It is obvious for me that who ever had planned the assassination of the two royal prisoners thinks they have succeeded. They think they have put one over me. There is a difference in the air around the palace, there is a difference in the way I am watched and looked at. There is a difference…
The biggest blunders of my career as Fire Lord was letting my continuous guilt over the death of Katara's mother rule my judgment. That fateful day during that dinner when she had suggested a change in the monarchy system and I-always blinded by my quest for nobility and honour-took her word and restructured things. There is a reason the Fire Lords of old did not tamper with the system; it was perfect in its absolution. Ozai might have abused it and others before him but it worked for a nation of tempered passionate beings. This blunder-this inclusion of the opinions of spoilt Nobles who have never seen a battle field-has cost me so much.
Too restructure now, to change things around would be accepting that there is a problem and announcing my paranoia. It would question my capabilities and judgment; a ruler who sets out new laws only to remove them in an undecided manner.
The air around is to still and their eyes full of shadow and many thoughts.
Two down, two more to go…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"You have three meetings, sire" my assistant murmurs. "The main one is to appoint a new general"
"And the other two?" I sigh
"A request from the cabinet" he says softly, flicking through his folder. "A request for a parley with you to discuss the deaths…"
"Not happening" I hiss. "Next one"
"u
"Uh, you have scheduled a thirty minute lunch with Lady Mai's mother…"
"No I haven't!" I say loudly, rising from my seat and looking at him incredulously. "You have been smoking something… why in Agni's eyes would I do that!"
"Uhhh…" he flips through the pages hastily, his eyes wide and terrified "The Lady Mai…"
"She told you to add that to my day planner" I sigh.
"Well…"
"Leave please" I mumble and he bows low and exits.
"All in all" Uncle says thoughtfully "I think that went well. You were polite and tried to listen…"
"I don't need a babysitter for my meetings" I hiss. "It implies I cannot manage my own affairs!"
"I never said I was babysitting, Zuko" he sighs "I am here because you have a tendency of dealing with your emotions through…"
"You are not my psychiatrist"
"I don't want to be" he chuckles. "Your brain is a complex organ; you manage all these Nobles and scheming servants with an iron fist but let Mai walk in…"
"I manage Mai fine"
"You do not 'manage' a woman" he laughs. "Go talk with her mother, it would put the Nation at rest if you put forward an engagement announcement; a sign that you intend to keep the blood line alive and well"
"And of the Parley?"
"Well, you could always repeat the statement that a private ceremony was held and you are grieving the loss of a father and sister" he says softly, a sad shadow covering is eyes "they enquire… I think, to find out how strong you are in this sad time"
"Hmm" I murmur, thinking how bright an idea it had been when Katara suggested I restructure the nuclear ruling system from an absolute monarchy to one that included the nobles and founding families. How bright and noble it had been but now… it was nothing but a nuisance! Having a democracy might work in the Southern Water Tribe but in the Fire Nation it spelt trouble.
"But you have to show your face more, Zuko" he says sharply. "Arrange a banquet or tea party!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"She is very…" Mai's mother, the honourable Lady Kuya murmurs, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. "Passionate about you, Lord Zuko"
Passionate? Of all the words to describe Mai's emotions for me… passionate?
"Uh…"
"She is trying to be here for you, as best as she knows how… Lord Zuko" she continues, a thin pursed pout on her lips-I am sure that is her way of smiling. "I am so honoured that you made time in your busy schedule for me"
"Mai did that"
"I am sure you discussed it as couples do" she says, fluttering her eyelashes again and doing her pursing smile.
"We didn't…"
"And she told me about the engagement" She whispers, looking around for some unknown person and then giggling. This was distracting-she looked like Mai but behaved like Ty Lee…
"That is yet to be announced" I sigh.
"Are you not going to eat the cookies, Fire Lord?" she says, pushing the saucer towards me. "I made them especially for you"
"I will take them with me" I say dryly. "I'll have them for tea with my Uncle"
"The former famed General Iroh" she squeals. "Oh, yes… that would be perfect if you have them with him"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I have to leave in two day's time Zuko" Aang says. "It is urgent… the Earth King…"
"The troops are a problem, aren't they" I breathe. "Things not going as smooth…"
"We never thought they would" he says, smiling a little. "It is imperative I go either way. A code red"
"Then you leave" I sigh. "I am not a code red. Everyone needs to stop tiptoeing around me…"
"I know that Zuko" he says softly. "But honestly, as my friend… I don't want to see this peace you sacrificed so much for end up costing you more than we bargained for"
"I sacrificed nothing" I sigh. "It was the right thing…"
"Yes, but here you are…" he says, waving a hand in front of us. "Worrying about assassinations and losing sleep"
"Can we talk about something else!"
