Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Avatar the Last Airbender or its characters

A/N: Thank you everyone for your support thus far! I hope you continue to enjoy the story :)

Zuko tried to hold his head high as he walked down the hallway. Walking aimlessly through the palace was a habit of his lately when he wasn't with his sister, Ty Lee and Mai. Around him, servants bowed and scurried away, which was good; he didn't much feel like talking to anyone. He had sent Maoku away earlier, annoyed with the caretaking and hovering his manservant did. It didn't help that his mood wasn't the best. He had finally made it into the prison to see his Uncle but the man had turned his back on him, refused to speak. It infuriated him to no end. . . .

But it wasn't like he could blame him.

It was Zuko's fault that Iroh was even in that place.

Stopping, he groaned, placing his head in his hands.

Nothing felt right. Zuko had absolutely no clue what he was doing.

Of course, it didn't help that he was fairly certain that the Avatar was still alive. And with Azula having given him the credit, if Aang really was alive, he would lose all of this again.

Maybe a trip to the Industrial Sector would be to his benefits.

The sound of someone humming pulled him from his thoughts. Looking up, he watched as the colony girl he had met two days ago walked past, completely oblivious to his presence. Judging by the basket in her hands, she was off to do another load of washing.

Zuko didn't know much about how servants were chosen to work in the Palace, though he knew they all took their job very seriously, that it gave them recognition and that they weren't just chosen at random. He was honestly surprised that this colony girl was here.

Before he could stop himself, he started after her. "Hey, uh, excuse me."

Startled, she stopped turning to face him. She didn't look like a Fire Nation citizen and he wondered if that came from living in the colonies. Her black hair was pulled on top of her head in a thick bun again, rather than a traditional top knot . . . round, grey eyes set in a round face. . . .

Those eyes had been the first thing he had noticed about her, the color of storm clouds on the horizon.

"Good afternoon, Prince Zuko," she responded, bowing and giving him a small, polite smile as she stood up straight.

"Afternoon," Zuko responded. He scratched the back of his neck before gesturing to the basket in her hands. "More washing?"

The look she gave him was a bit confused, a bit wry, but the smile stayed. "Jobs never done it would seem."

She was wary of him, he realized, more than she had been that first time they met. She seemed more guarded. Zuko wondered what stories she had heard about him. He was glad that she, at least, wasn't nervous about looking him in the eye anymore. She cleared her throat. "Well, I should get back to it, sir. I hope you enjoy your –"

"What's your name?" Zuko blurted out.

He watched her eyes get wide. "I'm – what?"

"Your name. . . . You do have one, don't you?"

"I'm just surprised you want to know it."

"Are you going to tell me or not?" Prince Zuko muttered with a frown.

The petite girl hesitated, biting her lip. "It's – Opame."

Zuko nodded, testing the name in his head. It was an odd name, nothing like he had heard before. "When did you move here from the colonies, Opame?"

Again, she hesitated. The look in her eyes was indecipherable but he thought he saw her hands tighten around the edges of the basket. "I arrived about a week before I started working here."

"How do you like it so far? Living in the Capital?"

"It's . . . beautiful. A little warm though, I suppose."

"Are you still feeling home sick?"

"Wow," she said, shaking her head. "I'm sorry," she added quickly. "I'm just – I'm stunned honestly. The other servants barely know my name, let alone stop to have a conversation with me. . . . You ask a lot of questions. Sir," she added, tensely and for the first time, she frowned at him, a little glimpse of anger in those grey eyes of hers . . . maybe fear.

"I'm sorry if I offended you," Zuko said, holding up his hands. "I was just curious. . . . You seem much more confident than you did last time I saw you."

Opame bowed her head. "I apologize, Prince Zuko."

"No, don't, it's fine! I don't want you to apologize!" Prince Zuko took a step toward her and he thought he saw her tense up. He stepped back, not wanting to send her running. "I'm sorry. . . . You're – sort of strange, but you seem nice!" he added when she frowned at him again. "I was just trying to be friendly."

