When will I ever stop procrastinating? Another long break, but I am back for real this time. I am really sorry for being absent for more than a month. This chapter was a bitch to edit, and I kept putting it off because I had trouble making the conversation flow naturally. I think it turned out okay in the end. Well, at least better than the monstrosity that was the first draft.

Anyways, I don't have much to say other than I hope you enjoy the chapter!

...

Ta Min looked suprised at the fact that the Prince seemed to know her name. Of course, she had seen him around Roku, but she had never considered the possibility that the Crown Prince of her nation knew who she was. "H-how do you know my name?" She stammered, her voice barely audible.

Sozin didn't reply, he didn't have an answer to give at that moment. Not when his father was asking him to marry the girl his best friend had been in love with for years. All he could do was to stare blankly at her for a moment before turning to face his father again, eyes still wide in shock.

"So you already know each other, then? It seems that this will work out better than I had previously anticipated." Sozin couldn't tell if his father was mocking him or being serious. Either way, there was no way he could marry Ta Min.

"Father, can I have a talk with you?" He forced his voice to sound calm and even, despite not feeling the slightest bit of calmness. Regardless of his efforts, his words came out strained. "Alone."

The Fire Lord scoffed, waving his hand. "I am sure you can say whatever you have to say to me in front of your future wife." From the outside, it could almost be seen as him being kind towards the girl, treating her as his equal, but Sozin knew him better than anyone, and right now he could hear in his voice that his father was challenging him. Will you dare to protest right now?

He would.

"Okay, I will." Sozin clenched his jaw. "I won't marry her."

The Fire Lord raised a brow, he was good at hiding his anger in front of strangers. Once Ta Min would become a part of the Royal Family, she meet his real fury as well. All the more reason to not drag her into this mess. "I thought we had already gone over this, Sozin."

"But I didn't know that it was her!" Sozin snapped. "I can't marry her. Please, Father, anyone but her!" He couldn't really care less if Ta Min would actually take offense to that, but judging by her apparent unhappiness that was written all over her pretty face, he doubted that she would.

"And why is that?" His father questioned, his calm facade was starting to slip, and Sozin could see that. He was minutes away from erupting like a volcano. "It has already been arranged, I had a talk with her father. Can you imagine how big of a shame she would bring on her family and herself, if she went home being rejected by the Prince?"

Sozin took a deep breath, of course he knew. But he couldn't just marry her! How could he do this to Roku? He had been so worried about Ta Min finding someone else and getting married before he would return, and now Sozin was about to be the one to marry the girl his best friend was in love with. He couldn't betray Roku like that. What would he even think? Could Sozin even be able to explain himself?

"I won't marry her! My decision is final!"

"So is mine, Sozin!" The mask cracked, shattered into a billion pieces as fake calmness disappeared with the speed of lightning. "The Fire Lord's word is the law. And not even you are above it!"

"So what?! What are you going to do to force my hand?!" Sozin yelled back in return, hot flames appearing on his clenched fists. "Imprison me? Beat me? Torture me? Both of us know that you can't do any of these!"

"Show some respect when speaking to me, Prince Sozin!" The Fire Lord stood up from his throne with the agility that wouldn't be expected of someone his age and condition. He was fuming now, smoke coming out of his nose.

"I will speak respectfully whenever you start to respect my decisions concerning my life!"

"Get out." He growled through gritted teeth, using the last shards of his long gone restraint, and it took Sozin a moment to realize that he was actually talking to Ta Min.

The girl's eyes were wide with fear, her hands trembling and her lip quivering in horror. She had never seen the Fire Lord in such an engraged state before. If there was the slightest possibility that she could get used to the idea of this marriage, it was gone now. The fear she felt in the face of the Fire Lord's fury had shaken her. Much to Sozin's admiration, she managed to bow her head in respect, before she left the throne room as quickly as she could without running, the sounds of hurried footsteps echoing as she disappeared.

"Insolent fool!" The Fire Lord roared when they were alone. "How dare you speak to me in such way in front of my future daughter in law?!" There was unrestraint anger in his golden eyes. "Now I will have to make sure she will not speak of today to anyone!"

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her!" The idea of his father threatening the already terrified girl made anger and fear stir in the Prince's chest. "And for your information, she will never be your daughter in law!"

"Do not test my patience, Sozin. I have very little left." His voice was a threat, hiding the promise of violence underneath. It took Sozin all he had to not flinch at his words. He felt like a little boy.

"I will marry whoever you want, I promise." Sozin decided to try a calmer approch. "Just not Ta Min. Anyone but her, please. It shouldn't be that hard to find a girl who wants to marry the Prince! I don't have to marry this poor girl who doesn't want it any more than I do." He was almost begging now, he felt so small.

"So, is that the problem? The fact that she does not want you?" The Fire Lord almost scoffed at that, despite his anger. "A woman's duty is to marry whoever was deemed suitable for her. She should be honored that she will become a part of the Royal Family. She will get used to it. And so will you."

"That's not the problem!" The Crown Prince protested, shaking his head. "I don't care if the girl I have to marry wants it or not. It just can't be her!"

"Then tell me why is that!" The Fire Lord's anger woke up again, this time more violently as he grabbed his son by the shoulders, shaking him. "Stop blabbering and get to the point!"

He squeezed his fists tighter, thinking of an answer to give. He couldn't tell the truth, if he told him he couldn't marry Ta Min because Roku loved her, his father would think of him weaker than he already did, finding even more reasons to force them into this marriage. He couldn't say he was in love with another girl, because such girl didn't exist. He couldn't say she wasn't good enough for him, because that would put her and her family in a disgraceful position.

