Well, Hi! This is my Avatar story... :)

This will border AU as I will obviously add events and change the storyline just a tad. ummm...it's about Zuko and my OC (obviously). no pairings have been officially decided, I'm just indecisive about where everyone will end up. soo...yeah...

Disclaimer: i don't own Avatar

Hope you enjoy. Read and Review please!

-TSA


Flower of Thorns

"Roses fall, but the thorns remain." –Dutch Proverb

Chapter 1:

"If you wake up at a different time, in a different place, could you wake up as a different person?" – Chuck Palahniuk

Her heart pounded against her breast, its thundering melody matching that of the rumbling storms in the distance. But it felt heavy like metal had encased it and was dragging it through her fortressed body until it would rip through her skin. That was an unpleasant thought. Her hands instinctively clutched the opening of her robe to tug it back around herself as the sandy breeze kicked up while she stood out on her balcony. All her thoughts were a jumble, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make sense out of them. Only one thing incessantly chimed like a clock at every hour.

An arranged marriage.

With a sigh of dismissal, she returned to her chambers and shut the balcony doors behind her. Sweeping across the floor with as much grace as her legs allowed her from their quaking of accepting the truth as her mind still fought to do, she retrieved the crown sitting atop a velvet cushion the color of the emeralds that were embedded into the silver. Her fingertips just barely brushed those gemstones, too afraid that the oils of her skin would blemish them. But her crown was already blemished from her insistence of wearing it without a king to rule beside her. Blasphemous? That was certainly possible.

She was mulling it over and over, hoping that at some point her heart would break from its metal bindings and beat freely again. There wasn't anything truly wrong with an arranged marriage, since it had been the tradition that her parents followed, and they had found harmony in their love for their kingdom. Yet that felt hardly enough to propel her to accept the engagement of an earth bender lord who ruled a small city inside her kingdom.

Suddenly, the door to her chambers flung open and three soldiers rushed in, immediately standing in attention with their fists pressed to their hearts as they bowed. She flicked her wrist to signal an explanation to their interruption of her dwelling on her thoughts. They looked breathless, though sometimes she mistook that for being afraid to speak a troublesome word to her.

"You cast aside a knock. Tell me, what brings you in a hurry?" she said coolly.

The tallest of the three stepped forward, bowing to her once more, "We have located a fire bender in a local village."

"A fire bender?" Her brow furrowed while she thought on the possibilities of that claim, "Are you certain of this?"

"We witnessed it."

She curtly nodded, "Assemble my guard. I wish to see this myself."

. . . .

He could feel the burn of a thousand eyes on him as if he had been the one that was torched by a barrage of flames that buried him into the ground. His hands were clammy, losing their grip on the two broadswords he held while he waited for the man to rise from the dirt and continue their brawl. There was hardly a point in hiding anymore. He was who he was, and even in the past weeks, he had remained himself. All he could think of at that moment was what his mother had told him.

'Never forget who you are.'

My name is Zuko, the exiled Prince of the Fire Nation. He shook his head while hearing the sound of hoof beats. He spun around to find himself surrounded by a small battalion of earth bender soldiers, all dressed in a rich emerald tunics with a gold emblem of a sun and a moon entwined together. Their spears and swords were drawn, all of them taking several steps toward him as if he were an untamed beast that needed to be killed with precision. When a spear was jabbed at his chest, he lashed out with an arching kick that set flames burning against the man's face. The soldiers went to disarm him, but were halted by a booming voice.

"Stand down!"

Zuko looked up as a black horse trotted through the middle of the town square. Sitting atop was a woman adorned by an emerald gown that clung to her skin like the scarce armor she wore over top it. Metal braces were clasped to her forearms and shins, but she wore no shoes on her calloused feet. A breast plate clung to her bosom; a helmet was tucked under her arm, some weapon strapped to her back. Her eyes were glinting like gemstones, but they were too hard to be considered beautiful. Her long brown hair was tangled in a braid that reached her hip, a gold band strung across her forehead with her emblem in black.

"Gow, I'm sure there's a worthy punishment for overstepping your boundaries." She clucked her tongue while the earth bender wearily dug himself out of the collapsed roof that had fallen on him, "Bullying children, I suspect you have some explanation for your actions."

