Cause and Effect
May 19, 2018 12:03:40 GMT -5
Post by Zula on May 19, 2018 12:03:40 GMT -5
There was no place in the world quite like her homeland.
The late afternoon sunlight turned the sky a brilliant mix of orange and gold, smudged with light shades of pink reflecting off the stretched out clouds. From her seat on the terrace, Zula could see the ornate buildings of the Capital City below, the rest of the citizens starting to settle down for the coming evening. Removed from the bustle of the city life allowed her to see the few lakes that dotted the landscape, and feel the wind that blew through the hills of the island, carrying a hint of the sea with it. This was the Fire Nation she knew, the one under peaceful rule; beautiful like a dream.
Right now, all of that beauty felt like only an illusion.
Zula stared down at her tea, her reflection stoically peering back at her. The drink had been served to her some time ago, but had since gone cold and remained untouched. In fact, Zula didn’t think she’d moved an inch since she had sat down silently at the table. Across from her was her mother, who every once and awhile sipped from her own mug, but otherwise said nothing, just gazed out over their view of the city. It was strange having Feena so quiet, so odd that it felt unnatural. Even though Zula never spoke first, her mother always had something to say, some gossip to share. But ever since Zula had returned home bearing the news that shattered her mother’s heart, all chatter had ceased.
It had nearly killed Zula herself when she stepped off the ship to look her mother in the eye and knew what she had to say. Feena had been all smiles for that single moment before Zula drew closer, and Zula had seen the look of pride on her mother’s face she’d grown used to seeing. But then she’d stopped in front of Feena, her hands shaking, her own broken heart crying the tears that she held back behind a blank, somber mask. Somehow even with all the control she had, Feena had known something was wrong, her brow furrowing, her mouth opening to speak, “Zula, what’s the matter?”
And when Zula finally spoke the words out loud, the words she’d rehearsed over and over in her head, they fell like heavy stones and dragged her down with them. “I’m sorry, Mother. Zuka...Zuka is dead.”
It was only then that the reality set in for her. She watched the light flicker out of her mother’s eyes, her expression crumbling in disbelief, and then sorrow. Zula had had to bear this weight before, all those years ago when she’d lost her father, and so she knew to take a hold of her Feena’s arm and lead her inside. She knew how to stand tall, to be the strong and stable one for her mother who had just had a parent’s biggest fear for their child come to life. Even if Zula wanted to fall herself, she knew she couldn’t. She held her head as high as she could, and endured the pain, grieving in silence and when she lay awake at night, memories of her sister playing in her ever-restless mind.
Since that day, the entire atmosphere had changed. The halls of her home that had been quiet since Zuka had run off all those years ago now felt hollow and somber. They’d always been prepared for her return, always ready for her to fill it with her personality, but now they seemed shadowed by the fact that she never had the option of coming back. Servants kept their heads low, mourning in their own way, attending to both Feena and Zula but with softer tones and sympathetic looks. Zula had half a mind to send them as far from her as possible, but she didn’t want to take out her pain on the people that were only doing their jobs. It wouldn’t be fair, especially when many of them had watched Zuka grow up as well.
But though it had just been Zula and Feena for years, their home now felt lonelier than ever. They shut themselves up in the house, staying in each other’s presence but not saying more than a few words to one another. Perhaps it was the shock, perhaps just the grief, but Zula figured that if she just stayed at her mother’s side it would be enough. That was where Feena had always wanted her after all, and so she’d called off her future appointments in Republic City, taking personal time that she knew she deserved but otherwise would not have taken. Even though sitting with her mother felt strained, even when Feena snapped at whatever little thing drove her to the edge that day, Zula remained at her side, silent but ever-present.
Zula finally glanced up as her mother set down her mug, the sound bringing her back to the afternoon. She tried to sit straighter, if it was even possible. If she tried to adjust any further, she wondered if her back would snap from the tension. She figured it was better to pay extra attention to her mannerisms than give Feena another thing to be upset about. Zula watched as her mother took a deep breath, rubbing her hands as if she were cold. But it was warm as ever, the Fire Nation not having many days that could cause a chill. For a moment Zula just watched, and then finally gathered up her courage and spoke, “Are you alright, Mother?”
Of course she knew the answer, but Zula wasn’t sure what else she could say. Feena looked up at her, as if just remembering that her other daughter had been sitting there with her. “I was just reminiscing. You never think of the past until the present catches up with you.”
