Daughter of War❟ ZUKO

𝟬𝟬𝟯 Seeking Answers

And Feifei knows what she will choose. She's determined to follow in the footsteps of her father and the exiled prince. People are dying out there, and why should she stay idle in paradise when she could be aiding them in the war──doing everything in her power to help them.

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YICHEN left to join Feifei's father and his men in the war against the Fire Nation three years ago, against the king's wishes. Despite the king's refusal to allow him and his men to go, Yichen and his men set sail at dawn, defying the king's orders. As a result, the king declared Yichen's exile for disobeying and betraying his trust. With Yichen exiled, Pangfua automatically becomes next in line for the throne.

Yichen was an old friend of Feifei's──a close friend, a childhood friend to be exact, before he left, determined to join the fight in the war since his own people showed little concern for those in need of help. Feifei believed he could have become a better king if only he had stayed. She harbors no trust for the other royals, but she keeps her thoughts to herself.

"Must you go?" Feifei recalls asking the young prince as he boarded the ship with his men, prepared to set sail. "Must you leave me here?"

Yichen, only fourteen at the time, smiles at his twelve-year-old friend. She is small and short, barely reaching his shoulder as she cranes her neck to look up at him, meeting his gaze.

"As a Moon Warrior the seeker of peace, this is my duty──our sworn duty," Yichen declared. "It's what Avatar Suijin envisioned for us . . . the reason she founded the Moon Warriors: to protect the vulnerable and fight for the greater good as we have sworn."

"But I don't want you to go," she responded solemnly.

"You have Pangfua and Ming-Yue," he told her with a shrug. "You could play with them, and they would take good care of you. And you have your sister, Ruyi, who's a future general, right?"

Feifei gave him a look. She wasn't fond of any of the names mentioned. Pangfua seemed too strict, Ming-Yue wasn't exactly enjoyable to be around──he was bratty and stuck-up, and Ruyi was simply cold and too focused on her training (they all remain the same, Feifei realizes now). No one wanted to embark on adventures with her or learn and engage in cool activities like Yichen did.

"I like you more . . ." Feifei admitted, feeling a delicate blush creep onto her cheeks before she glanced away. "Because you're not like them. You're fun to be with."

Yichen simply smiled at her before he retrieved his small, sheathed sword from between the slits of his Hanfu top. The handle was crafted from pure gold, the sheath made of cow leather, and the blade forged from sabertooth moose-lion. He placed it in her small hands.

"This was a gift from my master to me after I mastered every weapon there is when I was your age," Yichen began, his voice gentle like the waves hitting the shore. "It's a symbol of strength──a mark of a prodigy──and I am to use my power to aid those in need. So, I'm entrusting it to you because I believe you'll do the right thing. Consider it a promise that you'll find me in the future . . ."

Feifei's heart swelled with affection as she gazed at the sword in her hands, a tangible reminder of Yichen's belief in her. She looked up at him, gratitude shining in her eyes.

"Thank you, Yichen," she said softly, her voice filled with emotion. "I promise, I'll make you proud."

Yichen's smile widened, his eyes reflecting a mixture of pride and fondness. "I know you will, Feifei," he replied. With a gentle pat on Feifei's shoulder, he turned to board the ship.