Gow bowed his head, eyes cast to the ground, "I ask for permission to remain silent."

Her eyes narrowed and she spat at his boots, "Permission granted. I'd hate to listen to your babbling." She fixed her eyes on Zuko, that glare never leaving even as he matched it, "Who are you?"

This was the moment, "My name is Zuko. Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai." He sheathed his swords, "Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne."

Her lips curled, almost in mock of him, "A prince? Then why do you dress in rags?"

"He's lying! He's an outcast!" a man from the crowd bellowed.

She silenced the man with a seething glare, but directed her next statement to Zuko, "I should have you arrested, Sir."

He drew his swords in the blink of an eye, and all her soldiers were circled around him, spears pressed to his skin, but he kept the blade extended up to the woman on the horse, "I'll fight for my freedom."

"Stand down," she muttered with annoyance. But her men remained at arms, "I said 'stand down'!" Her soldier's grudgingly did as she ordered, but Zuko kept his guard up, which made her laugh, "Oh, you too, Prince-y."

"I stand by what I say." He locked her gaze, watching her falter to keep herself in control, "I'll fight for my freedom."

Something in his absurdity to challenge her was sheer amusement. She laughed again, which caused him to recoil in irritation, "You would be foolish to fight me."

"I'm not scared."

"I can see that." She tilted her head to the side and smiled, "It's in your eyes."

Zuko blushed, his guard resting as a flash of youthful understanding crossed her face. All the harshness was vanquished and she looked like a young lady who was possibly just as confused as him. Though that was a stretch…

"Are you going to arrest me, or not?" he snapped.

She titled her head back, howling, "You're certainly amusing!" She turned a leering eye to her men, "I am extending an invitation to you. You may stay within my palace walls, if you wish to accept it."

Zuko wasn't sure what to say, but she looked as though she was hardly giving him a choice. He sheathed his blades while staring up at her, not wanting to admit that her hospitality was much appreciated. She nodded to him, which made him relax at the notion that she understood his silence. She beckoned for her soldiers to follow, and Zuko found himself flanked at every angle by them, spears ever-so often prodding him.

. . . .

He wasn't comfortable with it, but he wasn't going to argue. Though he was unsure of that woman's motives, he didn't want to turn away the chance for a decent meal. Fidgeting with the loose robe he wore, one that was the same emerald green that decorated her palace, he began pacing about the hallway outside of his quarters. Everything was richly accented by gold, her emblem painted across every wall that wasn't covered by hundreds of portraits and pictures.

Deciding that his robe was best left untied, he crossed his arms over his chest while examining the paintings of what he assumed were the past rulers of the Southern Earth Kingdom. Each of them had the same crude eyes, the color of bright gemstones yet with the ugliest stare. He moved along the wall, reading the names mindlessly with no attempt to memorize them. The only pattern he did notice was that each king was given the title Tsukuyomi and each queen the title Amaterasu.

The most recent portrait, he assumed, was that of her parents. To his surprise, her mother's eyes were not of emerald, but jade and she had a softness to her compared to the man bearing the crown. Something in the woman's eyes reminded him of his own mother, but as he went to reach a hand out to stroke the woman's rouged cheeks, he heard the faintest sound of tiptoeing footsteps.

"It's best not to touch." She tried not to smile so widely, "The oils of your skin will damage the paint."

Zuko took in her serenity that replaced her brazenness from their previous encounter. She was draped in endless robes of gold and green, her figure buried underneath it all, while her hair was left to cascade in waves down her back. A small circlet was around her forehead, displaying a jade stone that matched her mother's eyes. Her cheeks were innocently rouged and her lips were a glossy pink that reminded him of the cherry blossoms in spring.

"They're beautiful portraits," he muttered, his eyes falling on the one of her parents.

She strode up beside him, hands tucked in her sleeves, "This kingdom was established in the depths of the Fire Nation's conquest. Many city-states broke off from the rule of the Earth King and established their own government." She smiled while staring into her father's eyes, "My father wanted to create a nation as balanced as the sun and moon itself, thus he created the titles of our lineage upon claiming sovereignty. King Tsukuyomi and Queen Amaterasu."

"What happened to them?"

