“Okay, first things first,” Sunny said bossily. “Go give her a bath.”

            The palace maids then dragged Taeyeon to the hot spring tub in obedience to Princess Sunny’s order. This was something Taeyeon had never experienced before. She was thoroughly pampered by the handmaids and would not even let her touch her own hair. They massaged her back, combed her light brown hair, and even dried her with a soft towel after the bath. The soot and ash smudged on the skin were gone in an instant. All she had to do was sit there and the maids did all the rest. She was given new, clean silk clothes to wear—fit for royalty. Was this really how royalty lived their lives? After she came out of what seemed like the strangest bath process she had ever experienced, Princess Fany and Princess Sunny barely recognized her.

            “Whoa, Taeyeon, you look amazing!” Princess Fany exclaimed.

            Taeyeon turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was nicely fixed up in a bun, her skin looked and felt so smooth, and she looked very elegant in a red silk robe. In fact, she barely recognized herself. She started chuckling, thinking that all of this was ridiculous. She had never looked and smelled this great in the fifteen years that she had been alive.

            “So, is this the new kid staying with us?” Princess Sunny greeted Taeyeon.

            Taeyeon awkwardly bowed and did not say anything. She really had no idea how to act in front of royalty. Should I call her “Your Highness” or “Princess”? Do I even have a right to speak? Is it okay to look at their faces? Those were the questions running through her head. She had no idea if she had the right to ask them either. She stood there awkwardly, trying not to make eye contact.

            “Fany, can’t she talk?” Sunny asked.

            “Of course she can.” Fany then turned to Taeyeon and gave her a nudge. “Hey, loosen up. We’re just humans. Go say something.”

            Taeyeon slowly tried to look into the Princesses’ eyes and said, “Something.”

            Princess Sunny and Princess Fany burst into laughter. Taeyeon smiled for the first time since the eruption. She began to have this strange feeling that she will be staying with these two sisters for a while. That thought comforted her for some reason she did not understand, but she liked it. She had never thought in her whole life that she would ever meet the Fire Nation’s royal princesses.

            “You don’t have to be shy,” Princess Fany said in assurance. “Let’s be friends from now on.”

            The next day, Taeyeon got up from her private quarters. She had a hard time getting up after all that happened last night. That night was the most eventful night of her life and it totally drained her energy. She realized that she had slept until noon. The room given to her was huge. It was bigger than her house back in the volcano-side town. The bed she slept in was five times bigger than her. The air smelled like a million roses. Seashells decorated the shelves and the wallpaper looked very much like the ocean. The large windows showed the best view of the beach too. At first, waking up in that room did not seem real. She even wondered if she somehow made her way to heaven after all the trouble that she went through. Everything just felt like a dream. After stretching her limbs and rolling around on the soft bed for a while, she decided to rise and shine without changing out of her silk pajamas.

            Since she was not used to having the maids fix everything for her, she fixed her hair like she always had—in a messy bun with some of her bangs twisting away in different directions. After washing her face, she made her way through the halls. As she walked past the hall barefoot on the cool wooden floor panels, everything in that huge vacation house seemed very well maintained. Decorations of vintage swords and ceramic pots had absolutely no dust on it at all. The hardwood floor was also very slippery and smooth. Old portraits of Royal Family members hung on the walls of the halls. She had no idea who they were, but she suspected that they were important in Fire Nation history or something. Every now and then, a housemaid would pass by, dusting the furniture or shining silver figurines. That vacation house itself looked like a palace from the inside, she thought. If the vacation house looked this elegant, how much more could the actual Fire Nation Palace be? She could not imagine it.

            When she finally made her way outside, she saw Princess Sunny practicing her fire bending under the hot summer sun. She shot massive flames here and there. She jumped and kicked while being very precise in her moves. She then ended it with a deep long breath and exhaled to warm down. Meanwhile, Fany just sat there fanning herself with a palm leaf.

