Whirlwind [Avatar Aang]

☁Chapter Five☁

She just wished her family was here. She could have brought them as her guests, but there was no way she was going to bring them to this thing after their argument yesterday morning. They really hadn't spoken since that argument. And right now, she didn't really want to talk to them again, not until she calmed down and they understood how much pain they put her in. 

Tearing her gaze away from the Avatar, she ran her shaky hands through her hair. The other monarchs and leaders stood up since the service was over, so Nazadori followed their lead. She positioned herself next to the door of the inner prayer chamber to thank everyone for coming and to point them in the right direction, whether they were going to the public service or the reception room down the hall. However, she wasn't prepared for the Avatar to step in front of her, the Fire Lord and the leader of the White Lotus behind him.

"Avatar Aang," Nazadori said with a quick bow to the boy standing in front of her. He was dressed in oranges and yellows to show the status of his Air Nomad heritage. Yet he also had a silky green shawl wrapped around his shoulders to commemorate his late friend. Standing in his presence felt like a breath of fresh air; she knew that he was a real person who actually cared about the world. "I am so glad you could make it. You were just in time."

The Avatar bowed back to her, and when he rose up from the bow, she could see his gray eyes glistening in the soft candlelight. Her heart jumped in her throat at the sight of sadness in his eyes. He may have been the Avatar who was the bridge between the Human World and the Spirit World, and he may have such a spiritual connection because of that, but he was also human and suffered hardships just like she did. He wasn't immune to sadness or heartache.

"Thank you," he said to her softly. His voice was thick with more unshed tears, and she just wanted to reach out and hug him. She held herself back because that would have been very inappropriate. "You have no idea what this means to me. Bumi was an old friend of mine, my oldest surviving friend."

"He was a great man who took me under his wing when I needed it most," Nazadori told him gently. She nodded at him. "He deserves the best in the afterlife now."

The Avatar's smile was watery, but it was still a small smile, one that told her everything she needed to hear: he was grateful for what she was doing and that she was doing something right for the late King Bumi. Everything felt like a failure to her lately because she had no idea what she was doing or why she was chosen, but his look told her that she was on the right track and that she wasn't a failure.

"Hey, where is Flopsie?" Avatar Aang suddenly asked. "I haven't seen him at all since I got here, and I miss him."

"He's currently staying with a local farmer," Nazadori answered him. "We have been so busy that we are not able to take care of him right now. Bumi personally chose the farmer that would take care of him for the time being, so you do not need to worry about him."

The Fire Lord patted the Avatar's shoulder, and Nazadori nearly gasped out loud when she saw the deep red scar surrounding his left eye. Iroh stood next to him, his hands in his sleeves. He gave Nazadori a soft smile as the Fire Lord and the Avatar shared a look together, presumably about something only they would know. After that, Iroh walked away from the two men, probably going to mingle.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Nazadori said with a bow, hoping she held her hands in the right position for him. When she stood up straight, she noticed that he had also bowed to her. It felt strange to have all these better people bowing to her, but she had to keep reminding herself that she was going to be the queen of Omashu soon. "Thank you for joining us today. It means a lot to me -- to the city of Omashu."

"And me," Avatar Aang added. He offered Fire Lord Zuko a warm smile, one that felt like a soft breeze that would blow with the brightest of sunshine. Nazadori liked it when the Avatar smiled. "I appreciate it, and I'm sure Queen Nazadori does, too."