Yu-Jin rubbed her sweaty palms on her dress. It was hot in the Fire Nation, unsurprisingly. Her journey had taken a fortnight by ship. All tourists had been given fire nation jackets to put on over their existing clothes, but Yu-Jin couldn't bear to wear it. In the style of all fire nation clothes, the fit was too tight to accommodate her hanbok and she had needed to change into fire nation clothes completely. She now wore a red sleeveless hanfu, tied tightly with orange ribbons and her maroon jacket. Thankfully the skirt was flowy.
The girl put wanted to put her hair up, but the jacket was restricting to the point she couldn't lift her arms that high. Her mentor had not accompanied her on this journey, instead giving her sealed papers for the lord and a passport with his physician's seal. Yu-Jin had never been so nervous in her life. She was supposed to be the lord's physician? She admitted that she knew her way around herbs, but the fire lord? She was dizzy just thinking about it.
She had told a Fire Nation guard on her ship that she had business at the palace, and had asked how long it would take to get there once they reached the city.
"Oh it'll take about a day by foot, maybe half that by car," the soldier said helpfully. Yu-Jin had raised her brows in surprise. She knew the Fire Nation was small, but a day on foot was tiny. That would get you maybe to the second ring of Ba Sing Se. She supposed this was why the king had so much influence over his subjects.
She had been too nervous to book a car, so she walked through the cities. She ate from a vendor and nearly choked on the spiciness of the meat bun. Looking closely she saw pepper flakes and a red sauce that was undoubtedly made from chilies. She had to buy a glass of milk as well.
By dark she had made it nearly to the palace, and decided to stay in a hotel until morning. Maybe visiting the king at such ungodly hours would've been rude. A bed and breakfast called Gingham House seemed cozy enough, and the middle-aged woman at the desk was very accommodating.
"Oh, you're a foreigner, aren't you?" she asked, judging by Yu-Jin's accent. The girl ducked her head shyly and accepted the key offered by the smiley woman. Her room was on the second floor, the first door to the right. The inside was clean and sparse, decorated with only a small bed, table, chair, wash basin, and a vase of cherry blossoms. The window was shut tight behind sheer white curtains, and a fragrance of wood and cherry pervaded the air. It immediately calmed her nerves, and she made her way to the wash basin. She undressed carefully and changed her underclothes, smoothing out her fire nation attire on the chair. She would wear it again tomorrow and go shopping later that day for another outfit or two.
She washed her face and hair, climbing into bed. Her limbs were heavy from travel and buzzed with excitement for what the morning would bring. She hoped the king was a kind one.
The next morning she rose early, with the sunrise, and washed her face. It was a workday, and she raised her window a few inches to hear the bustle of people beneath her. She put her hair up in a delicate braided bun before dressing and smoothed her hands over her clothes. Eyeing the cherry blossoms, she plucked two stems and slid them into her hair. She pinched her cheeks to add some color and made the bed before heading downstairs.
The aroma of omelets and the sound of chatter met her on the stairs, and her host greeted her. "Oh, good morning miss! Glad to see you're an early riser too." Yu-Jin bobbed her head in greeting and sat at the plain table with two other guests; an older man and a woman slightly older than she. They all made small talk around their omelets as Yu-Jin grabbed herself one and a glass of water. She sat picking at her food as she learned that Azra's daughter had been born and that a shipment of rare spices had come into port. The two talked like polite friends and she didn't interrupt.
Finally the physician rose with her plate in hand to put on the opposite counter, and thanked the hostess for letting her stay. Bidding goodbye to the two others, she made her way out into the city.
The palace loomed in front of her, the two blocks that separated her from it seeming nonexistent and impassable at the same time. Her heart raced, the tiny bit of omelet in her stomach churning with nervousness. she clasped her fingers in front of her and walked to the palace. The world seemed to part around her like fish around a stone, and the girl went deaf. Her head felt filled with cotton and she reminded herself to breathe so that she wouldn't pass out.
Two soldiers guarded the main entrance, and she approached them cautiously. One regarded her with hostility while the other seemed sympathetic to her terrified face. She approached the second man. "E-Excuse me," she stuttered. She cleared her throat and stood up straighter. "I'm here on urgent business with the king, regarding his physician." She produced her passport and gave it to him, as well as held her sealed papers. "These are for the king," she explained.
