ATLA Little Bender

Taken By Death

Several months later, Elaria woke to the running of guards to her chambers. The doors were broken apart with urgency.

Startled. Her eyes forced themselves to view the approaching shadows to her bed, the rapid beating in her chest led her demand answers, "What's going on!"

Her fear cultivating the quake in her voice. The guards made quick work of grabbing her arms and hauling her to her feet, robes hastily were thrown on her figure as they moved at a quick pace, breaths heaving.

The air was tense and silent, she could hear the bustle of servants in the early morning. Yet this one felt different, where they move with poise and coordination, today they were bumbling bees, running into each other with papers. Fear etched across their distraught faces. Elaria could have sworn she saw Marla, tears streaming her discolored face. She stumbled to a stop to try and track her, yet the brunette disappeared into the fray as soon as she was sighted.

She could feel the weight being set on her shoulders, as her neck craned upwards and her nose pinched from the weight of her duty as she was surrounded by her servants and lower class. She had to hide her fear. The guards continued in silence, all refusing to move close enough to touch even the swaying of her hair or robes. Elaria knew they would answer no questions, or stop until they had taken her to her destination. Running through the halls, the steps were demanding all incoming traffic to move out of the way, hands ready with daggers of fire for any possible attack.

A woman with eyes blurred from tears had run into the front running guard, her weight and speed barreling through him and nearly forcing Elaria to the ground, the chaos quarreled into screaming.

"Pest! Move away from Regina at once!" Yelled the other of two Front guards, one positioned himself directly in front of Elaria, a blockade from more bawling servants, the other running to aid the fallen Front-guard, harshly grabbing the crying maid and throwing her to the ground a distance away from them in the process.

Elaria not knowing what to do, stayed completely stoic, her eyes trained to the servent being detained. Her ears were ringing with the pulse of her heart until all she heard was the rampage of her mind. She wished she could crumble, that she could weep with the maid on the floor, she was lost, terrified, shaken, and quivering to the core. Yet she couldn't show vulnerability, not to the Crown.

"Soldiers, I believe that rather than spend more time dawdling here with these ladies, my daughter should be taken to the council."

Moving into her sight, the face of her father greeted her, he kept his warm smile, yet he looked worn, and as crippled as she felt. Elaria could see the General Iroh in his curt and strict address to the soldiers. "I will take my daughter myself to the council if you move aside." Iroh motioned to the guard covering her form, the face immediately went into shock and impulsively moved aside. Iroh moved an arm around Elaria, fixing her robe to cover her more securely. Before pulling her away with him, her nerves shot.

The guard who wholeheartedly wanted to ensure the protection of Elaria moved closer for a second, before having second thoughts and simply spoke at the risk of his position.

"General Iroh, Your Grace, I on behalf of the people are with you in this loss, we all mourn the death of the Great Fire Lord Azulon."

Elaria tensed. Whatever image of control she was trying to create in the chaos, of her abduction from bed to this moment was lost as pure fear reached her grey orbs. Iroh, next to her, wrapped his arms tighter around the form of the new Fire Lord. Wishing he had introduced her to his father just a week later after his abdication.

Iroh shifted his daughter to walk, and they continued on their way, his appearance and her body insight of the servants, making them still and bow low on their knees around them. The chaos was quelled with the two crowned members of the royal family.