Crown Prince Azulon never told his wife or his son exactly what transpired during his conversation with Lord Hanashi the next day regarding the necessary delay in Iroh's wedding plans. All they knew for certain was that it had been quite a lengthy dialogue behind closed doors, Lord Hanashi had left with an outraged look and only half of his mustache, and Azulon had come out of the library declaring that he was bored with how the room looked and that it should be extensively renovated at once. He had also announced that the Lord was perfectly agreeable to the thought of putting off his daughter's wedding to Iroh until the young Prince would return from his trip. Then he forbade them from going into the library until the renovation was done, which was a very suspicious edict but one that his family decided to obey anyway with knowing smirks as they eyed the fire-eaten holes in his robes.

So, a few days later, the engagement ceremony took place as originally planned without any mishap and the Royal Family threw a feast on that same night to celebrate the event.

Iroh was not, however, in a very celebratory mood.

He skulked by his father's side throughout most of the evening, glaring at everyone who dared to congratulate him on his engagement or who attempted to wish him luck on his forthcoming trip to hunt a dragon. For, of course, that particular announcement had been made as soon as the engagement ceremony had ended. His mood was so foul that he even glared at a now clean-shaven Lord Hanashi when the elder gentleman tried to speak with him, prompting the man to abruptly shut up and bow before the two Fire Nation Princes while keeping a wary eye on Azulon before hurrying away to the other end of the ballroom. However, no matter how rude or indifferent he acted towards his well-wishers, Iroh reserved his fiercest glares for none other than his bride-to-be, Lady Jia.

Most of the guests took note of this, of course, and they could only wonder why the Prince had nothing but dark, grim scowls for the young lady. There was certainly not a single detail about her appearance that could be faulted by anyone. On this night, Lady Jia was attired in a robe of gold silk embroidered with crimsom threads while her dark hair was carefully coiffed in an elaborate style. Everyone who looked at her face with its porcelain loveliness and amber eyes was wholeheartedly convinced that she would make an excellent Fire Lady in the future. After all, she came from an old noble family and she possessed impeccable breeding and beauty. She was also very well-mannered and proper, with numerous accomplishments in the arts that a lady of her station was expected to excel in such as music, literature, and flower arrangement. So it was truly baffling that Prince Iroh didn't look too pleased that he was to marry one of the most eligible and most desirable young ladies in the Fire Nation.

"You should attempt to look less – angry, Iroh," Azulon murmured dryly as he surveyed his son's expression. His own face was quite bland, for he knew quite well the reason for the Prince's animosity towards his intended bride. "People might think you do not wish to get married," he added with a twisted little smile that he barely managed to suppress.

Iroh frowned at his father. "This amuses you greatly, doesn't it?" he accused. "That I am meant to marry that, that — her." Iroh couldn't bear to say her name.

Azulon now looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Oh, come now," he said. "She's a perfectly lovely young woman. It's about time you moved past your previous encounters and take joy in the thought of your forthcoming union with Lady Jia."

"Ha!" Iroh scoffed. "Never!"

"Have you even talked to her since your early school days? You might find her greatly changed from the little girl you once knew," his father told him. "I have only ever heard impressive tales of her many accomplishments. And, consider this, if your mother and I had thought for one moment that you and Lady Jia would not suit, then we would never have agreed to this engagement. We do only want what's best for our son."

Iroh was silenced by this. His father's argument was sound. He knew his parents would never deliberately arrange an unhappy marriage for him with someone they believed to be the wrong choice, no matter what political advantage may be gained by such a connection. So perhaps he should reconsider his old prejudice against Lady Jia and try to know her as she was now. He sighed and the scowl left his face. "What do you wish me to do, Father?" he asked after a short silence.

Azulon gave him a small smile of approval. "Why don't you ask your fiancee to dance?"

He couldn't help another sigh from escaping past his lips. "Very well." He bowed to the Crown Prince before leaving his side and making his way to where Lady Jia stood chatting with several friends. When they saw him coming, the other girls all giggled and his bride-to-be immediately cast her eyes down, her cheeks turning a faint rose. Iroh was momentarily taken aback. Could it really be? Was she — shy? Was Lady Jia actually acting like a proper young maiden of refinement and breeding? She had to be planning something evil.

Iroh kept his eyes on her as he bowed and held out his hand. "May I beg you to dance with me, my Lady?" He braced himself for whatever mischief she was about to unleash upon him.

"It would be my honor, Prince Iroh," she responded prettily and placed her hand on his.

He was really very suspicious now. His nerves were stretched to the breaking point as he desperately tried to figure out what she could be up to. Surely she was merely waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But she didn't do anything that could be remotely considered as threatening and he continued to lead her to the ballroom floor where other couples gave them a wide, respectful berth. The music then changed to a romantic tune, one that Iroh recognized as his mother's favorite, called Dreams of Love on Ember Island and, slowly, the two of them began to dance.

