"Are you sure Dad's letter said he would be home today?" Lu Ten asked as he tried to press his nose through the window glass in an attempt to catch the first sight of smoke bellowing from the stacks of navy ships entering the harbor.
A very pregnant Ursa laughed softly as she placed a hand on her nephew's shoulder and forced him back from the third story glass less he actually succeed in his efforts. "Yes Prince Lu Ten, I am sure. The fleet will arrive sometime this afternoon. Come away from the window now, there is plenty of time for you to finish your calligraphy lesson before they get here."
"I'm too excited for lessons." Lu Ten grumbled as he marched over to the low table set with parchment and ink. He picked up the brush starring at it a minute before turning his large deep brown eyes pleadingly up to his aunt. "Can't we go down to the docs and meet the ships?"
"No we cannot." Ursa said her hands on firmly on her hips. The sad look on the little boy's face as he turned back to his work, however had her resolve melting. Damn the boy but he was good.
"Alright," Ursa sighed, "we will go to the docs."
"Yahoo!" The young prince jumped up triumphantly, but it was short lived as his aunt continued in a stern voice.
"Only after you finish your lesson for the morning." Ursa amended as she turned him once more to his work. "I am not going to have Crown Prince Iroh blaming me for his son's illiteracy."
Lu Ten's shoulders hunched as he went into a pout, mumbling something about when he became Fire Lord he would outlaw stupid calligraphy lessons. Still the young man dipped the hair brush into the ink tray and started making strokes on the page. 'If all young boys act this way,' she thought as she lowered herself to sit opposite her nephew, 'I pray for nothing but girls.'
Sitting down Princess Ursa retrieved the small book of poetry she'd been trying to read all morning. She was finding that today the finely penned words of the master poets had little power to capture her as they had so many times before. If she was being truthful with herself she would have to admit she was just as excited at Prince Iroh's return as his nine year old son.
Looking up from the book she turned to gaze out the same window she'd pulled Lu Ten away from. Seven months, it had been just over seven months when the fleet had left for the mission to the South Pole, and now they were coming home. Iroh was coming home, Ursa's hand drifted to her belly and the child that waited quietly inside. There was much they would have to talk about.
アエ 父の日 恋仲
It was just past noon on the two hundredth and twenty first day since the men of 6th Corps had seen the Fire Nation's shores. The ships' decks were crowded with excited men eager to once more be in the arms of their loved ones, and their Commander was no different. Standing at the prow Iroh closed his eyes and inhaled deeply the spicy aroma of his home land; surely nothing had ever smelled so sweet.
"Ah home." He sighed and didn't fight the smile that spread over his face as the first of the ships entered the sheltered walls of the harbor. Even though General Iroh still had many duties to perform before he could fully return to just being Iroh, it didn't stop him from enjoying the moment.
As the ships pulled alongside the docs and dropped anchor Iroh turned to his men. Loudly enough to carry over the first several ranks of men he shouted. "Men of 6th Corps; welcome home!"
A cheer like you never heard in your life went over the men. Spilling from one ship to the next until the whole harbor rang out with cries of homecoming. Iroh turned once more to look over the rail of the ship and what he saw drove all the air from his lungs.
Lu Ten stood atop a pile of cargo waving both arms enthusiastically shouting something that looked like, Dad. Behind him stood a woman with long chestnut hair, pure golden eyes, and a fine bowed mouth turned up in a shy smile, Ursa. It was a scene straight from his many imaginings, the two people who mattered most to him in the world, were there waiting his return. Truly there was not a sight better than this.
'Yes,' he thought, as he returned his son's wave, 'now it's real, now I'm home.'
アエ 父の日 恋仲
Princess Ursa had to hold on to Lu Ten to prevent him from making a mad dash for the gang plank when it was lowered to allow the men onboard to disembark. At his questioning look, she pointed to the crush of bodies. "We never find your father it that mess. He has seen where we are, it is better to stay here, and wait for him to come to us."
Logic when you were nine was more of a pain in the neck than anything else. Yet Lu Ten crossed his arms over his small chest and settled down next to his aunt to wait. It was a blessing, however, that he did not have to wait long; as the crowd seemed to split open to reveal his father striding toward them. "Dad!"
This time when Lu Ten surged forward Ursa couldn't stop him. Running full force the young boy forgot all manner of priority and lunched himself into the arms of the highly respected general. Who in turn, went headlong past any decorum and laughingly spun with the boy above his head. "Who is the handsome young man? Surely it cannot be my Lu Ten, he is too big."
Lu Ten's childish laugh mixed with older deeper one of his father as he hugged him around the neck. "It's me, Dad. I grew six inches while you were gone."
"You did?" Iroh hugged his son tight before sitting him on the ground once more. Stepping back, he made a great show of studying his son. "My, my, that settles it. As your father I command that you stop growing this instant, you must stay my little boy forever."
"Okay Dad," Lu Ten said rolling his eyes. Really adults could be so strange. Then as if he'd been struck by lightning Lu Ten remembered that he was not alone. Grabbing his father's much larger hand he started to pull him back to where his aunt was likely still waiting. "Dad, come on, there is someone else here to see you."
Iroh chuckled as he let the boy who 'grew six inches' drag him away. "Really who in the world could that be?"
"You'll see." The boy said, but Iroh's eyes had already found his other visitor. Ursa looked just as she did in all of his memories of her. Except for one 'big' difference.
"It is good to see you home again Brother." The princess bowed as lowly as her pregnant stomach would allow.
It took a moment for Iroh to find himself, but when he did he returned her bow. "It is good to be seen, but it seems things have changed since I've been away."
Oblivious to the tension between the two adults Lu Ten walked up and put a familiar hand on the round lump protruding under his aunt's robes. "Aunt Ursa is going to have a baby."
"Is she?" Iroh asked as he tried to remember if the woman in question had said anything about her current condition in one of the few letters she'd sent. Coming up with nothing he let the question fill his eyes as they probed Ursa's.
"Yeah, she said she wanted it to be a surprise." Lu Ten announce happily. "Are you surprised Dad?"
Prince Iroh looked down at the gleefully smiling boy. "You have no idea Son."
Ursa felt heat raise in her cheeks as the young prince continued to chatter away at his father. Had it been a mistake not to tell Iroh of the baby before now? Maybe but how do you tell a man that you spent only one illicit night with that you are with child and it might or might not be his? She could have just said that she was pregnant and left it at that, but every time she tried it felt wrong not to tell him her suspicions about the child's parentage.
Feeling suddenly very uncomfortable Ursa shifted on her feet. "Lu Ten I think perhaps we should go back up to the palace. I'm sure the General has many things he needs to tend to."
"Ah do we have to?" The boy whined plaintively.
Iroh looked at the woman that he loved more than the air in his lungs as if seeing her for the first time. There was nothing more he wanted then to find out what was going on, but he knew he could not ask in the middle of a crowed pier with hundreds of soldiers milling around. "It would probably be best Son. Your aunt is correct I still have things I must do here, besides it is not good for a lady in her condition to be standing about in the cold air. As a prince and a gentleman you should escort her home, and make sure she rests with some warm chamomile tea."
Lu Ten looked up at his aunt, deciding she did look very tired and nodded. "Okay Dad. Come on Aunt Ursa, I'll take care of you."
Ursa smiled at the boy as he took her hand and led her away. As she walked she felt the eyes of her lover on her back. But when she spared a quick glance over her shoulder he had already melted into the sea of black and red armor. Whatever she had expected this first meeting to be after such a long absences reality had fallen sadly short. Placing her free hand over her stomach she wondered what she was going to do now.