Zuko tried calming himself down. He could do this. There was no reason to be nervous. He had been completely at ease with letting Azula watch him acting as Fire Lord, running both the palace and the nation, and interacting with practically every other authority figure in the world. The most she had done was give him some suggestions about how to present himself - and only when it was just the two of them, because, in her words, it wasn't a great idea to let people know just yet that his most trusted advisor was his insane little sister.

But having her watch him train felt different somehow. He couldn't tell if it was because she had always been a better firebender than he was, or because of all the times he had fought her... or because of her reaction the last time she saw him refuse a fight in that very room. That cruel smile would be in his mind forever.

She's not that person anymore. I have no reason to ask her to go away.

Yet a part of him wanted to. Something about having her watching him like a hawk while he was training sent shivers down his spine. It didn't matter that he had become a much stronger bender after meeting the old masters, or that this wasn't going to be a real fight. Azula didn't exactly help by staring at the scar on his chest the second he took his shirt off.

Is she ashamed or proud? Does it make her feel guilty? Does it make her feel anything at all?

Zuko pushed the thought aside. He was overreacting. Worst case scenario, Azula would mock him for not being good enough. They weren't enemies anymore. They'd spend hours of the day together, and even slept in the same bed most nights. This wasn't a big deal.

Master Xang made the first move - simple, quick, and easy to deflect. Before his opponent could take another step forward, Zuko shot three fire balls at him, forcing him to jump back.

Zuko then made the mistake of immediately taking a more offensive approach. As he got closer to the master, he prepared to strike him... only to have to jump to the side as a fire jet nearly burned him. Xang's way of fighting was always unpredictable as he could change strategies in a heartbeat. A fire ball to force Zuko backwards, three small, quick jets, and then a fourth, long one that made him lose his balance for a moment. He would have probably ended up on the ground had it not been for the airbending stance Aang thought him two years prior.

Let him keep attacking you. Keep your stance, and once he's tired enough, take him down.

It was the best strategy. It had worked for him before, including against his sister.

Truth be told, it was Azula's strategy.

He gave into the temptation to look at her for a split second. Her face showed no emotion, and her eyes were fixated on him. Zuko felt a lump forming in the back of his throat, and his heart beating faster. He took a deep breath and waited for his opponent to strike again.

As Xang attacked him, Zuko took an earthbending stance. He had to be immovable if he wanted to defend himself, while also saving more energy. It also helped him to get the upper hand - Xang was excellent in combat, but he was only used to fighting other firebenders, so he was at a disadvantage against someone who mixed it up with other techniques.

Once he saw him struggling to breathe for a brief moment, Zuko started moving again. Xang was close enough that it would be possible to end this fight with a few, key strikes.

He made it seem like the attack was coming from his right hand, only to then fire it with his left - one of his sister's favorite tricks that he seen her use so many times. Zuko wasn't looking at her, but he could almost feel her smile, just like the weight of her gaze felt like something tangible that threatened to come crashing down on him with full force at any second.

When Xang moved his head backwards to avoid the unexpected flame dangerously close to his face, Zuko kicked him, making him struggle to keep standing on his feet, then pushed him to the ground. The master recomposed himself, and congratulated him as Zuko offered him his hand.

He turned around and saw his sister offering him a towel, with two of the royal guards right behind her. Her discomfort at having them so near was evident in her face. He took the towel and noticed as she seemed to scrutinize every inch of his form. Part of him wished she would stop looking at him like that, and another felt strangely proud of being able to capture her attention.

"I have to say, you've gotten a lot better... brother" she said, her smirk and the tone she used on the last word letting him know that she had nearly called him 'Zuzu'. He was glad she caught herself before she did it.

He also hoped he wasn't blushing.

"Thank you"

She turned to Xang "You were quite impressive too. Do you usually train with my brother?"

He bowed to her "Thank you, princess. It means a lot to me. And to answer your question, I've only been training with the Fire Lord for about a month"

"I see. This area of the palace was off limits for me until today, but maybe I'll join the two of you on these sessions eventually"

The guards behind her were shocked, and looked at Zuko with despair in their eyes.

Despite being clearly taken by surprise and obviously feeling apprehensive, Xang smiled "It would be an honor. As long as your brother consents to it" he said, turning to him.

Zuko had seen this coming. He knew better than to think Azula would ever give up on her ambitions and be the type to just stand around looking pretty. The only thing he wasn't sure of was what her ambitions were right now.

"Once the doctors say it's safe for you to practice firebending again, you'll be more than welcome to join us"

She smiled and her eyes lit up in that dangerous way Zuko had not seen in a long time - and had never thought he would miss.