“You couldn’t have known this would happen,” Zula said softly, not wanting to upset Feena further but unwilling to let her mother blame herself. She hadn’t been in Republic City, and Zuka had always followed her own path. She’d done so well on her own that neither of them thought that it would end up like this.
“No, I couldn’t have. But this is not the life I wanted for her.” Feena reached up and rubbed her temples, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I tried so hard to make sure she stayed on the right path, that the two of you would grow better than I ever did. I didn’t want either of you repeating my mistakes.”
Confusion flickered across Zula’s face as she watched Feena, uncertain how to react. She’d never heard her mother admit to making a mistake. It had always been Feena’s way and nothing else, with no room for argument. “What do you mean? Zuka always wanted something more than being a noble. That was nothing you could stop.”
Feena said nothing for a long moment, then drew in a deep breath. Her expression was pained, like she’d kept her words locked up for so long that to say them hurt. “I never did tell you how I met your father, did I?”
“You didn’t,” Zula said slowly. Growing up she’d never asked, though she’d always wondered why her mother, who valued her heritage more than anyone else she’d ever met, had ended up with someone from the Water Tribe and not another Fire Nation citizen.
“In my youth I was...wild, rebellious even,” Feena began, her eyes shining wistfully as she spoke. “Back then, I ignored my parent’s teachings, and I made it clear that I didn’t want to stay in the Fire Nation. I wanted to travel the world, and so I made arrangements to do so, and I didn’t let my parents stop me. Eventually, after all of that, I met your father when he visited the Fire Nation, and I was set on marrying him.”
Her mother let out a sigh, as if just remembering the past was enough to exhaust her. “I had many fights with your grandparents about marrying him, and I couldn’t bring myself to go through with it if I didn’t have their approval. Finally they agreed to let me marry him, but I had to stop fighting their teachings. I had to shape up and make up for all of the trouble I caused my family in the past.”
Zula found herself at a loss for words, trying to process all that her mother had just said. Never had she imagined Feena to have a rebellious nature. It seemed so wrong after all the teachings that Zula had endured over the years, after everything her mother had done to get her to love her Fire Nation heritage. “Why didn’t you tell us this before?”
“It wasn’t for you to know,” Feena said, shaking her head. “All you girls needed to know was what I taught you. I couldn’t have you throwing tradition to the wind like I did.”
Zula felt her blood turn cold as she stared at Feena, meeting her mother’s broken gaze. Feena looked so defeated, like all her secrets had been spilled and she had nothing left to hide. “Yet all this time, you were exactly like Zuka. And instead of telling her, you shunned her for it.”
“I was scared for her!” Feena argued, and Zula could see that she was treading into territory she’d never touched. Never had she given a reason for Feena to raise her voice at her, not wanting to give her mother that strain. “I didn’t want her repeating my mistakes.”
“So driving her out was the solution?” She knew she shouldn’t push, Zula normally would have let Feena talk and kept her thoughts to herself. But now, Zula couldn’t hold back. Something inside her was stretched thin, whether it was her patience or her loyalty to her mother she couldn’t tell.
“Do you think I don’t feel guilty for it? I wish that I had had the chance to fix things with your sister.” There was shock along with frustration in Feena’s voice, and from across the table Zula could feel it weighing on her shoulders. She’d always been quiet and close to Feena’s side, and always stood up for her mother when no one else would. Feena didn’t know how to deal with Zula this way.
Truthfully, Zula wasn’t so certain of what she was doing either. All she knew was that she felt hurt and betrayed, and on the behalf of her sister as well. “But when were you going to do so? If Zuka was still here, you wouldn’t be telling me this. You would still be pushing for her to come home and be unhappy. Neither of us would know anything. Who knows if you ever would have chosen to tell us or leave us in the dark forever.”
Zula pushed herself back from the table abruptly and stood, walking over to the railing on the terrace and grasping a hold of it tightly, as if it would ground her. Her gaze bored into the city below her, the sunset and reflection making it seem in Zula’s eyes like the whole city was burning. It may as well have been, for the truth suddenly made her feel like she was staring into a place she’d only thought she knew.
“You didn’t need to have any thoughts in your head,” Feena said, continuing to defend her position. “Your duty was always to the Fire Nation. I needed you to focus on that and nothing else.”
