Beauty in the Beast (Zutara)

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Mother?" Ursa's face scrunched as she felt a small hand poke her nose repeatedly before opening her eyes upon seeing her child.

"Yes Darling, what is it?" She asked groggily. There was only an unclear murmur and a small snivel before Ursa groaned and rubbed her eyes before turning on the light to look down at a teary eyed Azula, her large eyes cast down guiltily. The mother tilted her head as she stroked the young girls hair lovingly.

"What's wrong Azula?" She asked. Without a word, the young girl crawled in her bed and over the legs of her mother emboldened by her father's absence. Ursa didn't speak as she lifted up the covers to reveal her son sound asleep as well on his father's side of the bed. Azula wiggled her way in as Ursa turned off the light once more kissing her daughter's head softly, a firm and maternal hand on her back.

"Good night, darling." The last thing Ursa felt was a small hand clutch the sleeve of her gown as she drifted off again. Azula snuggled into her mother, listening to her soothing heartbeat a soft smile at her lips comforted in the safety of her arms.

~~

If only things had stayed that easy. Ursa sighed, wiping away tears as she gazed at the picture of her family growing without her, noting the cruel look in her daughter's eye and the marred flesh of her son's. Her fist clenched as she recalled the cruel smirk of her husband listening to what he had done to Zuko. Grief and rage boiled inside of her as she couldn't help but to imagine the screams that came from the young man, guilt overwhelming her as she thumbed over the scarred eye of her son trying to hold back her sobs. How could he do this? She asked herself. How could someone like this be so cruel to their own flesh and blood? She shook the thought out of her head as she ran her hand through her hair. I didn't do this to him. I wanted to take him away--take them both from that bastard. Horrified, Ursa watched as her door opened to seeing the very man she despised come through the door.

"What are you doing here?" She growled. Ozai's smirk returned and Ursa wanted nothing more than to smack it off of him. "Why would you send me this?" She asked lifting up the picture of the children.

"I thought you would want to see how they were doing, growing up without you." He answered simply. Slamming down the photo she turned to him.

"Is that what you call growing up?! You burned Zuko! Scarred him for life!" Unaffected, Ozai calmly unbuttoned his suit jacket.

"I did. He needed to learn respect." Her eyes narrowed at him as she bit her cheek for a few moments.

"Why are you here?" Ozai cocked an eyebrow striding over to her and tipping up her chin.

"I can't see what belongs to me?" He asked, amused.

"You don't own me." A snarky laugh ripped out of the bearded man.

"Oh please, Ursa. You knew what you were doing once you surrendered yourself to me those years ago." Taking a firm hold of her jaw, he grinned as he felt her wince. "Your family couldn't pay back my father. So you did what you thought would save them. You gave yourself to me." His hand migrated to her cheek as she grimaced from his touch.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" He mused coolly. "Stop telling you the truth? You gave me your freedom the moment you agreed to be mine."

"Stop it!"

"And you were so selfish. Running away from your husband, from your children." Ursa's lip quivered as guilt struck her heart. She looked away from him as her cruel husband grinned, looming over her.

"He cried for you, by the way." He began again. "After I burned him. Imagine how hurt the boy was knowing that his mother was never coming back for him." He teased. Heated frustrated tears rolled down her cheeks as Ozai wiped them.