Training session with a lost girl | OPAL

Zuko had been taking the habit to go out early in the morning to training, in a courtyard not often frequented by soldiers or people in general. Not that he didn't like his life there, but sometime he just needed some time to spend alone: either to think or to not think at all; it all depended by the heat of the moment. And in that moment all he could think of was the upcoming wedding, nothing seemed to be able to distract him from that thought. Even his training was influenced negatively: not even if the dummy in front of him would have been tall like the whole castle Zuko would have hit it! At least not while he was thinking at the umpteenth mockery of his family and the wedding.

Zuko sighed and took a deep breath, he couldn't continue the training in those conditions. Placing the sword he was using near the dummy, Zuko wiped out some sweat and leaned against the dummy, that immediately moved making him fall on the ground.
"The hell..." he mumbled massaging his head, luckily for him nobody was watching or else he would have looked like an idiot.

Opal had had a good night sleep, she had never been on a more comfortable bed, it seemed incredible to her that she was now sleeping in such luxury... Still, she could try to adapt to this new life, but old habits are hard to die and she couldn't help but wake up early as always. When she was preparing to become a silent sister, she woke up early every morning to go to pray. Now, even if her life had changed, she still hadn't lost such habit and she still wished to go and pray the gods like she used to. The only problem was... she had no idea where the sept was, and apparently there was nobody around to give her such information! It was still too early, and she started thinking she got lost in that huge palace. Then, finally, her attention was captured by some noises that guided her toward the courtyard, where a boy was apparently training on his own. She didn't want to disturb him, so she just waited until he was done, when she started approaching him quietly, unnoticed, but as soon as she saw him falling on the ground she rushed by his side "Are you ok?" she asked with concern, trying to check if he was hurt

Nobody was watching, eh? Apparently there was another person who liked to wake up early and apparently she had seen the whole scene!
Zuko couldn't help but gave an annoyed sigh as the girl approached him, he would have preferred to not make things worse with the girl helping him, but at that point it was too late: the girl had just arrived and she was already checking if he was alright.
"I'm fine... thank you..." he said as he woke up from the ground, trying to keep her aloof, but without looking like a thankless. In the end she just wanted to help him, nothing more.
"The dummy is... defective..." he pointed at it tilting his head.

She simply smiled when she gathered he was ok, she was thankful he was. In the time spent with the silent sisters, she had often helped people in need, mostly dying or really ill people so she had started always to fear for the worst when people hurt themselves.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to disturb you... I was just looking to he sept, but I'm afraid I ended up getting lost" she smiled apologetically at the boy, not caring much about his comment about the dummy: it didn't make any difference to her if he made a little mistake.

Zuko was somehow relieved that the girl had changed the subject so quickly, he surely didn't want to continue talk about his 'accident'. Plus she seemed like the one who needed help now.
Zuko moved his look from the dummy to the girl, instinctively moving his hand to push down his hair on the scar on his face; everytime hoping to hide it.
"The sept?" he asked "Wrong direction... it's on the other side..." he pointed towards the palace, right in front of them. The sept wasn't a place he used to frequent, but he still knew where it was located.

She noticed his gesture, and she noticed his scar, but she was used to see much worse. Anyway, she didn't bring the subject up, she knew this could be hurtful: she just pretended his little trick worked, she wouldn't stare into it like other people would. As he pointed in the direction of the sept, she turned to check that direction "Oh..." so... she had jus gone in the totally wrong direction... she sighed: was she really able to find it on her own? She didn't dare asking for more help to the boy, she felt like she hd troubles him enough. "Thank you, I'll be on my way then" she replied with a smile, bowing a bit her head, thanking him once again.

Zuko's gaze moved on the girl again, noticing how she managed to keep her look away from the scar: something that didn't happen often. However even if it was odd, Zuko was glad that she was ignoring the scar, after all she had already seen too much awkwardness coming from him.

