Author's Note: Hello everyone! Thank you very much for the ongoing interest and support of this story, it means a lot. Reviews would be much appreciated as well, though. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying it so far!
Zuko's ship, docked at a small Earth Kingdom port, 100 AC
Ming sat at a small table with Iroh and Zuko. Iroh had just poured them all a cup of jasmine tea, Ming knew it was his favorite and she too enjoyed the flavor. Smiling she sipped at her cup, while Zuko eyed his suspiciously. Iroh let out a long sigh, "See Prince Zuko, a moment of quiet is good for your mental well-being."
Just as Zuko raised the cup to his lips the ship suddenly jerked and sent the tea flying, drenching Zuko's face and hair. Ming had to use all the self-control she had not to laugh at him. Instead, she leaned towards him and dried off his face with the sleeve of her shirt the best she could. Then Zuko hurried to the upper deck to see what that had been about, Ming and Iroh in tow.
On deck, several soldiers faced a large beast, Ming had seen nothing like this before. It carried a woman with jet black hair and pale skin. The soldiers started to fly the scene as the beast came closer. The woman called out to them, "Get back! We're after a stowaway!"
Zuko quickly positioned himself between the animal and his young wife, angrily he answered the woman, "There are no stowaways on my ship."
The beast was seemingly of a different opinion, as it teared off a piece of the metal deck and hurled it towards the banished prince. Ming let out a surprised yelp as Zuko pulled her down for cover. Then the animal stuck its head inside the ships interior and sniffed, and apparently found the stowaway as a strange looking man sprinted away. Suddenly the animal leashed out with a strangely shaped tongue. The man fell down motionless.
Zuko raised, Ming still clenching to his arm fearfully. He walked over to the side of the ship, shocked he looked at the man, "He's paralyzed."
The woman was just about to tie him up, "Only temporarily. The toxins will wear off in about an hour. But by then, he'll be in jail, and I'll have my money.", she ´said as she lifted him onto the animal.
"But how did you find him on my ship?", Zuko asked curiously.
"My shirshu can smell a rat a continent away.", the bounty hunter explained.
"Well, I'm impressed. Very impressed.", Ming jumped slightly, she hadn't heard the old general approaching.
Ming turned towards the ship and sighed. "Anyways, we're going to have to spend some time here to make repairs."
A little while later Zuko laid on their bed, staring at the ceiling, while Ming tidied up their room the best she could. She could tell by the look of his face that he was annoyed that the need for repairs would cost them time and money, both which they might would have needed in order to capture the Avatar. On the other hand, Ming was almost thankful for a bit of quiet, almost normal life, that it forced upon them. Happily, she folded clothes, when Zuko said, "Too bad we don't have that necklace anymore. If we only had something with the Avatar's scent on it, we could hire that bounty hunter to find him. Or she could find him for us as compensation for the damage she caused on out ship."
Ming sighed, "Yeah, sure. But I had to give it back to her, you know that. It would've been wrong to keep it, since it meant so much to her.", as an answer he just grunted disapprovingly. Ming went over it nonchalantly. In the brightest tone she could muster she said, "You know, I've heard there's a famous fortuneteller living in a nearby village. I thought I could pay her a visit, since we're going to be here for at least another day. It would be nice to spend some time off the ship for a change."
He looked at her, seemingly debating with himself what was going on in her head. Then he said, "I think that's not a good idea. It will only cost us money, and there are better ways to spend it then on a hallucinating old woman.", but as he caught the look in her eyes he quickly added, "But if you want to, you may go. Just do me the favor and take one of the men with you for your security."
Next thing he knew she kissed his cheek, "Thank you, Zuko. Who knows, maybe she will tell me where the Avatar is.", Zuko sighed and turned around to face the wall, but Ming kept smiling.
A while later she asked Lieutenant Jee to accompany her. Since he didn't have that much to do while they made repairs, he gladly joined her. They walked for about an hour along the only way through a thick forest, stopping at a not too small village. It seemed pretty wealthy, concerning that they lived in war times and next to a volcano, everything seemed fine. A lot of people were out in the streets, all colorfully dressed and seemingly happy. Ming turned to Jee, who seemed rather annoyed by this, "Look at all these people, Lieutenant! They all seem so joyful. I bet this is because of that fortuneteller.", but Jee just shrugged.
They arrived at the central building and were greeted by a girl around ten years, wearing a pink dress, "Hi! I'm Meng, Aunt Wu's assistant. Did you come to visit her?"
