The heat of the Fire Lord's throne room was rarely the only reason its visitors would sweat. The fires that burned on either side of the throne, lit by its ruler and extinguished at the end of their reign, bathed the chamber in a light that was either beautiful or menacing, depending on the viewer.
It was here where Fire Lord Zuko sat, dispensing his royal duties. The weight of hundreds of generations of Fire Lords bore down on his every decision, a simultaneous honor and burden, a sacrosanct burning that would either leave his spirit purified or in smoldering ashes.
"Cabbages."
The scrawny merchant stood before him, before the flames, and said, unblinking, with all the seriousness of war, "Yes, Lord Zuko. Your, er, retinue has irreparably damaged exactly ninety-two of my cabbages, which I sell for a living, and three carts with which I transport them. These events occurred before you were Fire Lord, but it was still your friends who were responsible. I demand reparations."
Zuko felt his eye start to twitch. Patience. Remember the basics. He took a deep, slow breath. The flames to his sides grew with his inhale and shrank with his exhale, as though they were breathing with him. The merchant took a small step back. You are a fair and stable-minded ruler, not an irrational teenager. "I see. And may I ask, why bring this up with me instead of, I don't know, the Avatar?"
"I tried, Fire Lord, but Avatar Aang is extremely hard to find and follow."
"Don't I know it," Zuko muttered, the side of his face turning up into a grin.
"Lord?"
"Nothing. Very well, I will compensate you for your...product. What is the amount you seek?"
The merchant produced an abacus from somewhere within his robe. "Well, there's the cabbages themselves, then the carts, supplier fees, opportunity cost, loss of potential business, pain and suffering...I'd say the amount comes to, oh, approximately sixty thousand gold pieces, Fire Lord."
His eye twitched again.
"But my cabbages!" The merchant cried as the guards dragged him out.
Zuko sighed into his hand, grateful for the blessed few moments of privacy he would have until the next meeting.
"You handled that well," said a voice from above.
Zuko jumped to his feet, his fists up and aiming into the dark above his throne. A familiar laugh echoed through the chamber. Zuko relaxed. "How long have you been there?"
"Just a few minutes." There was a gust of air as Aang dropped to the ground, landing so softly on his feet that his robes barely even rustled. "I've been avoiding that guy for months."
"You shouldn't be spying on official Fire Nation business," Zuko said, scowling. Just when Aang started to look nervous, however, he smiled. "But I am glad to see you." They embraced then, as best friends reunited. "You got taller."
"Thanks! Your hair got longer." Aang's shaved head glistened in the firelight. In addition to being taller, his voice had taken on a slight crack. "Trying to make me jealous?"
"It's custom for the Fire Lord to grow his hair out," Zuko said, adjusting the golden pin stuck in the bun on his head. "Wait. Why are you here? Is there trouble? The New Ozai Society?"
"Nope! At least, not that I know of. I'm actually here with someone."
"Katara?"
"Nah, she's working the clinic in the South Pole. My friend should be here any minute...sometimes I forget how long it takes to climb all those stairs."
The chamber doors opened. A guard stepped in and offered Zuko a customary bow. "Fire Lord Zuko, your uncle Iroh is at the gate and requests and audience."
"Uncle's here?" Zuko looked to Aang, who stood beaming. "Send him in!"
The guard bowed and retreated, leaving the doors open. Iroh's stocky figure shuffled in moments later, cradling something in his arms. The collar of his tunic was soaked in sweat, and he spoke between deep gulps of air.
"It's good...to see you...Nephew..."
Zuko embraced Iroh in a tight hug, taking care to avoid the wet patches in the old man's tunic. "Uncle. It's good to see you too." He stepped sway and cleared his throat. "I mean, you honor us with your presence."
Having regained his breath, Iroh bowed. "The honor is mine to stand in the light of the Fire Lord. You have been practicing your decorum."
"The fire priests have been teaching me. I feel like a little kid learning how to hold a fork. But, Uncle, why are you here? Who's watching the tea shop?"
"Oh, ah, the Jasmine Dragon is fine. Actually, I'm here because of this!"
Iroh gently unfurled the bundle in his arms, revealing an object that seemed to exude effervescence in the firelight. Aang hovered over Zuko's shoulder to watch.
"Is that...?"
"It is," Iroh said, grinning like a man who had found the world's most precious treasure. And, in point of fact, he might well have.
"It's a dragon egg!"