He didn't know why, though. He wasn't necessarily 'friendly' with any other servant, not even the men who were around him most frequently; more like nonchalant. But there was something interesting about this girl, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Maybe it was because she was new and sort of intriguing. Maybe it was because she treated him a bit differently from the other servants; most of them were either fearful or entirely too reverent. He felt almost – normal around her, especially now that she wasn't calling him by a title as much. An awkward teenage boy around an equally awkward teenage girl.

Opame took a breath. "I'm a bit better, thank you. We're settling in. Ceba, my little brother, likes his new school."

"It's just the two of you?" Prince Zuko asked, tilting his head.

Once more, she paused, looking off down the hallway. She gave the Prince a stiff bow. "I really should be going, sir. This washing won't do itself. Please, enjoy your day."

With that, she rushed off, leaving behind a very confused Zuko. Kind one moment, stand-offish the next.

What was with this girl?

"Have a nice day," he muttered to the empty space around him.

"Let's Dance, Opame!"

Opame smiled down at her little brother. It was a rare day off for her and Izuma so the two of them, Razo and Ceba had decided to go to Harbor City and wander around. There were decorations all around, streamers strung between buildings, paper flowers hung from windows. Different merchants were out selling food and specialty merchandise. All in all, it was a good day in the city. When she asked what they were celebrating, Izuma had shrugged. "They must have just felt like doing something nice for us."

In the Main Plaza, there was a band playing, people watching them, nodding their heads. Ceba was currently pulling on Opame's hand, trying to get her to move towards the others.

"No one else is dancing," Opame responded.

"We don't really do that here," Izuma explained, giving them both a sympathetic look. "It's a bit stricter here than in the colonies."

"But why play the music if you aren't going to dance?" Ceba whined, pouting as they continued walking through the merchants. "Opame and I love to dance."

"Well, we all love music here," Izuma explained, "and we love to listen to it, but dancing just doesn't fit with our way of life."

"What is the way of life?" Opame asked.

"Serving the Fire Lord and our Nation, of course. Razo," Izuma said, looking up at her husband, "can you take Ceba to look at the toys over there. It's time for Opame and I to gossip a little."

"Sure thing," Razo said, holding out his hand to Ceba, who reluctantly took it, letting his older cousin drag him towards a merchant.

"I'm sorry," Opame said when the boys were out of earshot. "There's still a lot that Ceba is trying to learn about leaving here."

"It's completely understandable," Izuma said. "Trust me, even I'm a bit radical to the people living here. Razo's mother is still not used to me. Don't tell anyone I said this, but I've thought about moving to the colonies, get a little bit of freedom. It can be stuffy here at times.. . . . Are you enjoying work? I know it's only been week and 'enjoying' is a relative term considering what we do, but –"

"It's been fine," Opame assured her, smiling. "That is, I've been doing what I'm told and staying out of trouble."

"That's good to hear. No one's been giving you a hard time, have they?"

"No, not at all. They've all basically been ignoring me. Well, except for Prince Zuko, I suppose. He –"

Izuma grabbed Opame's arm, turning her towards her. Her cousin's gold eyes were wide, almost terrified. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing like what you might be thinking, whatever you're thinking! We've talked, is all, just twice."

"You talked to him?"

"Shhhhhh." Opame looked around the area where she and Izuma stood, though the music was loud and no one was paying them much attention. She sighed. "It was purely coincidental. . . . At least that first time, anyway," she added as an afterthought.

"Opame," Izuma hissed, leaning forward. Her eyes were narrowed as she gave her cousin a fierce look. "I need you to realize that it's not just your job that's on the line. I recommended you, remember? You can't just go breaking the rules."

"I'm sure I'm not the only female servant to have ever been around the Prince by herself."

"He has an all-male staff for a reason."

"It's not like I did it on purpose," Opame argued, frowning at her cousin. "I was doing my job, he approached me. Am I supposed to just ignore him?"

"Well . . . no, of course not. But holding a conversation? You shouldn't do that either."

"Alright, well then, next time, I'll just walk away when he starts talking to me," she said, sarcastically.

Izuma sighed, placing her hands on her heads. "We're going to lose our jobs."

