Chapter 70. Miscellaneous.
*Van. The Fire Lord's Palace.*
Our training ground gained some new furniture. I managed to find a simple yet sturdy table with matching chairs, where Ursa and I now sit comfortably.
I doubt she'd find it comfortable to stand by the veranda for an hour, supposedly "unnoticed." So, I thought it'd be nice to get to know her better, armed with the finest tea and fresh pastries.
Our first conversation was awkward, more like an interrogation. I fielded endless questions while she answered tersely. In the beginning, at least for most of our meetings, I did all the talking, sharing stories from my life, hobbies, and tales of life in the Earth Kingdom. I tried to engage her. I almost gave up, but then, unexpectedly, the ice broke...
"In our town, the theater was the only entertainment, and I could spend hours there as a child," she shared vividly. This happened after two weeks of "effort."
"Hold on," I interrupted, "Keep practicing the routine instead of chatting." I scolded my students, who, like me, were curious to learn more about their mother.
It was clear she craved simple human interaction. Even Zuko and Azula were taken aback by their usually calm mother's behavior. Each new meeting—or rather, their lessons—we discussed a new topic. Honestly, I was impressed by her knowledge. She could easily discuss local physics, astronomy, her people's history, and more. Was it because she was a magistrate's daughter and well-educated, or had she spent ten years locked in the palace, self-improving out of boredom? I lean toward the latter.
Every two or three days, Mai and Ty Lee visited, adding more color to our lives. With them, there's never a dull moment.
I convinced the kids to perform some popular Fire Nation plays. They grew stale quickly, so Ursa and I started writing our own scripts. It was fun watching the children act.
"You'll never win back your beloved! You're too weak! Boo-ha-ha-ha," Azula delivered her line, adding a villainous laugh. She suits the role of the antagonist perfectly...
"Yeah, yeah, come back in twenty years, maybe you'll be our equal!" Ty Lee played the villain's assistant this time.