Okay this one is a little boring, yet very descriptive. And a insight on feelings male and female. Oh and this one is a must for the next chpater, so usually where I would say you could skip this one, you can't unless you want to be totally like huh then go ahead, oh yeah I had way to much sugar, then an energy drink, or two, and then three cups of coffee so enjoy.
Iroh decided on giving Prince Zuko his gift while they were still asleep. He walked down the hall to the prince's room and tried to push the door open. But to his surprise it was locked. This brought questions but he would think about that later. He went and got the extra key from the captain, and with a few men carrying his present, opened the door. He stood there for a moment.
So that's why the door was locked. He thought as he looked at the sleeping trio. Katara was facing the baby who was inbetween the two, and had her arms wrapped around him. In turn Zuko was facing her with his arms wrapped securely around the both of them.
Iroh smiled. He knew sooner or later the two would find each other. He ordered the men to place his gift as quietly as possible in the middle of the room. Then they left trying their hardest to keep from waking up the three.
Katara heard the door shut and sighed. She was so comfortable. She could feel Riyo safely in her arms, and the warmth surrounding her just made her want to stay there. She took a deep breath and let her eyes flutter open. A pale form was infront of her. Her vision cleared as she remembered the events from the night before. She look at him. He was so peaceful when he was asleep. To bad he could master that look otherwise.She looked carefully over his facial features. Strong cheek bones, defined jaw, yeah there was the scar, but she could see beyond that. She had told him, rather yelled at him, that she loved him.
It was true. But wait. Something was wrong. Zuko seemed way to close. It was then she realized what that warm feeling around her was. She jumped back and slapped him hard across the face. Of course this brought him straight out of sleep. He looked up at her with a complete startled look on his face not really knowing what had happened. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.
"PERVERT!" She yelled. Zuko sat up and looked at her.
"What are you talking about?" It was too early for this. She glared at him. If only she had something to throw at him.
"I told you last night NOT TO TOUCH ME!" Zuko jumped out of the bed and faced her.
"LIKE I WOULD WASTE MY TIME ON A LITTLE GIRL LIKE YOU!" Real smooth Zuko. So much for letting her know how I feel. Katara huffed and turned her back to him, causing him to retaliate by doing the same thing.
Zuko turned abruptly as he heard Katara gasp. He looked at her as she sttod there on had over her mouth. Zuko looked to see what had caught her eyes so.
A beautiful work of a talented metalsman. A baby bed. The iron black as night and bent with a perfection to curve the base line of the bed. Masterful ribbons of iron all twisted to hold the child in. The legs stretched down like spikes, ebony flames dancing up from the floor bringing a delicacy to the danger of the spikes. At the foot a powerful curl, created as a wave. Splendid with great detail to the last of the water drops. A light of wash to accent the torrent of the waves strength. And at the head. At the head was a splendor of fire erupting from the metalic curves. Each flame, every tendril a frozen incarnation of the blaze that fanned from the sun and within Zuko's very soul. And in the middle of the blazing euphoria, painted in demand to be seen red, the Fire Nation Insignia.
Zuko felt a loss of breath. He traced his fingers grazingly over the smooth metal workings. Inside the bed however was as different as night and day. It was lined with silk, and seemed that the walls were lined with a padding, cotton or wool. Blankets made from the finest pelts, softest furs. Suitable for the new heir.
He looked at Katara. Was this her doing? No. She was looking over the bed with just as much taken aback intrest as himself.
Katara wasn't drawn by the flames, or the curves of the iron. It was the metal wave at the foot that drew her in for further inspection. The flames she understood. The insignia was a given. She could even make sense of the elaborate metal detailing, but the wave? It was a great wave, strong and mighty, with a presence that demanded to speak out amoung the flames. Why would this be on the son of the prince of the fire nation's bed? She looked up and caught Zuko's eyes on her. She looked at him for a second then away with a small blush.
Zuko shook his head. Was she going to refuse to speak to him again today? Zuko looked back at Riyo who was still sleeping peacefully, after all it was only an hour or so that he woke up and wanted to be fed. Well this would have come in handy last night.
He carefully placed Riyo in his bed and looked at the girl. She wasn't going to look at him, nor talk to him, from what he gathered. Very well if she wanted to be stubborn, he could be too. He walked out to greet the captain, leaving Katara behind.
"Uncle, why is there a.." Iroh turned and looked at his nephew with overjoyment in his eyes.
"So you like it then. I hope that you will use it. I see now that you have very little room for three on your bed." Zuko scowled at his uncle a defying blush lighting his cheeks.
"You came in my room!" Zuko accused. Iroh put his hands up in front of him.
"Me and the men didn't see anything we didn't already expect."
"WHAT! THERE WAS MORE THEN YOU IN MY ROOM WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!" He yelled and spouted flames from his nose. He turned around and went off to find the captain like he had originally intended. He couldn't really blame his uncle. He had tried to get the crew to back off of the girl. She was beutiful. She was young. Hell she was the only damn female anything on the entire ship. He had bitten her. He could have thought of a better way to carry out his pay back, and had to admitt that it was a little malicious, but his underlying reason was well worth the grief. He had left a mark on her. As if to say that she was taken, and to back off. If that didn't discourage his crew, then this mornings episode surely would. It would spread like a plague over the ship, it would be an hour or so and the entire ship would be up to date.
She wasn't taken, however. He had not yet claimed her as his own. She had claimed him, or so she thought. He wasn't one to be claimed. He had missions, duties, and dammit he had better things to do.
He walked briskly up to the captain and demanded, per usual tone and attitude, a status report. He didn't like what he heard.
"Yes, we are about a days worth of sailing off the coast of a small Earth Kingdom village. We will dock and resupply there." Zuko frowned. He hadn't expected the next port to have been so close. He nodded and walked off, shout and ordering random soliders and crewmen to get to work, even if they were already doing their job.
Today was to be his last day with the wretch mand it was his own doing. His mind was in a mess. He had to do it for the better of his son, his country, his people, and Katara. Whether or not he liked it.
Katara paced the room quietly waiting for Riyo to wake up. Her thoughts were mangled. Between the going ons last night, then the feelings this morning, she felt as if she was starting to understand why Riyo's mother had went completely insane. Any woman in her right mind would be one of two things. Hate the prince's guts or love him like a god.
But here she was stuck right in the middle. She cursed under her breath and found her eyes again drifting to the wave. She wanted so bad to spend the rest of her life with him, but only if he was willing to be with her. That was what one part of her screamed. The other, told her time and time again that she needed free of his hypnotic notions.
She needed to be with her brother, with Aang, and god forbid, Appa and Momo. She smiled at the thought of them. She guessed they had about starved to death by now. No they were resourceful. They could do it she knew they could.
As hard as she tried to think of other things, they were short lived. The prince had a hold on her mind, and her heart and it made her sick. Anything she thought of lead to him. She couldn't think about Riyo with out thinking about Zuko. It wasn't fair. And as of late her mind had picked up on dangerous and taboo thoughts that made her blush blood red at the very entance to her mind. Like how it must feel to be with him. How his power... She felt her face burn.
SHAME! Shame on me! Shame on me! She couldn't have these thoughts. They were a becoming downfall and that was the last thing she needed. Besides that, even if they were to, she wouldn't ever be able to shake the lingering thoughts of how many prostitutes that he may have done and said the very same things to. And if she was any different from them, or would she be just another rag to toss aside. She felt her face contort her stomach sinking in and twisting itself into hundred of tiny knots. She ran towards the washroom. She had made herself physically sick.
Next Chapter up soon. Little spoiler in the Title: Desireof Fire, Needfor Water. That would be the V-day one I promised.