A/N: I wanted to write from Iroh II's POV for a long time. Canon never established who he was other than being General of the United Forces and Zuko's grandson. His background and story development is all my own writing, and a few of his flaws emerge. References to sexual thoughts and context will be in this chapter as a warning to my readers.
Chapter Seven – Growth and Prosperity: (Iroh's POV)
Two days.
It was how long it took for Zhu Iroh to be distracted from work. He usually never counted the days, unless Colonel Kimura of the 2nd Division told him what day it was, before he collapsed on his desk. The general was content looking out the window of the carriage he hired. Zhu Iroh was never distracted, by menial things, but he was by the man sat opposite him. He offered to escort Young Master Jen to the Qian family's residence on the outskirts of the city. Iroh only offered, as a friend and nothing more. He knew the Qian Clan were exiles of the Earth Kingdom, because of the Fire Nation taking Taku, a formerly glorious city, in the northwestern Earth Kingdom. Taku was where the Qian family lived for generations, before they fled into the eastern mountains, with what they had and into the arms of their friends; the Jen Clan of Bao Yun to shelter them for the generations, they were in exile with what they scrapped up from their homeland.
The prince wasn't looking forward to visiting the mockingbird mansion, because it was the home of a clan, who had everything taken from them because of the Fire Nation. General Iroh gazed upon Jen LuXian, leaning his head onto his hand, as if he was resting, after a mountain of paperwork. The Second Young Master's eyes widened at the sights seen out of the window, of things he has not seen before and he was curious, for a man raised in the mountains. Zhu Iroh stayed on Air Temple Island, sharing a room with Tarrick in the guest pavilion, knowing he could have gone home to the Fire Nation royal townhouse. The reason why Iroh stayed on the island, was because Jen LuXian and his retinue stayed for two nights, hopelessly trying to be near him, even though Iroh himself needed to sleep in relative peace for once.
The way Zhu Iroh looked at Jen LuXian was the same way, his older sister Crown Princess Mizuki looked at her husband Gong Lichen. He had a civil relationship with his brother in law, despite Lichen fainting at the sight of blood, which made Iroh roll his eyes, wondering what his big sister saw in Gong Lichen. Outside the window, was a peaceful Republic City, the city saved by the United Forces two years ago and the prince felt the effects of war in his head. The city was at peace, because of General Iroh's decisive leadership, and the men and women in the army following him, in saving what remained of the city, hunting down the Equalists in hiding, have their sympathisers arrested and put on trial alongside Hiroshi Sato and the fallen Lieutenant, who were punished for their crimes.
A noring sadness that was in the prince's heart, was lifted because he saw three familiar maids on Air Temple Island. Those girls served the aloof and cold young master, his heart ached and longed for. For Iroh, it was impossible, but the presence of the three maids and a kyoshi bodyguard confirmed it. Zhu Iroh had enough of Tarrick's teasing for the last five years, for not getting out of work early enough to go to the evening clubs or Pai Sho dens, with the rest of their mutual friends in the United Forces. First Prince Zhu knew those dens were shameful, ruined the tradition of Pai Sho and not appropriate place, for a Prince of the Fire Nation and the son of the Southern Water Tribe Chief to be seen in. Iroh couldn't imagine it, a noble gentleman like Jen LuXian at a place like that.
No...Zhu Iroh needed to safeguard Jen Lian's purity, from the kinds of temptations, the city's red light district had to offer him.
The prince of the Fire Nation's heart warmed, but it must be his regular body temperature. The wide eyes and the pointing finger of Second Young Master Jen was a sight to see. It may seen childish, but Jen Lian was born and raised in the mountains. Zhu Iroh was glad not to spend his off days with Tarrick, because his best friend was irritating him. The southern tribesman insisted going to Kyoshi Island to visit his grandmother Matron Suki and the lover Tarrick had named Katsumi, who was a homebound Kyoshi Warrior. Seeing Tarrick and Katsumi happy together, made the prince take the part of the third wheel and he envied them, for the long distanced happiness they made for themselves, if only Zhu Iroh had been more forthcoming in his obsessive, decade-long yearning for Jen Lian.