Whatever thread that had been pulled too thin snapped. Zula spun around sharply, the controlled mask that she’d mastered over her emotions over the years shattering, “I have given my entire life to the Fire Nation! When does it end, Mother? How much of myself do I have to lose before it is enough?”
All those years she’d lost, all the fun times with Zuka she had given up, all her interests that became fleeting just because she didn’t want to upset her mother were all for nothing. If Feena had been open with her, if she’d told the girls why she wanted them to do their best to follow their traditions, the fighting could have ceased. Their family wouldn’t have been so divided, and Zula wouldn’t have had to feel like she had no choice but to pit herself against everyone except her mother.
All her life she’d strived to be perfect for a mother that had been the complete opposite.
Just as quickly as the mask had fallen, Zula pulled it back together. She closed her eyes for a moment, her head turned away from Feena as she sought for control. Every piece she put back into place, and when she looked back to Feena the placid look returned, but it could not hide the betrayal that she felt, which burned brightly in her eyes. “I’ve done my best to make you happy. But all these years I thought the discord in our family stemmed from Zuka. I only wish I could tell her just how wrong of an assumption that was.”
She couldn’t bear to look at her mother’s crestfallen expression any longer. The world had just been flipped for both of them, and Zula couldn’t take knowing that it was Feena who had continued to upheave her life. She turned on her heel and walked swiftly through the doors of the terrace, nearly running into some servants who had come to check up on the pair. Behind her she heard Feena yell out, “Zula! Come back here at once!”
But Zula kept her gaze straight ahead, walking down the hall and rounding the corner. She could see all the servants in the halls staring, some of them whispering as she moved past them stiffly. Zula quickened her step, almost jogging as she made her way to her room and then shut the door behind her. She moved further in and found herself pacing in a circle until she finally sat down heavily on her bed, looking down at her feet. How had everything she’d known come to this? How, when it had finally seemed stable and certain, had it all come crumbling down so fast?
She looked helplessly around her room, her eyes then locking onto a portrait on her wall. It had been done right before Zuka and her father had gone off to the North Pole. They all looked so young, so different than Zula remembered. Yet she found her eyes clinging to the figure of her father, who even in a stoic image radiated the kindness he had always possessed. Her father, whose teachings she’d ignored, who she pushed away because she had wanted to be purely Fire Nation for her mother. Her father who Zuka had said loved her, who Zula suspected had but she couldn’t say so for sure. She’d pushed him away, she’d never let herself know him or her Water Tribe heritage, all for the sake of Feena.
It was something she’d felt guilty for as she’d gotten older, but now it all hit her at once. Zula buried her face in her hands, let the emotions wash over her. It was the last straw, she realized as she lifted her head, her gaze now falling to the portion of the portrait where her and Zuka sat side by side. She had been questioning since she’d returned home where she was to go from here, and now Zula only had one solution in mind. She grabbed a bag from her closet and shoved what she could inside, taking what she needed and nothing more. Then she sat down at her desk and pulled out paper and ink, and took a deep breath.
She wrote until the moon was high in the sky, and then sealed it before she could read it again.
The harbor was always crowded, and even in the early morning there were plenty of crowds. Zula had left her letter with a servant and requested that it be delivered to her mother when she awoke and no sooner. It was better that Feena found out what Zula was planning when it was too late to stop her. She knew her mother wouldn’t awake for a few more hours at least, which gave her plenty of time to get a head start. Zula wasn’t even sure what the letter said entirely, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to check. She just had to hope that everything she’d wanted to say had made it’s way onto the paper.
Because even if it hurt her mother, Zula wasn’t going to hide the truth from her.
Zula adjusted the bag on her shoulder and weaved through the crowds, making her way over to one of the docked ships. As she drew closer she could see the captain talking to a group of other political figures, all who Zula recognized and had spoken to before. All seemed to see her at once, and the captain raised his eyebrows in surprise, both at the sight of her and the sight of her without a crowd of servants at her back. “Ambassador, I didn’t think I’d see you here. I was told you wouldn’t be taking this voyage.”
“There has been a change of plans,” Zula said, lifting her head. “My presence here in the Fire Nation isn’t needed. I think that I belong somewhere else for now.”
“So you will be joining us then?” The captain asked, checking the time.
“Yes,” Zula replied, and ignored the stares of the other political figures who had surely heard that she’d taken time off for personal matters. But none of them mattered, not right now. She brushed past them all and started up the ramp to board the ship. “I’m going back to Republic City.”
