She could still remember the day she had been brought to see him. She had been nine, and entirely unwilling to go to the palace that afternoon - she'd made herself a solid itinerary that involved a lot of fire lily picking and doll playing with the new Mika figurine her father had brought home from the siege of Ba Sing Sei. It was with a heavy heart and much, much heavier sighing that Kai had accompanied her father, Lieutenant General Hideyori Sato, and her mother to the guarded throne room of the Fire Nation Palace.

As they waited for an audience with the Fire Lord, Kai's mother grew increasingly more anxious; this usually meant that she grew exponentially fussier as well. First, she agitated herself over her husband, whose gardbrace seemed off-center and decidedly unpolished, then herself, as she criticized her poor dress choice (it was absolutely inappropriate to wear in the presence of royalty), and, lastly, over every element of Kai's present being. It was only at this point that Lieutenant General Sato shushed her urgently, hissing out a mildly reprimanding "Okuni!" as the grand throne room doors creaked open.

From behind them, a minister emerged - recognizing Kai's father, they exchanged slight bows and quiet words. Kai's vantage point did not allow her to hear much more than the mumbled "congratulations," from the minister, and her father's equally silent thanks. Even with perfect hearing, she would not have understood much of what was said, nor cared, for that matter - there was too much to dislike about this particular situation.

The minister stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter. With a short nod, Lieutenant General Sato led his family into the grand throne room. While her mother gaped in awe at the majesty she beheld, Kai could not find herself appreciating the stuffy heat of the place. Yet, with the amount of fire that enclosed the room, it was inexplicably dark, and Kai found herself reaching out for her mother's hand as they walked towards the throne. She tried to get a glimpse of the Fire Lord, but her attempts were cut short by her father's deep bowing towards the hidden Lord of the Fire Nation.

They had practiced this at home for days, and hours on end within. It started with Kai falling to her knees (as though she weren't too close to the floor for her own age already), then folding her hands across one another, palms flat on the floor, before she bent over and pressed her forehead to them. Watching her father do so, she followed suit, shakily and slowly. Her parents had already stood up before she straightened up once again.

Her eyes trailed across the long line of flames that crackled and swayed before her eyes, wondering if the Fire Lord was, in fact, that unattractive to have to hide behind the fire. Of course, the school had provided their students many activities that involved having to look at portraits of the Fire Lord, who was handsome, in his own right - at least, according to the artist. Still, Kai had always thought it was suspicious - surely, not all the headmasters and headmistresses in the Fire Nation had seen the Fire Lord. She could not verify this fact, no matter her efforts, as the flames were too high, and she was, to her chagrin, too short, anyway.

"My liege," Lieutenant General Sato said breathlessly, his eyes fixed upon the face of a Fire Lord he could not see. Kai understood that, usually, dialogues coalesced when two people exchanged words at regular and short intervals. This, then, was not meant to be much of a dialogue, as the Fire Lord took much time before he spoke, allowing the heat from the flames to wash over their faces.

Kai raised a hand to her face, determined to wipe off the sweat from the bridge of her nose, but her mother caught her, and she had to content herself to sullenly wondering why the Fire Lord refused to say anything. The Fire Lord, she supposed, was entitled to speak at his own pleasure, but it was still undoubtedly rude to keep her father waiting earnestly for his reply. When the Fire Lord finally found it in himself to say something, he did so with a flat voice that suggested he had better things to do than entertain her family. She understood this feeling, perhaps much more than anyone in this room could, but found it was a bit unfair that he could show his displeasure, seeing as he had called them there, and not the other way around.

"Lieutenant General… Sato," the Fire Lord drawled, not attempting to hide his grappling for the name. "Welcome."

"It is an honor, Fire Lord Ozai, to be welcomed into your palace." Kai's father inclined his head. "May I introduce my wife, Okuni, and my daughter, Kaihime? My son, Kori, unfortunately, could not come to audience, as he-"

"Mmm – yes." Fire Lord Ozai didn't seem the least bit interested in introductions and family backgrounds. "You must know why I have summoned you here, Lieutenant General?"

"My lord, I-" The officer began slowly, but was once again cut short.

"You have been summoned here for your services in the siege of Ba Sing Sei, Lieutenant General. Word has reached me of your… deeds," Kai thought she saw the silhouette behind the flames shift, though not enough to reveal itself. "I have been told that, after my snivelling fool of a brother disappeared from the battle front, it was you that led our men back to our land. Is this true?"

"My Lord, General Iroh was greatly affected by the untimely demise of Prince Lu Ten, he was not of sound mind, and so he-"

"Was what I heard true, Lieutenant General?" The Fire Lord pressed, ignoring the latter comment. "Did you single-handedly lead our forces back to the Fire Nation?"

