I just had to update. Everyone who's reviewed, favortited, alerted...has made me soooo happy! and i'd rather not keep all of you waiting! :) this chapter unfolds things a little bit. hopefully, i'll keep you all guessing about Briar's intentions for awhile. ;)

thanks!

-TSA


Chapter 7:

"If you see me as just the princess then you misunderstand who I am and what I have been through." -Mariah Carey

"I need another ginseng tea." Briar smiled as Iroh quickly handed her steaming pot. She gave him a smile before refilling the cup of a handsome soldier with grey eyes, wearing a pale green tunic with a black emblem of twin snakes entwined together, "Is there anything else I can get you, Sir?"

The man smiled up at her, his face lighting up beautifully with the stretch of his mouth, "Your name would be much appreciated."

"You can call me-"

The door to the teashop opened with a slam, four Dai Li soldiers strolling in, flanking a man wearing a deep green robe richly accepted by gold. All heads turned as he peered across the room with a threatening gleam in his eyes that even Briar was unsure she could match.

She dropped the tray in her hands when he turned his glare to her. The pot shattered at her feet and she immediately dropped to her feet with her head bowed to clean up the mess. Her heart was thundering as she slowly rose when a pair of feet stepped into her view.

"Queen Amaterasu." The man bowed to her, drawing the attention of everyone in the teashop, "The Earth King requests that you take up your apartments in his palace."

Briar lifted her chin, that defiance in her green eyes glinting, "And how did the Earth King know of my whereabouts?"

He grinned, "This is his city."

"Can I help you, Sir?" the tea shop manager asked while walking from behind the counter.

He gave him a bow of the head, "This here is Queen Amaterasu of the Southern Earth Kingdom. I have been sent to retrieve her so that she may take up residence in the Earth King's palace."

Briar shook her head as people rose to their feet and gave her a bow. As her eyes panned across the room, she found Zuko staring at her with eyes burning with jealousy. She set her tray that was filled with the pieces of the broken pot aside and removed her apron, "I would appreciate it if you could give me your name, Sir."

"I am Long Feng, the city's Grand Secretariat and the Earth King's advisor." He gave her another bow, "Do you have any belongings that you need to retrieve?"

Briar glanced over at Zuko and Iroh, saddened by the thought of leaving them, "No."

"Then I ask that you come with me."

Briar walked over to Iroh, giving him a tight hug, which he returned gratefully. When she looked over at Zuko, he turned and made his way into the back room. Nodding her head, she followed Long Feng and the Dai Li officers out the door to the streets of Ba Sing Se, where people would stop to stare at her or give her a respectable bow. It was back to diplomats and layered gowns, headdresses and manners, luxuries and servants, arranged marriages and restraints.

. . . .

"I can't believe it!" Zuko threw his hands in the air while pacing back and forth, "She just leaves without mentioning that we're traveling together!"

Iroh shook his head while sipping on his freshly brewed tea, "I have a feeling that she'll be coming back."

"I knew she was nothing but trou-!" Zuko stopped walking, glancing down at his uncle, "What do you mean?"

"She left her belongings."

Zuko opened the screen door to where she had slept the previous nights. He saw her hammer leaning up against the wall, her night gown hanging off the desk, her bag tossed into the corner, and her robe lying in the middle of the room. He knelt down and picked the silk garment up, the smell of orchids lifting into the air. Brow furrowing, he tried to figure out why he had never noticed that scent on her before. When he set her robe aside, he heard the door slide open.

"I can't imagine the princess wanted the Earth King to know she was here," Iroh said.

Zuko stared at her robe, "Then why did she say she wanted an audience with him?"

"That's something you'll have to ask her-"

"I don't even want to see her!" Zuko pushed past Iroh, throwing his hands up in the air. He stopped while sighing heavily, "Something's just not right, Uncle." He stared out the window, "Briar hardly seemed to even notice that her people suffer, yet she claims it was an issue that she wished to discuss with the Earth King."