Ming stepped forward, she smiled and bowed down a bit to be at the girl's eyelevel, "Hello, my name is Ming. I heard of Aunt Wu and came to visit her indeed. Do you think she's got time for me?"
Meng turned around to look into the house, then she said, "If you wait a bit, sure. Come in. Do you want some tea?", Ming nodded and followed her. They sat down in a comfy waiting area and Meng served them tea. It was not as good as Iroh's but still not unpleasant. After a while a seemingly high-spirited young man left Aunt Wu's room. Meng then waved Ming inside.
She was greeted by an elderly lady in a yellow dress. Ming bowed respectfully, "You must be Aunt Wu. I heard a lot about your abilities.", the elderly lady nodded.
"The bones never lie. Come inside and try it. Let's see what your future holds. What are you interested in? Who's going to be your future husband? When are you going to meet him?", the fortuneteller suggested.
Ming shook her head, "No, I've already found the man I love. I just wanted an outlook in general of what is in store for me."
Aunt Wu smiled and gestured for Ming to sit down next to a big bowl full of bones. Ming wondered if the bones belonged to some of the turkey-ducks she saw outside. The elderly lady set them on fire and watched curiously as the bones started to crack open. Ming watched interested, a bad feeling began to rise up in her as the expression of Aunt Wu became more and more terrified. Maybe I should've left this a mystery, she thought. As the fire went out, Aunt Wu picked between the bones a bit, studying a few ones closer than others. Ming waited patiently for her to finish.
The elderly woman let out a deep sigh, "I'm sorry to tell, but I see a lot of pain for you before this war ends. I wish I would have better news to tell. There are a few streaks of light though. Would you let me see your hand so I can see clearer?", Ming was by now frightened to the core, but she wordlessly laid her hand in Aunt Wu's palm, "Hmm, I see… Your heart belongs to a dragon, so you follow him wherever he goes, even if the path you wander is hard, even if you think he just flies idly by. And you are in his heart too, you are the fire that keeps him going. But times are hard, you will soon lose sight of him, and each of you will face hardship alone, but you should rest assured, he will come back to you, always. The child you carry, it will be the rock that starts a landslide, a landslide that will shake the fate of the world."
Ming blinked a few times; she couldn't make sense of everything and what she understood made her head spin. How did Aunt Wu even know she was pregnant? She staggered out of the room and slumped down next to Lieutenant Jee. He looked at her worryingly, but she waved it off, "I just need a moment, Lieutenant."
Meng then came over, her expression worried as well. "Do you want a cream puff? It will make you feel better.", Ming nodded weakly. It was indeed delicious, but it didn't really lift her mood. "I can't let you leave like that,", the younger girl told her, "Here, maybe this will cheer you up.", she held up a small necklace. It was seemingly out of rope with a flower in the middle, "The Avatar left it here a few days ago. He had made it himself for the girl that was travelling with him, but she said she didn't need it anymore, so she left it here. I actually planned to wear it myself, but it would look great on you."
Ming nodded slowly, hiding that her mind was racing. The Avatar had been here, she now had something with his scent. First, she put a hand on Lieutenant Jee's wrist, to silently tell him to act normal. Then she stood up and bowed before Meng, "Thank you very much for your concern. If it relieves your worries, I'll take it. But if you don't mind, I'll not wear it right now, I want to talk about this with my husband first.", technically, not a lie, she thought. Then she pulled out her handkerchief and wrapped the necklace in it.
Careful not to draw any attention, Ming and Lieutenant Jee walked out of the village. While they made their way back to the ship, Jee asked, "Was your future really that bad, or did you just play because you knew of the necklace?"
Ming chuckled, "No, I didn't know of the necklace. How should I? My future was, well, … confusing. If you don't mind, I would rather not talk about it.", Jee nodded, he saw that she needed some space, but he was worried, nevertheless.
Zuko was on deck when he saw Ming and Lieutenant Jee return. He smiled towards her, but as she came closer, he noticed that she was somehow very sad. The banished prince frowned, what did that fortuneteller tell her? Worriedly he waited for them and before she could pass him, he hugged his young wife.
She laughed, but it had a somber undertone to it. He pulled away from the hug and cupped her cheek, "Hey, Qing Qing. Was your future that bad?", she looked straight into his eyes, and he thought that there were tears in her eyes.
She nodded so slightly it was barely noticeable, "Kind of…", she whispered. His eyes widened that was not good. No matter if the fortuneteller was right or not, but Ming being like this was also bad.
He placed a quick kiss on her lips and put their foreheads together, "Qing Qing, no matter what comes at you, I'll always protect you, I promise."