Jen LuXian leaned against the leathered seat of the carriage, with his eyes entranced by the sight of normal life in the city. "This place...it's nothing like I have seen, it's almost like Jinshu City, Your Highness." The young master said, in his gentle, heavenly voice that would radiate any space he is in.
"There is much more to see." General Iroh replied, not taking his eyes off the other man.
The Young Master from the strict and rule-driven Jen Clan, looked outside the window and was not looking his nose down at modernity for once. "I understand...why people would want to live here. Such things is the thing of people, I don't understand. They wear strange clothes, close enough to what the people in Omashu wear now."
"I...still see them in my head sometimes."
"Who?"
"Xue Hua...Amon...Hiroshi Sato...my ships being destroyed."
"I'm sorry...I never knew how much you were suffering."
"Apart from Colonel Kimura, I can't talk to anyone about these demons."
"I'm glad you are hale and healthy, it's all that matters."
"Not in my mind. My nephew thinks I'm a hero, but I'm just a man."
"It doesn't matter, unless you have the opportunity to make things right. My cousin Chou, he knew his duty to marry a noblewoman, to make up for the face I lost for our family."
"My sister wanted me to stay in the palace. My nephew and niece miss me and didn't have much time with me, after the homecoming party."
"You shouldn't be so dismissive, Your Highness. Children grow up fast and you have to make the most of the time, you have with your sister's children."
The final words stung Zhu Iroh from within. Jen LuXian was right about one thing. Children do grow up fast and Iroh had regrets, not spending enough time with his family, but he had a duty to protect the United Republic, which was put above everything else. It made him feel ashamed, when Iroh hardly saw his younger sister Princess Rina, who graduated from the Royal Fire Academy For Girls and is working as a junior steward in Lady Akiyama's household. Iroh isolated himself from his family, to detach himself during the two years, where he had to work hard to stabilise Republic City and assist the new electoral process commissioned, as the last order of the old council, before it was dissolved. He did so much for the city, his grandfather and Avatar Aang founded and the ghosts of war were still crawling in his mind, it was the price Zhu Iroh paid for his mistakes and his war hero status.
Zhu Iroh fondly remembered his time, as a junior steward in Minister Ren's household. The junior stewardship began in the reign of Fire Lord Zoryu, after he dissolved the military power of the old clans and decided that junior stewardship was key, to uniting the Fire Nation under Zoryu's rule and start the process of the clans, learning to respect each other, rather than kill each other. The Camellia-Peony War was the last time clan warfare erupted in the Fire Nation, but in the reign of Fire Lord Azulon, clan warfare evolved from the battlefield to the imperial court. Zhu Iroh's great-great grandfather liked the spectacle of noble clans fighting for his approval and court warfare never ended. The noble clans of the Fire Nation were more interconnected than ever, but it had a disadvantage that such ties frayed easily, especially between clans, whom have historically hated each other. Only alliances by marriage ended clan warfare or feuds between clans, but some clan feuds still continued to this day.
The fire prince's eyes were on Jen LuXian hands. Slender hands with long fingers and unblemished, just like he was. Zhu Iroh held the young master's hands before, they were strong and calloused from his years of earthbending training, and getting his hands dirty in Bone Village, when they pretended to be a married couple, and did their own chores. It was strange for a royal prince and a young master to do menial chores, when infiltrating a bloodbending cult and blending in with the other cult members. The carriage suffered bumps, knowing the roads on the eastern side of the city were bumpy and a local Kyoshi Dojo was still in reconstruction, after the Equalists burned it down, during the months of civil war and thankfully the students and the kyoshi teachers escaped with their lives intact.
"Hmmm..." The sound that came from the lips of Jen LuXian; his eyes were lowered and his index finger near his lips. The young master wasn't a man of many words, knowing Jen LuXian never said much, being the shy and dull man he was and his cousin Jen Chou was the exuberant and charismatic heir of the Jen Clan of Bao Yun.
The General of the United Forces straightened himself up, noticing he was leaning to his right side and his legs were spread out, in a shameless manner. "Shifu Jen...would I be allowed in the Jen Clan's residence or will I be chased out like that royal official from Ba Sing Se." The prince said, in a gentler tone.
