Thanks for all the reviews! I've never had so many on one chapter before! Eight? Can you believe that? And forty three over all? This is so cool!
Okay, little girl moment over. Again, thanks to all of you for reading. I just reread the whole thing again, and I had never realized how much I just don't like those first few chapters. One day, I'd like to rewrite them and make them readable, but thanks for continuing with me!

Karynna

"How's the wife search going?" asked Zhao at breakfast the next day.

Iroh sighed. "I hope you never get married."

Zhao laughed. "That bad, huh?" He shook his head at Iroh's exasperated face. "Come on…nine girls fawning over you can't be all that horrible."

"They're driving me up the wall!" exclaimed Iroh, his frustration exploding. "It's like they plan on it, like they sit there and scheme to irritate me. Rong of them is practically a man; Cai's still a child; Zi eats more than I do; Suyin talks incessantly; Rou's dumber than a brick; Zan's a spoiled brat; Zhin is greedier than a fishwife. It's torture."

Seven fingers were raised from Zhao's hands. "You missed a couple, Iroh."

"Jiao and Iza." The Prince's eyes closed. "They're the most aggravating of all."

One hand stretched toward the sky, the other the ground. One swift movement brought them together, circling each other as they pulled apart to the sides.

No fire.

Zania tried every move she knew—kicks, spins, punches, breaths. Not one worked. Iza tried to pull power from the world around her, reaching for everything from the blistering sun to a flickering candle. Not one worked.

She yelled in frustration. Bending had been her constant companion, her vent, her pride, for her whole life. She had been pretty good, capable of managing up to seven glowing ribbons of light twirling around her. Many had complimented on the occasional shower of blue sparks that wove through the flame as she danced. Fire had been her identity and her lifeblood.

But now she was alone. Completely alone. Or so she thought.

"Shan Iza?"

Iza turned to see a young lady of the court, about thirteen or so, standing under the doorway to the small training area. The girl's pale gold eyes were filled with concern and curiosity.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" asked Iza, self conscious in a sweat stained training outfit.

"Lady Ursa," replied the girl. "Are you okay, Lady? I thought I heard somebody yell. Was that you?"

"Yeah. It was. And I'm fine. Just frustrated."

Ursa nodded; she knew the feeling. Timidly, she asked Iza another question. "Lady Iza? Did you really dance with Prince Ozai?"

It was the girl's face that gave it away—she liked, maybe loved, the younger Prince. Zania felt for the girl as Iza answered, "Yeah, I did. Don't think he liked me though. I'm not exactly his type, I think."

The girl's face broke into a shy smile. "He doesn't like most people. I like you though. Anybody brave enough to wear a scar like you do deserves respect. You're very courageous, Shan Iza. Best wishes."

Iza was taken aback and barely thought to return a bow as the young girl left the doorway.

The week passed slowly for Iroh; each hour spent with the Shan girls seemed to drag on through eternity. Only the time with Jiao and Iza wasn't entirely tortuous.

He and Jiao met in a formal parlor this time. She gracefully poured him a cup of tea, slyly angling her body to its best advantage. Iroh smiled; the subtle flirting of the court was something he was familiar with and could understand. It was Iza's brazen personality and ignorance of protocol that mystified him.

Jiao's pretty mouth formed a shy smile. "Prince Iroh, I hear that you are an excellent Firebender. Are the rumors true?"

"I do possess some measure of talent," he replied modestly. "But perhaps one day you may judge for yourself."

"I would relish the honor," she replied, her eyelashes coyly fluttering. "Maybe we could train together one day? I do not bend, but I have practiced the motions. Firebending is so eloquent and beautiful."

Iroh smiled in return. Jiao was a pretty girl—slender and well-formed. It would be a pleasure to watch her slink her way through Firebending stances. "Perhaps tomorrow morning, then, My Lady?"

Triumphant was the only word Iroh could find to describe Jiao's face. "If you wish, My Lord," she answered. "But—if you would be so kind as to listen to a humble woman's request—I would prefer it if the other girls could be invited to attend. To be fair, of course."

He chuckled. "I'm a fan of fairness."

Iza shifted uncomfortably on the hot sand. Jiao had informed her the night before that she would attend the group training that morning and that she would perform poorly, but insignificantly so.

Only three girls had chanced to train with the Prince. Jiao, Iza and Rong stood in the training ring waiting for him, each wearing an outfit suited to her. Jiao's was loose and modest, but the fabric clung to the curves to her body, especially when covered in sweat. Iza wore old, worn clothes that neither flattered her form nor allowed for easy bending. Rong might have been wearing a man's clothing.

Iroh seemed to notice all of this as he entered the ring. Iza envied the way he stood so confidently; she was shaking with fear. For two weeks she had been trying to bend, though she supposed the deficiency carried back to the night she… Her hand unconsciously reached up to her face, finding the skin no longer sensitive and painful, but unfeeling and strangely disconnected from her body.

