Prisoner of War

Fire Lord

Rhea waited at the docks with some soldiers. Zuko and Iroh were leaving today.

Soon, the pair appeared, walking towards them.

Zuko was going to walk right passed Rhea, but she grabbed his wrist. He whirled, fist raised to attack. Then hesitated.

Rhea pulled him into an awkward hug. "You don't have to be who everyone else says you should be." She whispered in his ear. "Your destiny is your own." She pulled back. "Be careful."

He paused then walked onto the ship.

Iroh stopped in front of Rhea, pulling her into a hug.

Rhea relished the embrace. "Take care of him."

Iroh pulled away and nodded. Taking a deep breath, he turned and followed Zuko onto the ship.

They took a small crew and pushed off.

Rhea watched them until the ship had passed out of sight on the horizon.

As soon as the ship was gone, two soldiers grabbed Rhea's arms from behind.

She struggled, but they were too strong.
They dragged her away.
————
Rhea stumbled to the floor as the soldiers shoved her forward into the room.

Before her, Ozai sat behind a wall of flames.

Rhea glared at him as she stood.

Ozai spoke with authority. "Without Iroh here to protect you, you no longer have any status here, except as a prisoner of war." He addressed his soldiers. "Take her away."
————
The soldiers threw Rhea into a small cell, not bothering to make her change into a prison uniform.

At first, Rhea thought it was a mistake until she exited her cell with the rest of the prisoners the next morning.

"Traitor!"

"She's one of them!"

"Go back to your palace!"

"She's not one of us!"

"Murderer!"

The shouted insults echoed through Rhea's mind as the guards paraded her through halls of the prison. She fell asleep each night to loud threats and rebukes.

The prisoners in this POW camp were all nonbenders. They were forced to build weapons for the Fire Nation army.

When the guards had had their fun with her, they sent her to work.

Rhea watched as the people slaved over an assembly line. In a burst of anger, she whirled on the guards, kicking one in the crouch and twirling the other's weapon from his hand before bashing him over the head with it.

More guards immediately came to their comrades' aid, surrounding Rhea.

Reluctantly, she dropped the spear and went to work.
————
Rhea stood defiantly with her back to the exit as the door to her cell banged shut. Once she was alone, she collapsed into a heap next to her cot and sobbed into her arms.

The prisoners threats were getting worse, some even tried to attack her.

The guards kept a close watch on her since she had a tendency to fight back when they wanted her to do something. She honestly wasn't sure she could take much more.

As if on cue, her cell door squeaked open admitting two royal soldiers.

She glared at them. "What do you want?"

"The Fire Lord wants to see you." One explained.

"Not interested." Rhea turned away.

The other soldier grabbed her arm. "That wasn't a request."

They dragged her out of her cell.
————
One of the soldiers pushed her forward into the throne room.

She stood defiantly.

"You'll bow to your Fire Lord." A soldier commanded.

Rhea spoke over her shoulder. "Make me."

She felt the butt of a spear against the back of her right knee, forcing her to kneel. Then one of the soldiers grabbed her left arm and twisted it behind her back, lowering her body into a deep bow.

When she resisted, he jerked her arm.

"That's enough." Ozai demanded.

The soldier released Rhea and she stood, glaring intensely at Ozai.

"I hear your accommodations are... less than ideal." The only reply he received was Rhea's glare.

"I can improve your situation." He continued smoothly. "I've noticed that you're quite the fighter. At least, that's what I gather from my guards' medical records."

"Get to the point." Rhea growled.

He sighed. "I'll give you a proper house, allow you to hone and expand your skills, and pardon you... if you prove your loyalty and fight for me."

Rhea scoffed. "And if I don't?"

Ozai took a deep breath, the wall of flames rising and falling with his inhalation. "If you do not I will hunt you down and kill you, along with everyone you love."

Rhea's eyes widened.

He grinned. "It won't be hard. It's a short list, isn't it."

Rhea's mind flashed to Iroh and Zuko. She knew Ozai would do it. If the agni kai proved anything, it was that Ozai would go to any length to get what he wanted.

"You have a day. Sleep on it." She could hear the smirk in his voice. He was proud of himself.
"Take her away."

Rhea couldn't process his words as the soldiers dragged her away.
————
The next morning the soldiers came for her again.

Rhea let them lead her to the throne room. She knew it would kill her, but she knew what she had to do.

She stood before Ozai.

"Well..." he urged, "Have you made up your mind?"

Rhea took a deep breath, fighting every instinct in her body as she knelt, bowing to the monster who called himself the Fire Lord. "What do you want me to do?"