            “Wow,” Taeyeon said in awe.

            “Impressive, wasn’t it?” Sunny said with a sweet smile. She was obviously proud of herself.

            Fany immediately turned around when she heard Taeyeon’s voice. “You’re finally awake!”

            “I’m a fire bender too,” Taeyeon said in excitement. If Princess Sunny was that great, maybe she could learn from her.

            “Really?!” Fany suddenly got excited. She always wanted to see someone defeat her twin sister at least once. She had never witnessed anything close to even a loss of balance in Sunny’s poise though.

            “Oh really?” Sunny said in a mood for a challenge.

            “I kinda though.” Taeyeon said it as if it was just a completely normal thing. That matter-of-fact way of speaking with no emotions was becoming a habit.

            Fany dropped the palm leaf that she was holding. She got excited for nothing. Poor Fany. Sunny seemed disappointed too, but having another fire bending loser around raised her already high self-esteem.

            “I was wondering if maybe I could learn from you,” Taeyeon said, finally stating what she had in mind.

            “Wow a student! I’ve never had one before. I like your proposition,” Sunny said with excitement. “Well, I am a fire bending prodigy as most people say…”

            “Here we go again,” mumbled Fany and rolled her eyes. She never liked it when her sister bragged about how awesome her skills were.

            “You know what? I will mull it over,” says Sunny thoughtfully. “But for now, we should go have lunch. I’m hungry.”

            Taeyeon almost forgot that she had not had anything to eat since yesterday. Her stomach growled like a purring tiger, obviously demanding its fill. Hopefully they get to eat something delicious. What do royalties eat anyway?

            When they arrived at the dining vacation house dining hall, the food was already on low tables. Each of them had their own tables. There were more than ten side dishes per table, most of which Taeyeon had never seen or even heard of. Her brother, Jaejoong, had probably mentioned some of it before, but she already forgot most of it. All the dishes looked so much more delicious than anything her mother or Jaejoong ever cooked. All her life she thought her brother Jaejoong was the master chef of all chefs, but this totally disproved that misconception. There were kimchi, spicy seafood soup, cold noodles, special chicken curry, spicy rice cakes, and many more. The air in the room smelled really nice. The whole scene reminded her of Jaejoong a lot. She began to really miss him in her hunger. Whatever those dishes were, Taeyeon was already drooling in anticipation to try them all. She still wished that Jaejoong was around to eat them with her though. She was sure that Jaejoong would want to taste these stuff too.

            “Well ladies, take a seat,” said Fire Lord Soon-Jae with bright, smiling eyes. “You don’t want the food to get cold, do you?”

            All three of them bowed down and sat on the floor where their tables were set. Some palace maids stood close by—just in case they needed anything else. One of the maids ate some of the Firelord’s food just to make sure it was alright. Since she did not die of poison or anything, she then gave the dish to the Firelord for him to eat. The Royal Family seemed to be really pampered. They barely had to lift a finger for anything. Taeyeon ate as much as she could. She had never had such a feast before.

            “I see you’re awake now,” the Firelord greeted Taeyeon. He looked happy to see her awake and ash-free.

            “Yes, Your Majesty,” Taeyeon replied in the most respectful way she knew how.

            “You look really pretty without all that ash and dirt,” the Firelord commented. He then took some of the kimchi that the handmaid gave him.

            “Daddy, I have a proposition,” Sunny suddenly spoke up.

            “What is it, Soonkyu?” The Firelord then turned to Princess Sunny. She never failed to grab his attention.

            “I thought, since the child has no place to go, I shall teach her fire bending and make her my apprentice. Besides, I think she has plenty of potential to be hailed as one of the best if I could train her well,” Sunny stated with dignity.

            Taeyeon’s eye grew wide. Sunny had finally decided to take her as an apprentice.

            “What are you talking about? You just said a while ago before Taeyeon woke up that you have to totally defeat anyone with a potential to become the best because only you could be and should be the best,” Fany interrupted.