As Opal realized that she was more than lost, Zuko couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for her. It wasn't her fault if she didn't know the right direction, however she didn't seem to ask for his help. Maybe she was too shy or just didn't want troubles with strangers.
Zuko cleared his throat as Opal was ready to leave "To pay your kindness I can escort you till the sept.." he said tilting his head sightly. At that hour she wouldn't meet anyone around willing to help her.

Opal was already starting to walk away when the boy's voice stopped her. She turned toward him, quite surprised, but at his words her expression of surprise was replaced by a wide, thankful smile "Oh, thank you so much, you're really kind but I don't want to trouble you.." she added in the end, she was simply too used to consider herself not deserving of importance, he didn't have to help her if he had other things to do...

Zuko hinted a smile as he saw Opal's; how could he let her go all alone? He was educated to be a noble, not a savage: the least he could do was to escort her till the sept, it wasn't that he was going to meet her another time or something.
"No trouble." he reassured her taking the sword he had left near the dummy and placing it back in its sheath "I was done here." he finished to pick up all his things -not a lot, actually, just the sword and a part of his uniform- and walked towards Opal, ready to open the way.

"Well then... I'll be more than happy to accept your offer." She smiled once again to him, a gentle smile that really enlightened her beautiful face. She waited for him to recover his few stuffs and then, as he started moving, she stepped at his side, following the path he was leading. She didn't really know what else she could say, so she just kept quiet.

Zuko started to walk, heading towards a long hallway: that was the faster way to the sept. He moved his look to Opal to be sure she was following him and continued his walk.
After a few minutes of silence, however Zuko felt like he should say something, just to make her a bit more comfortable: she seemed a bit nervous, or maybe she was just shy.
"Is this your first time in Sunspear?" he asked slowing his pass. Banal question, but at least they could start a some kind of conversation.

Opal walked next to Zuko, or at least she tried to do so: she was quite smaller than the boy, and she was quite shorter... she barely reached he boy's shoulder with her head! So as he walked with a certain speed, she was almost forced to run to keep up with him.
She was thankful when he slowed the pace, and a bit surprised when he asked her that question, but nonetheless she smiled toward him "Yes..." she stopped for a second, realizing herself this wasn't totally correct "well, not really... I know I was born here, but I left when I was still a baby and this is the first time I come back." she explained with a shy smile

"I see..." Zuko turned to her as she replied. Born there, but then left; maybe she was the daughter of a merchant or something like that. Sunspear was an important port for business after all; it wasn't strange to see merchants going around the palace too.
"It would have been... nice to come back to your origins." he tilted his head smiling sightly.

"It's... weird..." she had to admit in a sigh, still smiling though "I know nothing of this place, and still and yet I'm claimed as a part of it..." she thought of Soma, of his niceness toward her, of his calling her 'family' and 'sister', she thought of Kocoum and how he told her there was still some dornish blood in her veins... "don't get me wrong, it's all really nice" she quickly added, hoping the boy wouldn't misunderstand her words "but... it's still ll so new and so peculiar to me... Dorne is really different from where I'm from..."

Zuko couldn't help but smile to himself as she called the whole story 'weird'. Obviously he didn't know where Opal was from or how she had been raised; however he wondered why she decided to come back to Sunspear even if she didn't feel to belong, but kept it for himself. He surely didn't want to sound like a meddler.
"Dorne is different from almost all the lands in the Westeros and maybe even the one of Essos..." he shrugged smiling sightly; there were a few things that Dorne didn't share with the rest of the known lands, making it unique.
"However you'll get used to it... if you're planning to stay here for long."

She nodded at his affirmation: Dorne was indeed quite unique... in some aspects, she really liked that, but she was also scared by it. "I guess I will..." she nodded with a sigh, it's not like she had much of a choice... "As a matter of fact, I am... thought it wasn't my planning. I'll have to get married here" she smiled once again to him, hoping she wasn't boring him with all those details, but, no mater how shhy she was, she really needed to vent with someone "I can only hope I'll be good enough as a wife..." she whispered under her breath, more to herself than to him, expressing her actual concern. After all, she had been raised to be a silent sister, not a wife...

