Chaos.
Zuko could feel himself transitioning in and out of consciousness. Between slow blinks, he could make out a blurred vision of what had become of his wedding night.
Fearful guests were scrambling for the door, guards rushing to keep them shut. Somewhere in the back of his mind, it registered that the hall often served as an arena for semi-public executions.
In an instant, Iroh was at his side, shaking him, " No. No. I will not lose another son."
Zuko's eyes shut completely, and the world around him faded to black.
Zuko awoke to the intense feeling of bile rising up his throat. He gagged, and then vomited the entire contents of his stomach onto the white sheets covering him.
He threw the blankets off, disgusted, and then lay back against the pillows propped behind his head. He looked around wearily, registering that he was in palace's infirmary, and then noticed the water tribe girl who'd been attending his sister at the wedding hunched over Toph, her brown hands glowing an ethereal blue, which was magnified in the light of the full moon, which could be seen through the wide window in the room, which spanned the length of almost the entirety of the back wall.
Toph appeared to be in worse shape than he himself was in, although it was hard to tell as her skin was still coated in layers of makeup. He figured she must be since she was still unconscious.
" Unfortunately, it seems that since you took a rather large bite, your body still has to reject the remnants of the poison from its system. When I knew you were no longer on the brink of death I had to move on to treating your wife. But be glad for the vomiting—it'll cleanse you, though I'm sure it's uncomfortable."
Zuko glared, he was in pain, not discomfort. .
He attempted to stand, but at the motion, could feel a second wave of nausea. He bent over the bed, breathing heavily, head in his hands. His uncle, whom he hadn't noticed had been sitting at his bedside, handed him a waste bin. The prince upheaved the remainders of the contents of his belly into the bin, stomach churning in miserable agony. What was once a beautiful feast now swam in putrid chunks ; he set the bucket down.
" Who did it?" He asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, forcing the words out.
The water healer stiffened, but continued to work.
Azula, whom was now healed but still aching, pretended to be asleep in her bed, allowing Fire Nation healers to rub her body with healing herbs.
Iroh gestured for Ty Lee, whom also was in the room, to remove the bucket and bring new, clean covers. " Suspects are still in questioning as we speak."
" And who are the suspects?" He asked, weakly, allowing Ty Lee to tuck him in a new, clean duvet.
" All servants involved in handling the feast, among some of the guests. I was just cleared myself, actually." The brown-eyed girl remarked as she wiped his sweating face with a damp rag. She then handed him a flask of water, which he accepted cautiously. He wasn't sure if his stomach could handle even that.
They all turned at the sound of Toph stirring. Ty Lee moved to her side, helping the water tribe girl lift her into a sitting position on her bed. His bride blinked, and she stretched slightly, though she seemed to regret the decision as she gasped, clenching her stomach.
" OK everything hurts." She said in annoyance, then, " Someone help me put my feet on the ground."
'I want to see what the hell's going on.' She thought, anxious.
Ty Lee did so, and then the moment her feet touched the cool ground, Toph immediately sighed, " They didn't have to kill them."
Everyone in the room looked at her in confusion, though Iroh seemed only saddened by this statement.
" What are you talking about?" Ty Lee asked, moving out of the Fire Nation healers' way as they moved to rub herbs on Toph now. The water tribe girl moved to Zuko, pressing glowing blue hands onto his back. He felt instantly relieved, but still confused by his wife's words.
" The attendants whom served us the cake, save the healer, are dead."
Ty Lee shook her head in denial, " And you know this how?"
Toph grimaced.
" I can see them. Their bodies are in the room beside us. Motionless."
Ty Lee covered her mouth in shock, and then sank down on the floor, brought to tears. After a moment she said, " I'm sorry," then continued despite her embarrassment at her own breakdown, "She was my friend. Song Yi. And now she's just gone. I can't believe she's gone. "
Toph frowned, hands clenched, she'd grown to like Song Yi herself, " Well, she is." Her toes curled against the earthen floor. Toph blinked at the realization that they were on level ground, not elevated on a second or third floor where she was forced to walk on marble or wood. It was a welcome comfort.