"Great Aunt Ruyi holds resentment for the Fire Nation, but she will put her pride aside to accommodate royalty. Royals never come to Bao Yun, unless they are cousins of Chief Unalaq, unless they can be called royals or just tribal officials. The journey through the mountains is too much for a heavy procession to go through, I'm surprised your grandfather hardly struggled through the journey."
"Stubborn old man, never gives up, even in his old age."
Young Master Jen let out a slight sound, akin to a chuckle or a sigh. "You had a celebration...I'm glad your sacrifice is noted, Your Highness."
"Mizuki is interfering in my love life again. Old Kimura's face was like a dried lemon and Minister Ren's daughter was clinging onto my arm again. I spent most of the party, in the royal gazebo with my friends from childhood, who have grown up have their own jobs and lives to live."
"It must be nice...to have friends to go home to." Jen LuXian said bitterly, under a lowered voice.
"You misunderstand, Young Master Jen. The closest friend I had in childhood was my cousin, Kenji, but he was only with me because of blood. The friends I had Jen Lian, were the sons and daughters of old money or royal ministers. Meeting you was fate, you didn't care about holding your tongue towards me and had the courage to challenge me. When the friends I had, would walk on eggshells, because losing face to a Fire Nation clan is akin to dishonour or a shameful defeat."
The prince watched Jen LuXian's eyes change with his dull expression. Zhu Iroh thought nothing of brown eyes at first, but meeting Jen LuXian made him value the beauty of darker eyes. The young master's eyes were full of the emotion, the man himself would hold back because of his nobility. His pain, his sorrow and his joy were through the windows of obsidian brown. Sitting on the opposite side of the carriage, was a reactionary choice, as the prince's chest clenched whenever Jen LuXian stood anywhere near him. The carriage ride started from the harbour, and the rest of Jen LuXian's retinue got onto another vehicle, the one hired by the Qian family themselves, not to cause offence to the Qian Clan. To Zhu Iroh, the little gestures and the politics of Earth Kingdom nobility were similar to the Fire Nation clans, as both nations shared a lot culturally and were more alike than anyone admitted. He knew the price of offending a noble family, especially a noble family with no love or fondness for the Fire Nation, because of the previous generations of their family being in exile because of the Hundred Years War.
The young master was thirty years old, just like Zhu Iroh was. The difference was, the noble gentlemen of the Teng family were more attractive as they got older, and Jen LuXian was no exception to this rule. He was an entity to himself and everyone was just living in his world. In the Fire Nation, young men were free to tell other men, they were attractive or beautiful, due to the high value put on romanticisation in Zhu Iroh's homeland. For the middle class and the common folk, same sex relations were normal, but for the noble class and royalty, the society was very traditional and the importance on the family or the clan is put above individual wants. Only a few nobles and royals were lucky to marry for love, but most marry for alliances with other clans and to booster the power of the royal family, especially when a Fire Lord is in danger, of being usurped by a relative, like Fire Lord Zoryu had been and had the Keohso Clan to support his reign and defend his crown.
"No wonder why, the young masters in Omashu teased you without fear." Jen LuXian replied.
"I don't like them." General Iroh announced clearly.
"Why?"
"The oldest Young Master Guo enjoys filth too much. The Prince of Omashu is unfriendly and I don't know what Young Master Ning is." Zhu Iroh said, in a haughty tone. Very much criticising, the young masters Jen LuXian shared classes with as a teenager and associated with them.
The Second Young Master of the Jen Clan mused and chuffed, under a light breath. "...Your Highness...A-Cheng is a good person. You should put your dislike for him to the side, after all isn't your mother good friends with the King of Omashu."
"Fu Cheng treats me, a fellow royal like scum, then he treats you like the most precious jade in the world."
"...You worry too much, your mind hasn't rested for a long time."
At the corner of the prince's eye, Jen LuXian was the centre of his attention and his eyes never left him. "My mind has rested enough." Zhu Iroh stated, which was the truth, especially with Jen LuXian's arrival in Republic City, his mind was less tormented by the demons of war and death.
The Young Master of the Jen Clan leaned back, near the window of the carriage and raised his finger at Zhu Iroh. "You are too callous towards Brother Ning. He may be scatter-brained, but he has a good heart, a heart too good for the son of Omashu's defence minister. No wonder why your own friends fear you, you have no tact towards other people."
"Isolationist...ascetic."