"Katara went to do that thing" Aang murmurs, walking beside me and trying to keep up with my long strides "She took some… provisions with her"
"No one saw her?" I whisper to him, my eyes looking straight ahead at the giant doors of the meeting room.
"She was careful" he sighs. "She cares about you, Zuko"
"Who?"
"Katara" he says, and I can hear the love he has for her as he says his name, a love that I am jealous off … "She can be overbearing but you don't make it easy on yourself"
"I won't bend to her will" I chuckle. "I am not water…"
"I know" he sighs. "But you upset her that day… when she came to get you from your room…"
"I was…" I stammer. "I apologize, but Katara needs to understand that I am not Sokka or you"
"Yeah, I spoke with her…" he sighs. "She went up on her own accord and came down crying…."
"She cried…?"
"She said you were scary, you didn't look like you…" he whispers. "You looked dangerous"
"I do apologise" I say softly. "I will apologise to her…"
"Toph, well… she hated all the spluttering and hushed discussions… she is not too patient with crying people girls and sulking Fire Lords…" he chuckles. "How did she…"
"She threatened to fight me into the bath tub" I say in a hollow tone. We stand in front of the doors of the meeting room.
"Well, good I had better go and check on Katara… I need to talk to you though, later" he sighs. "Take it easy, Fire Lord"
"Don't I always?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"We could return a few soldiers at a time…" Ming murmurs, his thin fingers tapping against each other expectantly. His thin pale face is oily, sharp hooked nose glistening with moisture and beady eyes scanning the table.
"Why?" I say softly.
"It will not strain our resources that way…" one man on his right says softly.
"You abuse the extra power I give you" I say quietly, trying to retain my anger. "I give you democracy and you sit around plotting…"
"Do you call this a democracy?" Garza hisses. "You bring in the Avatar to overthrow any decisions…"
"Is the Avatar present here?" I shout, slamming my fist hard on the table and leaving a smouldering black bruise on the reddish wood.
"Why is the Earth Kingdom sending in blind people…" another man says in hushed tones and I hear murmurs of agreement.
"She is a guest of the Fire Nation…" I rasp, rising out of my chair and glaring at the idiot man. He shrinks into his chair and purses his lips shut.
"I hear she is a grand master…" Fang says softly. "She has been here a while… what is your relation…"
"She is a friend. A comrade from during the war…"
"And of the water bender?" Garza asks, smirking. "She walks around the estate unescorted and sending orders to the royal servants to leave her be…"
"You asked for a Parley to discuss your prejudices against other Nations?" I say softly, an odd smile creeping over my lips. "I cannot have a cabinet of old discriminating spoilt…"
"Fire Lord Zuko, you over step…" Fang hisses.
"No, Fang" I laugh. "I assert my birth right. I give you respect and freedom and you run amuck like monkey-rabbits…"
"Fire Lord Zuko… you gave us this new form of… you appointed this new structure to help you lead in your youth…" Fang says, his voice shaking.
"With the Fire Lord Ozai…"Ming says his eyes wide and excited.
"You shut up about Ozai..!" I scream and the room goes deathly quiet. The lamps are bright, their flames licking up wildly and I take huge breathes until all I can hear is my hammering heart and no rushing sound of violence.
"We only mean…"Fang says softly, sitting back down anxiously in his seat. "You need advisors… your youth is temporary so in the meantime…"
"I can remedy my 'youth' easily" I chuckle. "I am starting to think all you understand is tyranny and being dictated. I give you an inch and you want to rule my nation with your dishonourable…"
"We are agreeing, Fire Lord!" Yu Lee shouts. "We agree with you… but to hastily remove the soldiers is…"
"The attacks on the royal prison cells…!"Ming says, looking around for support but they have all calmed down. Their sugar rush abates…
"Is a sign… that certain people-dare I say of noble birth-think a peaceful Fire Lord is a weak one" I chuckle.
"I know what medicine I need to give you to abort this illness that has spread into your minds…" I whisper, leaving them swiftly in their chaotic shouting and panicking.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"That Kuya is…" Uncle says, pausing as he savours the cookies I brought for him. "A great mother in law!"