Zuko shook his head, " But why did they do it? What would those servants have gained from poisoning us?"
The water tribe girl bit her lip nervously, hoped no one would notice the cold sweat she'd broken into, glowing hands still pressed to the prince's back.
Iroh, whom still sat beside Zuko, looked down in remorse, " I doubt they were aware of the poison. Still, their involvement meant for their immediate deaths. Your father likes to set examples."
Zuko placed his hand to his scarred eye, swallowed, the taste of regurgitate still in his mouth.
" But then, who did poison us?" He asked, " And why?" He glanced over to Toph, 'What if…she had planned to kill the heirs to the fire throne along with herself? Is this a botched assassination attempt by the Earth Kingdom?'
The girl in question appeared deep in thought.
As he felt the pain ebb from his body, he noticed general Zhao, whom was in the bed behind him, and the blood that was leaking out the corner of his mouth.
" Oh my god!" He exclaimed. While he never liked the man, watching anyone die was a disturbing sight to behold. " I think I'm going to be fine. Help him."
Katara turned, " Oh, no, I can't."
At Zuko's disturbed expression, the girl elaborated, " I mean. Well I'm afraid the poison was too strong from him. By the time we brought you all down here he was already dead."
Toph tilted her head to the side, sensing the lie through the girls' heartbeat. Electing not to remark on this fact, she simply said, "Two people dead and counting, that's definitely a good sign."
Ty Lee stood from the floor, wiped her tears for Song Yi from her eyes, " How are we going to tell Azula?"
Toph's eyes squinted in thought, ' She already knows. Doesn't she.'
Toph's white fingers encircled the back of her ear to capture the orange and red flowers tucked behind it, and removed them, discarding them atop the bedside table. They came undone from the string that connected them, sprawling onto the floor. Next she took the two jade ornaments from the top of her hair, loosening it. She moved onto her plait, unwound it, and combed nimble fingers through dark waves.
Zuko sat on the bed, his back to her. They'd since been released from the infirmary, and were now in their shared quarters. But instead of feeling excitement for his first night alone with his new bride, he felt only a bristling, consuming anger, and even fear. He didn't truly want to believe his own suspicions were true, but what other explanation was there? She was Earth Kingdom after all.
To distract himself, he removed his prince's cap. He placed it on the table on his side of the bed.
His feet planted on the ground, she could sense something odd in his breathing pattern.
Toph stood upright, began untying her sash, which in effect loosened her robes. Tucking her thumbs between the seams, she opened them outward and wide like curtains, let them sink to the floor around her ankles, and was then covered only by her mint green, slightly see through, slip.
He breathed in and out through clenched teeth, his back still to her.
" We almost died today." She remarked, finally, an awkward attempt to break the ice.
" I know." He bit out, and then tossed his jacket off—it landed on the floor.
Toph sat at the bedside table, still hidden in thick white makeup. She didn't flinch, but came close to.
" Are you mad at me or something?" She asked, ever to the point.
He turned to her, finally, nostrils flared, " Should I be?"
Toph squinted, " I know where you're going with this."
He rounded the bed, stopping in front of her, looking down, his scar curling with his glare, " My father insinuated you were a spy. Who was I to doubt him?"
Toph rolled her blind eyes, " I don't know, someone with half a brain!"
Zuko, in a sudden act of aggression, pushed her roughly, causing her to stumble backwards.
In their room, the floors were marble, and with only dust for her to bend, she was at a disadvantage. Toph changed strategies at the realization, deciding to play the weakling for once, hating it all the while. Although she'd caught her balance already, she continued to step backwards, as if in fear. As if. " This isn't what I was expecting our wedding night to be like."
Zuko took another step forward, approaching her now until she was backed against the wall. " No, you thought we'd all be dead by now. We would be if things had gone your way."
Toph sighed, " If I was a spy. And we're talking crazy hypothetical situation. Why would I kill you, your sister, Zhao and myself? It doesn't even make any sense."
