It had been two years since the union between crowned prince Zihao and the commoner-turned princess Xia. The nation was in a state of peace, as were its people, with the exception of one nerve ridden noble. Xia had decided earlier that day to take a walk in the royal gardens in hopes of calming herself down. Sadly, the tranquility n the garden had done nothing for her.

After having walked for an hour aimlessly, the princess sat down on a stone bench overlooking a decent sized pond. It was here she stayed for several more hours, mindlessly rubbing her hand over her recently upset stomach. For the past week Xia had been bed ridden with a stomach flu, hardly being able to move unless it was to throw up into a basin beside the bed. Zihao had been troubled with the news, worried about his wife's well being. Eventually being cooped up in the palace became too much for the bending master and today, while feeling up to it, she snuck out of the palace for fresh air.

Hearing a small rustle behind her, followed by a relived sigh, Xia turned around and smiled at her husband.

"Xia, what are you doing out here? You're sick, you need bed rest. What if something happened while you were out here? No one knew you were here. It could've been disastrous."

"Oh, Zihao, you worry too much. I'm fine, really I am. Besides the stomach issues, I haven't shown any real symptoms of the flu. The healers don't know what they're talking about."

She scoffed at the thought of the ancient healers with their delayed reactions and mumbled voices, they were utterly incompetent in her opinion. Zihao placed a hand on the back of her neck, twirling the hairs at its base in his fingers.

"Even so, I was worried."

Xia looked at him now, she hadn't been thinking of him when she snuck off honestly, and now she was sorry for it.

"I'm sorry, Zihao, I just needed to get out."

"I understand, but next time tell me, okay?"

He bent his head down and leaned it against her shoulder.

"Would you have let me out of the room?"

"No."

They both laughed lightly at this. Xia brought her hand up and began to rub slow circles into his back. Letting out an audible sigh, Xia prepared herself for what she was about tell him.

"Zihao, I've been thinking. My symptoms...they don't scream stomach flu, do they? I mean, there's the morning...obscenities, but the rest...I mean, I don't have a fever, and sure I get a little woozy sometimes but that's not exclusive to—to the flu, and—"

"Xia, what are you saying?"

"Well, Zihao...I—I think I may be...pregnant."

Xia held her breath. It wasn't that she was worried Zihao wouldn't be happy about the news. That wasn't it at all. What Xia was worried about was the possibility that she may not be pregnant, she wasn't a healer and this was just a feeling. The thought of getting Zihao's hopes up only to have them sent crashing down if she turned out to not be pregnant made whatever was in her stomach churn with nerves.

Zihao's head shot up the moment she said the word pregnant. After searching her eyes for a fraction of a second and then shot down to look at her stomach. Straightening his back, keeping his gaze constant, he lets out a shaky breath, trying not to get too excited about the possibility of his wife's pregnancy for the same reasons as she. The two of them hadn't attempted to get regnant, not really at least, they hadn't thought about the possibility.

"Let's get you back inside then and find out."

Xia quickly nodded her head, took Zihao's outstretched hand and the two of them made their way back to the palace in hopes of good news.

:Seven Months Later:

The crowned prince of the Fire Nation stared down at the little bundle in his arms. Zihao had been making small cooing noises at his son for the past ten or so minutes now. Hearing a sigh coming from the floor, Zihao took a seat next to the mat in which his wife is currently laying on. Shifting the newborn so that he can spare one hand to stroke through Xia's hair, he whispers gently,

"I'm so proud of you."

Xia laughs lightly, her eyes still blinking with exhaustion.

"How is he?"

"Magnificent. Only a few hours old and I can tell he's going to be a powerful bender just like his father, maybe even as powerful as his mother. He's only cried twice since you fell asleep, and both times I knew exactly what he wanted. Indeed, the first time he cried I started bouncing lightly and he settled right down, and the second time...well the second time I could smell what was wrong."

The new mother laughed at her husband, glad that he knew how to handle their son already. Sitting up, Xia reached out her arms and Zihao supplied her with the babe. Looking down at him with a smile, Xia memorized his face in her mind. His bright amber eyes looking u at her with faint amusement.

"What should we name him?"

"Oh, yeah. I was thinking of names while you were sleeping. What do you think about Peizhi?"

Xia smiles brightly at Zihao.

"It's a good name for a prince of the Fire Nation."

"Yeah, it is."

A/N: Well here you go, one chapter down, two to go. I might've said that last time, but I really mean it this time. Anyway, Peizhi means respectful, or at least that's what the internet says. Also, I know pregnancy terms go for nine months, but I specifically put in a seven month gap because symptoms such as morning symptoms usually don't show up the first week of your pregnancy but more like the first or second month. In this case, Xia was two months preggers. Tell me what you think about the chapter or the series or whatever is on your mind.

-Pastry~