"You are going to rot your teeth, Old Man" I sigh.
"Then you will have to chew my meat for me" he chuckles, picking up a cooking and offering it to me. "Try one Zuko! It will turn you sour scowl into a sweet smile"
"The only way those cookies will make the Fire Lady smile…" she chuckles, emerging from behind me and taking a seat by Uncle "Is if they grant three wishes and a spare life"
"You don't know whether I smile a lot or not, Lady Toph Bei Fong" I say, grinning at her.
"You're smiling now" she deadpans. "And was that your best come back? I could hear you performing in the board room… highly entertaining… good use of wording and threats. Nine out of ten all in all…"
"You were eavesdropping!"
"We were taking a walk near there" Uncle says softly, waving a hand dismissively to signify it was not a serious matter "She can hear pretty far and you were pretty loud"
"I thought you were going to burst your voice box!" Toph laughs.
"You all were pretty loud" Uncle says, eyeing me with concern. "Sounded like a riot of Nobles for a second there…"
"Yeah! Remember that time when you said our Nation's Nobles were the same…" Toph asks, leaning forward, her eyes unfocused on the fanning girl on my left. "Well… yours is by far wilder!"
"If you had been listening…" I say without humour "Then you will know…"
"We weren't really listening" Uncle shrugs, taking his eighth cookie
"All I really heard was something about a comparison to a monkey-rabbit?" Toph asks, grinning so widely her cheeks were going pink. "Man, Fire Nation politics rule! King Kuei can be so boring… when he isn't throwing parties for bears… no live action…"
"There should be no live action in the Fire Lord's board" Uncle says seriously.
"Do not lecture me" I sigh. "I know what I am doing. Everything is under control…"
"Have a cookie Toph" Uncle says, ignoring me. "Zuko's mother-in-law baked them especially for him"
"No thanks" Toph says, frowning and leaning back in her seat-al humour gone. "They smell funny"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Lord Fang is requesting…"
"No" I say, scrawling a letter to the Chief of Security for an immediate meeting.
"Uh…" Qie Chang, my assistants mumbles standing unsurely in the middle of my office. "Shall I tell him…?"
"I said no Qie Chang" I sigh, dropping the writing coal. "What else can you tell him? Do you want to give him a flower for his troubles?"
"He is outside your door" he whispers, cocking his head behind him-to the door.
"So?" I growl and the slight young man quivers slightly under my gaze.
"He is… Lord Fang?" he stammers.
"And I am the bloody Fire Lord!" I shout throwing the writing instrument at him and hitting him square on the forehead-leaving a smudged diagonal black line on his forehead. "Tell the idiot I said no!"
"Yes Fire Lord" he stammers, backing away quickly. "Of course, Fire Lord"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I have caught up with you!" Fang says softly, running beside me and pulling his burgundy robes up. "I understand how busy you must be…"
"Why are you grovelling?" I snap. "What do you want from me, Fang?"
"On the subject of a Royal advisor…" He says, shuffling and half running to keep up with me as I try to get away from him.
"That is not a subject"
"When you consider it…" he says anyway, smiling sheepishly. "You could consider me…"
"If you do not remove yourself from my radius I will consider a few things…" I growl and he stops abruptly but I hear his low curse before he disappears.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The room has been redecorated after Toph broke the door and smashed the antique stained glass sliding doors. Mai was not amused about that but she redid the interior with little complaining and swiftly. It was cool and had none of the previous fire-the orange hues and cream marble that made everything to appear alive like a calm flame that had the potential to turn into an inferno. She likes black I note-the curtains that cover the plain glass doors are a satin black and the bed covers red with cream trimming. She says the darkness will help me sleep. It's the darkness that keeps me awake Mai…
"Your meeting…" she says softly, folding some robes she had made for me and shirts on the bed "Everyone is talking about it"
"Our Nation is full of gossips" I hiss. "Why are you doing that… surely one of the servant girls…?"
"It is what a wife should do" she says softly.
"Right"
"You are well?" she asks, stacking the clothes on the corner of the bed and leaning back on the bed.
"Why?" I sigh. "You think I should be crumbling…?"
"You have been six different moods in one" she sighs, playing with her hair. "My mother says you seemed tense…"
"I had to meet with her unexpected" I say soflty "of course I would be tense…"
"And of Fang" she surges ahead, throwing my thoughts on their head.
"What of him..?"