Iroh's brow furrowed as he thought about what Hikaru had told him, "I ask that you leave it alone. We're trying to start over."

Zuko let the conversation end there. He didn't need to explain to his uncle that he had a hunch about her intentions. She was the only person who knew they were fire benders, and he wondered if the Earth King would be willing to bargain for their arrest in exchange for food for her people. Seemed reasonable…Walking into the room that was Briar's, he began rummaging through her bag while his uncle went to brew more tea.

He found clothing, tossing them aside on the floor until he reached the bottom of the bag. Pulling out a mahogany box, he carefully opened it to find a headdress that had emeralds embedded into the silver. His fingertips just barely brushed over the glinting gemstones before he closed the box and set it aside. He rummaged further until he found a folded paper. As he went to pull it out, he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"Leave it be, Prince Zuko."

He held the letter tightly in his hands, "She's hiding something."

"That doesn't mean it's your responsibility to uncover it."

"I want to know the truth."

"When the time comes, the truth will present itself to you." Iroh took the letter from him, "Until then, I ask that you be patient."

She was being drowned. The servants layered her in rich, elegant robes until she had to wave them off before she was suffocated. Grumbling under her breath about how she wanted her own crown, she accepted the intricate headdress that was nothing as beautiful as her mother's. She refused to put on the shoes they offered her while shooing them away again. Gathering up her skirts, she stomped from her chambers, the floor shaking with each angry step.

The servants chased after her, slowing her while they ran a brush through her long brown hair. She stopped briefly for them to braid her hair (upon her command). If there was one thing she insisted on keeping, it was her simplistic hairstyle. She could be dressed to the nines, but she wouldn't allow herself to look any less threatening. She was a warrior princess and the Earth King was in for a rude awakening. Slapping away the hand that tried to brush rouge on her cheeks, she made her way into the audience chamber.

The guards at the doors had little time to react before she threw them aside by two walls of rock. Pushing the doors open, she made her entrance. Her steps set the earth to quaking, the pillars shaking violently until she came to a stop with her hands on her hips. She saw the Earth King shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"You've succeeded in locking me up, My Lord."

"Do you not wish to stay in my palace?" he replied, brow raised in question.

"I came to Ba Sing Se without announcing myself." Briar shrugged, "But I'm here now, though I ask how you found me."

"My Dai Li officers saw you bending in the Lower District. You fight with the Tiger form, do you not?"

Briar hid her smirk. Her father had taught her well.

"What is your purpose for traveling to Ba Sing Se," Long Feng asked while stepping down from the stairs that led to the throne.

Briar watched him as he circled around her, "I don't need to explain anything to you."

"In the Earth King's palace, you will answer any question asked of you."

"You challenge my authority." Briar held herself up taller, "I am Queen Amaterasu as you have addressed me."

"But a princess, nonetheless." Long Feng walked back up the stairway to stand beside the Earth King, "You have yet to be coroneted, am I correct?" Briar's eyes narrowed while he smirked, "Unless you take a husband, you are to remain a princess."

She half laughed, "You underestimate me."

"I am simply reminding you of your place in Ba Sing Se."

Briar nodded while turning on her heel to exit the chamber. As she flung the doors open, she glanced over her shoulder at Long Feng, "When I am queen, I will assuredly put you in your place."

Storming from the throne room, she cast both the guards a glare while they still rubbed their aching heads. She made her way into her quarters and dismissed the women inside tailoring dresses for her. Locking the door behind them, she tossed off her layers of robes until she was in her long sleeve gown that was a pale green. She untangled her hair from its braid, running her fingers through the knotted strands while she walked out onto her balcony.

The late evening brought the scent of the orchids from the trees below her sweeping into the air. She leaned on the railing, her hair falling over her shoulder and resting against the marble stone. Drumming her fingers absentmindedly, she let her thoughts wonder to what Zuko was thinking. She wished she could see into his mind, even if only for a couple minutes. When she sighed profusely, she noticed that she was no longer alone.

"A princess, huh?"

Briar smiled, "Not what you thought?"

