Zuko was nervous. There were so many things that could go wrong with this plan. He didn't even know if it could go into effect. If the Avatar did not agree to work with him, Zuko would have risked his life for nothing. It all depended on the Avatar, like everything else does in the world.
To keep himself occupied, Zuko was sitting in Bree and Ronan's room listening to their chatter and stories about their aunt's farm. When they had first got to the block-aid, Zuko had placed a request to see if the children's aunt still lived on that farm. She did, and she would be waiting for them at the palace when they arrived. Zuko was happy for Bree and Ronan. He had been worried they would find no family when they arrived. He had even talked with his uncle about the children living in the palace. He was certain he had a few relatives who would love to adapt a boy and girl.
"And what about the bunnies, Ronan? Aunt Kat always had bunnies in her yard. Remember the white one that papa tried to catch, but it sprayed him and ran?" She exploded in a fit of giggles.
"I'm thinking about her horses. I can't wait to show her how my riding abilities have improved. Working at that barn sure helped."
Zuko had been thinking for a while about Ronan. When he first met them, Bree had mentioned Ronan had bending abilities. Zuko had wanted to talk to Ronan about this, but never got the chance.
"Ronan, can I talk to you about something?"
The boy nodded his head.
"Do you mind if it's alone?"
"Sir, I don't keep secrets from my sister. If you tell her now or I tell her later, she will find out."
Zuko had expected this. At least I tried. "Fine. I wanted to talk to you about your ability to bend. Bree had said your mother made you hide it. When was the last time you used it?"
Ronan thought hard. "I don't really remember. Our father died a little over two years ago, and we moved immediately after that. Shortly after that, she told me I couldn't use them because people wouldn't hire us. I didn't see how that would matter. Everyone knew we were Fire Nation because of our accents."
"Did you use them much before that?"
"No. I had not entered a school yet. Father taught me a few basics, but he never wanted me to use them much either, in fear that the king would find me and recruit me for the army. He taught me more about farming."
Zuko nodded. "I just want to run a few tests to see how strongly connected you are. If you are still strong after not using them for years, I would suggest you attend a school. If you don't tap into your abilities, eventually you could feel sick and weak. Being a bender isn't something someone should hide. It's a wonderful gift. Will you come with me to my practice room?"
The children stood and fell into line behind the prince. He could hear them whispering to each other, and he could pick up bits about their mother's wishes and what would happen if Ronan was strong in fire bending. When they got to the room, Zuko instructed Bree to sit on the side against the wall, and he told Ronan to stand in the middle. It was a bare room, with no furnaiture. Perfect to practice fire bending.
"You have done some bending before, correct? You know what it feels like to have the fire move through you, so I don't have to explain that. Try to hold some fire in your hand."
Ronan held out his left hand and concentrated. A flicker of flame came from his palm, and then died. His face fell with disappointment.
"I can't do it. I've ignored it for too long. It's gone."
Zuko shook his head. "No, it's not. If you were born with the ability to bend, it will never leave you. Just like one cannot make oneself have a bending ability if one was not born with it. Don't concentrate so much. Relax, imagine the fire in your hand, and it will come."
Ronan held his hand out again. This time, his face was not as tight as it had been before. Zuko could feel the boy relaxing. A few seconds later, a nice, warm flame flickered in his hand and stayed there. From her seat on the floor, Bree gasped and giggled with delight. Zuko smiled.
"Good. Now try this…"