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You rolled around in your bed for hours on end that night. You can’t remember the last time this happened to you. You thought of yourself, of the future, of your father and your brother. What alternatives did you have? Triumph and let your brother die? Die in his stead?
Fight back? The thought occurred to you a few times. Perhaps… just maybe, the option of getting your father to reconsider was viable. He told you not to bring back the Avatar along with your brother, but if enough time passed and your father’s mood thawed and his victory was all but assured, he would actually reconsider.
Or perhaps he wouldn’t, and you’d both suffer his wrath. You don’t know.
You can’t face this alone. You’d need pawns to help in whatever path you chose. But Ty Lee’s happy in the circus, Mai would never help if she knew it could get Zuko hurt, Zuko and Iroh… You’ve thought of Uncle a few times, wondering what kind of advice he’d give you inbetween the platitudes he’d spout, would this rouse some fire in the old man? Give him the drive he’s been missing?
What you’d give to share some tea with him right now and see his broad smile.
And there’s another reason for your rolling. These thoughts, these feelings. They’re stirring inside you constantly. You feel bad for so many things, tears come and go, your breathing grows irregular and you almost feel the need to scream. You saw your brother get scarred by your father, and back then you felt he deserved it, now the very thought causes your heart to race. It’s like you’re watching a memory from someone else’s eyes.
What is wrong with you? That’s the question you repeat to yourself in those final few minutes where exhaustion lulls you to sleep.
The next day, you awake in a sour mood, it takes a while for you to get out of bed and start readying yourself for the day. You send a messenger to your ship’s captain to ensure the vessel is ready to depart in the afternoon. Wherever you’d have to go, you’d have to go through the archipelago anyway.
As you finish packing your things, you can hear someone shuffle to the entrance of your bedroom. It’s that maid again.
“Are you departing? Would you like me to guard you on the way down to the ship?” She asks.
>”Actually, you’re coming along with me on my trip. It’s not like the steward holds you in any appreciation.”
>”Yes please, then you can return to your duties in the palace. Serving my family’s interests.”
>Write-in.