            “Shut up, Fany, I’m talking,” snapped Sunny.

            “Sister fights are just ridiculous,” Taeyeon mumbled with a chuckle.

            “You want to have an apprentice?” asked the Firelord curiously. It was unusual of Sunny to just request for such a thing. Honestly, Sunny just wanted to have a little fun.

            “Yes, and with my skills I’m sure she will learn from the best,” Sunny bragged. Fany rolled her eyes again.

***

            “Hey you, fix up your terrible posture!” Princess Sunny yelled as Taeyeon was losing her balance after a leap.

            Taeyeon gritted her teeth and with a growl she forcefully threw her arms in a full swing and shot fire like a massive flamethrower. Beads of sweat were forming on her cheeks. That hot summer sun added to all the heat she had been making. All afternoon, Sunny taught her to breathe properly and straighten up her fire bending posture and form.

            “The secret to big strong flames and endurance in fire production comes from proper breathing, poise, and concentration of energy,” Sunny said. “You have to be confident and concentrated. Oh, and cute—just like me! Keep in mind that I still haven’t fully decided on whether I want to fully train you or not.”

            Taeyeon and Fany both rolled their eyes at Sunny’s never ending cute gestures. She would scream and nag for one moment and then out of nowhere, she just giggles like a little puppy and says something cute. It was becoming really annoying, especially since Taeyeon had been working hard all day under the bright, blinding sun. What was worse was that Taeyeon could not accept the fact that she was being ordered around again—this time by someone shorter than her. Sunny insisted that they were just the same height, but Taeyeon clearly proved her wrong by just a few centimeters.

            “I think that’s enough for the day,” calls off Sunny. She then went back inside the vacation house while stretching her arms.

            Taeyeon sat on the wooden steps leading up into the raise vacation house. Fany sat closer to her and used the wide palm leaf that she had been holding to cool Taeyeon down.

            “You look exhausted. Good thing the sun is almost setting,” Fany said. She then turned to her handmaid and said, “Please give us some melon juice.”

            The handmaid bowed and went off to ask the kitchen ladies to prepare their refreshments. As they waited, Fany and Taeyeon sat together, admiring the beach view from the raised platform. A cool breeze blew in their direction, soothing Taeyeon’s tired soul. Fany thought it was very calming too.

            “This place is amazing isn’t it,” Fany remarked. “I just want to sit here and watch the beach tides go up and down forever.”

            “Me too,” said Taeyeon in a soft voice—almost like a whisper.

            Just then, the melon juice that Fany ordered was finally prepared and given to them. It was sweet and refreshing, just like the cool sea breeze coming from the ocean. Taeyeon had never tasted anything like it before. She definitely felt very blessed to be there being treated like an important person even though she never deserved it. However, she still missed her family. Her heart still ached whenever she remembers the disaster that separated her from the few people she loved the most. The sudden turn of events was truly unusual. She still had no idea how she got there. There was this bittersweet feeling of longing for the past and appreciating the present. It all felt like a dream somehow. It was not a dream, however. Everything was tangible. The melon juice would not taste this great if it was just a dream.

            “Hey,” said Fany, breaking the silence. “You want to go down by the water and walk with me? Of course, my handmaid and some guards will be coming too, but I still feel lonely with them around.”

            “Sure,” Taeyeon agreed. You cannot say no to a princess, she always thought.

            Together, Taeyeon and Fany walked barefoot on the sand. They watched as the footprints they left were being washed away by the water. Fany twirled around and enjoyed the salty sea breeze. Taeyeon started laughing along with her too. Some seagulls flew overhead. Taeyeon tried to chase one, but of course, she just scared it away. Together, Taeyeon and Fany watched as the sun began to set. It was a beautiful sight. The sky turned from blue to yellow and orange. In a few minutes, the world turned sepia as the sun was heading down to where ever it was supposed to sleep for the night.

