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Fic:Same People in a Differnt Place
Ozai is the Avatar's great grandson. Ursa is Azulon's daughter.
Lu Ten was dead, and Iroh had abandoned Bah Sing Se. Abandoned his men. The letter was signed by one of his officers. No one knew where he was, for he'd disappeared quietly from his tent after the retreat.
Ozai had read the letter before her.
This was troubling.
Exiting the private sitting room, Princess Ursa felt urgency running through her but walked as if she had not a worry in her pretty head. As if she didn't need to speak to her husband before he did something foolish. Of course, what she called foolishness, he called ambition.
She spotted a passing servant who bowed when he saw her.
"You. Have you seen my husband?"
"Prince Ozai is in his chambers, Princess."
"Recently?"
"I saw him myself not ten minutes ago, Princess."
She nodded and walked off. If he was in his room, Ozai had either already done the deed or was still planning it. It must be presented carefully, of course. Yet whatever he said, whatever it did, it would fail. Ozai simply refused to understand how her father's mind worked. He failed to acknowledge many things actually.
Azulon and Ozai, two of the men in her life. How they hated one another.
"Mother."
Azula called to her from the courtyard. Her friends stood behind her, one openly and the other subtly staring at an annoyed Zuko. Ursa smiled.
"Zuko won't play with us, Mother."
"Do you mean play or be terrorized, dear?"
"Both."
"Zuko, play with your sister."
"But Mom, she -"
"Whatever she does, deal with it. You're going to have to get thicker skin than this if you want to survive in this world, darling."
Zuko pouted, Azula smiled, and Ursa walked on. She worried for her children. Zuko was too eager to please, too gentle. He was born into the wrong time.The same could be said for Ozai. He hated the war; the things he'd said to her could be considered treason. If not for the war, they might fair better. Azula, on the other hand, would no doubt excel in the army one day as well as politics. Her little girl was downright vicious ; she almost scared Ursa sometimes. If not military, she'd make an impressive courtier. Maybe better than Ursa herself.
Those two were each other's night and day. They were her sun and moon. So what did that make Ozai?
He was her air. On any given day, he would beg to differ.
Ozai was indeed in his room, a servant helping him change into more formal robes. The servant paused to bow to her. Ozai barely glanced at her.
"Leave us," she said.
The servant laid the black sash on the bed and left.
"Important meeting, Ozai?"
He sat on the bed and plucked up the sash, laid it across his knee. Ursa walked to stand before him.
"Perhaps. What business is it of yours?"
"You read the letter."
"You know I did."
Well then, no need to waste time.
"Father doesn't like you," she said. "He hates you with a passion as great as yours. Don't you know that the only reason Father chose you for me was because of your...unique ancestry? I accepted you because you're pretty, and I love you because you're adorably naive."
His golden eyes narrowed. Ursa smiled, amused. It's not as if she told him something he didn't already know.
"Don't you understand what an opportunity this is? There is no heir after your brother! It would be idiocy to think that Iroh might marry again and perhaps sire another child and then raise the thing all over again. Not when I am here, and I am capable."
There it was. There's the naivety.
"Yes. You are." She caressed his face, trying to be sympathetic. Her husband had always wanted more than what he had. More than what he deserved. "Do you think Father doesn't know this already? There's no need to do this for he will do what he will do. Nothing you or I say will change this. You will not do this, Ozai."
"You do not command me."
There was so much contempt in his voice. So much bitterness from her stubborn, rebel husband.
She let her hand and smile fall away.
"The only thing you will succeed in doing is earning his ire, and he will punish you. He will not see the Avatar's grandson made Fire Lord."
"Get out."
Anger flashed through her, red hot. How dare he dismiss her! Hurt lingered. He dismissed her.
"Ozai, don't -"
"Get. Out."
"You will not do this. Swear it."
It was the closest she could come to pleading.
He stared at her, jaw tight.
"I want you to swear to your princess on your honor, Ozai, that you will not ask it of him. "
He said nothing. Did he think this a game? Had he learned nothing of her father after all these years?
She slapped him, whipping his head to the side.
"You idiot! Do you want to die? Father liked Lu Ten! Don't you realize the insult of even hinting that he name you heir? Think of the children then if not of me."
He stared at the wall. Ursa stood trembling from anger and worry before him. Why didn't he listen to her? Why didn't he care what she had to say? She knew, though, that he'd agree. The children won it for her. Not because he loved them as she did. No, for they were her children, and Azulon's grandchildren, and Sozin's great-grandchildren. But they were his, and Ozai was nothing if not possessive.
Avoiding her eyes, Ozai lay back on the bed and draped the sash across his eyes. Ursa felt her fire burn within her as he ignored her.
"I swear it, Princess. Now get out, wife."
Resisting the childish urge to kick his shins, Ursa released a breath and walked to the door. She paused a moment.
"Ozai. I'm sorry."
Ursa went to the courtyard and watched her children play from the porch. Occasionally, they would look her way and wave or smile. All the while, Ursa pushed thoughts of what if Ozai lied to get her to shut up. Instead, she thought of how she would tell the children. Zuko was terribly fond of Lu Ten, and Azula had attached herself to anything that stole Zuko's attention away from her.
"Come here, children. Sit. I'm afraid I have bad news from the Earth Kingdom..."
"Come here, children. Sit with me..."
"Zuko, Azula. Come and sit next to me..."
