Should I even call these Author's Notes?

Author-nim: I can explain—

Uncle Iroh: Do you know why they call me the Dragon of the West?

Author-nim: ...

P.S. Don't forget to check out my book (work-in-progress). It's an original posted on Wattpad entitled

"The Siren from Building 31"

*ends shameless plugging*

"Fire Lord Zuko, it's noon. You haven't had a single meal since last night..." Eunuch Kim bowed his head and waited for the monarch to respond patiently. "Fire Lord?"

He merely grumbled out a response and clutched the pillow he was holding closer to his bare chest.

"Leave him be." Sol lightly pinched the eunuch's arm while balancing a tray on her other hand. "He needs to be alone for a while."

The handmaiden left the tray on the bedside table, picked up the scattered clothing on the floor and bowed her way out, dragging the frantic Eunuch with her.

Zuko pressed his face deeper into the pillow, deeply inhaling the intoxicating scent that was engraved into the sheets, his mind replaying last night's events over and over in his head.

"I... last night... with Chiyo..."

He let out a frustrated groan against by the pillow. He felt guilt and shame for what he had done. He had posed as a stranger and made love to her like a starved man in front of a feast.

But something else overpowered the guilt and shame. Relief. And perhaps, in a self-absorbed way, happiness. It might have been an abstract concept, but somehow, he was glad to have been there for her... to have held her... to—

Zuko muffled another scream to the pillow, his face and the tips of his ears reddening at certain flashes of memories. He cannot deny that he had imagined her like that countless of times in the past. Even back when he wasn't the Fire Lord, but the banished Prince of the Fire Nation.

They had taken her back too soon. The sun had barely peeked in the horizon when the aides came knocking at his door.

Zuko refused their help and cleaned her up himself. Using his firebending, he warmed the water to a soothing temperature. With a cloth, he lovingly cleaned her entire body without waking her. He ran the warm fabric over her pale skin, marred with the marks he made in the heat of passion.

She looked so heartbreakingly divine even in her sleep.

How he had wished to see her like this in his every waking moment.

From her arms, to her body, to her legs and even the tips of her fingers and toes, he made sure that she was cared for, looking as if he was worshipping rather than cleaning her. He took the clothes from the aide and dressed her himself despite the protests of the other servants.

He pulled a long-forgotten item from his table and gently helped her sit up, having her lean on his chest. Gently, he brushed her hair aside and clasped the long, golden chain of the necklace back in place.

"This is the only way I can comfort you, Chiyo. My hands are tied, and so are yours. Please, don't return this gift to me." He whispered softly as he kissed the top of her head tenderly. "This is my heart. Don't return it, and don't cast it aside. Keep it. I'm yours."

Zuko fought the urge to run after them as the aide lifted her up from the bed and left before sunrise.

The price he had paid was very steep, but it was all worth it. No matter how much his mother, Uncle Iroh and Lady Reiko had warned him about it, Chiyo had already made her choice.

And he had made his.

He figured out that he was being cornered into this decision by unknown people hiding behind Lady Vira. But he didn't have the luxury of time or chance to end it. If those people were after the Fire Nation's fortune, he wouldn't let them have it.

With the help of the organizer he had only met on a few occasions, a close friend of Chiyo's, they came up with a plan. Even as the Fire Lord, he cannot easily use the nation's resources to win. All that aside, he still had more than enough to rival the rich merchants and nobles in terms of wealth.

The organizer, however, revealed insider information about a collaboration between the bidders. It was an illegal practice, yet Lady Vira turned a blind eye from it, counting on the gains she would earn from this one transaction.

In the end, Zuko made his decision. He made his bid through the organizer and waited in confidence.

The price he paid, this offer that he was willing to make, this offer that Lady Vira cannot afford to refuse...

The Fire Lord's favor and word.

A promise and a guarantee worth more than any gold or land title one can offer.

Chiyo woke up a bit disoriented. She felt as if she was floating, yet her body was made of heavy lead at the same time.

She could barely remember what happened the morning after the ceremony. The instant she had been alone, she felt the disgust and humiliation wash over her anew.

Even those feelings got tangled up in a mess a soon as she saw the necklace that she thought she would never get to see again.

Zuko. It had been Zuko all along. She touched the tear-shaped pendant and closed her eyes, reliving those moments. In the memory where she could not see the gentle stranger's face, she saw Zuko. She imagined how painful it must have been for him. She could almost see his anguished expression, twisted in torment as she all but threw herself unto him.

But the tenderness with which he had held her, the anxiousness with his questions and his requests for her permission, the loving way that he touched and set fire to every inch of her skin... Somehow, she knew all along that it was him, though her conscience refused to believe it.

It was such a bittersweet meeting, and she cannot bring herself to forget it like she had promised before.

Along with the necklace, she promised to cherish the memory and keep it in her heart, locking it away forever.

The emotions flooded her mind and heart so much that she collapsed before she could even take a step into the bath.

They told her she ran quite a fever and a few coughing fits, and only woke up after two days. They would check in on her occasionally and feed her medicinal tonics.

Chiyo got up from bed and looked around. Her room, previously almost barren, was now filled with a lot of stuff; all sorts of garments, priceless accessories of every shape, size and color, expensive-looking bottles of perfumes and wines. Every item of luxury she could think of, she found it in her room, and more.