"Marriage is never in the plans of the children..." or the brothers... Zuko couldn't help but sigh at her affirmation, willing or not even he had to obey at his family's will and even that girl had to, no matter what they really wanted. And in all honesty his siblings didn't really care for what he really wanted, they never did.

"In the end it is more a political need than an actually necessity for the family, no matter its social status..." Zuko smiled sightly at her, not catching completely what she whispered.

Opal stared at Zuko as he spoke up, before she moved her glance to look down, frowning "Saying something like that is quite sad... marriage should be a way to find happiness, not just a mere contract" she shook her head, as if she wanted to get that thought away from her mind. She rose her head up again, a hint of a smile again on her lips "I do believe it should be just that, even when it's not decided by you. Marriage should be just that, finding happiness in two..." she looked up with a hopeful glance "After all, if you can't change your fate, you still can make something good out of it, don't you think?" she asked with a shy smile toward the boy.

Zuko listened to her, she wasn't wrong but neither right. Marriage was a contract, no matter if it was made for love or not; however he knew that some of those marriages did actually lead to something happy as she was dreaming, but the majority were just mere fiction, just a mask to wear in public.

"Yes, of course." Zuko nodded at her, not wanting to share his thoughts with her; she seemed too much positive about the future marriage.
"Maybe you're right..."

She took notice of Zuko's reaction before she lowered her glance once again. He blandly agree with her but the truth was she herself wasn't sure about that... it was more a hope she had than an actual belief... "Yes... maybe I am..." she sighed, more to herself than to him. Maybe even she could find actual happiness in a wedding she hadn't planned nor wished for... "But I have to admit I'm no an expert on the matter, I wasn't even supposed to get married in the first place." she smiled to hide what she really felt in that moment: fear and loneliness. Maybe her life wasn't perfect before, but at least she knew her place in the world, she knew what she was meant to be!

Zuko couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she spoke: not supposed to get married? What did she mean? He slowed down his walk again as a thought started to creep inside his mind: was she...? No way! How could she? That couldn't be her?!

"Just to fulfill my curiosity... may I ask your name?" he asked moving instinctively his hand to smooth his hair on the scar, he used to do it also when he was nervous.

As he slowed down even more, she did the same, tilting her head in a cute way at his question "my name?" she repeated, before she smiled again to him "I'm Opal... Opal Sand." she added with an apologetic smile, like being a bastard was a crime she had to ask forgiveness for. She wondered if she had to or even could ask the boy's name... but in the end she decided he could do so if he wanted to

Sand... Sand was the surname of bastards children. The girl he was going to marry was an illegitimate child of house Martell, could it be...?
Zuko cleared his throat before speaking again, not sure how he could even formulate his question. If that girl was indeed who he thought she was, there was only a way to know it.

"Sand..." he repeated slowly moving his look from the floor to Opal "Are you Arianne Martell's illegitimate daughter?" he said out loud in one breath, the words came out like a flood before he could even think at what he was saying.
He bit his lip observing her, the die was cast now he had just to wait for her reaction.

Opal was quite surprised by Zuko's question. She opened her mouth in surprise, blushing: maybe in Dorne being a bastard wasn't something seen as ungodly and sinful, but it was were she grew up in... "I... I actually am..." she finally peeped in reply, looking down, evidently embarrassed. She didn't ask how he knew or why he cared, she guessed that, being in the Martell's palace and seeing what character the prince... her brother was, well, it came to no surprise someone might have heard of her.

As Opal confirmed what he was thinking, Zuko couldn't help but feel a bit guilty noticing how much she seemed embarrassed by her 'title' of illegitimate child. Since Opal used to live outside of Dorne, she couldn't share the Dornish's thought that bastards were born of passion and love. Something, instead, that Zuko had learned since he was young, despite the fact that he didn't have any illegitimate siblings.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of it." he quickly said "As I said before Dorne is not like the other lands... being a bastard is not a crime..." he said tilting his head, not sure if he was making things better or worse for Opal.