Forged In Fire || ATLA

The Ghost of You

"At the top of my lungs in my arms, she dies. She dies." - My Chemical Romance

The Painted Lady - Fin.

🌊⛰️🔥🌪

To her relative surprise, Aelita wasn't struck down where she stood in the middle of the throne room despite the fact that the dozens of others in attendance likely wished she had been. The world didn't stop turning, even if it felt like her heart had stopped beating, and much to Azula's immense displeasure, no one made a move to argue her father's words.

Not even Zetzu. The boy didn't move to close a single piece of the distance between him and his bride-to-be. He didn't dare open his mouth to speak, the fears of his youth effectively keeping his mouth sewn shut. He didn't blink, didn't flinch, and to his family standing closest to him, he didn't even appear to breathe.

It was that complete and utter lack of reaction that the people seemed to take notice of most. The officials and nobles alike looked to the guidance of the family that led them to gauge their reactions, the scar on their eldest Prince's face a not-so-subtle reminder of what happened to those that spoke out against their Lord.

Azula almost smirked where she stood beside Zetzu, knowing damn well that her brother wouldn't react even if he wanted to. He couldn't, because as different as her siblings attempted to seem, she knew that deep down they would always be the pathetic, pitiful boys they had always been. So, she held her head high and waited for her brother's panic to paint the scene she so desperately wanted the rest of the world to see, but to her silent horror, Zetzu's frigid, frozen nature had the opposite effect of what it used to. As children, the select few that bore witness to her brother's meager existence saw him for what he was - an absolute waste of royal blood.

But now? Now, whispers began to make their way amongst the crowd in soft acknowledgment and belief that Zetzu could actually live up to their expectations of him. After all, he didn't seem to care for the Akira still standing alone before the Fire Lord, the Prince effectively keeping his distance from her as if it hadn't been his plan to have her all along.

Worse than that, their father seemed to take notice too. Azula glanced over her shoulder to their dad watching her youngest brother with curious, and dare she admit proud eyes.

It infuriated her to no end, but she didn't dare make it known, willing her face instead into that of cool indifference as she listened to the fresh wave of sound that gradually erupted amongst the crowd, watching as the chatter washed over Aelita and her brothers both where they stood.

Most of it wasn't good. Many wanted her dead.

The people of the Fire Nation could seem to accept the pardon of Sukomo Kenshin, he had been well enough respected that many had questioned the validity of the accusations against him in the first place, but few wanted to accept a girl that had openly opposed their sons and daughters on the front lines. The General's daughter was a disgrace, even if she had protected the heir to the throne time and time again, and both Ozai and Azula were all too happy to have her be reminded of it.

The Princes' struggled under the weight of their guilt from where they watched, listening to the whispers they had sworn they were prepared for but found that they weren't at all. Their people were brutal and unforgiving, so many in the room dressed in military garb, the rest so wrapped up by the propaganda of it all that they had willingly given more gold than the average man ever owned to support the war efforts. 

Zuko watched as Aelita didn't buckle the way he felt he was about to, her shoulders square as she waited before the throne for relief that didn't come because, despite the instructions he had been given, Zetzu hadn't moved to join her before the masses. If the Akira had taken notice, she didn't show it.