"No we won't." Opame reached forward to grab Izuma's hands. "It won't happen again, I'm sure. Honestly, I just think he may be – lonely."

"How can he be lonely?" Izuma asked. "He's surrounded by people."

Opame rolled her eyes. "That doesn't mean you can't be lonely. Has he ever spent time with any of the Noble's sons?"

Izuma shrugged, turning back to the dance floor. "I've only really seen him with the Princess, Lady Mai and Lady Ty Lee. I don't think he has many friends. He has been . . . rather subdued, I suppose, quiet. Though, I've only been working for the Princess for two years. I didn't know him well before he left."

"Was banished," Opame corrected.

She shrugged again. "All I'm saying is that it's not your job to provide him 'company'. You need to be careful, for all our sakes."

"I will be. I promise."

Izuma nodded before sneaking a peek at her cousin. "What's he like?"

This time, Opame shrugged, crossing her arms and grabbing her elbows. "Awkward. . . . Curious . . . he asks questions."

"Like what?"

"He asked my name, where I was from, if I liked living in the capital."

"Hmm. I heard he was different, even before he left," Izuma explained. "He spent a lot of time with his mom."

Opame nodded. She had heard the stories, of the woman who was banished, for some reason or another, but also of the kind woman who ruled beside Fire Lord Ozai. Such a contrast, just like her son.

The look on Izuma's face turned sly as she looked around, grinning. "Not to compare him with my lovely husband but, he's handsome, the Prince, isn't he?"

"Oh?" Opame said, trying not to blush. "I hadn't noticed."

"''I hadn't noticed' she says," Izuma mocked. She pocked Opame in the side, causing the younger girl to squirm. "You'd be the only one. He's all the other girls can talk about at times, not that they have much of a shot. He doesn't seem interested in anyone. I know Lady Mai had a crush on him but I don't think that went anywhere."

"Why were you so worried?" Opame asked, changing the subject. "Did you think he had done something to me?"

"No, I guess not," Izuma explained. "I suppose if you had to run into any Royal, he's the best one. He's – nothing like his father or sister. They're cruel," she said in a whisper, glancing around. "If you ever encounter Fire Lord Ozai or Princess Azula, the best thing you can do is remember Ms. Akuri's rules. Keep your head bowed, stay composed, maintain a respectful demeanor."

"Got it."

"Come on." Izuma took Opame's hand, pulling on her hands. It was obvious that she was eager to change the subject. "Let's go buy some food for us and the boys. I'm sure they'll be hungry."

This was torture.

Ms. Akuri had set Opame to doing the dusting that day. Currently, she was working in the Royal Portrait Hall. Her feather duster paused on Fire Lord Sozin, a frown settling on her face behind the cloth she wore. She could feel the fire in her blood, an anger and a sadness. She had had this feeling twice now since working here, seeing portraits of the people who destroyed the world before she was born, who aimed to continue to see it ruined.

Ash. Smoke. Burning.

Clearing her throat, she continued to move down the portraits, turning her thoughts to other things.

The Prince, for example.

A week and a half had gone by since their second hallway incident, an incident that still thoroughly confused her and set her on edge, no matter what she said to Izuma. Where did he get off, asking her questions he wasn't intitled to? And it wasn't like she could just not answer. What was it about her that made him so 'curious'? As she dusted, she took stock about what he knew so far.

Her name.

Where she was from.

That she lived here now with her little brother.

That wasn't too bad she supposed. It was stuff he could find out from asking anyone else. Still, call it years of ingrown paranoia, but could she really be blamed? Her family's heritage was, obviously, a secret, one that had been hidden for years and years. Not even Izuma, who was her cousin on her father's side, knew their secret.

Ever since she was young, her mother had stressed to her the importance of keeping their secret. It had been harder for Shenden , who had her tattoos to hide but she did well, becoming a cantankerous old woman, which helped keep people away, wearing gloves and veils when she left the house or sending her daughter, Mio, out in her place. Mio fit in much easier, even able to, obviously, marry and have a daughter of her own, Opame's mother Ro. Four generations of woman forced to hide and protect their heritage.