"You should take care, the way you speak, Your Highness." Jen LuXian said, in a bitter tone.
The general's heart pained, as Jen LuXian's bitter tone was directed at him. Zhu Iroh couldn't help being sharp and critical about people. It was a trait, he inherited from his grandmother, Dowager Fire Lady Mai and to the earthbending master, it was a flaw that needed to be fixed. He didn't want Jen Lian to think he was a terrible person, but terrible events can make the most reasonable people cruel. How many times did Zhu Iroh have to bury deceased members of his division and the other divisions, in the burial rites of their respective cultures. Zhu Iroh didn't want A-Lian to hate him, but it was for his own good. No good came from getting close to a general, who was broken in three ways and was called a traitor by his own people in the Fire Nation. He was soiled, by blood and sorrow; he was no good to Jen LuXian, who still had his unadulterated purity and he wasn't going to soil that man, even for his own selfish, subconscious desire to corrupt the young master.
When his grandfather was still Fire Lord, Young Iroh was always reminded to curb his sharp tongue. It came from not having anyone genuine around him, apart from Setsuko Kimura, one of Zhu Iroh's best friends, who joined the United Forces two years after him. Setsuko was a rebel, in a way that shocked the nobility and she behaved in an unfilial manner towards her grandfather, the head of the Kimura Clan. She was the kind of person, Iroh was warned into becoming and the consequences of Setsuko's behaviour, was the conflict she had with her grandfather Lord Kento. Setsuko was still Iroh's best friend and became a colonel in the 2nd Division of the United Forces, as a way to spit over the face her family had in the Fire Nation.
He should take more care, of what he says. Zhu Iroh wasn't shy about his comments, about the young masters of Omashu and the stone-faced Prince of Omashu. Jen LuXian was the better man, he never admitted he disliked someone, but always used facial expressions to express his opinions. It was the reason why Mizuki was Crown Princess and Iroh was so far removed from life, in the royal court. Zhu Iroh knew how to speak well, but would trip over his words, being a socially awkward child in the royal household, before he socialised with his cousin Kenji Oshiro. Iroh and Kenji went to the same firebending lessons and went to the Royal Fire Academy For Boys. Zhu Iroh admired Jen Lian like that, he was imperfect like a crooked calligraphy brush, but always painted perfect flowers on the blank canvas.
"Is the sun always this bright here, Your Highness?" Jen LuXian spoke bluntly.
A red flush was creeping on the general's neck, the same flush that appeared, when Jen LuXian removed the folding fan from his face. "It is...and spring is great for the people. They get to live in peace and get on with their lives and embrace the new changes to the government."
"What is the ruler of this nation called?"
"A president."
"It's different...the Southern Water Tribe has an elected chief and the rest of the world are ruled by monarchs. This is the second nation, where there has been an elected leader. I'm surprised, when you told me it used to be ruled by a council and no council could handle an entire nation."
"It takes getting used to, but I'm sure you will handle it well."
"A culture shock...it's what happened when we met the White Swallow Tribe, the sandbenders who cured your infected leg." The young master said eloquently.
"There were gaps in my understanding, about the cultures around the Si Wong Desert. I was not paying attention to Kong Laoshi's lessons, about the desert and it's people in that lesson."
"Kong Laoshi...I remember his lessons. Brother Ning was always afraid of him...especially when he got questions wrong, when Kong Laoshi tested him."
General Iroh was convulsed in laughter, alongside Jen LuXian in the carriage. The prince was a foreign student in Kong Laoshi's lessons, when he was in Omashu for four months. Zhu Iroh only paid attention out of fear, because Kong Laoshi was the strictest educator in Omashu. Not even the teachers in the Fire Nation inspired the fear, that Kong Laoshi inspired in the sons and daughters of Omashu's elite, making them shake nervously before every lesson. The Omashu teacher would call any student randomly, to answer any question, whether it was on the geography of the Si Wong Desert or the pillar of rules that govern noble society together. The lessons were not too bad, as Prince Iroh had his head down and studied, making the most of the opportunity given to him by his grandfather, to study amongst Earth Kingdom teenagers and learn more about the customs and rules that govern Earth Kingdom society.