She bit her bottom lip, but only for a second before smiling again, "They passed away. My mother died in childbirth when I was ten and my baby brother didn't live much longer after that. My father fought for a strong life, though he always felt a void when he realized that she was truly gone." Her fingers entwined with one another in her sleeves, "He passed away a year ago. His heart just didn't want to live anymore."

Zuko sighed heavily while averting his eyes to the tiled floor that swam with gold swirls. He dizzied himself with trying to follow the endless lines, concerned with how easily she had opened up to him, "I never got your name."

"Princess Briar." She held her hand out to him, but he looked confused by her gesture. When she flicked her wrist, he got the hint and immediately swept a kiss across her skin, "The soon to be Queen Amaterasu." He gave her a tiny bow, resuming staring at her parent's portrait, "What's your story?"

"I have no story." He shook his head, knowing it was unfair to leave her in the dark. But the last thing he wanted was someone to get involved in his search for honor and redemption. He didn't need sympathy. He just needed answers, "I hope you weren't expecting more."

"I never said I was." She giggled as his face flushed a little, "Come. Why don't you join me for dinner?"

He trudged behind her, figuring it was more of an order than a question. He took a quick survey of each new hallway he was led through, and once near the dining chambers, his mouth began to water. There were rich aromas he had never smelt before, his stomach growling uncannily from its withdrawal from the abundances he experience back home. Servants danced past them as she opened the chamber doors and beckoned him inside.

The mile long table was filled to the brim, fit to feed an entire country. The site of it made him think of Lee's family and how they scrambled to put food on their own table. He wondered if she knew anything of the poverty on the country side, or if she just chose to remain ignorant. Seating himself on a stack of cushions, he watched Briar with apprehension as she leisurely sat at the head of the table where, behind, a large tapestry hung with the kingdom's emblem.

He hesitantly filled a plate full of food, watching to see if Briar was feasting as much as he wanted to. He spent most his time just stabbing at the food even though his stomach continued to growl. Muttering to himself, he glanced at the chalice in front of him that was filled with gleaming water. Without hesitation, he drained the cold liquid, which was when he finally heard Briar laughing.

"Eat up. You're obviously starved."

He didn't need to hear that twice. He devoured plate after plate, ignoring that she was still next to him. After a fifth plate, he found that he had satisfied part of his hunger, and he gave her an apologetic look as he heard her laughing, "Sorry, I didn't mean to look…"

"It's no worry."

Briar began to hum, her finger swirling around the water in her chalice. She had her elbows rested on the table while she kept her eyes on him as if she had never seen a fire bender before. He was feeling uneasy with her emerald orbs gazing at him, and he was sure she was enjoying his discomfort. Shifting his weight from where he was sitting, he cleared his throat loudly in hopes to shake that dreamlike grin off her face.

"Why are you offering your hospitality to me?" he asked.

Briar shrugged, "It's in my best interest." She sat up taller, hands lost in her sleeves again, "Where are you headed?"

"I don't know." He bowed his head, "I've split up with my uncle."

She nodded while bringing her chalice to her lips. When she set it back down, Zuko found himself staring at where tiny droplets of water glistened on her pink lips. He bowed his head again with a blush when she noticed that he was staring. Suppressing a laugh, she straightened her posture and donned her mask of authority.

"I can offer you a search party to locate your uncle."

Zuko shook his head, "It's none of your concern."

Briar let the sting of his words soak in while stabbing at the vegetables left on her plate. Finally setting her fork down when she felt that a long enough silence had passed, she cleared her throat, "The least that I ask of you is to stay in my palace until you are well rested. I can supply you better in a day or two so that you may search for your uncle."

"I don't need your help."

"Consider it an order." Briar rose from the ground, her robes fluttering as they straightened themselves out. She nodded her head to him, "I see as though your patience with me has waned. I'll take my leave and bid you goodnight."

Zuko felt a pang in his chest while watching her saunter from the room, her shoulders still set strongly though there was a defeated gate in her steps. He stared at the array of foods that remained untouched and suddenly realized that his appetite had left him. He glanced at his refilled chalice, seeing his reflection dance in the ripples. That scar wasn't gone; half of him had hoped that it would disappear. But what point would that serve? It was his identity.


yay. chapter one is over. hope you liked it. if you did, i recommend continuing to chapter 2. if not, then i appreciate you giving it a try!

Thanks,

-TSA