Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender. I own a slightly off kilter imagination that latched on to someone else's creation.
In the evening the Avatar and his friends enjoyed a private dinner with the Fire Lord and his company. They were using a small room set apart from the main dining hall and an extremely nervous looking man who was identified as Zuko's chamberlain was serving dinner. It had been designed by a Fire Lord who had decided that he needed an enclosed space to be able to get away from his guests every so often during a banquet. A need that both Zuko and Iroh claimed was entirely valid. During the successive remodeling that usually accompanied the ascension of a new Fire Lord what had emerged was a comfortable family dining room. Although Iroh assured them that Zuko still put the room to its original use on a regular basis.
"You try listening to the Prime Ministers tedious stories about how glorious the nation is for the entire duration of a banquet, Uncle. For Agni's sake the man has never even left the capital!" Had been the young rulers response earning him a hearty round of chuckles from his guests. Now they were all indulging in a cup of tea brewed by Iroh himself and liquor that the royal family referred to as "calvados".
"Hmmmm. 'S good, Shuko. Wassit 'gain?" Zuko rolled his eyes at the younger boy's slurred speech.
"It's called calvados, Sokka. It's distilled from fermented apples."
"What's the matter, Snoozles? Can't hold your liquor?"
" 'm a wa'ior. Wa'iorsh ish exshelent dinkersh!" At this point Suki felt the need to intervene and excused herself and a thoroughly inebriated Sokka to the rest of the company and took him to his room. Aang took the opportunity to excuse himself as well citing the journey as a reason for his exhaustion, but not before he had invited Katara to walk him to his room. Left with Ty Lee and Iroh looking meaningfully at him Zuko felt he needed to act as well.
"Uncle will you accompany me on a walk? I have a few things that I wish to discuss with you." Mai looked away from him and his Uncle threw him a dirty look. When Iroh spoke again however, there was no trace of anything but pleasantness in his voice.
"You must excuse an old man to his rest, Fire Lord Zuko. Perhaps you might discuss these things with the Lady Mai?"
"Very well, Uncle. If you must retire, I will be working in my study for a while before bed." Remembering his argument with Mai a few nights earlier he felt compelled to add "But not too long."
Everyone stood up as the Fire Lord rose from the table and left the room, following protocol until he was safely out of the room. Once he was out of earshot, Mai broke down in tears and fled in the opposite direction. Bowing quickly to the Dragon of the West Ty Lee ran after her friend. Iroh sighed heavily and left as well. Not even the cup of tea still steaming on the table could draw the old general. He paced for a while, not quite sure where his feet were taking him, but content to let them lead him there. He was lost in his thoughts. Zuko was ignoring Mai to the point of being insulting. Iroh knew he could not force his nephew to act more cordially to Mai but he felt that he must do something. If left to his own devices, Zuko would try to fix his nation whilst casually destroying any hope he had of a decent private life. He would sacrifice himself to his people in a way that few would understand.
He noticed that his feet had stopped and inspected his surroundings and saw that he was standing outside the Fire Lord's personal study. Sighing he spent a few seconds considering whether or not he should enter. He didn't have a clue as to what he might say to his nephew if he did.
"Damn, that boy's impetuousness must be rubbing off on me." The old general mumbled to himself before knocking on the door and entering without waiting for an answer.
Zuko was sitting at a desk, bent over a pile of paperwork. The pile was far larger than any Iroh remembered his father or brother working on. Some of the scrolls were spilling onto the ground. He walked up to his nephew still unnoticed by the young man who was completely absorbed in the latest problem facing his nation.
"You know, nephew, the Fire Lord is supposed to employ people to see to the day to day running of the nation." Zuko jumped up and whirled around as soon as he heard his uncle start to speak. Seeing who it was he slid out of his defensive crouch.
"Uncle. I thought you were going to sleep." Zuko was looking vaguely suspicious of his older relative.
"An old man has little need of sleep. A young man on the other hand might wish to hurry to his bed if there is a beautiful young lady waiting for him there." The comment elicited a groan from the Fire Lord. At least some things never change Iroh thought to himself.
"A young man may rush to his bed, Uncle, but the Fire Lord must rush to his nation." Or maybe some things do.
"Well said my nephew, but I do not think that it is that cut and dried for one who is both."
"I could put the same argument to you uncle. Besides its not as vague as you seem to think." Iroh felt his temper start to rise. Zuko still knew how to push his buttons.
"I suppose an old man like myself would have some trouble knowing what he is thinking. It seems to this old man however that you are taking far too much on yourself. The stack of papers on your desk is easily three times the size it was during Ozai's reign. You don't have to everything on your own. You should let the quill-pushers do their jobs from time to time. Time you could spend with the Lady Mai." The last sentence came out with heavy emphasis.
"Uncle, if Ozai had bothered serving his nation instead of his megalomania from time to time I wouldn't be saddled with half the paperwork I am. Besides we both know what my spending more time with Mai would lead to."
"A stable home for the nation's ruler?" Iroh inquired meaningfully. His nephew looked disgusted.