The man gripped both his hands on his tights, keeping himself under strict control. Zhu Iroh vaguely remembered, his left leg had been bitten by a desert python and it was the first time, his life was on the line. The poison from a desert python killed instantly without an antidote, specially one made by the people from the White Swallow Tribe, whom specialised in desert medicine for centuries. The fire prince was fortunate, he was found by an expedition group, consisting of Jen LuXian, Young Master Ning, Young Master Duan and two guards. Iroh swore it was destiny, that led Jen LuXian into negotiating with the matriarch of the White Swallow Tribe to save him. Zhu Iroh's business in the desert, was to collect a black onyx necklace for his grandmother, Lady Mai on the orders of his grandfather, for an anniversary gift. The expedition into the Si Wong Desert was Fire Lord Zuko's way of testing his grandson's fortitude, and see if he was capable in completing, such a task before committing to the United Forces.
After that day, Zhu Iroh's feelings for Jen LuXian had grown, in a way that bypassed normal friendship. The young master from Bao Yun saved Iroh's life, as payment for the time, he carried Jen LuXian on his back, after the other man's injuries from his duel with The Strowman. At the time, both men were even with each other, and paid each other back in full. The prince fixed his eyes on the man, he shared history with and experienced the same tragedies with. Zhu Iroh had Tarrick and Baatar Jr through his childhood, the three of them grew up together because their parents were friends, and their grandparents introduced the boys to each other. He also grew up with the noble friends he had, through the imperial society of the Fire Nation. Zhu Iroh was used to the friends, he had around him. Nothing new changed Zhu Iroh's close-minded views of the Earth Kingdom and their customs, until Jen LuXian, the young master who challenged him, to a duel of dao swords without fear of reprisal, if he needed to win and was tougher than any opponent Iroh faced in the Fire Nation.
The general looked out of the window, on his side of the carriage, where it led into the area populated by people, of Earth Kingdom nationality of descent. Zhu Iroh had only been in the eastern side of the city twice. When sending the 5th Division in, as a peacekeeping force, and Tarrick returning the twin daughters of Master Qian, who were kidnapped alongside their earthbending teacher and classmates, in the height of the takeover by Amon. The twin girls could have been used, by Amon for ransom, because the Qian family had money to spare for the return of their children. He only went inside the Qian residence once. The Fire Nation had traumatised this clan for generations and the least Iroh could do, was not antagonise Master Qian and his wife for a moment more, or else his mother, the Fire Lord would receive an angry letter from Master Qian or his Yu Dao born wife.
"Modernity is the death of tradition." Young Master Jen said bitterly, pulling out his folding fan and waved it across his face.
Zhu Iroh would disagree, due to the reformist views of his grandfather and his late father's family, the Oshiros being closer to new money than the old blood. "I would disagree with you, but it's not my place to get involved." The general replied in a softer tone.
"The wedding...was beautiful...colours of bamboo green and light silver on the lanterns in Bao Yun. I'm happy for them, wished them well and hope they are fruitful with many children."
"What wedding..."
"Chou and Moyun's wedding. I did write to you about the wedding, but a lot of detail as writing gets carried away." The young master continued, with a lightened smile on his face.
Zhu Iroh could sense his cheeks becoming heat flushed, but he couldn't show that in front of Jen Lian. It was too shameful to consider blushing in front of him. Gripping his thighs, tighter and tighter to banish the improper thoughts in his mind. Eyes fixed on the graceful crane-like movements of the young master's fingers and ears hyper focused on the sounds from the other man's lips. The sounds were like music itself, as the guqin player Jen LuXian was and his mother, Duchess Jiao-Wen being famous for her pipa pieces in the royal court of Ba Sing Se. Underneath the guan headdress, the elaborate patterned robes and the strict teacher's tone he spoke in. The prince had seen Jen LuXian beneath his modest finery, with his long hair down to his waist and his inner garments, too shameful to be seen in public. Remembering the time, Lord Unako's pantaloons were exposed in front of the population of Nagon, done by Ikki and Meelo when Uncle Tenzin's family last visited the Fire Nation, it was a terrible insult leading to Uncle Tenzin personally apologising to the Unako family for the actions of his children.
