"I will continue striving to be a better fire lord worthy of you".
The crowd roared in applause, though Fire Lord Zuko felt the mixed emotions emitting from his citizens as he stepped from his place above them. The first face he saw was the beautiful, tanned face of Katara standing next to his mother. Zuko swallowed, averting his eyes. His emotions were pulled immediately at the sight of the waterbender who had saved his life. A heavy hand grasped his shoulder firmly, making Zuko flinch with regret at the sight of his good friend.
"Great speech, Your Fire Lord-ness," exclaimed the avatar proudly, his smile stretching from ear to ear.
With a strained smile of his own, Zuko answered. "No need to be formal, Aang. Thank you for all of your help".
"We heard about what happened with Azula," Sokka interrupted, approaching the two friends. "Is she back in the nuthouse?"
Zuko clenched his teeth and shook his head. "She escaped with her buddies, but I doubt she is a threat anymore".
Sokka waved his boomerang, haughtily. "Of course not! I have boomerang, remember?"
"Right…it worked wonders before," groaned Zuko.
His eyes, unwillingly fell on Katara again as she approached them.
"How are you feeling, Zuko?" Asked the young woman, concern evident in her heavenly blue eyes.
"Listen, I need to look over some documents. You guys should get ready for the Solstice Festival. I'll see you later," with that he abruptly left his friends for his room.
Upon entering, Zuko waved away the palace servants that flanked him and removed his topknot, letting his hair fall to his shoulders. It had grown longer in recent months as he chose against having it cut. He stood in front of the full body mirror. There was newly grown stubble on his face. Rubbing his rough chin, the fire lord tried to banish the many shameful thoughts he had about Katara. With Mai gone and no other women that peaked his interest, the young man felt his heart weighing heavy and his loins rolling in lust.
Since Sozin's Comet, his feelings for the waterbender had grown, yet Mai had been a needed distraction from his thoughts surrounding his best friend's girlfriend. The fire lord knew that the avatar was head over heels in love with Katara and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin their friendship.
"Arousing speech, Zuzu".
The fire lord grit his teeth in anger at the familiar voice. "I would think Ozai had trained you to understand that the fire lord's bedroom is off limits, Azula," he spoke through clenched teeth at his sister's reflection.
The prodigal firebender's lip noticeably flinched. "Nothing was off limits between Ozai and me, especially the fire lord's bedroom," she spoke with a hint of brokenness in her tone.
The fire lord's eyes lowered. He knew what his sister was hinting at and it burned him worse than a thousand suns that he was not there to protect her. His sister was the strongest woman he knew, yet even she needed her big brother to protect her from Ozai's cruelty and he had failed to realize it until it was too late.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop him. I…I would have killed him, myself".
Azula's eyes darted to the large, crimson bed as a wave of feelings seemed to show on her face at once. Quickly, the princess waved the comment away. "Stop. At least I still have my dignity. Besides, Brother, you seem to be troubled. Let's talk elsewhere about what's eating you now, hmm?"
"I can't be seen with you," Zuko announced solemnly.
Azula shrugged. "Of course. I would expect that, Fire Lord. Well, anyway, I will make my proposition brief. Let's call a truce. You are the fire lord now, fine, but…should something were to happen to you, who would the crown fall to, I wonder? No heirs, Uncle is a walking corpse, you're basically a younger, cleaner version of Iroh nowadays".
Zuko turned to face his sister from where she stood hidden in the shadows of the dimly lit room. Her face was slightly masked by the shadow of the window, yet she was garbed with her Fire Nation uniform and her hair in a perfect topknot, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed in her usual manner. She had definitely recovered from her mental collapse, though, anyone would be crazy to believe that either royal sibling was ever truly sane from Ozai's rearing.
"I don't have time for your riddles. What do you want?" Asked the fire lord, attempting to keep the emotion out of his tone.
"Immunity, full immunity. I have some rather risqué plans for the future".
Shaking his head, he growled the words. "Not going to happen". Zuko was about to exit his bedroom before remembering that Azula was the visitor. "Leave before I call Suki and Ty Lee. I'm sure you don't want another chi blocking session from the circus freak again".
Azula's lip curled and Zuko wondered for several uncomfortable seconds what he had said to set the woman off. Yet, the ever calculated Azula regained her composure before answering. "So…you'd rather commune with your disgraced father? A man who mutilated both of us and had the nerve to toss us aside like slaves? Quite honorable," she said smoothly, closing the gap between them.
Their golden eyes met. Zuko felt a flush of shame from sudden unclean thoughts forming in his mind.
"It's a been a while since you've released some…tension, hmm, Brother?" Azula purred, her fingers touching the stubble on his neck before teasing the back of his ear. "You…look so much like him. I didn't think for one second that letter was real, you know". Her lips nearly touched his neck as she leaned in to whisper. "You even smell like him".