A rumbling chuckle woke her from her reverie; Jiao had made the Prince laugh. The amusement still tinged his voice when he asked if everyone was ready to begin. At a sharp glance from Jiao, Iza nodded. Rong looked like she was born ready.

They started with stretches, preparing for the next hour of fighting. Iroh admired how easily Jiao and, surprisingly, Iza performed, though Rong's stiff movements had a power of their own. After the stretching, Iroh led the girls through a series of drills. Focusing more on his own bending, he didn't notice that Rong's short, powerful burst of fire was the only other bending going on.

At least, not initially.

Iza had no idea the Prince had begun to watch her; she kept rolling through the motions until Jiao's impatient huff reminded her where she was. Stopping, she hung her head with shame as he approached her. Jiao's eyes were black with jealousy and Rong seemed annoyed at the interruption in practice.

But Iroh's voice was gentle. "I thought you could bend, Lady Iza," he said, tipping her chin up with his fingers. "Is something wrong?"

Terrified, Iza looked to Jiao, who scowled. No help there. "Just been having trouble lately. No big deal, really. I'm not all that good."

The golden-brown of the Prince's eyes seemed to linger on her face for just a moment too long, concern and confusion plain in their depths. Iza looked away, unable to stand the memories flooding back of the last time a man looked at her like that.

Iroh seemed to sense her reluctance to talk about bending and restarted the practice session. He would spend the afternoon with her anyway. Maybe he could get her to talk then.

Nuying was back, this time for mangoes.

Liro gulped as she casually leaned across part of the cart to reach the fruit of her choice, offering him the view of her choice. Part of him wanted to enjoy the sight, but the other part of him wanted to hold out on Zania. But it had been nearly a month with no word, no clue, no sight of her. Her dancing friend, Taira, had not received any sign of Zania either.

She had simply disappeared. And his mother was more anxious than ever for him to settle down. Better do it now before the Firedancer came back.

"How much for the mangoes, Liro?" That voice—that pure, haunting voice—interrupted his thoughts. A decision had to be made. Nuying's pink lips curled sweetly as her black hair flickered playfully in the breeze.

"Lunch," he replied.

"Lunch?" Her pretty eyes widened in confusion.

"They're free if you'll eat lunch with me tomorrow," he explained with a charming smile. She giggled, but nodded in response.

Liro wanted to hate himself, but he found that he just couldn't. It was her fault. She disappeared.

This time, Iza's clothing was subdued, a ghastly brown color that may have been worse than the orange. She appeared so frail and sad, fading against the background of the colorful garden. Iroh wanted to understand her, wanted to know why she hurt so deeply.

"Are you still happy in the palace, Lady Iza?" Iroh asked, his voice still kind.

"I wish you wouldn't call me that. I'm no lady."

He stared at her with shock. It was the first time he had ever heard her say something alluding to her lack of courtly elegance. "How could you say that, My Lady? The court has never seen somebody of your particular grace."

Her hollow laugh pierced him.

"Why don't we leave the palace? Go for a walk away from all of this? Get some fresh fruit or something from the market?" His hand reached for hers, which she snatched away quickly.

"That sounds nice, if that's what you want, Your Princeness."

The market was crowded, but all Iroh was aware of was the way Iza's hand seemed to cling to his arm, like she feared the throng around her. Probably hasn't been around so many people. The Shan aren't known for being positioned in major cities.

"Are you hungry, Lady Iza?" he asked, noting a fruit stand that seemed to have a lot of business.

"Yes," she replied blankly.

The crowds parted to allow the Prince and his companion through, the line diminishing to none but a pretty girl bowing as she moved aside. Both Iroh and Iza could hear the hushed whispers of scars and weddings, but Iroh stayed focused on her face. The shadow had never been darker, but she still kept a mask to hide what hurt her so badly.

"My Lord and Lady, what an honor to serve you! What can a humble farmer offer you?" The farmer bowed deeply, his eyes still flickering to the girl standing by his stand.

"Papaya would be nice, Master Farmer," replied Iroh.

When he held the fruit in his hand, he offered the better of the two to Iza, who took it numbly. Her fingers grasping his arm even more tightly, they walked back up to the palace.

I keep meaning to put this up, just so y'all know. Name meanings! Some of these are the family names from earlier.

From Chinese:

Jiao—charming, lovely
Rou—gentle, mild
Suyin—plain, unadorned sound
Zhin—treasure
Zi—grow, multiply
Cai—colorful
Rong—martial
Zan—praised
Huojin—fire metal
Shan—mountain, elegant bearing
Jinhai—golden sea
Nuying—girl flower

From Japanese:

Rei—polite
Hiromi—wide-seeing, widespread beauty
Iza—shortened from Izanami, a Japanese goddess
Iwao—stone man