            “Ha! Sunny is setting,” Fany joked as she pointed toward the sun over the horizon. Taeyeon giggled with Fany. Her nose wrinkled whenever she laughed.

            As they watched the bright red sun head down below the horizon, Taeyeon sighed and stared at the sky with sorrow. Fany cannot help but notice a tear fall from Taeyeon’s eye. She sensed Taeyeon’s broken heart. Now all she wanted was to help relieve her grief.

            “It all started that at sundown,” Taeyeon suddenly spoke up. She was finally letting her guard down. “That’s when I saw the volcano erupt.”

            Fany went up to Taeyeon and gave her a comforting hug. She patted her back and gave her a handkerchief to wipe her tears. After a while, Fany began to cheer her up.

            “You know what?” Fany said with a smile. “You don’t have to worry. Sunny and I can be your family. It won’t be the same as what you once knew, but if you have nowhere else to go, I am here for you.”

***

            After an entire day of playing and practicing fire bending with the princesses, they have gotten so much closer to Taeyeon. Both Sunny and Fany like having her around for different reasons. Fany liked having to talk to someone and tease Sunny behind her back. Both Taeyeon and Fany grew to dislike Sunny’s exaggerated cuteness. Although they had been giggling and making jokes behind her back, Sunny knew all of it. She then acted cute more often to annoy them on purpose. Taeyeon and Sunny playfully teased Fany for not being able to relate to them when it came to fire bending. Fany often replied with “I don’t really care about bending. I’m happy without it,” but deep down, she actually liked having two fire bending sisters around to protect her. The Firelord never allowed Fany to take walks without . However, as long as Sunny and Taeyeon went with her, the guards did not need to follow her around.

            The following nights after Taeyeon’s first fire bending lesson, Sunny and Fany invited her to stay with them in one room. Having one room all to her was lonely after all. During those nights, Sunny and Fany noticed that she had been sleep talking. Her words were very distinct, and her voice was loud enough to wake them up in the middle of the night.

            “So, do you know that you sleep talk?” says Fany one night before they went to bed. Sunny started giggling with her as she jumped onto the bed.

            “What did I say?” Taeyeon asked, as if she already knew about her peculiar sleeping habit.

            “You were talking to ‘Oppas,’” Fany explained with another round of chuckles. “You were telling them about what you ate for dinner.”

            Taeyeon’s cheeks turned red in embarrassment as Fany and Sunny laughed at her. They even tried to imitate how she sleep talked. They just really found her amusing. Taeyeon hid under the covers and tried to sleep. She silently hoped that she would not do anything strange again while sleeping.

            That same night, Firelord Soon-Jae tossed and this bed. He just had a nice dinner with his two lovely daughters and the new young lady who captured the hearts of his daughters. Ember Island had been treating him and his family well. The place was very nice and calm. There were plenty of moments when all he could hear was the sound of the waves rushing on the sand. It was a peaceful place. His daughters made a new friend too. Since most of their friends were also from royal families, he thought it was nice that Sunny and Fany had a chance to befriend a commoner. Taeyeon was a bright child and she worked really hard to learn fire bending with Sunny. Fany was also very happy to have Taeyeon around. She even said that she did not feel as lonely as she once was whenever Taeyeon was around. All of that gave the Firelord peace. However, he still was not able to fall asleep at night. He often ended up going out to his veranda in the middle of the night to get some fresh air.

            “I have been staying here for four days,” he sighed. “Those fools from the council said I will be able to fall asleep here but nothing ever works!”

            Just as he was staring out from his veranda, he saw a figure of a girl sitting out by the steps leading to the vacation house. From above he saw her let out a deep sigh. The moonlight shone over her light brown head so he was able to recognize her.

            “Hm? Isn’t that Taeyeon? I guess she couldn’t sleep too. That poor child…”

            The Firelord went out to meet Taeyeon by the wooden steps. Taeyeon still sat there quietly without even turning around to greet him. It seemed as if she did not hear him approach her.

