The Fire Within - an atla fanfic (Zuko x OC)

Will You Let Me Go?

I slammed open one of the doors to the throne room in a desperate attempt to seem strong, but clearly failed as a made a trembling step forward.

"What's the meaning of this?" Ozai asked from the back of the room, his voice echoing. I had forgotten how scary he truly is in person.

Azula stepped in beside me, looking cautious, and closed the door carefully. "Sorry, father, I tried to stop her..."

"I want to testify against him." I stated.

Ozai stayed silent for a moment, then spoke, "Fine. Come here."

I limped forward as Azula followed behind me. I casually kneeled down a distance away from my father, Azula doing the same beside me.

"So, Liang. The palace guards wrote in your file that you were arrested for breaking into the palace. Azula, weren't you there?"

"Yes, father, he broke in to Ashley's room, and stabbed her in the leg." Azula explained.

"I figured as much. She was making it pretty obvious."

I tried to hide my eyeroll.

"There is a reason, I assure you." Liang responded. "You see, Ashley actually broke into my house earlier this week and threatened my wife and son to leave the capital!"

My eyes shot open wider. "What? I did not!"

"You did. Do I need to bring them in to say so?"

I glanced back at Ozai, who was impatiently looking at us. "Liang, I could care less about your prostitute and your child. You stabbed her, isn't that a bit much?"

Liang looked back at me. "No. She won't leave me alone. She threatened my receptionist as well, which she got put in a holding cell for."

I sighed and shook my head slowly. He was taking things totally out of context.

"A pattern of threatening, hm? That's interesting." Ozai said. He snapped to get one of the guards attention. "You, find me Ashley Liang's records."

The name made me cringe. "Listen, Firelord, my father is very suspicious. This goes beyond disputes. As I've told you before, I have reason to believe he is unloyal to the Fire Nation."

"Yes, yes. I remember. He was on a very long trip to the fire nation colonies for 20 years." Ozai replied.

I nodded. "Yeah, now, not saying I know where he was, but I am a bit suspicious. Why would such an esteemed doctor waste his time in the colony slums?"

"It is a good question. Liang?" Ozai asked.

"I was testing new methods on the people there. You know that." Liang shot back.

The guard came back in the room empty handed, and shrugged. "There are no records under Ashley Liang."

I felt Azula's gaze burning into me, and I glanced over, trying to look confused.

"See! She's not even my daughter. She's a fraud."

I met eyes with Ozai, and my breathing faultered due to the intense gaze he had on me. I closed my eyes and thought desperately. "He's the royal doctor. He has access to... all the medical records right? He could've gotten rid of my records. I was born here."

Azula gave me a brief nod, as if to say "good job". It actually made me feel better.

"Well, Ashley. Your math doesn't quite add up. You say you were born here, but how could you have been? Your father was away for 10 years before you were born."