A/N

I got a LOT of story alerts. So… I finally decided to update. (Celebration Music and Confetti everywhere.) Maybe I'll stick to this one for a while.
I change styles of writing from chapter to chapter. Updates are few and far-between, so I can't really get a good flow going. But eventually I'll edit all my stories and revise them to flow better. If people review, maybe I can edit better (subtle hint alert!).
This chapter is several small bits of the first day, where people are getting used to the new accommodations. Very small bits.

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X X X

Why would she talk to me, or even acknowledge my presence? She's a prisoner of war! Gah, girls are crazy.

This isn't going to work out very well. I can't sleep knowing someone else is in the room with me, someone I don't even know. Plus she'd probably want to kill me and break out, but where would she go?

But… if that's true, wouldn't she be seething with hatred at me? If someone burned down MY village and kidnapped ME, that's what I would do. But, the Fire Nation is superior in every way, so no one would ever be able to conquer them- us.

Why'd I say 'them'? I'm just as Fire Nation as the rest of the crew! Sure, I'm banished, but that doesn't discount the fact that I'm next in line. And once I capture the Avatar, Father will accept me back.

We're leaving the Island behind us. I'm not sure where we're going, just somewhere else. The Avatar's Bison flew off to the East, to the setting sun, so that's the main direction. But they could've turned around or anywhere else at any point in time. It's not fair that after three years with no leads, I finally found him, but I lost him again.

But, we've got bait now.

X X X

Ah, the sunrise. It couldn't wait another hour, could it?

I barely got any sleep last night. Why is that? Oh… right… her.

She's sound asleep. Her breathing patterns are slow and steady. I don't think she'll wake up for a while. I consider waking her up now, but she should be fully rested for questioning, so she can remember everything with the least amount of difficulty possible.

I get up to get breakfast for myself, and for her as well. She may be a peasant, but I can't let her starve to death. And I figure only Uncle and I would bother, so I should go now.

I got off my bed and headed to the door. But before I got to it, I heard chains rattle behind me. She can't be awake from me walking, can she?

Turning around, my suspicion was conirmed. She is awake. Realizing it was me, she sighed in relief, and turned away to lay back down. How is that possible? She was fast asleep, just seconds ago! How… never mind.

She didn't say anything, to be expected. Or… was that NOT expected? Whatever. But why did she relax when she saw it was me? I could've gotten up to do anything, anything at all!

Pondering why that happened, I eventually got to the dining area. Deciding to drop the issue for now, I went ahead to eat. As always, Uncle had tea.

He always has tea.

X X X

That was frustrating. Of course, the cook forgot about our prisoner. So there I was, waiting five minutes for the girl's breakfast, while the cook gave off an attitude that seemed like I was wasting HIS time. It's his JOB to make food for people; it's not mine to wait around for it. And it's not even MY food!

When I eventually got it, he gave me a look. Yes, a look. It was an I despise you for eternity look. Me! The Crown Prince!

For once, I decided not to blow up in a situation. Too bad Uncle wasn't there to see it. Instead, I just took the meal and walked away. I'd rather not have that ruined and have to wait even longer.

After that ordeal, I'm just going to drop the food off, practice Bending, and wait for news of the Avatar's whereabouts.

X X X

I opened the door to my room, and the same thing happened as before: she sat up, tensed up, and looked to see who or what it was, then relaxed after seeing it was me.

Why is this happening? She should be shirking away from me, both for obvious reasons (I subconsciously felt my hand reaching up) and because I'm the one who took her as my prisoner!

Again, girls are crazy.

'What do you want?'

Her tone is neither friendly (of course not) nor defiant (this is a little confusing). She sounds almost… resigned to her fate? Strange. I expected seething hatred. I expected a lot of difficulty. I expected at least some confrontation!

Anything but this… acceptance.

"I've got your breakfast."

I didn't really think this through. Her hands are crossed, so they can't rotate. I figure that since I'm not going to feed anyone, she should have enough give in the wall chain to move freely, but not enough to, say, get up to kill me in my sleep. I'd very much like to avoid both options.

But eating will be very… awkward for her.

Wait, what do I care? She's just a peasant: I shouldn't be worrying about trivial matters such as these!

I set down the tray next to her, and turned around to leave. Before shutting the door, I heard the chain rattling. I don't know what solution she'll come up with.

And I definitely don't care, either!

X X X

How… Is this… Possible?

There's no spatter of any kind anywhere! How… How could she have possibly eaten everything, in chains, without leaving a mess?

After a few hours on deck, the sun reached the highest point in the sky, and everyone left for lunch. Luckily for me, the cook actually remembered this time. So the confrontation was avoided, and I didn't get another look like before.

I was going to give the girl lunch, then take the old tray back, and then come back to get her for a session of questioning as to where the Avatar was headed. The plan's still going how it was supposed to, but I'm still amaz- thrown off by how she could have possibly managed…

I put the tray where all the others went: well, where they were supposed to go. It looks like the cook just finished the last one. And then you know what happened when he saw I had another one?

Guess what happened.

Another look. Another one! That's two looks in a day! How many looks are you supposed to give to your superiors? None! You can't look at your superiors like that!

You can't even talk out of turn…

Reminded of the incident, I gave a look right back. And you know what happened then? I'd like to say he didn't give me a look back, after my look back at his look, but then I'd be lying.

He gave me a look AGAIN. That little (words my mother would have been ashamed of hearing me say) gave me another look. How dare he? If it was just the one time, I'd have just huffed it off, but after doing it a third time? Especially after I did it BACK?

'Prince Zuko, is the prisoner ready?'

That cook is so lucky.

A/N
Sorry my update is part of a two-parter. Please don't look at me like that!
And I'm also sorry that it's a short update. But it's almost 1:00 in the morning, and I don't want to fall into a rambly mass of… rambleness.
So the next chapter AFTER this one will concern the necklace.
Just as a spoiler, it WILL end up with ZukoXSuki… But I'm not telling you when. Hahaha I'm evil.
Maybe I'll be less evil if you, oh, I don't know, Review? Please?
Also, who's excited about ATLA on all Sunday from 6:00 am to 6:00 am Monday? Me!
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