Zuko growled as he felt his longing grow. With as much force as he could muster, the fire lord shoved his sister away, making her stumble and break into a fit of mad laughter.
"Oh Zuzu, you're too easy! I'd never sleep with you anyway, Dum Dum! Eww, you idiot. What do you take me for?" She continued howling in laughter, taking a seat on the bed. Suddenly turning serious, she added. "But your…water peasant on the other hand".
Zuko's eyes bulged. "What do you-"
Holding her hand up to stop him, Azula pet the side of the bed, beckoning for him to join her. The young ruler trudged slowly to the bed and sat, his mind in a whirl. Azula reached under the bed, finding a box. Inside were several expensive cigars that must have belonged to their father. Taking one, she replaced the box, bit the top and spit on the floor before lighting the end with her middle finger as she inhaled the contents, making the dark cigar turn a fiery orange. After another intake, she passively handed it to the fire lord.
"I didn't know these were even in here," commented Zuko as the cigar met his lips.
"Ozai hid many things. I suggest you have this place cleaned, spotless. He was filthy".
Zuko chuckled uneasily, hoping Azula meant the comment as a joke, nearly choking on the smoke. Coughing, he handed the cigar back to the firebending master. "You know, I never worried about you being lost in Forgetful Valley. Takes a lot more to kill you. You proved that with the way you handled that wolf spirit".
"You're welcome. Now about my proposition".
"No," spoke Zuko sternly taking back the cigar from his sister as she rolled her eyes.
"It's a win for both of us. Mai's gone. You're lonely and under pressure. Even with Mother and her new family, you still feel like an outsider in your own kingdom. I know the feeling". Zuko grunted. "Listen," continued Azula. "The festival tonight for the solstice, how about some lava sledding? You could use a break".
"I can't be seen-"
"IF you want the festival to be bloodless, you WILL be there," with that, Azula took the cigar back, "Smoking's bad for you Fire Lord. Try blowing bubbles to relieve that stress, hmm," She left the room as quickly as she came.
Azula's words struck fear in the fire lord. Taking a deep breath, he fell back on the bed. As his heavy eyes began to close, his sister's voice rung out in his head. Jumping to his feet from the bed, Zuko left his quarters in haste.
"Your Highness, may I massage your feet?" Asked a servant outside of his room.
"No, that won't be necessary. But, please, have someone clean my room top to bottom, immediately".
#
"So, you really think she would show? Here?" Asked Katara as she and the fire lord stepped onto the sled together.
"Yes". Was all the fire lord revealed.
Katara's face contortioned into a grimace. At Zuko's warning, Aang and Sokka were tasked with keeping an eye on the crowds while Katara and Zuko walked the festival disguised as commoners, though the fire lord was at risk of being discovered, despite his hood, by his scarred face.
"You really should let me heal that." Said the waterbender hanging onto the rails of her sleigh as lava threatened to engulf it.
"Yeah, I know it makes me look quite hideous," said Zuko softly, looking at the palms of his upturned hands.
Katara was about to comment when a lightning bolt surged towards them.
"Zuko! Watch out!" She screamed, crashing into the fire lord, barely missing the bolt as it sailed over their heads.
"Zuzu! I see you brought the peasant!" Called Azula, standing on a sleigh, heading in their direction. "I WON'T miss again!"
The sleighs collided as they neared the high slope, heading for the mouth of a large, burning mistletoe wreath that bottomed out into a tunnel.
We're done for if we enter there. Thought Katara.
Zuko created a fireball and launched it at his sister, making her sleigh flip over. The firebender barely had time to jet away to a nearby cliff as the two slid through the mouth of the burning wreath. Katara's heart was pounding as the sleigh came to a slower pace as they entered the dark tunnel. Inside were arrays of burning mistletoes along the walls of the tunnel.
"She's gone I'm sure," said Zuko calmly, his arm protectively around the waterbender. "You're safe now".
Katara felt her heart flutter. The feelings she felt for the fire lord resurfaced suddenly. "I-I can't thank you, enough," she said, feeling her face flush.
"You don't have to," Zuko nearly whispered. "I would never let anything happen to you, Katara".
With a trembling hand, the waterbender touched the fire lord's scarred cheek and turned his face to her. "No, you wouldn't," she said, her face all but scarlet now.
The former enemies burned with guilt as their breathing matched one another, eyes closing to hide their feelings of guilt as their lips met at the end of the burning mistletoe wreath's tunnel.
Yes, believe it or not this is a ZUTARA series. I know...I know...first Azutara now this. Yes, I have lost it wherever Azula lost her mind. Anyway, I will attempt to complete many of the prompts from Zutara month as time will allow. I hope you enjoyed and um yes, of course there will be a lot of appearances from Ty Lee and Azula because duh...they are STILL my ultimate ship. Ok enough, reviews are always nice. This story takes place after Smoke and Shadows. Queen Ty