The late afternoon sunlight turned the sky a brilliant mix of orange and gold, smudged with light shades of pink reflecting off the stretched out clouds. From her seat on the terrace, Zula could see the ornate buildings of the Capital City below, the rest of the citizens starting to settle down for the coming evening. Removed from the bustle of the city life allowed her to see the few lakes that dotted the landscape, and feel the wind that blew through the hills of the island, carrying a hint of the sea with it. This was the Fire Nation she knew, the one under peaceful rule; beautiful like a dream.
Right now, all of that beauty felt like only an illusion.
Zula stared down at her tea, her reflection stoically peering back at her. The drink had been served to her some time ago, but had since gone cold and remained untouched. In fact, Zula didn’t think she’d moved an inch since she had sat down silently at the table. Across from her was her mother, who every once and awhile sipped from her own mug, but otherwise said nothing, just gazed out over their view of the city. It was strange having Feena so quiet, so odd that it felt unnatural. Even though Zula never spoke first, her mother always had something to say, some gossip to share. But ever since Zula had returned home bearing the news that shattered her mother’s heart, all chatter had ceased.
It had nearly killed Zula herself when she stepped off the ship to look her mother in the eye and knew what she had to say. Feena had been all smiles for that single moment before Zula drew closer, and Zula had seen the look of pride on her mother’s face she’d grown used to seeing. But then she’d stopped in front of Feena, her hands shaking, her own broken heart crying the tears that she held back behind a blank, somber mask. Somehow even with all the control she had, Feena had known something was wrong, her brow furrowing, her mouth opening to speak, “Zula, what’s the matter?”
And when Zula finally spoke the words out loud, the words she’d rehearsed over and over in her head, they fell like heavy stones and dragged her down with them. “I’m sorry, Mother. Zuka...Zuka is dead.”
It was only then that the reality set in for her. She watched the light flicker out of her mother’s eyes, her expression crumbling in disbelief, and then sorrow. Zula had had to bear this weight before, all those years ago when she’d lost her father, and so she knew to take a hold of her Feena’s arm and lead her inside. She knew how to stand tall, to be the strong and stable one for her mother who had just had a parent’s biggest fear for their child come to life. Even if Zula wanted to fall herself, she knew she couldn’t. She held her head as high as she could, and endured the pain, grieving in silence and when she lay awake at night, memories of her sister playing in her ever-restless mind.
Since that day, the entire atmosphere had changed. The halls of her home that had been quiet since Zuka had run off all those years ago now felt hollow and somber. They’d always been prepared for her return, always ready for her to fill it with her personality, but now they seemed shadowed by the fact that she never had the option of coming back. Servants kept their heads low, mourning in their own way, attending to both Feena and Zula but with softer tones and sympathetic looks. Zula had half a mind to send them as far from her as possible, but she didn’t want to take out her pain on the people that were only doing their jobs. It wouldn’t be fair, especially when many of them had watched Zuka grow up as well.
But though it had just been Zula and Feena for years, their home now felt lonelier than ever. They shut themselves up in the house, staying in each other’s presence but not saying more than a few words to one another. Perhaps it was the shock, perhaps just the grief, but Zula figured that if she just stayed at her mother’s side it would be enough. That was where Feena had always wanted her after all, and so she’d called off her future appointments in Republic City, taking personal time that she knew she deserved but otherwise would not have taken. Even though sitting with her mother felt strained, even when Feena snapped at whatever little thing drove her to the edge that day, Zula remained at her side, silent but ever-present.
Zula finally glanced up as her mother set down her mug, the sound bringing her back to the afternoon. She tried to sit straighter, if it was even possible. If she tried to adjust any further, she wondered if her back would snap from the tension. She figured it was better to pay extra attention to her mannerisms than give Feena another thing to be upset about. Zula watched as her mother took a deep breath, rubbing her hands as if she were cold. But it was warm as ever, the Fire Nation not having many days that could cause a chill. For a moment Zula just watched, and then finally gathered up her courage and spoke, “Are you alright, Mother?”
Of course she knew the answer, but Zula wasn’t sure what else she could say. Feena looked up at her, as if just remembering that her other daughter had been sitting there with her. “I was just reminiscing. You never think of the past until the present catches up with you.”
