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Two weeks had passed since the former Prince Ozai had been exiled to the penal colony island of Sado for his crimes. At that time, the Royal Family dealt with the emotional fallout.
One person in the palace wondered what her fate would be now that Ozai was gone. Shula had been chosen to be Ozai's concubine so he may produce an heir. As they said, there must always be an heir and a spare. But now that Ozai was gone, what was the point of her staying? She'd only been waiting for the royal family's approval to send her back home to her parents.
Currently, Shula lies in her luxurious bed, mulling over what transpired in her short time at the palace. She still didn't understand why people thought she had mental issues. Azulon has been making her see a therapist twice a week for several weeks now. Again, Shula didn't understand why, but they felt Shula required some help.
Shula's problem amount to a degree of Stockholm Syndrome. She felt sympathy and toxic love for Ozai when he'd been holding her hostage and abusing her in every sense of the word. Azulon and his family agreed that Shula desperately required some help if she got back to a typical mindset. But it'd be a very lengthy process.
Either way, Shula felt she'd be returned to her parents any day. She only hoped she hadn't dishonored them in any way. She'd been praying to Agnimitra to show her that there was still a purpose in life for her. Her family had received her mark over a century ago. According to folklore, she was blessed and had an important destiny. But what could that be now?
A knock came, and she called, "Enter." to her surprise, Lady Ilah and Fire Lady Kimana entered. "My ladies," she fell onto the floor in a full kowtow. The beautiful regal ladies only glanced at each other before Lady Ilah spoke.
"Lady Shula, will you please stand?"
"Yes," as she got up and looked at the former Fire Lady. "You do not need to say it, my Lady. I already know I'll be returning to my parents. I assume you're here to tell me the arrangements have been made?"
"No, child, we aren't here to dismiss you. On the contrary, we're here to help you, and for life you carry," Ilah replied, and Shula looked confused.
"What do you mean, my good lady? I am not with child."
Fire Lady Kimana spoke this time, "According to the royal physicians, you are. Based on your last examination, they and the midwives have determined that you're six weeks along."
Shula looked stunned, then asked a question. "Are you saying the royal family was aware when Prince Ozai was banished, I was to have his child?" Neither lady liked the idea of lying. So they confirmed yes, they'd know. However, they explained that it wouldn't have spared Ozai from being exiled.
Ozai's crimes were too great, and they wouldn't risk a child under his care after he tried to kill Prince Zuko. Ozai had always been a horrible beast; therefore, no child was safe around him.
Shula felt disappointed that they believed the child was in danger. But, again, with her suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, it takes a lot to convince her otherwise. However, given that she was carrying an heir to the throne, Shula now needed a constant watch. So they explained what was to happen from here on out. A second one would join her regular guard to keep track of her health with the physicians' weekly exams that her therapy would become daily.
For the battered, confused young woman didn't understand everything happening to her. But accepted it nonetheless. Though she quickly found all these new rules made it so she couldn't 'breathe." The young lady with the phoenix birthmark increasingly felt suffocated by how everyone treated her like a fragile doll. In her mind, that's why her pregnancy was so tricky.
Unknown to Shula, the doctors suspected she'd have a premature birth. But, while they might not have the exact word for the condition, the fact remained that Shula showed all the signs of pre-eclampsia.
Which they're trying to warn her about and try to prevent. Not that the young lady listened. Even Princess Ursa had tried to get Lady Shula to understand how dangerous her pregnancy was becoming. Ultimately the doctors were proven correct when she went into early labor due to eclampsia. The royal family all prayed that Shula and the baby would make it.
Though it seemed Ozai had left a curse behind. Shula ultimately died hours after giving birth to a daughter. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough medical knowledge or medicine to prevent eclampsia or save a woman from dying from it.
The last word out of Shula's mouth was the child's name Azula. They examined her baby as they prepared Shula's body to be cremated. They found something that seemed ominous about the child.
Azula didn't have that birthmark, unlike her mother's family blessing with the phoenix symbol. What she did have on her right shoulder looked like three minor claw marks. This was troubling because it meant this child was cursed by Anto, the Black Spirit of Death! No one knew what to think or feel. All they could do was pray for this child.
However, the whole Fire Nation called her The Demon Princess before the child was a month old. How right they were when this child grew up. She'd be even more demonic then her father. For now, they could only pity the orphan child and pray to Agni to spare her from becoming a demon. Would their prayers be heard or go on unanswered? Only time would tell.