Just a quick note before part two: I have nothing against the shipping that Avatar ended in. As long as Zuko is happy I am happy. But I have a Zutarian core and if Zuko and Katara are meant for each other, then it's kinda natural that Toph and Aang get together, isn't it? Please don't flame: if you don't like the shippings in this fic then don't read. Not that anyone actually reads my shiz, anyway but… Also, everything written in italics is either a thought or a flashback. The way you know the difference is in the length of the piece.

Part II-The Firelord

The humming grew louder as the figure made its way up the passage. In his hands he carried a tray that had two teacups and a steaming pot of tea. No matter how many times a servant tried to persuade him otherwise he insisted on making his own tea. The humming turned to soft song as Iroh pushed open the door to the royal study in the Fire Nation palace. He had a haunch he would find what he was looking for there and he was proved right when he found his nephew asleep at his desk. Iroh gazed at him, half fondly and half worriedly, noting the dark circles under the teen's eyes and how then scroll he had been working on stuck to his cheek. A part of him wanted to let the young Firelord sleep.

"Zuko. Zuko, it's time to wake up, my nephew."

He gently shook Zuko's shoulder and the teen woke up with a shock. His head shot up, the scroll sticking to his cheek for a moment before slipping off and falling back to the table. Zuko's muscles were tense and if he had been woken by someone other then his uncle he would have been on his feet already. He knew he was in his palace and that he was safe, but the habits he had grown into in his years of banishment out in the unprotected wilderness were hard to get out of.

"What time is it?" he muttered, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Time for tea," Iroh replied, handing him one of the cups.

"Thanks," came the murmured reply.

For a while the two sat side by side and drank the steaming liquid. It made Zuko wake up properly in an easy, relaxing way.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Zuko finally asked, heavily.

"Nothing except welcoming our guests and the feast."

Zuko's brow furrowed as he looked at his uncle.

"Really?" his voice was cautiously optimistic.

"Yes," Iroh replied, surprised as he looked back at Zuko. "You have nothing planned for this whole week due to the Avatar and his friends coming. Did you forget we asked them to come stay?"

In truth, Zuko had in fact forgotten that Aang and the rest were coming that day. But the news made his heart lighten. An entire week without the load of work that seemed to never lighten.

"Great." He was suddenly looking forward to the day much more.

"There is one more thing you may want to do…" the retired general said in over exaggerated casualness.

"And what might that be?"

Zuko knew his uncle well enough to see that the man was planning on something happening. Usually it was something to do with Zuko and a young lady. The weeks he had spent in the teashop in Ba Sing Se had been a nightmare. Somehow, news had leaked out that the shop had the best tea and the cutest waiter. And every time a girl had shown interest in him he had been shamelessly egged on by Iroh. And then there had been Jin…

"Mai and her family are heading east and they have stopped by the palace for refreshments."

"Oh." Silence for a while. "I suppose… I should go and see her."

Iroh smiled a triumphant smile, which he hid by taking another sip of tea.

"I'll… Just go bathe and then meet her," Zuko mumbled, getting up and walking out of the room.

Mai…

He could remember their last meeting all too clearly…

She came to him with the dreaded sentence "We need to talk". They seated themselves on a bench outside by the pond, facing each other. She looked uncharacteristically nervous.

"Look, I know I'll be away for a while but I promise to make every effort I can to see you as much as possible," he had tried. "And it's only for three months or so."

"Zuko…" her voice had been quiet yet still its normal tone. "My parents… Well they didn't know about… us. While I was away from them they got me engaged with the son of one of their close friends."

"You're engaged?" Zuko asked flatly, not expecting that at all.

"I have to at least try to be with him to uphold the agreement they made. But after a while if I'm not happy I'm sure I can get out of it."

She looked at him sadly.

"Will he be kissing you?" He was unable to hold the jealousy out of his voice.

"Not if I can help it."

She reached out and stroked his cheek.

"It's only for a few months," she whispered.

He could do nothing but give in. Luckily the workload had been so huge there hadn't really been any time to think about her. And that time had healed him of the pain of their second break-up. As he thought of her while pulling on fresh clothes he felt no pang or pain. Only closure. Perhaps that was because he knew she was in the same place he was. He decided not to put on robes but instead donned the same outfit he had when he had joined Aang. The top, however, was different, as Azula had torn his first one.

He loped down to the west courtyard, barely noticing the bows he got from his servants. A few months ago those gestures would have made him pleased and more egotistic but the events that had happened had changed him. Reaching the courtyard he spotted the woman at once.

"Mai?" he called.

She turned around and gave him a small smile. They walked to each other and met in the middle. And then there was a moment of… awkwardness. Zuko had been expecting tenderness or longing but the air between them was definitely only awkward. Then she suddenly leant in and kissed him. He had wondered about that kiss the whole time he'd been getting ready. He was prepared to feel elated, complete as he had when she had first kissed him but he felt nothing. A big, fat load of nothing. As they broke apart and looked at each other he realized the truth; in the past two months he had gotten over her. There was nothing between them any more.

Crap… How do I tell her I don't love her any more?

"Zuko…" she said, hesitating. Then she looked down and blurted him out. "I fell in love with him. With my… fiancé." She blushed at the word, a smile tugging at her lips. "I don't know how it happened but I love him."

She looked back up at him and found acceptance in his eyes.

"In case I can't make it to the wedding, I hope it's good. And that you'll be happy together." There was no sarcasm or mocking.

"Good luck," she answered, before smiling and walking off.

Zuko sighed, a tiny bit disappointed yet at peace.

How am I going to tell Uncle? He was slightly disappointed about Song and very disappointed about Jin. He'll be devastated about Mai.

He met his uncle waiting for him at his room.

"And?" The old general's eyes were sparkling.

"She fell in love with her fiancé," Zuko said simply, pulling off his clothes to swap them for his royal robes.

"I'm sorry, nephew."

The teen shook his head.

"There really isn't any need to be, Uncle. It just wasn't meant to be."

"You'll find the right girl," Iroh said quietly.

Zuko made no reply.