She chuckled sadly again, "There are things you cannot protect me from, Zuko."
He took her hand in his softly and whispered, "But I'll try. Why don't you tell me about what that fortuneteller said in our room?"
But Ming shook her head, "No, you'll do something else.", she took out the necklace Meng had given her, "The fortuneteller's assistant gave it to me because I looked so sad. She said that the Avatar and his company had left it with them a few days ago. It might still carry his smell."
Zuko stared at her, then at the necklace, then back at Ming. Suddenly he pulled her in a passionate kiss, whispering in her ear, "Remember me to thank you for this later."
Ming was surprised, but then she thought of Aunt Wu's words, you'll soon lose sight of him, and decided to not regret anything. Smiling at him she said, "I will. Come back soon."
Zuko looked at her a bit surprised, "You don't want to come along?"
Ming shook her head, "No. I'm tired. I'll just stand in the way anyway.", she said as she turned towards their room, leaving a confused Zuko behind. He wanted to go after her, but then he looked at the necklace she had given him and decided that he couldn't let this opportunity pass. Hastily he called his uncle. It was about time to find this bounty hunter.
When she entered the room, Ming closed the door slowly behind her and slumped down on the bed. She stared at the ceiling, Aunt Wu's prophecy echoing in her brain, I see a lot of pain for you before the war ends… You'll soon lose sight of him… Even though the fortuneteller had said that there were streaks of light, she couldn't help but feel dark clouds approaching, like Iroh had felt the storm coming in his bones. She grimaced and curled herself up into a ball.
On their way to the bar where the bounty hunter would be, Zuko suddenly turned to his uncle, "Have you noticed that Ming is acting weird lately, Uncle?"
Iroh stroke his grey beard, so, he wasn't the only one who noticed, "Now that you say so, nephew, indeed she is. I'm a bit worried about her health. Maybe living on a boat isn't good for her?"
Zuko shook his head slightly, "No, I think it goes deeper than that. I don't know what it is, but something is off. She went to that fortuneteller today and it really shook her. She didn't even want to talk about it."
"So, she got a bad fortune?", Iroh asked worriedly.
"I don't know, like I said she didn't want to talk about it. She just seemed deeply sad."
Back on the ship, a knock on her door disrupted Ming from her somber thoughts. Slowly she got up and opened, only to find maybe half the crew in front of it, all with worried looking faces. As always, Lieutenant Jee spoke for the group first, "We're sorry to disturb you, Lady Ming, but since we've been to the fortuneteller, you looked so sad, and it got us thinking."
"So, you all came here to cheer me up? That's really sweet of you, thanks.", Ming said with a warm smile on her face and tears in her eyes.
"I've made you some longevity noodles, if you want.", the cook threw in, what made her laugh, but it suddenly stopped when he added, "In your state, it's important that you eat enough."
Surprised she asked, "What do you mean, in my state?"
The cook shrugged his shoulders, "Well, with the baby and all, it's important that you drink and eat enough.", she wanted to protest, ask how they got the idea, but she was cut off. "The prince may not recognize it, maybe he's too young for that, and the former general's probably deceiving himself, but you can't fool us, my lady. We're all grown men, most have family at home, we know the symptoms of a pregnancy when we see it."
Ming looked defeated. Then a content smile spread on her face, calmly she asked, "Did you make enough noodles for all of us?"
A little while later everyone gathered in the crew's eating area, each one with a bowl of longevity noodles in their hands. Ming raised her voice a little, so everyone could hear, "Thank you all for caring so much about me, I'm really touched. But I have to ask something of you. Would you please keep my pregnancy a secret? At least until I've told my husband?", everyone nodded as she continued, "The reason I haven't told him is that he already has so much weighing down on him, the search for the Avatar is only the tip of the iceberg, so I thought that it would probably be the one thing too many if I told him now."
Lieutenant Jee cleared his throat, "I think we all understand that, and we'll try our best to keep it a secret, but with all due respect, Lady Ming, you should tell him rather sooner than later. If you wait for too long, it may hurt him. Also, forgive me for bringing it up, but you're already starting to gain weight, he'll notice sooner or later."
She nodded slowly, "I know. The spirits know, I hate keeping a secret from him, and from uncle too, actually.", she sat down her bowl and stood up, "Thank you all again for caring so much about me, but I think, I should get some rest now, it is already late."
