The Girl No One Knew

Chapter 2

I walked into the Fire Lady's chambers, receiving odd glares from her personal servants. "You called for me, Your Majesty?" Ursa waved her hand, shooing away the servants as well as ordering one to bring tea.

"I've told you," Ursa smiled warmly. "You don't have to be so formal with me, Saki." She stretched out her arms, inviting me to sit with her. I joined her, mimicking the way she sat, feet tucked under my butt and my back straight. "Do you know why I wanted you here?" I shook my head. "Well, there has been much talk of the people of the kingdom wanting you to leave. Did you know that?" I nodded. She was trying everything she could to spare my feelings, though I wished she'd just say it instead of stalling.

"I just want you to know that you aren't going to be sent away," she said as the servant entered with our tea. "You are a part of the royal family now." The servant twitched when she said this.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty," I said with a bow of my head, "the kingdom is right. I don't belong here. I belong with my people."

"Do you wish to leave?" Ursa asked as the servant left. "If that's what you really want, then we can arrange for you to - "

"No, no," I answered quickly and shook my head. "No, of course not Your Highness. I mean, not yet. I wish to stay until I am old enough to travel on my own. If....that's alright with you." Ursa smiled, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"I promised your people I'd protect you," she whispered, "and I intend to keep that promise." I smiled and laid my head on her shoulder. She was the closest thing I had to a mother, and something inside of me was screaming, Don't leave. The large doors to the chambers slowly opened, making way for another servant.

"Your Majesty," his hoarse voice echoed across the huge room. "Your children are fighting again." Ursa sighed, grabbing my hand as she walked swiftly to the central garden with me behind her. Once we arrived, we saw three little girls standing with Zuko. Ty Lee, Mai, and Azula. Azula was the most bitter little girl I'd ever known. Mai stood in front of the fountain, an apple on her head. Azula had her signature wicked smirk on her lips, her eye focused on the apple. She shot her small blossoms of fire from her fingertips at it, the flames catching onto the skin of the fruit as it remained on her head.

"No!" Zuko shouted and dived at Mai, tackling her into the fountain. They sat in the water, Mai's permanent scowl seeming to deepen. Zuko blushed brightly, embarrased. Azula and Ty Lee, however, were hysterical.

"Azula!" Ursa shouted at her young daughter. "What are you doing?"

"Playing a game, Mother," Azula smiled. Ursa's was mortified. She looked at her daughter, then at the two children in the fountain, then down at me, then back at her daughter.

"That is cruel, young lady," she finally said. This was her way of saying, My daughter is a monster. In my opinion, the entire palace saw Azula for a monster. Everyone, that is, except Ozai. He was proud of the way she behaved, encouraged it even. It scared me.

Instinctively, I helped Zuko out of the fountain. I helped Mai as well, but received only a stale face in the place of a Thank You. Zuko's face was flustered as the water dripped from his clothes, flesh, and hair. I couldn't help but laugh at him.

"It isn't funny," he hissed at me under his breath. I closed my mouth and bit my lips together in attempts to stifle my laughter. "Can you please just help me dry off?"

That was my cue. Using the stance that the women of the Southern Water Tribe had taught me while I was growing up, I tried to bend the water from him. I'll admit, I wasn't the best bender around. Or the best in general. I was still learning, and struggling, at that. I had managed to drain the water from his clothes.....

And also managed to somehow hurl it at Azula. Oh no.

"You worthless peasant!" Azula screamed and stomped her feet, her tantrum becoming pure rage. Just like any little kid, she shouted as loud as her little lungs would allow, "You did that on purpose!"

"No, I swear!" I yelled back. I did my best to make myself sound authoritative, but it came out squeamish.

Azula's eyes flared with anger, and a small blue flame appeared in the palm of her hand. Ursa stood in front of me, frowning down upon her daughter. "Azula, you stop this!" She demanded. "Go inside and the servants will dry you off." Azula cowered down (much to my surprise) and did as her mother said, growling as she stomped into the palace. "Saki," she knelt down to my level and looked at me, "it's alright. You just...need to work on your bending."

I shook my head, unable to look at her. My bending wasn't the only problem. Azula and the entire kingdom were right. I really didn't belong there. Now, thanks to my terrible bending, Azula would finally get her way and get me banished by saying I'd "attacked" her.

I'd really screwed up this time.

I ran away frm Ursa and the others, determined to get lost in the garden. Zuko and Ursa's voices called after me, even Ty Lee yelled for me to come back. But my legs kept going, carrying me all the way to what I called The Forgotten-a part of the garden that was so abandoned and unattended to that it had become a tangled mess of vines and wild flowers.

I tucked myself under the vines and curled into myself, closing my eyes and wishing I could disappear.

Wishing I were better.