A red flush appeared on the prince's face. He shook his head, to banish the shameful thoughts settling in his head. To think such things, about a noble gentleman was wrong and Zhu Iroh should punish himself, when he got home to the royal townhouse. Such punishments were warranted for things like that, as Zhu Iroh learned from childhood that improper behaviour deserved punishment. In his childhood and teenage years, he had been punished by the royal governess for bad behaviour. The governess explained to Zhu Iroh afterwards, why such behaviour was unfitting for a prince and he would learn his lesson, to never behave badly again or else the royal governess would report to his mother, Crown Princess Izumi or his grandmother Fire Lady Mai, which was something he didn't want to happen, which made Zhu Iroh behave himself as a child.
The hard knock was sounded from Zhu Iroh's side, he turned around and heard. "Your Highness, we have arrived at the destination." said the voice of the carriage driver, who was of Fire Nation nationality and has been working for the royal family for years. Driving this carriage for various members of the royal family throughout the years, due to the state visits and the carriage was always in front of the royal procession, when the Fire Nation royal family came to Republic City.
The carriage stopped, knowing they were at the Qian family residence. From the left side of the general's window, he was faced with the pattern of a silver mockingbird engraved above the front doors of the estate and he gulped, knowing he might face someone from the Qian household or a member of the Qian family himself. One good deed did not wash away, the generations of torment the Qian Clan suffered in exile from Taku, when the Fire Nation conquered it. Zhu Iroh looked towards Jen LuXian, who was content in his own world, and nothing could pierce the light air on his face that made him look a child, rather than a thirty year old man and was unmarried. It was strange in Earth Kingdom custom, as noblemen were usually married before forty, the ones who are unmarried are shamed by society for failing in filial piety to their families and their nation.
"...I should exit first...in case your bodyguard has not arrived yet." General Iroh said, in a firm tone.
First Prince Zhu huffed, seeing Young Master Jen ignore him. It was best not to poke and prod at him, as he usually got annoyed when anyone did that to him. The doors of the carriage opened, for Iroh to get up from his seat and exit the carriage, to a more traditionally Earth Kingdom outskirt, rather than a part of Republic City. Foreboding large walls encircled the estate, as it did many noble estates in the Earth Kingdom, unlike the estates of the new money of Republic City. The general brushed off his clothing, which were red and black and were traditional, knowing Zhu Iroh never wore traditional clothes in Republic City, unless there was a royal visit from his mother. For a man, who cut his hair short for the United Forces, Zhu Iroh allowed his hair to grow, in the last two and a half years, never bothering to cut it. Much to the shock of Tarrick, who kept his hair long for cultural reasons and Setsuko, who cut her hair short, as a sign of being unfilial towards her grandfather Lord Kento, and spitting in the face of the whole Kimura Clan.
The man glimpsed at the two vehicles parked, outside the estate's walls and realised the kyoshi bodyguard and the maids arrived, before their young master. Standing close to the carriage, Zhu Iroh's eyes never leaving Jen LuXian, who stood on the edge of the carriage, with his folding fan tucked under the elaborate belt of his robes. The light of the sun dimmed, not as harsh as it was. Jen LuXian has been in and out of carriages his entire life, his face shielded from the general populous, as it should. The general believed, no one. No unworthy soul should look upon the butterfly of the heavens, other than him but it was selfish to think that. Jen LuXian wasn't a selfish man by nature, but he would politely tell his would be suitors, straight away that they had no chance with him.
What happened next was out of impulse, Zhu Iroh put his hands on Jen LuXian's waist and lifted him from the steps of the carriage. It seems the other man was not as light as he believed. He put the young master down and looked away from him. Why was Jen LuXian, who looked slender than his muscular counterparts in the Earth Kingdom, was heavier than the last time, the prince carried him on his back. Age changed a lot and did Young Master Jen restart his fighting career, in the last five years to get this strong.
On the face of Young Master Jen, he was rattled. By the thought of being carried, like a young maiden had left chinks in Jen LuXian's unbreakable armour that he surrounded himself in. "...Your Highness...I...thank you for escorting me."
"...You made the last three days better for me." General Iroh replied.
"Do not...mention...the lifting."
"I won't tell anyone. If you don't want me to."
"Men younger than you would have struggled. Thank Oma, you are a strong firebender."