"I hear you are considering him as a Royal advisor…"
"What!" I shout, running my hands through my hair and pulling. "There is no… I have not… that ambitious snake"
"I thought it was a lie" she says, smiling.
"Where did you hear it from?"
Her eyes go wide and her mouth hangs open momentarily before she quickly says "Fire Nation Gossip"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The gardens have always been my favourite part of the Royal Grounds. When I was younger-but a child-I would get lost in them. When I had my mother, my ethereal representation of what Agni's love should feel like-Ursa, I had played by the pond with turtle-ducks and fed them bread crumbs and stroked their soft feathers and felt the hard shell on their backs.
The bushes were a special rare kind that smelt like Lilac-grass and Lemon-mint if you crushed the bluish leaves in-between your fingers… they had these pretty pale blue flowers that blossomed for a short period nearing the celebration of the Dragons…
"Zuko…" Aang sighs, looking up to the skies in frustration. "Would you pay attention?"
"I am…"
"No, you are not" he says softly. "I heard about the meeting… I told you to take it easy!"
"You are a monk" I sigh "Taking it easy is a life time goal for you"
"Zuko, something is up and you being blinded by your temper…" he says, his eyes wide and determined "Remember when your bending diminished… when you weren't so angry anymore and we went…"
"I remember, Aang" I sigh. "My bending is fine"
"No, it is haywire…" he says sternly. "Your emotions are escaping through your chi… you are not separating the two energies"
"If this is about chi and meditation…" I say softly "I have some stuff to do…"
"I have to go and control things in King Kuei's kingdom" he huffs. "I just want you to remember something and do one little thing for me… while I am away"
"Sure"
"Meditate; practice your bending and improve on it…"
"I am a Master" I growl. "I don't need to improve on anything…"
"Then it wont hurt…" he says smiling a little. "Sparring works your anger out…"
"Whatever, what was the other thing"
"Iroh and Toph are your eyes and ears" he whispers. "Katara is handling your… other private affairs"
"You discussed this with them, didn't you" I say, my voice rising. "You think me…"
"Shut up and be honoured to have an Uncle and friends as you do!" he says, his eyes flashing. "We can argue when I am back… "
"There you are…" Uncle says, walking through the Patio over to us. "I was wondering if you had busied yourself in your room with Mai…"
"Uncle…"
"Oh, Aang…" he chuckles, ignoring me "I understand from the lovely Master Katara you are to leave soon"
"Yes, Uncle… uh" he says, smiling at my Uncle. He never knows how to address him.
"Take some of my tea with you" Iroh says, holding a neatly wrapped brown bag. "For you, and all the others. Let them know I miss them and I will return when all is well…"
"All is well!" I hiss.
"Of course" Aang smiles at Uncle and bows in appreciation and respect.
"Oh, the refreshment's have arrived!" Uncle says eagerly as the servant girl approaches us with a decanter of wine with two glasses.
"Place them over there" Uncle indicates and she does as she is told and hurries away. "Only two glasses…"
"I don't drink wine…" Aang says smiling at Uncle. "You can take my glass…"
"I am not drinking anyway" I grumble. "I have to wake up early tomorrow for…"
"For a meeting" Aang finishes, rolling his eyes.
"I want you to interview the guards…"
"Fire Lord…" he says, looking at the paper Qie Chang has given him of the list of new guards to escort me and to be assigned around the palace.
"You can dispatch the old security team to something else" I sigh. "I want new faces on the court; new guards that have experience in the field-half have to be fire benders"
"Yes Fire Lord" Security Chief Kirozu says, his eyes never leaving the paper. "It is an honour… you have called upon me over the previous…"
"It will be an honour when you do your job right" I murmur. "New guards, let them know that disrupting my guests will be intolerable…"
"Yes Fire Lord" he says, his voice full of reverence.
"Orders and privacy are of the utmost importance… I wont tolerate anomalies and gossip"
"Of course Fire Lord" he says, nodding his head.
"I would like for you to lead my personal escort for trips" I say and he smiles.
"Fire Lord?" Qie Chang murmurs, peering through the door. When had he left... "Lady Katara sent a request for your presence urgently"
My body goes cold and a sickening numb sensation spreads through my limbs. Katara and I have not spoken directly since our incident, save for updates on my private relations… her request for me… urgently must mean that something has happened. They have been found out… I have failed to…
"Fire Lord?" Qie whispers hurriedly. "It is urgent?"