The first thing Ming saw the next morning was the empty, unused side of the bed next to her. Sighing she ran a hand across it. Then her hand traveled to her stomach. The crew members were right, slowly it began to show. As her hand rested on it, she thought, at least, you're here with me. And again, Aunt Wu's voice echoed in her head, the rock that starts a landslide. She wondered what that was supposed to mean.
A while later she got up on deck, a thick coat over her clothing. They were traveling further and further up north, and it was winter by now. Smiling she greeted a few crew members, "Good Morning! My husband has not returned by now, but I want us to be ready to set sail when he does.", she turned to the main engineer, "Are the repairs done yet?"
The man bowed, smiling, "Almost done, my lady. Nothing that would need more than two hours."
She nodded, then she turned to the cook, "How is our supply situation?"
He too, bowed happily, "We've got enough food to keep us at sea for about three weeks, my lady."
"Good.", she smiled, "Great work everyone! Lieutenant Jee? Would you help me ready the maps? I want us to be ready in case my husband doesn't capture the Avatar, so we can set a new course as soon as possible.", Jee nodded.
Zuko's whole body ached as he and his uncle made their way back to their ship. Although June had said that the shirshu toxins wore off after a short time, he could swear, he still had some within him. That the Avatar had escaped again was embarrassing, now they would need maybe weeks to get back on his trail. Hopefully the repairs were finished.
As they got closer to the ship, both men stopped for a moment, looking at it. Not only was everything repaired, it also looked somehow cleaner and the banished prince could swear, it even smelled better. Dumbfounded he walked on deck. A few crew members were doing their various duties, it was silent otherwise, and to his renewed surprise, Lieutenant Jee stood at attention a few feet away from him and greeted him with a smile, "Welcome back, Prince Zuko, General Iroh. Do you want to set a new course?", Zuko only nodded. Who was this? What happened to his crew? As he and his uncle shared a suspicious look, they both followed Lieutenant Jee. He had already readied some maps and they quickly agreed to sail further north. Jee assured them they could leave at the spot and a few minutes later the ship began moving.
Jee then noticed the surprised expression on both, Zuko and Iroh, and smiled a bit sheepishly, "Lady Ming got us all to work, so we would be ready when you returned. If I'm not mistaken, she's down in her room at the moment, I think she said something about tea.", Zuko blinked a few times, then he regained his composure a bit and hurried towards his room. For a moment everything was quiet, then Iroh and Jee burst out into laughter.
Ming was enjoying peace and silence for as long as it would last. She had noticed the ship moving some time ago, so, her husband was probably back. She smiled at the thought but decided to finish her tea first. Suddenly the door was opened, and she stopped in her tracks, the cup halfway between the table and her lips. She raised an eyebrow at Zuko's expression. He looked like he just saw a miracle. But he did look at her. For a short moment she thought about something being behind her.
Just as she thought he was somehow stuck, he came closer to her and sat down next to her. Then he pressed a passionate kiss on her lips that almost caused her to fall backwards. When he finally pulled away, she saw that he smiled at her surprised expression. Then he said, "What on earth did you do to the crew?"
She laughed a bit shyly, running a hand through her hair. Then she drank the last cup of her tea, "Well, the crew, … let's say, we had a long talk last night."
Zuko stood up and held out a hand for her, which she took. Suddenly she was pressed against the wall and a surprised yelp escaped her lips as he started kissing her neck. She slung her arms around his shoulders and pressed his head further into the creak of her neck. Then she pulled his head up and kissed him and put their foreheads against each other, "Zuko, what are you doing?"
He grinned at her, "Do you think I forgot my promise?"
For the next few weeks, they didn't see any signs of the Avatar, but Zuko was sure, the kid would eventually travel to the North Pole to find a waterbending master. He wanted to go there too, but he wasn't sure how. With their little ship they would hardly stand a chance. Thus, they were docked at another small port.
Zuko didn't know how, but music night became a reoccurring thing on board. He always declined the offer to join, though Ming would from time to time, so for now, he was laying on top of his bed, all alone. The door opened almost silently, and Ming entered, seemingly in good spirits. She laid down next to him. He wondered about her mood, had she been really upset after the visit of the fortuneteller, she was now the complete opposite, positive, lively, always smiling at everyone. He didn't know what to make of this, on the one hand he was glad that she was in a good mood, but on the other hand he feared that the fortunetelling had been so bad that she was just destined to make what little time she had left the best she could. He was shaken from his thoughts when she leaned over to him and began singing, two fingers dancing on his chest, "Winter, spring, summer and fall, winter, spring, summer and fall, four seasons, four loves, four seasons, for love."