The guard smiled after approving her passport and opened the big door for her. "Please wait inside, Miss Yu-Jin, and I will be in to escort you momentarily." She nodded, grateful, and waited just inside the door as he'd instructed. As soon as the door shut behind her, Yu-Jin's jaw dropped at the palace's interior. A couple of court ladies in fine robes passed, giggling at her expression, and she quickly shut her mouth. The ceilings were higher than any she'd ever seen, covered with tiles of gleaming red and brown stone. Bright red columns held everything aloft, and the obsidian floor reflected her awed face back at her.
Just then the guard entered and smiled at her. "My name is Harai and I will be your escort, Miss." He bowed to her and she returned the gesture, blushing. He walked slightly ahead of the doctor as they made their way toward what she assumed was the throne room. Everywhere she looked were portraits of previous rulers and exquisite sculptures made from metals and painted clay. She lagged behind Harai several times and had to rush to catch back up.
Finally they came to a stop in front of tall, dark oak doors, guarded by two more officers matching Harai. He produced Yu-Jin's papers and asked if they could go in. The first guard denied them, because there was someone else inside, but the second sized Yu-Jin up and opened the door without a word. She didn't know whether to be grateful or insulted.
Harai ushered Yu-Jin inside and closed the door behind her. Suddenly alone, feeling small, she raised her eyes to the center of the room to rest upon the fire lord. She immediately dropped into the lowest bow she could manage, and rose again, stepping forward noiselessly. Her footsteps seemed swallowed by the cavernous room.
The fire lord was younger than she had expected; his hair was still long and black, his features sharply defined by manhood but not yet graced with the lines of wisdom. Sharp amber eyes bored into her soul.
"Your majesty," Yu-Jin bowed again slightly. "I am here on behalf of your physician, Fushu. He is my master." She gulped, expecting him to respond. He did not. She continued, "Master Fushu has fallen ill with a disease that is stealing his memory. He insisted that I replace him both as your physician and as the head physician of our apothecary back home. I...I have his letter of recommendation here," she added, producing the sealed documents. A courier rushed up and took them from her, delivering it to the fire lord.
He read through them thoroughly, eyes scanning smoothly over the lines of text. While he read, Yu-Jin glanced to her right, where his other guests stood waiting patiently. To her surprise, she noted that they were air benders. Or at least, one of them was. An older woman with no hair past the crown of her head dipped her head politely, looking at her with gentle grey eyes. Air mastery tattoos decorated her forehead and exposed hands. The second girl, much younger, maybe Yu-Jin's age, wore fire bender attire. Bangs covered her forehead, and she smiled at Yu-Jin with sleepy eyes and a kind mouth.
Yu-Jin smiled politely back.
Finally the fire lord's gaze returned to her and he spoke. His voice was a deep rumble. "If Fushu is unable to attend me, I will gladly hire whomever he recommends. His letter praises you highly; it is nice to meet you, Yu-Jin. I hope I will not have need of you often." Yu-Jin smiled nervously and bowed slightly in acknowledgement.
That hawk's gaze returned to the air bender and her company. Yu-Jin hadn't been motioned to leave, so she stood stock-still as he addressed them. "Master Yun, I cannot thank you enough for the information you have given me. The Avatar's whereabouts have been recorded and I am preparing a delegation to call upon him as we speak."
Yu-Jin's eyes widened. The Avatar? He's been found? She honestly thought he had all but been forgotten. She didn't know of any matters that really required the Avatar's help.
The air nomad nodded in agreement and turned as the fire lord straightened his gaze to above all of their heads. The pair turned to leave and Yu-Jin took this as her cue as well. The three exited together.
Once the doors had fallen shut behind them, Yu-Jin released her breath and turned to the air nomad. "I hate to be rude, but, is that really true?" The girl lowered her voice. "You've found the Avatar?" The bender nodded solemnly. "Yes, it is quite important that we prepare to introduce him back to society, as soon as possible." There were many questions Yu-Jin wanted to ask, but she bit her tongue. It would have been inappropriate.
They exited the palace while making small talk. The Fire Nation girl still had not spoken, just quietly observing Yu-Jin's interaction with the air nomad.
Once outside, three pairs of eyes were drawn to the sky by the sound of gasps and murmurs. Smoke trailed in the sky behind a tiny shape that none of them could make out. It was headed for the south side of the island. She wondered how many passengers there were aboard the craft. Master Yun turned toward the Fire Nation girl. "Quickly, we must help those people!" She spun out her staff to its full winged length and Yu-Jin grabbed her arm. "Please, I'm a doctor. I want to help!"