Chapter 4

The ride home was incredibly dull in comparison to the last night at the tribe. Zuko left most of the soldiers with the nearby market-village to defend the South Pole from the Son of Sozin – if he even arrived. The good news was that everything was much less crowded, and they had their own room. The bad news is that Ila spent the entire trip in their room, as soldiers couldn't be trusted with a young girl, much less the LAST AIRBENDER.

So most of the time was spent in hushed conversation. They couldn't discuss Ila loudly, as she had entered the ship while cloaked. "Family affairs" couldn't be discussed either, since they were much too personal for present company. To make things worse, Katara couldn't stop throwing Zuko seductive looks, which was driving him crazy. If he hadn't taken care of Kya and Katara the night before, he was sure they would have done it – Ila's presence regardless.

It was a huge relief when they docked on Fire Nation shores again. Armed with a personal escort, Zuko went straight to the throne room with the young airbender. Katara and Kya dismissed themselves and left to perform their neglected duties.

Zuko barged right into the room, much to the surprise of everyone there. He ignored several glares. "Your Majesty, I have some urgent news."

Lu Ten smiled tiredly. "I hope it's good news." He waved off General Yao, who slumped his shoulders in disappointment. "Speak, cousin."

Zuko gestured for Ila to come forward. "When I arrived at the Water Tribe, I was immediately greeted by the Chief." It was a bit of a stretch, but he wanted to sound professional. "He pulled me inside an igloo and showed me something no one here has seen in their entire lives."

Ila pulled her hood back, and the room gasped. Zuko's eyes found Azula, who just tilted her head. "She was being hunted by a man, a firebender who called himself the 'Son of Sozin.' He hunted her across the Earth Kingdom until she found refuge in the Southern Water Tribe."

General Zhao interrupted. "So why bring her here? The war is over, in case you hadn't noticed. And she is no Avatar."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "I was getting there. Since their near destruction, they haven't had much time to rebuild. This assassin is reported to be exceptionally crafty and devious. Even the Kyoshi warriors couldn't manage him."

This earned some anxious mutters. The Warriors were renowned for their incredible resistance to the Fire Nation during the invasion. Anything that could neutralize them was certainly a threat. "So I was requested to bring her here. As the dominant nation right now, I believe it is our responsibility-"

General Xin cut him off. "We have no such responsibilities." All eyes turned toward him, and a smirk crept along his face. "If she really is the last of her kind, she is an entire nation. Unless she subjugates her bloodline under Fire Nation rule, we have no authority or responsibility to protect her."

This stirred up some arguments, but Lu Ten raised his hand. "This is not just the Airbenders that are in question here. This is the fate of the entire world." He looked to Ila gently. "Are you truly the last of your kind?"

Ila nodded, too nervous to speak. Lu Ten turned to General Xin. "Then it's decided. In the interest of the entire world, Fire Nation included, we will keep her safe, and ourselves in turn."

General Xin merely raised an eyebrow. "Safe from what? We have no evidence of a concrete attack or forespoken doom. And the law clearly states that religious observances, no matter how popular," he added dryly, "cannot affect what occurs in court." He shrugged. "We can't help her."

Another bout of angry arguing filled the court. Azula raised her hand. "If I may, Your Majesty," she said kindly, "I may have a solution."

Lu Ten eyed her warily. "What kind of solution?"

Azula always lies. Zuko watched her with contempt. All eyes were on her now, the room at her disposal. She paused for a moment, enjoying the attention. "Well, we can't help another country, of course, but we can take her captive." She spread her arms. "What if she were our prisoner, treated as a high class? She couldn't ask for better security or comfort."

Lu Ten leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. "I suppose that isn't a bad idea," he said finally. "However, as a precaution, I would demand that no one has authority to enter but myself. If this man is a crafty as Zuko described, I want to be certain he cannot reach her."

Azula waved her hand dismissively. "Whatever you'd like, Your Majesty. It was only a suggestion."

Try as he might, Zuko couldn't figure her out. Maybe she actually did believe the myths? Azula wouldn't like the end of the world, after all. There wouldn't be anyone left to manipulate.

The counsel went on to discuss details about the prison, and Zuko was impressed. If they put her high up, she would have a tremendous advantage should the prison fall, as she could airbend her way to safety. Exactly four guards who would all know each other – no masks or helmets permitted – would be set to guard two doors at the bottom of the stairs and the door to her room. They already had a tower in mind, one without secret passages. One window, hardly big enough for Ila to slip through, was located in the room. All that was needed was to add some furniture and they would be good to go.

General Yao raised his hand. "This would only be a temporary solution. She cannot have children in captivity, so then we are trapped by her mortality. Even if she were to bear child, we couldn't imprison it for anything."

Lu Ten sighed. "We'll deal with that another day. For now, it's the best solution I can think of." He nodded to Azula. "Thank you." She replied with a demure smile that made Zuko's skin crawl.

"I suppose that will be all for today. Thank you, everyone. Meeting adjourned." The counsel members rose and left while Ila was escorted to her new quarters by the entourage. Zuko sighed in relief. It was over.

On his way to the Tributes' room, Zuko was stopped by an arm grabbing his from the shadows. The immediate tension left his body when he spotted June's sharp features. "June, you scared me."

Her scowl didn't fade. It took only a moment for Zuko to realize what was wrong. "Look, I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye. I couldn't find you that morning, and I was in a rush…" It was a lame excuse and he knew it. "And the night before, Mai was, well, you know. And you weren't even there! It's not like I could have-"

He was silenced as June yanked him into a kiss. Just as suddenly, she pulled back. "You owe me, okay?" she whispered sultrily. Zuko only gave a nod.

June's scowl broke into a satisfied smirk. "Good. Then I think it's time we resolved our bet."

Zuko frowned. "Our bet?" He strained his brain, thinking of some time that he made an unresolved bet with June. "What bet?"

"Mine and Suki's." June crossed her arms. "Back in Ki Fa?"

Zuko's eyes widened. "I totally forgot about that." He looked her up and down. "What was the bet anyway?"

June's smirk grew. "The winner got you and her at her disposal for the entire night." She shrugged. "But we tied. So we agreed to split it."

Zuko sighed. "Alright. What are we doing? The Theater? No, that's too dull for you. Gambling?"

June raised her eyebrows. "It's been three weeks and you're thinking about cards!?" She shook her head. "I was thinking something a bit more… intimate."

Zuko closed his eyes. "Of course. I just didn't think that you two would want to do that again." He cocked his head. "What's Suki doing with her half? The same thing?"

June's smirk dwindled. Now it was Zuko's turn to smirk. "I would think that she'd like to go first." He suddenly yanked June into his arms and whispered in her ear. "So you'll have to wait."

She shivered in his grasp, more from pleasure than fear. "I've been patient so far." She tried to pull away, but Zuko held her firmly.

She gasped as his lips made contact with her neck, the warm contact wholly unexpected. His grip on her arms tightened as he began tracing her pale flesh with his mouth. Just as unexpectedly, he bit down on her and pulled, nursing against her collarbone.

June whimpered and fell back against the wall as Zuko pushed her forward, effectively pinning her. With shaking breaths, he pulled off to stare directly into her eyes. "I'll make it worth it." His voice was low and hoarse in her ears.

He released her and walked away, continuing his path towards the harem. Absentmindedly, June rubbed her thighs together, traces of her womanly juices staining her pants.

She would be ready.

REVIEW OR JUNE GETS LEFT COMPLETELY UNSATISFIED FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

I'm trying to be more brief in my writing. If you aren't into BSDM, you might want to skip next chapter. It's going to be like that (SPOILER ALERT)