Prince Zuko was asking too many questions.

Did he know?

Did he suspect?

And yet . . . he was kind enough to ask her if she was still homesick, after noticing that she had been crying. The pieces of the puzzle that made up Prince Zuko didn't fit together at all. Thankfully, he had been gone for a few days on a trip to the beach with the Princess and her friends. That meant, she was able to keep her promise to Izuma and stay away from the man.

"Opame?"

Opame shrieked, spinning in the direction of the voice, duster held out in front of her. Prince Zuko gave her that amused look of his, eyebrow cocked over his good eye. Exhaling sharply, she lowered her 'weapon'. "For Spirit's Sake!" she said, pulling down the scarf on her face so that she could frown at him properly. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry," the Prince said, smiling slightly. He gestured at the duster. "What were you going to do with that?"

She looked down at the duster. "I – don't know. But it would have worked."

Pulling the cloth back over her face, she started down the hallway again, dusting as she went. She looked out the corner of her eye to see that Prince Zuko was walking with her, staying out of range of the dust but present none the less. She turned to him, slightly. "Was there something you needed? Some calming tea perhaps? Should I go and get one of your manservants?"

There were bags under his eyes. He looked utterly exhausted but he shook his head. "No, no I'm fine . . . and please don't. I sent Maoku away. He's smothering. I just needed some peace for a moment."

"Well," Opame replied, quickening her pace. "I'll leave you to it."

"No, wait." Zuko jerked forward. "Uh, that is. . . . Hey," he said, stopping short. "You haven't called me a title yet."

"Hmm," Opame hummed. "I suppose I haven't. My apologies, Prince Zuko," she added, causing a small smile to come to his face. She hesitated for a moment, her duster poised to continue her work before she stopped and turned to the Prince. "Do you mind if I speak candidly?"

"I – sure?" Zuko responded, confused.

"Is – is there something you want from me?" she asked, tilting her head at him as she pulled the cloth over her mouth down.

"What do you mean?"

Opame crossed her arms, frowning slightly. "I mean that this is the third time we've talked and it's not like it's really allowed."

"I'm a Prince," Zuko shrugged. "I can do what I want."

"Well, I'm a servant and I can't. I could get in a lot of trouble for talking to you," she added, looking around to make sure they were still alone. "And, maybe in your time – outside of the palace, you were able to talk to whomever you wanted and whenever you wanted, but it doesn't work like that here."

"How would you know?" Zuko asked with a frown. "You haven't even been here that long."

"You told me I could be honest."

Zuko crossed his arms too, looking away from her. "No there isn't anything I want from you. . . . You're just – easy to talk to."

"Even though I'm 'strange'?"

"I mean – you're not that strange."

"Well, which is it?" she asked. When Zuko spun on her, eyes narrowed, brow furrowed, mouth open ready to argue, she was smiling. She shouldn't be, she thought, as the boy in front of her turned again, his frown almost like a pout. She shouldn't smile at this boy who came from a line of killers. This shouldn't feel so ordinary.

And yet . . .

He was nothing like what she expected. If he had been arrogant and demanding like Izuma said Azula was, it would have been easier to hate him.

"If you don't want me to talk to you, I—" Zuko started. He hesitated, looking down at the floor. "It's just, I don't usually have many people to talk to and – you're . . . interesting. I'll leave you alone."

"Did you have a favorite place?" Opame asked before Zuko could walk away. She continued her dusting but kept her voice low. Maybe if people didn't notice they were talking, it wouldn't be so bad. Just two people who happened to be in the same hallway. "I know you might not have necessary liked, or wanted to, travel, but did you have some place that you enjoyed?"

Zuko paused for a moment but he started walking as well, not to close but she was still able to hear him. "My – my uncle and I stayed in Ba Sing Se for a while. . . . It was nice."

"Ba Sing Se," Opame repeated. "We lived maybe a week's travel from there, but I've never been. I've heard it was beautiful."

"I didn't get to see much of it, but yea it was. My uncle owned a tea shop in the Upper Ring for a while. It was really popular."

And so Opame dusted and Zuko talked and it felt – right.