"Y-yes, sir, but-"

"Then, would that mean that you had done what your commanding officer could not?"

"Prince Lu Ten's death, your highness-"

"I would think it fit that you are placed into a new office for your unbounded loyalty to our nation, Lieutenant General Sato," the Fire Lord paused. "General Sato, I would say."

Kai knew her father to be an assertive, oftentimes intimidating man who, when he felt the need to say something, did so without a second thought. This was the reason he had been entrusted with the task of being General Iroh's second-in-command during the siege. It was, indeed, a sight for Kai to behold her father, opening and closing his mouth without a single utterance, like a dragonfish that had been scared out of its wits. She watched in confusion as her esteemed father once again prostrated himself before the Fire Lord. Taking this as another cue to bow, she began to bend her knees, but her mother tugged her back up, giving her a slight shake of the head.

"My lord – my liege – I do not know if I am worthy for the honor you bestow upon me-" Kai could not decide if her father was happy or sad about this news – his voice was thick with emotion, as though he would cry. Now that would be something. Hideyori Sato never cried.

"This gift, I bestow upon you for your services in battle. And, for your loyalty to me," the Fire Lord pressed on, taking great care to enunciate the last three words with much emphasis. "Ask any gift, and if it is in my power, it will be yours."

"I dare not, Fire Lord Ozai."

"General, are we not friends? I offer you this kindness."

Kai was aware that her father and the Fire Lord were the farthest thing from friends. Friends were people who played with you and gave you fire flakes in school, not tore you away from a day of resting just to forget your name. In fact, she was sure her father had not even set foot in the throne room before today, let alone seen the Fire Lord. Still, the newly promoted General Sato did not contest this assumption.

"Your highness, I am your most loyal servant. My family and I owe much to your generosity. I offer you my daughter, if you would have her – she is young, and a suitable match for the young prince, if you would find it agreeable to join our houses, so that my family can continue to faithfully serve the Fire Lord and his cause."

No sound nor movement came from the throne. General Sato kept his head close to the ground, not daring to move. Kai felt her shoulder grow increasingly heavier, and intermittent bouts of pain shot through her nerves; her mother had dug her fingernails deep into Kai's skin, and her grip tightened with each passing second. The little girl held her breath, trying not to squeal from the pain.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the Fire Lord once again spoke.

"Your daughter, General?"

"Yes, sire."

"A match for my son."

"If – only if it would please you, my liege."

"My son is the crowned prince of the Fire Nation. The subject of his betrothal must not be taken lightly. His future queen must be the pinnacle of servitude to her lord - as must her family. I cannot afford my line of succession to be brought down by one foolish matchmaking mistake." Kai thought she heard a twinge of amusement enter the Fire Lord's voice. "Can you assure me of that, General?"

"I assure you, my lord," Kai's father replied, face still turned to the floor. "We are your humble servants."

The Fire Lord, as Kai realized, was not one to continue a conversation at good frequency. Once again, he subjected everyone to a long pause of contemplation, which he ended by standing up, allowing her to see his face, glowing a dangerous orange, for the first time.

"I trust you, General. I trust you because you did what your commanding officer could not. I trust you, because you have shown great strength and wise strategy in the span of your career."

"Yes, my lord."

"I trust that your daughter will prove to be a suitable match for my son."

"Yes, my lord."

And I trust you, for I know," the Fire Lord paused briefly, letting this word's multiple implications sink in. "you and your family will remain devoted to me."

"Nothing would give us greater pleasure, my liege."

Kai was so engrossed in the act of dissecting the Fire Lord's sharp, handsome features (her noodle drawings did no justice, she knew now) that she hardly felt the tugging at her skirt – startled, she saw her mother already coming to her knees. Hastily, Kai bent down, her shins hitting the floor hard and without grace. She was careful not to let her hair fall over her eyes as she craned her neck, keeping her gaze on the Fire Lord, who regarded them with an unreadable expression.

"Very well." He said, finally. "That will be all for today, General. I expect you to report in for the war council at dawn tomorrow. You are dismissed."

"My lord," General Sato said once again, before straightening up. Kai and her mother followed suit. The Fire Lord gave one, nearly indiscernible nod before settling back down, allowing the fire to shield him from view once again.

Hideyori Sato led his family out of the throne room, carefully taking slow, purposeful strides. An image of confidence and composure, he walked out of the throne room, wife and daughter close behind, until he turned from the hall and into the bridge that led to the garden, and out of the palace proper. Only here did he finally stop, turning swiftly around to his wife, who had all but fainted from the swift shift of events.

