Urzai Month: Day 7

Anticipation

"Zuko! Come here right now!" Ozai was losing his patience with the boy.

Zuko quickly ran into the room and bowed before his father. Of no surprise to Ozai, Ursa was right behind their son.

"Why would you burn my carpet?" Ozai got straight to the point.

"I didn't burn your carpet, Father." Zuko countered.

Ozai rubbed his temples in frustration. "This carpet was a gift from a general. If he were to come into my study and see how poorly his gift was treated what would he think?"

"He…he wouldn't be happy. But Father I promise I didn't burn anything." Zuko pleaded his innocence.

Burnt marks began appearing on the furniture in the past couple of weeks. At first Ozai was able to over look it but now they were becoming more frequent. Iroh had said that the best firebenders started out as firebugs. Lu Ten had done it and Ozai did admit he was an advance firebender for his age.

Regardless, Zuko was taking the firebug phase too far. He could over look the burnt cushions, the bed covers and toys but now he was ruining his study.

Ursa could see the anger building in her husband. "Ozai, Zuko has never lied to us."

She hated the look her husband gave her. It was the look he reserved for whenever he felt she was coddling Zuko. "Well if he didn't do it then who did?"

"Father, do you smell that?" Zuko asked as he sniffed the air.

Ozai could smell it too; the faint smell of burning paper. The three of them followed the smell to a small closet in his study. They found Azula pressing her hand down on sheets of paper and burning them.

"Daddy, fire!" The small princess squealed.

Ozai scooped her into his arms. He smiled a smile that only Azula could bring out of him. "You did this?"

Azula nodded as she waved the paper with a burnt hole in the middle.

"I told you I didn't burn anything." Zuko mumbled.

Ozai couldn't be distracted from Azula. Although she was burning the furniture, at three years old Azula could control her fire enough to not burn the rooms down. Ozai had never anticipated that his small princess would be the one to carry his legacy as a great fire bender. He had lost hope after Zuko's slow advancement in their element.

Ursa placed her hand on Zuko's shoulder, "We're sorry Zuko. Aren't we Ozai?"

Ozai looked up, "Hmm? Oh yes, just keep a better eye on your sister, Zuko."

Ursa shot her husband a dirty look that went unnoticed by him. She could see him plotting and planning out Azula's future. In those few seconds she could also see herself losing her only daughter to him.