"Well I was thinking an engagement forced upon us by an outdated Council of Ministers. You know I can't begin to think of providing a stable home for Mai, before I have provided a stable nation for her first." Iroh felt melancholy strike his soul like he had been physically punched. This young and foolish monarch would give up all chances at his own happiness for the sake of his people. His people who still blamed him for the economic downturn at the end of the war, for the perceived loss of Fire Nation superiority and for the famine that was likely to come. He knew that they would hate him and yet he persisted. Iroh was unsure whether to hug his nephew or slap him upside the head. Instead he turned to leave. Before he walked out the doors though he said:
"Nephew, the nation will not think less of you if you take a moment to get your own life in order. If you let the sins of your ancestors block you from loving then you have succeeded as a monarch and failed as a man. And men are usually happier than monarchs." Having said all he could the Dragon of the West walked to his chambers filled with worry for his nephew and the Lady who loved him.
After his uncle had left him Zuko found that he was no longer interested in the dispatches his local governors had sent him. After he had read the same sentence five times in half an hour he disgustedly threw the scroll across the room. His uncle had a way of disturbing his convictions that Zuko wasn't sure he liked. He knew he was right to get his nation back on the path to honor. Iroh had said that he shouldn't have to do it alone.
"You are wrong, uncle. Mai hates affairs of state." Dejectedly the Fire Lord decided that anyone who was addressing an empty room as if a conversation partner were still there should not be allowed to tackle matters of national importance. He rose stiffly, his mind casting about for some other productive activity. He didn't want to meditate, he had spent enough time sitting around today. He wanted action. Resignedly he realized that if he started Firebending in the middle of the night the entire palace would come out to see what the commotion was. He needed something less obtrusive. Suddenly a wide grin split Zuko's face. He hurried from the room to his personal chamber.
Some time later, if the guards had been paying enough attention they might have noticed a shadow with a similar grin plastered across its blue face moving away from the Fire Lords residence for some relaxing sword practice. It was the only thing moving across the palace grounds. Most of the residents were asleep or occupied in ways that might send a young monarch's pulse racing.
Zuko didn't pick his route through the shadows with any particular care. After a while the sneaking got to be too easy for his taste though. He needed a challenge like the good old days when he had terrorized his father's soldiers as the Blue Spirit. Deciding that there was no time like the present for a surprise inspection of the guards. On by one the sentries around the compound were visited by a shadow they never even knew existed. To see if they were perhaps focused only on intruders Zuko crossed the walls at random intervals. When he managed to evade all of the men who had been posted around the walls Zuko started back towards his room, resolving to talk to the captain of his palace guard about paying attention to intruders. He was still working out how to hide his own involvement when a sudden cry made him freeze in place.
"ARRGGH!! ZUKO!!!" Reflexively Zuko dived into the shadows under a nearby window. His golden eyes darted around trying to locate the person who had discovered him when everyone else had failed. Before he could see anyone the voice sounded again from the other side of the window.
"Who does he think he is?! He ignores me at every turn. Is it too much to ask for a little bit of attention and understanding when it comes to his girlfriend?"
"Oh c'mon Mai. Give him some time. He's hasn't even been Fire Lord for a whole year yet. I haven't figured out everything there is to being a Kyoshi Warrior yet either."
"Ty, I understand that he is busy but still…. He made time for his uncle and his precious friends."
"Maybe its because of the Avatar? He would have to greet the Avatar and his friends as representatives of the rest of the nations. You're probably exaggerating the situation. Now come here and I'll give you one of my famous Chi-massages." Zuko heard a final huff and someone moving away from the window. He slipped away before he heard anymore conversation that he clearly wasn't supposed to be a part of, making a mental note to do something nice for Ty Lee in the near future. He finally reached the royal family's private gardens, which laid next to his personal chamber. He slowed down. While his nighttime jaunt had helped dispel his musings about his uncle's words, Mai and Ty Lee's conversation had brought them all back.
Zuko sat down beside the turtle-duck pond where he used to sit with his mother. Being there helped him calm down and think things through more rationally. He supposed that he did owe Mai some more attention. After all, she had gone through the hell of being imprisoned in the Boiling Rock to save him. Still he was confused as to why she would share these feelings with Ty Lee and not with him. He decided that if she wanted him to do something about it she had to talk to him about it. He would probably have to take the first step the very next day. They would talk and he would listen to anything she might have to say. Maybe then she would open up to him. Finally after a night that had lasted far longer than necessary the Fire Lord retired to his rest.
Well folks there it is. My apologies for not updating sooner but life has been unbelievably hectic. A few points on this chapter:
1) calvados is actually a real drink that I happen to enjoy after dinner with a nice strong cup of coffee. I felt that some of the avatar characters might enjoy it as well.
2) yes I took the opportunity to rag on the whole Maiko relationship because it reminds me uncomfortably of the worst bits of a few of my relationships. Nothing against the characters themselves, just some good old personal prejudice.
3) I had this planned for about 10 chapters but I have a feeling I will run well over that number. But you have to admit this chapter gets a bit more into developing the story (or at least one conflict in the story).
Let me know what you think because with zero reviews so far I have to assume that I am either a writing genius and you simply can't find any flaws in my story or that this story leaves you so apathetic that you would hate to put any more energy into it than strictly necessary for reading the chapter.