He hovered menacingly over her, hands burning at his sides. With little distance between them, she could feel them, and breathed in, remaining calm. " You'd have effectively killed off all heirs to the fire throne. First being me, second being Zhao, and third being my sister."
Toph blinked in realization, ' Was that what the princess' plan had been? To kill everyone in line aside from herself? But Zuko and I are still alive…which means she messed up somehow. And I'll bet that water bender servant was in on it too. Yes, of course she was…'
Zuko slammed his hand over her head, breaking her line of thought, " Stop wasting time trying to come up with excuses!"
She shook her head at the loud noise assaulting her ears, " Whoever poisoned the cake had to be involved in making it. I obviously wasn't, and the men who came with me weren't allowed to be a part of the wedding in any way what so-ever. Seriously, do you think you could use your head for maybe just one second? For the both of us?"
She could sense his anger rising, and so continued, all the while fighting the urge to push him away from her. She looked up in his general direction, " Zuko, give me some credit. If I was a spy, and I'm not, I'd go after The King."
He seemed startled by this announcement; she knew that she was treading dangerous waters, but continued, " And I wouldn't poison myself in the process," She smirked, " I'm too goddamn awesome to have to resort to that."
Zuko, while mildly appalled by her proclamation, seemed simultaneously appeased. She slipped out from between him and the wall, " I came here to marry you. That's why I'm here."
She tossed her hair behind her head, almost a little too dramatically. She really shouldn't take seduction pointers from Xin Fu. Zuko didn't seem to care, though. She continued, " And tonight is our wedding night. So could you please just get your shit together so that you can fuck me?" She smiled broadly after the last statement, blinked cutely.
Zukos eye's widened to the size of gongs.
He cleared his throat, " Well. Actually. We already consummated the marriage." He looked around the room, trying to distract himself from the sight of her and decide if he still mistrusted her or not.
Toph felt a wave of uncertainty. Did he not want her, anymore, then?
She pursed her lips, then returned to what seemed to her the only thing that would get him to stop examining his own shoes, " We did almost die today, you know."
He looked up at her in mild teenage frustration, " Right, so you reminded me earlier," She stood before him in her mint green slip, a strange look in her eyes, he looked away from her, then back, " And yeah, yeah we did. Almost."
Suddenly it dawned on him.
They'd both been on the brink of death, and now here they were in the same room, just two people staring back at one another.
And she looked beautiful in the flickering light of the torches.
He took a few steps back, removed his jacket, his shirt, and then finally, his boots and pants. He took a deep breath, remembered she was blind. Nevertheless he blushed in embarrassment as she stood facing him in perfect calm as he quickly withdrew his loincloth.
He walked back to her, steadily, watched her begin to remove her slip, stopped her by placing a firm hand on her delicate wrist as she lifted the loose material above her chest.
" Don't."
Her brows furrowed in confusion.
" Let me." He said. She lifted her arms in understanding, and he pulled the under dress off of her. She backed away from him as he gazed momentarily at her naked breasts, lied down on the bed.
She gestured for him to join her, waving ever so slightly.
He climbed on top of her, didn't kiss her, but removed the last article of clothing on her, her panties. He tossed them off the bed and they fell softly to the floor.
It dawned on them both in the same instant, then, that they were entirely naked. She smiled crudely, and he scoffed slightly at her brazenness.
Despite the fact that they'd already 'been with one another' once, the first time didn't seem to truly count for either of them, as they'd been more or less forced into the act.
This time it seemed to them both the first time.
They were married, and even if they hadn't truly chosen one another this was their wedding night. And he was young, and handsome, and honorable. And she was young, and beautiful and honest.
" We're alive." He remarked, touching his hand to her face, laughing somewhat.
A silent agreement was made between the two as they lay side by side in the dim: Tomorrow they could think of death, and war, and royalty and responsibility.
For tonight they would forget.
He pressed his hand into hers, and knelt down, kissing her chastely.
She kissed him back, and tonight that was all that mattered.
(So do you guys want a lemon? Yes? No? Don't forget I do take plot suggestions into consideration so. REVIEW. Because they feed my soul. Do itttt….)