            “Taeyeon, darling,” he spoke. “What are you doing here?”

            Taeyeon did not answer. She just sat there without even moving.

            “Taeyeon?” He then gave her a nudge. She was sleeping while sitting upright out on the steps of the vacation house. What a peculiar child.

            After another nudge, Taeyeon woke up and saw the Firelord staring at her as he sat beside her. She was surprised to see him there. She immediately got up and gave him a bow.

            “I’m sorry, I had no idea that you were there, Your Majesty,” she apologized.

            “It’s fine. What were you doing there?”

            “Oh, um, I was,” Taeyeon awkwardly tried to explain. “I honestly have no idea.”

            The Firelord laughed. The child probably sleep walked all the way there. She was very different from his twin daughters, and it really entertained him. The Firelord found her adorable and very lovable in a unique way, as if she was the third daughter that he never knew about. She had her own charm.

            “Can I ask you something, Firelord Soon-Jae?”

            “What is it?”

            “What are you doing out here too?” Taeyeon grew curious.

            “I couldn’t sleep,” he replied. “If I was in the palace, I would continue doing my work at night but out here I am forced to try and fall asleep. I can’t fall asleep though, no matter how hard I try.”

            “When I couldn’t sleep, my older brother would make me his special chamomile tea,” Taeyeon suggested. “It works every time. I can make it for you if you like.”

            The Firelord was not really expecting to be cured just by drinking tea, but he let Taeyeon try anyway. The kitchen maids watched her as she picked fresh chamomile and crushed and mashed it up with the mortar and pestle. She used the freshly mashed chamomile for the tea and added wild honey to give it a unique sweet delectable taste.

            “It is good that you remember how your brother makes it,” remarked Firelord Soon-Jae.

            Taeyeon clearly remembered the old days. Her brother, Jaejoong, would wake her up from her sleep walking. She usually found herself sitting outside with Jaejoong staring at her sleepy little figure. Jaejoong then served her a special chamomile tea to help her sleep better. He had prepared it for her so many times that she knew the entire process very well. Jaejoong once told her that sleepwalking, just like insomnia, was cause by stress. After drinking chamomile tea, her brother would tell her stories until she fell asleep. The chamomile tea helped reduce her stress, but knowing that someone truly cared for her made her sleep in peace.

            “I hope that you sleep well tonight, Your Majesty,” said Taeyeon.

            The Firelord gave her a warm smile. If only her father smiled more often, he would look like the Firelord, Taeyeon thought. A kind smile from a father figure comforted her.

***

            Taeyeon had not sleepwalked or sleep talked since she drank chamomile tea with the Firelord, so she did not cause any problems for the Princesses. The Firelord was also able to fall asleep well because of the chamomile tea that Taeyeon had been making. She had to be the one to make it for him to fall asleep. Just knowing that someone who truly cares for his welfare made the tea put him to sleep easier. The palace maids were never able to make tea like Taeyeon did.

            Sunny and Taeyeon had been training hard for the past week. Taeyeon finally understood the basics of breath and concentration of energy. Her form and poise became so much better too. Even the Firelord was proud of her improvement. He was proud of Sunny’s ability to teach too.

            When it was time for them to leave Ember Island, all of them had this one question in their minds: What will happen to Taeyeon?

            “Father, I have another proposition,” Sunny said during dinner on their last evening. “Well the thing is…”

           “Can we please adopt Taeyeon into the family?” Fany blurted out. “I mean, you like her tea and Sunny and I love her as our sister. Please, please, please!”

            “Hey, can’t you at least maintain your dignity in front of the Firelord,” Sunny snapped at Fany. After clearing , she continued, “You said that we must care for our people and help the helpless…”

            “Yeah, Taeyeon lost her family and we can be a family to her,” interjected Fany. “The point is, we want her to stay with us forever.”