She giggled and kissed him and soon it turned more passionate. Zuko flipped her over and pressed her into the cushions, thinking to himself, well, music night … kind of …
All of sudden the door was opened, and Iroh entered, making both teenagers stiffen. Zuko turned towards him, "Uncle, what are you doing here? For the last time, I'm not playing the tsungi horn!", while Ming had let herself fall back into the cushions, giggling.
Iroh shook his head sadly, "No, it's about our plans. There's a bit of a problem."
Without any warning Zhao entered the room, "I'm taking your crew.", which made both teenagers jump. Zhao raised an eyebrow at the scene in front of him, then his expression turned to anger, "Ming! What on earth are you doing?!"
With a similar expression Ming answered, "I'm his wife! What do you think I'm doing?"
"Anyway,", her father seemingly fought himself for keeping his composure, "I've recruited your crew for a little expedition to the North Pole."
Zuko turned to Iroh, "Uncle, is that true?"
Iroh answered sadly, "I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone… even the cook."
"Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar. But I can't have you getting in my way again.", Zhao said, grinning at the banished prince.
In one single movement Zuko stood up and charged at Zhao angrily, only to be held back by his uncle, "No!", while Ming stood up as well. She saw her father's gaze wander and stop at the mounted swords at the wall. Cold fear gripped her heart as he walked over and took one of them. A quick look to the side told her that Zuko knew the danger he was in as well as her father swung the sword around a few times.
"I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko.", Zhao said nonchalantly.
Zuko answered almost too quickly, "I'm not."
Ming added, "They're antiques. Just decorative. I've put them up.", Zuko's gaze shot to her for a moment. What was she doing? Why was she covering for him? Did she know?
Zhao went on as if he hadn't heard his daughter, "Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?"
"Just rumors. I don't think he is real.", Iroh answered.
Zhao chuckled, "He's real, all right. He's a criminal and an enemy of the Fire Nation. But I have a feeling justice will catch up with him soon.", he handed the sword to Iroh as he turned to leave the cabin, "General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands… if you change your mind. And Ming,", he turned his head to his daughter and his tone got stricter, "last chance. Come with me and I'll make sure your life is safe and comfortable. Stay here and we'll see what you get out of it."
Ming grabbed Zuko's hand, "I'm exactly where I want to be, father.", for a moment they stared at each other angrily. Then Zhao finally left. Iroh then put back the sword and left as well. Zuko and Ming just stood there, next to each other, for a few minutes, refusing to let the other's hand go. Then Ming let out a single sob, and Zuko pulled her in a hug.
The next night, Zuko laid on their bed, staring angrily at the ceiling, while Ming packed some things. Without the crew, keeping the ship would be impossible. They'd have to find another way to travel. She sighed and looked at her silhouette in the mirror. Maybe it was just her, but she could swear that she could see her stomach getting bigger. With a soft knock on the door, Iroh entered, "The crew wanted me to wish you safe travels."
Ming smiled at him, but Zuko reacted more bitterly, "Good riddance to those traitors.", earning himself a disapproving look from his wife, he rolled his eyes, "Wish them safe travels too and good luck with their mission.", he looked at her again, seeing a broad smile widening on her face.
Iroh tried to lift his nephew's mood a bit, "It's a lovely night for a walk. Why don't you join me? It would clear your head.", and as he got no response he added, "Or just stay in your room and sit in the dark. Whatever makes you happy."
Ming chuckled after the old man had left. She sat down on the bed next to her husband. She had thought about this many times, but in the end, Lieutenant Jee was right. She needed to tell him rather sooner than later. He raised an eyebrow as she took his hand in hers, "Zuko, there's something we need to talk about, now that we're going to leave the ship."
He turned towards her, raising her hand to his lips, "What is it, Qing Qing?"
Ming opened her mouth, but no words came out. So often she had thought about this moment, practiced how to phrase it, to soften the shock. But now that the moment came, she was lost for words.
Suddenly there was a noise from inside the ship, that startled both of them. Zuko looked at her seriously, and whispered, "Stay behind me.", before he left the room, Ming in tow. As they walked through the hallways, he called, "Uncle? Uncle, is that you?"