Still, she had no desire to touch them. She donned on a light robe and went out of her room to find Lady Vira. Chiyo frowned as the other entertainers seemed to avoid her, bowing and muttering small whispers of apology as she passed them.

"Ah! There you are!" Lady Vira greeted her and ushered her into the room. "Take your seat and have some tea. Are you feeling better? Have you—"

"I want to take a trip somewhere." Chiyo cut her off. "My responsibilities from the ceremony has finished, right? And looks like you've earned quite a lot from me. Keep your promise not to harm any other person inside this troupe. Am I clear?"

Lady Vira dropped her act and chuckled. "Of course. I may be a nasty woman in your eyes, but a promise is a promise."

The elder woman granted her leave and she was set to leave in the afternoon.

Days later, she found herself in Hira'a, dressed plainly and cloaked to blend in with the small crowd. She walked through the familiar town where she had stayed for almost a year. She visited the town's plaza where the actors and actresses she had worked with previously were now rehearsing for a new play.

She sat with the bystanders for a while, watching them fondly before getting up to leave. Half an hour of walking brought her to the edge of the forest where they once met the Mother of Faces.

The Forgetful Valley.

Chiyo let out a deep breath as she looked ahead into the darkness, gathering her courage with every inhale and exhale before bravely entering without looking back.

She tried to remember the path they had taken previously. Keeping in mind to keep going south and watching out for the patterns on the trees and animals. When she got tired, she would sit under a tree and drink from a flask she kept with her. Once she was rested, her journey began again.

Eventually, Chiyo could see the face-like patterns appear on the leaves, the fur on woodland creatures manifested into scowling features, much like the one the Mother of Faces have given her.

The spiritual pool was as clear and tranquil as she had remembered. Even the soft wind made no ripple against its calm surface.

Aang once taught her how to meditate whenever she was troubled. And she figured that this was the perfect place to be in. In the tumult of emotions, she needed peace.

She sat by the water's edge, folding her legs beneath her and closing her eyes.

The morning sun with which she arrived with slowly had come to set, making the darkness seem more profound and threatening.

All throughout her meditation, she had not made a single move. She had remained as still as the pool itself, as if she was a beautiful statue carved by a well-versed artist.

She didn't move at all, even when she heard footsteps behind her, even when she could feel the footsteps growing closer to where she was.

Even when she felt something placed on her lap.

Chiyo finally opened her eyes when she felt warm fingertips brush against her cheek.

"Zuko..."

He smiled up at her, comfortably laying himself on the soft grass with his head on her lap. "Hey, you."

"H-how...Why—"

"I followed you here. They told me you were leaving, and they told me where you were headed." He replied as he traced the growing circles under her eyes.

"I-if you are here... then... who's running the Fire Nation?"

He shrugged as if it was a simple matter, but he did that just so she wouldn't worry. "Uncle has been helping me for a while. I'm still learning a lot from him and the others, but soon, I will be a dependable Fire Lord that can protect his people."

They were silent for a while, thinking of the right words to say.

"You... We..." Chiyo brought a hand up to touch Zuko's face, fearing that it was all an illusion, and that he would soon disappear as soon as she blinked. The tears came bursting when he didn't fade from her touch. "That night..."

Zuko held the hand that reached out to him and brought it to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. "Did you think I was going to let you off easily after breaking my heart not once, but twice?"

She laughed, the first time she had genuinely smiled in a while. "The prince who chased the Avatar around the world for three years? Giving up? I can't imagine it."

"Good. Don't." With a fingertip, he traced his name affectionately on her palm. "See? You're mine."

It was such a blessing to hear those word from him, face-to-face in this paradise of darkness that seemed to embrace them, but eventually, they would have to face reality again. "I'm an entertainer now, and you are the Fire Lord."

"But I am still Zuko, and you are still Chiyo... and you are mine."

She shook her head at his stubbornness. "Suit yourself." She took her hand away and slowly removed Zuko's crown from his top knot, laying the gold emblem on the grass and running her fingers through his now slightly longer hair. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of them.

Aang was right. Meditation brought peace. And her meditation somehow brought Zuko here by her side.

"It's getting dark."

"I know."

"Should we be heading back?"

"Do you want to head back?"

"No... Not yet."

"Then let's stay for a while."

The sun was gone, and the moon shone brightly above them, reflected in the pool's water. Zuko sat up and took his cloak off and layered it over her own. "I was worried when they said that you were going to Hira'a. My first thought was—"

"You thought I was going to look for the Mother of Faces, weren't you?"

His silence was confirmation enough. Chiyo took his hand and placed it on her cheek, looking up at him. "I never had the strength to forget you before, though losing my memory was an exception. I don't think I can, even now. But now that you mention it, there was always this question that has long bothered me."

"What is it?"

"Do you love me because of this face?"

Zuko sighed and cupped her cheeks in both hands. "Yes, I had a crush on this beautiful, beautiful face when I was twelve. Then I got to know the girl who owned this face. She was shy, but very mischievous, sometimes a bit more than Azula. The girl behind this face was not only talented, but also hardworking. She was brave, and she was thoughtful, she can be as selfish as much as she was selfless."

By then, Chiyo was as red as a tomato, flinching at every word that left Zuko's mouth so much that she closed her eyes. "Enough!"

"I had a crush on this face, but I fell in love with the girl behind it." Then just like that, she felt his lips close on her own.

And this feeling, a feeling that everything was going to be alright, echoed between them.