The general was perplexed, with the sleeve of Young Master Jen's robes being lifted to cover his mouth, like a child caught eating sweets. The front doors of the Qian estate opened, as three guards dressed in traditional fuschia pink robes, with the silver mockingbird nowhere on their clothes. Zhu Iroh was used to seeing guards in all sorts of households, due to the circles he ran in as a teenager and an adult. It was common in the Earth Kingdom, for the household guards and servants to dress in the colours of the clans they worked for. It was the same in the Fire Nation, as every noble clan had their own insignia or a crest, just like the Earth Kingdom noble families did. The Jen Clan's crest was the jade lotus and it was a beautiful flower, because of how rare it was in the Earth Kingdom.
The guard in the middle, using the Earth Kingdom greeting, to bow before Jen LuXian and Zhu Iroh both. "Apologises, Young Master Jen. Your Highness has done the Qian family a boon, it would be ungrateful, if the master of the house did not thank you himself."
"I should not linger here too long, honourable guard. I have done my duty enough." General Iroh replied nonchalantly.
The obsidian brown eyes of Jen LuXian stared at the prince, as if he had done something wrong. "Don't...be ungrateful. Master Qian wants to thank you in person. You should take the opportunity, to make the Qian family less hostile to you."
Zhu Iroh pouted, sticking his lips out like he does, as a child to the royal governess Juan. He was always reprimanded for his pouting by Tarrick, who said it made him look like he sucked a sour fruit for too long. The general did not want to enter the Qian Mansion, knowing how the family disliked the Fire Nation and firebenders in general. Looking at Jen LuXian, reminded Zhu Iroh of his manners and shivered, at the thought of Governess Juan, knowing Prince Iroh had shirked his manners and never received his thanks from a noble lord. Zhu Iroh didn't want to, but he will do so for the sake of the man, who looked at him harshly and thought him ungrateful and too much of a spoiled prince, to receive thanks from someone else of noble status.
The middle guard gestured, for the two men to enter the front doors of the estate, with the other guards following behind them. "Please, enter. Rest assured, Young Master Jen, your retinue is well settled and rested, after such a long journey and Miss Kumi has been concerned for you."
"I'm glad, the girls have settled in. It has not been easy, especially for Daiya to see such modernity everywhere." Young Master Jen said surely.
"The worries of Miss Kumi have been dashed, you are here and safe. Nothing happened to you and I did my duty as an escort." General Iroh replied.
"You would not allow, such things to happen. It will reflect badly on your president ruler."
First Prince Zhu had a wide grin on his face, with a hand smoothing over the back of his neck. It didn't matter, if Jen LuXian was as old-fashioned as the game of Pai Sho itself. The courtyard of the Qian residence was beautiful, sprawled out flowerbeds full of traditional Earth Kingdom flowers and plants, like white peonies, plum blossoms and purple lotus, near the circular ponds on the left side of the spacious courtyard. It had a strange sense in the air, because there were few buildings in the inner estate, and the main house was at least two stories higher, than the old Beifong estate in Gaoling, because the master and madam of the house have five children and to accommodate their household.
The sight of the colourful flowerbeds, urged Zhu Iroh to pick one flower and place it in Jen LuXian's hand. The prince could not do that, especially inside the property of a family, that dislikes the Fire Nation and are not shy of their opinions and will have their guards chase him out, after taking thanks from Master Qian. The Qian household guards were hospitable, as their station required them to be, but their concern was only for Young Master Jen. Maybe the Qian family's intolerance for the Fire Nation, has bled into their household guards and servants as well. Zhu Iroh didn't care about that, because he had a duty and he needed to carry it out, and get out of this mockingbird infested estate and go home.
Home.
In the Fire Nation royal townhouse, away from the infiltrating and borderline sexual thoughts, Zhu Iroh had about Young Master Jen. Unlike the overly passionate young masters of the Fire Nation, Jen LuXian was a refined beauty, in his thirties but his coldness distorted his features, as if he was mourning a dead spouse. It was insensitive, considering Jen LuXian lost his bodyguard, five years ago in the most violent way, having his insides twisted and no healer could save him from internal damage. Zhu Iroh felt guilty, considering he had unpleasantness towards Su Yong in the past. He didn't wish death on Su Yong, because the man protected Jen Lian, despite how much the general disliked Su Yong, for his false accusations about him being a pervert. His tongue tasted bitter, because of his lifestyle in the United Forces. Iroh had men and women in and out of his bed often, but those relationships were consensual, despite the dislike Su Yong had for him being near Jen LuXian.