"Speak, son!" He commanded once again, causing Sozin to jump slightly. And Sozin hated himself for it.

"Because she is practically engaged to someone else!" He tried his luck, silently praying that the Fire Lord wouldn't ask him to elaborate.

"What do you mean by practically?" His father inquired. So much for praying. "Any past affiliation and engagement was considered to be annulled when I asked for her hand in marriage from her father in your behalf. And he told me nothing about her being engaged to someone else."

"Roku loves her, and I can't do this to him. I won't!" Sozin said finally, not being able to think of another excuse.

"And who taught you to care about love?" His father scoffed, his voice dripping with mockery.

"Not you, certainly." The Prince muttered under his breath.

"What did you just say?!"

Sozin looked at him in the eye, pushing his fear aside. I am not a little boy. "I said you are not capable of loving anyone, not even your own son! I don't think you loved my mother either!"

"How dare you?!" The Fire Lord exploded with an anger unlike any Sozin had witnessed before. "How can you think it is your place to speak of how I felt about my late wife?!" He grabbed his son's arm with bruising force, fingers digging into his skin through the sleeve of his robes.

"Let go of me!" Sozin tried to free his arm from him.

"You are going to listen to me carefully first." His father's voice had suddenly become uncharacteristically quiet, dangerous. And it chilled Sozin to the bone. "Your loyalty to your nation must lie deeper than the loyalty to your friend. And your duty to your nation is to make the royal bloodline continue."

"But why does it have to be with her?!" Sozin insisted as he felt the Fire Lord's grip tighten around his arm. He could fight back, even strike him, but he remembered the guards outside of the door. They wouldn't hesitate to attack if the Fire Lord ordered them so, and Sozin would end up outnumbered and humiliated.

"Because that is what I decided on! And now, I see that my decision was more than fitting. Caring for someone makes you weak, and I will not have you displaying any more weakness!" His nails had broken into his skin now, and Sozin knew they would leave a mark. "Did I make myself clear?"

The Prince didn't respond, continuing to stare straight into his eyes, as if he was challenging him. But his eyes widened in shock as he felt his father's hand around his arm heating up. He was about to burn him!

"Did I make myself clear?!" He repeated.

"Yes, you did!" Sozin shouted in panic, afraid that his father would actually burn him if he continued to disobey. "Just fucking let me go, you crazy—"

"Watch your language, son!" He cut him off, letting go of his arm and shoving him away with more force than neccesary. "Now get out, and while you are at it, tell the girl to not say a word about this to anyone." He turned around and walked back to his throne, sitting down with a sigh. It did seem like this whole commotion had worn him outquite a bit.

Sozin just stared blankly at his father for a few minutes, not being able to shake off the shock. He had almost burnt him. He was going to burn him, that son of a bitch! How had the things become so bad between them?

...

He found Ta Min in the hallway, a guard standing behind her as if she would try to run away. She was looking more scared than she had been before.

"Leave us alone." Sozin commanded to the guard, not bothering to hide the harsh tone of his voice.

The guard hesitated, but complied, after catching the Prince's glare.

Sozin was still fuming because of his argument with his father, he struggled to find the right words to say for a minute, trying to force his voice to come out normal in order to not scare Ta Min any further. "Don't take anything I said back in the throne room personally. It had nothing to do with you."

"Of course, Prince Sozin." Her voice was meek and obedient, she had been trained well. She would actually make a good wife.

He pushed the thought as far away as he could manage, he wouldn't let his father get into his head like that. He considered what to say, the uncomfortable silence between them growing with every passing second.

"I know about you and Roku." He said finally.

"Y-you do?" Her expression suddenly twisted with fear. Was it treason to want to be with someone else when you were practically engaged to the Fire Lord's son? "Are you... angry about it?" She asked with a shaky voice.

"Angry?" Sozin laughed dryly, almost sounding incredulous. "Why would I be angry? I was the one that kept pressuring Roku to confess his feelings for you."

Ta Min's expression softened a bit, her shoulders relaxed. "That is exactly why I won't marry you." Sozin stated, trying to be reassuring. But his voice sounded flat even to his own ears.

"You won't?! But the Fire Lord said—"

"I know what the Fire Lord said!" He cut her off, his tone harsher than he had meant it to be. "But trust me when I say that I will do anything in my power to make sure this marriage won't happen. You can rest assured." He didn't know what else he could do, but he couldn't just give up.

"Thank you, Your Highness..." She gave hima genuine smile, the first one since she had stepped foot inside the palace. "You are a good friend."

I am really not. "Go home now." Sozin responded dismissively. Then remembering his father's command he added, "and don't tell anyone about what happened today. I will find a way to make things right."

Ta Min unexpectedly reached out and wrapped her arms around him, ignoring all the formalities. "Thank you." She whispered. "So much. I do really like Roku, and I would like to be with him, given the choice."

He didn't know what to say as he tried to awkwardly return the hug, before she quickly pulled away. "I am sorry if I crossed the line..." She muttered, looking down, embarressed.

Sozin found himself at a loss for words for a second, no one outside of his family and Roku had showed the audacity to hug the Prince before. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "It is fine, just go now." He tried to say reassuringly, as Ta Min turned away and walked towards the other end of the hall, leaving with a proper bow this time.

...

Once he returned to his chambers, his mind started racing. He had to do something! But what? His father had made it clear that nothing Sozin would say or do could change his mind.

He would never let Sozin choose someone else to be his wife, not after he had revealed the fact that Roku was in love with Ta Min.

In the midst of his desperation, one thought crossed his mind. A thought that was so disturbing and wrong that it made the Prince shiver. But he couldn't get it out of his mind however hard he tried.

Maybe he would have to take his father out of the equation completely...