"Hideyori-" Kai's mother began, but was once again shushed, this time, much more gently. She lowered her voice, though her whisper was not as quiet as her husband had wanted it to be. "A promotion? And Kai – a betrothal to the prince– I could faint-

"It would do no good to do that here, Okuni," and though her father tried very hard to conceal his shock and joy, Kai saw it shine through his eyes, barely contained.

"I don't even really know what the prince looks like," Kai interjected, feeling as though her parents were reacting rather oddly to that excessively strange encounter with the Fire Lord. After all, she felt there had been more awkward pauses than actual words.

"He's a prince, Kai," her mother said. "Of course, he is handsome."

Kai knew there was something wrong with this bit of logic, but she couldn't really figure out what it was.

"Kaihime, listen to me," her father knelt down to her level, fixing his eyes upon hers. His face was now lined with all seriousness, and she felt a twinge of fear. "The Fire Lord has approved your betrothal to his son. That means-"

"I marry the prince."

"Yes. Which means you will be queen, someday, if all goes well. This is an enormous privilege, and responsibility. So," he gripped her shoulders tight. "All must go well. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"You must be prepared to deal with the ways of court. You must learn how to serve your husband. And you must not give the Fire Lord any reason to doubt our loyalty."

"Yes, sir."

"You must not fail me here, Kaihime."

"Yes," she sighed. "Yes, father."

Her father gave a curt nod, straightening up. "Come. Kori should be home from training by now."

Kai shuffled after her parents as they crossed the bridge that led them to the outer palace. As they passed the garden, her ears picked up a sound – a faint whoosh, accompanied with a hiss and occasional crackle that reminded her vaguely of the throne room. Looking up, she saw jets of fire light up the afternoon sky, brilliantly red against the fading sun. The source was a lean boy in a loose training uniform, who jerked and kicked at thin air, frequently letting loose a burst of flames from his tight, pale fist, his dark ponytail swinging behind him from his swift movements.

She watched as a servant hurried towards him, just as he finally collected himself, letting out a long, slow breath.

"My prince," the servant said breathlessly. "Your father wishes to see you. We dare not delay."

Kai narrowed her eyes – so this was the young prince she was bound to marry. He did not look anything like what she had imagined, though, what she had really imagined, she was not too sure. This boy was the reason she had to come to court today. This boy, she would have to bow to and serve for the rest of her life.

It wasn't as if she hadn't heard of a betrothal before. In fact, her mother and father, and their respective parents before them had all been an arranged match. This was something she had expected, though not necessarily looked forward to. Whatever the case, given her excessively foul mood as of today, she could not find it in herself to accept this intrusive prince in her life just yet. And what was he doing, the bumbling idiot, firebending in a garden?

Kai watched him with apprehension as he made for the other end of the bridge, hurrying towards the direction from which they had come. He passed them, and, in his hurry, snagged Kai's shoulder with his sharp elbow. She let out a humph of pain and annoyance as he stopped, turning to her, apologetic.

"I'm sorry-" he began, but stopped as he saw the deep frown on her face. His brows came together in confusion.

She wasn't sure what had possessed her to do it, but she found it appropriate for her mood. Very carefully, so her mother would not catch her, she parted her lips slightly, and stuck her tongue out at him.

It was with a feeling of satisfaction that she saw shock widen the young prince's eyes, and turned the corner knowing she had, in some way, just given the next Fire Lord a piece of her mind.

Author's Note: So I haven't written on in AGES, and thought this would be a good way to pick back up.

Note that this will be mildly canon, the biggest foreseeable change so far being Tokka (which will happen, because I'm still in denial, okay), but in terms of show events, it will try to be as faithful as possible.

Now, before you go on thinking this is going to be one of those prologue then skip to 29458409852 years later kind of thing: it's not. A good portion of the beginning will focus on Kai and Zuko's relationship, and how exactly it becomes an ex-betrothal. Note also that, while I have mentioned this, I will take much liberties in time jumps, when I think it's necessary, so watch out for that. I don't want this to be too long.

Lastly, there is a big shout out to LOK's Asami Sato, who is a non-bender, just like Kai will be. However, there is the idea of biology and recessive genes and all that jazz, which will hopefully not be confusing, and will much more hopefully be explained later on as the story goes along. My point is, she's a non-bender. And if anyone is wondering how did Ozai allow that match to happen, she's not a firebender?! I decided to assume that he's not that racist, seeing as he did marry Ursa, who, as far as my knowledge goes, is also not a bender. Canon-wise, he also allowed (I guess?) Zuko to date Mai, who isn't a bender, and Azula is friends with Mai and Ty Lee, so I'm thinking it's not a big deal. As long as you're Fire Nation, you're good to go.

Anyway, to wrap this up, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this prologue! I know I've just started, but I sincerely hope you'll embark on this journey with me, and, hopefully, we all can enjoy this story as it unfolds.

Cheers!