The plain beauty of the Qian residence, complimented the family, even thought it took years to build, and was financed from a generous loan from the Jen Clan. Zhu Iroh kept his hands to his sides, reminding himself not to touch the young master without asking him. Proving to himself that Iroh was nothing, like the judgement people cast upon the Fire Nation, especially men in the way they behaved around people they fancied. Blooming spring flowers were on the further edge of the courtyard, no Earth Kingdom garden was without spring flowers and General Iroh was responsible for the white and yellow flowers being introduced in the Fire Nation Royal Palace gardens. The Qian household guards, looked as if, they wanted to snatch Young Master Jen to their side, and block Zhu Iroh from being anywhere near the other man, despite it being their place to do so, if any harm came to Jen LuXian.
It didn't matter. All that mattered was Jen LuXian was safe. Nothing could make up for the fact, Su Yong died on Iroh's watch. It would take time for Jen LuXian's bitterness towards him to subside and the coldness surrounding him to thaw. It has been five years, Zhu Iroh never would have imagined, someone he liked and respected would be so cold towards him, maybe he deserved it and more for what happened five years ago. The foreboding mockingbird clay statues stared at Iroh, in a fearsome look unlike a small mockingbird would be, more akin to a bird of prey or a dragon-bird with the way the statues glared at him. His eye caught on a mark against the right side of Jen LuXian's face, but the other man smoothed over his hair, to cover that area more. Never asking and never prying was how things were, but with Jen LuXian's arrival in Republic City, the world was in relative balance. There was a chance for Zhu Iroh, to repair his relationship with Jen LuXian and to put the five years of the past behind him and move forward.
PS: The original Gaang being as close as they are to each other; it would make sense of their children and grandchildren to grow up together. Iroh II, Baatar Jr and Tarrick grew up together, and Iroh being a prince would have noble friends alongside them, and one of those friends (Setsuko Kimura) following him to the United Forces.
- Laoshi is the Chinese word for teacher. (Eg. Kong Laoshi)
- Ah or A is a Chinese prefix put in front of a person's personal name. An informal calling of someone's name in an intimate or familiar manner. Jen LuXian's given name is Jen Lian, but Iroh has known Jen LuXian for fifteen years to be allowed to call him A-Lian, outside of his family. The prefix is also used for those of a lower status, which would be a thing in the Earth Kingdom. (Eg. A-Lian)
- In the Earth Kingdom, the terms of address used for family members are used casually for friends, neighbours and strangers. Jen LuXian refers to Young Master Ning, as Brother Ning because it's how friends and acquaintances address each other in the Earth Kingdom, in similarity to how such address is used in Chinese culture. Iroh himself calls Tenzin uncle and Lin auntie, because of how close the Gaang families were to each other growing up.
- The current incarnation of the Fire Nation Royal Family was something I thought out, when plotting this story and adding Iroh POVs. In this story, Fire Lord Izumi is widowed with three children. Crown Princess Mizuki (34 years old) is married with two children by her husband Lichen. Iroh is the middle child at 30 years old, and Izumi's youngest is another daughter named Rina at 20 years old. I love the thought of two kids calling Iroh II "Uncle Iroh" like the original Iroh and having regrets about not spending enough time, with his niece and nephew, because of his duties in the United Forces.
- In this chapter and more, will reference PTSD in Iroh II's POV chapters. Someone of Iroh's position will have PTSD, from being blown off his ship and having to see the dead bodies of his crew members, due to the mistake he made sailing into a trap. His mental torment also comes from the two years, having to be responsible for stablising and bringing order to Republic City, which is a big responsiblity, especially for someone in Iroh's postion, where he had to detach himself from his emotions to get the job done.
- In reference to the titles held by noble society in the Earth Kingdom, the head of household, clan leader or husband to a ruling madam is called a Master. The same title in the Fire Nation is called a Lord (Eg. Master Qian or Lord Unako) It's how Iroh references heads of families in the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, having had a wide range of learning understanding the customs of his homeland and the Earth Kingdom.