Ember Island is different this summer. People have always been respectful to Father before, but now the crown is in his hair and people are... different. Zuko can't catch the spark of it, though, and it's frustrating.
Azula refuses to have anything to do with anyone, and she spends most of the week (only a week in the entire summer!) inside the vacation house. Zuko doesn't see her most of the time, and Father spends most of his time sun-basking or attending to his work as Firelord.
Zuko is left alone for much of it, and he doesn't know what to do with himself.
One morning, though, Father puts away his work and hunts down Azula. "We are going to see 'Love Amongst the Dragons' tonight. Be presentable, or you'll stay here."
Azula scowls and pretends that her hair isn't a rat's nest, fingers tugging through the ends of it. She looks terrible, but she's looked the near-edge of terrible since Mother went away.
Zuko frowns. "But the Players never play tonight..."
"We aren't going to attend anything from them anymore," Father says with such surprising venom that both Azula and Zuko startle back. Father ignores it, of course.
Li and Lo come over that afternoon and by the time the evening comes, both Zuko and Azula look as if Mother were still here.
They don't go into town, though. Instead Father walks them down to the beach, and there is a circle drawn in the sand there and blankets laid out for an audience. People have already gathered, but of course they make way for Father to sit where he wants.
There's a rustle of activity among the folk standing on the other side of the circle from those seated. It's not until years later that Zuko realizes that they'd not been expecting the Firelord and needed to replan a few bits.
Zuko tries to stay settled at Father's right hand, but Azula is sitting as still as ashes and that's so strange. He doesn't realize how jittery he is until Father's hand settles in the middle of his back.
"Watch," Father says.
A man, scarred by a blade, leaps into the circle, fire flaring around him. "Welcome, everyone, to tonight's performance of 'Love Amongst the Dragons' as performed by the Flame's Edge Troupe! We'll begin when it gets full dark. Until then, we've a bit of fiery acrobatics and slapstick to entertain you."
The acrobatics are impressive, though it's more impressive to Zuko at the number of retired soldiers in the troupe. So many firebenders, and they're so skilled, and by the time they're done, Zuko has vowed to train harder than ever.
The slapstick he gets some of, because it's slapstick, but there's times when the adults laugh and he has no idea why. What's so funny about the Earth Kingdom servant responding to the princes' accusation that he has undone their mother with "I have done your mother!"?
Ozai, His Kids, and Lack-of-Ursa (1/2)
Azula refuses to have anything to do with anyone, and she spends most of the week (only a week in the entire summer!) inside the vacation house. Zuko doesn't see her most of the time, and Father spends most of his time sun-basking or attending to his work as Firelord.
Zuko is left alone for much of it, and he doesn't know what to do with himself.
One morning, though, Father puts away his work and hunts down Azula. "We are going to see 'Love Amongst the Dragons' tonight. Be presentable, or you'll stay here."
Azula scowls and pretends that her hair isn't a rat's nest, fingers tugging through the ends of it. She looks terrible, but she's looked the near-edge of terrible since Mother went away.
Zuko frowns. "But the Players never play tonight..."
"We aren't going to attend anything from them anymore," Father says with such surprising venom that both Azula and Zuko startle back. Father ignores it, of course.
Li and Lo come over that afternoon and by the time the evening comes, both Zuko and Azula look as if Mother were still here.
They don't go into town, though. Instead Father walks them down to the beach, and there is a circle drawn in the sand there and blankets laid out for an audience. People have already gathered, but of course they make way for Father to sit where he wants.
There's a rustle of activity among the folk standing on the other side of the circle from those seated. It's not until years later that Zuko realizes that they'd not been expecting the Firelord and needed to replan a few bits.
Zuko tries to stay settled at Father's right hand, but Azula is sitting as still as ashes and that's so strange. He doesn't realize how jittery he is until Father's hand settles in the middle of his back.
"Watch," Father says.
A man, scarred by a blade, leaps into the circle, fire flaring around him. "Welcome, everyone, to tonight's performance of 'Love Amongst the Dragons' as performed by the Flame's Edge Troupe! We'll begin when it gets full dark. Until then, we've a bit of fiery acrobatics and slapstick to entertain you."
The acrobatics are impressive, though it's more impressive to Zuko at the number of retired soldiers in the troupe. So many firebenders, and they're so skilled, and by the time they're done, Zuko has vowed to train harder than ever.
The slapstick he gets some of, because it's slapstick, but there's times when the adults laugh and he has no idea why. What's so funny about the Earth Kingdom servant responding to the princes' accusation that he has undone their mother with "I have done your mother!"?