Book 2, Sequel to "The Concubine's Apprentice"
"Are you done?"
Her blood ran cold as she realized she wasn't alone. She looked up and through the reflection, she saw the source of her suffering, the bane of her existence.
Her mentor.
"Ye...
"Chiyo, wake up. We're here." Reiko gently nudged her arm. They have been travelling for days by carriage and by boat. Finally, the pair had arrived in Hira'a. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and gazed out from the window of the moving wagon.
It was different from what she had expected.
Hira'a was a very quaint village far from the modern furnishings of the Capital City. The roads were unpaved, the houses were made of stone, wood and straw. The remoteness of the village showed in the lack of technological developments and overall modernization.
Yet still, there was a certain beauty in simplicity and peace, and she found it comforting.
The carriage stopped in front of a gathered crowd. Apparently, news travels faster than anything. Excited murmurs encircled onlookers as they await the appearance of the apprentice entertainer. They had only heard news and hearsay and now it was time to see her for themselves.
Reiko stepped out of the carriage first to greet Noren who marched forward and shook her hand. "You must be the entertainer Lady Reiko, Lady Suiren's sister. My name is Noren, I am the director of the Hira'a acting troupe."
"Oh!" Reiko was flustered by his strong grip, but she managed to compose herself before replying. "Ah, yes! But I'm no lady actually, just Reiko is fine! Also, I'm not an entertainer. I'm here as a guardian of my sister's apprentice, really..." She smiled awkwardly.
Chiyo soon followed Reiko out of the carriage and the earlier buzz of excitement was silenced. The first thing that caught their attention was her gold and red robes, and silk shoes. Though considered plain and simple in the Capital, here in Hira'a, it was rare to see expensive textile that was so vivid in color. The apprentice luckily decided to forgo the accessories except for Zuko's necklace, lest she be deemed overdressed for the first meeting.
When she lifted her head, they saw her red-amber eyes, another rarity. Even in the Capital, no one notable had eyes like her.
Just when she thought she had gotten used to people staring, a sudden uneasiness settled in her gut. It was clear that she was out of place in the picture. What if she was more of an oddity than a rarity? Why were they so silent?
Thousands of questions plagued her thoughts. She wanted to jump back in the carriage and head home.
In the back of her mind, she heard her mentor's calm and comforting voice. "Smile, Chiyo. When you don't know where or how to start, smile."
And so, she did.
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A lot of changes and reforms were proposed during the meeting with the Fire Sages and the Council of Elders, as well as the war ministers and generals. Just looking at the stack of papers and scrolls on his desk made him groan.
"If only uncle was here, he'd know what to do..." Zuko muttered, taking the first document from the first pile and viewing its contents.