“You couldn’t have known this would happen,” Zula said softly, not wanting to upset Feena further but unwilling to let her mother blame herself. She hadn’t been in Republic City, and Zuka had always followed her own path. She’d done so well on her own that neither of them thought that it would end up like this.
“No, I couldn’t have. But this is not the life I wanted for her.” Feena reached up and rubbed her temples, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I tried so hard to make sure she stayed on the right path, that the two of you would grow better than I ever did. I didn’t want either of you repeating my mistakes.”
Confusion flickered across Zula’s face as she watched Feena, uncertain how to react. She’d never heard her mother admit to making a mistake. It had always been Feena’s way and nothing else, with no room for argument. “What do you mean? Zuka always wanted something more than being a noble. That was nothing you could stop.”
Feena said nothing for a long moment, then drew in a deep breath. Her expression was pained, like she’d kept her words locked up for so long that to say them hurt. “I never did tell you how I met your father, did I?”
“You didn’t,” Zula said slowly. Growing up she’d never asked, though she’d always wondered why her mother, who valued her heritage more than anyone else she’d ever met, had ended up with someone from the Water Tribe and not another Fire Nation citizen.
“In my youth I was...wild, rebellious even,” Feena began, her eyes shining wistfully as she spoke. “Back then, I ignored my parent’s teachings, and I made it clear that I didn’t want to stay in the Fire Nation. I wanted to travel the world, and so I made arrangements to do so, and I didn’t let my parents stop me. Eventually, after all of that, I met your father when he visited the Fire Nation, and I was set on marrying him.”
Her mother let out a sigh, as if just remembering the past was enough to exhaust her. “I had many fights with your grandparents about marrying him, and I couldn’t bring myself to go through with it if I didn’t have their approval. Finally they agreed to let me marry him, but I had to stop fighting their teachings. I had to shape up and make up for all of the trouble I caused my family in the past.”
Zula found herself at a loss for words, trying to process all that her mother had just said. Never had she imagined Feena to have a rebellious nature. It seemed so wrong after all the teachings that Zula had endured over the years, after everything her mother had done to get her to love her Fire Nation heritage. “Why didn’t you tell us this before?”
“It wasn’t for you to know,” Feena said, shaking her head. “All you girls needed to know was what I taught you. I couldn’t have you throwing tradition to the wind like I did.”
Zula felt her blood turn cold as she stared at Feena, meeting her mother’s broken gaze. Feena looked so defeated, like all her secrets had been spilled and she had nothing left to hide. “Yet all this time, you were exactly like Zuka. And instead of telling her, you shunned her for it.”
“I was scared for her!” Feena argued, and Zula could see that she was treading into territory she’d never touched. Never had she given a reason for Feena to raise her voice at her, not wanting to give her mother that strain. “I didn’t want her repeating my mistakes.”
“So driving her out was the solution?” She knew she shouldn’t push, Zula normally would have let Feena talk and kept her thoughts to herself. But now, Zula couldn’t hold back. Something inside her was stretched thin, whether it was her patience or her loyalty to her mother she couldn’t tell.
“Do you think I don’t feel guilty for it? I wish that I had had the chance to fix things with your sister.” There was shock along with frustration in Feena’s voice, and from across the table Zula could feel it weighing on her shoulders. She’d always been quiet and close to Feena’s side, and always stood up for her mother when no one else would. Feena didn’t know how to deal with Zula this way.
Truthfully, Zula wasn’t so certain of what she was doing either. All she knew was that she felt hurt and betrayed, and on the behalf of her sister as well. “But when were you going to do so? If Zuka was still here, you wouldn’t be telling me this. You would still be pushing for her to come home and be unhappy. Neither of us would know anything. Who knows if you ever would have chosen to tell us or leave us in the dark forever.”
Zula pushed herself back from the table abruptly and stood, walking over to the railing on the terrace and grasping a hold of it tightly, as if it would ground her. Her gaze bored into the city below her, the sunset and reflection making it seem in Zula’s eyes like the whole city was burning. It may as well have been, for the truth suddenly made her feel like she was staring into a place she’d only thought she knew.
“You didn’t need to have any thoughts in your head,” Feena said, continuing to defend her position. “Your duty was always to the Fire Nation. I needed you to focus on that and nothing else.”
Whatever thread that had been pulled too thin snapped. Zula spun around sharply, the controlled mask that she’d mastered over her emotions over the years shattering, “I have given my entire life to the Fire Nation! When does it end, Mother? How much of myself do I have to lose before it is enough?”