From one moment to another Ming almost crashed into his back, over his shoulder she could see what made him stop, a giant number of barrels. Barrels full of blasting jelly, and the small noise of a fuse. Then the explosion hit. Zuko was quick enough to turn around, hug her and bend a fire shield around them. Nevertheless, they got blown off the ship in a rain of debris, leaving both of them with cuts and bruises all over their bodies. They still had their arms slung around each other when they hit the water surface, and only then did their grip loosen. Ming's body reacted purely on instinct. As quick as she could she swam to the surface and greedily gasped for air. In horror she stared at the burning ship. Then she noticed something else, Zuko was not resurfacing. She panicked for a short moment, then she reminded herself to stay calm. Panicking didn't help. A second the physician's voice echoed in her head, lecturing her about strenuous activities, but she put that thought to the side. I've already lived through that explosion, a little bit of diving won't make that much of a difference, hopefully, she thought. She took a deep breath and went back under the water surface. Luckily, the burning ship provided some amount of light, otherwise she maybe wouldn't have been able to find him quickly. He was about to sink to the ground, pulled down by his armor, unconscious from either the explosion or from hitting the surface. Ming grabbed his arm and pulled him upwards. She tried her best to keep his face above the water as she swam towards the shore. She needed all of her force to lift him out of the water. Ming managed to lay him down sideways like she learned in her time at the port. Then she collapsed next to him. She turned to face him, and reached out for his face, whispering with a slightly panicked undertone, "Come on, come on…"
A relieved smile spread on her face when he opened his eyes. Zuko smiled back at her, whispering, "Qing Qing.", they laid there for what seemed like an eternity, just staring into each other's eyes, wondering about the very fact that they lived, until Iroh found them.
A few days later, it was evening already, Zuko stood up from the bed and dressed himself in black clothes. His gaze wandered to Ming, who was still laying in the bed, the blanket being the only thing to cover her body. She smiled sadly at him, "You don't think I should do this, do you?", he asked.
She stood up and walked up to him, the blanket wrapped around her, "Partly, yes. But I know you have to. And as your wife, I'll support you and wait for your return, even if it hurts to be apart. Just do me a favor and try to come back, yes?"
He chuckled, "I'll try.", then he pulled her in a longing kiss.
She laid her head down on his shoulder, "At least I've got some compensation upfront."
"Don't worry so much, okay? I'll make you proud.", he said, grabbing her hand and putting a light kiss on it.
"I am already proud of you, Zuko. Just, stay safe, and return quickly.", she told him.
He took out the pendant she made for him years ago and put it to his lips, "I will. Now, try to enjoy your time here. I'll be back before you miss me."
She looked at him playfully, "But I'm already missing you.", she laughed. For a moment it was silent, he thought, she looked like she wanted to say something, but then didn't. Instead, she just hugged him tightly and kissed him passionately. When she pulled away, he saw that a single tear had escaped her eyes, though she remained smiling. Wiping the tear away she said, "Now go before I change my mind.", they exchanged a last look and Zuko hurried out of the little house. He was glad that they had found this place, a spa in a colony on the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom. She would be safe and cared for here, and it would be his first stop after whatever was going to happen on the North Pole. He looked back and his heart ached, a part of him wanted to stay, but he shook the thought away. Soon, he would return, and hopefully it would be only the first stop on their way home.
Ming sat down on the bed; she bit her lip. She had wanted to tell him about the child, but then she thought, it would only distract him, and distracted people made more mistakes. Whatever was going to happen up North, the environment alone was dangerous enough. He needed to be focused. She would still have time to tell him when he returned.
Later that night she was awakened by a sudden light filling the room. A dark figure stood at the end of her bed. Still half asleep she thought, Zuko had returned, but then her vision cleared, and she shrieked back. It was her father. "Stand up, Ming.", he demanded, "I had a feeling you survived the explosion. How exactly did you do that? Is that husband of yours alive as well?"
Ming shook her head, "No, he's not. I was taking a walk, so I wasn't on board when… wait, you were responsible, weren't you?"
He grinned diabolically at her shocked expression, "And why are you surprised?"
Tears welled up in her eyes, "I'd just never thought my own father would try to kill me. I thought you had at least a little bit of a soul in you. Not even animals kill their young."
"Animals don't ponder over the benefits of a new marriage for you. Now that you're free, I'll send for some suitors after my return from the North Pole.", he stated nonchalantly.
"You're not going to do such a thing.", she snapped angrily at him, then she added, "I'm pregnant."
Zhao stopped in his tracks and just stared at his daughter for a long moment. Then he grimaced and slapped her hard enough that she fell back onto the bed. Threateningly he towered above her, "In that case, I have no use for you anymore. Now stand up and dress yourself. There's a ship waiting to bring you back to the Fire Nation. I've arranged so that someone will take care of you. If you're not ready in ten minutes I'll send the soldiers to get you."