Lu Ten was dead, and Iroh had abandoned Bah Sing Se. Abandoned his men. The letter was signed by one of his officers. No one knew where he was, for he'd disappeared quietly from his tent after the retreat.
Ozai had read the letter before her.
This was troubling.
Exiting the private sitting room, Princess Ursa felt urgency running through her but walked as if she had not a worry in her pretty head. As if she didn't need to speak to her husband before he did something foolish. Of course, what she called foolishness, he called ambition.
She spotted a passing servant who bowed when he saw her.
"You. Have you seen my husband?"
"Prince Ozai is in his chambers, Princess."
"Recently?"
"I saw him myself not ten minutes ago, Princess."
She nodded and walked off. If he was in his room, Ozai had either already done the deed or was still planning it. It must be presented carefully, of course. Yet whatever he said, whatever it did, it would fail. Ozai simply refused to understand how her father's mind worked. He failed to acknowledge many things actually.
Azulon and Ozai, two of the men in her life. How they hated one another.
"Mother."
Azula called to her from the courtyard. Her friends stood behind her, one openly and the other subtly staring at an annoyed Zuko. Ursa smiled.
"Zuko won't play with us, Mother."
"Do you mean play or be terrorized, dear?"
"Both."
"Zuko, play with your sister."
"But Mom, she -"
"Whatever she does, deal with it. You're going to have to get thicker skin than this if you want to survive in this world, darling."
Zuko pouted, Azula smiled, and Ursa walked on. She worried for her children. Zuko was too eager to please, too gentle. He was born into the wrong time.The same could be said for Ozai. He hated the war; the things he'd said to her could be considered treason. If not for the war, they might fair better. Azula, on the other hand, would no doubt excel in the army one day as well as politics. Her little girl was downright vicious ; she almost scared Ursa sometimes. If not military, she'd make an impressive courtier. Maybe better than Ursa herself.
Those two were each other's night and day. They were her sun and moon. So what did that make Ozai?
He was her air. On any given day, he would beg to differ.
Ozai was indeed in his room, a servant helping him change into more formal robes. The servant paused to bow to her. Ozai barely glanced at her.
"Leave us," she said.
The servant laid the black sash on the bed and left.
"Important meeting, Ozai?"
He sat on the bed and plucked up the sash, laid it across his knee. Ursa walked to stand before him.
"Perhaps. What business is it of yours?"
"You read the letter."
"You know I did."
Well then, no need to waste time.
"Father doesn't like you," she said. "He hates you with a passion as great as yours. Don't you know that the only reason Father chose you for me was because of your...unique ancestry? I accepted you because you're pretty, and I love you because you're adorably naive."
His golden eyes narrowed. Ursa smiled, amused. It's not as if she told him something he didn't already know.
"Don't you understand what an opportunity this is? There is no heir after your brother! It would be idiocy to think that Iroh might marry again and perhaps sire another child and then raise the thing all over again. Not when I am here, and I am capable."
There it was. There's the naivety.
"Yes. You are." She caressed his face, trying to be sympathetic. Her husband had always wanted more than what he had. More than what he deserved. "Do you think Father doesn't know this already? There's no need to do this for he will do what he will do. Nothing you or I say will change this. You will not do this, Ozai."
"You do not command me."
There was so much contempt in his voice. So much bitterness from her stubborn, rebel husband.
She let her hand and smile fall away.
"The only thing you will succeed in doing is earning his ire, and he will punish you. He will not see the Avatar's grandson made Fire Lord."
"Get out."
Anger flashed through her, red hot. How dare he dismiss her! Hurt lingered. He dismissed her.
"Ozai, don't -"
"Get. Out."
"You will not do this. Swear it."
It was the closest she could come to pleading.
He stared at her, jaw tight.
"I want you to swear to your princess on your honor, Ozai, that you will not ask it of him. "
He said nothing. Did he think this a game? Had he learned nothing of her father after all these years?
She slapped him, whipping his head to the side.
"You idiot! Do you want to die? Father liked Lu Ten! Don't you realize the insult of even hinting that he name you heir? Think of the children then if not of me."
He stared at the wall. Ursa stood trembling from anger and worry before him. Why didn't he listen to her? Why didn't he care what she had to say? She knew, though, that he'd agree. The children won it for her. Not because he loved them as she did. No, for they were her children, and Azulon's grandchildren, and Sozin's great-grandchildren. But they were his, and Ozai was nothing if not possessive.
Avoiding her eyes, Ozai lay back on the bed and draped the sash across his eyes. Ursa felt her fire burn within her as he ignored her.
"I swear it, Princess. Now get out, wife."
Resisting the childish urge to kick his shins, Ursa released a breath and walked to the door. She paused a moment.
"Ozai. I'm sorry."
Ursa went to the courtyard and watched her children play from the porch. Occasionally, they would look her way and wave or smile. All the while, Ursa pushed thoughts of what if Ozai lied to get her to shut up. Instead, she thought of how she would tell the children. Zuko was terribly fond of Lu Ten, and Azula had attached herself to anything that stole Zuko's attention away from her.
"Come here, children. Sit. I'm afraid I have bad news from the Earth Kingdom..."
"Come here, children. Sit with me..."
"Zuko, Azula. Come and sit next to me..."
no subject
I happen to be in the camp that thinks Ursa is not all sugar and niceness just because Zuko adores her and sees her through rose colored glasses, but this Ursa is sneaky and political and I love it. I can believe her as Azulon's daughter, and Ozai's still Ozai, just slightly off because of his different heritage.
Great stuff.
no subject
Thank you.