"Kirozu" I whisper, my throat constricting painfully. "This will have to be the end"
"Yes, Fire Lord" he says, and watches me move stiffly out of the office with wide confused eyes.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I follow Qie Chang as he rushes down the corridor, through the inner court yard and out to the Palace. I don't ask him what has happened… I don't ask him if everything is okay… I don't need to. It is what has kept me up so many nights and sits heavily in my mind. All my determination and strained ingenuity has come falling down around me and I have failed to save us.
Iroh and I are now truly alone…
"Hurry Zuko!" Ty Lee shouts, rushing towards me and pulling my hand furiously.
She leads us through the passage that takes us to the guest bed chambers….
"Ty Lee?" I whisper
"He is so ill!" she groans. "Katara is with him…"
"He?" I ask, stunned. "Ozai…?"
"What?" she frowns, nodding her head to the guard outside of Iroh's bed chamber door to open for us. We enter Uncle's room and the first person I see is Toph, standing at the foot of the bed, her arms over her chest and full lips set in a livid pout.
"He has been poisoned" Toph growls. Her hair is a mess, its previous straightness transformed into waves of black around her face, covering her eyes but I can feel the protective violence radiating off of her…
"We don't know that yet…"Katara says softy, hovering over someone-him-on the bed.
"Ozai…?" I whisper, looking at Katara pleadingly.
"Zuko…" Ty Lee says softly. "Ozai is dead, honey"
"It's your Uncle" Mai says, rising from the chair and walking over to me. "he has a violent stomach ache"
"Poisoned" Toph mutters.
"Toph!" Katara hissed. "With what is happening now… here within the Fire Nation, you have to be careful with such accusations!"
"Uncle…!" I cry out, snatching my hand from Mai and rushing to the bed "Iroh...!"
"He is asleep" Katara murmurs. "I gave him something for the pain and it knocked him out. He had emptied his stomach so there was nothing to absorb the medication…"
"Emptied his stomach in the garden" Toph says softly. "While we were playing tiger-chess. He said he hadn't been feeling well and I suggested some fresh air…"
"It may have been all the blooming flowers in the garden" Mai says.
"Or maybe… he was poisoned!" Toph roars. "And when I find the little…"
"Toph!" Ty Lee shouts. "This is not the Earth Kingdom! Things are done differently…"
"And sneakily" Toph adds furiously, balling her fists and changing her stance defensively. "Not Iroh, not …."
"Toph" I sigh.
"He is okay" Katara whispers to me. "He emptied everything in his stomach when he puked so if there was anything that was… harmful, it's out of his system"
"Thank you Katara" I sigh, holding my Uncles warm hand in my own.
"He needs to rest" Katara says, smiling softly.
"You can take the day off, Zuko?" Katara adds.
"What?" I say in surprise. "I can't…"
"Don't worry, Sparky" Toph says, short, curvy and formidable by the foot of the bed. "I won't leave his side, go do your Fire Lord thing"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"What is this I hear about the Great General Iroh?" Garza asks his face blank. We are walking to the construction site for the army barracks for the predicted influx of soldiers as a result of the Earth Kingdom Deportation.
"Only you know what you hear, Garza" I say softly.
"It will be unfitting for a General of such stature to be brought down by vomiting" he says reproachfully.
"Garza… if you have something to say…"
"Send my sympathies" he says hurriedly, a small smile on his lips. "Fire Lord Zuko"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
My bed chamber is too dark and desolate. The expanse of a space that is supposedly fitting for a Fire Lord is grandeur and ostentatious-just how Ozai was. A space so large that the air moves with ease and heats up slowly leaving the room cool and comfortable.
I sit on the bed, sweating and cramped. The walls moving towards me in a ruthless wobbling manner and the floor slippery beneath my feet-my mind is teaming with angry ants running wildly through my thoughts. I am a prisoner of my own body.
AUTHORS NOTE: About the whole relatives of Zuko-think of it this way, as a sort of untold fire nation history. If Sozin's father had a brother, and his father before him had a sister then by the time we get to Zuko's line he would have a whole bunch of extended relations. But with the Fire Nation reigning system being an absolute monarchy for centuries upon centuries-there would be no need to have them mentioned or show up for coronations and such.
But with Katara's little dinner idea( I mentioned it somewhere previously) and Zuko changing the system to give it a democratic flair… suddenly random third Uncles and long lost forgotten fourth cousins would appear for a piece of the now possibly available pie.