All those years she’d lost, all the fun times with Zuka she had given up, all her interests that became fleeting just because she didn’t want to upset her mother were all for nothing. If Feena had been open with her, if she’d told the girls why she wanted them to do their best to follow their traditions, the fighting could have ceased. Their family wouldn’t have been so divided, and Zula wouldn’t have had to feel like she had no choice but to pit herself against everyone except her mother.
All her life she’d strived to be perfect for a mother that had been the complete opposite.
Just as quickly as the mask had fallen, Zula pulled it back together. She closed her eyes for a moment, her head turned away from Feena as she sought for control. Every piece she put back into place, and when she looked back to Feena the placid look returned, but it could not hide the betrayal that she felt, which burned brightly in her eyes. “I’ve done my best to make you happy. But all these years I thought the discord in our family stemmed from Zuka. I only wish I could tell her just how wrong of an assumption that was.”
She couldn’t bear to look at her mother’s crestfallen expression any longer. The world had just been flipped for both of them, and Zula couldn’t take knowing that it was Feena who had continued to upheave her life. She turned on her heel and walked swiftly through the doors of the terrace, nearly running into some servants who had come to check up on the pair. Behind her she heard Feena yell out, “Zula! Come back here at once!”
But Zula kept her gaze straight ahead, walking down the hall and rounding the corner. She could see all the servants in the halls staring, some of them whispering as she moved past them stiffly. Zula quickened her step, almost jogging as she made her way to her room and then shut the door behind her. She moved further in and found herself pacing in a circle until she finally sat down heavily on her bed, looking down at her feet. How had everything she’d known come to this? How, when it had finally seemed stable and certain, had it all come crumbling down so fast?
She looked helplessly around her room, her eyes then locking onto a portrait on her wall. It had been done right before Zuka and her father had gone off to the North Pole. They all looked so young, so different than Zula remembered. Yet she found her eyes clinging to the figure of her father, who even in a stoic image radiated the kindness he had always possessed. Her father, whose teachings she’d ignored, who she pushed away because she had wanted to be purely Fire Nation for her mother. Her father who Zuka had said loved her, who Zula suspected had but she couldn’t say so for sure. She’d pushed him away, she’d never let herself know him or her Water Tribe heritage, all for the sake of Feena.
It was something she’d felt guilty for as she’d gotten older, but now it all hit her at once. Zula buried her face in her hands, let the emotions wash over her. It was the last straw, she realized as she lifted her head, her gaze now falling to the portion of the portrait where her and Zuka sat side by side. She had been questioning since she’d returned home where she was to go from here, and now Zula only had one solution in mind. She grabbed a bag from her closet and shoved what she could inside, taking what she needed and nothing more. Then she sat down at her desk and pulled out paper and ink, and took a deep breath.
She wrote until the moon was high in the sky, and then sealed it before she could read it again.
~
The harbor was always crowded, and even in the early morning there were plenty of crowds. Zula had left her letter with a servant and requested that it be delivered to her mother when she awoke and no sooner. It was better that Feena found out what Zula was planning when it was too late to stop her. She knew her mother wouldn’t awake for a few more hours at least, which gave her plenty of time to get a head start. Zula wasn’t even sure what the letter said entirely, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to check. She just had to hope that everything she’d wanted to say had made it’s way onto the paper.
Because even if it hurt her mother, Zula wasn’t going to hide the truth from her.
Zula adjusted the bag on her shoulder and weaved through the crowds, making her way over to one of the docked ships. As she drew closer she could see the captain talking to a group of other political figures, all who Zula recognized and had spoken to before. All seemed to see her at once, and the captain raised his eyebrows in surprise, both at the sight of her and the sight of her without a crowd of servants at her back. “Ambassador, I didn’t think I’d see you here. I was told you wouldn’t be taking this voyage.”
“There has been a change of plans,” Zula said, lifting her head. “My presence here in the Fire Nation isn’t needed. I think that I belong somewhere else for now.”
“So you will be joining us then?” The captain asked, checking the time.
“Yes,” Zula replied, and ignored the stares of the other political figures who had surely heard that she’d taken time off for personal matters. But none of them mattered, not right now. She brushed past them all and started up the ramp to board the ship. “I’m going back to Republic City.”