This was written for the Secret Admirer Competition for the AtLA Fanfiction Challenges Forum.
Prompt assigned: Zhao secretly admires Zuko
"For the last time, I'm not playing the tsungi horn!" Zhao could hear the angry princeling from the corridor. He smirked to himself at the thought of the young prince, the young man's rage making the corners of his mouth pull down. He always was a beautiful boy, taking after Princess Ursa instead of inheriting Ozai's severe features.
"No, it's about our plans. There's a bit of a problem." General Iroh was always a diplomat, smoothing over hurt feelings to get what he needed. He had much more finesse than the Fire Lord, but with age comes wisdom.
Zhao decided that he wanted to see Zuko for himself, watch the way his eyes widened in surprise. He was not disappointed; the young man was still beautiful despite the scar marring half his face. "I'm taking your crew."
"What?!" Zuko's mouth hung open and he looked from the General back to Zhao, his inner fire making his golden eyes positively glow in the dark room.
"I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole." He smiled as he watched the young man's entire world collapse around him. Part of him loved it, breaking his enemies was truly an invigorating feeling. But part of him hated to hurt the boy so. He'd been exiled and left out in the cruel world. He had half a mind to take the boy with him; he would put the princeling to work in some capacity, perhaps his personal cabin boy. But that would jeopardize his standing with the Fire Lord and that would not do.
"Uncle, is that true?" The boy's tone was miserable, disbelieving but that delicious rage still colored his eyes and made his stance tense.
"I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone," Iroh put his hand over his face, "even the cook."
Zhao couldn't help but provoke the young man, wanting to see more fire. "Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar. But I can't have you getting in my way again."
As he intended, the boy snarled and charged, only held back by the old General. "No!"
He smirked and cast his glance around the dull room, enjoying the look of misery on the boy's face, the defeat in his shoulders. Then his eyes landed on the pair of dao swords hanging on the wall.
They couldn't be! Dual dao swords were rather rare these days; only skilled swordsmen could handle them properly. The Blue Spirit had been proficient but could the disgraced prince be the man that made him look like a fool all those weeks ago?
He frowned and took one of the swords off the wall. He was not ambidextrous enough to handle both swords at once, but he had trained under Piando's predecessor and was good enough for this demonstration.
He thrust the sword in the open space of the room, but kept his eyes on Zuko, watching the boy hide his panic.
"I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko." He was going to bring the boy back to the Fire Nation in chains, though he might just keep him to himself now. Perhaps the boy had grown out of his submissive phase.
"I'm not. They're antiques. Just decorative." Zuko looked him straight in the eye and lied. Zhao knew this sword was only a few years old, and the wear on the blades meant that they had been used recently.
The prince was getting better at lying too. Perhaps he should take the boy under his wing, after the Avatar has been captured that is.
"Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?" He turned towards the General, curious to see if the old man knew about his ward's activities.
"Just rumors. I don't think he is real."
"He's real, all right," he handed the sword to Iroh but kept his gaze on Zuko, "He's a criminal, and an enemy of the Fire Nation. But I have a feeling justice will catch up with him soon."
He exited the small cabin with a smirk, "General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands ... if you change your mind."
Zhao loved the outranged sound Zuko made. Oh yes, as soon as his mission was over, he would have the young prince.