Black Jade - Zuko X OC

First Comes Marriage

Dai Yu sat motionlessly on the window sill watching the sun rise and the palace come to life.

She squeezed the baby doll in her lap, an old childhood memento her mother had made herself. Dai Yu played with her dolls less and less as she got older, but kept them around for comfort and familiarity. Two things she very much needed right now.

She would be the only person awake if she was at home. Her family's estate, an interesting marvel of architecture carved right out of the side of a mountain by her grandfather's legendary earthbending prowess, was separated from the capitol buildings where he ran the country. In grandfather's own words he didn't want to "shit in the same place he ate". The multi level mansion and walled gardens were serenely quiet in the mornings. Helped by the fact that it was minimally staffed and far above the populace of the Southern Earth Kingdom capital.

Most of her days started with practicing on her pipa or sewing for hours before everyone else finally rolled out of bed. She liked that, being able to get absorbed in something without any people or obligations vying for her attention.

The palace was practically a city by itself, surrounded by another city inside of a bowl, a geographical feature apparently created by an inactive volcano, so they told her, and despite the fact that the sun was barely over the horizon it was already thrumming with people. Servants running here and there, arms full of flowers, cloth and plates.

Dai Yu squeezed the doll again. She really wished she could busy her hands with something.

This time yesterday she'd been on the deck of an inconspicuous pleasure boat, looking up at the massive stone face of Azulon as the sun highlighted every sharp edge of his imposing likeness. They passed under the arms of the man her grandfather spent the majority of his life opposing, and she couldn't help but wonder what he would think of all this if he were still alive.

Nanai snorted in her sleep, bringing Dai Yu back to her current surroundings.

Dai Yu was grateful that they let her nursemaid sleep with her, even if the old woman did snore. It was silly, but being in this giant room covered in paintings of dragons with angry eyes made her anxious, as if they would eat her as soon as she got too comfortable.

There was a light knocking on the door before a female servant let herself in, pulling a cart with tea and fruit bowls behind her.

"Nanai, wake up! Breakfast!" Dai Yu called, pulling the bed curtains open. She only heard groaning in response.

Dai Yu carefully propped her doll in a nearby chair before grabbing her fruit and ignoring the tea.

"You people sure do like to start early here, huh?" Nanai said, sitting on the edge of the bed and brushing back her white hair.

"After she eats, The princess will be required to come with me so we can get her ready for the wedding." The servant informed them.

"Already?" Nanai asked. "Isn't the ceremony not happening until evening?"

"It is."

Nanai frowned at the short response. "And I suppose, based on that phrasing, that I am not invited along?"

"We can handle her preparations ourselves, we have specific traditions that you wouldn't be able to help with, so you are free to relax or do as you wish until the ceremony begins."

"You'll want me there anyways." Nanai responded, picking up one of the teacups. "I'm the only one who completely knows the girl's needs. You will end up making things harder for her and yourselves without me." She blew lightly at the surface of the tea before taking a sip.