Several minutes of silence passed as they went through the motions of the dance, Iroh fully focused on each move Lady Jia made while she still kept her gaze downcast. Nothing seemed to be happening, though. She wasn't trying to pull his hair, punch his nose, or set him on fire. It was very disconcerting. Finally, he could not stand the silence and the suspense any longer. "Why aren't you trying to pick a fight with me?" he asked her quite bluntly.

Startled by the question, she finally looked up and met his eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Why aren't you trying to pick a fight with me?" he repeated. "You were always horrid to me when we were children, so why aren't you being horrid now?"

She just stared at him in astonishment for a long minute, and Iroh began to think that perhaps he had truly misjudged her, she had changed, she was not the quarrelsome little hoyden he once knew, she —

"Ow!" His eyes sparked with a sudden fire. "Did you just step on my foot?" Mindful of being watched by others, he was careful to keep his voice low.

"Well, you deserved it, Prince Brat," she retorted, also in whispered tones. "Spirits, I knew I could not keep this up!" Her pretty face scrunched up in a fierce scowl. "I don't care what my father says, but there is not a chance in the world that I am going to marry you."

Iroh's temper was now ignited. "Well, it's not like I want to marry you either, you know!" he snapped at her. "Why would I ever wish to marry the greatest enemy of my childhood?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "You are so melodramatic," she scoffed. "Those childhood rivalries are long past. My concern is my future, one that I do not intend to spend tied down to a fool of a man while I bear his idiot children. I don't care even if he is a Prince of —"

"Hush," Iroh hissed at her. He had noticed that people were now paying close attention to their whispered argument, and his father was frowning at him from the other end of the room. "Come this way!" Without waiting for her agreement, he walked swiftly out of the ballroom, pulling her by the hand. People threw curious and knowing looks at them as they cut through the crowd, but Iroh only ignored them. Jia didn't make a protest and she willingly followed him through the Palace's many corridors and hallways until Iroh stepped through a door and into his mother's private garden. He let go of her hand then and turned to face her in the soft light of the lanterns that hung from the flowering trees.

"So, let me be sure we understand each other," he said thoughtfully. "You don't want to marry me. I don't want to marry you. Therefore, what are we going to do about it?"

She crossed her arms and looked sulky. "Actually, I originally planned to run away," she admitted. "Then I learned you were going on a dragon hunt. So I thought that maybe I should just wait for you to get killed."

"Hey!" He frowned at her. "Killing me is not an option, all right?"

"That's too bad. It was the best idea I had," she said airily.

"Well, then, think of another one," he demanded.

She tried. He could see her swirl of thoughts reflected in her eyes. Iroh wasn't really interested in her reasons for not wanting to marry him, but since they shared the same sentiment on the matter, then he was prepared to tolerate Jia and even work with her. He was fairly confident that between the two of them, they could come up with a plan that would free them both from an engagement they never asked for. Once their forthcoming marriage was no longer looming over his head, then he could fully focus on gaining his grandfather's confidence and preparing himself for his future as Fire Lord.

Suddenly, Jia laughed, startling him from his own rumination.

"What is it? What's so funny?" he wanted to know.

Her eyes were fairly dancing with glee as she looked at him with a mischievous smile. "I have it, the perfect solution to both our problems."

"Tell me," he insisted at once.

She smirked. "You're not going to like it," she promised him, and there was just the tiniest gleam of malicious pleasure in her eyes. That was more like the Jia he remembered from childhood. Iroh braced himself for what he was certain would be an outrageous proposition.

About an hour later, all eyes in the ballroom discreetly followed Prince Iroh and Lady Jia once they reappeared from wherever they had gone off to earlier. The guests noted how protectively the Prince clasped the young lady's hand as well as how demurely Lady Jia smiled at him. It was a marked improvement from their previous behavior around each other. This change was met with a lot of nudges and speculative glances at the couple as they made their way to Fire Lord Sozin and Crown Prince Azulon. Several words were exchanged, and then Lord Hanashi was called for. A few minutes later, the entire Royal Family, along with Lord Hanashi and his daughter, left the ballroom together. The guests that remained in the ballroom could only wonder what was happening.

By the next morning, everyone in the kingdom knew.

Prince Iroh and Lady Jia had expressed their wish to spend more time together and to get to know each other better prior to their wedding. So it was announced that Lady Jia would join the Prince in his quest to slay a dragon.

The citizenry loved it. It was such a romantic tale of blossoming young love, and that was certainly the story that the Palace perpetuated. However, whenever Lord Hanashi's acquaintances commented on it in his presence, he merely nodded at them grumpily without saying a word. And then he adjusted his wig.