azula had the smallest age gap — only two years. Yet, Jasmine was much closer to Lu Ten than Azula and Zuko would ever be.