Jet shrugged, sliding up beside her and twirling a strand of her hair with his finger until she pulled all of it over her shoulder, "You could say that I had a hunch."

"Oh, really?"

"Alright, so this definitely threw me for a loop." He reached a hand out and stroked her cheek, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Was I supposed to?" She strode into her room, removing her hoop earrings and her pendant necklace, setting them on her vanity desk, "I'm entitled to hide my identity."

Jet leaned against the archway that led out onto the balcony, "It just puts a damper on things, that's all."

Briar watched him shrug, a light breeze fluttering in and ruffling his hair. She walked over and stood in front of him, arms crossed over her chest, "You were planning on pursuing this?"

"It was worth a shot." He took her hand, gazing at the giant ring that swallowed her middle finger, "But we're in two different classes."

"I don't hold that against you."

Jet removed the ring from her finger, tossing it to the floor before pressing a kiss to her skin, "But I hold it against you."

Briar smirked while he laughed. She wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers twisting in his unruly hair, "Does my class intimidate you?"

"Nah…" He pressed his forehead to hers, "As I said earlier, it just puts a damper on things."

She welcomed his lips, warm and soft. She closed her eyes while he held her face in his hands. He tickled her with kisses on her neck, her giggling swept around the room with the fluttering breeze. She drummed her fingers against his chest until he brought his eyes back to hers.

"How did you manage to get past the palace guards?" she laughed.

Jet took her hand and twirled her around, pulling her over to her bed. Sitting down on the edge, he gazed up at her while his hands held her hips, "You doubt my abilities."

"And what abilities would those be?"

"I can easily evade palace guards."

Briar laughed while climbing onto her bed, falling back on the pillows, hair framed around her head like a halo. Jet crawled over her, holding himself above her while brushing her hair with his fingers. He kissed her brow as she nestled herself closer to him.

"Why are you so interested in me?" she whispered.

Jet ran his hand along her waist, watching the way his fingers rose and fell with each curve of her body, "You've captivated me."

"How?"

"It's your eyes." Briar blushed as he traced around her green orbs, "They're so powerful."

"Though they hold the cold glare of a stone statue," Briar mumbled, thinking about Zuko.

"I don't think so." His brow furrowed as she turned her back to him, "Who told you that?"

"That Fire Nation Prince I was wi-" Briar caught her breath while glancing over her shoulder at him, "Uh-Um- Wait, Jet, I didn't mean-"

"I don't know who you're talking about," he lied, suppressing a laugh.

"Ooh, Jet!" She sat up, grabbing him by the folds of his shirt and pulling his face close to hers, "It's not-!"

"So, you're little boyfriend is the Banished Prince? Should have guessed that!"

"Damn you!" Briar threw him into the floor, scrambling to her feet and standing over him, "You can't say a word!"

"Now, why would I do that?" he snickered.

She jammed her foot into his side, "You bastard!"

"Aw, I liked it better when you were swooning over me." Jet sat up while reaching into his pocket, "Thanks for the tip."

Briar scowled as he flipped a coin to her. Catching it, she clasped her fingers around it tightly, "The Spirits will give you your just reward."

"I'd hate for you to be bitter with me." Jet stood up and dusted off his shirt, "You've never been used before, have you?"

Briar was fuming, "How dare you?"

"Trust me, I'm not afraid of you, Princess."

"Is this how you treat all women?"

"Nah…" He leaned against the wall, smirking, "…you're a special case."

Briar lashed out, her strike tearing apart the skin on his cheek. He recoiled with a step backward and brought his hand to his torn flesh, "Trust me when I say this- You've fucked with the wrong girl."

Jet leisurely made his way out onto the balcony as if nothing had happened, "I look forward to seeing you again, Princess."


WOAH! Jet's a hoe. :) and Briar's just a little DUMB. so! drama ensues...

i don't know about all of you...but I miss Hikaru! she needs to make a comeback...haha.

Thanks for reading! I love hearing your thoughts afterward. :)

Until next time!

-TSA